Hlitner

We will sit back at hope that Cruisemom sees this thread and jumps in with her hotel suggestions. We have yet to find the "perfect" Rome hotel although we do favor places in the Piazza Navona/Campo de Fiori part of town. Like most major cities, frequent travelers all seem to have their favorite neighborhoods. I do like to find locations that are convenient for walking to local eating venues and some nightlife. In Rome, we worry less about tourist sites since we can always use public transit and our feet to get to those areas in daytime. Hank

Then you are in big trouble :). As confirmed DIY folks, are knowledge of private tour/transfer companies is limited. When going from Rome to Civitavecchia we hardly ever use a transfer company If we do not have a lot of luggage we may just take the train. Otherwise, we just have our hotel get us a taxi. We have also had a lot of experience with rental cars and have often dropped or picked up a car in Civitavecchia pre/post cruise. Our personal knowledge of Rome In Limo and Rome Cabs primarily comes from using transfer companies to get from the port to FCO for an early flight. One warning about recommendations. The travel world has changed because of COVID. Many companies (around the world) have either changed ownership or simply disappeared. And those that survived have often been forced to replace experienced folks with new hires. It is almost like we are starting all over again...with a clean slate and many companies have employee shortages. We recently saw this, first hand, while cruising in Asia where quite a few private tours and ship excursions were cancelled (we think it was mostly due to skilled labor shortages). In Europe the changes are sometimes surprising. Shortly after travel reopened in Greece, DW and I took a ferry to Naxos (from Pireaus). We had booked a rental car from a Europcar office, located a few blocks from the ferry port. When we got to that Europcar office it had become a motorcycle rental shop. The local Europcar franchisee had closed that office over 6 months earlier, and Europcar (normally an excellent company) had failed to update their web site (and they kept taking reservations for an office that did not exist). A minor bump in the road of independent travel, but also a heads-up that many things have changed as the result of COVID. Hank

Folks might also consider that HAL has now ended its contract for the Lincoln Center Stage groups. What replaces it (if anything) is still a question. On our recent Westerdam cruise the Lincoln Center Stage was simply a dark (and unused) room for the last 28 days. Hank

Good topic. We are more "old folks" and often stay onboard during Caribbean port calls. Why? Nearly 50 years of cruising and flying to the Caribbean have left us with a better appreciation of staying aboard? Our personal record was on a Celebrity cruise that stopped at 9 Caribbean ports and we never left the ship until the 9th port (St Maarten). We have an upcoming 2 week Princess cruise and may not bother to get off the ship except when back in FLL (back to back cruises with turn around day). So some folks (especially young cruisers) might ask why take a cruise if you are not going to visit the ports. And we would counter that we often take cruises because we truly love to be on cruise ships....so why bother getting off! When the ships are relatively empty (in port) it is a delight with no difficulty getting a lounger, no lines for food, no lines (and great service) for drinks. The only reason we get off the ship in the Caribbean is for a beach day (we are beach people and have our favorite beaches on every island). Snorkeling is also something we enjoy (now too old to SCUBA) but many of our previously favorite snorkel spots have been ruined by big storms and/or tourists that have no respect for the coral. Hank

Sir? OMG...it has come to that :). Sorry, but I have no personal knowledge of either of those sites/companies. Hank

You might also keep in mind that Jaz Beach is about 12 miles from the port at Kotor and taxis are not cheap. The norm would be to hire a taxi for at least 1/2 of a day and have the driver wait. I do not know the exact cost but it is likely at least 150 Euros (and possibly a lot more) Another option (which we have done a couple of times) is to rent a car at Kotor (you should arrange this in advance). While it is very congested in the Kotor area, once away from the town the traffic is quite manageable. If you are a bit more adventurous, you could take a public bus from Kotor to Budva, and try to get a taxi in Budva for the short drive to Jaz Beach. The risk would be that it might be difficult to get a return taxi when you need it. Hank

If you are asking about getting a taxi at Naples to take you to Mt Vesuvius, the answer is yes...but it is going to be expensive since you will want that taxi to wait for the return trip. But finding a taxi at Mt Vesuvius to bring you back to Naples is going to be very difficult. Keep in mind that for crusiers, visits to the area "originate" primarily at the ports of Naples, Salerno, Amalfi and (tender port). If you want a private vehicle tour of the area we would recommend you make prior arrangements (this can be done online) before your trip. There are local tour providers who can provide you with nice vehicles, English speaking drivers/guides, etc. Taxi drivers do not usually speak a lot of English, and are not licensed tour guides. Also understand that Pompeii is not actually at Mt Vesuvius but rather about 15 miles distant (by road). And yes, you can go to the base of Mt Vesuvius (where there is a National Park) and hike up to the summit. Hank

Beach lovers (which include me) are now facing restrictions in some popular beach locations of Italy. As life-long independent travelers, DW and I will often seek out beautiful beaches (generally far away from cruise ship tours). But like other places in Italy (i.e. Venice, Cinque Terre, etc) overtourism coupled with local popularity has resulted in various authorities imposing restrictions. Here is a link to an interesting article about some of the problem: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italian-beaches-daily-cap-on-visitors-summer/index.html We have previously posted about the overtourism problem which is sometimes made much worse by the presence of huge cruise ships. One of the best examples are the five villages of Cinque Terre, which have long been a popular day destination for many in the area. But, when the authorities allowed large ships to stop at nearby La Spezia, what had been a problem became almost untenable. For beach lovers, the situation is even more acute on some of the popular Greek Islands. A couple of years ago we drove over to a popular beach on Naxos, and by 11am the place was packed with so many visitors that there were no more available sunbeds. This is also a problem at a few of the most popular beaches on Mykonos where, on a busy day, it can be difficult to rent a sunbed without an advance reservation. Many places can no longer handle the larger ships (many with over 4000 souls) and when they get 2 or 3 of these mega-ships the situation becomes acutely uncomfortable. It is difficult to see a short-term solution to overtourism. Consider that MSC Cruises (which is major player in the Med) has over 20 ships that are constantly visiting the most popular destinations. US-based companies like RCI, Celebrity, and RCI, are now sending some of their largest ships to these same ports. When we are on cruise ships, we join the hoards (although we often go off on our own to lesser visited places). But when we are doing long driving trips, we deliberately seek out places not visited (or within daytrip range) of cruise ships. Now that COVID is in the rear mirror, the anti-cruiseship groups are again flexing their muscles. It is happening in the USA (Charleston, Bar Harbor, Key West, etc) and Europe (Venice, Cinque Terre, Santorini, etc) and in parts of the Caribbean. The big cruise corporations have responded by helping develop some ports (so they can handle more ships) which inevitably will lead to more restrictions as locals push back against overtourism. On a recent HAL cruise, we met a gentleman who founded one of the most popular series of tour books (he has sold out his interest). When DW asked him his favorite place to visit, he thought for a few minutes and finally replied "Chad." Interesting that the man whose books have helped cause overtourism in many places would choose an unpopular tourist country as his current favorite place. Hank

Yes.

When you get to Belam, be sure to walk to Pasteis de Belem and enjoy a few of their famous pastries with your favorite beverage. I still dream about those sweet things. Hank

If you want a private transfer company we would add "Rome Cabs" (Romecabs.com) to the list. Another option (assuming you can easily handle all your luggage) is to take a train to Civitavecchia and than grab a shuttle bus to the port. Hank

I find this kind of topic almost laughable. The OP asks a question or is the OP simply looking for affirmation of a decision already made? If it is the latter we say "rah rah rah,,,,its a great decision..you have nothing to fear (unless things go wrong)...and have a great cruise :). Perhaps that is what the OP wants to hear. Hank

First, you need to understand that Normandy is a relatively large Provence. It is not just a D-Day beach. I can understand the OP's reluctance to trek all the way to Paris which will mean spending at least 5 hours (round trip). DW and I really love Paris, but for us it is a place to spend days or weeks...not a few hours. I also do not get the "Normandy is too expensive" as just like any place the traveler can work with a budget. So what to do? If the OP prefers a smaller village than he/she could use public transportation (bus) or share a large taxi and visit Honfleur and perhaps also Deauville. If they would rather visit a larger city than I suggest getting a shared taxi (or taking a long walk) to the Le Havre train station and catching the next train to Rouen. Once in Rouen, assuming you have no mobility issues, you can simply walk throughout the city (from the train station). Your cost for an entire day trip to Rouen does not need to be over $100 (for two). If the OP only take cruise line excursions...well that is their own hang up and have a great trip. Hank

We could recommend several lines ranging from typical mass market (i.e. Princess) to smaller ship luxury lines. But your question is too general. Give us some idea of your budget, how long you want to cruise, whether you prefer small or larger ships, etc. I will make a suggestion, not always appreciated on a cruise site. When it comes to Ireland (we have been there on several cruises and also spent 2 extended driving trips on the island) we think a land trip beats any cruise....by a mile. Ireland (and we are speaking of the Republic) is an interesting place with much of the island not easily accessible to cruisers who only have 1 or 2 port days. To us, the best of Ireland was when we had a rental car (one must master driving on the left) and spent most of our nights at B&Bs and Inns. We particularly loved western Ireland which was beautfiul and welcoming. One hint. If you fly Europe on Aer Lingus, they used to allow a stop-over in Ireland (either Dublin or Shannon) for a number of days (used to be about 10). Those stopovers did not add any cost to the fare, so we used Aer Lingus to get to places in Europe where we either took a cruise or did a self-driving land trip. The free stopover was a way to spend time in Ireland without paying for additional air. Not sure if this option still exists, but it is worth checking out if you are interested. Hank

One warning about the Woodwind (on Bonaire). It is a popular option with many folks and can be booked-up very far in advance. Another fun option on Bonaire is to rent a "golf cart" for the day and drive yourself around the island. We have rented those carts for 2 (they have larger one's that can hold 4) which left us with plenty of room to put our snorkel gear on the back. It is a fabulous way to explore the entire island. As to the Woodwind, Dee is an amazing hostess and we have been on her boat 3 times. A delightful time for snorkelers. Dong a drift snorkel between Bonaire and Klein Bonaire (weather permitting) is loads of fun. Hank

We love to socialize with folks on cruises, so do little to separate ourselves from the masses :). That being said, we practice a simple common sense approach which has served us well. 1. If we are near folks who are doing a lot of coughing/sneezing, we generally move to a different location and 2. We try to minimize our use of elevators which has several advantages including getting us more exercise as well as avoiding the sealed chamber (elevator) which is akin to being inside a germ incubator. We also wash our hands more than our norm when not on a ship. I might add that DW used to get URIs/cabin cough, and many cruises. These simple and very basic steps have had very positive results on numerous voyages. Hank

We have never been a fan of the auto grats system (have posted this thought many times over the years) and prefer the upscale lines where prices are higher, but grats are not part of the equation (we actually had a crew member refuse a tip on Seabourn). That being said, we understand that this has become an industry tradition (we have been cruising for 50 years) and go along with the program. That being said, since the cruise lines play this game we seldom tip extra! We figure if the cruise line wants to set a grat amount, and add grats on to drinks, than we except their standard. Since we do anytime dining, we do not have a regular wait staff. If we happen to get an extraordinary cabin steward, who goes above and beyond, than we will reward him/her in addition to the auto grats. In the bars (we do enjoy adult beverages), we sometimes get a very special bar tender or bar waiter. In that case, we may directly slip that person some extra cash, but that is not our norm In the old days, when tips were personal (usually via envelopes handed to individuals) we were much more generous than the "guidelines." As to "packages" on the mass market lines (like Princess) I do see the wisdom in folks paying for what they want, rather than paying for things they do not want. Consider that when we cruise on Seabourn (or other luxury lines) everyone pays a higher price for what is essentially an all-inclusive cruise experience. This means that the folks who do not drink booze are subsidizing those of us who do imbibe. We have heard some grumbling from teetotalers that they are forced to subsidize drinkers...but that simply goes with the territory on the luxury lines. Arguably, the system used on Princess (and many other mass market lines) does make some sense since those who do not drink or use the Internet need not pay for those items. Hank

Did a double-take when I saw the topic. Type A flu in Europe in the summer? If the diagnosis is accurate than that may not bode well for next fall/winter's flu season :(. Hank

For those who travel in pairs, you can use a $20 Peso note on the buses. The fare collection machines have a place where you can insert bills and the twenty will cover two fares. With the newer fare collection system, drivers are no longer supposed to make change. We have actually been on some buses where passenger, near the front of the bus, helped some folks with change. But that is not the norm. For those not familiar with Mexican currency, they do have 5 and 10 peso coins which are great for the buses Hank

Interesting about the aft stairway/elevators not going to deck 5. That got our interest because our booked cabin (which we can still change) is located relatively close to the aft elevators. A careful look at the deck plan seems to show that the aft stairs/elevators would be in a crew space, on Deck 5, which I am guessing is part of the galley. So, access to Deck 5 (a deck with many facilities) is limited to only the forward stairs/elevators. Certainly a design anomaly, if not a flaw. I imagine it will cause some issues for those with mobility limitations who have aft cabins. Hank

Decades of independent travel (and over 10,000 miles of driving within Italy) has taught me to be a bit cautious (with time) and always have a Plan B. In your case I would be fine if I knew I could catch-up to the ship the following day (in case we missed embarkation). Why all the caution? Cars break down, cars get flat tires, accidents happen which can cause massive traffic delays. etc Odds are certainly in your favor and as long as you are comfortable that is all that matters :). Hank

I get it, that you were on a cruise with a group of unpleasant ship mates. But lets put this in perspective. Just about every cruise line either sells drink packages or includes alcohol. "O" is no different from other lines when it comes to this issue. Over our 50 years of extensive cruising, we have seen bad drunks on many cruises with many cruise lines. It is inevitable, and most ships depend on staff and their security folks to deescalate or deal with these kind of folks. But on most cruise lines, the security folks are few (and far between). So what to do? We think the best solution (for most passengers) is to put some distance between yourself and unpleasant folks. If the situation becomes completely untenable, you might want to quietly get to a crew member and call the situation to their attention, or get to a phone can call the ship's emergency number (often 911) and ask for security. Over the years we have often been critical of various cruise lines (which has gotten us flamed here on CC) but we call it like we see it. But, other than mentioning the problem, we have never suggested that folks avoid a cruise line because of a bad batch of passengers on a cruise. It can happen on any ship or any line. Hank

A big difference in our thinking is that we think in terms of the entire cruise industry (and many cruise lines) where you seem to restrict your thinking to O ). I have good reason to believe that many of O's "preferred partners" are part of consortiums. In fact, our favorite two agencies both fit into that box. All the cruise lines have little choice but to be in bed with the major corsortiums since they generate such a huge amount of business. To me, what is of great interest, is the fact that cruisers can often benefit from both agency perks and consortium perks. Many agencies choose to keep their clients in the dark, when some of their perks come from a consortium. I guess it is not relevant to most cruisers since they happily accept the OBCs and other perks without questioning their source (i.e. cruise line, cruise agency, or travel consortium). Hank

I also feel the OP's pain. But as a frequent world traveler (and flyer) if I were to not fly with every airline that has done me wrong, I would likely be staying home :). These days, travelers need to be their own advocate (nobody else will do it) and stay on top of all the different travel issues. Code shares can be a real problem, and I want to see real ticket numbers and also find my reservation on the various code share airlines! When I think of the airlines that have always treated me well, they are all European or Asian airlines. All the US airlines have screwed me more than once. I am talking about AA, Delta, and United. Ironically, we have never been mistreated by Southwest which we must assume is just luck. Hank

While I have some empathy for the OP's dilemma, in some ways he/she got what they paid for! With NCLH companies, you are dealing with a system that encourages folks to take the cruise line arranged air (you get whatever they they choose to give) rather than make your own flight choices (some NCLH lines charge extra for that service). Other companies, such as many with CCL and RCI, do not charge extra fees for folks making their own choices, and even have online booking engines where cruisers can explore various flight options, prices, and make their own choices. So, the OP took their chances (to save a few dollars) and now they are going to pay the price in time. That being said, it can even happen to folks that choose their own flights. My advice to the OP is consider this a lesson learned! If you use cruise/air in the future, only do it when you have the ability to choose your own flights. If the cruise line cannot do that, or is not price competitive, than book your own flights through normal means. By the way, why we are on the topic of cruise line travel arrangements, folks should beware that using cruise line pre/post hotel/transfer packages will often cost about twice the price of simply making those arrangements on your own. These days it is quite easy to book one's own hotels and transfers (or simply use a taxi or Uber). Hank