navybankerteacher

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bermuda is not tropical -

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

From Midtown you could take IRT #2 or #3 train from Penn Station to Wall Street and walk (4 short blocks) to Pier 11 for the ferry to right next to BCT; or Lexington Ave line from Grand Central to Wall Street and Broadway for a somewhat longer walk to Pier 11.

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.

QM 2 sails from Brooklyn to the Caribbean every year.