Hlitner

And today, you could cruise on a 7 night cruise with MSC for LESS than $699 per person. Go figure. Hank

We had it on a recent (March-April) TA with Oceania. Our service was very good, throughout the voyage. But keep in mind that having a decent Satellite link is only 1 part of the formula that brings you decent Internet. Much depends on the onboard equipment (switches, routers, boosters, etc) and how the communications folks allocate the available bandwidth, and the actual amount of bandwidth (which is bought by the cruise line). On the Oceania Vista, I recall seeing 6 separate Starlink antennas. In our experience, with many cruise lines, HAL has usually ranked among the slowest for Internet, but we have only cruised on the older (nothing newer than Vista class) HAL vessels. Hank

We noticed your "gap" post and just assumed that the ship was going in for a routine drydock (likely in the Bahamas). Do you think they are simply eliminating Le Dame and perhaps repurposing that venue? Speaking of that subject, with Seabourn we are seeing a lousy trend where the cruise line charters their ships, even after they have accepted lots of bookings. Some of their charters are over 10 days long..so perhaps SS is heading in that same direction. You probably also noticed that the gap is during the Thanksgiving (USA) holiday. Hank

Since the story is about sales/marketing we shall keep to that topic. Combining that aspect, and some other aspects (such as purchasing) can be advantageous to the company because of economies of scale. On a HAL cruise, last year, we were chatting with another couple and mentioned how much we liked Seabourn. Their response was "what is Seabourn?" These folks had cruised hundreds of days with both Princess and HAL, but had not even heard of SB. This got me thinking. Why not have marketing materials (like brochures) for SB, at the Future Cruise Office on HAL ships? Most cruisers who book luxury lines, get their cruise start with mass market lines. Moving up to SB, from HAL, makes a lot of sense. Keeping the marketing of the different brands separate, means missing out on a ready market of likely cruisers. We recently saw a similar situation with the new luxury brand, Explora Journeys. This line is wholly owned by MSC, but when they started the new small ship luxury line (EJ) they kept it completely separate from MSC. On MSC ships they have the "Yacht Club" which is a ship within a ship luxury product. The folks who cruise in the YC are likely customers for any luxury line, but the MSC folks were so darn brand conscious that they truly missed the boat by not marketing to their YC customers. After nearly a year of operations, MSC got rid of EJ's sales manager and brought in more MSC folks. An early move of the new marketing folks has been to reach out to previous YC customers. We also see this combining of resources and joint brand marketing with Silversea. Just recently, the RCI folks decided to give past cruise loyalty credit, across their brands. So now, somebody who has never been on Silversea, who has status with RCI or Celebrity, can immediately qualify for some of the amenities given to past loyalty customers. It would be like HAL giving cross-brand status to Princess cruisers. It is a good marketing ploy and one that is now spreading through the industry. For those that would complain that this just "waters down" the benefits of the Mariners Club levels, the reality is that Club Orange has already achieved much of that gain. Marketing is not always something that will get the approval of "loyal" customers, But the goal is to attract new customers. If HAL were to give free laundry to anyone who has achieved Elite Status with Princess, it would likely bring in more new customers. Those who already have 4-5* Star status with HAL would just have to lick their wounds (some folks would feel "its not fair") but they are not going elsewhere because other folks have gained an amenity. Just consider that HAL replaced the Guest Services priority line, that used to exist for 4-5*, with a priority line for those who pay for Club Orange. Now, a first-time HAL cruiser, who books Club Orange, gets more priority than a 5* Mariner (or even President's Club). Hank

We are on the Shadow for a 14 day Caribbean cruise in early December, Yesterday, the booking window (for restaurant reservations) opened at the 120 day mark. But looking on the web site, it shows Le Dame "Unavailable" for the entire cruise. Is that normal? Hank

Perhaps they get lucky and perhaps they don"t :).

My question to the OP is "why just use the HAL web site?" Many of the decent cruise agency sites do show you prices, and our favorite sites show comparisons of all the various fares (such as with and without HIA) in a comparison that is displayed on a single screen. I cannot mention specific sites since that would violate CC posting rules, but there are quite a few decent sites. Keep in mind that the decent cruise agencies have their online system linked to HAL's (and most other cruise lines) system, so they display real time info such as which cabins, in each category, are available. Hank

My answer will surprise some, but we think the best way is to simply socialize on cruise ships and ask folks how they book their cruises. I used to joke that liking to share larger tables has probably saved us over $100,000. What we learn from fellow cruisers, over more than 50 years of extensive cruising, has saved us a lot of money. The bonus is that it also enhances our knowledge about which cruises. ships, and cruise lines to book and avoid. Also keep in mind that one person's good TA may not work for others. For example, we need no "hand holding" from our cruise agents, so our priorities for cruise agents are good service and the best overall deals. The deal thing is quite interesting because it is possible to save 7-10% + on many bookings by simply shopping around for the right agencies. On some of our longer cruises, the savings by using the right cruise agency can mean saving thousands of dollars (on a single booking) versus booking directly with a cruise line. We sometimes remind our favorite cruise agents (we currently have two) that our loyalty is only as good as the last deal. Hank

LOL, it depends on how much luggage one has. When I had 150 pounds, it seemed like at least 6 blocks. With no luggage,2 blocks :).

Your post is a somewhat confusing. The Alhambra is located in Granada, which is about 90 miles from the port and Malaga. Taking a taxi would cost many hundreds of Euros as you would need to hire the taxi for the entire day. If you are talking about going between the Port of Malaga and downtown Malaga, one can do that with a taxi, bus, or even a long walk (our favorite way). Hank

All the cruise lines contract with land-based tour companies, to provide their excursions. The cruise lines do impose certain requirements on these shore-based companies including that they have an adequate level of insurance. Many insurance policies, that apply to excursions, include age requirements as part of the policy Hence, there are age requirements (especially for things like snorkeling, sailing, etc). What you choose to do on your own, be it booking your own tours with land-based companies or just going on your own, is not necessarily subject to the same requirements Hank

I can just tell you how it has worked on other cruise lines. Since you are not disembarking, in San Juan, you would not normally need to deal with any "customs" formalities. You will need to clear immigration (essentially a Passport/document check). Whether you physically need to deal with the CBP folks, or whether the EJ Pursers staff will handle it, we are not sure. But either way, it should not be a big hassle. Hank

We had a similar kind of e-mail a little more than a year ago (after a 6 week Westerdam voyage). Like most e-mails we get from HAL, it was immediately deleted without much thought.

The OP talks about a starting point at Rome Termini (which is the main train station). If you are already at the station, it does make sense to take the train. One can take a one way regional train for about 4.60 Euros per person (one way). These trains do not have reservations and run about every hour. If going mid-day, and starting from Termini (where these trains originate) you would usually have no problem grabbing seats. No need to pay the bigger bucks for a slightly faster train. But there is a downside. The tracks used for the regional trains (to Civitavecchia) are at the far end of Termini, so its a hike within the station (it feels like about 2 city blocks). But if you can handle your luggage, not a problem. Once at Civitavecchia you can use shuttle buses or simply grab a taxi (which can take you directly to your pier). It does bear repeating that one must always keep luggage security in mind. We carry a luggage cable lock (like a lightweight bicycle cable lock) that we use if we need to leave luggage at the ned of the car. You simply secure your luggage to each other and to something solid on the train. This makes it very difficult for a thief to simply grab your luggage and hop off the train at an intervening stop. Hank

Keep in mind that it is sometimes possible to book, onboard, even if it does show "sold out" here in our accounts. When we previously booked the Retreat, we did it onboard. One simply stops at the Seabourn Square and asks the customer service folks if there is any availability. We actually waited until there was a favorable weather forecast, and booked late in the day before we went to the Retreat.

Good question. We have been on many different cruise lines (including hundreds of days on HAL) and the rule of thumb is that the crew (on HAL and other lines) try to avoid any confrontation with passengers. Nobody is going to "card" a 14 year old and kick them out of a hot tub, unless they are really acting out. And even then, it is more than likely that somebody might tell them to calm down...rather than kick them out of the hot tub. Hank

When I go into my account and look under "Gift and Extras" where it lists the Retreat it says, "2 Spots Left." Under "sea day" it tells me "sold out" and under "port day" is says "limited capacity." I will assume, from prior cruises, if it says nothing that would mean there is plenty of availability. You raise another issue which is about the lack of decent padded loungers on Seabourn (except in the Retreat). I have previously posted that we also find this terrible faux pas for what is billed as a luxury cruise line. I could compare that to our recent Oceania Vista cruise where every lounger is nicely padded. Explora Journeys also has some of the most comfy passed loungers in the business. Why a luxury line (Seabourn) does not have luxury loungers is a mystery. It is something easily corrected. At this level (Luxury) of quality, it is the little things that matter. Hank

Folks have two choices, when traveling to Japan (especially if you fly-in or disembark in Japan). Choice 1 is to simply ignore (at your own peril) the Japanese Law/Regulations and carry your drugs (prescription and OTC) as usual. You are simply taking your chances that nobody will care, nobody will search your luggage, and all will be well. Choice 2 is to fully comply with the Japanese Law, which is quite strict. Rather than depend on others here on CC, we suggest that folks go to the appropriate Japanese web site Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan (mhlw.go.jp) where you can read the actual regulations. If you do technically need to apply for the import certificate (which is how the Japanese government views the process) than it is somewhat time consuming. Also keep in mind you will need to submit (it can be done via e-mail) a physician signed copy of your prescriptions. When we have gone through the process, we simply asked our physicians office for a signed print-out of all our "scripts" which we scanned and sent to Japan along with the application. In the past 6 years we have applied, twice, because we entered Japan with more than a 30 day drug supply. On one occasion we received our approval within a few days. On the other occassion, the Japanese authorities came back and requested that we provide the drug manufacturer and country of manufacture for each drug (this is on the forms and we had originally said "various." Once we provided that info, we had our approval within 3 days. On our flights into Japan, nobody asked to see our approval or even asked about our drugs. One of my scripts, for a popular blood pressure med, is actually on the semi-restricted Japanese list. Even this was approved, without a problem. Ironically, there was one time when we were flying back to the USA and had to change planes at Narita. Even though we were "in transit" and not staying in Japan, their immigration/customs agents decided to completely search our carry-on bags, which had plenty of drugs (script and OTC). They had a lot of interest in each of those drugs, asked us some questions, but did quickly say "Ok." However, we did not have any narcotics or mood-altering drugs (such as Ambien) which might have caused us lots of grief. Once upon a time I lived in Japan (for two years) and became very comfortable with their culture. The Japanese authorities do not give much (or any) leeway when it comes to enforcing their written rules. "Respect" is an important part of the Japanese culture, and not to comply with the rules (if you get caught) will often be viewed as disrespectful and likely cause you some grief...even if they ultimately let you off the hook. But if you get caught with prohibited items, you can expect (at the very least) that they will seize those items! Hank

Like many SB cruisers, we have tried the Retreat (on the Ovation) and were underwhelmed. For us, it was not about the cost (we had plenty of OBC which made it essentially free). The Retreat was very nice, the Bollinger good, lunch menu was small but good, and service was amazing! But, for us, it was not ideal because we enjoy socializing, and the Retreat turned out to be a very private experience. On our cruise, most Retreat users kept to themselves (and everyone honored a high level of privacy). I do think it is a terrific option for a couple that prefers to be left along, does not want to interact with other passengers, etc. We are on the Encore for 3 weeks (three segments), later this month, and just looked at our account. There are still 2 full cruise Retreat places available, and the full day rentals are sold out. I am not sure how many of the Cabanas are reserved for the full cruise, but I will assume it is at least 6 units. So this means that with 300 couples on the ship, fewer than 10 are interested in booking the Retreat for an entire voyage. Hank

Might not be as bad as you would expect. Our last few cruises out of Port Everglades have started boarding earlier, than in years past. In fact, on one Princess cruise they started boarding folks about 10:45! In your situation we would enjoy a late breakfast, grab our carry-ons, and head up to the pool deck where we would relax in loungers with our Kindles. Depending on your ship, you might be able to get coffee while you relax. Once they make an announcement that everyone must be off the ship (on some ships this has been as late as (9:45) you walk off the ship, get your luggage, and find your way to the next terminal. By that time, you will be able to drop your luggage. With luck, you may not need to wait more than 1-2 hours. Hank

We live about 180 miles from NYC and the Red Hook Terminal and have cruised out of that port, a few times. On longer cruises we find it more economical to do one-way rental cars. We drop the car in Brooklyn (location depends on which company) and get an Uber to the port. Finding a good long-term parking garage in Brooklyn is very unlikely! Hank

We do not tire of Rome (been there about 2 dozen times) but understand that it all comes down to personal likes. Yes, we have seen all the usual sites (and many that are not usual) but none of that qualified as our best day in Rome. So, what was our best, most fun day? It happened by accident and with no planning (some of our best experiences have happened without any planning). We left our hotel, on a gorgeous summer day, and decided to walk over to the Piazza Navona (one of our favorite places) for a cappuccino. Sat down, about 10:30 at one of the cafes that had a view of the piazza and "Four Rivers Fountain." After nursing the drink, for about an hour, we were really enjoying the people watching (you can guess where tour groups come from by the way folks dress). Ordered another cappuccino and enjoyed more people watching. Around 12:30, we decided to order some lunch and wine, and kept enjoying all the people watching and chatting with some folks at a nearby table. Finally, about 3:30 we decided it was time to move on:) The "People Watching" and atmosphere made it our favorite day in Rome. Go figure. By the way, if one were to tire of the Piazza Navona, walk a few blocks to the Campo de Fiori and start all over again :). Lots to love about Rome. Hank

You would normally be OK with that flight, but things do vary depending on your cruise line and the US CBP authorities. When we have a flight, that early, we use express disembarkation (which means you must get your own luggage off the ship) which makes us among the first off the ship. Normally, we will use Uber/Lyft since their prices are decent and we do not need to wait for other to share. Figure on about an hour to get the airport (with luck you will make it in 45 min) and you would want to be at FLL by 9:30. Hank

We do not use cruise line web sites, preferring the booking engines of several of our favorite cruise agencies (which also enhance bookings with an additional on board credit). Looking at that March 27, Ovation cruise we see availability of V1-V4 veranda suites as well as the larger suites of O2, SS, and even the very large GR Grand Wintergarden Suite. Hank

There is no decent snorkeling off the beaches of Puerto Vallarta. Many snorkel excursions will take their folks to an area called Los Arcos (a few large off-shore rocks) but we have found that area underwhelming. There are some better snorkeling spots south of PV, but that would not be a good option for folks on a cruise. Hank