cruisemom42

I've been to Sarande twice, the more recent visit was 2018. I thought the area of the city near the port was terrible -- built up with cheaply constructed hotels and the like. No charm whatsoever. Perhaps there are other areas more prepossessing... Both times there I went to Butrint (the late Roman city) and enjoyed it very much. Even if you're not an archaeological devotee, it is a very pretty site and located right on the water.

In Mykonos there are two possibilities. If your ship is tendering, the tender will dock right in the middle of the town -- of course, you'll have to be able to get into and out of the tender. If your ship docks, it will be farther away but there is both a shuttle bus (for a small charge, not free) and a boat shuttle that will take you the moderately short distance into town. (I say "moderately short" because it is walkable if you're fit but it's not a pleasant walk even having said that -- I would recommend one of the shuttles.) Crete has three or four different ports. Which one will you be visiting?

That's it -- I'm leaving the US when our OOTD descriptions start including body armor....

There's a big difference between safety concerns and determining which ship is best according to more objective measures such as best food or entertainment. CDC keeps records on ships sailing out of the US with regard to their regular inspections of things like food safety (Google CDC Vessel Sanitation Program). They also track COVID infection numbers but in a way that is somewhat difficult to interpret. The truth is that modern ships are ALL fairly safe as they must abide by many regulations from those governing ship muster drills and placement of lifeboats (SOLAS) and many others. Food is highly subjective. The best you can do is understand that cruise lines that routinely charge higher fares generally track higher with regard to how much they spend on food -- e.g., better quality, better cuts of meat, etc. Does that matter to you? It may not if the food is prepared and flavored well by talented chefs or if you prefer pizza and hamburgers to foie gras and caviar. If a good steak is the be all and end all for you, understand that you'll probably have to go to s specialty restaurant (at least on a mainstream line) to get a truly good one. For these more subjective areas, there is really no better way to get an idea than to read reviews here on CC (or somewhere else). Read lots of reviews, not just a few and don't give too much credibility to one isolated complaint -- but if a specific complaint comes up over and over, then ask yourself if that would be a deal-breaker for you.

That's the worst thing about good food shows -- you end up wanting to eat. 😏

Oh my......er......ummm.......(puts down mouse and backs slowly away from computer.)

Do most people even have a list of top 20 paintings? Velvet Elvis doesn't count....

I'll never forgot one woman who used to post here a long time ago. She explained that driving by the outside of the Louvre was sufficient for her; she didn't need to go inside.... I just can't fathom that rationale, for a museum of all places. 😳

Things that are never coming back to HAL: if this keeps up, ME!

Unfortunately it seems that cruise lines expect passengers to do their own research in advance. The descriptions on the Celebrity cruise I took in April (from Southampton to France, Spain and Portugal) were also woefully lacking, but I supplemented them by reading travel sites and asking questions. Posters can do the same on the ports of call boards here on CC which are an under-utilized resource IMO. I know the walk from the parking area to the Field of Miracles at Pisa has been discussed on the Italy boards several times. Regarding the docking issue, there is no port in Mestre. Some ships are using the commercial port in Marghera, but there are limited berths there and Italy has prioritized the two Italian lines -- Costa and MSC. I don't see any other mass-market lines calling there. Yes, there are a few smaller ship/premium lines such as Viking, Seabourn, Silversea, etc. But no Celebrity, RCL, Carnival, NCL...or HAL. Anyway, got a chuckle out of your typo: Leaning Tower of Pizza

There has always been speculation about who the sitter for the portrait really was. A very good recent paper suggests that rather than being the wife of a Florentine merchant, it represents someone else entirely. ....and then there are those who say it is a self-portrait of da Vinci -- in drag!

It sounds very chaotic. To be fair, the change at Venice is an issue not of HAL's making. For at least 10 years there have been rumblings about the continued damage to Venice and potential for even worse by letting large cruise ships continue to transit through Venice to reach the Marittima port. But instead of being sensible and coming up with (and implementing) a plan in that time period, the Italian authorities put their heads in the sand and refused to act until they were virtually threatened by UNESCO (and some citizens) to take action. Which they finally did, disastrously... So now, until Italy has a solution in place, no ships can go into Venice. And as usual, Italy appears to have given preference to their own lines (Costa, MSC) plus a few of the smaller more luxury lines to go into Marghera and use that facility, which still allows for check-in at Venice and a (shorter) bus-ride. The only other options right now are Trieste and Ravenna, both of which are quite a trek from Venice.

What was the rationale given for asking passengers who already had a test within their guidelines for boarding to take another one??

The relative size of even the largest cruise ship relative to the smallest is not significant when you look at the size of the ocean on which they are both floating. Years ago, when passenger ships were built primarily for crossing oceans, they were constructed to cut through waves and supposedly offered a smoother ride. These are referred to as ocean liners. However I think there is now only one real ocean liner still operating: Cunard's Queen Mary 2. Modern cruise ships aren't really built with that as their primary purpose -- instead they are built to primarily travel from port to port in limited areas that are not too far out to sea. Yes, they occasionally make crossings, but it's not their main activity. Waves that are 2-3 meters are not uncommon, but it's not just the height of waves that can make you seasick. (I'll leave that to someone else to explain.) In short though, if you feel seasick on ships the size of those you mention, you're likely to feel seasick on larger ships as well and probably should consider one of the several options for preventing seasickness.

I think it is difficult to answer such a question without knowing what you (and your mother) like and appreciate. Since you say that Athens and Naples are "must sees" then I am not sure I would recommend skipping Nauplion, or more specifically the sites near Nauplion -- Mycenae (arguably one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, excavated by Schliemann, same man who "found" Troy) is another star of the Trojan War on a stunning site. And Epidaurus, site of one of the most beautiful Greek theatres. I'd be 100 times more interested in visiting these places than a beach day on Argostoli....

Exactly what I was planning -- you read my mind.

I guess the sarcasm wasn't apparent enough....

Gee, I have to pay FULL fare for a passenger that doesn't even exist -- they don't eat, they don't receive any direct services, they don't even use any towels or require someone to make up their bed. (Solo supplement.) But no one wants to hear me whine about it. Cruise pricing is what it is.

I realized I'd better start thinking about upcoming work trip to Germany and France... Normally I don't make trips like this one to Europe in summer. Some of the offices I'll be in do not have A/C and can have the occasional heat wave. 😕 But I still have to look somewhat professional. Shoes must be very comfortable; will be on my feet a lot going from place to place (and using public transportation). Instead of my usual black, I am going to try to put together a navy "capsule" wardrobe. I've got a couple pair of Eileen Fisher ink (dark navy) crepe pants that travel well -- one in full length and one is a dressy crop. Those will be my base. I also have a dressy navy knit jacket (JJill Wearever, it travels well) and a very lightweight linen knit navy cardigan that looks polished. Underneath, a couple of shells and short sleeved blouses in various prints coordinating with navy. Also plan to bring a dressy long-sleeved blouse that can go to a nice dinner or two on its own. IF I have room I may also pack a short-sleeved navy linen raglan sweater with some fun navy-print pants for a change. I have nice, dressy navy loafers but I also plan to wear these a lot -- I'm on my second pair of these Cole Haan sneaker/oxfords -- they look so cute in person and are EXTREMELY comfortable when you just flat-out cannot wear a walking or hiking shoe.

I don't care if men wear sandals as long as their feet are appropriately manicured. Looking at feet (on men OR women) with long yellow toenails, cracked heels, bunions, hairy feet etc. is gross and is one of the few things that can literally make me feel nauseous. (The other one is watching eye surgery --- eeeeeshhhh.) Also -- speaking of discrimination. Men go topless at the pool... 🤣

I like Liverpool -- have a full length pair of jeans and a cropped pair from them. They fit me well.

60% off second passenger doesn't help this solo traveler at all, unfortunately....

I have an issue with the whole concept of having "chef's tables" on cruise ships. The chef's table concept is that the chef (not a trained substitute) takes those ingredients that inspire her or him on that particular day and crafts a one-off meal for those at the table -- it is not a pre-set menu, there are not substitutions. You either buy into the concept that you're experiencing the CHEF'S vision or not. The chef's tables I've been to at restaurants on land do not offer substitutions either. If your dining choices are limited by necessity or by choice, then chef's table is not the place for you. On the other hand if you're willing to put yourself into the hands of a truly knowledgeable and expert chef and experience their vision with an open mind (and good appetite), that's what a chef's table is all about. I just don't think that true chef's table experiences are possible onboard ships.

You will look so put together! What shoes?

Well, it's a little unclear based on what's been published so far. The US embassy in Italy posts that masks are required 'on all transportation', which seems pretty inclusive. From May 1 until June 15, 2022, the use of more protective FFP2/KN95 masks is mandatory to participate in all indoor athletic, cultural and recreational events, and on all transportation. https://it.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/ On the other hand, here there is a specific list given, and shared rides isn't mentioned: However, authorities in Italy have announced that FFP2 masks must be worn until June 15 on all long-distance public transport, such as buses, trams, regional trains, subways, ferries, planes as well as high-speed trains. If it were me, I'd just have a mask handy, in case it's needed. If it's a major concern, an email query to your hotel, since they made the arrangements, might provide an answer.