OlsSalt

Leaving the ship in one country on your own and returning to the ship in another country on your ...may increase official complications. Border crossings might cause delays. Unknown. But officials sometimes do like to honor "formalities", particularly when they sense you are in a hurry to get somewhere else. (Hint, hint).

...Your camels are ready, ladies and gentlemen ...... as we were guided out of the ceiling-fanned palm-bedecked and rattan-furnished lobby of the historic Mena House Hotel, to ride our camels to the pyramids ............ in 1969. In the middle of a Sahara sand storm. Yes, you will have memories for a lifetime. Just do it. However our cruise ship port stop back then in 1969 was an over-night stay in Cairo at the legendary Shephard's Hotel, across the Nile from the old Cairo Museum

We did the HAL Machu Pichu expedition and it was very expensive, but we also included the Belmond train option which also gave us less crowded viewing hours at the site. It was a great trip and it did require lots of coordinated timing. Depending on your age and health condition, be aware that one of our group members became very ill from altitude sickness the first night in Cuzco and had to be hospitalized. I am sure she was glad she had an onsite HAL agent covering for her. The rest of us did fine - no problems. Consider this to be part of your own DIY package. Machu Pichu itself is lower elevation so where you go, how you go, and what order in when you go - may impact how you can acclimate if you think this might be a problem .Handed a cup of "cocaine tea" at the hotel in Cuzco, which was presented as "altitude tea" to help one adjust. (Whatever?) Agree, it is important to follow current events in Peru - they have had a few years of political instability which can impact best laid plans.

Who else remembers doing Europe on $5 a day - which we did in the 1960's. Staying in convents with early lock-out times, and eating in welfare food kitchens that served wine with meals. We were young and we did it. Back when we were known, even on our skimpy budgets, as the "rich Americans". That book quickly ruined every recommended place too. But others were just around the corner, back then. Come into a new town and look for the big blue tourist information "I" signs at the train station and elsewhere. They spoke your language, would call around find you a room in someone's home and still keep you within in your limited travel budget.

We usually get cabins under the Lido deck since we like the short flight of stairs access to this outdoor area and buffet. Yes, there is some noise of chair scraping, but its is during expected working hours. But the rest of the time we heard nothing - no noise coming over the edge of this activity area into our balcony, no noise from the Lido buffet area traffic routes. Just the late afternoon clean-up chair scraping on the Lido decks. Plus appreciation why they tie all those deck chairs down at night, so rough seas don't toss them about, which would create havoc for the cabins below.

What HAL ship is offering the "Behind the Scenes" tours again?

In defense of HAL shore excursions- hard to get a sense of a place during a 6 hour port stop in the first place. So no mileage gained by putting down HAL bus tours. Getting the broadest overview from a bus tour is not a bad option when time in port is so inherently limited. Plus many a candid comment from the tour guides often reveals more insights about a country than one might initially appreciate. We like the convenience of HAL shore excursions at this point in our lives, and put up with the various drawbacks which are quite manageable simply because virtually all fellow HAL bus tour passengers are polite, well-mannered, interested in where they are going, honor the required timelines and are good travel companions. I think it is great HAL provides the simplest bus tour surveys of a port stop, which accommodate those with limited mobility, as well as a good array of more active and farther afield choices to pack as much as possible during these limited time exposures we get when choosing to travel by cruise ships. Yes, I was a back packer, lived in Europe for four years, traveled to over 150 countries - Travel Century Club Silver, been around the world many times, studied abroad, and now in my four score years, I am glad HAL provides their very good bus tours so I can keep going. I compare them to my prior decades of independent travel. I am not duped by them, nor do I feel short-changed. They are what they are. Thank you HAL for the many adventures you added to my extended travel experiences. Loved them all. Even the ones when we had to protest --- "no we did not want to visit the guide's uncles souvenirs shop - best prices, best prices". HAL lets you know up front if there will be "shopping experiences" or not. When you choose a tour that does not include this diversion, those on board have insisted they do not get snuck in. No problems. Done in good spirts, and reminds you about any country that welcomes day tripper tourism. Which is what we are.

We used to have three talented enrichment speakers a day during the long sea days- all excellent. Varied topics, but all timely. We loved our long sea-day voyages - either trans Pacific or Trans Atlantic . Not sure what the onboard programing is today, but hope they come back to the high standard of the past.

WSJ today notes Medicare is spending more for knee and joint injuries, which they link to the new popularity of pickle ball for seniors.

No one goes to Europe in August. There are too many people there. (To revive an old joke.) Lived in a lake resort town in Italy for a few years, and even in the 1960's we never went to town during July and August - mainly hordes of Dutch and German tourists at that time. When all of France is on vacation for the whole month of August, that becomes a very impacted travel month.

After being on the Konigsdam, I would say the most popular dining time is when the doors open at 5:30 pm for as you wish dining. Crazy mad house, but then people had not had a thing to eat all day. I would say from our own experience, staffing was at 100%.

Venice webcam shows everyone crowding on the shady side of St Marks Square right now - must be hot.

Take a look at the various webcams around Europe and you can measure the slow influx of crowds over the summer months. I routinely check St Marks Square in Venice myself. (Used to live in this area.) However, Voyage of the Vikings may not be impacted since you go to so many out of the way spots. Travel cost increases and inflation/recession hitting pretty much everyone post-"covid", means there is not as much discretionary travel money to spend ...... to yet reach former tourism volumes.

Daunted by the size and endless corridors on our first "big" HAL ship- the Konigsdam, our muster station was in the Lincoln Center Lounge. It took us at least three days before we ever walked past that location again, just getting to know what is what was what and where on that "big" ship. Plus the Lincoln Center during the day got converted into the BB Kings Lounge at night, so seeking out the Lincoln Center muster station would have been a lost cause for us until we got the lay of the land, had their been an emergency. I miss the old, on-deck musters where everyone was required to gather as a group, and you saw the very clear lifeboat number markings. Meandering aimlessly around the ship at will to "muster" will take some getting used to - it did not feel very urgent nor instructional.

I believe there are restrictions now placed on military age men in Ukraine. Yes, they provided wonderful performers on HAL ships in the past, classical as well as superbly trained dancers.

All of which ironically, make the Norwegians very rich.

One more industry that can be saved by nuclear power - long-term US Navy best practices can show the cruise industry the way.

Good rule of thumb. So do we .........tell it like we see it . This is a given on this type of forum. No one holds the ultimate truth - opinions very and context matters. Information and insights are the best that can be offered here, but always with the unwritten caveat .......Trust but Verify.

At best, they just get labeled a " HAL cheerleader"

Tone deaf response, says it all. Metropolitan Opera presents operas, both historic and modern. Opera is its own musical genre.

Think about the cost of shore excursions, when you have many more ports to visit - some do not have much to do on your own. That could be a factor. How many tender ports - which can be hard if there are mobility problems. Maybe spend some more time exploring what you will want to do in each port. But hand's down, the Zaandam is the best choice ship - it is a perfect sized ship, wonderful cabins, lovely dining room and a very comfortable cozy home feel to it. The New England itinerary it is a wonderful cruise, but partly because of some of thee shore excursions like the Anne of Green Gables tour on Prince Edwards Island - a very charming excursion where the book came alive. Please do let us know what you finally choose.

Too bad the lost art of conversation, playing cards, board games, or having a post-dinner drink (and even a smoke) with new travel companions went the way of black tie for dinner and long gowns for women .....in cruising days of yore. Losing small conversation spaces has been a loss for this fine art of nostalgic cruising. Self-contained entertainment, when it was a convention to come prepared for this post dinner option. Or the requisite post-dinner strolls around the decks for health and digestion. Costume parties, passenger talent shows, theme nights ...........those too have gone by the wayside in lieu of packaged entertainments. One of the funniest nights on a cruise ship long ago was the souvenir exchange night before packing up - what to do with that impulse purchase of that stuffed leather camel one picked up in Cairo, that was already starting to smell - put it out for the passenger bazaar night.

Since HAL continues to have the best itineraries for the cost in the business, they have downgraded nothing among the cruise for travel destinations set. The rest is gravy.

They want you onboard. There will be signs and port staff to help.

If you like to dress up, you will not feel out of place on dressy nights or the specialty restaurants. Enough still do, and I think it is still appreciated for the extra sparkle it brings both the setting and the occasion.