Hlitner

Beware, traveling to and in Europe can become addicting :). Hank

Perhaps. But when we booked through our US-based cruise agency the credit card transaction was immediately handled by "Explora SA USA" and it was entirely in US Dollars. It also shows as posted in Ft Lauderdale. Hank

Do you really think management listens? I do think management only hears the bottom line. As to posting here, it simply gives a heads up to others who both contribute and learn. That is the purpose of CC. Hank

We should get together over some drinks :). I will forget the "USN" thing (Air Force vet here). Hank

Standards tend to meet the demands of the customers. When you lower your standards you simply encourage the cruise line to meet your lowered expectations. When you demand excellence, it encourages the improvement of standards.

What an awful situation. I think it is just one more example of what happens when cruise lines lower or do not enforce any standards or rules. At one time there were dress codes that were enforced, staff would actually clear "reserved" deck loungers, etc. These days many passengers have simply adopted a "me me me" attitude, have little or no sense of decorum, and could care less what others think. When the dress codes started to disappear, we warned (right here on CC) that it was a slippery slope. These days I would not be surprised to see nudists in the MDR or porn on devices (in full view of children). What would we do if somebody was blasting music at a nearby table? Simply excuse ourselves (if with others), go over to the host/hostess, and ask to be reseated in another section of the MDR (far from the offending music/noise). If enough folks reacted in such a non-confrontational manner, it would possibly shame management into doing their job. Hank

Since this thread has a long life I would add that those doing an overnight in Lisbon might want to consider going to a Fado dinner show. Fado is a unique music genre which we have found quite interesting. One possibility is Senjor Vinho (actually owned by Fado folks) where you can enjoy a pretty decent dinner while listening to the music/singing. Of course, unless you understand Portuguese you will not understand a word, but it is still an amazing experience for music lovers. Hank

We completely agree and seldom to never use any cruise line air (including EZAIR) for domestic. That being said, there are some times when EZAIR might offer a decent deal on domestic First/Business so it always makes sense to look at the options (which can be done online). Hank

Keep in mind that Naples is a wonderful "gateway port" to many places outside of the city of Naples. A few examples would be Capri, Ischia, Procedia, Sorrento, Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast (including Positano, Amalfi and Ravello), Caserta, and more. Any of these places can be done on your own (using public transportation) or with a tour. One can come to this port a dozen (or more) times and never do/see the same things. I think the biggest negative of the Port of Naples is that there are too many choices :). Hank

Why? In fact we still have an upcoming 42 day HAL booking and have not given up hope that HAL will get their act together. We do not give up too quickly :). Over our 50+ years of cruising there have been many lines that have had ups and downs. Some have failed and gone bankrupt (i.e. Regency and Renaissance) and others have made good adjustments.

This is always a contentious topic. You will likely notice that most of the folks who post about giving big tips to Butlers (and other staff) are from the USA. We, in the USA, have a tipping culture that has long embraced generous tipping. But, keep in mind that those of us in the USA are in the minority when it comes to tipping culture. Around the world most tipping cultures call for much smaller or even no tipping. Also keep in mind that on MSC, you already are assessed a daily gratuity (sometimes called DSC) which goes into a pool that is distributed to staff based on an internal (and secret) formula. Whether you chose to give additional tips is a personal decision but not required. Hank

Not quite right. Almost any medical evac policy will cover the costs to be transferred from one hospital to another hospital. However, the devil is in the details. Even Medjetassist (the Cadillac of med evac policies) requires the approval of the attending physician, receiving physician, and the insurance company. I will add that there is an interesting dynamic when your evacuation coverage is part of the medical policy (such as with GeoBlue). When DW had a serious leg injury that was initially treated in Japan, we suggested to GeoBlue that they had two choices (with which they agreed). 1. We could stay in Japan for several weeks to get additional treatment or 2. They could medically evacuate her back to our home town. If they had chosen option 1, their cost would have far exceeded the cost of medical evacuation (which cost them about $10,000). Why? Because once back in the USA, GeoBlue was off the hook for any additional medical expenses. If we had stayed in Japan for further treatment, GeoBlue would have been on the hook for all the medical expenses. I should add that our Chase Sapphire Reserve Card DOES INCLUDE $100,000 of medical evacuation coverage. We never used that coverage because GeoBlue was primary and included $500,000 of medical evacuation. I will also mention that Medical Evacuation is a complex situation which involves discussion/negotiation between multiple parties. In our case we had a multi person phone call with our ship's physician, the insurance companies medical case manager, and the insurance companies own air travel expert. Hank

Just some simple insurance "words of wisdom." CFAR and other trip cancellation/interruption coverage is for very "limited liability." In other words, the most you will lose (or recover) is the cost of your trip which is an expense you can afford since you booked the trip. However, your potential liability for medical expenses is unlimited and the cost of medical evacuation can be massive! Why do I mention this? Because many (not all) CFAR policies are inadequate when it comes to medical and evacuation coverage. Hank

I will confess to never having complained to staff about the way other's dress. DW and I have better things to do than worry about dress codes. That being said, we have told MDR hosts NOT to seat us with certain folks (we like to share tables at open dining). Hank

Time has changed the best way to book air fare, be it through EZair or simply on your own. At one time it almost always made sense to seek out roundtrip fares. But these days that is generally not the case. Now, round trip fares do not always save money and, may actually cost you a lot of money. When shopping for air, look at both round trip and one way fares (often with multiple airlines). Also look at options for other airports, even if they are a couple of hours distant from your location. For example, when we book international air we will price out flights from many airports (MDT, IAD, BWI, PHL, EWR, and even JFK). It sometimes makes a lot of sense to drive to a distant airport, even if it means booking a one-way rental car. In this era of too many flight cancelations, delays, mis routed luggage, etc. we are often willing to drive to a more distant airport simply to get a non-stop flight. We view any flight change as a big increase in risk in terms of missing a connection (or having luggage miss a connection). Also plan on flying-in to your embarkation port at least 1 (preferably 2) days prior to your cruise. If you or your luggage goes astray, that extra 1-2 days will often be the difference between a slight inconvenience or a travel fiasco. Hank

We very strongly agree with GeezerCouple in that folks need to take the time to read a policy (including the definitions) BEFORE purchasing! Nothing can be more important. When you find out that your major claim in not covered, for some reason specified in the policy, it is too late. For those who cannot or will not read a policy, find yourself a good/honest travel insurance broker (they sell products from multiple insurance companies) who will take the time to "interview you" on the phone and suggest the product that best meets your needs. What not to do is simply buy the policy sold by your travel/cruise agent or the cruise line without carefully reading that policy. I will make the blanket statement that nearly all cruise line policies do not have sufficient medical coverage for folks that have no other medical coverage (outside the country). Hank

WOW. Lower expectations. Why not book a cruise line that better meets expectations? HAL is not the "only game in town." Just this past week we were looking for a short, 14 day cruise, in the Caribbean for early December. As 5 * Mariners you would think we would have considered HAL, but that was not even a consideration. We looked at Oceania, Princess, Seabourn and MSC and eventually booked Princess (we have over 30 cruises with that line). Why? Partially because of their entertainment (they still have Production Shows, have a piano bar, and usually have a decent jazz group in another venue. We also prefer their extended Lido hours, Princess pizza (the best at sea) and the International Cafe (open 24/7). Our 2nd choice would have been MSC (in their Yacht Club) but they lost out because Princess has a far better itinerary. Why not HAL? Lack of Production Shows, showing BBC documentaries and calling it their main entertainment, an opening night slide show that is supposed to be entertainment, truncated Lido hours, downgraded cuisine with too many add-ons, etc. We also considered that we will be on a 42 day HAL cruise this Spring, and even their dance productions will likely be repeated next December as will the slide show, BBC thing, etc. In the past we would have had HAL near the top of our list. Now, unless we are looking for a long exotic itinerary we do not even consider HAL. We hope that HAL soon gets their act together, realizes that they are in a competitive business, and gives us cause to put them at the top of our "list." Hank

This is a tough problem. When all else fails in Livorno, you might want to e-mail Sifracar which is a local rental car company that has been around for years. They do rent larger vehicles (9 seats), but you would also need to ask them if they could arrange a driver. You would likely need to pay for the minibus and driver for the entire day and this is going to cost hundreds of Euros. Their e-mail is info@sifracar.com. This company does not normally provide drivers, but I am thinking without enough notice and money, anything is possible :). Hank

We have done island hopping, by ferry, from Pireaus, after we finished a cruise in Aug 2021. But we simply went to Naxos and Paros and our after cruise connecting was quite good since the ferry left Pireaus around noon. We simply grabbed a taxi from the cruise terminal to the other side of the harbor where we waited (at an outdoor restaurant) until it was time to board. But I do think Patmos is a bit more complicated. I believe there is only 1 ferry (Blue Star) and it generally departs Pireaus at 9am. It is a long ferry ride (over 7 hours). Making a 9am ferry, after debarkation, is probably not a good idea. Instead, you should probably spend a night in Pireaus (or perhaps Marina Zeas) and take the ferry the following morning. The ferries are quite reliable, although like anything on water, they are subject to weather related issues. Hank

The easy answer is to simply rent a car at Cannes (have done this many times) and drive yourself to Eze Village or anywhere else you please. While I prefer St Paul de Vence to Eze, they are both great places to visit on a port day. A working Smart Phone provides a decent GPS guide and driving in France is not overly difficult. There is a very convenient parking lot right in front of the entrance to Eze, and if would decide to drive to St Paul de Vence there is an indoor/underground parking garage close to the main entrance. The other alternative is to join with a few others (using the Roll Call Board) and organize a small group tour as mentioned in another post. Hank

I agree that the 2 cat upgrade is no biggie. While some folks really care about their cabin location, we have never seen it as a big deal other than trying to stay clear of noisy public spaces (over, under or around). The $500 OBC is nice and should cover a few decent bottles of wine 🙂 Hank

We have often been critical of HAL for offering the worst suite amenities in the industry. The Neptune Lounge is a perfect example. Go on just about any other line, book the big suites, and the dedicated lounge will have all kinds of complementary beverages including adult beverages. My goodness, go on MSC in their Yacht Club (far less expensive than a Neptune Suite) and the huge lounge (with an expansive bow view) has a constantly changing snack buffet, a large bar (all drinks included) and plenty of waiters to get you just about anything. Want a glass of French champagne, just ask. Want a Vodka gimlet made with Belvedere, just ask. That line also provides entertainment (from about 6:30 to midnight) in their YC lounge. One could also opt for the Retreat Suites on Celebrity and head to "Michaels" to get snacks and just about any kind of drink. On some evenings they will even bring in some low key entertainment. In a perfect world where HAL had no competition, the Neptune Lounge would be very nice. But in this competitive world it seems like a very substandard venue. Hank

It almost seems like HAL is trying to morph from the cruise line for "old folks" to the cruise line for gamblers. Ever since the restart (after COVID), HAL has been offering all kinds of "casino deals" to past customers with many getting close to free cruises. It does help fill the ships, and gamblers are a very nice source of income for cruise lines. The only thing certain about casinos is that the house will make a very nice profit (even though most gamblers swear they always win). The worst odds in the casino are slots, and HAL really caters to slot players with their casino offers. I once teased a friend (who ultimately lost her home because she played slots and Bingo) that in my next life I want to come back as the owner of slots. It is a guaranteed source of income as the house cannot lose (in the long run). Hank

The "smart a%%" answer would be "it is wherever they want it to be." That is actually close the truth. But on our cruise I believe it was in the Vista Lounge. You should have a letter, waiting in your cabin, which tells you when and where. Hank

This is something that has long puzzled me. Folks come here to whine about a cruise line (or ship) and then they book more cruises with that same line. Why? If we have major problems with a specific line we simply look elsewhere. As to a lumpy mattress (this has never happened to us on any cruise line) and it is an issue that should handled while onboard. Step 1...pay a visit to the Guest Relations desk and explain the problem. If they cannot come up with a solution within a reasonable period of time, ask to speak to the Guest Services Manager. If that does not bear fruit that formally request an appointment with the ship's Hotel Manager! Dealing with problems on a ship is much more effective than post cruise whining. Using the ship's chain of command, and elevating issues to the next level is your best bet. One other thing. Bringing an issue, such as a bad mattress, to the attention of your cabin steward will likely not get the issue resolved. The cabin steward will either ignore the issue or report it to his/her immediate supervisor. The supervisor may or may not deal with the issue and, at best, they will bring the issue to the attention of their supervisor! When you have a legitimate complaint on a cruise, it is incumbent on the cruiser to file a complaint with the appropriate authority. With non dining issues, Guest Relations should be your first stop. Be polite, charming, etc., but also be firm that you want the issue resolved...fast! Hank