Expat Cruise

Sorry, but a 3 to 4X time prices difference US vs Ship prices is not marginal. As for being close to resort spas on land, does not use them for the same reasons. My wife does not believe in wasting money, for the costs of a complete spa day on the ship, she has a full time household staff in our house for a month.

My wife will not use the spa on the ship. She says the prices are absolutely crazy. Ten to twenty times what she would pay when we're home. Other friends have used these service and say they do nothing but pitch you to buy more services. It just seems to not be worth using the services in our opinion.

If you want to see the dogs, and it is really worth doing, best to take a tour that includes this. Easy to find with both ship's tours and private tour's in port. We did a fly in to the glacier to visit a working camp and a dog sled ride to leave the glacier. Ending with a scenic bus tour back to the ship.

Agreed, being from Boston and having direct access to the fleet at the docks, you understand the difference. Have now travel around the World, lived the last 25 years and have outside the United States. I really find is funny and sad when they try to serve cold water lobster and improve upon it with different styles of cooking. Or name brand International chef's put their own twist on lobster. Lobster does not need a chef, boiled and served with drawn butter is the winner. Add some steam clams, and fresh corn on the cob, and you have a meal that beats 90% of your fine dining restaurants hands down. For you beef lovers, add a nice grilled USDA Prime Steak.

The simple answer is book the cabin for two guests, and when the second guests do a no show, the port fees and taxes will be refunded. It works out the same as booking a single passenger in the end, or every close.

The Alaskan Red King Crab season has been closed for two years, going on three years. The price of a pound of Red King Crab Legs is about $90 now, for crab from Russia and Norway. At these prices with limited availability, no cruise ships will be able to offer Red King Crab. A few smaller types of crab are being fished in Alaska, but everyone wants the best, Red King. Guest should not look for seafood boil/crab pot meals, or anything close to this. Cruise Lines can fly in Maine Lobster and get 4 to 5 pounds of Lobster vs one pound of King Crab legs.

Seems to be a lot of confusion about e-visa here. I live in Asia and have for the last 25 years. Have done several cruises, and maybe two dozen other trips to Vietnam. Here is what I have learned to be true. 1) If you type e-visa or visa in a web search for Vietnam, you will find many sites claiming to be official. Some even use government logos, they're all travel agencies unless the web address is dot gov.vn. Only use a dot gov.vn site. Here is the link to apply https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/ 2) If the cruise has multiple port calls in Vietnam, you only need a single entry visa as long as all port calls are in a row. If you visit another country after doing a Vietnam port call and then return for another Vietnam Port Call, then you would need a multi entry visa. 3) You pay much more for a visa issued on the ship. If the ship charges more than about $25 you're better off applying online. 4) If you have an e-visa, you can overnight in Vietnam with a Single Entry Visa. If you have a ship's visa, you cannot. 5) Many countries do not require a visa for Vietnam: most of Europe, Asia, are visa free as well as Chile, Panama, and Russia. But US, CA, AU, all require a visa. The visa process is really very easy, Vietnam is a great place to visit. As long as guests use the official site, no issues. For Asian Cruises most cruise lines collect and hold guests passports, it just makes clearances in the ports much faster. If you have your own visa, check your ship account, they sometimes charge you for a ship's visa when you already have an e-visa. My wife uses her Philippines passport which is Visa free, but I have found a visa fee charged to our account a couple of times, so check to avoid overcharging.

Really, Laundry is the best perk? Sorry, that seems like all the benefits of having a suite have not been investigated. Suites give you so much more than just Laundry. The stateroom size and features, the priority treatment throughout the cruise, upgraded room service, the free Spa services, upgraded dinning, fruit bowls, afternoon tea, in room ice, free specialty dining, extra private lounges, much better staff, all these things are at least equal and better than just free laundry.

Why are you trying to discredit Airbnb. Airbnb is respected Worldwide. I would much rather trust a Superhost than a small local service. Since May 2022, Airbnb has protected every booking with Aircover. UAirbnb also offers a 24-hour safety line. If issues like cancellation Aircover, will find a similar or better home, or give a refund. Sorry, I will take a 68 billion dollar corporation's guarantee over a small local operator. Your claim that the renters cannot know if legal is also not correct. Units in the resort zone have the correct license numbers shown within the listing. Once booked, the host is required to give you the exact address of the rental and anyone can if they want check to see if a legal unit. Like this, license numbers: 260230450030, 406A, TA-155-423-5392-01 They guarantee their bookings, so renters do not lose. And if someone is operating an illegal unit outside the approved zone, or not grandfathered, it does not affect the renter. It is a $10,000 find to the owner of the unit.

The venting is very good, if you deal with units represented by a Superhost. Superhost cannot cancel on you, they must have less than a 1% cancelation rate, or they're not Superhost. Also, the license number for the property appears in the real listings within the resorts zone. If you book a property that is through a Superhost, which is a local on the ground person, and that hosts has dozens of 5-star reviews, you will have no negative issues. The positive side is a lower nightly cost in most cases. I have a very good understanding of the market. Maybe it is you who do not understand it. Units located within the resorts zone are 100% legal. These units are controlled by locals, residents and many times are the same hotel/condo hotel you can find on the open market. Air

That is your opinion, and you have every right to have that opinion. I have always found Airbnb, offers some very good deals with a high level of safety and well vetted Superhost. It seems many others have also found it to be a good choice. Over 150 million worldwide users have booked over one (1) billion stays with them. The readers can make their own choice after reading this thread

Our last trip this year we did from the Hilo side, rented a car and did a self-guided tour. About an hour to the park and an hour back, spent about 2 hours inside the park. Enjoyed take the road from the top through the lava fields to the ocean, about 18 miles each way. The road only goes down to the ocean, so you must come back the same way. If you do a self tour, and you are a senior get the annual pass, only $20 good at all national parks for a year, covers the whole car. We had enough time to explore around Hilo on our return.

It is still 30 days the 90-day change is tied up in a court case. But it should be noted Airbnb is allowed within the Resorts Zone Waikiki. Airbnb is an option and short term rentals are legal but only within the designated Resorts Zone. I have a couple of friends who have close to 60 of these legal short term rentals, many come with parking. They are a very good alternative to hotel rates. Several of them are in Condo Hotels, buildings that are operated as part hotel and part private units. I stayed in one of these friends units for a couple of days in January, had a nice Penthouse unit, with parking, small kitchen area, ensuite bath, would have been about $250 a night if paid. We really liked it.

Having been in Kona and in Hilo, in my own opinion, Kona is the nicer side of the Island. We like it because of the nature and wonderful beaches. Not to say Hilo is bad, just if a choice we would take Kona. And yes easy to do Volcanoes National Park, from Kona.

I have not done a cruise ship to Koh Samui, But I did live in Thailand for seven years, and visit the Island many times. Cruise ships tender on the west side of the island at Nathon Town. When you get off the tender and walk off the pier, you are in the city. It is maybe a 200 meter to 300 yard walk to Nathon Beach. You will find food, shops, etc., right after getting off of the pier. Koh Samui is a small island, it is less than 90 square miles, maybe 25 kilometers at it's widest point (15 miles). When you get off the pier you will find many offering tours, and things to do. But really you can just walk around. It is a very pretty island, much of it is natural land. An example here, the Hin Lat Waterfall, is a 15 minutes car ride from the pier, this is a popular tourist spot. Tesco Lotus a major place to shop, like a small US Walmart, is 4-minute walk from the pier. I would say not to book a ship's tour, or to pre-book because really lots to do without a tour. On last, point, do not book or rent jet-skis, these rentals are a major problem in Thailand. You will return the jet ski and the operators will claim major damage. Which you will pay or the police will hold you for investigation. Stay away from jet ski rentals. I hope this information helps you plan your cruise.

Ways around almost everything if guests want to try. Use the elevator that takes you directly to the tender deck. Not the same on all the ships in the fleet and even if true, most of the time once someone is at the tender platform they just load them. Have seen it happen many times. Happy to have priority tendering, but still it always seems to be a mess to deal with.

Use a VPN to masts that you're in Canada and show a US IP address, see if that will work.

OK, I'm going to throw a monkey wench in this. Yes, you get a ticket and then go down when called and board tender. But most of the time Princess does not check your ticket, you could just get in line with the moving group and get on. And when I have seen them check tickets with confused guests at the water platform, they seem to just board them anyways. Let's face a simple fact here, the tendering system with Princess is not the best and causes lots of issues. But until Princess takes the time and effort to fix, not much we as guests can do about it. Even with Priority Tendering, we really do not like the system.

If the guests still going paid for their own fare it really has no effect on the guests still going on the cruise, you have paid and will be allowed to cruise. If the cancelled guests paid for both fares, you could have an issue. The no show guests will lose the cruise fare less the port fees if they don't tell Princess Cruises ahead of time. If they do tell will follow cancelation policy.

The Asian cruise market has never come back really after the shutdown. Yes, Japan is open, but SE Asia is really very limited. Take Princess Cruises for example, they have no cruises from Hong Kong for 2023/2024 and only five cruises from Singapore, and four are repositioning cruises. Royal & NCL are operating cruises, and a few other lines, mostly just passing through the area. It seems cruising is down about 70% what it was here in 2019. I live here, and it was easy for me to grab last minute cruises in the past, but not now.

The price Royal is offering is very high. The cruise ship tender landing is just about 2 miles away from the heart of the beach resorts. Most offer a day pass for about 350,000 Dong, which is about USD $15. Just outside the tender port gate you will find all kinds of transportation. So let's say 4 people, USD$10 for taxi, which is high, four entrances USD $60, or a total of $80 for four, vs Royal wants $124 for one, with the extra $44 saved you could have food and drinks. Have been to Nha Trang about 10 times 5 times on cruise ships, For private all day tours with pickup and dropoff at port gate we were paying $50 per person with lunch included. A few years ago, I was told the port adds $30 per person if the tour drops off inside the port. Most private tours pickup just outside the gate. So the question is, do you want to walk 150 yards to save this port fee? And really at this port you do not even need a set tour, very easy place to just be a tourist.

No, I never said that anyone in your cabin is entitled to the same benefits as you. So in your example the husband who be given the same boarding, tendering, Elite Lounge when with his wife. The OP said bring friends to these events, friends not traveling on the same reservation or in the same cabin.

By definition, it is to defraud, The meaning of DEFRAUD is to deprive of something by deception or fraud. Clearly, entering a venue that you have not earned or paid for the right to be at is deception. Getting free food and discounted drinks that is budgeted to a program you're not entitled to deprives the cruise line and other guest. Yes, I understand this is a very technical interpretation, but it, is sound and correct. Many would just let it pass, I'm one for following the terms of contracts exactly, but using those terms to the maximum advantage.

My information comes directly from a long term Princess Cruises bartender. Who happens to be in one of our vacation townhouses now, here in the Philippines. Wife, has a big family and lots of relatives here, several works for the cruise lines. Have you ever had a crew member contract in your hands to read? I have, and the contracts are very clear. Stealing is not allowed, facilitating is and always has been grounds for termination. Even if it does not result in termination it is a black mark and hurts the crew member on several levels, shore leave, share of the gratuities fund, advancement, etc. But not going to debate this you have stated your information, I have stated mind. The readers hear can review and make up their own minds.

Princess Cruises takes no responsibility for visas and puts it all on the guests. Unlike some other cruise lines that offer a full visa service. You really need to look at every single port and be 100% sure of what is required. And if you travel on, non US, EU, AU, (major first world countries) you can have timing issues. Like for example, my wife Philippines Passport needs a real visa for Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but these governments require she applies in her home country and not more than 30 days before, she enters the country.