Do These Type of Sea Days Exist?

[sfaaa]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

Unfortunate, but probably true.

 

When DW (an art teacher) and I went on a Florence on Your Own excursion, it seemed we were thev only ones interested in art. Everyone else was excited about shopping.

Not surprising given we had all witnessed those $10 for two t shirts, cheap plastic watch, fake gold chain by the yard junky sidewalk sales on last sea day. It was always a mad house similar to Black Friday sale at Walmart.

[ontheweb]

8 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Not surprising given we had all witnessed those $10 for two t shirts, cheap plastic watch, fake gold chain by the yard junky sidewalk sales on last sea day. It was always a mad house similar to Black Friday sale at Walmart.

You're probably right, but it surprised us.

[Aplmac]

On 1/16/2021 at 2:35 PM, lenquixote66 said:

We were on a Celebrity cruise to New England and Canada.

They had a person giving a lecture about Canada.

Four people showed up!

 

My thinking is that there would be standing room only

for a port shopping lecture.

 

^ Sad but true!

 

It's amazing that there is that much interest

in getting rid of excess cash, buying Baubles Bangles and Beads.

We attended one such 'Diamonds Ashore' type lecture

- to learn what a Ten Table Diamond is!

 

If you don't already know...

a Ten-Table Diamond is a gemstone with 'flash' enough

to attract the attention of folks at that table > ten tables away from yours!

This sort of thing was significantly impressive to some folks..
and they Ooohed and Aahhed! That's also when we left the lecture.

 

It's about Bling, baby! Bling!

[lenquixote66]

44 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Not surprising given we had all witnessed those $10 for two t shirts, cheap plastic watch, fake gold chain by the yard junky sidewalk sales on last sea day. It was always a mad house similar to Black Friday sale at Walmart.

I bought two tee shirts 8 years ago.They have been washed several hundred times and are still in great shape.

[clo]

4 hours ago, sfaaa said:

To shopaholics, shopping is the ultimate cultural talk

Ugh.

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, Aplmac said:

 

^ Sad but true!

 

It's amazing that there is that much interest

in getting rid of excess cash, buying Baubles Bangles and Beads.

We attended one such 'Diamonds Ashore' type lecture

- to learn what a Ten Table Diamond is!

 

If you don't already know...

a Ten-Table Diamond is a gemstone with 'flash' enough

to attract the attention of folks at that table > ten tables away from yours!

This sort of thing was significantly impressive to some folks..
and they Ooohed and Aahhed! That's also when we left the lecture.

 

It's about Bling, baby! Bling!

 

Wait till they get that bling valued😂 it won't look as shiny then 😜

[Aquahound]

3 hours ago, Aplmac said:

 

It's amazing that there is that much interest

in getting rid of excess cash, buying Baubles Bangles and Beads.

 

 

Haven't you seen the way people act at the $10 discount table that sells $5 crap?  It's a show in and of itself! 😆

Edited January 19, 2021 by Aquahound

[Sue Do-Over]

On 1/16/2021 at 1:44 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

When I cruised Alaska with my son, back in 2003, Princess had a fantastic lecturer/naturalist onboard. Not only had he lived for a period of time on an isolated island in the Inside Passage, he had written several books about the area. He gave at least 4 lectures on our cruise and they were all just about standing room only.

 

Princess Alaska cruise, they brought on a sled-dog trainer and a couple of the dogs.  Sure, she promoted the excursion, but shared a lot of information about how they train and race.  People stood in line to pet the dogs.

They also had one of the lumberjacks from on-shore show, who talked about his real experiences as a logger in the region.   We felt the get-your-tickets-early message, but enjoyed the rest of the presentation. 

We have always like the live narration in the fjords, especially when wildlife is visible -- saw bears with cubs, moose, bighorn sheep and otters from the deck. 

 

On a NCL Panama Canal trip, the 'expert' from the local historical society never shut up.  He blathered for HOURS, mostly answering questions from people standing near him (without sharing the actual question), and repeated the same answers over and over.  It was exhausting, but since it was on the PA, we couldn't escape.   

[Hlitner]

Since excursions have become a subtopic here I will tell why DW and I became completely turned off to cruise line excursions.  Many decades ago (when we were younger and more naive) we were on a Princess cruise that happened to call at the port of Izmir, Turkey.  We booked the cruise line excursion to Ephesus (this was our first visit to Turkey).  After the long bus ride to Ephesus, our guide rushed our group through the ruins with the usual short stops to explain parts of the ruins.  We were then hustled back onto our bus (wondering why the big hurry) and taken to a very large rural building labeled "Jewelry Factory."  We moved off the bus and into the huge store (we were the only customers) and literally locked in the store (the main exit was truly locked).  After looking around this place for a few minutes, DW and I realized the store had mostly junk jewelry and tourist crap.  We decided to leave and relax outdoors which is when we found the doors were locked.  We found our guide and asked if we could wait outside and she insisted we stay in the store until the entire group was ready to go (most of the group was ready to go before we even got in the building).  I got quite annoyed and told her I had claustrophobia (actually jewelryfactoryphobia) and needed to get out!  She then reluctantly arranged for the doors to be unlocked and many from the bus group followed us out the door were we cooked our heels for another 45 minutes until the bus loaded.   When we got back to the ship we stopped at Guest Relations where there was already a big line from our bus...with everyone quite angry.  Princess did their part by refunding everyone the entire cost of the excursion.

 

We have since learned a lot more about the excursion "racket,"  the payoffs, kickbacks, and even cases where the tour companies own or partially own the facilities and restaurants "visited" by their captive groups.  That is not to say that there are not good excursions because some excursions are excellent.  But having become pretty knowledgeable independent travelers with more then fifty years extensive travel experience we now avoid excursions and most tours unless they do something we cannot possibly do on our own or with a small privately organized tour.  I will add that for those looking to find and join small privately organized tours we strongly recommend becoming active on CC Roll Call board for your particular cruise.  Over the years we have participated in numerous small tours (or simply joined together with another couple) through the Roll Calls.  It is a fabulous resource for which we thank Cruise Critic.

 

Hank

P.S.   We have fortunate to have since returned to Ephesus 3 times (and one more visit to Kusadasi where we went off to other fabulous places in the region).  Those other visits were twice on our own (once with a rental car) and once when we hired an amazing private guide and driver for just ourselves (at about the same price as the large group excursions sold by the ship).  To this day Ephesus remains one of our favorite ruins and the Kusadasi region has so much to offer (but you need a car or other similar transportation).

 

 

[ldubs]

On 1/18/2021 at 3:19 PM, lenquixote66 said:

I bought two tee shirts 8 years ago.They have been washed several hundred times and are still in great shape.

 

I go through T-shirts like crazy.  I have been on a couple of cruises with big T shirt sales.   I won't say I bought every one on the rack that was my size, but I bought several.   The last time it was T-shirts with national soccer team logos.  I don't know why they had them on a cruise ship.   I still have the one for Mexico.  

[ontheweb]

23 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Since excursions have become a subtopic here I will tell why DW and I became completely turned off to cruise line excursions.  Many decades ago (when we were younger and more naive) we were on a Princess cruise that happened to call at the port of Izmir, Turkey.  We booked the cruise line excursion to Ephesus (this was our first visit to Turkey).  After the long bus ride to Ephesus, our guide rushed our group through the ruins with the usual short stops to explain parts of the ruins.  We were then hustled back onto our bus (wondering why the big hurry) and taken to a very large rural building labeled "Jewelry Factory."  We moved off the bus and into the huge store (we were the only customers) and literally locked in the store (the main exit was truly locked).  After looking around this place for a few minutes, DW and I realized the store had mostly junk jewelry and tourist crap.  We decided to leave and relax outdoors which is when we found the doors were locked.  We found our guide and asked if we could wait outside and she insisted we stay in the store until the entire group was ready to go (most of the group was ready to go before we even got in the building).  I got quite annoyed and told her I had claustrophobia (actually jewelryfactoryphobia) and needed to get out!  She then reluctantly arranged for the doors to be unlocked and many from the bus group followed us out the door were we cooked our heels for another 45 minutes until the bus loaded.   When we got back to the ship we stopped at Guest Relations where there was already a big line from our bus...with everyone quite angry.  Princess did their part by refunding everyone the entire cost of the excursion.

 

 

Similar experience, but a rug store, not a jewelry store. There was a roll call excursion, but DW definitely wanted to see the Virgin Mary's House while the private excursion noted that it was definitely not going there.

 

At least some of the rugs were interesting, but we had no desire to buy any and could have much better used our time. In fact, after finally getting out, DW who always lost her glasses, bought a woven case for glasses for 1 Euro. (One day at her Church when someone was admiring it, she was asked where she bought it. That it was bought in Turkey wasn't helpful to the person admiring it who wondered where she could get something similar. LOL)

[lenquixote66]

28 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I go through T-shirts like crazy.  I have been on a couple of cruises with big T shirt sales.   I won't say I bought every one on the rack that was my size, but I bought several.   The last time it was T-shirts with national soccer team logos.  I don't know why they had them on a cruise ship.   I still have the one for Mexico.  

I have a tee shirt that I got from friends for my 50th. Birthday.It was made in the US and I still wear it all these years later.It reads Born In The USA ,a long,long,long time ago.I still wear it .I have no idea how many times it was washed.

In 1999 I was at a basketball game and I was given the opportunity along with other people to make a long distance shot.I got a tee shirt prize for barely getting the ball out of my hands.This shirt has holes in it but I still wear it .Mrs.66 has told me not to wear it outside when I am with her and not to wear it in the house when she is home.It has been in my closest many years.

[ldubs]

On 1/17/2021 at 1:15 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Is he looking for the Elks Lodge?

 

Loyal Order of the Moose wouldn't let him in.   

[ldubs]

3 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have a tee shirt that I got from friends for my 50th. Birthday.It was made in the US and I still wear it all these years later.It reads Born In The USA ,a long,long,long time ago.I still wear it .I have no idea how many times it was washed.

In 1999 I was at a basketball game and I was given the opportunity along with other people to make a long distance shot.I got a tee shirt prize for barely getting the ball out of my hands.This shirt has holes in it but I still wear it .Mrs.66 has told me not to wear it outside when I am with her and not to wear it in the house when she is home.It has been in my closest many years.

 

Haha, I completely understand.   Way way back I had a favorite Hobie Surfboard T-shirt that got so ratty Mrs Ldubs  said I had to let it go.  Seams were apart and that thing around the neck was pretty much frayed off.   I hated to see it go.   

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Haha, I completely understand.   Way way back I had a favorite Hobie Surfboard T-shirt that got so ratty Mrs Ldubs  said I had to let it go.  Seams were apart and that thing around the neck was pretty much frayed off.   I hated to see it go.   

My youngest daughter dated a guy who surfed.I had no interest in that but I went shopping with him for a board.The store owner gave both of us surfer tee shirts.

[jtwind]

6 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Since excursions have become a subtopic here I will tell why DW and I became completely turned off to cruise line excursions.  Many decades ago (when we were younger and more naive) we were on a Princess cruise that happened to call at the port of Izmir, Turkey.  We booked the cruise line excursion to Ephesus (this was our first visit to Turkey).  After the long bus ride to Ephesus, our guide rushed our group through the ruins with the usual short stops to explain parts of the ruins.  We were then hustled back onto our bus (wondering why the big hurry) and taken to a very large rural building labeled "Jewelry Factory."  We moved off the bus and into the huge store (we were the only customers) and literally locked in the store (the main exit was truly locked).  After looking around this place for a few minutes, DW and I realized the store had mostly junk jewelry and tourist crap.  We decided to leave and relax outdoors which is when we found the doors were locked.  We found our guide and asked if we could wait outside and she insisted we stay in the store until the entire group was ready to go (most of the group was ready to go before we even got in the building).  I got quite annoyed and told her I had claustrophobia (actually jewelryfactoryphobia) and needed to get out!  She then reluctantly arranged for the doors to be unlocked and many from the bus group followed us out the door were we cooked our heels for another 45 minutes until the bus loaded.   When we got back to the ship we stopped at Guest Relations where there was already a big line from our bus...with everyone quite angry.  Princess did their part by refunding everyone the entire cost of the excursion.

 

We have since learned a lot more about the excursion "racket,"  the payoffs, kickbacks, and even cases where the tour companies own or partially own the facilities and restaurants "visited" by their captive groups.  That is not to say that there are not good excursions because some excursions are excellent.  But having become pretty knowledgeable independent travelers with more then fifty years extensive travel experience we now avoid excursions and most tours unless they do something we cannot possibly do on our own or with a small privately organized tour.  I will add that for those looking to find and join small privately organized tours we strongly recommend becoming active on CC Roll Call board for your particular cruise.  Over the years we have participated in numerous small tours (or simply joined together with another couple) through the Roll Calls.  It is a fabulous resource for which we thank Cruise Critic.

 

Hank

P.S.   We have fortunate to have since returned to Ephesus 3 times (and one more visit to Kusadasi where we went off to other fabulous places in the region).  Those other visits were twice on our own (once with a rental car) and once when we hired an amazing private guide and driver for just ourselves (at about the same price as the large group excursions sold by the ship).  To this day Ephesus remains one of our favorite ruins and the Kusadasi region has so much to offer (but you need a car or other similar transportation).

 

 

 

Unfortunately, we've found that booking non cruise ship excursions doesn't guarantee that the same thing won't happen, even when giving advance notice that we're not interested in this type of thing.

[Hlitner]

39 minutes ago, jtwind said:

 

Unfortunately, we've found that booking non cruise ship excursions doesn't guarantee that the same thing won't happen, even when giving advance notice that we're not interested in this type of thing.

I think you misunderstood me.  We do not book "excursions" be it cruise ship or other excursions unless it is absolutely the only option.  If we do book or join with others on a small private tour, we set the agenda and do not allow a tour guide to dictate!  But more then 90% of the time it is just DW and myself using public transit, rental cars, and/or our feet to do what we want, when we want, with who we want (which is usually just us).  The few times when we have had a private tour guide try to take us shopping or somewhere we don't want to go..we make it very clear NO!

 

We have talked to other folks who make the mistake of thinking that when they book a private tour they are a captive of their tour guide.  It is your tour, you are paying, and you do have the power to set the pace and agenda (or it is not truly your tour).  We have usually had fantastic times on our private tours because we make it clear, from the outset, that we are the customers and not the sheep.

 

Hank

[clo]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

To this day Ephesus remains one of our favorite ruins

It's truly amazing, isn't it? We did an escorted land tour of Turkey and adored all of it.

[jtwind]

17 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I think you misunderstood me.  We do not book "excursions" be it cruise ship or other excursions unless it is absolutely the only option.  If we do book or join with others on a small private tour, we set the agenda and do not allow a tour guide to dictate!  But more then 90% of the time it is just DW and myself using public transit, rental cars, and/or our feet to do what we want, when we want, with who we want (which is usually just us).  The few times when we have had a private tour guide try to take us shopping or somewhere we don't want to go..we make it very clear NO!

 

We have talked to other folks who make the mistake of thinking that when they book a private tour they are a captive of their tour guide.  It is your tour, you are paying, and you do have the power to set the pace and agenda (or it is not truly your tour).  We have usually had fantastic times on our private tours because we make it clear, from the outset, that we are the customers and not the sheep.

 

Hank

 

No, I understood.  We first started booking private tour guides because we wanted to avoid this stuff.

 

So as an example, on one of our first private guide experiences, the guide asked if we needed a bathroom.  Here's a place with a nice clean bathroom in this gift shop.  Come out of the bathroom.  Guide gone.  Clerk says he'll be right back.  What is the right thing to do?  We didn't want to have a confrontation with the person who we're counting on to have a pleasant experience the rest of the day.

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, clo said:

It's truly amazing, isn't it? We did an escorted land tour of Turkey and adored all of it.

We do have an anecdotal story.  The first time we went (on that Princess cruise ship excursion) our guide told us some of the usual stories about certain parts of the ruins.  A few years later when we hired our own personal guide (who had a degree in archaeology) he was much more skilled and also happened to be a friend of the, then, curator of Ephesus.  We got to a part of the ruins where we had been told (by the cruise line excursion guide) that it was simply a downtown gathering area.  But our private guide related a very detailed story about how they were pretty sure that several buildings housed high class brothels that were connected by special walkways to the nearby homes of the wealthy.  We also had a terrific discussion with him about the so-called Virgin Mary House.   My own readings had caused me to have a lot of doubts about the claim.  Our guide told us that the quiet consensus was simply that Mary had certainly spent some time in the area but nobody knew exactly where she lived.  The Virgin Mary House was in the right area and fit the belief so it was deemed so and beatified by Pope John Paul II.  Our guide also explained there was a lot of politics involved as the Catholic Church wanted to keep a presence in the Muslim area and those ruins (it was actually just a foundation when discovered) fit the bill.   Our guide had an interesting opinion when he said, if Mary was actually in the area that is probably the area that she would have lived.  But to this day there is really no evidence that was really her house.

 

On our last visit to Ephesus they had opened the so-called Terrace Houses (we had previously seen some of the excavations) which we thought were amazing.  Our private guide also said that the curator believed that there was a lot more to yet be discovered (possibly more then has already been discovered) so this is a place we want to return every few years to see what has been newly discovered.

 

Hank

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

My youngest daughter dated a guy who surfed.I had no interest in that but I went shopping with him for a board.The store owner gave both of us surfer tee shirts.

 

On this same forum under the thread named: "How Much Extra To Prove Corona Shot?" there is a short video of a French Bulldog on a boogie board.  It is very cool.  😀

 

[clo]

6 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

so-called Virgin Mary House

We went there and plenty of us filled our bottles with the water in the stream/river. I was sacreligious and drank the water. Figuring if there were any powers why not have them inside of me. )

[Hlitner]

6 minutes ago, jtwind said:

 

No, I understood.  We first started booking private tour guides because we wanted to avoid this stuff.

 

So as an example, on one of our first private guide experiences, the guide asked if we needed a bathroom.  Here's a place with a nice clean bathroom in this gift shop.  Come out of the bathroom.  Guide gone.  Clerk says he'll be right back.  What is the right thing to do?  We didn't want to have a confrontation with the person who we're counting on to have a pleasant experience the rest of the day.

Two ways to deal with this.  Give the guide a bigger tip because you respect his/her "style."   or....Reduce the tip because you do not appreciate being "played."  Tough decision.  Our favorite tour company in St Petersburg, Russia is called TJ Tours.  They are excellent and have great guides and very nice vehicles.  But there office happens to be at the rear of a large gift shop and they take all their tours to that shop to "settle the bill."  Of course that procedure takes a few minutes and meanwhile you find yourself browsing in a pretty decent gift shop (I suspect most items were made in China).  At the time a few of us did laugh and gave them credit for being innovative.  And yes, we will use TJ Tours on future visits and put up with that darn gift shop.

 

Hank  

[Hlitner]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

We went there and plenty of us filled our bottles with the water in the stream/river. I was sacreligious and drank the water. Figuring if there were any powers why not have them inside of me. )

LOL. Powers or diarrhea.  One think I learned when staying in Turkey (on land visits) was not to drink any water that did not come out of a bottle.

 

Hank

[clo]

7 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

And yes, we will use TJ Tours on future visits and put up with that darn gift shop.

Good to know. We have a Baltic/Scandinavian cruise for 9/22.