jsn55

Link requires subscription. My take on this kind of thing is very fatalistic. I use common sense to control my 'travel environment'. Over-thinking how clean things are, how much the captain's had to drink, how safe things are, how many ways there are to get hurt or killed ... my travel would be much less enjoyable if I ever thought about it. So I don't.

I recently met a Brit who had lived in France for 30 years, and I finally asked her about face flannels ... how does she wash her face? "With my hands" she replied, looking rather amazed that I didn't know. I've used a wash-off cleanser and a washcloth all my life. I needed something totally benign and without 'oil' to keep my hard contact lenses happy. Now I wear little eye makeup, so I use baby shampoo/wash and a wash cloth.

Almost forgot to mention the importance of digging into a ShoreX to determine just how long it takes 'to get there' and whether there's time wasted 'shopping'. My October Med cruise offers sightseeing in Florence, but it's between 1.5 and 2 hours one way om the bus. Ugh.

Thanks, but I want private transfers. 1pax from airport to Cassis hotel on 2 different days, and 2 pax from Cassis to Marseille Provence cruise port.

I'd go back to Salzburg in a heartbeat. Melk's famous abbey is quite something. If I had the stamina, I'd book everything they're offering for Vienna. A bike tour anywhere in Europe is always a treat. And you are RIGHT, no ShoreX on that itinerary would be a mistake.

Apologies if I've already posted this ... sometimes I feel like an old lady wailing "I get so confused ...". I am looking for 3 separate transfers in Marseilles in October. "mytransfers.com" has been recommended, but the only review I find for them in Marseilles is that they're awful. Has anyone used 'my transfers' in Marseille? They're hosting the World Cup when our cruise departs, so I'd like to pre-arrange our rides instead of counting on taxis. TIA.

Nice to read the thoughts of someone who 'gets it'. The world was shut down for YEARS with the virus hysteria. It will take more years to bring things back up to speed in most areas of life. It is what it is; be grateful for what you have and work around what's no longer there. We travel to enjoy ourselves, right? Constant carping about the "good ol' days" does nobody any good. Do your research, book what you want and can afford ... then go enjoy it all. Most people never get the chance to travel like we do.

This is one of those instances when only a legal pad & calculator will do. Or a good travel advisor. List each cruise's fare and the dollar/pound value of what's included. Be sure that what's important to you is on your list. For example, my TA always negotiates a comp drinks package ... I love the thought of endless glasses of sparkling wine on a cruise! Other people drink maybe one glass of wine a day. I want prepaid tips, because I hate those 'last minute' tip allocations, so I tip 'my people' in cash as we go along. Note anything that's really special about a particular cruise as a tie-breaker. Once you spend a couple of hours on this project, your choice will be clear.

For what it's worth, I've been cogitating on this port for some time. Since we tender at Cannes, I want a ship's excursion so we can get off 'first'. Seems like a good idea to take a tour of Nice, Monaco etc ... then stroll around Cannes in the afternoon. I am always happy anywhere in France, so just walking around for a couple of hours, maybe have lunch, will be delightful. If the train goes along the coast for great views, might debark early for the ship's tour but take the train instead. I'm allergic to worry, so will be back to the tender early rather than late, making it a short day.

I agree, it's all a marketing plan. I'm 'sailing to Venice' in October ... it's astonishing how many people have no idea that Venice is now closed to large cruiseships, and we are docking in Trieste, two hours away. This obfuscation is causing a great deal of anguish from people who want to see Venice, or who have booked a flight home from Marco Polo airport instead of Trieste. Never before has it been so important to 'read the fine print'.

Your brother's the voice of reason! The media thrives on awful news. I was in Paris the first week of April at the 'height of the unrest' and saw nothing but a little stack of trash on a corner on my way from CDG. We were there for a week and had no issues whatsoever ... took a HOHO bus all over twice. Do a little reading; I've learned to avoid any area described as 'culturally diverse' or 'edgy' anywhere I travel. Paris had lots of police presence, no bad guys. Might have been all kinds of stuff going on outside the centre, but nothing got in our way either on foot or a tour bus. Just be alert and don't go wandering into any areas where you don't belong.

I've taken few 'organized tours' over the years ... but one of the first was so interesting. It was Grand Circle, I think. The first night, our leaders said that the tour bus would leave at 830am, and the bus LEFT AT 830AM. I have no idea if anyone missed it, but we never waited for anyone anywhere. For the 90% of us that show up a few minutes early for any organized event, that was a real treat. Same with an Avalon river cruise before the virus disaster. Our Cruise Director was absolutely excellent, and I don't remember waiting for more than 5 minutes anywhere, any time.

Cool! Can you post a photo and tell us who made it for you?

On our Princess cruise over Christmas, I saw many dance classes in the Atrium. Perhaps some current cruisers can get their hands on the daily news for various ships to see what's offered.

I enjoy the research and planning, but there are instances when I want a ship's tour and am willing to put up with the minor drawbacks. If it's a tender port, I want an early morning ship's ShoreX. I'm allergic to worrying, so want a ship's tour in the afternoon so I don't miss the sailaway. One thing I don't have experience with is booking through a broker like Viator. Are they reliable? Is it helpful to be able to reach them with a problem if you can't reach the tour operator? Or do they just get in the way? Seems that Viator would be super-easy to book everything ... but online booking services always concern me. Interested to hear advice and opinions.

Sorry to offend ... if you're happy with the SkyMiles, that's great. If you don't want assistance or advice, it would be helpful to mention that in your post.

I'm sorry to tell you that nobody at Delta is going to read this very long letter. I couldn't read it all, and I'm interested in your problem. The people reading complaints hear the same stories over and over. They are totally uninterested in all the personal details. Using a term like "I need you to understand ... " will likely get your letter 'set aside for later' ... much later. Your job is to make the person reading your letter understand what happened very quickly. You want that person to WANT to help you. Your letter should be polite and businesslike. Setting out the major issues as bullet points is usually the most effective. Boil down all the information into a listing of the facts. Be crystal clear about what compensation you are seeking. Have someone unfamiliar with your problem read your letter and tell you what it says ... so you can be sure you've laid it all out logically. You'll be more successful by removing all the personal information and just stating the facts. Good luck.

Absolutely! This setup seems very convenient for two people sharing a cabin. I don't understand what people are complaining/worrying about. Perhaps I'm missing something.

I couldn't agree more. I've heard enough horror stories of flights booked by a cruiseline to write a book. But there are people who 'don't care' because they save so much money. Unless I can be on the phone with the Air Desk when booking and receive the airline's confirmation number plus seat assignments, I'd rather book air myself.

So true! We did a Radisson Seven Seas Athens-Istanbul years ago on a 6-star ship. She was glorious, spectacular crew ... but I spent far too much time wondering what was luxury and what was just nice. 'Luxury' is rather lost on this girl who grew up in Northern Minnesota. I'd rather cut off my foot than have a Butler, or a personal Concierge, or canapes delivered to my cabin before dinner.

I wouldn't think that tables out by the pool would be considered buffet tables. But I've never experienced the crowding that I read about here. I can't imagine how a ship could enforce 'varying hours' usage ... that could cause a lot of justified pushback. But it all boils down to 'what areas are available for a large group to gather for several hours?' You can't kick 'em out of an area without giving them a nice alternative to spend time together.

Good advice above. I like to be out in all kinds of weather, so always pack a long raincoat with a hood which I charmingly wear with a baseball cap ... to keep the wet hair out of my eyes . Shoes that can stand up to being wet all day and still look decent when they're dried out.

If I am in the midst of a true disaster, like being stranded at EWR, my only priority is to get to my destination. I wouldn't be worrying about who is paying the bill. If I didn't have the resources to deal with problems, I wouldn't be flying.

Far as I know, Chase bought the company that replaced Expedia not too long ago and is now in a position to conquer the travel world. I did not have any issues with Expedia, but I was never very comfortable ... third-party booking sites don't have the level of customer service that I want. So I'm glad it's 'all Chase again'.

I think that I've read here that you book the CR second res and after a few days the charge is reversed. Maybe. Might be worth trying if you're after a popular time/date. If it doesn't work the way I think it will, you can always cancel and they'll refund to your CC ... at least they should. My experience booking dining on Princess was 50/50, some of the reservations stuck, others were all scrambled up and had to be re-done, often several times.