SoloAlaska

Everything was going to fit just right in my carry on… but then where would I put my shopping. My medium suitcase is awaiting repair/replacement so my big pelican case will make the trip. It’s got lots of extra space, unique looking which means no one will grab it by accident, protects things within very well, and great on cobblestone. So I can buy all the fabric and glass Christmas ornaments I want.

This sounds like some of the aviation restrictions of certain sizes of lithium ion batteries. Batteries and battery powered devices (with the exception of toothbrush and razor) must be carried in your carry on. There are size limits on those batteries. There is a maximum quantity based on the size. These are actually FAA regulations among other federal aviation safety regulators around the world. Basically batteries are a fire risk and they rather a fire not be in the baggage hold where it would not be extinguished as quickly. The battery size restrictions is those bigger than a standard laptop but smaller than a car battery. a set of twinkle lights is not affect by FAA size restrictions. If you’re going to be flying however to port then put the batteries in your carry on.

NCL has Free at Sea (FAS) which gets you some wifi coverage, 50$ towards each excursion, some specialty dinning, and the drinks package and all you pay is the gratuity. i will be cruising on RCI only because it’s a family trip and I didn’t pick it. It’s not the line I would choose for myself. I won’t be getting the drink package and won’t be drinking heavily on that cruise.

I use to have an ultralight friend who cut off all the labels in his clothes and gear to lighten his weight. @LarsenPNP I’m using you as an excuse to buy some new silk fabric in Italy next week. I can’t wear any wool but for warm layers a down sweater with 750+ fill can also be really light and extremely compact for its warmth.

So the example of other could be compared to the restaurant. You won’t see the dishwasher when tipping your waiter who may or may not tip out to that position depending on the restaurant. You won’t ever have contact with the person washing and folding your towels which would probably fall under other hotel services. Personally I consider the gratuity just part of the fare and still tip some above and beyond depending on the service. I don’t want the people behind the scenes to get forgotten but that’s just me. More transparency would be nice for people to feel comfortable with the auto gratuities on all lines.

Hahaha how about an old nun? I think we found the person who will never get hit.

Lots of options, check out the Italy board and there’s stickies just for this. I am gleaming for my cruise in 5 days (woohoo) and will take the train from the airport to termini station in Rome, spend the night, take the express train from termini to Civi, take the 6euro shuttle from the train station to the port. There are transfers, shuttles, taxis, trains etc that are all options and have options from Rome or the airport to get to Civi town or the port specifically. Depending on what method you choose the transfer will be between 1-2 hours.

Thank you so much everyone I will definitely pack a small shopping bag in my purse.

Different regions do things differently and labour laws vary greatly. Honestly I’d be happy to just see tipping calm down a lot and staff be paid better. I’m Canadian and am quite surprised when traveling in the US menu prices are commonly 20-40% more but wait staff make less money and I’m expected to tip more. I’m very glad at least to hear your restaurants the tip is mostly to the wait staff.

Why does the chef get part of the tip at a restaurant or the dishwasher etc.

Did she even say she was buying it for herself 😂 maybe she’s cheap because she’s hiding her second family with a wife of her own to buy something from page 72 in red for.

Your what I call honey and money, what a great guest to have.

My response was not generic but was an answer to an ongoing conversation with ChieMateJRK discussing making sure people had passport for MY family trip. It was in no way stating that everyone needs a passport to fly. That’s why it’s quoted every time. You seem to just not have seen that this was an ongoing back and forth and thought your two cents applied to the scenario when it did not. Anyways personally I always fly with my passport even if it’s domestic, I actually rarely leave the house without it.

Is it customary to use reusable shopping bags in Italy and other ports in Europe? My upcoming cruise includes stops in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Bermuda. I’ll be doing some shopping in specialty stores as well as Christmas markets and want to make sure I’m prepared.

They should just announce last call way too early and have the staff manage the crowd

You sound like such an amazing dad. I never could come out to my bio dad or his family because of their conservative views. If you’re going in the night before stay in LGBTQ friendly area. Don’t pit stop in rural areas. Your daughter can also accompany her wife to the washroom as a “friend” and run some interference if a situation arises.

The discussion was about my family not forgetting their passports that you replied to. “They” referred to my cousins etc so your comment does not apply at all. Also if you are referring to US that doesn’t mean they are flying domestic. Flying to another country they will need their passport presented at the airport. Not all cruisers are Americans and not all cruises start from the US.

NCL does not have self serve laundry facilities. You’ll have to send laundry out.

You’ve got your passports you’re good to go. Maybe the bloggers weren’t American or maybe the story was complicated like if they had criminal issues in the US or something I don’t know. So many Americans get mad at Canada when we don’t let them in because of criminal issues which they consider minor (aka DUI). You rarely get the full story from vloggers.

At 6-8 drinks it might not be worth it unless you drink quite a bit. You can find menus with prices on RCI website.

In a restaurant on land do you know how much the waiter tips out to the cook, dishwasher and in some places even the manager? In some jurisdictions tip money can be used for performance bonuses or even towards part of the wages. They don’t have to tell you any of this. Ships follow the laws of their flag country and don’t have to tell you anything. Find a cruise line you trust treats their employees well is all you can truly hope for.

Funny comment about a decent hotel. I had a hotel at $400 and it took 4 hours to get a second towel. Expecting basics like towels etc is reasonable but snapping your fingers to change the stewards work pattern is not. Also every bar has premium offerings just maybe not wine by the glass that you expect. Also Celebrity is the same I can’t get my premium scotch anywhere but at Cellar masters. Specialty restaurants will go out of their way to go procure my favorite scotch but even the MDR right next to Cellars won’t. I just get up and go get it myself.

You may not be able to get your premium wine around the ship but that doesn’t mean they don’t have lots of other options covered by your package. Just saying it may not be an intentional ripoff of the package. If you said you couldn’t get bottled water anywhere which is part of your package as well I’d say that is a ripoff. Expecting the steward to change their schedule around yours is a little much. Cash is not always king, try being kind instead of complaining. You might catch more flies with honey than cash.

We are Canadians flying from Canada to the US. So in my case it’s all passports all the way. Everyone has a passport it’s just a matter of making sure they are valid for the trip and that they bring them to the airport.

Ok so these are pricey but if they truly are leakproof let me know. I’m so tired of leaks my toiletry bottles. Almost nothing I use offers travel size and I’ve had so many bottles fail me over the years. The good ones are worth investing in with how often I fly.