Jamietravelstheworld

I totally posted my above replies on the wrong board - meant to post them on my roll call, so sorry, I don't think I can delete from here.

FYI, in my above post about Taj Mahal, I realized I made a mistake - I have now corrected it so the information above is correct - but we are returned to Colombo on the 2nd day in Colombo, not the first.

At the suggestion of @FUNONBOARD2014, I reached out to TourwithLijo about an Overland Tour to the Taj Mahal and quickly received this response. It seems very reasonable and a packed itinerary. Much less expensive than Oceania. We would leave the ship in Cochin, India and rejoin the ship on the second day in Colombo, Sri Lanka and includes flights. I don't believe it would include any visas required for Sri Lanka.We could add a tour of Colombo if wanted. Please let me know if you would be interested. As it's double occupancy, I would be looking for someone to share with, although it is possible we could ask for a single occupancy rate for the hotel rooms. My email is jamie.flaxman@gmail.com and I'm happy to set up a Zoom to discuss if others are interested. You can check out the provider at www.tourwithlijo.com. The tour description is below. Thank for contacting us for the Taj Mahal tour , I am pleased to confirm the easy conduct of this overland for Oceania Insignia on your world cruise . We will join the ship in Colombo Here is the suggested itinerary Cochin - Agra- Delhi - Colombo Day 1 (12th March 2025 ) We will pick up you from Ocenaia Insignia at 9 AM , we will have a orientation tour of Cochin and Fort Cochin including Jew town then You will be driven to Cochin airport to board your flight to Delhi at 2 Pm . Flight ticket will be given to the traveler via email . On arrival at Delhi airport, Our company Representative & Guide will meet you at the Airport then checkin at Delhi Le meridian or similar, We will have Old delhi and rickshaw ride during our evening tour of Delhi Day 2 (13th March ) Start your tour from your hotel where our guide will pick you up to transfer you to Nizamuddin Railway Station. Find your train coach and seats with our tour guide assistance and depart from the train station at 8:10 AM. Have breakfast on the train to begin your day. Arrive in Agra at 9:50 AM on arrival at Agra proceed to visit the famous and most iconic monument in India, the Taj Mahal. Spend up to 3 hours exploring this monument. Next, move on to the Agra Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This imposing fortress, crafted from red sandstone, was constructed by Emperor Akbar in 1565 AD. It harmoniously blends architectural elements from both Hindu and Central Asian styles. Pause for a delectable lunch at a 5-star hotel, savoring a feast that encompasses flavors from both the local cuisine and international. Following lunch, make your way to the exquisite Tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daulah, often referred to as the Baby Taj. This marvel of pure marble was erected by Noor Jahan in honor of her father. Return to Agra Railway Station and board your train for Delhi. The train will leave at 5:50 PM and arrive in Delhi at 7:30 PM. Upon arrival in Delhi we drive back to our hotel - Le meridian or similar Day 3 - (14th March) morning drive to Delhi airport to board your flight to Colombo at 5.30 AM . On arrival in Colombo at 8.45 AM , our representative and guide meet you at airport and you will be dropped off to pier by 10 AM , You can have orientation tour of Colombo if you like to do Tour price - $1350 per person with Le Meridian Hotel Tour Price - $1585 pp with Oberoi Hotel Tour price - $1950 pp with Imperial Hotel 2 Night’s accommodation on double sharing basis as mentioned above or similar. • Both Flights (Cochin to Delhi & Delhi to Colombo) • Accommodation will be on “Room + Breakfast” basis at all hotels. . rooms • Breakfast will be in the coffee-shop of the hotels. • All transfers, sightseeing tours and excursions as mentioned in the itinerary will be provided by Air-Conditioned Toyota Crysta or mini coach • All road taxes, parking fee, fuel charges & interstate taxes. • Services of English-speaking local during sightseeing. • Entrances at the monuments as mentioned in the program (One visit). • English speaking representative during all arrival / departure. • At present all currently applicable taxes including 5% GST. . 15 kg checkin bag & 7 kg hand baggage included . Collect passport one day before the tour LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU WITH A CONFIRMATION iMessage & Whatsapp +919846249482 Regards Lijo Jose| Chief Executive Muziris Heritage- Day Tours

Has anyone done an independent overland tour to the Taj Mahal recently (last couple years), and if so, what company did you go with? My ship's overland is ridiculously expensive and sold out, so I'm looking for other options. The ship's tour departs from Male, Maldives, but other departure options would be Mangalore or Cochin, India, with a return to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Thanks.

I was talking with a crew member who said she saw when they dropped anchor and the swells were high then and the ship was struggling with staying steady for that. (I may not be explaining this right but that was my understanding of what she said.) If it was tough to drop anchor, imagine how hard it would be to line the tenders up next to the ship.

I think she’s doing a good job. She got a great full day schedule out very quickly today when port visit was cancelled. And she seems to listen to passenger concerns/requests when possible.

Thanks everyone. I just cancelled (postponed) the cruise.

I have booked a cruise from Tahiti to Fiji for early 2025. After booking it I read that it rains 26 days a month in January in Tahiti so now I'm thinking of canceling. Can anyone who has been there in January tell me if this all day rain or tropical rain that comes late in the day? I know that Tahiti just had a cyclone go through, but that was early February. I want sun - am I likely to find that in early January in both Tahiti and Fiji or am I going to regret going that time of year?

I've been in Argentina recently, both Buenos Aires and Mendoza. There's no rioting. But while things are cheap for us Americans, this devaluation has been devastating for most Argentineans. They have much less money than they used to.I had Uber rides the other day that were 10-15 minutes long and cost me less than $3.00 but the cost of gas when coverted to gallons and dollars was about $3.50/gallon. In my calculation the Uber driver is losing money at that rate. Even though tipping for transportation is not the norm, I tipped generously. I talked with several locals who were telling me that they've had to move home with their parents to be able to survive - both rent and food-wise. And in some places with US cash I was receiving 1200 pesos to the dollar. (And I think my credit card is giving me around 965 pesos to the dollar.)

I had my own table in Polo and know several solo women who always had their own table. Personally, I prefer sharing so I only had my own table once. I think the challenge is that the tables for 2 (which also are the tables for one) in the speciality restaurants may go quickly in the reservations so if you want a table for one, you need to make those reservations as soon as your reservation availability opens up. I've only been on the Regatta (but boarding the Marina this coming week), and the cruise I was on was 3 legs. On the first day of each leg, there was a solos get-together and a lot of people came to it. On the first leg, the social hostess also did a solos luncheon. On the 2nd she said she was going to do a dinner, but never did. On the 3rd leg, we probably had 25 or 30 solo women. Many of them had traveled solo before on O's Insignia on the world cruise. O seemed welcoming to me of solos, but didn't do a lot to get the solos together, that had to be done on our own initiative.

It’s open but my understanding is it can be slow going due to fire trucks and such.

Yes, it’s just like bringing a drink from the bar.

Agreed. I was on a cruise last year where people took their own wine (by the glass) to trivia, dinner, etc all the time. May have been only one couple, not sure, but I’d hate to see Oceania take this privilege away like every other cruise line does.

I am on a Santiago tour today. The guide said she took a group to Valparaiso yesterday. Road is open but slow going. A lot of restaurants are closed as they’re serving first responders. i also met a couple who were in Valparaiso on Friday when the fire started. They said the city area itself was spared.

I know this has been asked before, and I tried to search, but I’m on my phone and it won’t let me search this forum only (which I can do on my computer). Is there a limit to the number of bottle of wine we can bring on board? And can we bring liquor on board? I have bought liquor to take home as a gift and am boarding ship next week.