Hlitner

I will add that Avis has a location within easy walking distance of the port. Hank

Yes, they will accept your tip (and might even smile) but in their mind they are thinking, "what a fool," or "another Ugly American who does not respect our culture." The old saying of "when in Rome......" is a good policy with international travel, Learn about the local culture (easily done online) and respect the local mores rather than trying to project your own culture. Hank

I will add, as an ardent independent traveler, that one can walk (in less than 30 minutes) from the port to the train station (in Amorr) and simply take the next train to Hirosaki. The cost of DIY is generally a fraction of the excursion or tour price. Once in Hirosaki, you can take a local bus from the train station to HIrosaki Park (walkers can alternatively walk in about 40 min). The park has well marked walking paths and it does not take a guide to point out the beautiful Cherry Blossom trees. Hank

We recently spent 12 pre-cruise days in Japan (once my military home) and we split our nights between Tokyo and Kyoto. For us, even a week in Kyoto was barely enough time to enjoy that area (including a day trip to Hiroshima). As to Kobe, it was a very low priority. Speaking of "Kobe Beef," this is a product you can find in any major city of Japan. We do recommend enjoying some A5 beef, but beware that the real thing is very very pricey. Hank

NCL (and its main company NCLH) acts in some strange ways. Cancelling Israel for an entire year is preventative, but might be somewhat premature. On the other hand, by taking this step they are avoiding having to make last minute changes in their itineraries, and it gives them more time to schedule alternative ports. But we have often wondered why NCLH is one of the very few cruise companies to use Acapulco as a cruise port. This is a port that has been eliminated (from itineraries) by nearly every other cruise corporation (i,e. RCI, CCL, etc) because of the crime problem in that city. Even though the US Department of State advises all Americans to not visit Acapulco (or its surrounding State) NCLH has continued to have all of its lines (NCL, Oceania, and Regent) call at that port. Hank

Funny thing about the Port of Acapulco is that only the cruise lines of NCLH (NCL, Oceania, and Regent) stop at that port (with Crystal the only exception on a single cruise). All the other cruise corporations and lines have avoided that port for some time. One can speculate as to the reason, but the US Department of State has long advised, "Do Not Travel" to that State because of crime. We are not sure how long it will take Acaplulco to recover from all the hurricane damage, but the crime situation is not projected to go away anytime soon. Hank

So, taking this topic to an extreme, would you rather have dinner with Onslow or Richard? Might make a case for those who want no dress standards.

OMG! I have long said that when I come back in my next life I want to be Onslow. Think about it...has there ever been a happier man? 🙂 One more thought is that would you rather have dinner with Onslow or Richard? Hank P.S. Sorry to go off topic

It is a very good question and difficult for me to answer since, to a great degree, I agree with your thoughts. Your garden analogy is akin to DW's when she refers to some folks as "being raised by wolves." On the other hand, society's mores do change with time and although some of us may not like the changes, one often goes along to get along. When I went to work in the 70s, a jacket and tie were the norm (or at the very least you had them near the desk in case of a meeting). By the time I retired, the norm was not to wear a jacket/tie. We even know some bankers that no longer wear a jacket/tie to work! It is difficult to find a restaurant, even in NYC, that "requires" a jacket/tie. Just ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a lady in a corset? I still remember my parents packing huge wardrobe trunks to go on ships. These days many folks go on cruises with only a carry-on! Hank

Do you think they would "keel haul" folks who do not follow the dress codes? And how about "lashes" for those who do not behave? LOL

The "loud TV" issue is also a topic on the Oceania board in regard to their new Vista ship. The speculation is that it is a combination of older "hard of hearing" folks with the flat screen TVs where the speakers are not as directional as the older TVs I might mention that we have been in some hotels where the TVs are set-up so that it is impossible for folks to turn the volume above a fairly low level. Perhaps that would be a good idea on ships, but of course, those who are hard of hearing (and refuse to wear hearing aids) would not be happy. Hank

As one who recently booked their first SS cruise, I find this thread enlightening and somewhat amusing. DW and I are somewhat unique in having cruised on 17 different cruise lines (18 and 19 booked) ranging from budget lines (long gone) to luxury lines like SS. Over the decades we have watched/experienced the change in dress codes, and attitudes, on every line. The reality (hard to accept for some) is that the globe has gradually been moving away from formal/informal to "business casual" or even casual. Consider that the new Explora Journeys cruise line, although being a high-end wonderful product, has simply adopted a "Business Casual" dress code (for all nights and in all venues). On our recent cruise with that line, fewer than half the men wore jackets and women were dressed in everything from casual to near-formal. Our recent Seabourn cruise (a 32 day voyage) really showcased the changes in society. SB used to be a line that had a mix of business casual with a few "formal" nights. In the past, I would wear my tux on the formal nights along with as many as half the men (most others were in suits, blazers, etc). But on this most recent voyage, I would estimate that no more than 20% of the men wore tuxes/suits with sport coats/blazers being much more common on the "formal" nights. Seabourn recently revamped its dress code and now allows decent jeans in their Restaurant! We could also look at Oceania (most would call it a Premium Line) which has a business casual standard (no formal nights or jackets required) and has developed a following from folks who prefer the line because of its relaxed dress code. So we are left with SS, and to a much lesser extent the QM2 (especially in the grills) to be about the last to try and maintain formal nights. Princess still has formal nights, but that is really in name only! Those of us who enjoy dressing are truly running out of venues that maintain much of a standard. On my recent 18 day Explora 1 cruise I brought along a Blazer and only wore it to one dinner (in their very upscale and expensive Anthology restaurant where a 2 Star Michelin Chef prepared our dinner). On our next three cruises (Princess, Oceania and Seabourn) I am not sure I will even bother to pack a jacket! As to SS, we will wait until near our cruise to read (here) about the current standards. No problem bringing along true formal-wear, but we would not bother if we were among a very small miniority. Hank

You got that right :). I thought Princess got rid of all those syrup urns (in the Lido) a few years ago. Our most recent Princess cruises have all been on the Royal Class and I do not recall the syrup urns on those vessels. We cruise on many different lines including some of the small ship luxury lines. Most of them do not have particularly good coffee in their buffets or MDRs. The new Explora Journey uses the best Illy coffee, but they make "Americano" for coffee (watered down expresso). On Seabourn, the potted coffee in their Colonnade (Lido) is not very good, but they will bring custom made "French Press" coffee if requested (we always do this at breakfast). We have long thought that the various coffees at the International Cafe were among the best at sea. Not sure if this has changed in the past year, but we will know for sure when on the Sky next month. Hank

I wonder if Princess has changed their policy regarding the refundability of military OBC and some of us were simply grandfathered-in to the old poilcy

We have an upcoming, Dec, cruise and our account (Payments) still shows the Military Credit as refundable. Hank

Interesting to see the Sphere Class mentioned on an O thread about "O." Although we prefer small ship luxury lines, we still periodically cruise on Princess (have always enjoyed the line). But the Sphere Class will be about 175,000 tons with over 4000 passengers. That is a big stretch from O :). We do find it fun to switch from luxury small ships to a big Princess ship because the variety (in cruising) keeps it all young. Hank

When we dined in Anthology there was a total of 7 diners, 4 men and 3 ladies. All the men were wearing jackets and the ladies looked quite nice :). It was not required but did seem to fit the venue. The EJ FAQs deal with the issue as follows" We don't have a dress code onboard but we suggest an Elegant Resort Casual style.

Interesting thread as we do not recall ever seeing coconut shrimp on any cruise. We live in Puerto Vallarta for part of the year where that dish is a popular local staple and on the menu of many restaurants. Lots of debate in PV about which restaurant has the best coconut shrimp :). I think an issue for the main stream (mass market) cruise lines is that coconut shrimp is generally made with large-jumbo shrimp, which is a product avoided by most cruise lines because of the cost. On the luxury lines they must view the item as too basic to put on the menu. But it is also the kind of thing anyone could request on a luxury line (they generally want a day's notice) and would be easily accommodated. Hank

Asking for a galley to be quiet is generally an exercise in frustration. The reality is that galleys all have have hard tile floors and we are talking about a large area with lots of activity, walking, things being dropped, etc. The best way to deal with galleys is to make sure you do not have a cabin that is over, under, or around one of those places. On most ships, if one wants to book a guarantee, the should look at the cabin categories that are around galleys, late night venues, or directly under the pool deck (where loungers are moved around). Ideally you would simply book a guarantee in a category that is above those levels so you do not gamble on getting a night owl or galley cabin. On ships where this is not possible it is advisable to avoid guarantees. Some folks look for a one size fits all solution, but with cruise ships that does not exist (especially if one goes on multiple cruise lines). When we book a guarantee our assumption is that we will get the worst possible cabin in the guaranteed category. Most of the time this does not happen, but one should prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In the event that you do get assigned an awful cabin you should consider immediately contacting the cruise line or your agent to see if you can get a different location (even if it means paying for an upsell). Our best luck with guarantees has happened on Seabourn where, with one exception, we have always received a decent upgrade/suite. The exception was a recent last minute booking (19 days prior to a long cruise) where the only remaining suites were not in a desirable location. Such is life. On the other hand, we paid a lot less for that suite than most folks who had booked far in advance. Hank

A very unfortunate situation which may have no solution unless the onboard staff are willing to act rather than make excuses. We assume the OP complained to their cabin steward and possibly Guest Relations. But, when nothing is done, it might be helpful to elevate the issue (always being polite and respectful). Next step is to ask (at Guest Relations) to speak with the Guest Relations Manager. If there is no solution than one can politely ask for an appointment with the Hotel/General Manager! Make sure to document all your contacts, conversations, names, and attempts. In 50 years of extensive cruising, we have never found a magic formula to deal with all "issues" that might arise onboard. As a general rule we believe in gradually "elevating" issues by use of some charm mixed with being gently assertive. If an issue (such as posted by the OP) is seriously impacting your cruise, you should not be shy in elevating, even if it means requesting an appointment with the Hotel/GM. One should always be polite and respectful, but also make it clear that a situation is not acceptable. Always document everything (keep a log of the issue, who you have seen, etc). Unfortunately, these kind of issues may not have a happy ending. For some of us, it might mean no longer booking a particular cruise line or perhaps a multi-year boycott. Having cruised on 17 lines, we have some lines we have avoided for years (i.e. RCI, Celebrity, Azamara, etc) because of various "issues." We simply move on to other lines that better meet our needs/wants. Hank

No way should a taxi from the port to train station cost 35 Euro. We are talking about a ride of about 1 mile! On the other hand, desperate folks do desperate things :). Hank

The dress code is smart casual. Men are not required to wear a jacket and on our 18 days a majority did not wear jackets. The one faux exception is if you plan on dining in Anthology (dinner with wine will cost couples 530 Euros). When we booked our reservation for Anthology, the reservation desk folks "suggested" that I wear a jacket. Since I had a Blazer on the ship, I did put it on (without tie) for that particular meal. That being said, technically a jacket is not required...even in that venue. I think the overwhelming majority of men wore collared shirt and slacks at all the dinner venues. On our cruise there were also a substantial number who did wear a jacket (some with a tie) although they were not in the majority. DW primarily wore nice resort casual, although we did see some women in dressier outfits. One humorous moment happened one lunch in the Emporium. Two ladies came for lunch wearing the cruise line's white bathrobes. We assume they had just come from the spa. They were told to leave the Emporium. They would have been fine with a nice cover-up, but the bathrobe was deemed inappropriate by management. Hank

I will echo what Marazul has advised, but toss out a few more details. Change your thinking because you are not going to get a free shuttle to a hotel and later to the port. This means you can consider booking any hotel in town and you might want to focus on a place in a decent location such as within walking distance of the Ramblas (the main tourist street). You are already spending a lot of money on your cruise and air. As Marazul has advised, your best, and most convenient option is to simply grab a taxi from the airport to your hotel. I am not sure of the exact current cost, but the taxis use meters and it will probably cost you $40-$50. Plenty of taxis at the airport so getting one is not a problem. If budget is the big issue you have a couple of other less expensive options. You can take the Aerobus from the airport to downtown or use the train (generally not as convenient). Either will cost you no more than $10 per person, Here is a link that should help How do I get from Barcelona airport to city centre? From a hotel to the port is best done with a taxi. Hank

There will be some taxis at the port, but the unknown is whether there will be enough (first come first serve). If you cannot (or will not) change the reservation than we suggest you arrange for a private transfer through somebody who is reliable. Hank

This morning I telephones Princess and the rep said "no problem" until he also failed to be able to input a reservation for the included meals. He suggested I just pay for the reservations and later try to get a credit LOL. He had no explanation and said it appears that you cannot make either included dining reservations or reservations covered by OBC. He noted our reservations request, said he would "elevate the issue" and we MIGHT hear back in 3-5 days! For the record, we have a lot of experience with Princess (been Elite for several decades) so having software issues is nothing new or a major concern. It is interesting (to me) that it is easy to book excursions using OBC, but not possible to book restaurant reservations using OBC. Since DW and I like to dine late, we generally have no problem making reservations onboard. But for folks who like to dine early, this could be a major problem and they might find themselves with few options once aboard. Hank