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Pooch72, a cool clear day in the med is about as good as it gets. I have to wait til mid September for my turn. You'll benefit greatly in the small ports with fewer ships and cooler weather. Make us rednecks proud. Enjoy your cruise.

Maybe it's time to start a grits roll call or something like that. I only know redneckbob through the boards but we have definitely had grits for breakfast on HAL. Hal's gradual cutbacks in food quality brought me to O but I would cruise HAL again for the right itinerary.

Hey Redneck Bob. As a fellow redneck I enjoyed your reviews on the HAL board. (we spoke of grits and sweet tea) So HAL dropped their Barcelona to Venice cruise for 2017 and I switched to O. I'll be on Riviera in September for my first time on O. I had to get a title loan on the dualie to pay for it but it's only money. Seriously I've been a Neptune dweller on HAL and I'm doing the Riviera cruse in a PH. It'll be interesting to compare. I'm sure the food will be better but it will be hard to beat the friendly staff on HAL.

Google "TFL plan a journey" It will show you how to get from point to point usually by tube. After the first day I was able to use the map and get by without the planning. Also bought the oyster card and highly recommend it. Easy to reload and easy to get a refund on unused portion. We stayed at Grosvenor at victoria station. Walked to Buckingham palace and took the tube to all other spots. Loved London eye and west end plays. Never even needed a taxi.

When in Europe you may need to refer to the ATM as a cash point. Some won't know what ATM means. After your first med cruise you'll probably end up with euros left over. That just means you need to go back asap.

Waffle House. Yeah it's bad for you but always open and always cooked after you order it. I usually eat healthy stuff on the cruise and after a long day of travel I'm ready for a bacon cheeseburger hot off the flat top.

Another word for first timers. We all call it a cable car but it's closer to an inclined rail. No swaying, no bumps, just a straight line up and down. If you're not comfortable with a typical cable car you're probably still ok with this.

If it's your first time in Santorini be aware that most postcard pictures are taken several miles away from the cable car. We found a private guide for less than a ships tour. We covered all the main photo ops. It was a sunny day in late September and gave us our best cruise photos to date. Also be aware that it can be very hot in the summer months. There are port load websites that will tell approx. how many passengers will be there on your day. Can't imagine 10,000 as it is a small place.

The lunch steak is just the right size and well seasoned. I once made the mistake of taking all my meals in the Pinnacle on a sea day. I was so stuffed with rich food by the end of dinner I was miserable. My suggestion is indulge in a long lunch with desert then do a light dinner in the lido.

Like the op my only departure from Hal was Ruby Princess British Isles two years ago. I won't do a review but some pluses and minuses for each line. All in all it was about the same. My only complaint for the British Isles was most excursions started with a long bus ride. Maybe Hal should consider a British Isle trip some day.

Hey Redneckbob. Always enjoy your reviews. A real redneck would not tell anyone about the deal. Just hold your nose up high and pretend you can afford it. Let us know if you post a review on the O forum.

I have been in 7069 on Eurodam. Most consider that a good location. I can't imagine a "bad" neptune suite. Next time I will book the lowest price guarantee. Unless you have mobility issues any neptune is a great place to be.

first cruise was on Empress of the seas about 25 years ago. Our inside cabin was 117 square feet (yikes!) We were not hooked until we did a signature suite on Ooosterdam years later. Now we are NS fans. I think the NS bathroom is about the same size as that first cabin.

If you continue to book signature suites you will eventually get an upsell to a neptune. After two upsells to a neptune you won't settle for anything else. Ask me how I know.

The upper crust's worst nightmare. A redneck with money. Always enjoy your reviews.

Love the relaxed atmosphere in the PG. I've never seen it full at breakfast. We usually get the same table near the windows. Always a table for two for us since we aren't conversational until after a few cups of coffee. We enjoy getting to know the waiters and the manager. When we come back at night we're treated like royalty.

Lunch in the pinnacle grill. The bistro steak is my favorite. It's seasoned just right then covered with bleu cheese crumbles. The charge is $10 and well worth it. Just don't plan on a large dinner the same day. I tried to do all 3 meals in the pinnacle and regretted it.

Hal's vendor of choice in Turkey is Sea song tours. They are the best! Best buses, best guides, best lunch venues. The seaside resort lunch was great. Hal's tours are pricey and not always great but Ephesus was one of my all time favorites.

I liked the typo in the name of the thread. I have enjoyed a "Naptune suite" on sea days quite often.

I've had a subtle shade of gold key card on two neptune cruises so I assume this lets the crew know you're in a neptune suite. It seems I've also had blue and maybe green on cruises where I was in a signature suite or ocean view. Does anyone know how many colors there are and what they mean?

In Venice last year the Neptune and high star line for check in was clearly marked. Check in was quick but I didn't get the S boarding card and didn't know to ask. A HAL rep saw my gold key card and escorted me to a priority security line. It's a small thing but the beginning of superior service for the whole cruise!

Everyone was out on the upper decks taking pictures of St Marks square. All of the people in St Marks were taking pictures of us. Maybe we all just want to be somewhere else??

Kazu, I can usually pick the "get things done" concierge about two minutes after I walk into the lounge. If I need something a little out of norm I wait until that person is available. Concierges are on rotation from the front desk staff so I'm sure someone gets a weak pair but never happened to me.

Take full advantage of the concierge. If anything is less than perfect let them know. You should never need to go to the front desk or shore excursion desk. They will take care of all of that. I personally have never heard them say, "We can't do anything about that." They have found a solution to every request I made.

We loved Erisin crown in Sultanahmet. Everyone was fluent in English and many of the guests were cruisers. Unfortunately like most European hotels four people would be very crowded.