Hlitner

I read your post, while laying on a beach, and immediately read it to DW. That started a discussion about "you would never leave me alone in Europe." After giving that some thought I suggested that if I had my Passport stolen, I would have urged DW to board the cruise. Her suggestion was that she would have the luggage put aboard the ship and we would both deal with Passport issue and later catch-up to the cruise. We are still talking about the issue. But having had our share of emergencies (mostly medical) we also know that decisions made on the spot will often differ from any forethought. We both admire the way you handled the situation. As long-time independent travelers, we understand the related stress and tough decisions that evolve whenever things go wrong. A related story happened when we were on a Celebrity cruise in Israel. A couple (both NYC Police Detectives) decided to take a dip, when we were at a Tel Aviv beach, and they asked some folks to watch their valuable. Those folks had to leave, and somebody came along and stole their pack (while they were in the water). The pack had both their Passports. Fortunately, the ship was staying in Israel another day (I think we were moving up to Haifa) and they were able to get emergency Passports. But it did cost them extra money and they lost an entire port day....having to spend all their time dealing with Passport replacement. Hank

Amazing post and we are really impressed with the OPs thinking and steps. This is a travelers nightmare and is why many of us advise not carrying a passport unless absolutely necessary. The OP had no choice and it shows that even an experienced traveler can become a victim I am curious why the emergency passport cannot get you into France but is OK in Spain. Since both are Schengen countries one could simply cross over most borders without a passport. Then again we are talking about the French authorities which can be a real head shaker. Hank

Do we want to be in Saigon as a part of a group of 50+? Nope. Some of us prefer DIY and this is even more true in a large, congested, city. Love getting around Saigon on foot, in the pedicabs, etc. DW and I had an absolute riot when we hired two pedicabs (at the Rex Hotel) and had them race each other to the Chinese Market. Traffic in town is absolutely nutz, but in the past 20 years the government has made some improvements on the major avenues by adding center dividers (which can be a resting place for pedestrians But crossing a busy street is quite a feat...and somehow, most live to tell about it :). As to docking positions, we echo what has been said that docking plans can change at the whim of local authorities. Most private tour operators somehow keep up with changes but everything about Vietnam is a challenge (and also quite wonderful). Hank

With 34 Princess cruises under our belt. we think we have a little experience with this issue. Always keep in mind that Princess has both an Entertainment Director and Cruise Director and both are very involved with the day to day activity schedule. While they have a tentative schedule by the start of a cruise, the schedule can (and does) change on a routine basis. You can usually count on the schedule you get the evening before (for the following day) but we have even seen schedule changes on the "day of." This is especially true for activities/entertainment that involves guest entertainers, singers, dancers, etc. Folks get sick, there can be technical difficulties (this just happened on our Sky Princess cruise) and sea conditions can cause the postponement/cancellation of entertainment involving dancers. Over the decades we have learned to plan our following day around bedtime (after looking at the following day's printed schedule) and even make our own adjustments during the day. No need to over plan as its easy to just do what feels right at the time :). We even change our dinner plans, at the last minute, to deal with the current situation. So, for example, if we are planning to dine at 7:30 (and even have a reservation) but enjoying ourselves in a lounge (during pre dinner cocktails) we might just delay going to dinner. Of course, this means that our entire evening plan must be revamped...but so what? Do what feels right at the time and do not get hung up on following a detailed itinerary :). Hank

And that glass is a good thing. Many folks have been carrying around (and drinking) their plastic bottles of water thinking they were being cool or doing a good thing for their health, Recent reports now talk of "nanoplactic" particles" in those plastic bottles that may not be a very good thing for their health. As has happened too many times in the past, folks who obsess and jump on the band wagon of the latest health fad (i.e. bottled water) have likely been doing just the opposite. Hank

I will get flamed for this, but why would you expect an employee of the cruise line to confirm anything the cruise line does not want you to know...at this time. I do understand that many HAL cruisers think they have a special relationship with their PCC, but as we constantly point out, those PCCs are simply reservation clerks/salespeople for the cruise line. Their loyalty is to their employer. My post is not just intended as a shot to HAL (or their PCCs) but just simple reality that applies to all cruise lines. Hank

You are talking about a business transaction. I never understood the "control" thing since you have control whether you are dealing with a cruise line or an agent. The one difference is that some agencies do charge their own fee if you cancel (something to check-out before you choose a travel agency). Just a warning that if you do cancel with Celebrity, it may take a while (weeks) to actually get your deposit refunded. Even if you have a cruise booked with an agency, price drops are fair game. When a price drops on a booked cruise, and its prior to final payment, it is usually possible to get it "repriced" at the new price (although you might lose some perks you got with the original fare). When you have a decent cruise/travel agent, price drops can often be handled by a quick heads-up e-mail to your agent who then should check out the situation and advise you accordingly. When you deal directly with a cruise line it can actually be more difficult since you need to get through to somebody at the cruise line (not always easy these days) who likely has the cruise line's interests (not yours) in mind. Many lines now have some kind of Personal Cruise Consultant (or a different term) who tries to mimic an independent travel agent by forming a bond/relationship. But keep in mind they still work for the cruise line (sometimes a good thing and other times not) and are a combination reservations clerk/sales person. Price drops, once you have paid in full, are a different kind of issue. Sometimes you can get a price adjustment, sometimes you might be able to get an upgrade, and other times you may get squat! A decent cruise/travel agent can quickly evaluate the situation and offer advice/solutions. Personally, I currently use two different cruise agents (one with over 30 years' experience and the other with about 10 years) who are both excellent. Since they work for me (not the cruise line) and deal with all the cruise lines, I do get some interesting advice (which I often follow).

I would hope they were helpful since you handed them some easy money (i.e. their commission from the cruise line). Consider it a lesson learned (we all learn from experience) for the next time. I used to compare booking cruises to buying a new car (some cruises cost more than a car). If you go to a car dealer and buy a car at sticker price, it is difficult to later negotiate a discount. In defense of many of the better discount agencies, they use their own formulas (that vary from agency to agency) to determine price (where they are allowed to negotiate price), on board credits, post cruise rebates, etc. Some agencies have a little "wiggle room" but many just stick to their own formula. But not all agencies are alike in terms of deals, which is why we suggest shopping around...at least until you find an agency that is consistent in offering good deals. Hank

If you are going to transfer a booking from a cruise line to a travel/ cruise agent. negotiate the deal BEFORE you do the transfer. Otherwise, you have given up your leverage. We have long suggested that folks shop around among high volume reputable cruise agencies/agents before booking. We seldom transfer booking since we do our shopping before we book. The exception has been when there are some good promotions offered when we are onboard a cruise. In those cases, we will talk with the onboard booking person and also e-mail or call a couple of our favorite agencies. The result is that we do the booking onboard and have it immediately transferred to the agency that offers the best overall deal. I will also make it clear we are not talking about saving a few dollars but rather major savings (often in excess of $1000). Overall savings of 7-10% (of the cruise fare) are the norm when dealing with some decent discount agencies. Hank

That is not just true for singles. We have seen many deals come and go, sometimes in only a few hours. If you see it, and you want it, book it!

LOL, so defensive. I am not posting anything negative about O but simply reading other posts and some recent reviews. As to what happens onboard, we shall see.

I would think that one perk of being on a "Premium Line" is not having to waste one's time dealing with reservations desks and guest relations to correct the cruise line cruise screwups. One expects better from a "Premium Line."

You "take it" right :(. But it was not the tipping policy that did us in but rather the big decline in overall quality. Much of that was delineated in our CC blog during are spring Westerdam cruise (42 days). Hank

We do routinely cruise on lines that do not have any tipping. I might add that the crew on those lines are quite happy because they sign contracts that include a specific wage (just like most jobs). I am still old enough to remember when HAL was set apart from most mass market lines because they had a "no tipping policy." Eventually HAL moved to a ":tipping not required" policy (most would have said that real tips are never required)" and eventually to an auto-tips system. But now, they pull the wool over folks eyes with the term "crew appreciation." ROFL. Trying to justify a ridiculous term like "crew appreciation" is simply laughable! The next time you fly on an airliner, stop in flight deck and hand "crew appreciation" payments to the Captain :). And when you see a tanker filling the underground storage tanks at your local gas station, make sure to go over and hand that driver a "crew appreciation" payment. You are being played and played by the cruise lines. They "low ball" their cruise prices and load them up at the back end with "crew appreciation," alternative dining fees, add-ons to the MDR and even the extra cost alternative dining venues, room service fees (on some lines), etc. As long as customers simply accept these extra charges, the mass market lines will impose additional fees and increase existing fees. Tis a slippery slope. Having been a very frequent cruiser for about 50 years, we have watched (first hand) the way cruise lines (primarily the mass market lines) have gradually moved to a nickel/dime business plan. At some point a cruise ship becomes a ferry boat where you pay for the basic cruise and accept a la carte for nearly everything else.

Not exactly the point I was making in regard to Shore Excursion credits. When it comes to On Board Credit (OBC) most cruise lines break that down into two types, refundable and non-refundable. The refundable OBC is more like cash in a checking account. If left unused, it will be refunded by the cruise lines (the method varies by line and amount). We have been on many cruises when we have post cruise refunds of over $1000. The problem with "shore excursion credits" is that most lines treat this as non-refundable OBC. If unused (at the end of the cruise) it is lost! With the schemes used by some cruise lines (such as Oceania) the cruise fare INCLUDES a component for shore excursions. Cruisers may be required (in the case of Oceania) to pay for shore excursions as part of the cruise price! But there are times when it can be impossible to use that shore excursion credit because of cruise line cancellations and/or no acceptable available shore excursions. So, in a sense, cruisers may be required (in order to book the cruise) to buy shore excursion credits that cannot be used. Kind of like being forced to buy 10 gallons of gasoline at the station, but only being given 8 gallons at the pump. In most places this is considered a crime (theft by deception). What is a cruiser to do? We are already seeing the comments on the Oceania boards (where recent changes in price policy make the purchase of shore excursion credit. Mandatory) when some cruisers say they will no longer book that line. We know folks who will not book Regent Cruise Lines because the fare includes excursions that they do not want to take (or pay for). There are other cruise lines, such as Seabourn, that do not include any shore excursion credit in their fare. Why are cruise lines, like Oceania, forcing folks to pay for shore excursions? I think the reality is that cruise lines over price (in a big way) their excursions which have become a major profit center. Some cruisers (including moi) seldom to never book excursions because we are not fans of overpaying for overcrowded group events. DW and I are happy to go most places in the world "DIY" which allows us to go where we want, when we want, with who we want! When on a line like Oceania, we do compromise and book the minimum amount of excursions required to utilize the shore excursion credit. Hank

Our goto evening event in Lisbon is to go to a decent Fado dinner show. Not sure this would work with a midnight departure, but places like Sr. Vinyo has a decent show/dinner and one could leave a little early to make sure to get back to the ship (about a 10-15 min taxi ride). Hank

I am thinking nothing other than I have no clue where it goes, what percentage goes to who, etc. It is a big secret. Although passengers pay, we are not entitled to any information about where the money goes. Just try to ask the next time you cruise. Bottom line is at one time you tipped the folks who gave you direct service (steward, waiter, assist steward, etc). Now, it goes into a secret pool and is distributed the way management sees fit. The person who gives you no service or lousy service gets a cut just like the person who gives you good service, Unlike a reward for good service it is simply a supplement to pay the crew. Why not also have us pay separate for the fuel, food, maintenance, debt service, etc? Hank

We can agree regarding Perpignan. Once stopped there when driving from Spain into France and was not impressed, DW and I did find a decent play for lunch, but after exploring some of the town decided to get on our way to Avignon (our destination). Hank

Let me ask you a simple question, All that "crew appreciation: you pay......where does it go...who gets how much? I bet you have no clue. HAL fans constantly take the position that whatever it costs, it is fine! Really? So call your PCC (if you deal with a PCC) and ask for a breakdown of how that money is spent. I would be you will not get an answer. Hank

We have been to over 130 countries and none has ever required (or even had) an eye scanl Hank

Just keep in mind that any cruise line is free to adopt rules (including Passport requirements) that are more stringent than the government. So, for example, Oceania requires everyone have a valid Passport, even on closed-loop cruises. As others have said, you should check on the requirements for each of your ports and ALSO contact your cruise line to clarify their requirements. If the cruise line says you do not need to be concerned, make sure to get that in writing and take it along on your cruise. Hank

Like you, we have plenty of past experiences. But things have changed, and generally not for the better. Hank

I understand, from your posts, that you are no longer cruising. Times have changed and on many cruise lines, the most popular excursions are sold-out weeks/months in advance, Wait to the last minute and you will likely get no options (this has been the case on our most recent HAL, Princess and Seabourn cruises, This creates a real dilemma for those that prefer the crowded large group excursions. They book far in advance and deal with weather related issues, or wait until the last minute and get no excursions, For those of us who are independent DIY types, none of this is an issue. Hank

So many choices (all good) and so little time :). That is why we (and many others) have elected to spend significant time staying in that part of France. I do not think there are wrong choices, but folks should do their own homework at focus on places that best meet their own desires. From Marseille, Aix is certainly the most convenient because it is close. It is a pretty large city with a modern shopping area, plenty of cafes/restaurants, and its own old town area. If you want to go further from Marseille, many folks enjoy excursions/tours that take them to Avignon and also Les Baux. What is nice about visiting those two places is that they are complete opposites. Avignon is a nice size city (tours focus on the walled city part) with something for most folks. Les Baux, on the other hand, is a smallish hilltop town that is simply cute (although somewhat touristy). Another option is to stay away from all the larger cities and head to the Luberon region (made very popular thanks to the books by Peter Mayle). In the Luberon there are many small attractive villages, lavender fields (they do have a blooming season), etc. From Sete, many will opt for the drive to Carcasone, which is another cute town. A lot of tours that go there will include lunch since this town has an excellent reputation for food. Of course, the larger excursions do not take folks to the best cafes/restaurants but rather to places that can handle the large bus groups. Cassoulet is a popular offering on many of those group lunches. Another option would be Nimes (which you mentioned) which has a decent old arena and is not too far from Pont du Gard (often included on tours that go to Nimes). The first time we visited this region was on a cruise that stopped in Marseille and Sete. Since that time we have returned several times for multi-week stays (in both Avignon and St Remy) which have been wonderful driving trips. If we live long enough, I assume that DW and I will find a good excuse to return for another 2 week visit. Hank

No way would we want to take an extended land trip in Spain/Portugal via train. Dealing with luggage, lost time waiting for trains, not having trains go to much of the country, etc. are all issues. For us, the ideal way to handle those two countries is with a car and making some use of the Paradors (Spain) and Pousadas (Portugal). And yes, one can certainly fly from Point A to Point B (and hop over much of the country) but at the cost of missing most of a country. We do like the trains (in both countries) for some day trips and making longer moves. Internal flights mean getting to and from airports (which can often be quite remote), waiting for flights (which are often late), and dealing with the usual airline/luggage related issues, I might add that driving in these countries is relatively easy. One can also take advantage of the afternoon "siesta" times to drive between places. We think of these countries as having two functioning tourist time windows, from about 10-1 and then 5 - ?. It is also helpful to adapt to the time culture (especially in parts of Spain) where folks enjoy cocktails/tapas in the early evening and dine at the typical 9 (or later) times so common in these countries. Hank