Hlitner

You are playing into the old Scottish stereotype :). Only teasing. We do enjoy visiting your part of the country and the whiskey is a personal favorite.

That is one reason (among quite a few) that we do not stay in MC for lunch (or anything else) and head usually head over to Nice. Besides, the soupe de poisson I get in Nice is a real treat. Hank

We have really enjoyed a couple of stays at the Hotel Colon, which is directly across from the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter. The hotel even has rooms with a Cathedral-view. The location gives folks easy access, for walking, to both the gothic quarter and Ramblas. Hank

Beach if fine, but the water is still pretty chilly in June :). Hank

We would be fine with Orvieto as long as you have a rental car! A car works well (the drive is quite nice) and you can than drive to FCO and drop the car at the airport. If staying the night before a flight you can drop the car in the evening, stay at the FCO Hilton, and walk between hotel and airport. There are also some sea resort towns relatively close to the airport (we have enjoyed staying in Fiumicino) which also puts you within a few short miles to the interesting ruins at Ostia Antica. Another option for 1 or 2 nights is Tivoli (several things to do in this area) although the location is somewhat inconvenient given it is on the other side of Rome from FCO. Hank

For us, BA is about steak and Malbec. On one of our visits the Brazilian Real had all but collapsed and the dollar was very strong. Went to a steak place near our hotel and ordered filet mignon and a bottle of their best malbec. I recall that the best wine was about $16 (US) and they gave us (each) two large filets that were wonderful (and I am not a fan of filet mignon). Italian is also good (we have found good Italian food all over the world). Hank

ROFL at D&Ns post. While we have sometimes availed ourselves of supermarket food while on long driving trips, it has not been our norm on cruises. And to be in (or close) to the south of France and not take advantage of some of the terrific cuisine almost seems like a crime. But I must admit your suggetion (and photo) does make the idea appear to be a decent option. We are still wrestling with what to do with an April port day in MC. DW and I truly dislike the city, and our norm would be to grab the bus (not too far from the port) over to Nice (where we would eventually have a nice long lunch). But now, the suggestion to take the train (or bus) over to Menton also seems like it has some merit. Funny thing is that when we are simply on driving trips in that part of Europe we always manage to completely bypass MC (easily done). On a cruise the only way to truly bypass is to stay on the ship. Hank

We have very little history with O, since they drastically changed the itinerary (less than 3 weeks prior to the cruise) and immediately had the position of no refunds (only a future cruise credit). In our case the changes (including a big change in debarkation port) was partially blamed on COVID and the policies of Peru. By using some leverage of our cruise agency (who is a member of a huge and influential consortium) and appealing all the way to the executive offices, we were able to get a refund. As to air (which was an expensive business class flight) O was not at all helpful. Fortunately, the airline (Delta) took pity on us (I guess they are familiar with O) and did make us whole. I do have a couple of suggestions. If you are using a travel/cruise agency, ask them to push the issue with O and also write your own e-mail/letter to their executive offices. Failing that, try to get the help of a well-known travel ombudsman, Elliott.org. Chistopher Elliott and his staff have helped many travelers navigate these kind of issues. Hank

I rank hammocks up there with trampolines for balconies. Neither are a great idea on a ship. Hank

ROFL. Many would certainly wish for such a horror :). Many years ago we were in Buenos Aires when a Crystal ship (I think it was the Symphony) came into port with a missing lifeboat. We later heard from one of the passengers that it was torn off the ship in the Drake "Lake." While we can usually handle the rough seas, the lake would be preferred :). And I believe it was just last year that a Viking Polaris passenger was killed in those waters. ARGH. Hank

We have not completely moved on from mass market lines, since we like to cruise 100+ days a year and there are always budgetary limitations. We still find a lot to like on Princess (most recently spent 2 weeks on the Sky Princess in December). HAL is near and dear because the line has the best itineraries of all the mass market lines. We can be very honest and say that there has been a decline across the industry and we stuck with HAL (for longer more exotic cruises) until our most recent voyage around Japan and over to Seattle. We would be back, tomorrow, on HAL if they were to fix a few things..which I suspect will need an attitude adjustment in Seattle. It will probably happen and I hope we live long enough to again experience the HAL we adore. For now, no thanks. Hank

The air options, including the ability to change or cancel an existing booking (prior to ticketing) are options you find listed on the online air booking engine accessible from your HAL Account under the reservation. The issue with seat assignments really does vary by airline and sometimes with the class of service. When we use points/miles we also do not use the cruise line sites (the online systems do not accept miles and I am not sure whether it can be done via a phone call to the cruise line's air folks). As to "control" I sometimes feel that these days none of us have a lot of control over cruise line and/or air bookings. Personally, I do not use cruise/air (with any cruise line) unless it is going to get me a lot of savings. With Business Class (our norm for International flights) the cruise line air systems (of many cruise lines) can often get some very good fares (sometimes coded as "P" fares) which offer huge discounts (sometimes more then 50%) over the normal published fares. The air experts (I am not) on these boards compare cruise/air offers to so-called "consolidator" deals which is a tricky (and risky) market to do on one's own. The obvious benefit of the Flex Air offerings are not needing to pay for the fare until near final payment. It is one of the very rare ways to get an airline reservation which can later be cancelled or modified without any penalty (until the reservation is actually ticketed). Given the uncertainties these days we do find the flexibility to change/cancel worth much of the hassle. Hank

Talk to a lover of Ford motor cars and ask them about Ford's and they will always sing its praises. Others might say that Ford simply means "Fix or Repair Daily." Ask on the HAL board about most things related to HAL (including food) and most of the replies will tend to be positive. Do the same on the other cruise line boards and you will likely have similar responses. Some may call it the "Cheerleader" effect, but perhaps we could all be more kind and say that most of the cruise boards attract folks who are fans of the line and tend to exaggerate the positive and minimize the negative. We will no longer book HAL cruises (despite being 5* Mariners) because we think the line has deteriorated (overall) and is no longer up to the quality we expect from any cruise line. That being said, on our most recent HAL cruise (6 weeks on the Westerdam) we thought most of the food was acceptable to good and comparable to what one gets on most of the other mass market lines. At one time we thought HAL cuisine was some of the best on the mass market lines, but we would no longer make that statement. I will add that many of the HAL fans we know are very loyal to the line. Some of these folks would join the chorus of "Nearer to God is Thee" (the last song sung on the Titanic) as their HAL company went below the waves. Hank

You can request ticketing, at any time, via the online air site (accessed through your online reservations). It is your choice. Personally, we prefer NOT to ticket early since you then lose your flexibility. If prices drop or better air deals become available you are out of luck unless you are willing to pay the airline's penalty (assuming you even have that option). As to changes, they can be done through the online site. We have used the HAL air program many times and have never had to call anyone (even when we decided to change or cancel our flights). Hank

I guess gin and/vodka might be the ideal substitute. 😋

Swollen feet, ankles and legs bothers many of us on ships. I used to work in the medical insurance industry and would often bring up the issue with various physicians that were good friends. They had various advice, but no real answer. When I am at home I have very few problems with swelling. On ships it is a problem. I live in Puerto Vallarta for 10 weeks a year and also have some swelling issues here. DW and I talk about the issue and the main common thread, for us, is that on both ships and in PV we do dine out on most days. Professional chefs/cooks tend to use salt more liberally than DW does when cooking at home. As to some kind of relief, the most interesting suggestion I have heard came from a surgeon we met on a cruise (who also had swollen ankles) who suggested just standing in the pool for a few hours a day! He thought that the increased pressure from the pool water would help force fluids out of the external tissue and reduce swelling. Not sure if that is effective but it does make some sense. Hank

Entertainment/activities is not HAL's strong suit. They operate their ships with very few Cruise Director Staff (on one of our cruises they had only 2 1/2 people in that department...the 1/2 having to split her time with another task). The big event on HAL is trivia (usually a team trivia variation) which is quite popular. The best entertainment we have had on sea days was on the Queen Mary 2. Several years ago when we did a crossing they had their own onboard Shakespeare company doing shortened plays during the day, they have a planetarium show, lectures, etc. DW and I have been asked what we do on seadays (we love seadays) and we spend much of those long lazy days socializing with other cruisers, reading, and going to some lectures. Hank

I will incur the wrath of some, but would not even consider a HoHo. From Villefranche, you can get to Nice by walking to the bus stop or the train station. In Nice (a city where we have spent our share of time) I find the city best enjoyed by walking. In fact, the popular old town area (including the famous Flower Market) can only be seen on foot. And the Promenade d'Anglais is called a "promenade" because it is meant for walking. One can certainly drive down the street along the Promenade, but that does miss the point (and the charm). I am not trying to be insensitive to those with mobility challenges, but we find many European cities (including Nice) are best explored on foot. Many years ago, DW and I were walking along the Rue de Rivoli (Paris) browsing the shops, smelling the food, etc. and we noticed a tour bus stopped in traffic. There were dozens of noses pressed against the sealed windows, gazing out at this popular part of Paris. We both had a similar thought (about which we talked) of feeling sorry for the folks sealed inside that bus. And yes, folks do take HoHo's in Paris and glance at the various places as the bus moves along the street. Not quite the same as browsing the windows, moving in and out of the shops, stopping at an outdoor cafe, etc. Hank

Oh my.

Yes, it is up in that area, but so are a few other high-end restaurants such as Hacienda San Angel.

My advice is to extend your trip for at least 3 weeks (post cruise), rent a car to explore North Island for 10 days, fly to Christ Church, take the TransAlpine train to Graymouth, rent another car for about another 10 days, and really enjoy the islands. I know this is not what the OP is expecting, but we were blown away by our first visit to NZ and subsequently spent time driving both islands. We especially fell in love with South Island (there are more sheep/cows then people) and being able to drive to glaciers, spend a few days in picturesque Queenstown (not accessible on any cruise line excursion), enjoy the very good South Island wines (especially Pinot Noir), etc. Most of us here on CC love to cruise. Australia and NZ are terrific places to see on a cruise, but they are even more terrific to see on an extended driving trip. Hank P.S. If I could not live in the USA for some reason, South Island, NZ would be my 2nd choice.

We just explained, in another post, that the advance seat selection process/rules vary by airlines and class of service. Certainly try the AA website using your AA Booking number (that should be on your Flightease reservation which you can access online. You may not be able to get seats until after your reservation is actually ticketed (this happens after you have paid for the ticket) and have a valid ticket number (I am not sure of AA's current rule). Also keep in mind that some flights are "code shares" so will be governed by the seat assignment rules of the operating airline. Hank

We have had very good deals (especially with international business class) using the Flexair options on Flightease (you can access flightease online and look at all the options). Be awere that your ability to choose seats, in advance, may or may not be possible depending on the specific airline rules. You can try to choose seats through the Flightease online site, or you can retrieve your airline booking number (also found on your Flightease reservation) and try to get seats by using the airline's own web site. However, some airlines will not allow advance seat assignments until after the ticket is issues (this does not happen until you have paid for the ticket and Flightease finishes the transaction with the airline). You will not be sure about being able to get seat assignments until after you actually have reserved through Flightease. By the way, one of the worst airlines for seat assignments is British Air. They will not even allow many folks holding Business Class tickets to get seat assignments until 24 hours before a flight. Hank

Yes, Colon is definitely on the "seedy side" and not a very safe area, once you leave the relative safety of the port. I believe the port was actually developed with CCL (Carnival) money and there is an adjacent shopping area, bar, etc. Going there from elsewhere in Panama should be fine as long as the OP has a car/driver who drops them inside the port. Hank

For that reason alone? No. The problem is that so many lines seem to fall into that same hole. I have no clue why. There are a few cruise lines we now avoid, but that is for other reasons having to do with quality and value. At the risk of sounding like boasting, we have mostly been everywhere (in terms of cruising) except Antartica) so changing ports is usually not a big deal. But, for example, on our upcoming Oceania Vista cruise, the cruise line suddenly (and without any reasonable explanation) removed an overnight stay in Istanbul from the itinerary. DW and I looked forward to returning to Istanbul (a place we really enjoy). The itinerary change (removing both Istanbul and Kusadasi) was done after final payment and in the penalty period...without explanation! I am sure there are many folks not happy about that change. At the moment we will not book any more Explora Journey's cruises because we simply do not trust that company to keep any specific itinerary. They are new, have made many itinerary changes (such as simply eliminating an entire season of cruising in Alaska) and never offer an explanation. We do like the line, but will wait until we see signs that they can be trusted. Hank