Dunnik

NCL has a well-deserved reputation for nickle-and-dimeing.

CCL has a well-deserved reputation for being a party ship.

This doesn't mean, of course, that CCL never nickles-and-dimes, and that NCL can't have lively nightlife.

One of many reasons why cruise ships fly flags of convenience.

If you want to go in August, go to the Med, which is probably more "romantic" than the Caribbean. As others say, however, you may be too late to book at this point.

Most agree that the number of sea days is a factor in balcony vs non-balcony.

The more port-intensive the trip, the more a non-balcony (even an inside) makes sense.

Usually on sea days. Find your sea days, find your formal nights.

I've seen you tube videos that show how to roll up your clothes instead of folding to avoid wrinkles. Does anyone actually use this method?

Yes, lots. You should too.

I travel as light as possible. For cities, carried in secure pockets:

- Ship Card

- Passport

- one Credit Card

- local currency

- smartphone

- small refillable tube of sunscreen

For excursions, same as above plus the following in a canvas courier bag:

- water

- rain jacket (if needed)

- travel First Aid Kit

- straw hat

Someone on my Vista cruisers FB page mentioned issues with some Havana cabins and people having to be moved.

She hasn't replied back as to what kind of issues. *confused*

Also confused are the people who booked right next to probably the best bar on the ship and expected to turn in at 10pm to get a solid, uninterrupted 8 hours sleep.

Date: 2016-07-09

Ship: Carnival Vista

Class of Guarantee: Balcony

Cabin Assigned: 8C, Deck 8 Aft

Date Assigned: 88 days before sailing

An update:

It seems I've won the diceroll! I had booked a guaranteed balcony, and have been assigned an 8C (on the Vista, 7/9/16), Deck 8, aft.

I'd have probably picked the exact same cabin had I the option to choose. Deck 8 has staterooms above and below. The cabin is aft of the last bank of elevators (with much of the traffic going forward, not aft) and it's not close enough to said elevators to cause any concern.

Win!

The safes surely have a master code.

Who has this code? Ships officers, security? Does the Room Steward have it?

How often do they change it? If not often enough, the master code could become known to Stewards and cleaning staff.

The only way to not have your valuables stolen on a cruise is not take them on a cruise - of course, they could be stolen from your home while you're away!

Better to get them here before you go.

That's what I plan to do, half in cash and half in traveller's cheques (to be cashed at the purser or ashore, even).

My credit card offers currency conversion better than my bank, so that's another way to "buy" Euros.

Word is sometime this year the European may make all Americans and Canadians get visas for any European country.

There, fixed it for you.

http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0X4183?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Everyone travelling solo is assumed to be a drug mule.

Nothing you can do but grin and bear it.

The "who did you meet?" question is hilarious. What kind of reply are they expecting? "Oh, I met my drug supplier. Because I'm smuggling drugs, you see."

Hi everyone, I'm wondering the same thing? We sail on July 9th and although Izmir hasn't been cancelled yet for our sailing, I fully expect that it will. Does anyone have experience with this?

John Heald of CCL stated that "Subsequent calls in Izmir remain scheduled at this time".

Our July 9th cruise port call (I'm on the same one) is still on the schedule.

For now.

But unless peace suddenly erupts across the region, I'd guess our port call will be cancelled as well.

The cancelled stop will be replaced by a sea day.

P.S. After weeks of specualating in this thread, it appears we now have our answer - Izmir is cancelled.

Thanks for the weighty tips everybody (get it? weighty!?!?), very useful!

Ahoy, I'm in the market for some new luggage for my upcoming Med cruise (and for future trips). Just wondering what people's thoughts are on the following points:

(checked and/or carry-on) Hardside or Softside or Hardcase?

(for carry-on) Backpack or Suitcase or Shoulder (Messenger) Bag?

On a related subject, what, if any, bag do you choose to go with for a shore excursion? Some cruisers I've spoken to will put a bag in bag - small backpack or messenger bag inside checked luggage for use solely as an excursion bag. But it seems more logical to combine your excursion bag with your carry-on.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts!

My father was a serious art collector (Canadian abstract art, Painters Eleven mostly) and on each of the cruises he went on, he'd always attend the art sale/auction event.

But he would never buy.

I'll add my voice to the consensus above: if you want the pretty picture, as a memory of your trip, and because you like how it looks, then by all means. But if you want a valuable and genuine artwork with an established provenance with the hope that, one day, it may be worth more than you paid for, then you're better off contacting a local art dealer on shore, or logging on to an internet auction organized by a well-known auction house specializing in the kind of art you like.

Are bionoculars advisable?

Hell yes! Especially if you have a balcony, which you seem to.

You don't have to get a big great honking pair of them: the compact binocs are very powerful these days.

Thanks for all the replies!

All the ocean view cabins were sold out on my sailing (100 days out) so it was a choice between an inside and a balcony. Going with the dice roll of a guaranteed cabin was one way to make that balcony affordable; just as a previous poster experienced, the savings were significant.

Since it's a guaranteed balcony cabin I'm less concerned that if it was an inside, or an ocean view. How bad could it be, I ask myself. Don't much care about location horizontally, but I might vertically - naturally I'd prefer to have suites above and below. So that's the only dice roll here.

Wish me luck! Who knows, maybe I'll get an aft cabin or a Premium Balcony!

Here is a pretty comprehensive document I made (attached) "Tips For New Cruisers"

Some really good info there, some of it may even be useful to more experienced cruisers as well. Well done Barsnikel.

I think you're getting paranoid. Today's bomb was in Pakistan and killed 65 Pakistanis. These people hate everyone equally.

One man's sensible precautions are another man's rampant paranoia.

That aside, another bonus of not looking like a tourist is you're less likely to be targeted by pickpockets.

Pro tip, by the way: if you are in the good habit of not booking excursions with the cruise line, you may want to consider making an exception for Izmir (Ephesus, Pergamon, etc.). If the ship were to be diverted, you'd be assured of an easy refund. Not to say that an good independent outfit wouldn't refund, but it may not be 100% guaranteed.

I am hoping for a port replacement (Mykonos maybe or Santorini but I am not sure if the port is big enough) and not a sea day. What are the options for a new port? There are so many options...its kind of exciting but I did want to go to Turkey (my cat is a Turkish Angora). LOL

Both Santorini or Mykonos are possible, the Vista could easily drop anchor at either of them. Santorini may involve tenders, however.

Or they could just tack on another sea day. In a port intensive trip like this, that's not really a bad thing.

It says they have NOT been ordered out of Izmir. We will not be in Southeast Turkey.

The USAF has been operating out of Izmir Air Station since 1952.

I suppose if one is concerned by this development - have to admit, it concerns me - then one could just stay on board, assuming CCL stops. There's not much damage terrorists can do to a 135,000 ton cruise ship at anchor.

Personally? I'll take my chances. But I wouldn't think you were crazy paranoid if you said you were staying aboard for that leg of the trip.