HardToPort

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

$25 fee? With their being paid a commission that may exceed 15% of the fare, why ever would they charge you a $25 fee?

Not sure who's paying commission like that on a below cost fare from NCL, but the commission on a $1,300 fare was $78. No commission on the flight or hotel because she booked it using my points. She also arranged my pre flight Covid test, provided me with all the details I need to return without any problems. 

Over the last 10 years all the resorts, airlines, cruise lines, hotels etc have ratcheted down their commissions. Except for boutique or exotic travel, no one makes 15%. For basic stuff ... 5%, maybe a touch more. 

The entire hospitality industry has been hammered for two years so, I don't begrudge paying what amounts to the change in my cup holder for professional service.

im not sure what you do for a living, but you make me wonder why some people always believe other people don't deserve a reasonable return for services rendered.

On 3/8/2022 at 4:04 PM, gmbhardy said:

I’m going on a B2B on the Joy starting March 19. I’ll let you know if I have any problems.

Never trust a Sabres fan! Go Leafs Go! 

Seriously, TA advised that the ship issued tests are valid to get back on Air Canada and home. 

Hey Gary,

Very much enjoyed this thread. I'm an experienced cruiser and traveller so deciding to take a solo wasn't a concern for me. And the deal I got as a solo on a balcony with Free At Sea was amazing. 

I admit  it to some trepidation because of this ship being newer with lots of kid attractions but I figure if I stay from them they'll stay away from me. 

The Vibe Club was mentioned. Is this an adult only area? I remember Carnival used to have Serenity. A private area for 18+ only. It was worth every penny.

I always research my own cruises / flights etc then ask my TA to book. There's a lot more to it than the cruise itself. The service fee ($25) I pay is great insurance. Whether I run into flight issues, airport transfers, bad hotels, rental car trouble or just need advice, it's cheap.

Case in point I was going to Portugal August 2019 out of Toronto. The flight was cancelled. Chaos ensued. While the rest of the passengers panicked my TA got me on WestJet to Boston, flew to Portugal from there (same airline) and arrived at almost the same time as my Toronto flight would have. WestJet is a codeshare partner with SATA so I didn't even pay for the Boston leg.

Afterwards my TA got me a credit for the outbound leg of that itinerary from the airline and an apology email.

i never could have done that myself. It's a worthwhile concierge service for me.

Chaperoning two octogenarians? Get the premium drink package. You’ll need it. 🤪

SO and I do a land trip yearly taking her now 86/84 year old parents to the homeland. It’s a labour of love but there will be moments of hate. The liver lubrication takes the edge off.

No roll call. There is a fb page for this cruise. I've done a previous cruise and loved it (Cayamo) this is my second.

Wait until students are back in school and rates are low.

There are cruises out of LA which is a shorter flight for you.

Does your daughter drink? Gamble? Dance? Like live music?

Do you plan any shore excursions?

My daughter (34) and I did a Father / Daughter cruise in February. We had a great time. MSC Divina out of Miami. We both enjoy a drink (drinks?), live music, dining together, quiet time alone reading. MSC was GREAT. Elegant but not stuffy. Few small kids or teens.

Party boats are Carnival. Kid / teen boats are Carnival, NCL. MSC, Celebrity more adult oriented. Princess, Holland America are more upscale. RCL is upscale with a real variety. Pricey too.

Determine what you and your daughter like to do and research a ship that offers you both what you want based on my questions above.

And, outside of Leonard Cohen singing the song, K.D. lang's version of "Hallelujah" at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games is the best rendition to date )

Best Hallelujah's

John Cale - raw

Jeff Buckley - heartbreaking

KD Lang - uplifting

I love KD, but prefer the other versions.

I will be travelling On P & O Britannia - are there social activities planned for single travellers? And if so how do I get to know about them?

Hi Lynn,

Every cruise line I've experienced includes "Singles" Meet and Greets on the daily activity newsletter.

Have a great time!

HTP

How about saying:

 

"Three things I never discuss on a cruise - religion, politics or sex. Oh, alright, let's talk sex."

 

:D

I love this answer FT.

Seriously, my cruise rules are:

- I don't open my business email at all.

- I use free wifi from the ports to send a quick "I'm fine" text home.

- I won't tolerate "hyper opinions" on any controversial subject. I'll walk away, I'll change my table, I'll go to a different bar.

I have opinions on a lot of things, but I keep them to myself with the exception of one or two close friends at home. When cruising, I want to meet nice people, drink, read, gamble, listen to music, see interesting ports of call.

I don't understand why zealots of any persuasion (political, religious, sports etc) can't practise civility ... but I don't allow them into my vacation bubble!

Back in 2008-2009 I was put at an 8 top table with a couple of Obama haters. They were vile. Next night ... new table. No problem! By the end of the cruise they had the 8 top to themselves. I still wonder today if that object lesson was absorbed!

Happy Cruising to All and to All a Good Time!

HTP

A question for those who have cruised MSC in Europe. Do you see many men wearing tuxedos on formal nights? I'll bring mine if I don't expect to be the only guy dressing that formally.

Hi Norcalcouple,

I've done an NCL out of Barcelona and a couple of river cruises in France. Plus 8-10 cruises in NA on Carnival, NCL, Celebrity. This February is my first MSC cruise.

I have a tux and I like to wear it. What others wear is up to them. I never feel overdressed. There are lots of people dressed formally, lots dressed more casually. Everybody gets along just fine. Wear your tux a take a couple of pictures!

Cheers,

HTP

Thanks, HTP! How did you find the tours from other islands? We will be visiting at the end of March - I hope this is a good time to see whales and that the seas won't be too rough!

 

 

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NJC,

I was on a land vacation on the other islands and saw the tour operators themselves. I don't know much about whale migratory patterns, but I can tell you the Azores will possibly be cold (45-50F) and wet at that time of year. Bring waterproof gear if you plan to go out on the water.

Learn a few words of Portuguese, at least Good day / afternoon - Bom dia / boa tarde, thank you - obrigado, you're welcome - de nada, etc. They will really appreciate it, however in tourist areas there should be English speakers.

Cheers!

All the cruise's I've been on switch to local time Too. :confused:

 

.

1) Change your cell phones setting so it doesn't change in a new time zone.

2) Set a timer on your phone. If you are stopping at a port the time (9 AM to 6 PM for example) you have to spend is posted. If you get off the ship at 10 AM, you've got 8 hours before the ship sails. Set your phone timer for 7 hours. When it rings start walking back to ship.

3) Don't get blootered. The #1 cause of missed sailaways is alcohol. (and yes, it nearly happened to me!)

Cheers!

Our port of call will be Ponta Delgado from roughly 9am-6pm

 

 

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Hi NJC,

I've done whale tours on the islands of Faial and Pico but on Sao Muguel (Ponta Delgado) I rented a car and did a tour of the island.

I did a quick search and if you google "ponta delgada whale watching" you will see a number of firms listed that seem to have 4.5 - 5 stars on TripAdvisor. A few minutes looking at their reviews should help you decide.

The Azores are beautiful. Enjoy!

HTP

Does anyone know of a good tour from the port of Le harve to Normandy that is not from the cruise ship. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Hi APOTS

This is not a Normandy suggestion, but a very interesting trip which I took last year.

Rent a car in Le Havre and drive to Dieppe (site of the ill-fated, controversial Allied Raid). It is a gorgeous seaside town with lots of sites of historical interest. However be sure to enjoy a coffee or glass of wine in the harbor area. It is beautiful.

The two towns are only 115 kms (70 miles) apart and it is a nice drive.

Cheers!

HTP

Has anyone done a private whale watching tour in the Azores? I've heard it's a great place for whale watching!

 

 

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Hi NJC,

There are 9 islands that make up the Azorean Archipelago. Which one are you stopping at or visiting?

I've done a couple of whale tours there, but you need to narrow thing down to a specific island.

Cheers!

HTP

 

BTW, the rude passengers I heard/saw on the cruise were not just "foreigners". Being a foreigner myself, I can understand how upsetting that would be.

AR2C,

Are we Canucks really classified as "foreigners"? I think we're honorary Americans for the most part.

:D

I guess I've been fortunate. The "foreign" (non-North American) guests I've met on cruise ships have been wonderful. The only times they've been less than friendly is when there are language barriers, which is not a politeness issue.

Happy Cruising!

I am a virgin cruiser. Is it worth the purchase or better to pay as you go. I am not a big drinker, but I do want to partake.

 

 

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Hi RT,

There are couple of considerations I'd factor in to your decision. Firstly, if you pre-pay for your drink package then gratuities are not charged. Otherwise, you are charged 15% on each drink.

Secondly, drinks packages do not include only alcohol. On a typical day I will have one or two specialty coffees in the AM (latte, cappuccino etc), 3-4 bottles of water, one or two club soda's in the evening interspersed with my alcohol intake. These items would all be charged for in the absence of a drinks package. Then in the afternoon I may have a couple of cold beers or maybe a drink of the day. 2 glasses of wine with dinner and maybe a liqueur in the evening.

All-in, I find the drinks package makes sense. Yes, it is possible to get "cafeteria" coffee for free along with the free lemonade or ice tea but these don't work for me.

Lastly, I prepay all my cruise expenses before I sail. Cruise, taxes, gratuities and drinks. (I don't really do excursions anymore). Once I'm on board I never have to look at my charges because I know they'll be minimal.

So ... if you drink coffees, water, soft drinks etc in addition to 5-6 drinks a day, you'll find value in the package.

Happy Cruising,

HTP

I've always wondered about that. Other cruise lines have similar parties (white party, etc.), but how are guests supposed to know before we get on board?

Theme night info is in your cruise ticket package.

It was last revised in February 2015 and is their current policy as of 1-13-17.

Politically correct because the policy is so convoluted on where and when and under what circumstances you may smoke, I'm afraid that smokers will just not bother to read and light up where they choose.

I'm a non-smoker, and this policy leans toward the smokers, but given that this is an Italian ship, I can understand that bias.

It's nice to have choices in which carrier you want to sail with. The possibility of being on a ship for 120 days (the 2019 Magnifica world cruise) it makes you look at all aspects of what your expected comfort level is.

I don't think that MSC will make my preferred list until they come out with a more meaningful smoking policy, but I'm pretty sure my decision won't make or break them.

You've lost me TwoAFloat. In your initial post you seem to infer the policy favours non-smokers. In your subsequent post you infer it favours smokers and that smokers will violate the policy because it is convoluted (which it isn't).

There are a few, small, outdoor smoking sections on every ship. (And occasionally in the casino on some ships). I've found these areas are adhered to by most, if not all smokers. Violators are usually dealt with promptly in my experience.

Smokers will be unlikely to interfere with your cruise enjoyment regardless of your choice of line.

Happy cruising,

HTP

Hi HtP ... forgive me if I'm reading the incorrect tone into your message ... so much 'non-verbal' communication is lost on the boards it's often hard to tell if someone is upset/offended or simply sharing an opinion/experience.

 

But, I honestly don't think anyone on the thread is saying anyone should 'suffer the company ...'

 

Just for clarification (on my part)

 

The original post was about the sharing tables in the buffet dinning room ... which seems to be a common practice on at least some cruise ships which is NOT a common practice for many of us in our every-day lives. (It had nothing to do with MDR nor other 'assigned' seating. And was in no way intended to say anyone 'must' do anything nor that they owed anyone an explanation.)

 

My intent was to give a 'heads up' with those who might not have read anything about sharing tables at the buffet and might be surprised by it ... and possibly to start a conversation of sharing tips for making the situation less awkward if one did feel it was awkward. Of course anyone who chooses not to share for whatever reason (or no reason at all) is free to do so ... I'm not the table police. It is simply a subject that was a surprise to me the first time it happened and I thought might also be useful to others to at least know about ahead of time and not be caught by surprise.

Hi Cro,

Sorry, I did go off on a tangent in response to a poster's remark they ate at specialty restaurants due to bad MDR companions. I was just saying I'd move without a second thought. I did introduce some "scope creep" to your original point.

And you're correct, this is a tough medium to inject emotion. I was smiling as I wrote it. And I felt badly for someone who felt they had to hide from MDR companions.

Cheers!

HTP

I am totally fine with sitting with random people at the buffet. We do it all the time at the mall food court. I think it is more awkward when they assign you another family sitting at the same main dinner table every night of the cruise. You have to dine with them every night and after a few nights you know that you have nothing in common and then it is just making small talks and both family knows was done to avoid the awkward silence. We actually started to make reservations at the specialty restaurants just to get away from the main dining room in the later days of the cruise.

In similar situations I've gone to the Maitre'd after dinner 1 and requested a table change. A $20 tip also helps. I've always received a change of table.

I'm on vacation, bailing out on unpleasant or incompatible dinner companions doesn't bother me in the least. You'll never see these people again.

On a recent cruise my father and I were put at a table for 6 with very lovely people from my home province. They were also in the same industry as me and worked for one of my customers. I was not going to spend a week talking shop. I asked for and got assigned to a lovely table for 2 which allowed my Dad and I some great catch up time. I don't owe anyone an explanation. I greeted them politely the next night and explained that my Dad and I wanted some one-on-one time.

I am excessively polite around the elevators, buffet lines, bars etc and never chair hog. But I don't suffer the company of folks with whom I'm not compatible. No one should.

Are they allowed in the shallow water area around the pool, just to get their feet wet?

 

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Definite no. I've changed my share of diapers and every parent knows leaks of all colours and smells from every orifice happen regularly.

On another thread I read where a parent brought a small inflatable bath for washing their baby in their cabin shower. They also used it poolside as a splash pool. I'm not sure where you could safely dump it when finished though.

Poop or vomit in the pool means it is drained, cleaned and re-filled. They don't always enforce every rule on a cruise ship, but this one is.

I think that if you are young and active, an inside is perfect as most of your time will be spent in the public spaces. If you are old and sedentary then a lot your time will be spend in the cabin and a balcony is much more of a requirement.

So apparently in your world, there are two types of people. Young and active or old and sedentary. What a ridiculously uninformed statement.

Today we have serious issues with childhood diabetes, obesity and lack of fitness. There are medical studies that indicate that boomer's children may have a lower lifespan than their parents. A medical first.

Meanwhile, older people are living longer, healthier more vibrant and active lives.

"Active" is not tied to youth. "Sedentary" is not tied to age.

Hi going on The Rc. Oasis of the Seas one of the places is Falmouth, thinking of doing the bamboo river cruise, is it best to get a taxi and just go ourselves read awful reports about some operators, any hints of tips and any other must sees Thanks

Did the Martha Brae a few years ago. We loved it! Sure it's a little cheesy who cares?

The raftsmen will start carving a coconut shell that he will try to sell you at trips end. There are some riverside vendors he may stop at to encourage you to look at. I figured this out about 5 minutes in so stopped his canned speech and told him what I wanted. I said we will tip you $20 at cruise end. ( we had already prepaid for trip). Tell us about yourself and your country. Let us embrace the romance of the moment. Don't stop for any souvenirs. I was polite but firm. He understood and seemed grateful for the tip at the end.

We took a bus from Carnival so can't advise about taxis. Always have lots of small bills in Jamaica. I have had the "I don't have change" stunt pulled on me twice in Jamaica. You know, give them a $5 USD for a $2 beer and they either want you to leave the change or spend the entire bill.