TravelerThom

I need to amend/correct this. The UK and Republic of Ireland share a Common Travel Area, so UK - Ireland flights function as if they are domestic flights. If you are continuing to Ireland you will have to go through immigration at LHR.

The UK has never been in the Schengen zone which covers immigration in most EU countries. Brexit will make absolutely NO CHANGE in how UK immigration is handled. For direct on-going flights to anywhere outside of the UK you have been and will continue to be a transit passenger, and will not have to go through UK immigration. You usually will have a security check at LHR. I should add that there will be changes in how EU passports will be handled, but no change for non-EU passports.

Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 generally requires that foreign flagged vessels originating a cruise at a US port have to stop in a foreign port before returning to their port of origin (Closed Loop Cruise) OR stop in a distant foreign port before terminating at a different US port. US flagged ships which generally have to have been built in the US and be crewed by US residents are exempt from those restrictions. There are a number of minor loopholes in PVSA rules. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (aka Jones Act) applies to cargo vessels, not cruise vessels, but the name Jones Act is often mistakenly applied to provisions of PVSA 1886.

How exactly do US laws affect a cruise on a ship owned by a French company, registered in the Bahamas and sailing a route that never stops in the US but rather cruises primarily in Canada with a stop in the French Overseas Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon?

This may be typical of Viking, but are you saying it is typical of cruise lines across the board? I wouldn’t think so. I had had two pleasant cruises on-board with Viking in years past, but I’ll be happy if I never have to deal with their office ever again.

I have had hotels charging US$20 per night double provide this service. I’ve done airport queue taxis in many countries with generally good results, but in some countries this is pretty iffy due to significant possibility of robbery or worse. If you don’t know the area (and more so if you don’t speak the language) there is the possibility of being taken a circuitous route to run up the meter; the majority of drivers are honest but this can happen anywhere (including in the US). The relatively few times I have used a hotel arranged driver it has been for a stated fixed price and was added directly to my hotel bill. YMMV Going to South Africa (which has quite high crime rates in some areas) for the first time, getting off the plane jet-lagged from 36 hours of travel including two nights on a plane and confronted with a never before used currency it was nice exiting customs into a scrum of people to see a driver in a suit with our names on a placard.

EU 261/2004 compensation rules applies to all airline flights departing the EU, but ONLY APPLIES TO EU BASED AIRLINES ON FLIGHTS INTO THE EU. So would not apply to Singapore Airline flight to the EU. Singapore Changi airport has two FREE tours of Singapore for flight layovers between 5.5 and 24 hours. Perhaps of less interest since OP has previously visited Singapore,

Since it might be possible to interpret that this picture is of Djeser-djeseru (Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut), I’m pretty sure that it actually shows Medinet Habu, the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III.

That I will agree with. But quoting a rule that does not apply (by your links CBD with low THC is not illegal in the geographical area of concern) from a cruise line the OP is not using does nothing but confuse the situation and run up your post count. If it is legal and not explicitly forbidden by the cruise line you may bring it.

Flawed logic. OP proposes buying legal CBD in the Netherlands. Quoting from your links: Germany was one of the first countries in the EU to legalise cannabis. In March 2017, the Government gave the green signal for the legalisation of the sale and consumption of cannabis and its derivatives like CBD oil, marijuana flowers & cannabis extracts. Switzerland: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is responsible for the narcotic effect of cannabis. Products made from cannabis plants that contain very little THC (less than one per cent) can be bought and sold legally. From a separate source: France: The Minister for Health announced in November 2017 that the presence of CBD in products for public consumption was authorised providing it has a maximum of 0.2% of THC (the psychoactive element in cannabis). Discussing “illegal drugs are on the on-board prohibited list” is a non sequitur since CBD with low THC is not illegal in the countries visited on this cruise.

I’d be more impressed by how carefully you pack if you actually bothered to know what LH weight allowances are. LH websites list 17 pounds, not 20. (They are more likely to adhere to their metric limit of 8kg, which is between 17 and 18 pounds.) So when you are 4 pounds over your limit of 20 pounds you are 7 pounds over their limit, or 40% excess.

The map location is 49.24 degrees North, 11.14 East in Roth, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It shows two turning basins on the M-D Canal.

The map provided by OP is in Roth Germany, a suburb of Nuremberg, and includes the Main-Danube Canal. I am assuming this relates to one of lock issues earlier this summer on the M-D Canal, which did result in delays and boat swaps (and which has indeed been discussed here on CruiseCritic). My question is why the OP signed the NDA if all they got was something they have no intention of using (but that is probably in hind-sight).

Although Prague is often offered as a hotel stay at the beginning or end of Danube and Main River Cruises it is several hours from either of those rivers and not even in either watershed. Prague is on the Vltava River which flows into the Elbe. A Prague to/from Berlin trip offers some great stops, but unfortunately has some of the least reliable water levels in Europe (I was lucky enough to have no water issues when I did this cruise). I concur with choosing the Rhine for a first cruise, based on the large number of scenic castles, the passage through the Middle Rhine Gorge and the typical end points of Amsterdam and Switzerland. I enjoyed the cruise out of Bordeaux with its wine chateau but sailing is relatively short and in tidal estuaries. The Rhône in Burgundy is a strong second choice as is the Danube.

OAT is the part of Grand Circle Travel that specializes in small groups (generally 16 or less). GCT has been in business over 50 years, sells only directly to customers (not through travel agents) and has many loyal repeat customers. They focus on local culture and encourage interaction with the locals through occasional dinners with selected families etc. Their vessels and hotels are quite comfortable but are generally first class rather than deluxe or luxury. Most of Grand Circle Cruise Line river boats in Europe have fixed (non-movable) twin beds, but I’m pretty sure the vessels OAT use in Egypt has twin beds that can be moved and made up as a double. Most cabins are a rather small 150 square feet, but my experience on other OAT ships has been that they were quite efficient. I have been to Egypt several times, but traveling on my own, not with OAT or GCT. I have been on a number of GCCL vessels in Europe and 3 times on OAT vessels in the Mediterranean. I like that the guides that have been assigned on these trips stay with your group the entire trip (supplemented by local guides), and they have been without exception outstanding. I have been very pleased with my multiple trips. ADDED: Doing a little more research what I read is that OAT uses the Aliya and that GCCL (somewhat larger group size) uses the Nefertiti.