Hlitner

A long transfer to Yokohama. We actually enjoy that city and suggest taking a walk through China Town and sampling some of the food :). Will be back in Japan next year, but have already booked air into HND.

This was a "glitch" in the Princess system about 15 months ago, when we had the same problem. It is nice to know that Princess corrects its' problems. Hank

You do not mention the port so we will give you a generic answer. Many cruise lines do ioffer "day of the cruise transfers" from nearby airports and sometimes from a nearby city hotel (which is usually part of a cruise line pre-cruise package). It would not be practical, from a cost perspective, for cruise line's to pay folks to sit around an airport (or city) for multiple days waiting for various cruisers. Since you are flying-in 3 days early (we have no clue as to where) we assume you are staying at a hotel. Let's assume you are staying in Rome, where there are over 1,500 hotels! Would you expect a cruise line to have transfers from all those places? If you have booked a Princess pre-cruise hotel package (which will often cost about twice the price of booking it on your own), then it may include a transfer (read your documents). Otherwise, you will need to arrange your own transfer (this can be done online, by most hotels, or by simply grabbing a taxi). By they way, once upon a time we did book a cruise line pre-cruise hotel/transfer package (this was Celebrity) in Buenos Aires. When we landed at the airport (after flying all night) we were met by the local tranfer company who told us, "we are waiting for another flight that is late, so you can relax in the coffee shop for about 1 1/2 hours" Our reaction was to grab a taxi to our hotel, go out to a nice breakfast, and later return to our hotel as our transfer van was finally arriving. That was the last time we booked a cruise line package :). And no, Celebrity would not reimburse us for the cost of that transfer. Hank

A quiet port with a decent facility (which we think was partially financed by some in the cruise industry). What to do? You can take an excurions (if you like excursions) or simply negotiate with a taxi driver to take you to the nearby town of Tapachula. Not a bad place for a few hours :). Many of the available excursions will focus on chocolate and/or coffee..both of which have history in this area. By the way, as a part time resident of Mexico (Puerto Vallarta) we appreciate the quality of Mexican chocolate. The coffee? Tis OK. Hank

I suspect that 18 months might be a bridge too far in terms of excursions. I will tell you that we are booked on the Quest for April 2025 (less than a year) and there are very few excursions showing for the Japanese ports. Guess we shall need to wait and see. DW and I tend to take very few excursions (we generally prefer to do our own thing), but we still like to look at the offerings. We have seen this happen with some cruises, when the cruise line is intending to make some itinerary changes. On our April cruise, they do have plenty of excursions posted for Taiwan (part of our itinerary), just not much for Japan. If you hear anything more, please post here. Hank

I think of that the same way as one can buy a Rolls Royce and get an included RR umbrella. Hank

No, we have no great solution to the rental car dilemma. In the past (and this was all pre-Covid) we rented from several different agencies all located in the vicinity of the train station. To be honest, we have found many neighborhoods in Marseille to be less than "pleasant" which is only one reason we prefer to take ourselves somewhere in the nicer parts of Provence. As to Aix, when we do visit that city, we usually find ourselves just wandering around the old town part of town. I had also mentioned that the Cours Mirabeau is a decent area for folks looking for a nice area to have lunch. We have spent several extended vacations in Provence, and have rented apartments in both St Remy and Avignon (inside the walls). Avignon is our favorite area to use as a base, but parking can be a hassle. When we rented in St Remy (for 2 weeks) it was a fun experience and we started to feel like locals as we neared the end of our 2nd week. The downside to staying in St Remy was that there was a limited number of restaurants (within walking distance) for dinner, and not a lot of later evening life. For the info of others reading this thread, Provence is primarily a rural region that can only be explored with some kind of vehicle. Friends, who prefer using trains and/or buses have learned (the hard way) that one really needs a rental car in this part of France. Parts of Provence have been impacted by the flood of immigration, and there are some parts that seem "less French" such as Arles. Choosing a base, for a longer visit, is certainly more of a challenge today than it was a few years ago. Hank

Just do it! :). There are plenty of "thinkers" but fewer "doers." Having done dozens of crossings (most recently in March on the Oceania Vista) we really could care less if it is west bound or east bound. To us, the lost of gained hours of sleep are not a biggie since we have more than enough time to sleep/nap on TA cruises. My advice is to choose a ship you enjoy and, if possible, select a ship that heads to Funchal, Madeira or the Canaries. Most repo cruises stop at the Azores (i.e. Horta) but we think that Funchal is a much better port. And the slightly more southern route will often get you more desirable weather. Hank

Now you are talking my language, lobster and crab! Ever since I had my first Maine lobster, about 60 years ago, I have been hooked! But not on "lobster" but rather on certain types of lobster. Depending on what expert you use, there are at least 16 types (species) of lobster and they really vary in terms of size, taste, parts, etc. Having cruised on 17 different cruise lines, we have generally found that what cruise lines call "lobster" is an inferior type, which would generally fall into a few different warm water species that many call tails. This stuff is not even close to cold water tails (found in the North Atlantic, off of South Africa, etc. While the actual species does vary, cold water tails tend to have a much better flavor from their warm water cousins. As to the best lobster, that is easy. Nothing matches the taste of a decent Maine (our Canadian friends might prefer a different name) Lobster. If you prefer the actual species, it is called "Homarus Americanus" and IMHO it is the best tasting lobster and in a class of its own. This lobster turns red (when cooked) and is notable for its two large claws (arguably the best tasting part). In the decent sea food restaurants, these "bugs" are kept alive (in a tank) until the very moment that they are to be cooked (boiled, broiled, or steamed). It is also possible to freeze these "bugs" but very few cruise lines ever purchase this expensive lobster. We were surprised to recently have some Maine Lobster on the Oceania Vista. While some places do try to con folks, when you are served the claws (or claw meat) it is hard to disguise the truth :). I will toss in a suggestion for cruisers who happen to be spending a pre cruise evening in the Ft Lauderdale area. If you want to enjoy a true Maine Lobster, perfectly prepared, simply take yourself to "Kellys Landing" which is located off 17th Street (less then 2 blocks from the Embassy Suites). That restaurant has the real thing (and also fantastic New England Clam Chowder) at prices that are not much more than we see in our favorite lobster places in the Boston area. And, if you happen to have a port day in Boston (where you will dock at the old Black Falcon terminal) you are within a reasonable walking distance to at least two excellent lobster restaurants ( James Hook and Company; and Yankee Lobster). We are happy with the lobsters in both these restaurants, although our personal gold medal goes to James Hook (where one might find themselves eating at a picnic table adjacent to the parking lot). Hank

Can't help with your sunset cruise but will tell you about one of the most memorable moments in 50+ years of travel. It was several decades ago, and DW and I decided to walk back to the port from the Golden Horn area (perhaps a couple of miles). We were near the center of the Galata Bridge (which separates the port part of town from the Golden Horn (the main tourist area) on a beautiful summer eve. Suddenly all the speakers, around the city, started to blare out the Muslim Call to Prayer which is a beatiful/haunting sound. . We turned around to look back to the Golden Horn, and the low sun was reflecting off the city which gave it an amazing glow. It was one of those prefect settings that just happens. And cannot be planned. Speaking of the Galata Bridge, only walkers experience the lower level, which is lines with restaurants, cafes, vendors, etc. To this day, DW and I try to find the time to walk over that bridge, even if we are staying in Istanbul and not even heading to the port. Hank

It has been a few years, since pre Covid, but we enjoyed just renting a car and driving to Issos Beach (about 40 min) and exploring some other places along the route. If one wants to avoid the crowds of a tour, going on your own works quite well :). Hank

Not sure it is wise to paint transfers with a broad brush. While a train/transfer is a good option in some ports, it is not a great option in others. One (of many) great advantages to independent travel is the ability to be flexible. For example, since DW and I travel with plenty of luggage (usually two 50 pound pieces plus two carry-on back packs), using the train to transfer in Rome (to Civitavecchia) is not our favorite options. Consider one must generally get a taxi to get to the train station (usually Termini) and the local/regional trains to Civitavecchia leave on a very distant track, which means a very long hike through Termini. One then needs to lift the luggage onto the train, find a storage spot (usually at the end of a car) and than must be vigilant because of luggage thieves. Once at Civitavecchia, you must pray that the sole elevator is functioning (not always the case) as you must get across a track to the main station. You then need to either find a waiting taxi or use the shuttle bus. This also can involve changing to a different bus to get to your actual pier. All this with more than 150 pounds of baggage? For us, in this situation, we are OK paying for a private transfer (although the current cost is approaching 150 Euros). The situation in Barcelona also is favorable to using a taxi (or private transfer) to get to the proper terminal. And what do you do in a port like Monte Carlo? The train station is some distance (the other side of town) from the port and local bus connections are not very good if one has luggage (it is a long walk from the nearest bus stop to the pier). We could go on, for an hour, with descriptions of many ports (around the world) where a train transfer is not an efficient or reasonable option...especially for cruisers with luggage. Hank

Just a hint that while many folks plan on visiting all 5 villages (on a port day) that can be a bridge too far kind of thing. On most of our visits we limit ourselves to no more than 3 villages (even when on land trips when we have no time constraints). My advice is to prioritize the villages in case you run out of time. I will again post a warning about Corniglia (one of my favorite villages). Visiting this village will involve a lot of extra time since nearly everyone uses the small shuttle bus to get from the train station up to town. In theory, it can be walked (lots of steep steps) but few want to do that uphill hike. The problem is the lone shuttle bus is quite small and only runs every 20-30 minutes. If its a crowded day, you may not be able to get on the first bus which makes that wait too darn long. Because of this problem it is the least visited village (which is one reason why it is our favorite). Hank

Regarding the Cinque Terre Card (including the daily train pass), while it might not necessarily be a bargain (that would depend on how many trains you take and whether you hike some of the trails) we strongly recommend that pass...even if it does cost you a few extra Euros. With that pass in-hand, you do not need to deal with the queues for the ticket office at La Spezia, or queues at ticket kiosks or machines at the various villages. While Cinque Terre keeps growing in popularity, the transportation system (both trains and ferries) has not kept pace with the crowds. DW and I used to visit some of those Cinque Terre villages, when we were on our driving trips within Italy. These days, we generally stay far away from those villages (unless we are on a ship that calls at La Spezia. Italy created somewhat of a bad situation when they opened La Spezia to large cruise ships. I should also mention that the popular hiking walkway (Via del Amore) that links Riomaggiore to Manarola, was not yet fully opened during our visit in April. Hank

Yep. On the new Explora Journey 1, which is a luxury cruise ship known for its fine cuisine, they have a small venue called Anthology. That restaurant is generally used to showcase a Michelin starred chef who is either cooking or has trained the onboard staff. On our cruise, the Michelin Chef was Emma Bengsston who currently reigns as the Chef at the NYC Michelin 2* restaurant, Aquavit. Since "Chef Emma" was aboard and doing the cooking (in a galley that can be viewed through a glass wall) we decided to book that venue. As I recall it was about $195 per person (which included wine pairing). The evening, we went to dinner, there were only 8 dinners in the venue and Chef Emma actually came to all the tables to chat. We talked to her about getting a reservation at her NYC restaurant, which she admitted was very difficult (one must book about 1 month in advance). Chef Emma is the only North American female chef to have earned 2 Michelin stars. And dinner was quite good with 7 courses. Keep in mind that dinner, with wine, in Aquavit would cost significantly more than $400 (per couple) so, in a way, the deal on EJ1 was a "bargain." Restaurant prices have truly gone through the roof. In NYC, a simple pizza and beer can easily cost more than $50. Dinner in the top Michelin starred venues can go over $1000 per couple (a lot more if one selects an expensive bottle of wine). Speaking of EJ1, I should explain a little about that new ship. She carried up to 900 passengers (on our voyages there were only about 450 onboard) on an all suite vessel. The ship has no main dining room, but rather has 4 separate restaurants (each with their own galley and staff) plus a high-end Lido and that small Anthology venue. When I say high-end Lido, consider that if we wanted grilled lobster we had our choice of what kind of lobster. The raw seafood bar had oysters on the half-shell, cracked crab claws, huge shrimp, etc. Their sushi restaurant had 2 sushi chefs preparing items to order. It is a very interesting new cruise line (wholly owned by the MSC folks) with its 2nd (of 6) ships soon having its maiden voyage. Hank Hank