kaymoz

Even tho we are retired and prefer smaller ships, we're contemplating a cruise on on NCL Getaway due to the departure port, timing and itinerary. We've only sailed with NCL once (Pride of America, around Hawaii, fantastic itinerary) and the breakfast buffet was the worst in terms of crowd impact. Turns out the passenger capacity of the Getaway is almost twice that of the Pride of America! Yikes!!! Are there ways to arrange our experience so we are somewhat buffered from the crowd situations? For example, are there upgrades that provide access to areas that are limited so maybe a little more peaceful? [I checked and found that on the sailing we want, the Haven and Spa Suites are already sold out.] Any other strategies that have worked for you?

After many years of sailing on small and large ocean ships, We did our first river cruise last fall with Viking. The entire river cruise experience appealed to us, and we'd like to do more. We notice that Gate 1 has super competitive prices on what appear to be their own ships. I'm looking for feedback from those who have sailed with them, how they compare to other operators, what to be aware of, etc.

The kimono photo is reminding me about the art collection on board -- the kind of thing that accumulates over time, not readily created. Ship models under glass. Gifts from various port events. And those little hand-crafted ceramic tile wall pieces by each cabin....so many nice touches! I wonder what happened to all those things?

Even tho she was "small" she still had some nice features that could enhance days at sea -- like the cooking demo lab and the computer classroom. The R ships (Azamara and Oceania) are just a little bit smaller so as lovely as they are, it seems there isn't space for that kind of thing.

I'm still not over it. I only had a chance to sail ONCE on the Prinsendam, literally her last sailing. She was clearly my favorite of all the ships I've been fortunate to spend some time aboard. There is nothing like her that I know of now! With the covid-induced demise of Pullmantur and Cruise & Maritime, the smaller cruise ships seem to be even more of a rarity. How I wished I had sailed more on Prinsendam -- if I had only known! I'm grieving the opportunity to sail all over the world on a delightful, smallish cruise ship with impressive service at a reasonable price. Why did I post this? Just to commiserate, I guess. Or maybe someone will tell me there is a long-lost cousin to Prinsendam lurking in a passenger fleet unknown to me....dream on! Of course, I've fantasized about following Prinsendam to her new life with the Phoenix Reisen cruise line as Amera. But there is the language barrier for one thing, and also the HAL element. Sigh.

Thank you elmaexed and HskrCrsr for this feedback. I'm looking up Mindo and CarpeDM right now!

Did you visit the Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua or Reserva Tandayapa or something else?

We'll cruise the Galapagos with Celebrity next summer on the Xpedition, but wonder what others on these voyages have done around the environs of Quito before departing? (We hate to rush home from a cruise!) I'm aware that a popular combination is Machu Picchu, or some visits to the Amazon, but we're interested in Quito-based explorations you've enjoyed.

Other than venturing to Macchu Pichu, I'm wondering what other explorations you have added on to a trip to the Galapagos, which Celebrity routes through Quito for air transportation?

Yes, I did mean Xploration. Old spelling habits die hard!

Do the other Celebrity vessels in the Galapagos (Expedition, Explorer) also have microscopes on hand?

Here is another one that advertises to be kid-oriented: https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/20873/Nature-s-Laboratory-Wild-Finds-in-the-Galapagos-With-Your-Family

I have noticed that their adverts seem to be more welcoming about children than others I have seen. (see example below) Plus, I read somewhere they have a videomicroscope -- what a cool tool to help kids explore! Inspiring the next generation of explorers Kids are natural explorers, and the Galápagos is nature-made for exploration. It’s no wonder then that all Lindblad-National Geographic Galápagos expeditions offer the National Geographic Global Explorers Program for kids and teens. This fun, family-centered experience, designed in partnership with National Geographic Education, features a variety of hands-on science, storytelling, and adventure activities designed to build real-world explorer skills and spark a passion for nature, conservation, and exploration. Certified field educators lead activities, which can be tailored to fit specific interests, such as marine biology, geology, or photography. Participants continually learn by doing, whether recording wildlife observations in their Field Notebooks, hiking to a volcano, or counting nesting sea turtles as part of a citizen science project. Daily adventure options, such as snorkeling with sea lions and learning to stand-up paddle board, empower kids and teens to explore outside their comfort zones and try something new. Using video, photography, maps, drawings, and other creative tools, participants share their Galápagos discoveries and, likely, inspire others to start exploring.

Loriva -- Thank you for this wonderfully detailed summary of your trip last year! Very helpful.

I ended up talking to someone at Lindblad/NG today, and asked about the glass bottom Zodiac -- the woman told me that both ships have it. But you might want to verify before making your decision on this one "data point." The big difference I came away with from my conversation is that the cruise is longer with the Endeavor 2 (10 days) compared to the Islander (7 days), and of course that the latter is more luxurious.

If I were to go with my children, I'd look at National Geogrpahic.

I've heard the seas and weather can be quite rough when sailing around Cape Horn, so I'm wondering which cruise ships likely to be plying those waters would be the most stable?

It's been a few years since we sailed with Oceania (on Nautica), but in my memory there were two publicly displayed map tools for passengers to track the ship the voyage -- a paper navigation chart for the specific cruise and a large video screen display (electronic map) with the current ship location, as I have seen in the past on most cruise ships, with great appreciation. (Call me a map nerd!) But we recently sailed on Azamara for the first time, on a similar "R" ship to the Nautica, and the only map to view was a low-resolution current location display rotating on the TVs in the cabin. My question is whether the large video tracker display and cruise navigation chart are still "part of the picture" on the Oceania ships, or did they go away in the recent renovations?

We're contemplating a stopover en route to our first Viking river cruise in mid-October, with choices of Hamburg, Frankfurt or Munich. Any advice? We enjoy history, geology, art, hiking, and walking tours of historic areas (the older the better).

The port in question is Dublin. Preceding Dublin (the Republic of Ireland) is a stop in Warrenpoint, which is in Northern Ireland, part of the UK, so a different country if that matters.

After the ship arrives in port, when does disembarking for the day typically begin? I have the idea that it is one hour later, but I'm not sure why I have that idea (and if it's correct!). I'd like to book a popular activity for 8:30 am one day (before the crowds), but the ship's arrival time that day is 7:15 am. I think we're gonna need more than 15 minutes to reach the starting point, so I'm wondering how to schedule, if I need to allow for that hour, etc.

We are in the same situation - same schedule, same sailing! We thought we would do the PCR test here in our neighborhood on Sunday 24 July, which we understand would still be current enough on 27 July to meet that three day requirement for Azamara.

Thank you John. We'll be there for a full day on a Tuesday so it's exciting that it will be a market day! I did arrange a taxi already -- asked the hotel to suggest someone and they were already booked (a month ahead) so I went with the people they suggested, Spire Travel which is on your list. We might have to use a cab to the train station when it's time to leave if our little rolling bags won't be good for that walk. My oldie was on its last legs so I had to order a new one and since it hasn't arrived, I don't have much confidence about it. Will do some fully loaded trials!

Now for my silly little question -- about the electric outlets in the cabin -- the spreadsheet says they are US and European on a couple of the ships but didn't mention Pursuit. Would that be the same for Pursuit? Are there any UK outlets? I want make sure I bring the proper plug adapters!

I always use a TA for cruises, someone who lives in my community and is quite experienced, so we have a more personal relationship than a phone rep at a service. I look at this as part of my travel insurance plan -- I want someone in my court who understands the many systems involved and can jump in to help us effectively if something goes wrong.