wcook

Note: We fully understand the advantage of sailing with a passport, but this is a last minute thing and someone wants to join. Details: American citizen with dl and bc. Sailing on Norwegian out of San Juan with stops in Aruba, Curaçao, St Lucia, Grenada and St Kitts. Is a passport required?

Definitely take the Dolphins and the points. The Bills look good, but home dogs tend to be good bets.

Unpopular Opinion: I’m not saying brawling is good, but in the grand scheme of poor cruise behavior, it’s not that big a deal. Chair hogs are worse.

I’m an American who mostly cruises in Europe. But I’ll be the first to admit it can be a hassle. Take the Vatican Museums. Priceless one of a kind art treasures, a connection to many people’s religious heritage, the Sistine Chapel! And getting there and back is a giant PITA. I’ve come back from European cruises in desperate need of a vacation. Sometimes you just want to lay on a beach.

Ships can avoid the storm at sea and change/skip ports as necessary. The real problem is when the storm is headed to the embarkment port. Then they have to cancel.

Me: Looks in backyard. Sees the $8 kiddie pool the dogs cool off in. Ponders how to make it work 🙂 In all seriousness, I live in New England and see adds for New England fall cruises. They look so gorgeous, but then I remember it looks like that here in town all autumn. Then I starting thinking about winter in New England. And decide my cruise budget is better spent elsewhere.

I’d just fly in the day of the cruise.

I though the drinking “age” in the Caribbean was being as tall as the frogs hand on the sign. Then again, I’ve really only seen a narrow slice of Caribbean culture 🙂

What was her name 🙂 Anyway… unpopular opinion: Western Med cruises on a mainstream lines are pretty similar. You really can’t go wrong. Enjoy. Two specific suggestions: 1. MSC will have a much larger percentage of Europeans. Zero problems as everything is also in English, but it feels a bit foreign to Americans. Depending upon your personal preferences, that’s either good or bad. 2. As for a not-Rome/Barcelona port - Genoa. Good for walking around, tons of museums and sights, and best of all, it’s right there when you get off the boat.

So many media reports on the problems of the current generation of kids. But if I look at my friends, family, co-workers all their kids seem to be doing just fine. OK, not 100%, there’s always going to be a few difficult kids. But certainly no more than when I was a kid. I feel pretty good about the future.

I’ve been known to push the limits of a port stay. Getting the last train back, stopping for one last pastry, etc. But I’ve never had the guts to use a laundry facility in port. Being told there was a problem and my clothes are just now being washed. Forced to choose between missing the boat or leaving all my clothes behind. But I know people who do it and have never had a problem.

I bring my first generation Nook on cruises to save lounge chairs or a place at the buffet. Paper books are sooo passé.

In terms of plain food, MSC (at least the buffet, I can’t speak for the MDR) is pretty good. No problem with simple pasta, cheese pizza. Burgers are fine, hot dogs are chicken dogs (boo), fries are excellent. My only concern would be pepperoni pizza. Maybe they have it, but I usually see “salami” pizza where the salami tastes exactly like American pepperoni, but looks different. I know little things like that can bother some kids. Anyway, it’s a big buffet selection, should be good for picky kids.

Based on the way things are headed, take the non-stop!

Question to those who don’t have a phone surgically attached: Do you carry around a camera? Or do you not take a zillion pictures per cruise. Genuinely curious, not trying to be argumentative.

Assuming Skagway is on somebody’s must-do bucket list, what is your gut feeling about booking a 2023 cruise now? - Don’t worry about it. While nothing is ever 100% guaranteed, they will almost certainly have this sorted out by next year - Who the hell knows. Don’t book until everything is secured

Special events during the Festivus period - The airing of grievances - The feats of strength - The Festivus poles

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble Not much between despair and ecstasy One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble Can't be too careful with your company I can feel the devil walking next to me

Chip and pin will be universally adapted in the US right about the time the rest of the world has abandoned it and gone fully contactless.

Yep, it’s cold in Norway. You might even say it’s “Frozen.” But you can’t worry about what other people do or don’t pack, post etc. You have to, um, what’s that phrase that means to give something up, to stip thinking or worrying about it?

They can hold on for a while, but at least when it come to cruising the technology will be harder and harder to ignore. Already today I can browse the daily planner on my phone, mark items I’m interested in, have a reminder pop up a few minutes before the event, bring up a ship plan showing me where I am, where the even is and how to get between the two. Can’t wait to see what technology brings tomorrow.

Probably best to spend a little less than $49k on the car so you’ll have money left over for tolls.

Parts of the Philippines get a pretty serious warning from the US state department. Of course, these parts aren't Manila or where cruise ship Exercise increased caution to the Philippines due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do Not Travel to: The Sulu Archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea, due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, andkidnapping. Marawi City in Mindanao due to terrorism and civil unrest.

Given the number of random shootings here in the US, there’s not a foreign port I worry about. And to be honest, I’m not really scared in the US either. We live in an era of super low crime rates. Unfortunately, we also live in an era of ubiquitous sensationalist media.

If I spent $50,000 on a cruise I would want things to be perfect. Antarctic cruises are always going to have issues. If I’m you, I’d get my deposit back.