Hlitner

If you want to spend a night away from the ship, we would strongly recommend just going to Kyoto (easily done on the train) and book yourself a nice Ryokan. There is more than enough to keep anyone busy in Kyoto for 2 days (we spent a week in that city) and plenty of decent restaurants in various price ranges. Hank

Also did Kamakura on our own by simply taking the train from Yokohama. Once in Kamakura, DW and I walked everywhere, but that did ultimately add-up to over 3 miles of walking. There are local buses and grabbing a taxi, at the train station, should not be a problem. The main tourist sites are within a 10-15 min walk (of each other). Hank

It depends on how and where you booked. If you used a deal with a non-refundable deposit, it can be difficult to get anything changed (although a very good high volume cruise agency might be able to work some magic). If you booked, in North America, with a refundable deposit, and are still outside the penalty period, you have leverage because you can always cancel and rebook at the current pricing. However, these are the rules that normally apply to a North American booking. Since it seems that you have booked in the UK, all bets are off! Each cruise line has different rules, when it comes to European bookings, because they must comply with the more complex European consumer protection rules. On one hand, you get some Comsumer protection that is not part of our culture, but on the other hand you often get no-refund deposits and issues when you want to make a change to an existing booking.

Not necessarily true. We once received a refund check (from Trenitalia) that was issued in Euros. Took it to our bank where they refused the deposit, saying they had no way to process that check. In the end, it became a souvenir. Looking at a few web sites, on the subject, the consensus seems to be that depositing a foreign check is "complicated." In a related vein, we once rented an apartment in Avignon, and the owner wanted the deposit in a check, payable in Euros. Our two banks both said no, they could not do it. In the end, we worked it out with the owner by using Paypal and doing a direct deposit into his account. Hank

Hot dogs, Hamburgers and pizza are among the more popular foods on any mass market line. Move up to luxury line like Seabourn where caviar is about the most popular dish (they have unlimited caviar available from room service) or a prime tenderloin is an everyday item. Speaking of avocados, it seems like the current popular trend is to offer "avocado toast." Hank

1:15 flight is fine, and you will even have plenty of time to sit around or shop at BCN. Figure on a 30 min drive in a taxi or via a direct transfer bus. The unknown is how long it takes to get a taxi or for a transfer bus (often more expensive than a private taxi) to get moving. Hank

I think the single word answer to the OP's question is, MAYBE! When folks have privately asked us a similar question, we always respond that if you can live with "maybe" than go for it! Always keep in mind that many factors can combine to cause onboard Internet to go down and sometimes to stay down for days! If you can take the chance, then all is good. Hank

Euro Cruiser is right to suggest learning about ZTLs and we would add to also read about parking in Italy. But on the drive from Florence to Orvieto, San Gimignano, or the Chianti area, there is no ZTL problem except within Florence. If renting a car in Florence you will need to know the proper route to get away from town (without penetrating a ZTL). The rental car office where you rent can give this info (along with a map). The ZTL info is also found online. For those who do not understand, ZTLs, they are simply limited driving zones that exist in many major cities and some less major tourist areas. It is not a big deal as long as one does their homework and avoids these areas. ZTLs are usually marked with signs, but the signs are small and easy to miss for those not informed. When we stay in Florence, our normal home is the Hotel David (we love this inn-like hotel) which conveniently has free parking and happens to be just outside the ZTL. A bigger problem for many Americans is that that, traditionally, the lowest price rental cars are manual shift (stick shift). For folks that cannot (or willnot) drive a stick, rental car prices tend to be somewhat more expensive and automatics should be reserved well in advance. The good news is that Europe is slowly (very slowly away from stick shifts) so it has become easier to rent automatics. One other warning about driving in Italy (and most of Europe). Unless you know the "lay of the land" it is wise to stay within the posted speed limits. Europe has increasingly moved to speed cameras (especially on the main roads most often used by tourists) and you can bet some nasty fines that will later be assessed by your rental car company (who will add an extra administrative expense). Unlike in the USA, driving 5 over the speed limit might still get you fined. Hank

Possible? Yes, and we have done it a few times. But our solution is not for everyone as we simply rent a car (from Sifracar.com) and they have always been able to deliver our car to the port (usually close to the gangway). I am not sure if the current port security has changed the rental car pickup. But we would simply hop in our car and be at Riomaggiore in a little more than an hour. At Riomaggiore there is a paid parking garage/lot and also free parking along the road (which can involve a long hike along the road to get into town). On one trip, we took another couple (who split the rental car cost) and left Riomaggiore a little early so we could give them a few minutes at the Leaning Tower (Pisa). Using the train is more complicated and it takes a lot of time. You must first get to the Livorno train station which is best done with a taxi (assuming you can get a taxi). The train can take over 2 hours (once you get on the first train) and is not a very efficient way to get to Cinque Terre on a day trip. As to the cost of renting a car, assuming you can get another couple (usually easy to find on the CC Roll call board) the cost per person is generally about $30 to $35 per person. Once at Riomaggiore, one can move between the villages on the train and/or ferries. Hank

Many cruise lines will not "cash out" OBC over a certain amount (some lines restrict to as little as $25). And for us, we have better things to do than stand in a long queue on the last evening (or morning) of a cruise waiting to get to the Guest Relations desk. As to carrying thousands, we carry very little cash (even though we routinely take 2 months trips) and rely on credit cards as well as ATM/Debit cards. Since our main credit cards have decent rewards (with points) there is an advantage to using plastic (and quickly paying off the balance). Hank

One does not need to use a cruise line transfer or excursion to get from Keelung to Taipei. The Keelung train station is within easy walking distance of the cruise terminal, and there are frequent (and very inexpensive) trains to and from Taipei, A great option for DIYers. I think we paid less than $4 round trip. Hank

Interesing, about you bringing aboard your own wines. About half way through our 21 days on the Encore, I truly considered buying a decent bottle of Cognac (the only complementary cognacs were Hardy or Courvoisier VS) and a few decent bottles of wine (to take in the Restaurant! Not wanting to create any "issues" we ultimately settled for the inferior stuff being served onboard. I pointed out, in another post, that we did have the opportunity to speak with a home office representative (who was on our cruise) and express our displeasure with the wines and cognacs. Whether anyone in Seattle listens and responds, with some future changes, is a question. Hank

Call me a little old fashioned, but I do not see the wisdom of buying onboard credit in advance of a cruise. There are a few reasons. If you have remaining OBC, it can be a pain to get it refunded (HAL has more than its share of problems with its accounting and refund systems). And, if you were to cancel the cruise (stuff sometimes happens), you might be waiting a long time (and jumping through some hoops) to get your money returned. Simply put, I would rather owe HAL money then have them owing me money :). We recently had a situation where we ended a Princess cruise with $400 of refundable OBC. For that amount of money, Princess refunds it, via check, within a few weeks of the disembarkation. We never got the check (apparently it was issued but lost). It took me 3 phone calls and 5 e-mails to finally get that $400 refunded and we received the money in September of 2024 for a cruise we took in December 2023. Hank

Not sure you have it right. Keep in mind that Explora, just like its MSC sister company, is a Euro-centric cruise company. While you think in terms of Florida and the Caribbean, the MSC folks think more in terms of Europe and Europeans. While MSC does now have a decent presence in the Florida/Caribbean market, the bulk of their fleet is still dedicated to Europe. When EJ was just getting it's start, one of its marketing ploys that just about everything, onboard, was sourced in Europe. The bottom line for EJ is that, at the moment, it is a tiny cruise line with only 900 berths. It is difficult to justify a huge marketing budget for such a small company, and they still go out of their way to keep separation from MSC....(although there is a big MSC sign in the Emporium indoor pool on EJ1. In fact, we got a laugh when, on EJ1, we would sometimes get MSC napkins. I posted, long before EJ1 did its maiden voyage, that the EJ folks were missing a huge opportunity by NOT marketing to the MSC Yacht Club passengers. In fact, when we were on the Divina (in the Yacht Club) and ask the future cruise consultant about booking EJ, she recoiled in faux horror and said, "we are not permitted to talk about that line!" Now, more than a year after beginning operations, most of our cruising friends tell us they have never heard of EJ or know nothing about it! Hank When it comes to European cruises, the airport situation is not nearly as important to customers. The reality of small ship luxury lines is that the customer base has a more worldly view and seeks out more exotic itineraries than found in the Caribbean. I do think that competition causes a real problem for small ship luxury lines in the Caribbean. We have an upcoming Silversea cruise, that does a 2-week Caribbean itinerary, and we were able to snag reservations for less money than cruising in the Caribbean on MSC's Yacht Club. Silversea sold our cruise at more than 50% lower cost per person/day then most of their more exotic itineraries. You can even look at the mass market lines to see the problem with the Caribbean. Cruise HAL, on a Caribbean cruise, and you will find some amazing deals. Take that same line on one of their more popular itineraries, such as the Voyage of the Vikings, and HAL can demand 3 times (and more) the price per passenger day then they get in the Caribbean. I think that, at least for now, the major marketing for EJ is the European market. The bulk of their North American marketing has been to "reach out" to travel/cruise agencies. But even though DW and I have previously cruised on EJ (so are in their data base) the amount of marketing we get (via e-mail and snail mail) is miniscule when compared to many other lines.

The drive to Orvieto is mostly enjoyable (especially when you finally get off the Autostrade). As you arrive in Orvieto there is parking near the entrance to town. The Tourist Office is located at the Piazza della Pace (an area close to when you arrive at the city), so this is a good time to visit that office or kiosk and pick up some free brochures and advice (if needed). I believe there is a luggage storage place (at that location) but times change so no guarantee. The web site does mention it is open from 9-5 starting in March (beginning of the tourist season). It is a relatively small town, and like many of these old hill towns most everything is close or along the main street (which is where you will start). I am puzzled by your "drive to Civitavecchia for the day" comment. Civitavecchia is a port city that few would consider a good day trip destination. We have driven to and from Civitavecchia (many times) but only to embark or disembark from a ship. Otherwise, it is a town we would not visit. As to wine tasting, in the Orvieto area, they should have info at the tourist office about which regional vineyards are open for public tastings. In Italy, we have found that many of the best tasting places have limited hours and are often relatively small facilities Since things are always changing, we tend to do our homework within a few weeks of a visit and will sometimes e-mail various wineries about a tasting appointment. I cannot say that the Orvieto area is our favorite region for wine tasting. Since you are going to be in Florence, you might want to consider the so-called Chianti Trail/Road which is the 2 lane SR222 road that runs between Florence and Siena. There are many small wineries along (and close to this country road) which also takes you through a series of small villages (often worth a short stop). If you have never been to San Gimignano, this is also worth a visit (this famous town can be crowded during the daytime). Hank

Unfortunately, another sad example of "if it works, break it!" As much as we enjoy Seabourn, many of the recent changes have not been to our liking, Hank

Refreshing to hear that somebody WANTS to get e-mails from a cruise line. Since DW and I have been on 19 different cruise lines, and deal with several major discount cruise agencies, our norm is to get over 100 cruise-related e-mails every week. Most get deleted without being opened as the reality is that most promotional e-mails have little to offer (we generally get better deals by simply using the right cruise agency). Hank

Southern! The ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) are all excellent places to visit. The odds of good weather are also increased on the southern route, As to "party boats" this is a factor of the cruise line, the length of the cruise, and the time of year. We are seniors and have managed to get to the Caribbean, at least once a year, for about 50 years. We avoid party boats by taking longer itineraries (usually 14+ days) and avoid school holidays. Hank

I think we should offer a warning about your return to the port/ship. Getting off the ship and to the Livorno train station is certainly an issue, but you get to the train station when you get there...and you simply buy a ticket for the next train (you must validate your train ticket in a validation machine on or near the platform. However, one really needs to focus on the issue of getting back to the ship, on time! You cannot depend on taxis, just sitting around at the station. There are usually some taxis, but it is first come first serve. Folks need to understand the situation and have a backup plan in case there are no taxis. Any decent back-up plan depends on you having enough time. My advice is do not wait for the last possible train back to Livorno. Experience has shown us that it is wise to be back to the train station about 1 1/2 hours before you must be on the ship. For those not comfortable with doing things on their own, I do think Marazul offers very good advice which is to book the cruise line's "On you own" transfer bus...even though it will be overpriced. Hank

You will probably want to print-out a small map using Google Earth or Google Maps. In terms of distance, it will be about a 1/2 mile walk from the ship (all relatively flat). I took a look on Google Earth Pro and it seems like an innocuous city location. If you have a working cell phone (always a good idea when traveling) you can simply put that address into one of the map programs (Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc) when you arrive at Naples. If you have never used one of the phone mapping programs to find a location, you might want to practice near home to get used to the software. Hank

I assume something may have been lost in the translation. We would assume that the 500 person waiting limit would only apply to folks waiting to go up the cable car (which can only move about 600 persons per hour). All the tenders to the old port are shore-based so the local authorities will need to coordinate with their own shore-based company, At the old port, there are a number of locally owned/operated cafes, restaurants and shops. Not allowing the cruise lines to provide water (free or otherwise) simply means that folks who are thirsty will need to buy drinks from the local vendors...not a big problem. As to the 10 Euro Per Person tax, one would assume this will be handled by the ships and might become part of the taxes/fees paid by everyone. Logistically this should not be a difficult issue and will certainly raise a lot more money for the local authorities. Unfortunately, these kind of tourist taxes (we already see this in Venice) does little to nothing to reduce the number of visitors. Both Santorini and Mykonos have failed, miserably, at controlling the number and timing of cruise ships on any given day. Although there are already some restrictions, it does not seem to have solved the overtourism problem. One irony about the proposed policy is that by limiting the number of daily cruisers they would also be limiting the tax revenue (from that 10 Euro tax). It will be interesting to see how greed impacts the ultimate rules. Hank

Keep in mind that Sumo is not always available. There are Sumo Tournaments spaced-out over the year and in a few major locations (i.e. Tokyo, Osaka, etc) You need to check if there is a tournament (Grand or Exhibition), and if so, purchase tickets about 1 months in advance. You can look for detailed info online. For a 4 day stay, we would generally opt to stay in Tokyo, but this does not answer the question of where in Tokyo :). The city is huge and there are several neighborhoods well suited as a base. Various areas have their pros/cons. However, we do think it is wise to stay relatively close to a metro station and/or the Yamanote Line. If you are planning on arriving or departing via the train (JR Line) you might also want to consider being relatively close to either Tokyo or Shinjuku stations. Hank

Just wanted to "shout out" a big thank you to Uktog, for her excellent thread. Reading through the posts (and some of the posts from others who were on the ship) has convinced me that EJ has failed to fix the error of their ways (i.e. "we are not a cruise ship but rather a floating resort"). I would have told the GM that a "resort" does not run out of basic supplies such as wine. We have upcoming cruises on SS and SB, and after reading this thread, will not be booking another EJ in the near future. I suspect that Heike left EJ, because she became frustrated with the lack of helpful support from above. Even the best GM cannot work their magic unless they have support. What I find somewhat shocking is that the supply and excursion issues happened on a European cruise, which is a place where MSC has lots of experience and clout. Hank

It does enhance revenue as those cabins, that are filled by bidding, would have either gone empty or more likely been used for a free upgrade. Bidding schemes generally signal the end of upgrades (which has mostly disappeared in favor of upsells). Hank

While we are not germaphobes, we do follow a few common sense practices when traveling/cruising. 1. If we happen to be near anyone that is coughing, sneezing, etc. we will move ourselves to a different place :). 2. We try to minimize our use of elevators. 3. We avoid tour buses (this is easy since we dislike large group excursions) like the plague. Buses generally have awful ventilation systems and there is no way to escape a cougher/sneezer. 4. We generally wash our hands, with hot soapy water, before meals. Hand sanitizers are better than nothing, but it is the hot soapy water that is effective against norovirus. 5. We keep current with usual vaccines such as flu and Covid. We have also had all the pneumonia vaccines as well as the Shingles shot. DW and I spent about 7 months a year in "travel mode" including around 100 days of cruising. With these simple "rules" we have managed to keep traveling, though much of the Covid pandemic, without getting any serious colds, Covid, etc. I should also add that we seldom to never used (or use) masks unless it was (or is) a mandatory requirement. Finally I will add something anecdotal. All of our friends, who are into masking, being very cautious, staying home, etc. have had COVID at least once! They thought we were crazy for traveling during the COVID mess (Mexico was never closed and Florida was also generally open to travel). We do think that the fact that neither of us had COVID was more a matter of luck although we suspect that having had 6 Covid shots may have also been helpful. Hank.