Hlitner

I think you have a very naive point of view when it comes to international travel. We have seen it in some of your posts about tipping and now this. Many of us have pointed out that there are no travel insurance plans that will reliably be accepted when out of your home country. Many of the "rules" and practices that you accept as part of your everyday life, disappear as soon as you leave our borders. This is true in terms of medical care and all things legal! There are parts of the world where you can die, from lack of care, if you cannot pay a bill. Other places will practically hold you hostage until you settle your bill. The "rights" you take for granted may not exist in other countries. And the nearest US Consulate might be hundreds of miles distant and not very helpful. Hank

Not really since there are folks that either cancel or reduce their auto payments. When everything is included in the cruise fare those kinds of costs can be allocated among all the cruisers. Bottom line is that some folks are just "cheap" and look for any way to save a dollar, Euro, or Pound. Just read the thread about "living on cruise ships" where one person from the UK asked about the idea of reducing tips if one chose to live aboard a ship. It is not unusual to have folks from the UK and down under look for any excuse to reduce or eliminate tips since it goes against their cultural norms. Most of our UK friends are pretty generous with their tips, but have told me that plenty of their friends are very resistant to the idea of American tipping. Hank

I will jump-in and say we have met quite a few Brits on our longer cruises. In fact, some have become good friends and visited us here in the USA and we have visited a few of those friends in the UK (all in the South of England). Hank

You got that right :). We have tried to warn folks (mostly on the travel insurance blog) that, in nearly all cases, they will be required to pay their medical bills if they are treated outside their home country. This can be a huge problem for folks that do not have credit cards with high limits. Where we live (part of the year) in Mexico, it is not uncommon for hospitals to ask for a major credit card (which they hold) as soon as you enter the facility. When DW has received medical treatment in Japan and Mexico, the last stop before we could leave the hospital was accounting where they rightfully demanded full payment. (We later were reimbursed by our insurance, but this took many weeks after we worked our way through the claims process). Even policies, such as GeoBlue, that have arrangements with some foreign providers do not guarantee a hospital or physician will accept "direct assignment." Just last month, DW was treated at a decent private hospital in Cozumel. That hospital would have accepted our insurance if one of us had been admitted as an inpatient. But DW was treated as an outpatient, and they would not accept insurance for outpatient treatment (the bill was about $1200 (US) so we had to pay the entire bill before leaving the hospital. I should add that in Mexico, if you are taken to a decent private hospital and do not have the ability to pay, they may refuse to treat you and refer you to a public hospital (not nearly as nice). Many other countries have similar situations where the best healthcare is in private facilities which demand full payment! The alternative public system may not be nearly as good and also involve long waits (even if you are in dire circumstances). Hank

Each to their own. We enjoy our homelife, but are also very happy spending 2 or 3 months on a trip/cruise. And on our long cruises we have met many other happy, well-adjusted folks, who are able to balance their travel/cruise life with their home life. In a sense, our homelife is wherever we take it :). That is why when we (and many others) step on a ship for a long cruise it is "like going home." You remind me of an ex Mayor (now deceased) of York, Pennsylvania, Charlie (his real name) once mentioned that he had never been on a plane or taken a long drive. When asked why Charlie answered, "I live in York, PA so where else could I possibly want to go!" Anyone who has spent any time in York would wonder about Charlie's sanity 🙂 Hank

The OP might want to explore a few of the "ship within a ship" options that give you some of the best of both worlds....large ships with plenty of activities and a small luxury ship. You can take a look at NCL's Haven Suites and MSC's Yacht Club. There are a few other lines that have something similar, but they are not fully contained within a "ship within a ship." That would be things like Celebrity's Retreat Suites and the so-call "Grill" Suites on Cunard. We are somewhat like Cruzaholic in that we have no specific brand loyalty and cruise on all kinds of lines (16 to date) and different size ships (from 20 passenger to over 4000 passenger). We have liked all of our cruises :). Also keep in mind that you can buy a lot of luxury on many of the mass market ships. Most cruise lines have a lot of extra amenities for those in suites and most larger ships offer all kinds of alternative dining options (for which you pay extra). Hank

So the real answer is that they will not generally work if folks are at any distance inside the ship. Cruise lines use metal everywhere (floors, ceilings, walls) which effectively block most walkee talkee signals. Any walkee talkee will work if everyone is outside on the upper decks. Hank

There are already cruise lines that include just about everything in the cruise fare. Some of us call them luxury lines and one of the luxuries is not being nickel and dimed. Many of the mass market lines, that play the silly tip game, do generally offer promotions or inclusive fares that include their daily grats. Hank

ROFL. When we sit on our condo balcony in Puerto Vallarta, DW enjoys gazing down at the Malecon and people watching. It is fun to pick out cruisers (many do stand out in a crowd). Some things to look for are fanny packs, sandals with socks, carrying a bottle of water, over dressed, etc. It is fascinating that in a city where there are many tourists, cruisers often have a unique way about themselves. But the socks are usually a big giveaway. Hank

Many ships are quite full. I think the issue with this thread is that HAL ships are not full which seems to make sense in a thread that talks about downgrading their product. Hank

I can tell you, from personal experience, that all the little niceties still exist on some cruise lines. In fact, on a couple of recent cruises (Seabourn and MSC Yacht Club) we noticed quite a few improvements from prior to COVID. Hank

You do not mention the cruise line but as of now, the answer is no for those who live in the USA. If you are cruising on MSC you should check their latest requirements since they had previously been requiring insurance for folks coming from outside the USA (I think they finally dropped the requirement). That being said we would caution any cruiser to always check with their own cruise line, relatively close to their cruise date, to verify the current rules. Since COVID, rules regarding vaccinations, testing, and insurance have been known to change with little notice. Hank

Assuming we can get into our cabin (this varies by cruise line) we immediately go to our cabin to drop our carry-on stuff and lock valuables in the safe. Then it is off to lunch. On ships that have an alternative to their Lido, we will seek out one of the alternatives for that first lunch since the Lido tends to be a zoo on embarkation day. On Princess we generally go to Alfredoss/Gigis for pizza or pasta. On HAL there is usually lunch in one of the MDRs. If on MSC (Yacht Club) we just go to the Yacht Club's own restaurant. And so it goes. Hank

16! Wow. So you have a few choices. You can certainly use the taxis at the airport and you will need to split your group into multiple vehicles. The Rui is in Zone 3 which means a 6 person van (assuming you can get one) would cost about 1200 Pesos (there may have been a recent price increase) which is over $60 (per vehicle) and you would need at least 3 of those vehicles. My math says you are talking at least $200 and we are assuming you can get those large vehicles. More than likely they are not going to have any large vehicles sitting around the airport which would mean spliting up into multiple small vehicles (at So here is my suggestion. You can certainly ask the Riu if they will arrange transportation but make sure to also ask the cost. Personally, we would contact Superior Tours (Superiortoursvallarta.com) well in advance and ask Astrid (or any of her staff) to handle your transfer (they might be able to do it with a single vehicle). They will quote you a price, meet you at the airport and get you to your resort. They would also be able to handle your transportation back to the airport when you are ready to fly home. Her company has been around for years and has an excellent reputation. You can also ask them to provide child seats (if needed) which you will not likely get with the taxis. Hank

Renting a car on Sunday (or the 299 (lol)) French holidays) is a problem at other than major airports and train stations. Not aware of any Le Havre rental offices open on Sundays. We actually consider Sundays/Mondays as part of our planning before we choose a particular cruise for just this reason. We have rented at this port (from rentacar.fr, Hertz, and Europcar) but never on a Sunday. A tour is probably your best option on that day of the week (assuming you can find a French tour company that works on Sundays :). Hank

Perhaps I missed it but do not recall the OP saying what nationality Passport is carried by his/her partner. I am certainly no expert on the Schengen rules, but there are different rules for different nationalities. As to dealing with the Italian authorities. the OP first needs to meet the requirements that might be imposed by the cruise line at embarkation. And I am curious as to what country would need a Schengen Visa to enter Italy, but not need it to enter the embarkation country (Spain). Our experience is that once in a Schengen country it is relatively easy to move between the member countries although some countries (such as Germany) might impose a passport check (this recently happened to us). Hank

I agree that 1000 seems unreasonably low. The Town Council had originally passed a limit of around 3500 (and 3 ships) per day which was slightly modified depending on the month. But many of the locals were not satisfied and got the referendum put on yesterday's ballot. The measure was supported by 58% of the voters with 42% opposed. What I find interesting is that the town council tried to limit the "damage" but were, in a sense, overruled by the voters. Apparently, there are a fair number of locals who want a complete ban. Yesterday, Portland, Maine also had a similar measure on its ballet which failed by a significant margin. But one wonders how quickly ships will replace Bar Harbor with Portland and alienate those locals. The cruise industry does not seem to have the ability or willingness to police themselves and just invite this kind of opposition. We once witnessed, first hand, the stupid thinking of the cruise industry. Many years ago, DW and I were on the Grand Princess which was scheduled to dock in Venice during that city's well known Feast of the Redeemer Festival. This involved a big boat parade (on the Giudecca Canal) a major fireworks show, etc. The Grand Princess's Captain's brother was apparently very friendly with the Mayor and managed to get permission for our ship to dock right along the long pier that runs near St Marks Square. While we had the best view in town, the huge ship blocked the view for hundreds of locals who lived in buildings whose view was blocked by our ship. It was one of our favorite cruise evenings, ever, but caused a controversy in Venice (and apparently was never done again). Things like this alienate locals, and in Italy, folks have long memories. Now, decades later, they have finally managed to ban nearly all cruise ships from Venice! Hank

Once had this same situation. We got to our hotel by 8:30am, were tired from the long flight, could not get into our room until the afternoon, etc. So, we went out to a nearby restaurant and had a very long breakfast. After breakfast we walked a few miles around town (it was walk or collapse from little sleep) and finally headed back to our hotel late in the morning. By a small miracle our room was ready (and so was our nap). Hank

Mary, I think you miss the point! It is the overcrowding from cruise ship passengers that is destroying some of the tourist industry...not the other way round. Consider that if DW and I decide to drive to Bar Harbor for a few days we would book into an upscale B&B. We would be eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in the area, shopping, and doing all the usual tourist things. We would also be paying a hefty price for our B&B! But, if we knew there were going to be 3000 cruise ship passengers flooding the town there is no way we would go there for a few days. We would simply go to another village where there are no cruise ships! And I say this as a true cruise ship lover (so call me a hypocrite). The many smaller towns (and some larger cities) that are restricting cruise ships are doing to save their tourist business. One of the arguments used by those in Key West, when they voted against cruise ships, was that the ships spurred the opening of very tacky touristy/junk shops (i.e. T-shirts, Diamonds International, etc) and drove out some of the smaller cute boutiques. Mallory Square was becoming more like a 3 ring tacky circus than a charming area. When we stay in Key West we stay over 14 blocks from Mallory Square in a part of town that still has some charm. The owner of our chosen hotel says that what saves his part of town is that most cruisers will not walk that far :). I previously mentioned Charleston as a town that decided they did not want cruise ships....after the town had built a large pier downtown. The local port authority finally decided to stop embarkation/debarkations from their cruise port and severely limit short day visits. Bottom line was that having ships was seen as bad for business. In the Caribbean there are some islands that have long understood that cruise ships could destroy the atmosphere that makes their island a popular place for folks willing to spend money. Places like St Barts and Anguilla (both popular with upscale visitors) do not want ships although St Barts does allow some (mostly luxury ships) to stop for the day. When one mass market ship managed to get permission to tender into St Barts the town's water/sewer system suddenly did not work (until after the ship had departed). Folks found themselves in a town with no bathrooms :). Cute. On that island, those who vacation are happy to spend $150 for a light lunch. Cruisers would just take up beach space and contribute very little to the local economy other than to drive away the jet setters.

Where to go in Italy? Let me count the options which would generate dozens of possibilities. The question about possible airports has been answered so we will not get into that issue. We would agree, that for a relatively short stay, Florence is the best option for most folks. It is a fantastic city, generally walkable (for those who are mobile), has excellent restaurants, world-class museums. terrific shopping, and architecture that still makes me smile. There are also some nice daytrips out of Florence such as going to San Gimignano. As to the Amalfi Coast, I would be remiss if I did not say that DW and I do like Sorrento! While it does have some charm, it is among my least favorite places in the region. For a 2 or 3 day stay we have a few options depending on whether the OP would have a rental car. With a car, we like to stay in Praiano (or nearby) since it is a small quiet town with easy access to Positano, Amalfi, or Ravello. One can leave their car parked at their hotel and just take the regional Orange bus into Positano. Without a car we would suggest staying in Positano although you will find that popular cliffside town somewhat pricey. It is possible to get to Positano via ferry although one does need to do some homework and carefully check the schedules (there are not as many ferries as one would expect). Another option, often ignored on these boards, is to spend a few nights on the island of Capri. The logistics of doing so are a bit complicated (we can help) but staying on Capri is nicer than a rushed daytrip (which is how most of us see Capri). I should add that if one has a rental car there are many more decent options. For example, one could drive to Assissi, or perhaps go to Cortona ("Under the Tuscan Sun" fame). DW and I actually like staying in the San Gimignano area which gives us easy access to the Chianti wine area and towns like Siena, Volterra, Colle val d'Elsa, etc. But for a first (or even 2nd time) visitor to the region it is impossible to ignore the charms of Florence. Over the years, more than one tourist expert has rated Florence among the top ten destination cities in the world. Hank

Speaking of rental cars, if renting a car for 3 or more days we strongly recommend checking out Autoeurope and Kemwel (sister companies located in New England). They are "consolidators" (discounters) for multiple major rental car companies (i.e. Hertz, Europcar, etc) and usually have decent prices with a zero deductible. Just keep in mind that many rental cars in Europe come with a manual (stick) shift. If you need an automatic (they do cost more) you need to make sure to specify that with your reservation. Hank "

As usual, we will agree with Marazul. If your cruise offers some kind of excursion that lets you do or see something on the way to the airport than that is the best option. Consider that with a 2pm International Flight one should plan on getting to ATH around 11 (11:30 at the latest). Even if you cut it close (noon) that is only going to give you no more than 2 hours in Athens. Personally, we would take our time debarking and go directly to the airport,,,,but we have already visited Athens many times. Another option would be to hire a car/driver (this should be arranged in advance) and try to cram in a few sites on your own before heading to the airport. With luggage you really do not have many other options. Hank

I agree with Edinbergher that if one wants to visit Paris (DW's favorite city) than it makes sense to simply take the train to Marseille. But as very independent travelers we could also suggest many other pre-cruise options. If one has the time (and the money) than getting from Paris to Marseille can be a very fun adventure. There are many fantastic driving routes (such as visiting the wonderful Loire area and spending some nights in Chateau/hotels). In France it is possible to get one-way rental cars and turn the journey to Marseille into lots of fun. Another possibility is to fly directly into Nice (Nice/Cote d'Azur Airport). There are some direct flights from the NYC area (this varies depending on the time of the year). That airport puts you into the gateway area to all of Provence and also allows for lots of pre-cruise options. We love Provence (a very popular part of France) and there are many wonderful places in the region. To fully appreciate Provence one does need a car. As to rental cars, we have done a lot of driving in France and its a great option as long as you do not drive in Paris! We have often rented cars in Paris (to leave for other parts of France and Europe) and I cannot get out of town fast enough :). But outside of that major city (with awful traffic) driving in France is relatively easy although one does need to stay within the speed limits (speed cameras are on many roads) and do some reading about the parking rules. Hank

Am posting this here for lack of a better place, but another small, charming port, has voted (in a big way) to ban large cruise ships and their passengers. Yesterday, the voters of Bar Harbor, Maine voted to ban more than 1000 cruise ship passengers per day. I would imagine that when RCI starting bringing over 5000 passengers to that charming town, the locals simply threw up their hands and said ENOUGH! This is similar to the attitude we have seen in places like Key West, Charleston, Venice, Italy, etc. Hank

A little off topic, but many may have not noticed that Bar Harbor, Maine, voted yesterday to severely restrict cruise ship visitor to no more than 1000 a day! This eliminates just about all the mass market cruise lines and would only allow mostly premium/luxury ships (with fewer than 1000 passengers) to call at that wonderful place. I mention this because it is similar, in many ways, to what we have seen in Key West and Charleston where there is strong local opposition to cruise ships and their passengers, Why? There is an ugly truth that the average local expenditure of a cruise ship passenger is only a small fraction of what is spent by a land visitor. Consider that when cruisers go to Key West or Bar Harbor they either take a cruise line excursion (which only benefits a tour company that is not always locally owned) or they go off the ship, buy a T-shirt or other souvenir, perhaps buy a drink and snack, and than head back to the ship. Many cruisers do not even buy lunch since they would rather go back to the ship where they get an included lunch. I think what has really doomed the cruise industry (in terms of ports) are the massive ships that now move all over the world. Consider that Bar Harbor put up with ships until RCI started bringing over 5000 passengers for a visit! That number of folks overruns the small town, makes it distasteful for land-based visitors who go there for the charm, etc. There is also more and more port resistance in parts of Europe (especially in Italy and Croatia) and I imgaine that other cute ports, such as Kotor, will soon think about restricting daily visits. When DW and I have stayed on the island of St Maarten (we rented a condo in Grand Case) we learned to avoid visiting Phillipsburg or Orient Bay except on weekends when there were few or no cruise ships in port. We live in Puerto Vallarta part of the year where we watch the cruise ship excursions, with their large buses double parking, and large groups blocking sidewalks as their guides steer them into the stores that give kick-backs to the tour companies. All this causes me mixed emotions since we are both avid cruisers and independent land travelers. We see the problem from both sides As time goes on, the mega ships will be welcomed in fewer places. Bottom line is that a few cruisers (especially off a luxury ship whose passengers tend to spend money) are often welcomed, but the large under spending masses are not really wanted except by the handfull of shops that specialize in serving cruisers (i.e. Diamonds International, Tanzanite International, Little Switzerland, etc). Hank