Hlitner

Unfortunately, the OP does speak the truth! Inflation and demand have caught-up with the cruise industry, and HAL is no exception. We laughingly call ourselves "equal opportunity cruisers" because we look at options with many cruise lines with the term "value" being a very important factor. Since COVID, the best value has been found (at least by us) with the ultra luxury lines (Seabourn, Silversea, Explora Journey, etc). Consider that a balcony cabin on next year's Voyage of the Vikings (a favorite cruise of DW) will cost about $400 per person/day (with the HIA package). We sometimes find decent small ship luxury cruises for less! Finding a good value, or simply stumbling on a bargain, means looking around with an open mind, flexibility (in terms of cruise lines, ships and itineraries). Limiting oneself to one or two cruise lines really reduces the chances of finding the most interesting values. There are some decent cruise data bases (all run by cruise agencies) that make it easy to look for cruises across all the cruise lines/itineraries. Had to smile at the posts about Casino specials, as we think that HAL has really pushed into that market. But folks need to use common sense :). I once met a fellow cruiser, on Princess, that told me they were cruising for free because of a casino deal. And then his wife added, "yes, but we lost over $20,000 in the casino to get this free cruise." When I think of gamblers, I think about Las Vegas, which is an amazing city. All those gorgeous hotels/casinos were built from the proceeds of gamblers....most of whom insist that they win! Really? Hank

One of our favorite trips is taking a TA and post/cruise spending significant land time in Europe or Asia. The problem for working folks is that they need to find the time (and the money). There are many TAs in the spring and fall, so one can simply pick their embarkation/disembarkation port and use that as a starting point to work-out a land itinerary. In Europe, you can either plan around a train trip or rent/lease a car. Speaking of Greece, one of our "goto" trips involves cruises that begin/end in Pireaus (Athens) from where we can also take advantage of the ferry system to visit several Greek Isles (generally ones that are not on cruise ship itineraries). As an example, the last time we did this (2 years ago) we got off a cruise in Pireaus, took a ferry to Naxos, spent a few days, took another ferry to Paros, spent a few more days, and then ferried back to Pireaus and flew home. Another idea (we have done this a few times) is to take a cruise that has their last port, Le Havre. Quite a few cruises go to Le Havre on their last day, and then move on to an English port to end the cruise. But we arrange to disembark 1 day early (in Le Havre) and take the train to Paris from where we start a land vacation. Hank

This thread has already started to thinking/planning. We have been looking for an excuse (really don't need one) to spend a few weeks in Paris sometime next year. I had already started looking for apartment rentals in St Germain des Pres, when this thread popped onto our radar. A few weeks in Paris, along with a few weeks (with a leased car) in the south, does might be the basis for a trip 🙂 In the past, we have disembarked from some cruises (in both the north and south of France) and continued with a long driving trip. Lots of options which is when I have a lot of fun working out an itinerary. Hank

We have never driven that entire route, but have done the section between Cannes and Grasse. And we have driven (many times) between Cannes and Nice. Most of our longer driving trips (in France) have been about the wine growing areas and the chateau country (mostly the Loire valley Valley).

And consider that the Koningsdam is not even a large ship, by today's standards. Other lines have ships carrying more than twice as many passengers, with more being built every day. We once visited a port in Greenland, that had a population of about 1000. Our ship had 3600! The locals were not welcoming (most stayed inside) and it was like being in a ghost town. Even the local cafe/bar was not open during our daytime visit. Some friends stopped in a tiny fish store and asked the owner "what kind of fish is this?" The owner responded, "give me $5 and I will answer your question." Bottom line was that nobody in that small Greenland town wanted visitors. Hank

As I recall, if you have an early flight, you cannot use that Luggage Direct plan. So, there would be little reason for folks to want to rush off (with the express disembarkation crowd) since their flight would not be very early. It is a terrific option for late morning/early afternoon flights. The last time we disembarked in Seattle, our flight was not until late at night. We simply arranged to rent a car in Seattle (where we stored our luggage in the trunk) and enjoyed a delightful day in the region (we drove over to Tacoma). After dinner we drove our car to Seatac, turned in the vehicle, and caught our flight. The car cost us about $70 (including gas) and we had a delightful day. This was our solution to the problem of how to deal with late night flights to the East Coast. By renting a car, we had a place to store all of our luggage. When you use Luggage Direct, you still must deal with your carry-on stuff, which is a problem. The rental car also made it easy for us to drive over to Tacoma, go to the fine Glass Museum, and later head out to dinner before turning in our car. We had also considered renting a "day room" at a Seatac area motel, but that actually would have cost us more money and required we check-out by 5. Hank

And so the anti-cruise ship trend continues to grow, world-wide. That 1000 person restriction favors the small luxury ships (we love those vessels) as well as the R ships of Oceania and Azamara. I have previously posted that as both avid cruisers and land travelers, these bans/restrictions do cause us to have mixed emotions. I do not like what large cruise ships (and we do cruise on some of those ships) does to small, charming, communities. We have chatted with several locals in Key West (who all voted against cruise ships in their city) and do "get it." While some folks see this pictures of the huge mega ships and say "Wow," many others say something like "Oh NO." I think that those huge vessels have contributed to turning many communities, around the world, against cruise ships. It also does not help, that many on those ships will book overpriced cruise ship excursions, which are of little benefit to the locals, and have the added factor of keeping cruisers together in larger groups (also seen as a big negative by locals). While folks may not have an issue with 1 or 2 couples walking through their community, browsing in the shops, eating lunch, etc. they do not like seeing large groups being led around (like cattle) who spend little money (other than at "recommended" places). We live in a cruise port (Puerto Vallarta) for part of the year, and see (almost on a daily basis) both the cruisers on large groups excursions as well as those just off on their own. The large groups will sometimes block the sidewalks (as they stop to listen to their guides), crowd into a "recommended store," and do little to help the local economy. Consider that many who port at Puerto Vallarta (our winter home) will simply take an excursion to Las Caletas (or other similar places) which do not benefit the local economy (other than the tour operator, Vallarta Adventures). When advising folks here on CC, we urge visitors to PV to simply go into town (via bus or taxi) and enjoy themselves. But many fellow cruisers are obviously uncomfortable doing their own thing and I guess we have to accept that this is part of our North American culture. I know I should get off my soapbox, but we always do our best to encourage fellow cruisers to do their own thing, eat nice meals ashore, etc. In April, we were in Santorini (another place that is being ruined by too many cruisers) and could barely move through Oia. It was the same in Riomaggiore, where once could barely move because of large groups clogging passageways as they listened to their guides. It was not so much the number of folks, but the fact that many of those folks were being herded in groups ("follow the bouncing sign) through narrow sidewalks. The group stops, and it becomes sidewalk gridlock. Those of us who love cruising need to do more to encourage locals to want our presence, not to dread our visits. Hank

We have never really explored the Alpes-Maritime area and this thread is given me lots of ideas for a future visit :). But curious if one is better off heading up (from Nice) to that area with a car, or if the train is a better option. I am a big fan of rental/leased cars since that makes it more convenient to explore lots of small villages. Hank

I really like your idea of spending an overnight in Digne :). Make that two bottles of wine (for the picnic), Hank

I am wondering how they will even go to Bar Harbor, given the recent cruise ship ban. Here is a link to an article on the subject: It’s Official: Council Enacts Cruise Ship Disembarkation Rules – Bar Harbor Story The residents of Bar Harbor, have long been trying to limit (or eliminate) cruise ships coming to their town. I have no clue as to whether there are further court appeals that will delay the restriction. Hank

A good issue. But it does come down to personal choices. If you want lunch in a MDR on port days, it does exist on some cruise lines. But the trend is certainly to eliminate the practice. Most recently even Seabourn seems to have stopped the practice. That being said, on our last Seabourn cruise, they did have the MDR opened for lunch (even on Port days) and we would walk through and see fewer than 4 folks enjoying that lunch. On our MSC Yacht Club cruises, in the Caribbean, it was nice to have port day lunches in their dedicated restaurant. There were times when we would be the only couple in the restaurant (for lunch) which does call into question whether it makes sense. On MSC, the Yacht Club's restaurant is private and has its own galley and dining room staff. So, there were probably more than 8 folks, working in that venue, just to serve one couple. When we were on the new Explora Journey 1, they always had one restaurant (they have 4 plus a Lido) opened for lunch...even on port days. Hank

Interesting info. I just looked on the Chase site (we have a Sapphire Reserve) and found the usual benefits with nothing said about changes in October. Your Chase Credit Card Guide to Benefits (chasebenefits.com) I imagine if they do rescind benefits, it would not be effective until the anniversary date of the current card, since changing mid-stream could be viewed as a breach of contract. Given the high cost of the Reserve card, there would likely be a real stink if they eliminated that benefit. We orginally got that Sapphire card because of their travel insurance benefits and the primary coverage for domestic rental cars. I should mention, that over the years, we have filed two major claims for trip cancellation/interruption and collected on both. Dealing with their claims adjustment folks (a sub-contractor) is no fun and does require a lot of patience. I did also find a Points Guy article that Chase is switching their insurance administrator away from "eclaims." Having dealt with those eclaims folks (on our two major claims) I do applaud that they are making a change although time will tell if things improve. Chase to switch insurance benefits provider, improve protections and expand coverage - The Points Guy I think it was because of this insurance benefit, that many AMEX Platinum folks switched (or added) a Chase Sapphire card. Eventually, AMEX added a similar benefit to their Platinum benefits, but with a lower maximum ( I think it is $10,000 vs the higher $20,000 on the Sapphire card). Hank

Thanks for the heads up! Have never heard of this and it does sound like something for a fun day. Shocking that one could take the regular train for less than 2 Euros! It gives us a good excuse to go back to Nice for a few days :). Hank

I think folks need to take a deep breath. Chase issues several different tiers of Visa and MC cards and what the OP references is not among the higher tier. If Chase eliminates some benefits from a lower tier, folks can ask to be upgraded to the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve cards. Yes, these cards are more expensive, do require a decent credit rating, but also offer a large slate of perks/benefits. Hank

I resemble that remark! At that age, no problem walking the wall and steps :). Granted, that some folks who are 76 or 80 might have issues with steps. On the other hand, we do 10 miles power walks for fun, and walking around the walls at Kotor or Dubrovnik is not an issue. From what we see, these days, there are probably a lot of 30 years olds that would have more trouble with those walls. They are the ones you see using an elevator to go down 1 deck :). Will be back in Croatia, leter this month, and look forward to some swimming in the sea at Dubrovnik (we are staying there for a few days). Hnak

HAL seems to have multiple problems with their onboard accounting system and it is nothing new. We have never had any accounting issues, pre-cruise, but we always use very good cruise agencies who quickly notify us of any changes to our bookings. I do agree, that with HAL and any cruise line, it is wise to bring along (on the cruise) hard copy print-outs of any of the cruise-related correspondence, Statements that show OBC and other amenities (this is always available from our cruise agencies), etc. When we find an accounting discrepancy, onboard, we simply visit the Guest Services folks with any applicable back-up hard copy stuff. On HAL, the usual Guest Services (I sometimes call them Guest Non-Services) response is "we will send an e-mail to blah blah blah." Usually, the issues are resolved within a few days. We will also repeat our old advice, which is to check your onboard account on a daily basis and deal with issues ASAP. This is especially true for those with the HIA package or any drink package. When it comes to dealing with Guest Services, we have found that going early in the morning or late at night will usually avoid the queues. Hank

Thanks for the wonderful review. It is fun to read about a first cruise and the beginning of what sounds like a long future with the cruise industry. We still get excited every time we walk up the gangway to get on a ship, but there is nothing quite like that first time adventure.

Agree, but many cruisers (especially those who stick to the Caribbean and Alaska) have never experienced big swells/waves. A little over a year ago we were on a HAL ship (Westerdam) that did a week crossing from Yokohama to Kodiac, Alaska. For 6 straight days we had swells that were in the 22-30 foot range. The Captain had to order the pools drained (several of the hot tubs were able to function). As is typical of longer HAL itineraries, those onboard were well "seasoned" cruisers and most did fine. But we met some who seldom left their cabin! But it is not just about the size of the long swells, but also involves the direction (in relation to the ship's course) and prevailing wind (cruise ships are like large weather vanes). When the swells are on the bow, there is not much that can be done (stabilizers do little to deal with pitch) and, at times, it feel like being on a roller coaster. Many "seasoned" sailors can handle the motion, but maintaining one's balance while moving around the ship can be a challenge. While DW and I do not normally get sea sick, when the going gets really rough we do take precautions with a daily Meclizine Hcl (Bonine) pill. That is the same drug normally dispensed by the ship's physicians (on some lines they simply give it out at Guest Relations) and is often sold in one of the ship's shops. Many years ago, we tried the Transderm Scop patches, but found the side-effects not to our liking. Hank

Speaking of getting to the metro/subway from the Osanbashi Pier, it is a few blocks of walking. And if one wants to use an elevator (which is helpful if you have luggage), only one of the entrances (there are a few) has that elevator. I mention this because many cruisers are not happy at the idea of having to walk blocks, dragging their luggage. DW and I do a lot of independent travel, and as seniors, do give lots of consideration to luggage logistics. With luggage, when going to/from Haneda, we spend the big bucks (actually Yen) and take a taxi 🙂 Without luggage, we always use public transport. While staying in Yokohama can easily be used as a base, to explore Tokyo, keep in mind that it can take over an hour (one way) to get to some popular Tokyo neighborhoods (this depends on where, which metro line, changing trains, etc). If spending one or perhaps 2 nights, pre/post cruise, we would generally stay in Yokohama (assuming our cruise uses a Yokohama port). For more than 2 nights we would definitely base ourselves somewhere in Tokyo (our preference is the Shinjuku area). As to Narita vs Haneda, since we choose our own flights we always use Haneda. Narita is a very nice airport, but we find its distance from Tokyo (and Yokohama) a royal pain. Hank

I think, it again bears mentioning, that if you ask this question on the HAL board you will get mostly positive comments about HAL. Ask the same question on the Prncess board, and you will get mostly positive comments about Princess. As folks that have routinely cruised both lines (hundreds of days on each) we think there are pros/cons to each line and even the various class of ships operated by each line. As to which line is better, for us that has been swinging back and forth over the years. At the moment we favor Princess, but that could quickly change as both lines keep making changes to their product. Just recently, a friend asked us which line has the best crew! Our quick response was "Seabourn" :). The truth is that we have had mostly fantastic crew on both HAL and Princess, although the staff on both lines do not even come close to the crews we have had on Seabourn. As to the best crew ever (in over 50 years of extensive cruising) it is a tie between Seabourn and MSC's Yacht Club. Hank

HAL and Princess (as well as Seabourn) all use the same air office/folks for their air program. In the past 2 years, we have noticed that the really good deals (for business/first) are not much better than booking direct with the airlines. One needs to spend some time comparing deals from a few sources, including the cruise lines. As to pre/post hotel packages, we think the rule of thumb is that you will pay about twice the price, if using the cruise deals, then if you book the same or comparable hotels on your own. Many times you will find that when you compare the cruise line hotel prices (which must be doubled for two persons) you can book that same hotel (direct with the hotel) for about 1/2 the price. Again, folks are well-advised to compare the cruise line deals with what it would cost to do it on your own. Also keep in mind that the cruise lines do not always use hotels with the best locations, and when you book on your own you can carefully choose location and category of room. Hank

Never look at them, anymore. Because we have cruised on many different lines, we get tons of cruise brochures/catalogs. One line, Viking, sends us 3 copies of everything (river and ocean) despite the fact that we have called them and sent them e-mails to stop. All the cruise "stuff" just goes into the trash, as we go online to get any info we need/want. When we come home from longer cruisers/trips (usually about 2 months) we sometimes have several bins of accumulated cruise "stuff." What a waste of money. Hank

We have suggested to several friends, who still like HAL, that Seabourn is a better deal when you consider equal accommodations and perks. But, like many HAL cruisers, they want to eat dinner at 5:15 and be in bed by 9. The idea of being on a line where dinner does not even begin until 7 and the shows are often at 9:30, does not work for many HAL customers. Hank

Just wondering what other lines even have fixed dining. We cruise on many lines, and HAL is the only one where we still see this antiquated practice. Pray tell. Hank

Given a choice between only Venice and Bologna, for a first time visitor, we would strongly recommend Venice. It is such a unique place and has much to offer a visitor. As to Bologna, while we do agree it is a "foodie" city, and certainly has some very interesting architecture, it has never ranked high on our list of places. In fact, we have probably been to Venice about a dozen times (on both cruises and driving trips) and only visited Bologna one time (for 3 days). Bologna is also near and dear to my heart because it is the only place in Italy where a Roma thief did her best to pick my pocket (and she got some bruises from my Tote, for her failed efforts). Hank