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Italy is fantastic. But I’m not sure cruising is the best way to experience it. We were there last Oct. It was still pretty warm and residents are not allowed to run ac after Sept 30. So the places we stayed were uncomfortable for sleeping, even in Milan. But if you go after Oct the opening hours are shorter. Spring is pretty rainy. So good and bad no matter how you slice it.

How do you feel about adopting a nice couple in their late 50s? 😁

I’m not as experienced as many of you. My first cruise was in 1991 on Costa. I don’t think they offered drink packages then- or maybe we didn’t know to get one. But the drinks were very pricey. There were not specialty restaurants as I recall and the food was excellent. There was a midnight Buffett every night too. But the ship was horrible, nothing worked right. We were supposed to have the honeymoon package with all these extras we never got. Our next cruise was 2000 on RC. There were all the same extra cost there are now. And I remember feeling nickel and dimed then too. I choose to see the positives in this. If the cruise lines included all those specialty things, drinks, etc in all tickets sold the cost of cruising would be too high for many people. I like that if I’m not a big drinker or don’t care about “special” restaurants, my cruise costs less. I still have the option to get a more expensive package that does include those things. Or, as others have said, I can go on a higher end line. And by the way, NCL and Princess (I think) both offered packages you could buy for unlimited Starbucks. So if that is important, you can have it! We will be cruising Celebrity for the first time this fall. We got a zero proof drink package that said it includes specialty coffees. We will see.

I can’t speak to family activities. But I have found both RC and NCL to be very similar. It’s been a while since we sailed with RC. But NCL has the eat any time any where policy. Of course they have the same “specialty” restaurants that cost extra. We have found the quality of the food to vary more by cruise area than by cruise line. For example, our food on a southern European sailing was much better than on a Caribbean sailing- both NCL. Regular coffee on both lines was equally terrible. Look at cabin layouts in your desired class to see which you like better. These will also vary by ship. In talking with other cruisers on our last NCL cruise, a lot of people felt they were disorganized. I think it’s more a matter of not being as “scheduled”, which we like. Hopefully I have given you a few points on which to help make your decision.

Vaso Depressor Syndrome is very similar to POTS. Most people have no idea what either is. So I’m sure you know exactly what I mean. It’s not that I’m embarrassed. I know I have the right to ask for special accommodations. And when I tell people they are very kind and understanding. I simply don’t like to appear rude. It’s a hard disability to explain. For me it’s anything that causes me to have an adrenaline rush. So pain, heat or anxiety are all triggers. I’m like the hulk only I don’t get big and green or smash things. But saying my thermostats doesn’t work right is a simple explanation. I like that. Thank you.

Don’t get me wrong. Santorini is beautiful! The sunset was truly spectacular. Being there in Oct, we didn’t have to fight crowds to find a great spot to watch it. This was our view as we ate probably the best meal of the trip. But I think maybe a land based trip to Greece would be better than a cruise. We would have loved to have had more time.

My very first cruise was in 1991. I’ll never forget- we did not get a drink package. I’m not even sure they were offered then. We were not big drinkers by any means. When we got that final bill at the end of the cruise we were shocked at how much our drinks cost. Some others we had befriended on the cruise were getting drunk every single day. Their drink total was easily in the thousands! That was over 30 yrs ago! Cruises after that, we really watched our alcohol intake so as not to take that hit. When we started cruising again (new century, new husband) we opted for the drink package as one of our “free” extra perks. Though we still didn’t drink that much, it was more relaxing not to have to think about it. Now, I’d rather pay up front maybe a little more, and enjoy ourselves fully, than get hit with an unknown cost at the end. Just how I’m wired.

Yes, many. Like I said, we were so far out you could barely see the ship in the fjord at all

Not only were we traveling post cruise we had Covid. So it was a while before we thought to check. Honestly, by then I had forgotten her name.

Sorry, this topic was originally posted on a general board. I’m still fairly new to this board and didn’t realize it had been moved. As of last Oct, NCL did not have the same kind of onboard app that Princess does, with their medallion. I think they had something but it didn’t allow us to find each other on board. I am not sure what it did as we didn’t use it much. But I know we were wishing they had an app like that. I have sailed other lines in the 90’s. But then not again until 2015. Since then only NCL and Princess. So I don’t know what other have post ice age. (Family joke- anything pre cell phones is the ice age).

Maybe some ships get in closer than others. But I clearly remember my shock when the crew told us it was an hour long ride. It also affected when we had to queue up for the last tender back. It was a pleasant ride to town, but definitely a tender not an excursion. When we were above the town looking down into the bay, we saw other cruise ships much closer than our. Our ship was at the mouth of the bay. Santorini was another port where getting to and from the ship was a time factor. The tender wasn’t that bad, and they will keep running tenders till the line is gone. However, it’s quite a line to go down the tram. Since that line is not all going to the same ship, if you get to the bottom after the last tender left you are sol. We purposely took a ship excursion at that port because we read how much time could be wasted just getting up the cliff. Our tour took us up by bus. We had 8 hours in port. We arrived at 2:00. It was 2:30 before we were on the bus. Then it was about an hour to Oja. We had about 90 min there before we had to get back in the bus. We got back to Fira just in time to find a beautiful spot to see the sunset. We enjoyed a wonderful Greek dinner (soooo good) at a place locals recommended. By the time we finished dinner, it was dark. We strolled the very crowded streets of Fira making our way to the tram. That took about a half hour in line. We got back to the tender port with about an hour to spare. We would have loved to have had considerably more time in the daylight.

No confusion. Maybe it was 45 min. But it was very long. We just did this in Oct so my memory is clear. Maybe different lines or ships get closer to the port. But when we asked why they had us waiting in theater for tenders ( no we were not going on an excursion) they said because the tenders were so long it was better to give people numbers rather than have them stand in line.

Our last cruise on NCL we met a crew member who was absolutely fantastic. She was part of the cruise director team. She gave a wonderful class on Greek history. She gave me personal attention when I asked some specific questions about the art gallery and other areas of the cruise- even calling me in our stateroom to give me answers she had to research. When I went to fill out a crew hero form for her I was told they didn’t have any more forms. No one seemed to know how I could thank her after the cruise. It was quite frustrating.

Kotor is an hour long tender each way. Plus, as the previous post mentions, since everyone want to go ashore as early as possible and return as late as possible expect long lines and waits for tendering to and from.

I don’t think it’s “tacky” to tip extra for good service. And I’m not talking about just cruises. With Valets it is always a good idea to tip some up front. He doesn’t do it to get better service than others. He comes from a 3rd world county and knows what a small extra tip can mean to someone. But I do agree with earlier response- that if too many people do this, it will become expected. I agree, thanking a server with a little extra is appropriate. Now that I know tips may be pooled anyway, I will more strongly discourage my husband. I wish, instead of requiring tips on top of fare- cruise lines would just say “since all our crew work so hard, we have increased wages in lieu of tips. If you would like to tip extra it is not required or expected, but is appreciated”. on our last NCL cruise there were crew hero cards to fill out. We were told by a crew member that they are rewarded when they get enough of those.

Thank you! I agree 100%

I appreciate your asking this question. This is an ongoing debate between me and my husband. I say you should only tip extra if service is exceptional. He believes in tipping everyone on top of prepaid tips. He feels bartenders and servers get to know you if you tip every time and will serve you faster or go above and beyond after being tipped a few times. I’d love to know what others think in general- not specific to a cruise line.

American Express used to offer travelers checks in foreign currency. I don’t know if they still do. I would think, if you know you can get local currency on the ship, that should put your mind at ease. But I get it if you are flying into another country or spending any time at all precruise. Not EVERYONE takes ccs. Especially cabs, and small local places. But every airport has multiple atms and currency exchange offices. So if you can’t get what you need from your bank, don’t stress.

Civitavecchia Is not really close to Rome at all. Italian trains are not reliable and traffic can be bad. Add the potential of airline delays you have a recipe for disaster. If you are getting the transfer through the cruise you have some protection Even more if they are arranging your flight. But even with their guarantee of getting you to the ship at the next port, would you really want to miss your whole first day? Not to mention the stress as you watch the clock tick. Get Rome a day early, relax, take the earliest train possible to Civitavecchia. If the cruise is planning your air, they will get you there a day early if you request. If you want to take the cruise transfer to the port, stay near the airport and go back to the airport the next morning for the transfer. Take the earliest you can.

We have found there are usually ATMs right in the port entry and exits. Not everyone takes cards. Usually the drivers and guides we find want cash. The airports all have ATMs too. Does anyone know what currency the ATM machines on board usually give?

A few years ago we decided to use a small local agency because they advertised in my magazine. So I thought I should return the favor. We have developed a relationship with one agent who now knows our wants and needs. She makes excellent suggestion. In March of 2020 we were in South America visiting family. It was not a trip booked with our agent since it was just air. But when Covid hit and airports started closing, we got very nervous about getting home. We couldn’t get through to American Airlines to change our flight. So I called our agent. She succeeded in getting through and changed our flight. We ended up leaving Quito on the very last flight before the airport closed. She was willing to do this for us because we were regular customers. We are now clients for life. TAs can give you an extra measure of protection, especially if you are traveling internationally. So it’s good to develop a relationship with a local pro.

The first place to start is warm or cool? Then ask yourself- big cities or small towns or resort towns and beaches? If you like warm- the Med or Aegean are awesome. If cooler is better- Northern Europe- Iceland, Norway, British Isles, Amsterdam, Belgium, etc. If you like chocolate you have to try Norwegian chocolate. It’s the bomb!

We found St Kitts to be very quiet and a little boring. But it is beautiful. St John’s is one of our favorite Caribbean ports. The architecture is cool and it has a lively vibe. We have been to Antiqua and I honestly don’t remember it at all. After a while, all the Virgin Islands are more or less the same.

I totally know what you mean. I’ve had the same thought. I’ve talked to other cruisers who live in port areas and find great deals on last minute cruises. We live too far to take advantage of those. I don’t even give those 75% off or 2nd guest free a second look anymore. And the “last day” scare doesn’t phase me because it’s always extended. We don’t usually do super expensive cruises anyway so, like you said, the prices don’t change much. However, we have seen better than average rates offered when you book while on a cruise. I think NCL always offers the 2 for one cruise next cert. while on a cruise. So you can save up to $500 by buying 4 (max) $250 certs for $500 total. But you can’t use them all for one cabin on one cruise. I will also say, the deal I found for our upcoming cruise was pretty awesome. Best I’ve seen. But we are traveling in Nov so maybe that’s why. Also, if you get an offer for a “free” cruise to do a timeshare presentation. Don’t do it. I used to sell these. It’s never as easy to book as they make it sound and the sales presentations are super high pressure.