MATHA531

All 3 episodes are available for free on You Tube. Bring up you tube do a search for Empire of the Tsars and voila...worked for me in the United States. Lots of great scenes and help in understanding Leningrad oops Petrograd (no mention of these name changes) I mean St. Petersburg. A little skimpy on Nicky II and also fails to mention the absolutely despicable conduct of the British King, George V who looked like a twin brother in not granting Nicholas asylum (after all, ultimately Nicholas lost his dynasty for supporting the British and French in World War I. But it's still a great series.

I am so disappointed that Carnival is leaving Europe in 2017!!!

 

We are taking my niece on the Vista in 2016 for her graduation and my son was already looking forward to his graduation trip in June 2017......not only is the Vista leaving Europe but they aren't even replacing her with any other Carnival ships.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions - the Vista itinerary.....Athens to Barcelona with no back tracking is excellent and I was looking for something similar (in price!) maybe even doing Western or Northern Europe would be good. Needs to be a summer time cruise......

Norwegian Spirit has a good itinerary. Out of Venice to Athens, Istanbul, Naples, Rome, Provence finishing in Barcelona or does the same trip in the opposite direction. Also Norwegian Epic does the standard 7 day Mediteranean jaunt out of Barcelona to Naples to Rome to Florence to Marseilles, back to Barcelona. I think you can join that one in Rome.

Just out of curiosity and not to discouage you from your plans, what is your objection to the train. It's fairly quick and cheap. From what I read, perhaps the biggest objection is getting from the actual location of the ship in port to the city gates with the inherent long lines waiting for the shuttle buses. That seems to me to be an arrangement between the cruise lines and the port authorities not to make it too convenient for people to take the train into Rome (being the cynical person I am). Like I said, just curious.

I'm always a few steps ahead of that sort of thing

 

So that's exactly what I did.....I checked it out.

 

The countries I'm going to it will work in. I asked he answered.

 

I also knew my post would be challenged too. Lol 👏

 

 

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I wasn't challenging you...many people really don't understnd what gives with phones when leaving their home countries and for a long while, verizon phones were not compatible with especially European phones (2g gsm was the norm at one time). Of course, as you said, lack of data might be a problem for some too although wifi today is becoming more and more common everywhere as you may already know.

I spoke with Verizon the other day and believe it or not they have a plan that is $2 for 24 hours of phoning and texting. Not for data remember that

 

So I reconfirmed over and over that the 24 hour period starts when you make or receive the first call and ends 24 hours later

 

Then if you make or receive another call say at hour 28 the 24 hour period starts again and another $2. Not per call ....per 24 hours

 

I specifically said....so if I make a call back home and make calls over and over for 10 straight days....I will be charged $20 total....answer was yes

 

We didn't discuss taxes but he did say the minutes used just go against your regular plan minutes and since most of us have unlimited so I think that's a great plan

 

$2 is per phone line of course

 

And yes I know other providers may be cheaper but I have Verizon and I'm sticking with them. I guess the Mobal stays home in the future.

 

 

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The question becomes will your phone work in the various countries you are visiting? This is something that has to be borne in mind. Verizon is not a gsm provider which at one time was the standard especially in Europe. There are other technologies now being used however and verizon phones might work; it has to be checked out.

Carnival is far better. They serve real coca cola products; not the undrinkable pepsi products NCL imposes on its clients.

T-Mobile Simple Choice plans include unlimited international data and texting in 120+ countries. Per minute voice rates vary, but are pretty reasonable.

 

One convenience is you don't need to hassle w/swapping sim cards or phones when you enter a different country.

 

I recently visited seven countries in Europe. Each time, I rec'd a text msg welcoming me to that country and confirming the unlimited data & texting at no add'l cost.

 

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In almost all of Europe, the t mobile simple choice plan is 20¢/minute to call almost anywhere in the world and to receive. Just as an example, the eu is in the midst of lowering roaming rates to nothing eventually for calls within the eu but at the same time calls outside the eu have become much more expensive once you leave the country of origin of the sim. Just as an example, I have an O2 UK sim card which allows me to make calls to North America while within the UK at 2p/minute which is hard to beat. But once I leave the UK, calls home become much more expensive, almost prohibitively high. Calls received while within the eu are relatively inexpensive and once up a time, it wasn't a bad way to go. However, I now use the T Mobile plan. And get this. While within the UK, if I use the O2 phone to call another UK number, it's 40p (about 60¢) per minute. Using the T Mobile plan is 20¢/minute for the same call. (There's also wifi calling available but we'll leave that aside). As noted, unlimited (slow speed unfortunately) data, and your local calling area includes Canada and Mexico.

I do understand that t mobile is not as good a carrier in the USA as several others and some may not be in a location conducive to t mobile service but if you are, it is a good simple choice with a very reasonable monthly rate.

And surprisingly enough, although not necessarily on this particular forum, it even includes Russia and well over 120 countries. You can get the entire list on the T Mobile US web site and you don't have to change your phone number and calls ring right through.

Karl Malden, 1972 - Don't leave home without them.

Matha531 2015 - It's a waste of time and money so don't leave home with them. Nobody will cash them.

Thank you Bob. The clerks in the British chains I use do for the most part check signatures; how closely can be debated. I still don't think some 16 year old student filling a cashier's job for the summer is really going to make a stink about signatures but we might have to agree to disagree on that. I think we can agree, however, that signatures provide next to no security, so why bother for small purchases? I really don't mind them checking signatures on my card but as I pointed out many of these chains are now pushing self service check out and what is irksome is that while they do take chip and signature cards, the transaction is stopped with the message seek assistance and several times last summer I was left waiting 3 or 4 minutes or even more for the seek assistance person to come over, enter his or her code, produce a sale slip for me to sign, rarely check the signature (as the card is long since back in my pocket; one time one did and I handed them another card to see what would happen and he never not☼iced the numbers did not match) all for a 2 quid purchase. Yet I go into the underground, use a tfl machine to top up my oyster card with a 7 day zone 1 & 2 travelcard and it's over £30 and there's no signature, no pin, no anything. It's simply silly at least in my opinion but others are welcome to disagree.

I have a similar question in the same topic. We are going to travel to Europe next summer for our 25th anniversary. This is a big deal for us and a huge trip. Getting the most for our travel dollar is important to us.

 

The exchange rate is favorable right now. I know it is impossible to predict where it might be next summer. Would any of you more experienced overseas travelers purchase some Euro now to play it safe?

The reality is NOBODY knows. Next year, it might be $1.20. Or next. year it might be at par. Just relax and worry about it next year. Que sera sera...whatever will be will be.

Well there are pros and cons to everything. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza East which is in the middle of nowhere but...

behind the hotel is the train station and in 20 minutes, you're in Venice and the hotel will sell you the train tickets for the trains that run often.

with one day's notice, they will pick you up at the airport and transfer you for free to the hotel.

the morning of the cruise, for €10, they will transfer you to the cruise port

Advantage...next to no worries about luggage. Friendly staff (at least it was for me) including free wifi. Romantic? Absolutely not. Efficient? Yes

There was a time I was a big believer in local sim cards especially for voice and texts. The cheapest were in Britain and there are still some good buys in British sims especially for calls back to the USA from Britain and the eu has been pushing the lowering of intra eu roaming rates which will disappear completely next year butcalls outside the country of origin of the sim outside the eu have been raised to make up to the mobile companies for the loss of revenues.

Now having said all that...for Americans if you have a t mobile USA plan and T mobile is a viable alternative at home, their plans looks and was extraordinary this past summer for me. Calls in almost all European countries both to the USA, Canada and even within the eu are 20¢/minute! Unlimited texts? Free. Unlimited data? Free although after a certain amount of use, not a trivial amount btw, slower data rates. But well let me put it this way. During my cruise on the Spirit this past June our first stop was Greece...7 hours ahead of USA eastern time. As soon as I got off the ship, I was waiting in the waiting room for my shore excursion to begin. No wifi there. Turned on my t mobile phone and went to my at bat app. Lo and behold within seconds, I was watching the end of the Yankee game as clear as day on my mlb.tv plan. During our free time in Athens, could listen to my favorite home radio station (WFAN) again without wifi from my data plan. Unbelievably clear and unbelievably technology. Finally pre cruise, I was staying in a hotel in London which had the gall to charge for wife. No problem. Turned off wifi on the phone, used my unlimited data and watched the 7th game of the Rangers-Lightning series on the NBC app. Didn't begin to use my fast data. In other places, of course, it was wifi first. Just incredible.

And now, for Americans, t mobile has now extended its plans to include Canada and Mexico as part of our home network...unlimited voice means no roaming charges for example when I stayed in Vancouver last month prior to my Alaska cruise. Just a really great deal if, and I know it's a big if, you can use t mobile USA as a viable plan in your home area.

I think it's time for you to turn in your Platinum status since your requirements are clearly not being met.

 

The insult alone of being serving a carbonated beverage you don't like would make a much less patient person turn to another cruise line. Add the horror of not having the exact itinerary available at the exact time you are only able to travel and I would be running, not walking, elsewhere.

 

It's perfectly clear to me what doesn't make sense here.

You are absolutely right. Unfortunately I live in a place where NCL has two ships using it as a home port and for several years had 7 day cruises which to me seems to be a no brainer given people's vacations.

As far as soda preference, yes I am addicted. However, simply from a logistics view point, coke has the 104 flavor soda machines which at least one other cruise line has adopted which can meet the tastes of so many clients something which NCL lacks. Oh and btw, when is the last time you heard somebody order a rum and pepsi?

But I appreciate your suggestions that I have no right to complain about something. Oh well.

Well...hmmm

 

There are no 7 day nyc Carib cruises out if NYC to start with anyway

 

 

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Yeah I blew it...I equated Bahamas and Florida with the Caribbean. Mea culpa.

I'm confused by your wording. You hate NCL or Carnival? :confused:

I hate NCL mostly because they showed their contempt to me by serving undrinkable pepsi products instead of coke products (I know people will laugh at me for that but I've always been a coke person) but living in NY, as I said, NCL has two ships whose home port is in NY and so I built up status, for whatever little it is worth, on NCL. I prefer Carnival to be frank but they've sort of for the most part withdrawn from the NY market and also Europe (they're back next year with a new ship. I guess we all have our preferences for various reasons.

Where are you getting this info from? I just checked NCL's web site for the Breakaway in Feb. 2016 and she is sailing that 7-day itinerary to Florida and the Bahamas three times in Feb. (Also in Dec. 2015.)

Hi...I think I said the itinerary was available in December and in February. Unfortunately I can only cruise in January and then only for a week at a time. But thanks anyway. (Nothing out of NY or NJ to the Bahamas in January 2016 and too expensive and inconvenient to fly to Florida to spend 3 or 4 days on a Bahamas cruise).

There weren't any 7 day Florida/Bahamas cruises in January out of NYC in 2014 or 2015. The GEM does the 9-10 day Caribbean cruises, and the Breakaway has done 12 day options the last 2 years, and will be doing a 14 day Caribbean option for 2016 and most likely for 2017.

 

The longer cruises sell well, and get you to warmer ports away from the cold of Winter. :)

I stand corrected; thank you (I thought I had done the GEM recently in January but I guess in my golden years, the years run together. Oh well. I still think it is idiotic not to have 7 day cruises out of NYC in January. Lots of people take holidays in January of 7 days. Still doesn't make sense to me.

Sorry, just offering a suggestion

No need to be sorry. I appreciate your suggestion but can't drive to Baltimore at my age...simple living in NY to take the subway and then a cab from Penn Station.

Only one I saw was Carnival out of Baltimore in January, not as easy a trip as NYC but only 4 hr or so drive from NY. I know what your saying, did that trip a couple of times.

Why should I have to drive to Baltimore when NYC is home port for two NCL ships and I have platinum status on NCL as much as I hate them?

I'm talking January 2016. They have the departures in December and February. I've done the itinerary I want in January for the past several years (7 days NYC Port Canaveral private island Bahamas and back). It's a great itinerary and 7 days is what many of us have. It doesn't seem there are any 7 days cruises out of NYC in January 2016.

Just to clarify in the past, NCL had two ships coming out of NYC in January. The gem did the 7 day itinerary above while the Breakaway did the longer cruise. No 7 day cruises, it looks like, out of NYC this cming January. It always seemed a very popular cruise. I just don't get it.

For several years in the past, I have taken the 7 day Caribean cruise out of NYC going to Florida, the private island, Bahama and back. This doesn't exist this coming January. Not on NCL. Not on RC (even though going out of Bayonne is a royal bpain in the neck for me or anywhere. Instead they have both the Gem and Breakaway skipping Florida and the Bahamas but going to San Juan and other places I'm not interested in. Makes no sense to me.

Much of it has been covered above but I just want to add a few deetails. Indeed, emv chipped cards have imbedded on the chip a list of card verification methods (cvm's). 99% of the cards issued in the USA have signature as the #1 verification method for purchases. So when travelling outside the USA, if the point of sale (pos) terminal can process signature transactions as almost all of them can, it's game over. The terminal will flash signature required, a signature slip will be generated and you will be asked to sign even if you think you have a chip and pin card. Every so often you may encounter a terminal which either doesn't follow the cvm's or cannot process signature transactions and in that case you might be asked for a pin. Rare but it happens.

Many cards do have pin as a lower priority. For a long while, this was necessary to use many kiosks say the sncf machines at CDG airport. The best way to describe these cards is signature priority with pin capabilities. That is what say the Andrews card or the SDFCU or the Pen FCU cards do and for the most part they worked that way. However, for example JP Morgan Chase do not have pin as a cvm so these cards at one time would not work at kiosks which led to some people claiming chip and signature cards were useless. Not true as we will see a bit further on.

As of today, the only two cards issued by US financial institutions that have pins on a higher priority than signature on the cvm's are UNFCU and just recently First Tech FCU. Several others do this but are either not currently available or very restricted as to eligibility so it's a waste of time for US residents to try to call their banks and get a chip and pin card which is not signature preferred. They don't exist.

Now what has happened is much of this was instigated by visa which claims Americans prefer signatures and that also Americans tend to carry more credit cards than others and might have difficulty matching up different pins with different cards. Draw your own conclusions. Is signature less secure than pins. Well only in the case if the card is actually lost or stolen (nobody checks signatures any longer in the USA and in many cases, for small purchases, merchants don't even bother asking for signatures as most Americans probably already know). Most of the security inherent in emv compliant cards is provided by the chip itself. Up till now credit card thieves have not bothered to try to clone emv compliant cads as it is so easy to clone a magnetic strip. Once the USA converts completely to chip cards, we'll see if these hackers can come up with ways to comromise the emv chips. However, for the time being, it is claimed that lost or stolen card fraud is very low so US networks do not see the need for that reason to convert to pins. Again, draw your own conclusions.

Finally as part of this whole deal, the networks have implemented new regulations effective as of 01 July requiring that all emv cards must be accepted at kiosks and the like even if they don't have pins on their cvm's as many don't. In some cases, this has already taken place. For example, the sncf kiosks at CDG will now accept any USA chip card even without a pin. Can anybody guarantee this will always work that way. No of course not but it is evident this problem to a large degree is being resolved.

So that's it. If you're a USA resident and desire a pin preerred card, the only places to go as of today are UNFCU and First Tech FCU. All other US issued cards will almost always default to signature like it or not. Some will request a pin for use in a kiosk but all should work even without a pin. Please don't kill the messenger. I am only hyour humble messenger and there's no sense in preaching to the choir.

hey have finally seen the light and are getting rid of the undrinkable pepsi products and will carry the real thing and each ship will have the 104 flavor machine available on the unlimited soda policy. Something useful to most.

Deleted.

On the contrary, the US banks are under substantial pressure to do something about this (even if it is not necessarily to move to chip and PIN), because AIUI something in the order of 90% of the world's POS credit card fraud now takes place in the US. This is primarily a consequence of the adoption of chip and PIN elsewhere in the world but not in the US. I believe that the UK experience is that chip and PIN has cut POS fraud to low single digit percentage points of what it used to be.

 

That's why I used the word "migration". Elsewhere, credit card fraud is now harder and generally requires more sophisticated techniques than before.

 

The "zero liability" point adds nothing, as that is also the position in the UK and probably in many other places that have moved to chip and PIN.

Actually also the Target and Home Depot data theft also helped drive the point home. Nobody disputes the introduction of emv compliant cards will cut pos fraud. What the question is whether it is necessary to go to chip and pin or will chip and signature suffice. The banks do worry that if they go to chip and pin while other banks only go to chip and signature, some potential customers will opt for the easier to use card i.e. signature verification and I am sure the banks have done surveys on this (although one cannot discount the cost of going all the way to chip and pin bypassing chip and signature. And among different kinds of merchants, restaurants feel under additional pressure because in order to implement chip and pin, they will have to spring for the wireless portable terminals so common elsewhere. Who is to pay for them is part of the ongoing arguments regarding introducing chip and pin in the USA (just the messenger boys, I certainly given my druthers would prefer chip and pin so you don't have to preach to the choir).

And isn't it true that when the UK introduced successfully I might add chip and pin fraud on online purchases soared which is probably what will happen here. These vermin breaking into data banks and using counterfeit cards and the like one has to grudgingly admit are good at what they do. What do you think is going to happen?