TouchstoneFeste

I have been pursuing this, since I have Bonvoy Gold Elite status through my credit card. On my initial email exchange I noted that I haven't affiliated with the Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection per se. The response said "The only requirement is a valid and current membership with Marriot Bonvoy. It does not have to be with their sister brand Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection". (For what it's worth, the email responses have all come within 2-3 days; the most recent one noted that approval may require 10 days.) It's complicated by the fact that Marriott doesn't issue physical membership cards, but I got a screenshot of my digital card and am sending that in. I'll report back when I find out more.

There was a sale as recently as September 5 with rather stunning reduced fares and 50% deposits. (I was notified by email, so this might have been targeted at occasional passengers rather than regular ones.) As @bluemarble says (and as always, very reliably) you'd have to keep watch to find out what's on offer. Be wary that these sales might not include bonuses normally included on full price tickets for North Americans, such as a free drinks package and gratuities.

If you have any interest in archeology at all, don't miss Akrotiri and the museum.

In the version I took, at any rate, it said something along the lines of "press the M key", "press the Z key" I remember thinking, "What an odd way of doing it". Easy to skim over it and understand it as "click the M button", since this is the normal behavior for a web survey. I wonder if they wanted you to be poised over the keyboard, since this was (as I recall) a speed-driven portion of the survey.

This year I noticed the Emergency Contact area simply wouldn't accept all of my wife's info (although it accepted mine). A call to Cunard sort-of fixed it, although the "Relationship to you" field remains empty. I anxiously await notification of the absence.

Didn't realize that. Thanks.

Not sure which one that is.

But just to be clear (you left it ambiguous), "Fasten your seatbelts ..." was spoken by Bette Davis in "All About Eve". Also made into a musical (Applause), although I can't recommend it.

As I said, an easy mistake to make.

No, good pix, just bad juxtaposition :)

I just received (and completed) a survey about the Cunard loyaty program. They're clearly trying to figure out the best way to tune the program. (It was a little strange trying to make some choices, since we're only at the Silver level and are unlikely to be asked to dinner with the senior officers anytime soon.)

Wow! It's just an optical illusion, but I see why you're asking. Those are two different pictures, taken at different angles, and that "triangular bit" is just the side of the tub in the upper photo.

You may be right ... I assumed the OP's original itinerary dropped them and picked them up at Stromness or something. In any case, I'm no expert in this part of the world - just greatly enjoyed my time in Orkney and wanted to convey that - so forgive my ignorance.

Having just returned from Orkney, I would recommend not missing even a half-day excursion there. Amazing neolithic and Viking monuments, and the town center in Kirkwall is charming and much less touristy than most of the places we visited. A half day seems a little crushed, but I would do it. Scrabster (aside from having an all-time great name) seems less interesting.

Wow, you're right! I have been wrong for a very, very long time.

Balboa, I think. He was viewing it from onshore and obviously on a calm day :)

My understanding is that they use local "agents" rather than having company-owned facilities and employees, so it's not surprising that it's not possible for all locations to accommodate early pick up. We asked a neighbor to act as our pickup point to accomplish this.

On the Roll Call for this trip, @frankp01 (who has done 6 Christmas crossings), made this obvservation: "We were on one December crossing where the winds were so bad the promenade deck remained closed the entire voyage. We were also on one December trip where it was so calm, and relatively warm, that we actually went for a swim in the outdoor pool. On most of our December crossings the decks have been open at least a few days, if not all." This was specifically about usability of the promenade deck, but perhaps he'll chime in on the more general topic.

Not all that recent, but at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in May 2022 we transferred our luggage directly from the taxi to the porters/dock workers (as I recall, the taxi driver and porters did this, but I helped). Only thing we carried from there on - by choice - was our carry-on hand luggage.

At my age, early sinning is the only kind I can manage.

Not sure what you mean by "a more authentic experience" (this summer's Macbeth appears not to be a period recreation), but our best information is that Elizabethan outdoor performances were in the afternoon. That said, my wife and I took in an evening performance there a few years back, and the experience was still wonderful; the house was pretty full, too.

Thanks! I feel better ...

I finally left mine as a tip in a restaurant, but it was only 10 pounds, Just transferring the problem to someone else, but at least it was someone with a local bank.

Would that include a ship tour? Or would that still have to booked at the excursions desk?

As Victoria2 suggests, you should have ordered the turf and turf.