We were onboard the Oceania Insignia in August 2022 and we had port stops in Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Kirkwall, Orkney Island.  Take a look at Oceania.  The trip started in New York City, BTW.

Hello,

We will be getting off of the Star Pride on December 2, 2023, a Saturday.  Looking for a reasonably priced/located hotel near a beach with nearby restaurants for a few days.  

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Thanks,

Bill

3 minutes ago, emory2001 said:

Official Royal Caribbean excursion, but they contract with local servicers. I think I remember seeing Red Sail Aruba on the boats.

Thank you.

On 2/4/2023 at 3:18 PM, emory2001 said:

We ended up doing the catamaran sunset cruise in Aruba and it was FANTASTIC! Highly recommend. 

Was this a private sunset cruise or off of a cruise ship?  If private, please let me know who you used.

Thanks, Bill

It is also "Hug a Cow Day" in India.  It is their version of Valentine's Day.

We were in Banjul, The Gambia, this past November on the Regent Voyager.  The pictures posted above are accurate and nothing has changed.  We were taken to a different resort on our ship city tour and it was very nice.  It was in a village outside the city limits where diplomats have their residences.  Sorry I don't have any pictures to share.  We were to go to Dakar but could not due to "ship congestion in the port".  So, a sea day.  Ghana is slightly better but not much better.  Lomé in Togo is similar to Banjul.  

We are happy we went but it was very hot and humid.

On 2/8/2023 at 3:59 PM, new_cruiser said:

The "hotel service charge" (Windstar's name for the automatic gratuity) is currently $16 per day per person. I think it used to be $14.50 so people mentioning $29 are giving the old amount per couple. There is also an 18% gratuity on drinks.

 

https://www.windstarcruises.com/voyage-plan/general-information/#HotelServiceCharge

 

$89 is the daily per person charge for the All-In package which includes the beverage package, internet and gratuities if the package is bought pre-cruise; $99 if bought on board.

Thank you for the clarification.

I am confused (not an unusual occurrence).  I was looking at WS cruises in the Caribbean in late 2023 and saw that there is a daily gratuity of $89/per guest.  That seems excessive IMO.  $29 pre-day per guest seems more reasonable, as mentioned above.  So, what is it, $29 or $89?  I don't think I misread the something on the WS website.  

Thanks, Bill

11 hours ago, DrKoob said:

 

 

BTW: if your answer is that people aren't watching the video, do you think they pay any more attention while standing in the hot sun? Or crammed in a bar someplace? Have them watch the video and don't let the television in their room be changed to another channel until it has played all the way through. Then have them go and check in at the.muster station. Insure they do this by not allowing the use of their sea pass card to buy anything until they have checked in. This includes all beverages. 

This was exactly what was done last summer on the Insignia.  Watch the video to the very end (about 15 minutes) (or have it playing is the background) and only then can you access another channel.  Show up at muster station, card key checked, and off you go.  Worked for us.  

I can see people turning the TV on to the muster video, then leaving the room and checking in.  I guess that is cheating.  

It is ashame that some always ruin a good thing for everyone else.

The pizza (?) looked a little burnt.  Where was that served?  Is it from the new pizzeria?

Distilled water for the DW and I.

After I wrote the above post, I saw that the cruise we were thinking about was cancelled.  It was K322A (Barbados r/t).  So, I guess the above question is moot.  But I still would like to get an answer anyway.

Thanks, Bill

Hello,

We are thinking of cruising on Arvia in October 2023 from Barbados.  We (four of us) are US citizens.  I contacted my travel agent who will not book anything on P&O because of the insurance requirement.  She stated that P&O "requires" a £2 million (@$2.5 million USD) policy coverage.  Otherwise, boarding will be denied.

The P&O recommended insurance provider will not issue policies to US citizens, reason unknown.  I checked with my usual travel insurance provider, Allianz, and they do not issue policies for that amount.  If, however, I do find a policy if would cost @$3000 USD per person, or probably more for my spouse and I due to our age and pre-existing conditions.  

See the statement below from a travel agent that was sent to my agent:

"Dear Mr. Selby, 

Thank you for your email. I am pleased to hear you are joining us on board Britannia. 

We do recommend Holiday Extras for travel insurance, but unfortunately you do have to be a UK resident to take out a policy with them. 

I am unable to recommend another insurance provider, however we do require for you to have comprehensive, cruise-specific holiday insurance including medical and repatriation cover of £2 million minimum that includes cover for emergency evacuations and medical expenses related to COVID-19. We would also recommend that your policy includes cover for travel, cancellation and curtailment, and full cover for any and all existing medical conditions worldwide, or as a minimum, in the countries you are due to visit.    

For more information on our travel insurance requirements, please visit P&O Cruises - travel insurance."

Can anyone provide any help for this insurance issue?  Not sure how to proceed.  

Thank you for any answers.  I will try to answer any questions to make things clearer if possible.

Cheers,

Bill O.

Carefree, AZ USA

3 hours ago, cat shepard said:

 

 

 

*********

Plaisir de Merle Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa

My “go to” sites did not provide any info on this wine, but consumers seem to really enjoy it. The most recently released vintage - 2018, will be the easiest to find. Several online distributors with prices starting at $16.35.

Distributor notes 

 

 

Cat Shepard,

I really enjoy wine from this particular South Africa vineyard.  However, I have not been able to source any in the US.  Do you have or know of any distributors that have this wine or any of their whites?  You can email me at ssawjo at cox dot net if you prefer.  

Thanks much,

Bill O

22 hours ago, Acrusa said:

The Grand Bar is like an after thought stuck in the hallway. Not like the lounge on the R ships in the GDR.

22 hours ago, Acrusa said:

 

Agree.  It is nothing but a hallway between Martini's and the GDR.

28 minutes ago, artbcpa said:

 "Classic BLT" served mushed like an egg salad, 

Totally agree with your comment!  I was disgusted!  Actually complained but the waiter just shrugged his shoulders.  Ordered something else.

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Part of our routine, is that nightly, either after the show or dinner, upon returning to our cabin we read the Currents and the  news extracts left on our beds. Therefore, Dottie’s reading of such is repetitive. However, to hear any of the CDs one must open their cabin door. Only the Captain’s announcements come into the cabin now.

 

The far larger issue is that a significant number of passengers never read the Currents, never listen to the CD announcements, and are totally oblivious to anything reps from Destination Services or their tour guides say. 
 

A perfect example of this issue occurs when Destination Services is setting up the table to give out passes for the tours. A lady announces over and over and over again to please take a seat and they will call you up when ready. In walks Mr Oblivious, with everyone else seated, that goes to the table and hands out their coupon slip! This , of course, just after the rep has finished telling them to take a seat. 
 

I believe the other CDs realize nothing they do will ever reach the Oblivious, so therefore keep their sermons shorter. Dottie drones on.

If you turn your TV to the bridge cam channel you can hear all of the announcements from the CD or captain.  There is a few second lage between the hall and the TV.

21 hours ago, GemC said:

You might also find it's also a little different on the tips/gratuities side of things, it is not the same as USA, in fact on P&O website it states..

Great service comes as standard

Tipping isn't needed on our ships so you can relax knowing good service and good times are all part and parcel of your P&O Cruises holiday.

I do like that kind of service.

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

For many years, it seemed that P&O and Princess were very similar. It is however worth bearing in mind that P&O are very much in a process of change at the moment with the two new very large ships (as you probably already know, Arvia holds over 5000 passengers). My last Princess cruise was to Alaska in Summer 2019 and at that time I felt Princess were significantly better in terms of food quality, service and entertainment.

Arvia is a brand new ship so there are very few reviews at present and until fairly recently, her sister ship, Iona had been sailing at reduced capacity, post-Covid.

The British passengers will of course welcome you. You may however find that food and entertainment (both daytime and evenings) are very much geared to British tastes and expectations.

Many of the staff on P&O are from India and whilst they speak very good English, some have very strong accents which can be hard to understand at times. Service on P&O is generally much less forward/smiley/"out there" than on many of the American Lines.

If you are regular Princess cruisers, you might also want to consider P&O's Britannia, which is a Royal Class ship and so has a similar layout to many of the Princess ships, albeit with very different decor.

Thank you for your comments.  I don't play bingo, BTW.

32 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

You will fit in fine, we had a couple on our dinner table on one Caribbean cruise and they loved it, albeit P&O is typically British we have many nationalities in Britain. Not sure how you would go about booking, you may need to go to a specialist travel agent at home?

Thank you.  I will be contacting my usual TA, if we decide on this particular cruise, and see what she

can do.  Or there is a way to contact P & O directly to book on the website.

Greetings,

Two couples from Arizona are thinking of cruising in late Oct. 2023 on the Arvia from Bridgetown.  I was just wondering if Americans would be ok being with all of the Brits onboard.  I am sure we will be welcomed but stand out a bit.  We have been to England on a few occasions.  The accent sometimes is difficult but I am sure an American accent is the same to the English.  We have sailed in Australia, and we had no problems and loved the people.  

Also, we are active cruisers, but would like to try a different cruise line.  Any tips/hints you can pass along would be greatly appreciated.  For example, is it the same/similar to Princess?  

Cheers,

Bill and Kathi

Carefree, Arizona

Which hotel did you stay at while in Cape Town post cruise?  The college town you visited was most likely Stellenbosch.

We are, at the moment, booked on NCL Sun, Seattle roundtrip, to Alaska, Oct. 20-30, 2023, the last cruise ship that I can see in Alaska.  I realize that the sun will be setting early and rising later.  I also realize that some of the usual tourist attractions may be closed along with shops and restaurants.  Further, I am aware that the weather may not be the greatest, with colder temperatures and rain, along with possible rough seas.

So, the question is:  Is it worthwhile to go that late in the year?  Will we (four of us) have a good/great experience?  The itinerary is: Sitka, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Icy Point Strait, Ketchikan (Ward Cove) and Victoria.

Is it worthwhile to go that late in the year?  The ship has less than 2000 passengers and probably no kids considering the time of year.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Bill

Very recently, our ship, Regent Seven Seas Voyager, was due to make a port call in Abidjan but the "authorities" kept changing the health requirements.  Or rumor had it, the "authorities" were asking for a "donation" (read bribe), so the company decided to do a sea day.  Too bad, I was looking forward to visiting.

DeepFreeze63, you meant to say that we missed Cote Ivorie instead of Ghana.  

For one more "Dislike", when the ocean was rocking, our cabin (742) sounded like my knees.  It was very creaky and there was nothing that could be done about it.  I realize the Voyager is an older ship but it was hard to sleep fitfully.  We are light sleepers anyway.  

We found our cabin steward to be a bit off standish.  She was nowhere to be found when we boarded which was around 3PM (we were on the Lisbon pre-cruise).  Did not meet her until the next morning. So, we did not receive certain items we had requested beforehand the first evening. 

I found the guest speaker, Mr. Alex Tanner, to be very good and very informative.  The other speaker, I can't recall his name, knew his stuff but was a rather dull presenter.  He had a tendency to wander off topic.  

It was hard to get specialty restaurant reservations.  I guess having a butler helps immensely.  

Otherwise, we had a great time.  Would have liked to have spent more time in Namibia.  

Bill and Kathi