Hlitner

Be very careful using such a sentence. You might offend folks who have "anosmia." 🙂

Yes, and Chilian Sea Bass is Patagonian toothfish. Who cares?

Good Advice :). The problem (for us) is that we have been to all the ports (many times at some) including having even rented apartments in some of the places. Most of the excursions, small group or otherwise, would just not be attractive to us since these are all ports we would normally just do on our own, However, I did notice a few excursions that are about food/wine and those might be a good option. We booked this cruise primarily to experience "O" and get ourselves over to Europe (where we will spend a few weeks post cruise just doing a driving trip). When we originally did the booking we had not planned on any excursions. But Simply More has changed the situation with the $2600 shore excursion credit. If it was an option we would happily spend that money on decent bottles of wine. But no way are we going to leave unspent OBC...even if it means booking some excursions that we simply skip. It is a matter of principle. We once left unused OBC on a cruise and promised ourselves......never again. Hank

Awww. Not sure we can live with that!

ROFL. Being in my mid 70s I keep suggesting to DW that a time will come (if we live long enough) when I can no longer "do this stuff." But we can still manage 10 or so miles a day, and remember how to get back to the ship :). As to the nose ring....well lets just say that it has existed for a few decades/ Hank

Hmm. One reason we decided to book O was that some folks here convinced us that we would not "gag" on the cuisine! But you do have a good point. If we gag on the excursions than we may not make it to dinner 🙂 Hank

So here is our tale of woe! A few months ago we decided to book a simple 2 week Caribbean cruise (we often do not even bother to get off a ship in those waters). Because of a promotion, the Plus package did make sense. We than discovered that we could get a free upgrade to Premiere because of my Veterans status (another Princess promotion). So now we have all those Premiere perks (most of which we will not likely use) plus a hefty amount of OBC (thanks to our cruise agent, shareholder credit, veterans credit, etc). Such a burden :). Since our package does include two alternative dinners, we decided to go online and try to book those meals. But we do not see any option to use the included free meals. As to decent wines, that is a rarity on Princess (and even some of the luxury lines that we cruise). When we cruise on mass market lines (like Princess) we have learned to settle for wines that are "drinkable." Even that can be a challenge if ordering by the glass. And when we have tried to order "decent wines off the wine list we are often told "we do not have that wine." A few years ago I posted a theory that some mass market lines print very nice wine lists and include a smattering of decent bottles at higher prices. Most folks do not order those good wines but they do look impressive on the wine list :). We were recently on a different cruise line and tried to order a decent bottle of Puligny Montrachet. We were soon visited by the wine steward who informed us that they had not had that wine on the ship for the past year...although it was still on the wine list. At the time we were trying to use up a chunk of non-refundable OBC. I later ordered a decent glass of cognac only to be told, "we haven't had that wine since the COVID shutdown!" One might ask why it was on the booze list? Perhaps it is there just to fill the page and impress cruisers. Hank

I have never been on any O excursion (and would be happy to never be on any cruise line excursion). But even 25 would be about 23 more than I prefer. Just the thought of waiting for 25 folks to go to the bathroom is enough to drive me to the bar :). Yes, we can play the game and go along with the program. But our preference (for much of the world) is to simply do our own thing.\ So now DW and I will have to spend time sorting through more than a hundred excursions just to use that darn credit. Normally, we would just get off the ship and rent a car, take a train, grab a local bus, or use our legs. We understand that many cruisers prefer a guided excursions (even to get to the MDR on a ship) but it is just not our style. When I see a cruise ship tour group, following a guide who is holding up some kind of sign, I cannot help but think of a herd of cattle following a lead cow who has a bell! We have been on a few tours when I truly wanted to "moo." Hank

I have a friend who is "old school" and would prefer to use her horse instead of a car! But seriously, times have changed as has the preferences of most cruisers. Traditional dining is pretty much dead on most cruise lines. While I agree that many things used to be more simple, I will admit to enjoying the ability to make my own choices. For those that want to keep anything close to the old traditional dining scheme, they can simply make reservations at the same time (and MDR) for every night. You can also have a chat with the host/hostess and ask about keeping the same table every night (not always possible). You are right that is a bit complicated, but it is what it is. Consider that when we cruise on Seabourn (a luxury line) the MDR does not even open until 7PM and it is all open dining. Folks that prefer to dine at 5pm or even 6pm are out of luck unless they are willing to settle for room service. Hank

We have the Premier Package and do not see any option to book the specialty restaurants without inputting a credit card. In fact, we have been meaning to give Princess a call and ask about this issue. Hank

DW and I are a bit strange because we often enjoy the first night in one of the alternative restaurants. Why? We can sometimes get a decent discount (if we get a promotion with a coupon book there is usually 50% off). We also know that the first night is often a bit of a mess in the MDRs with folks not having a clue, queues usually longer/slower, etc. Rather than dealing with the usual first night "jitters" we find the alternative restaurants more quiet, less rushed, and usually a good place. Hank

As we posted previously, we really did well by changing to Simply More (we are actually ahead by $2400). But O does keep some of its past practices. As part of our Simply More package, O is giving us $2600 of shore excursion credits. While we do not like cruise line excursions we will certainly use the credits. But, when we looked at our cruise excursions, we found that O still has two different excursion pricing schemes. If we book 12 or more excursions (it is a 35 day cruise) we get 25% off of the excursions So now we have to find 12 excursions that hopefully add up to about the amount of our shore excursion credits. We have been to most of the ports on our cruise (many times in some cases) so we would normally have little interest in 2 excursions much less a dozen. So the big challenge for us is finding a dozen excursions that will not cause us to gag (being stuck on a bus with 60 of our friends is not our idea of fun). As one used to other cruise lines (none of which play these silly excursion games) we are somewhat puzzled as to why O would care if we booked 5 excursions or 12 excursions. We will do the math and find a way to stay within our shore excursion credit. We have actually received shore excursion credits on some other lines (HAL now does it with their HIA package) but we have never known another line to specify a minimum number of excursions in order to qualify for a 25% discount. To be honest, all this smoke and mirror baloney used by O does not endear us to the line. Hank

So Monterey is following the worldwide trend to minimize or eliminate cruise ship visits. Just in the USA we have seen restrictions in Key West, Bar Harbor, Charleston, and now Monterey. In Europe the trend has had a major impact on Venice and there is a movement to eliminate ships from La Spezia (Cinque Terre) and a few other ports and further restrict the number/size of ships visiting Santorini. What has happened? Not only is there the constant "thump thump thump" of environmental groups, but movements have now been joined by locals who simply do not like being overun by oversized cruise ships full of passengers who spend relatively little money when ashore. Being folks who enjoy DIY land trips and also cruises, we have mixed emotions. I do get both sides of the argument but will admit to liking the Key West restrictions and do understand the issue in Venice. Hank

I still remember the first time DW and I visited Stonehenge (over thirty years ago). We had a rental car and were driving to the site when we came up over a rise and there it was....those amazing stones just sitting there near the road. We parked in the visitor parking lot and walked over to the site. In those days you could walk among the stones, touch them (not a good idea), and wonder "how on earth did those big stones get to that location?" On a subsequent visit the government has "improved" the area, built a pedestrian tunnel under the road, and surrounded the site with a rope barrier to keep folks away from the stones. The only exception was for the blind...who were permitted to cross the rope and touch the stones. I cannot imagine what additional "improvements" have been made since our last visit, but I am glad we got to see the site before it was "improved!" But I do hope it does not go the way of Lands End with its carnival rides, cotton candy, etc. Hank

Yep, rent a car! When we have gone to Lake Maggiore, we used Stresa as our home base and did various day trips around the lake and in the region. It is a very rural area and having our own car was a huge advantage. As long as you are flying home from an Italian airport, it is relatively easy to arrange a 1-way rental where you pick up your car in Civitavecchia (there are a few options) and drop at your chosen airport. We often prefer to use Autoeurope.com or Kemwel.com (sister companies) who are located in New England. They are consolidators (discounters) for various rental car companies (i.e. Hertz, Europcar, Budget, etc) and usually have decent prices and good customer service. The drive will generally take around 7 hours and the route allows for some interesting stop-overs if you have the time. For example, you could drive up to Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre) for 1 or 2 nights. A different route could take you through Bologna, Parma and Milan. Lots of decent options, especially if you have a few extra days (or weeks). Hank

We have rented from Hertz, but it was a few years ago. I cannot recall if we hiked from the port (our norm) or managed to get a taxi to take us the rental car office (taxis do not want to do these short hauls). I think the best thing that has ever happened for fans of rental/leased cars has been GPS :). These days, we simply need our phone, but we actually once had a Garman Nuvi loaded with European maps. Prior to that, we used to carry over 5 pounds of maps and map books. Somehow our marriage survived the days when I would ask DW "which way" or "where are we" and she would respond with something like "if I don't know where we are how can I find us on the map?" Hank

This is one time when we are in agreement with Edinburgher. We crusiers are an interesting lot :). We take cruises, during the busy tourist season, to some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and than expect to find a "quiet beach." There are many beaches on Mykonos, they are all well known (by locals and tourists) and if you can find a "quiet beach" it is likely quiet for a good reason :(. The reality is that during the busy season it can sometimes be a challenge to just rent well located loungers on any beach. We have often posted about our normal DIY day where we simply make our way to bus depot (parking area) near the windmills, and base our beach selection on the "next bus." The last time we were on Mykonos we had planned on taking the bus out to Paradise Beach, but when we got to the bus area the next bus was going to Platis Gialos. Rather than wait 40 minutes for the bus to Paradise we simply hopped on the waiting bus that took us out to Gialos :). The reality is that both of those beaches are packed in the tourist season and such is life. So, forget "quiet" and just make your choice. Hank

The entire region is dotted with attractive small villages and a car/driver should be able to show you a decent sampling. St Emillion is a must and there are also many attractive places in the Grionde area. When we are in the area with a rental car it is not an issue of "what to do" or "where to go" but more like a battle of "how many places can we visit in the allotted time." We really enjoy this part of France :). Hank

When asked this question my response is the French expression, Comme ci comme sa. We have been to Honfleur (usually with our own rental car) when there were empty taxis just sitting around the small harbor (the soul of Honfleur). But there are other times when you might not be so lucky. Keep in mind that French taxi drivers are well aware of cruise ships (most taxi drivers can spot a cruiser from some distance) and know you need to get back to Le Havre. Their fares can increase if they think you are desperate. If you are going to use a taxi, try to make an arrangement with your taxi driver to later pick you up and also ask if they have a card (with phone numbers). We have often seen larger van/taxis at Le Harve who will charge 25 Euros (per person) and make arrangements to pick-up at a certain time, When you get to the taxi queue (in front of the small port terminal, be politely assertive in asking the drivers about round trip to Honfleur, , In France, "radio taxis" are pretty common so having phone numbers of local taxis and taxi companies is a good back-up. Those who have followed my posts (over a lot of years) know that we are big fans of rental cars in many ports. Why? It is often less expensive than taxis and avoids the anxiety of worrying about "how do I get back to the ship?" With a car, we will usually combine a visit to Honfleur with a brief stop at nearby Deauville and Trouville-sur-mer, A little further afar is the town of Bouvron-en-auge, which is worth a stop if one has their own car (too far if paying a taxi). Hank

Moving back to the OPs request, with a group of 4 we would simply try to get a taxi from the port (taxis charge by the taxi...not per person) directly to the train station. The bus depot is also adjacent to the station so you will actually have two good options, the train or the bus. Both are pretty fast (think in terms of 30-45 min (the bus is usually faster than the train). Once at the station you can check the schedules and make a decision on which method better fits the time. Unlike Edinburgher, we are not big fans of Marseille (we have explored that area) although DW and I can easily spend a day just having a very long lunch of Bouillabaisse :). Aix is a terrific city for shopping, some museums, and just strolling around the old town. DW and I always debate whether to have lunch at one of the nice restaurants along the Cours Mirabeau or to simply look for anything inviting in old town. And yes, we are somewhat obsessed with eating in France :). We have often been surprised at meeting cruisers who run around France and could care less about food/wine. When it comes to countries like France, Spain and Italy; food/wine is an important part of their culture. Hank

Beer! I am talking real beer, not that watered down stuff called "lite beer." Depending on my mood I will move between a full flavored lager/pilsner and a decent IPA. Hank

Interesting thread, Dining has really changed, and not just on ships. Consider that many of our fellow Americans prefer to dine by 5:30 and be finished within an hour (some think that is too long). True dining, in America, is almost dead except in some higher end restaurants generally located in major cities. Go on most American-based cruise ships and folks are queuing up for dinner by 5 and whining if they cannot eat by 5:30. In much of Florida, many folks head out for "early bird" dinners before 5! One of our current favorite cruise lines is Seabourn. That line does not even open its MDR until 7pm (open dining from 7-9). We have friends, who usually cruise on HAL and Celebrity, who will not cruise on Seabourn (or some other luxury lines) because they refuse to be on a ship where they cannot dine before 6! DW and I still enjoy "dining" and will generally head to the MDR around 7:30-8. We love to share large tables, and have no problem if it takes 2 hours to eat dinner (it is often the best social event of the day). Our major complaint on some ships is that dinner is served too fast (we have sometimes asked our waiter to "slow down."). But we do think that "dining" is being lost in our North American culture. Hank

The best restaurant/meal we have ever had was many years ago in Nice, France at Chanteclar. As the time, that restaurant had a Michelin star and their chef was Dominigue LeStanc. Once the chef got his 2nd star he retired from the world of haute cuisine and opened a tiny place in Old Town Nice (Le Merenda) where he only cooks pretty basic regional cuisine. We recently dined at Le Merenda) where we were somewhat disappointed in the cuisine. The 2nd best meal was also in France at Boyer Les Crayeres (Reims) which is now a Michelin 2 Star restaurant in a gorgeous hotel. At the time, Gerard Boyer (a 3 Star chef) was at the helm and our entire experience was simply amazing! He has since retired and we have not returned to experience their current chef. Hank

ROFL Brucemuzz. I will confess to only buying Lavazza (carton with 6-Kilo bags) whole beans. I have never noticed any cockroach parts, but than again! Come to think of it, quite a few cruise lines get their coffee from US suppliers and they are already roasted/ground. One wonders what is really in those large coffee vats we find in the Lido :). For those buying the ground cockroaches with their coffee, I wonder if they have the basis for a law suit since the net weight of coffee is not accurate. Hank

Bob's your uncle! 🙂 Hank