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Everything posted by navybankerteacher
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Do any of you have a preference for size or age of ship?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
Not when it comes to the essential differences between small (1,000 passengers or less) and the multi-thousand mega-ships. Hardly “artificially created niche marketing devices”. -
Getting from CV to Rome on your own is certainly doable by train. I would suggest talking it up on your cruse’s roll call to possibly organize a shared van (RomeinLimo or other service) - we’ve done this several times to maximize time in Rome. Florence is a tougher concept - too much to see in too little time with huge crowds — consider taking train to Lucca, a lovely small walled city which you can do in a day — save Florence for a time when you can spend a couple of days there.
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Do any of you have a preference for size or age of ship?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
The connection is obvious: sailing on smaller ships is more expensive because those who know to make the choice are willing to pay more for quality. A 4,000+ passenger ship will be likely be cheaper because the fixed costs of operating a ship can be divided among more passengers. The operators of those smaller ships tend to know that they are dealing with people who have options —- if the experience is not up to their standards they will simply sail with other lines. -
keeping track of cruises...unique ideas?
navybankerteacher replied to rfsdvm's topic in Cruise Memorabilia
A few years ago HAL regularly gave out dark blue ceramic coffee mugs with white initials identifying the ship as trivia contest prizes - we have a good collection Z- Zuiderdam, P-Prinsendam, M-Maasdam, N-Noordam, W-Westerdam, O-Oosterdam, R-Ryndam, V-Veendam - several duplicates, so we have close to two dozen. Just one of the many nicieties (like the fresh OJ at breakfast, live music in the MDR at dinner, the ceramic Delft tiles left in your stateroom at check-in, etc. etc.) which HAL abandoned as they joined the mass market. -
How frequent are missed Ports of Call?
navybankerteacher replied to 12college's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
I’d see an overnight at St. Maarten in lieu of a call at St. Thomas as a great deal. -
A lot of people book “purely on itinerary”. Folks who book transAtlantic repositionings, or QM2 straight shots between New York and Southampton, do it. Their purpose is to get across the Atlantic by means other than flying - and the itinerary is what does it for them.
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NCL Mediterranean Excursion Help
navybankerteacher replied to Joan18's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Monaco is interesting - the changing of the guard at the palace was simply funny: several overweight guys in white uniforms shuffling around - out of step with each other. Then there is an amazing number of consulates -from small countries you wouldn’t think could have any necessary diplomatic connections - unless to provide a place to stash questionable assets. -
Why is cruising the best type of vacation ?
navybankerteacher replied to lenquixote66's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
I have no idea of who OneEarth.Org is, but “the tropics” means that belt between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn - which lies well to the south of Bermuda. -
Yes - that’s it. My favorite “pilgrim monument” is at Corn Hill Beach in Truro - marking the spot where the Pilgrims found a large stash of corn which had been set aside by local Indians as a winter food reserve - - before they even got to Plymouth they had commenced stealing from the locals.
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Then, I would suggest spending a bit of time on the starboard side an hour or so after sailing while rounding the end of Cape Cod to get a glimpse of the granite tower.
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Why is cruising the best type of vacation ?
navybankerteacher replied to lenquixote66's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
Bermuda is not tropical - -
Do any of you have a preference for size or age of ship?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
40 years ago was 1984 - the Big Red Boat started sailing in 1985. The posts to which you seem to have responded were talking about how cruising was a high end activity in the 1970’s. -
Why is cruising the best type of vacation ?
navybankerteacher replied to lenquixote66's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
Because when you are on an island there are several thousand other cruise passengers there overcrowding whatever ther is to enjoy, and you never get to spend an evening and night so you can really get to know the place. -
Given the uncertainty over mooring position, I would suggest port side for the sailing parts of your cruise. There is nothing to match a sunrise at sea that first morning, and a seeing sunset at sea is a good way to end your last day.
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Why is cruising the best type of vacation ?
navybankerteacher replied to lenquixote66's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
After cruising in the Caribbean once or twice to get a sense of places, cruising is the absolutely worst way to spend time in the Caribbean. However it is the best way to come back from travel in Europe. It can be an excellent way to get a feel for a region - or to revisit places which keep calling to you (the coast of Turkey and the Aegean, for example). Like most everything else: it depends. -
Do any of you have a preference for size or age of ship?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
“Wealthy” is something of a subjective term. It has generally been possible for selective average income people to afford some higher cost activities by allocating resources and doing without some things a lot of other people might take for granted. (Just think how many $ a person could set aside for a cruise if he/she opted not to grab a Starbucks Vente while on the way to work every morning). In the 1970’s a couple or weeks on the Jersey Shore was a big vacation - while cruising was simply out of the picture for most. -
Do any of you have a preference for size or age of ship?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
True - they are in the higher price range — but then just a quarter century ago cruising itself was a high price vacation option. Only in this century did cruising become a mass market activity - so today’s new mega-ships serve that purpose; while refitted and new build smaller ships will continue to serve the upscale market they always did. -
Do any of you have a preference for size or age of ship?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
Are you aware that there will be at least seven new cruise ships coming on line in 2024 - which carry fewer than 1,000 passengers? -
There are very few scheduled Norfolk departures, and sailings out of Baltimore are iffy now due to the bridge problem - but I have heard that they are likely to go from Norfolk. If cost is a major concern, you should widen your horizon to include New York, Charleston and Florida sailings - where the vastly wider choice (including cost of air) could prove economical.
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Do any of you have a preference for size or age of ship?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
QM2 and the older HAL ships (2,000 or so passengers are the largest we go for) - but really prefer the 650 or so passenger Oceania ships. Have no use for the usually hideous, crowded mega ships which are coming off the ways now - where if you want a decent meal you have to go for the alternative restaurants. -
Why not consider a southern Caribbean itinerary sailing from San Juan (architecture, shopping and food) spending a couple of days in that amazing old Spanish colonial city before boarding a sailing to Bonaire and Curaçao (beaches) and possible other ports on your bucket list?
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Venezia debarkation question
navybankerteacher replied to csm5986142's topic in East Coast Departures
A very good idea - while you probably have a better than 68.375% chance of making that flight, you would surely be stressed from the last day of your cruise until you got into your seat on the plane. -
Any ship you've been particularly impressed with?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
Of the lines mentioned: only HAL’s Maasdam (before their cost cutting pushed her down to mass market category) - and, especially, Prinsendam — now to get that “blown away” feeling, it’s Oceania, Asamara, or one of the truly premium lines. -
Any ship you've been particularly impressed with?
navybankerteacher replied to sjde's topic in Ask a Cruise Question
QM 2 sails from Brooklyn to the Caribbean every year.