Hlitner

Yum :). Love truffles (white and black). We sometimes have dinner at a restaurant in Florence where nearly every item uses truffles. It is called Osteria della tre Panche....in case you are ever in Florence at dinner time :)/ Hank

We do agree. Those large bus tours might be the kind of thing we will do when they have to carry me on an off the bus because I am too old and sick to walk. Even then, I would not be a happy traveler. As to self-driving, we have finally run into our first roadblock which is Montenegro where they do not allow folks 75 to drive (they will likely need to change that before they become part of the EU). In fact, we will again be in Kotor, in a few weeks, and it bugs me that I can no longer rent a car and drive in that country. To me, an organized bus tour ranks up there with a visit to the dentist. Driving in Europe is no more difficult than driving at home and GPS has been very helpful in saving my marriage (no longer need to rely on DW's map reading). River cruises can be fun although it is not my favorite way in Europe. But our river cruises in Egypt and China were fantastic and got us places that would have been difficult to accomplish on land. We are also very open to the idea of taking small group tours from companies such as Tauck.

Here is a question for O veterans. What time are the normal Happy Hours and how do they work (i.e. 2 for 1, discount, etc)? Hank

For folks interested in Antarctica, there are a few facts that might enter into your thinking. Cruise lines like Princess and HAL do sometimes have what folks call "drive by" cruises in that part of the world. New international restrictions really limit how close a normal cruise ship can even get to Antartica (often it is not very close). New agreements favor cruising on smaller "expedition" ships that meet Polar 6 (or better) standards. These ships are constructed to high standards to withstand some ice, and not risk damaging the fragile environment. Expedition ships can be somewhat spartan or they can be luxurious (like the expedition ships of Seabourn, Silversea, Atlas, Ponent, etc). The big difference is that unlike the "drive by" cruises, these expedition vessels can actually get to places in Antartica and land their passengers ashore (using Zodiacs). And places like South Georgia Island are also accessible to those ships. The downside to the expedition ships is the cost! But many would argue it is a situation where you get what you pay for :). Hank

No argument on that point. We have done a few river cruises (Europe, Egypt and China) and enjoyed the experience. But as long as I am able to drive, it is my preferable way to travel in Europe. When we did a Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest (a fantastic itinerary) DW and I were not happy with only having 3 hours to explore an entire city/country (i.e. Bratislava). When we do our driving trips we can stay where we want, when we want, as long as we want. Getting back to river cruises, see if that works to get to our favorite city in New Zealand which is Queenstown :). Hank

Thanks all for this thread 🙂 We have an upcoming 35 days on the Vista and have been discussing whether we want to upgrade our drink package. Reading through the thread reminds me that if do upgrade it is not because we must, but because we want! For us. socialization is a major part of cruising and much of that happens in bars/lounges and sometimes by sharing tables at meals. Is it worth a couple of thousand dollars to socialize with a drink in hand? That it the question :). Not our normal style to sit by ourselves, in a cabin, sipping booze. Hank

I am not so sure it is an either/or situation. We do both cruising and lots of independent land travel. They each have their pros/cons. On land we can choose to spend less then on many cruise lines (such as O) or more. But one huge difference is that most of our land travel are to places one cannot access on a cruise or a port day. Folks that rely on cruising in places like Europe, Asia, and South America are only getting a glance at these continents. Even in island countries like New Zealand, there are many magical places that can never be accessed by a cruiser. Consider that one of the nicest cities in Europe, Prague, is not going to ever be seen by folks that rely on cruise ships. And we have never known any kind of ship to get up into the Alps to see places like Jungfrau. DW and I love to cruise and have been doing it for about 50 years. But much of the world is not accessible during a port day. We still think the perfect trip involves both cruising and independent land travel although we have no problem with decent small group land tours. Hank

Interesting post about Stugeron (Cinnarizine). Not a drug we would use (the side effects can be quite nasty) but makes sense for some folks. Hank

Ahhh but you might need to pay a corkage (oops should say cube) fee. 🙂

As Cruisemom pointed out, there is a lot of new cruise ship inventory with a lot more to come. There are some pretty good bargains in the cruise world for those that are somewhat flexible in terms of ships, cruise lines, etc. Folks that limit themselves to a single cruise line or have other limitations are simply reducing their options. In fact, in the past 6 months we have booked several cruises, but all with luxury or premium cruise lines, since this is where we are currently finding the best value. Hank

When it comes to the Port of Kusadasi, we have long suggested that cruisers should consider booking a tour with one of the excellent local tour providers. No need to use a third party site like Viatour. Our own "go to" tour company is Ekol Tours (we have used them a couple of times for private tours). There are other decent tour companies (sometimes recommended here on CC). When you deal directly with the tour company you can be very specific. On one trip we asked Ekol for a very knowledgeable guide and a private tour (for only the two of us). We ended up with a terrific guide, new van, driver, and it all cost us less than any comparable cruise ship excursion that would have been with at least 50 of our friends :). Since we had our own tour we were able to skip the usual "kidnapping and mandatory visit to a jewelry factory" and that kind of rubbish. Having traveled all over the world, the ruins at Ephesus remain among our worldwide favorite places. We have been through these ruins on our own (twice), on a cruise line excursion (once) and with our private guide (once). Of those options, the worst (by far) was the large group cruise line excursion. Also make sure to specify that your tour includes a visit to the Terrace Houses (they are within the ruins of Ephesus). Keep in mind that the Terrace Houses do involve steps and guides are not welcome in that facility. Our personal guide simply waited for us, outside. The Terrace Houses have lots of written signs/info so one has only to read to learn about the site. Hank

That is the way the "Flexible" option works. Keep in mind that if you later find that the fare has dropped, it will not be automatically adjusted. If online you would need to actually cancel your original reservation and then rebook. With the online system there is an option to "Change" where you can explore other options. If you go ahead with a change the screen will warn you that you are cancelling the existing (previous) reservation. In defense of HAL (and other lines) we are all at the mercy of the airlines! Schedule changes (especially in the USA) have become the norm and are really a problem for those of us who book pretty far in advance. Airlines are sometimes very slow in notifying anyone about schedule changes, so smart travelers will routinely check existing schedules/reservations. We will do this at least once a week. It is also wise to routinely check on your seat assignments since airlines have a nasty habit of changing confirmed seating without giving any notice. Hank

I can see the Starbucks of the future having time meters on their tables (you would pay by the minute) which also had a large reminder to add your gratuity (for using a table). As to HAL, since the line is a lover of "add-ons" perhaps they could charge for use of Lido tables (make the first 15 min free). They could even have a card reader so folks would simply swipe their cruise card when they sat down :). And while we are on the subject of chair hogs, why not some kind of surge pricing for deck loungers/chairs. In the very old days of cruise liners the ships used to have reserved deck chairs with stewards (who expected a tip) to bring you blankets. bouillon, etc. HAL might even provide bouillon for about $20 + 18%) on deck. Hank

The thread does make me smile. Look folks, getting from the POM to MIA is easily done by simply grabbing a taxi (there is a taxi queue outside the cruise ship terminal). I believe they have eliminated the flat rate airport fare and now run the meter. But the fare should be no more then $35 (for the entire taxi). Uber rates vary but at this very moment it is less than $20 (for an entire car). If you need to get to FLL we generally prefer Uber or Lyft. Although prices vary (surge pricing) the cost is usually in the $40-$45 range. Not surprised that EJ would offer outrageous prices. I think some luxury lines make the assumption that their clientele could care less about pricing. Hank

Euro Cruisers can certainly speak to the issue. But, the history of this port is that several years ago there were free shuttle buses that moved between a stop close to the Fort (an easy walk to the train station). Then a few short years ago, the authorities changed the design of the port entrance and stopped the free shuttle buses to the fort. The buses (still free) were re-routed to a newly built bus stop outside the port at the Largo Della Pace. From this bus stop folks could walk or take a different shuttle bus to the train station (this bus had a small fee) which is about one mile distant. The last time we were at the port the entrance by the Fort was still open (for pedestrians) but there was no longer a shuttle bus from that area to the various piers. Since we have not been to this port in about 2 years, I cannot be sure of the current situation. Since we are talking about Italy, I also look at the various official web sites with a healthy degree of skepticism. For us, as very independent travelers/cruisers, we rely on trusted RECENT sources (such as Euro Cruiser, Cruisemom, etc) and our own eyes. The ideal solution, for many of us, would be if the free shuttle bus simply made a stop near the Fort before (or after) proceding to Largo della Pace. But that makes too much sense, so we do not hold out a lot of hope. I also mentioned that we have previously walked in and out of the port to the various piers. It can be a long hike (perhaps a mile) depending on the pier. The port used to have a marked walkway and we never had an issue except one time when the port police stopped us as we neared one of the internal security gates (which also have a pedestrian walkway). The policeman spoke no English, we speak no Italian, so after a few hand gestures (after all, it is Italy) we continued on our way :). For us it is all just business as usual. When we return to the port (next month), if the weather is good, we will walk off our ship and do whatever feels right at the time :). Hank Hank

That does sound amazing! We have spent some time in Egypt (traveled all over the country) but that Nile cruise sounds really enticing. We have cruised between Luxor and Aswan, but it was on a much (very much) newer river boat. Hank

We have often had a similar issue with names (often first and middle) that are combined by the airlines. That has never been an issue and is usually due to the airline's own reservations system. If in doubt, call the airline (have your airline reservation number). Hank

Always a chance 😋 A few years ago we did Air New Zealand Prem Economy from Auckland and it was very good. Not sure what hardware they use now. They usually have a lot of Flexair options, but prices do vary

LOL. But I was posting about before there was any BB King (a favorite place of mine. And, of course, the Prinsendam had fewer venues than the other vessels.

It has been a while, but we have previously walked from our pier to the train station. Depending on the docking location that can be about the same distance as walking from Largo della Pace (have done this too). Not sure if they still let folks walk through the port (we will be there next month and might check it out). Thanks for posting about the 6 Euro bus. I do not recall that option (in the past) and it sounds convenient. I guess the devil will be in the details (i.e. how often does it really run). We still miss the free bus to the fort. Hank

We would have loved a packed Crow's Nest. That being said, one of my favorite times on the Prinsendam was sitting at the Crow's Nest with a few entertainers, Capt. Gundersen, Petr (the ship's beverage manager) and 3 or 4 other passengers (usually men). So sad that the Prinsendam is gone, and HAL has completely ruined what's left of the Crows Nests on their other ships, Having been cruising for over 50 years, I seldom miss a specific ship. But there was something special about the Prinsendam, and she remains our favorite vessel...ever. The closest thing we find to that old Crows Nest is the Observation Bar found on the smaller (450 passenger) Seabourn ships. There is just enough seating, around the bar, to allow for good conversations and the room has a Crows Nest feel. And like on the Prinsendam, there is a piano and usually a decent piano bar player/singer. Hank

It does come down to the contractual relationship between the cruise line air folks (actually a third party company) and the specific airline. It is also pretty common for airlines to allow a one-time change (or even cancellation) if the airline changes their own schedule (this happens to us all the time). I cannot keep up with all the airline rule changes....so often rely on a few online experts (at least one of whom posts on CC). The problem is that what works today may not work tonight! Pity the poor person who says to their agent, "I was able to do this last week." And the agent responds, "that was last week, today we have new rules." Hank

The problem is that HAL never really had "Dueling Pianos." Rather they simply had two pianos (with players) who worked together. The format is somewhat different (those who have been to real dueling piano venues would understand). Like any entertainment, it call comes down to the specific entertainers. If you got two good piano player/singers who worked well together, it could be a treat. If they were not so good it could almost be painful. One big difference we noted was in working hours. The duel pianos we had on HAL would play 2 or 3 sets with a nice break between each set. Piano Bar players may also do sets, but some are truly their own person. DW reminded me of one night on the VOV when "Barry from Boston" (Barry Rocklin) placed from about 9 until nearly midnight without a break! Why? There was a fun crowd at the piano, I think Barry was enjoying the entire scene, so he just kept playing and singing. I also recall one night on the Prinsendam when "Stryker" never took a break. The thing about our cruises with piano bar players on HAL is we usually find there are fewer then 10 people awake after 10pm. In fact, Barry from Boston would sometimes have fun playing the Sesame Street counting song for the number at the bar such as "4." Always great for a laugh (at least for the 4 of us awake). Hank

The last time we were on HAL we chuckled when we noticed there was no longer a special 5* queue at Guest Relations. It had been replaced with a special line for Club Orange. I guess that is kind of a downgrade in benefits. The other issue, with watered down benefits, has to do with various "priority" given to 4-5* Mariners. When is "priority" not really priority. When just about everyone else gets the same benefit or if folks can simply buy-in to that benefit (like with CO). Hank

That is generally because you have not actually been "ticketed." There is a difference between a confirmed reservation (which you can see on the airline site) and being ticketed. Once ticketed you will have to pay for the flights and will actually have real "ticket numbers" (found on your airline's site under your reservation). Even if you have been ticketed (which sometimes will not happen until about 45 days prior to your cruise) it may (or may not) be possible to make changes. That depends on the specific airline, their rules, the type ticket/fare class, etc. Sometimes a change will be allowed without penalty, but in most cases, you would need to pay the airline's penalty (which can be substantial). Hank