Hlitner

Customs, in Pireaus, is generally a big nothing! It is generally a matter of getting off the ship, grabbing your luggage (or taking it off yourself) and going out the terminal door to where there is a parking area with taxis. I am not sure if the ferry check-in differs depending on the ferry company, so cannot be sure how early you need to arrive. But you are talking about less than 10 minutes to get from either cruise port over to the ferry area (I assume you will be going to the ferry gate near the train station). Just make sure to book your ferry tickets, in advance, as some of these ferries can actually sell out! We actually had "issues" getting the ferry from Naxos to Paxos (our preferable ferry was sold out). I think things are probably going to be easier for you than when we last took a ferry (August 2021), since there were still all kinds of COVID protocols in place at that time. We actually had to go through a COVID documents check (done by the Greek Coast Guard) which I am sure has since ended. That Coast Guard check added to the hassles getting on ferries, during COVID. Hank

We also travel with two large checked bags (and two backpacks) and had no problem getting everything into a taxi Just make sure to have some Euros, as cash does talk :). Interesting that you are heading to Naxos, because that is exactly where we went the last time we grabbed a ferry in Pireaus, After a few days in Naxos we took a ferry over to Paxos for a few more days before heading back to Pireaus. You should be at the ferry terminal in plenty of time since there is no telling if there will be some kind of security check. I do not recall them closing the gates real early, but better to get over there early than have something go wrong and miss the boat. Keep in mind that you will need to drag your own luggage on and off the ferries, We had a luggage cable lock and put the in luggage racks downstairs and than locked them to a rail, One of our ferries had walking passengers using outside stairs (to get on the boat) which was not practical with our luggage, so we simply crowded our way up the ramp (used by cars) so we could roll our luggage rather than lift it up steps :). We got some dirty looks from the crew/security, but we ignored them and moved aboard. There were others doing the same thing and also mobility challenged folks using the ramp. Hank

We have often done last minute bookings (with HAL and other lines) and it is no biggie. Simply book the cruise (using one of our preferred cruise agency web sites), enter our credit card info, and go. As to the airlines, there have been times when I am booking the cruise on one computer and booking the air on another computer (simultaneously) Like with cruise lines, one can sometimes get a decent airline price at the last minute. All part of the fun of planning last minute trips :). We recently booked a month-long Seabourn cruise only 19 days prior to embarkation. So much fun. For folks that really care about cabin categories/locations a last minute booking is often not a great option. Hank

"Strange" is a good word to describe Princess software :). And we are talking the Sky. No issue when booking excursions (we also have a ton of OBC) as the app uses our OBC. But with the dining reservations it will not use OBC or our 2 included free meals. Hank

We are looking at the App right now, for an early December cruise where we have Premiere, The app will not let us book any specialty reservation without immediately paying via credit card. Hank

Sorry, I read your op as being in Aruba on the 12th. These days, whether any ship will be able to go to any port is pure speculation. Cruise lines (including HAL) seem to have embraced a tendency to announce itinerary changes at the last minute (often after final payments) and one can speculate as to why? Frequent cruisers are used to last minute changes (does not mean we like it) which has become part of the cruise game. Hank

Not nearly as generous as the Chase Sapphire cards which are $10,000 per person (they will pay up to $20,000 per trip).

We simply view a day in Jamaica as a sea day, best spent on the ship :).

I will confess to being a coffee addict and coffee snob. Yes, I really enjoy a good (and very strong/flavorful) cut of coffee, espresso, cappucino, etc. Like most coffee addicts, I have my share of "devices" at home including a high-end Superautomatic (Swiss Made) expresso machine In that machine I only use Lavazza or Illy beans because they are simply the best and are roasted in a way that will not gum-up machines. I mention all this because we are only mildly impressed when a cruise line uses decent name-brand beans (such as Illy or Lavazza). Why? The type of bean is only one part of the equation that makes a decent cup. What is even more important is what they do with those beans and how they are turned into a drinkable beverage. So, dumping Lavazza grounds (or beans) into a huge bulk drip machine is not going to yield a great result. One attraction of the IC is that they have traditionally made "small batch" coffee which should yield better results as long as they use enough coffee in the device. I have yet to be on a Princess ship that had decent coffee in the Lido...that comes from the large coffee vats. Hank

We have done more than 50 TA cruises (including more than a dozen on Princess) and have been on ships that voyages that were near-full and voyages that were well below capacity. To us, it is just one more cruise (and we love all cruises) with a few sea days (which we also love). As to the laundry issue, the TA cruises will usually have a large number of frequent cruisers (i.e. Elites) who get free laundry. This can cause a slower turnaround (3 days is not uncommon). In fact, we have been on quite a few Princess cruises where there will be a letter in our cabin (at embarkation) warning us to expect 72 hour turnaround. A majority of the time we do have our laundry back in about 2 days, but we plan on 3. Hank

I will offer some advice to the OP (wanted or not :). Cruise line arranged hotels/transfers will generally cost you about 150-200% of booking the same (or better) hotels/transfers on your own. And when it comes to Boston, just like most larger cities, it is all about the location that best meets your needs/wants. Boston is a city of neighborhoods and you should consider choosing the area (and class of hotel) that puts you close to what is important to you. If you are planning to fly-in a day or two before your cruise, think about staying near the tourist destinations/restaurants where you want to spend the bulk of your time. For example, you might want to be in walking distance of the Commons, Faneuil Hall, etc. or, Perhaps you prefer to be all the way out in Cambridge. If you are flying-in later in the day before your cruise, you might prefer one of the hotels located closer to the cruise port (lovingly known as the Black Falcon cruise terminal). I might add that the neighborhood relatively close to the port has really been growing (in recent years) and has become a pretty decent area with a decent selection of restaurants. As to transfers, this is overblown and a non-issue. No matter where you stay, it is simply a matter of using taxis/Uber.Lyft to get from airport to hotel and hotel to port. Even if you are at the closest hotel to the port, you are going to need transportation since most folks do not like taking long walks with luggage. And getting from the airport to any hotel is simply a matter of walking out of the terminal and getting the next taxi (or calling for an Uber/Lyft). Hank

Impossible to know unless we know the specific person. Folks have different wants/needs and taste. A good example would be our most recent cruise on the brand new Explora 1 (Explora Journeys Cruise Lines). This is a unique small ship luxury line that suited DW and me, but there are many folks who would truly dislike that ship. It is similar to a the Oasis Class or RCI, which may suit many folks but would not be a class ship that DW and I would appreciate (DW once suggested "Blight of the Seas" for the name of the original Oasis Class ship). When friends ask us for advice on what ship, line, and or itinerary, we always try to fit the answer to the person(s). Having seen and met many cruisers who were on the wrong ship, for them, it is something that can oft be avoided by simply doing your homework and also being honest with yourself about wants/needs. Hank

Like Cruisemom, we are not picky about cabin sizes or location, except that we do prefer to be in a quiet cabin. We often book guarantees, but will sometimes do a guarantee that is 1 or 2 categories above the lowest, to ensure we do not get a so-called "NightOwl Cabin" located near a late night club or under a galley. I will add that we have done this at least 100 times with no regrets. Hank

Regarding Nov 12, I took a look at Cruisemapper and it shows the Seven Seas Mariner and Emerald Princess in Aruba. As the port can only dock two ships, it is not surprising that there has been a change. One might wonder why the change was announced at such a late date, but that is another issue. Hank

We are talking about "overtourism" of which cruise ships are part of the equation. Since we cruise (extensively) all over the world and also happen to live, 10 weeks a year, in a cruise port, we see both sides of the coin. There are some truths and they do not favor the cruise industry. Cruisers do not contribute a lot of money to most port economies. Many cruisers rely on cruise ship excursions which often benefit only a shore-based tour company and a few tourist-oriented sites. These days, many cruisers are even too cheap to buy lunch ashore and will often head back to their ship for their "free lunch" and drinks. When we have overnighted in ports, it is almost shocking how few passengers go off the ship in the evening to buy dinner ashore, enjoy local entertainment, etc. The bottom line is that a large majority of folks in many cruise ports (especially smaller ports and islands) now support the idea of limiting or eliminating cruise ships (especially the larger mass market vessels). In the US you can already see this in Charleston, Bar Harbor and Key West. In Europe you have problems in Venice, Santorini, Porto, Dubrovnik, etc. Even in the Pacific, Bora Bora (and some other islands) have already imposed major restrictions on ships. Some fellow cruisers prefer to deny the obvious and insist that cruising is good for ports. Really? One has to only look at St Thomas to see how cruise ships have led to the near ruination of a once popular tourist destination. Most of the cute boutiques in Charlotte Amalie have been replaced with the usual touristy cruise-based shops (which are not locally owned). The traffic in Charlotte Amalie is often one big parking lot thanks to the daily influx of cruisers who can total over 25,000! We still remember St Thomas when it was a delightful sleepy island with great shopping, uncrowded beaches, etc. Now, if we happen to be on a cruise that docks at that island we generally stay on ship. And it is the same in several other Caribbean islands. Consider Alaksa where the first thing you might see is a large Diamonds International sign! Is that why you want to visit Alaksa? Go to the Denali area and you can see an entire touristy village built and supported by CCL! The push-back against overtourism has already begun, and it will only get worse in the coming years. Italy has already built gates, which they can use to close the access roads to Cinque Terre. The large (and well designed) cruise port in Venice mostly lies empty since locals succeeded in banning nearly all cruise ships (except for some small vessels). Venice is now working to further limit day tourists by the imposition of a daily tourist access fee (which we assume will gradually increase). DW and I are now planning a spring trip back to Europe (which includes a TA cruise on a relatively small ship). While planning a few week post cruise driving trip, we are being careful to avoid any area frequented by cruise excursions or fellow cruisers. We now plan our independent trips to visit popular places somewhat off season, but mostly focus on terrific places not yet overrun with tourists. Yes, we are hypocrits (since we are frequent tourists) but there are plenty of wonderful places in the world not yet on the big time cruise and tourist itineraries. Ironically, we will end our cruise close to Venice (Trieste) but have no plans to visit Venice (a favorite place of ours) since we want to focus on some other places that have yet to be impacted by overtourism. Hank

Just looked at those cruise itineraries and we would focus more on which itinerary then the in-out of Venice issue. Like Cruisemom, we have cruised in and out of Venice (several times) and both are about equal. If you want to enjoy the view you will be awake :). To be honest, the itinerary we like is the longer 18 day cruise itinerary that departs from Venice. Hank

I cannot let your post go without some comments. We spent 18 days (from NYC back to NYC) on EJ1 and blogged, day by day. Waltershipman (who we met onboard) also regularly added to our blog. Neither one of us are what you call "influencers" and simply told it like it was. While on our cruise, we did meet quite a few from the travel industry (what you call influencers) and never noticed any of them posting here on CC. We did not notice them being treated differently (except during the Naming Ceramony Day) then us. We ate with and next to these folks, discussed the cruise (good and bad) and we all had a good time. Just like us (paying passengers) they had full run of the ship and could dine where they pleased (with so few on the ship anyone could get into any venue on nearly any evening). We do know that there were some special events for the "influencers" which were primarily get-togethers where the EJ folks did ply their marketing skills. They got to listen to some "suits" talk about future plans (we know this from conversations with a few onboard cruise agents). No biggie and nothing special. As to free upgrades, I have no clue. But we did not expect nor seek an upgrade and other than getting a different suite an upgrade would have had no impact on our cruise. If anyone was "falling all over influencers" we sure did not notice. Not even sure how that would work since everyone onboard had access to the same bars, restaurants, lounges, shows, etc. So I would ask, "what on earth are you talking about? Hank Hank

Times have changed (unfortunately) and on HAL you will not find big bands (and even a small band is questionable). In fact, it would be unusual to even find a ships band on HAL that had a sax or horn player (HAL tends to rely on keyboards and a guitars). You cannot create a Big Band experience without horns or woodwinds. The closest thing to a Big Band crossing would be on the Queen Mary 2 where they do have a real ballroom and will usually combine a couple of the ship's bands to create a big band-type ball. Hank

From time to time I post some tips, primarily for cruise novices. These days, it can be difficult to compare two or more cruises/cruise lines when it comes to the REAL cost. Folks need to understand that that what you pay for a cruise is, often, only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to real cost. The trick is to look at the real (for you) "cost per passenger day." Using this method will allow you to compare apples to oranges when it comes to ships and cruise lines. The starting point is to total what you will pay for the cruise price (deposit, payments, final payment). To this dollar amount you need to add the cost of routine extras such as gratuities (sometimes called "crew appreciation"), and the cost of any add-on packages you might purchase (i.e drink packages, internet packages, dining packages, photo packages, etc). We also suggest adding your estimated cost of things you might actually buy onboard including drinks (beyond what is covered by a drink package), photos, alternative dining add-ons, etc. Once you reach your grand total of what you expect to spend, divide this by the total cruise days (how many days you are booking multiplied times the number of cruisers) to get a "cost per passenger day! This number can than be used to compare against other options. Also keep in mind that for your budget purposes you need to consider the cost of getting to the port (i.e. air, hotels, gas, etc) and what you might spend during pre/post cruise vacation days. Why do this? Promotions, inclusions, packages, and add-ons are designed to obscure the true cost of cruising. The "cost per person day" makes it relatively easy to compare cruise lines (and packages). Using this method makes it simple to compare a cruise on a line such as Celebrity to a cruise on luxury lines such as Seabourn. What is interesting (these days) is that there are times when a Premium or Luxury cruise line can actually cost less than a mass market line! This recently happened to us when we were looking at booking a MSC Cruise (in their pricey Yacht Club) and realized that we could take a cruise on Silverseas (a top rated small ship luxury line) for about $1000 less! We have also pointed out in numerous past posts that booking pricy suites on mass market lines (i.e. RCI, Celebrity, Princess, etc) might actually cost more, per passenger day, than a similar cruise on a luxury line. Luxury lines are generally all-inclusive so already include many extras (i.e. drinks, Internet, alternative dining, etc) that cost extra on mass market lines. Hank

Our own experience at FCO (and other airports) has been that most delays are more an issue at airline counters then with security. Each airline does their own thing and some do it very badly. The way to get quickly through the airline counters is to book Business or First Class :). In over 50 years of extensive travel we have never missed a flight, and that is simply because we err on the side of caution and arrive at the airport in plenty of time (for flights to the USA from FCO that would be at least 2 1/2 hours before our flight). Worse case is that you will find yourself with lots of extra time at the airport (which is why we like lounge access) but that sure beats the anxiety when you worry about missing a flight. Hank

We are not familiar with the specific excursions but do know all the villages quite well. When they talk about strenuous it is likely a reference to the amount of walking. Depending on the tour guide/agenda, you can do a significant amount of walking (with some slopes and uneven areas). One person's "strenuous" is another's easy stroll (and vice versa) which makes excursion descriptions tough to interpret. At the various Cinque Terre villages, the tour bus/vehicle may park some distance from town. I see folks on cruises that have difficulty walking from one end of the ship to the other and those folks might have problems. Hank

Since you are not specific with the actual piers I will give you a generic answer based on our own experience, In a similar situation we had no problem getting a taxi to take us for the short haul (less then a mile) although we did offer him extra (I cannot recall the amount but it was no more than 15 Euros). Like you, we had some concern that the taxis would refuse a short haul, but negotiation (before getting in the taxi) easily avoided any issue. The ferry company may require that you check-in early (I recall we had to do this about 45 min prior to departure) so you need to check the details Our ferry left from a across the street from the train station and we had extra waiting time. There was a cafe (inside the ferry port) where we stopped to relax and have some coffee before boarding our ship. Just keep in mind there are multiple ferry piers (at Pireaus) with several different entrances. It is helpful to know the exact pier (and entrance) in advance Otherwise, you and your taxi driver may need to do some investigation which can waste valuable time. Hank

I will repeat what we have often posted on the Cruise/Travel Insurance blog which is, always read the policy! The terms that exist today, may be changed tomorrow. AMEX and/or Chase could easily change their coverage at any time. In fact, when we used to have an AMEX Platinum card, they did not include any travel insurance. This was one reason (of several) why we gave up our AMEX Platinum and got a Chase Sapphire Reserve card. When AMEX realized they were losing quite a few customers to Chase, AMEX finally added travel insurance to their card. Competition is a wonderful thing :). Hank

Having filed two major Chase claims (and been reimbursed for both claims) I can verify that, at least in our case, everything did not need to paid with Chase. Their coverage was limited to how much was paid on the card (up to their maximums). Hank

The solution, for us, is quite simple. We no longer do Fixed Dining (on any ship) but simply take advantage of Open Dining, Anytime Dining, Dining My Way, etc. Depending on the cruise line (we cruise on many different lines) we make a reservation (usually around 7:30) or don't. When we get to the host table we simply indicate that we are happy to share a larger table. On most nights, we find ourselves with other like-minded cruisers and have decent dinner conversation. After a few nights we generally make new friends among the diners and will sometimes agree to meet (outside the MDR or for cocktails) before dinner. It often happens that we eventually form our own group with which we dine on some nights. Even with fixed dining, if you get a bad table (or tablemates) you can simply go to the Maitre'd and asked to be changed. Hank