Hlitner

LOL, rent a Ferrari? Keep in mind you technically need a International Driving Permit (IDP) even to drive a Ferrari :). I also love that you mentioned the Galileo Museum. We actually enjoyed that venue more then the Uffizzi (we are not fans of Renaissance art). I hate to admit that on an upcoming driving trip in Italy we reserved a Jeep Renegade! Sigh :(. Hank

Just some advice to the first-timer or cruise novice. For European cruises you want to pay attention to the scheduled times in ports! Ideally you want long port days (such as 7 to 7). Keep in mind that some major European ports are some distance (up to several hours) from where folks usually want to go. So, for example, it takes about 2 1/2 - 3 hours (one way) from Le Havre to Paris on a bus tour. Civitavecchia is more than an hour from Rome. Livorno is more then an hour from Florence. etc. etc. Also pay attention to the days of the week you are in various ports. In Europe, you need to be especially cautious about Sunday and Mondays when you might find places you want to see are closed. As part of your homework, pay attention to this kind of detail BEFORE you book. Also be sure to check on major European holidays which can be somewhat different then in North America. For example, Mayday and All Saints Day will often find many closures. Hank

We are also big fans of the BIRG ticket. Think about it. For only 12 Euros you get round trip train and all day's use of Rome's Metro and bus system. My only caveat is that folks do need to do some pre-trip homework, have some kind of game plan on where you want to go in Rome, and know the local transportation (metro and/or buses) options to achieve your plan. We also suggest heading back to Civitavecchia a little early....do not wait for the last possible train. Euro Cruiser can correct me if wrong, but I think you can purchase BIRG tickets at various small newstand-like places or even in the shop that is right next to the station. You can also purchase them at the ticket windows in the station although you might have to deal with a line. Just like the regular tickets, you need to validate the BIRG ticket in a validation machine (on or near the platform entrance) before first use. Hank

Funny you should mention that as we will be on the O Vista, next month, for 35 days. We are looking forward to finally giving O a try. In the past, we had no desire to ever, again, set foot on one of the "R" ships (which we cruised when they were with Renaissance). Once O started building their own new builds we booked the Marina for an 18 day cruise from Miami to Lima. Less than 3 weeks prior to that voyage, O completely revamped the itinerary, eliminated all the ports in Peru, and moved disembarkation about 1500 miles to Santiago, Chile. We immediately cancelled that voyage (and got a complete refund). So now, we try again and hope that the Vista ends in the right port/country. Hank

Our experience has been that a list is not very helpful since the actual inventory changes with the phases of the moon. But, when we were on the Westerdam (Mar - May) there was a pretty decent assortment of Vodkas. Our goto Vodka is Belvedere and they did have that for about 2/3 of our cruise (they ran out a couple of weeks before the end). There also was the expected Grey Goose, various Absolutes, and I seem to recall they had Titos. There were others, but we did not pay much attention. What was annoying on our 42 day cruise was that the only decent Cognac, covered by the package, was Courvoisier VSOP and they had none aboard. One bar tender told us they had not had that VSOP for over 6 months (and it was the only one listed for the package). They also did not have any Baileys, and even ran out of Rose's Lime Juice (needed for a gimlet). Friends finally bought some Rose's in Kodiak, Alaska and we had a bar tender "hide it" for our personal use. During our cruise they also ran out of Diet Coke, ginger ale, and all the included bottled waters such as Pelligrino and Perrier. For a few days they did have some "Aha" bottled water (never heard of that stuff) but that was also soon depleted. We also had nearly 2 weeks of cruising around Japan where there was no Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea. I would make it clear that my post is not to simply trash HAL, because we have experienced all kinds of "inventory issues" with bar items on several other cruise lines (including Explora Journeys and Seabourn). The best cruise line we have cruised, in terms of booze inventory, has been Princess. Hank

I think this issue just reinforces two of our big issues that has kept us from even considering another EJ cruise. #1. Lack of communication and #2. EJ seems to think that their future itineraries are just advisory, and they can change whatever they want, when they want, with no explanation or penalty. Perhaps this all fits with what we kept hearing on EJ1, "we are not a cruise line, but rather a resort" IMHO, EJ is off to an awful start with little regard for their customers (current or future). There is a lot of good things on EJ1 (especially the cuisine) but the company management falls short in too many ways. We are sitting on the sidelines (and booking other cruise lines) until EJ has some time to get their act together. Hank

The one chair/lounger problem, we noticed on EJ1, is the very limited seating at the all weather Conservatory Pool area. There are plenty of loungers/chairs scattered all over the upper decks. The problem of finding chairs in shady areas seems to exist on every ship (more then 70) we have cruised. Hank

Terrific post/review and we thank you :). I will point out that what you describe, about Virgin, also applies to nearly all of the so-called luxury lines (i.e. Seabourn, Silversea, Regent, Explora Journeys, Scenic, etc) which is why we prefer the luxury lines (although we still enjoy some cruising on Princess). Virgin also catches our interest because they allow no children/teens (18 minimum age). We would also mention that the one thing that has kept us away from Virgin are that they are basically a short cruise line without exotic itineraries. Other than an occasional repositioning cruise they focus on itineraries of 7 days or less. Hank

Yes, it can be done but you certainly should notify (in advance) your cruise line Guest Relations folks and also let your cabin steward be aware of your night away. As to getting between the two places, the most obvious solution would be to use the train. Just be aware that most of the train options are about 2 1/2 hours and do involve 1 change. There are a few faster trains so you would want to look at the schedule as the big day draws near. Hank

With this we generally agree :). While we are no longer booking HAL, we prefer to book ships that are substantially smaller then anything HAL has in its fleet and also look for cruise lines that do not play nickel and dime games. No problem finding those lines, but they do cost substantially more than HAL's lower cost cabins. That being said, in many cases they are less costly than many HAL suites. We currently have 3 cruises booked for 2024 which include a 1200 passenger, 600, and 390. No amusement parks on those ships. Hank

That is close but not quite up to what they serve on the EJ1. The main difference is that EJ1 has a much larger portion of caviar. But, the O version looks fine to me and will be on my bucket list when we go on our upcoming Vista cruise. Hank

Getting an Uber at 3:30 AM might be a problem. My suggestion is to ask, at your hotel, about getting transportation. At that early hour you will likely need to settle for a local taxi which your hotel can pre-book. Hank

You have done a great job framing your concerns. Regarding drink packages, they are overpriced if you are a light drinker and underpriced if you are an alcoholic :). No right or wrong but simply based on your own drinking habit. Regarding tips, many prefer to pre-pay so they get it out of the way and are not stuck with the extra cost after the cruise. Excursions vs DIY are always a big debate here on CC (and on ships). For folks willing to do a little pre-cruise homework, and who have a spirit of adventure, doing ports on your own is often a great option. But you also need to consider your actual docking locations versus where you want to go. We also suggest using a lot of common sense in that you get yourself back to near the port in plenty of time so as not to miss the ship. Cruise line excursions are usually overpriced, and they involve being part of a large group. We avoid excursions (and large group tours) because we simply want to do our own thing, enjoy a long lunch where we want to eat and do not want to spend part of our day waiting for a bus load to go the rest rooms, finish their shopping, etc. Keep in mind that the port for Rome (Civitavecchia) is over an hour from Rome via train or car. When we started cruising there was no Internet, no cell phones, and it was heaven :). Now, many are completely addicted to their phones and many do not want to go through withdrawal on a cruise. You can look at the various cruise line WiFi/Internet options, but keep in mind that WiFi on ships is not as fast as you get at home. Depending on your phone provider you can also use your phones when ashore (or within about 10 miles of land) using the European cells. T-Mobile plans generally include data/texting in all the European countries while other companies have various deals (at a price) for using land-based cells. Many cruisers will also take advantage of free wifi that can be found at places like McDonalds and many cafes/restaurants. Hank

The last time we visited this port we joined with a few others on a decent private tour that covered lots of territory, mostly out of town. For a future visit, if we had a long port day, we would likely opt to simply rent a car. If we could not find a rental car agency that would offer pick-up at the port we would either grab a taxi or the local bus to get into town to an agency. Hank

Just a friendly warning about taxis and the port. While there are plenty of taxis in Barcelona, there can often be a taxi queue as your cruise terminal. Shuttle buses, depending on the price charged by the cruise ship, can involve an even longer queue. The problem is if you have thousands of folks all trying to get into town (or to the airport) at the same time, there is going to be congestion. Plan accordingly and allow for extra time. If you are planning on going to the airport for a fairly early flight it is often considered wise to try and arrange a private car transfer for no other reason than avoiding a potential long/slow taxi queue. Hank

Just to give a heads up to others, the round trip fast ferry cost between Naples and Capri is about $60 (less if you can get a discounted fare). One can easily walk from the cruise ship port to the ferry terminal in about 10 minutes and simply buy a ferry ticket. Once on Capri, folks can choose how to spend their money :). Personally, we enjoy walking around Capri Town, enjoying a nice lunch, perhaps taking a local bus up to Anacapri and catching the chair lift to the top of Mt Solaro. That entire day would likely not cost us more than $200 per person. Of course our pricing does not include a boat tour. Hank

You will not find such an itinerary in a cruise that short. It is a simple matter of geography. Also keep in mind that Venice has become somewhat of a problem port since Venice has now banned cruise ships from its normal port. Most cruises that show "Venice" on their itinerary are actually going to places like Ravenna and Trieste...which are quite a distance from Venice. Keep in mind that cruise ship itineraries are generally based on cruising speeds of no more than 18 knots (and slower speeds are preferred to save fuel) and it is about 600 miles between Dubrovnik and Venice (and this is only a small part of your desired itinerary. Hank

Perhaps you can tell that to my DW :).

While Amex offer sounds attractive, not always the case. Consider a person having an AMEX Platinum and a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred. Amex offers a $200 credit for spending $1000 on O. But with Chase you would get up to $20,000 in insurance (cancellation or interruption) where AMEX Platinum only gives $10,000. So, what is that additional $10,000 of Chase insurance worth? Lots of different deals out in the world Hnak

Fascinating post/thread and we will be respectful but real. With more than a 30 year background in healthcare (government) I will take the OP's post at face value. We all have different fears, risk tolerance, etc. The OP is obviously a victim (using victim would be debatable) of Covid phobia. I would suggest, to that person and family, that the risk of COVID will always be real, but so is the risk from many other diseases/ailments. If the OP (and family) is truly so Covid adverse, we respectfully suggest they avoid travel and especially cruise ships. Putting yourself into a situation where you will be in the constant vicinity of strangers certainly increases you risk of Covid, Flu, and just about any other communicable disease that one can imagine. Travel/cruises come with risk. Trying do to the deed, and thinking you can eliminate the risk, is just folly. I could make an argument that the biggest risk is getting to the port and using elevators (they are closed chambers). Dining in a ship;s Lido (buffet) is also a huge risk for both Covid and Noro and just about anything else you can imagine. The least of the OP's risk are the sheets and towels in a cabin. In fact, Covid is a respiratory virus generally spread through the air, not through sheets. And respiratory viruses/bacteria are a big risk when on a cruise ship or anywhere else where there are lots of folks in a limited space. Cruise lines use very hot water to do their laundry and there is little virus/germ risk from linens and towels. The bigger risk is leaving your cabin and being in the vicinity of anyone! Most folks understand that being around other folks is just part of life, but some do have issues. They should simply not be on a cruise ship. If you cannot handle the risk (which will alway exist) of Covid and other diseases, the best advice would be to stay home. As to requesting that your cabin steward completely avoid servicing your cabin, that will be a red flag with staff. While they might be willing to reduce visits, it is unlikely that they would leave your cabin unserved for a few days. Hank

As one who lives in Puerto Vallarta during the winter months, there is a good reason why most of us leave by Spring. It tends to get hot/humid here in the summertime. While that is fine for many, others prefer to go to places with more reasonable weather. DW was a school teacher (until she retired) and we often cruised during summer break. We generally headed to the Med or Alaska. Hank

I think you have done a great job describing while we avoid cruise line excursions (on any line) unless it delivers something we cannot reasonably do on our own. Some folks like being in large buses with large groups, have no problem sitting around waiting for the late arrivals, and love all the time spent so everyone has time to use the rest facilities. Not our style. The other issue is that we can usually accomplish much more for a fraction of the cost of the cruise line excursions. But the excursions do serve a valuable purpose of enhancing the bottom line of the cruise line while satisfying those that love being part of a large tour group. Hank

That says a lot. Others will say they do not book HAL for food, do not book HAL for activities, etc. This 5* Mariner can no longer think of many reasons to book HAL.

Montoudon is also the included wine on Seabourn We find it quite drinkable.

Absolutely agree by reading through the Rick Steves book. As a long time independent traveler we have oft seen issues with family groups because some want to do one thing and other something else. Over the year we have never found a good solution to this issue, so you either divide up into smaller groups or compromise :). Naples vs Capri. Truly a tough call and also somewhat weather related. If weather turns out not to be an issue we actually prefer Capri. That being said, there is plenty to do and see in Naples, and you also have nearby Pompeii (often a good place to visit for first timers). It is also reasonable to combine Pompeii with a visit to Sorrento (not my favorite place). Another option is an excursion to the Amalfi Coast, but this is not what I suggest for a first time visit. Keep in mind that cruise line (and large tours) excursions to the Amalfi Coast will not take you down into Positano since no tour buses are allowed. Hank