Hlitner

For in-sink many friends like to use Woolite. That being said, for cruises and trips less than 3 weeks in length, we simply pack enough to avoid needing to do laundry. Many are proud of their ability to travel light but we prefer not to spend trip/cruise time needing to do any laundry. We can easily pack 3 weeks of "stuff" into two suitcases. Hank

You do not mention which cruise line, from where you are posting (USA or Ireland) etc. Without details it is impossible to give a detailed answer. If you have trip insurance, it may well cover such a contingency but would normally require a physician to get involved to verify that the person is not fit to travel/cruise. Just the word of a cruiser would not normally count for much. If your partner has COVID, this might trigger a specific COVID policy (depending on the cruise line). But again, it would likely require the intervention of a physician along with laboratory test results. Hank

So here is more of the tale. We did call SB this afternoon (because of this blog and the posts on FB) and made our position very clear. The SB rep read me the policy (no smoking on the Venture) and suggested we should not give much credence to social media. I rejected this suggestion and asked for clarification of the current policy. I was on hold for about 10 minutes (I suspect the issue was elevated) and the rep came back on the phone and assured me there would be no smoking in Antartica. So, I do have a question for anyone who may have been on that recent Venture cruise. Were there any SB management folks from Seattle, that may have boarded the ship in Iceland? The no-smoking policy is quite clear so somebody very high up (i.e. Hotel Manager and/or Captain) must have made a decision to ignore the no-smoking policy. One might believe that somebody onboard had enough clout to have the policy ignored and annoy other passengers. Hank

We read the posts regarding SB deciding to allow smoking in the Sky Bar! I would assume this would be enough to cause some folks to cancel future cruises This new policy is completely contrary to SBs own policy: ON SEABOURN VENTURE AND SEABOURN PURSUIT: We are implementing a “no smoking” policy on Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit, our two expedition ships, which includes e-cigarettes. Expedition travel visits many remote and rarely visited environments that are pristine, with diverse ecosystems and wildlife. We have implemented this policy to eliminate the possibility that cigarette butts and other smoking materials would end up harming the environment. We have an upcoming cruise (in Antarctica) but not sure why we should believe that SB will follow their own rules on that cruise since they apparently have been ignoring their own rules on recent cruises. Will give them a call tomorrow and ask for clarification. If smoking is OK inside the vessel (on the recent cruise it was allowed in the Sky Bar) than we will cancel and request a full refund. Hank

We have become fans of MSC's Yacht Club (which will be our next cruise) as we think they provide the best "value" in the entire cruise world. MSC is now in the process of starting a new luxury cruise line called "Explora Journeys" which will have their first ship delivered in the Spring of 2023. They have a total of 6 ships (each about 900 passenger) on order or under option. Although nobody can evaluate a product that has yet to sail, we expect it to compete in the same market as Seabourn, Crystal (now being reborn), and Silverseas. I mention this because I do not see MSC having interest in buying older ships "on the cheap." MSC is already expanding (about 2 new ships a year) plus they have that new cruise line. We have been hesitant to recommend MSC to friends since it is a somewhat unique product that has its pros and cons. Our next MSC cruise is in the Yacht Club of the Seashore. This is a ship that carries over 4000 passengers of which about 200 are in the Yacht Club. The Yacht Club is a true "ship within a ship" with its own section of the ship (entrance requires a key card) with its own restaurant, buffet, sun deck, lounge (with nightly entertainment), butlers, 24 hour concierge, etc. One could actually spend their entire cruise in the Yacht Club enclave if that was their choice. We love that we can cruise in the luxury enclave but also take advantage of the "Carnival" atmosphere and many venues that are outside the Yacht Club. The last time we cruised on MSC I walked around at 11:00 and counted 6 different entertainment venues with live music including rock, country, jazz, and classical! And they also have nightly production shows. I once described our MSC experience by telling a friend to imagine being on a luxury cruise ship that was attached to a Carnival mega-ship. For us it is the best of both worlds but some might say it is the worst of both worlds :). Hank

I guess that is why the CEO gets the big bucks. My fear is that the 3 major US cruise companies (CCL, RCI and NCLH) are quickly running out of options. All three based their financial strategy (during the COVID shutdown) on business quickly coming back to normal by late 2022. Unfortunately, all their plans were torpedoed by the surge of Omicron, continued fear of travel, a big surge in fuel prices, and general inflation. A perfect negative storm of sorts. We have all heard the rumors that CCL has Seabourn up for sale, but I cannot help but wonder how that would shore-up (to us a nautical term) their financials. Even if they could find a buyer willing to pay a fair price, a few $Billion more in the coffers would barely dent the over $22 Billion in long term debt. And selling off assets further degrades future earnings potential. For now, there does not seem to be a lot of good options but to simply muddle along and hope that things get better. But the debt clock keeps ticking (like the sword of Damocles) and debt service payments must be made We are doing our best to help out by continuing to cruise (about 100 days a year) :). I worry that all the cruise lines are losing the ability to refinance, with better terms, their debt in the awful financial market. Any additional financing would likely come at an awful price and further deepen the financial slide of the cruise lines. It has been difficult not to notice some of the strategies being used to infuse more cash. Two examples are the push to get folks to pay 100% further in advance (by offering a discounted rate) and the new gift card promotion mentioned here on CC. I sure hope we do not see the quality of cruising degrade due to excessive cost cutting. The one positive development in recent months has been the gradual reopening of much of the world and we sure hope this trend continues. Hank

I cannot single out specific companies (including HAL) from among the CCL family. However, as an active investor who knows how to read financial reports, what we see for CCL is all very negative! To make it simple, CCL now has a debt/equity ratio of about 3.7 in a world where anything above 2.0 carries serious negative connotations. What this means is that CCL has an untenable amount of debt at a time when interest rates are rapidly rising (and will likely continue to rise in the near future). We also know that CCL lost about $4.5 Billion in the past year! Folks can debate about the future of CCL, but there is little disagreement that things cannot continue with that kind of cash drain. The reality is that CCL has over $20 Billion of debt with few remaining tricks left that would increase cash flow. Hank

It absolutely has everything to do with COVID. But it is up to senior management to manage a crisis and we could argue all day about whether this was properly handled. Some would argue that in our society, senior management is too often focused on the short-term bottom line (and their relatied bounues) rather than effective long-range planning. We posted about our perception (and one can certainly disagree with me) of the poor management/planning of several cruise lines...years before COVID. Go back a few years ago you will likely find some of my posts where I said that HAL was like a "ship without a rudder" in that the company seemed to have no clue as to where it was going and its target customers. I was also very critical of Lisa Lutoff-Perlo (CEO of Celebrity) because I thought she was working hard to take a fine (perhaps the best) mass market line and downgrade it to mediocre. I have also praised MSC for its forward thinking (along with NCLH) with its entire "Experience" concept and "ship within a ship" design/marketing. So, I am not always negative but simply call it like I see it! And now, the way I see it is that CCL is in a lot of financial trouble! I suspect that the CCL of the future will either be substantially different from the CCL of today. Whether the management team can stay ahead of the creditors and navigate the troubled waters or fall into the awful world of Chapter 11, remains to be seen. As a fanatical cruiser (and big fan of the industry) we wish all the cruise companies the best but have a lot of reasons to be pessimistic. Hank

Since you have already chosen your cruise/travel agency and booked this post is just for future reference. But while X does not normally offer OBC (except for some suites and during special promotions) the amount of OBC given by cruise/travel agents does vary. It can often be worthwhile to shop around among several reputable high volume cruise agencies for the best deals. Hank

MSC generally has folks disembarking and embarking at most European ports. You need to make a specific inquiry to MSC. Just be aware that if you debark a cruise early you will not generally get a price reduction. Hank

That is a very good question, and I would give it a very mixed answer. But you might consider that CCL lost about $4.5 Billion in 2022! And their debt-equity ratio has risen from a pretty healthy 0.7 to a very unhealthy 3.7. I think Arnold Donald was happy to get out of that CEO hotseat. Hank

My answer to the OP is yes! LOL. We have been at this cruise game for nearly 50 years and cruise all over the world. But we still like to spend a few weeks a year cruising in the Caribbean. We have been to just about all the islands/ports many times, have our favorite beaches (we are beach people), but these days we are likely to spend a majority of port days on the ship :). To us it is just a relaxing cruise in usually good weather where our major activity is laying in deck loungers reading our books. We enjoy the cruises as much now as in years past but simply have different "wants." By the way, having several hundred Caribbean port days as found us never booking cruise line excursions. We have a strong dislike of large group tours whether it be in St Thomas, or Shanghai. Hank "

Have never seen. In fact, we only recall seeing mulled wine once (in far more than 100 cruises with 16 lines) which was once on a Celebrity Christmas cruise. And then it was just something they had during a large Atrium party. Hank

Tough question because some of our answer would depend on the specific ship. We are big fans of the Celebrity Solstice Class ("S") ships which has a nice layout, decent options such as Aqua Class or Retreat, etc. The newer (and more popular) Edge Class has the love it or hate it infinity cabins. These are marketed as hybrid balcony cabins but are anything but....and might be better thought of as French Balconies. Celebrity definitely has the better alternative restaurants, and one could argue about the MDR and Lido food. As to age/demographics of the passengers, this is more a factor of timing, length of cruise and itinerary. We tend to favor the Princess Grand Class ships because the newer Royal class has smaller balconies. Like Marco, we would make a decision between these lines based on itinerary and price. Hank

The Pacific Ocean, along the West Coast of the USA/Mexico is somewhat colder than we experience with the Atlantic. For those used to the temperature, swimming is fine. As you cruise south towards Puerto Vallarta the water will warm up. In December it will likely be in the mid-70s (at Puerto Vallarta) somewhat colder (darn cold) off of California. If you have good weather you will see plenty of folks in the water in Mexican resort ports such as Cabo St Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. As to hanging out at the pool, it should warm-up as you head South and in Puerto Vallarta (where we live in the winter) we normally expect the high air temps to average about 80f (26.5c). DW and I are out on the beach just about every day in the winter. Hank

We have a Norwegian friend who is a retired cruise ship Captain. If he is reading this thread, I can imagine he is readying his claim for reparations for the all the tips he never received 🙂 Hank

I think the generous cruisers should tip at least $1000 per person since those servers work hard, have dozens of starving children at home, etc. And those folks should also ask for permission to go back in the galley and spread $100 (US) bills around the really hard-working staff. They will all appreciate your generosity. And do not forget to give at least a $50 tip to the seamen that help you in and out of tenders (if you have a tender port). Those poor folks do not even get to share in the tipping pool so really need your generosity. Hank

May is still the wonderful "shoulder season" in Europe. The weather is usually good (not too hot), the tourists have not overrun the continent, and there are still deals to be had! There are also TA repositioning cruises from the USA to Europe that are a wonderful way to "cross the pond" and avoid the airline hassles. Hank

The issue is that if you are simply flying domestically, most folks do not normally carry their Passport. After the rules change in 2023 (unless Congress extends the deadline) you would need a Real ID to simply fly anywhere. A regular Drivers License would no longer be acceptable. There are other forms of acceptable picture ID, for domestic flights, such as a Global Entry ID card. Hank

I have no clue as it is not an option we have reviewed. Somebody once mentioned that we should consider the "Flixbus" but we never did any research on that company. DW has never been a fan of buses because of the bathroom (or lack therof) situation. Hank

The train option is the best value but you would need to get a taxi from the port to the Le Havre train station. The Paris trains all go to the St-Lazare station which means you would need to either transfer to another train (RER) or Metro. Of course you could also take a taxi or Uber from St-Lazare. Keep in mind that you will generally not find help for handling your luggage, so you have to deal with getting everything through the stations and on/off trains. Getting to Gare St-Lazare would likely involve a Metro change as would getting from St Lazare to Orly. All this is fine if one has mobility and can handle their luggage. Other options are also difficult and expensive. One could do a one-way rental car (Hertz will do this) from Le Havre to Orly but that would cost you about $250 (plus fuel). And you would also need a taxi to get to Hertz, in Le Havre, unless that station would be willing to do a pick up (unlikely). DW and I have plenty of experience getting around France on our own including using the train between Paris and Le Havre. It is a challenge if you are packing heavy and can become a major hassle on the Paris Metro. Such is the life of the independent traveler. Hank

That will depend on the individual. Many years ago (we were in our 50s) we walked down in aboOtut 45 min. But at the time there was nobody else walking down to get in our way and we were healthy, fast walkers. You probably could find some cruisers that would need hour (or even days). Consider that there are plenty of cruisers who will wait 15 min for an elevator to go down 1-2 decks! Hank

We have warned (on CC) for nearly two years that the US based cruise corportations, RCI, CCL and NCLH are all facing major financial challenges. A lot to the early bookings were smoke and mirrors since many were primarily financed by Future Cruise Credits given out during the COVID shutdowns and some later cancellations. While future bookings looked strong, the revenue was often coming out of accounts payable (a liability) rather than from new revenue. And then the cruise lines got hit with a near perfect storm of rising fuel prices, rapidly rising food prices, the Omicron variant, airline crisis, and labor shortages. And now we have rapidly rising interest rates at a time when the RCI, CCL and NCLH will need to refinance some existing debt and borrow additional funds to deal with a cash crunch. The one major cruise line that is in good financial shape is MSC! That company is essentially a closely held family corporation (Aponte family) who also owns the largest container ship line in the world which is generating a huge profit. While their cruise line has also faced many finanical challenges, they are easily able to finance that cruise line from their other profits and, in fact, are in the process of not only expanding MSC but also starting a new luxury cruise line (Explora Journeys) with 6 new ships. So what will happen with CCL, RCI, and NCLH. I have no clue. My assumption is that both RCI and CCL will survive although bankruptcy is not as farfetched as many would believe. But even bankruptcy would likely become some kind of Chapter 11 action (reorganization). I have not spent any time looking at the NCLH financials although I know they have some of the usual cautions (about future events) in their financial reports. Hank

If you have a valid Passport, that is the gold standard for travel. You also should have some kind of government-issued picture ID such as a drivers license, global entry ID card, etc. The picture ID may be needed at some of the ports (when you go ashore) and Passports are best left locked in your cabin safe. If you do not have a valid Passport, things become a little more complicated. You first need to check with your specific cruise line as some lines have their own rules. For example, Oceania required everyone to have a valid Passport. Most other lines, on closed loop cruises, require an official birth certificate and some type of government issued picture ID (the name must be tied to the name on the birth certificate). The requirements for "closed loop cruises" for those without a Passport can be complicated. You can read about the US Government rules by googling "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative" (WHTI). Just keep in mind that a cruise line can impose more stringent rules on their customers. Also understand that if you travel without a Passport and would need to leave your cruise during the voyage (for issues such as a medical emergency or personal emergency) it will be complicated to get back home and may well involve a substantial travel delay (while trying to resolve document related issues). One other "heads up." If you are traveling with minor children, there are special rules if one or both parents are not on the trip. Cruise lines have their own rules as do the various governments. Hank

So here is my secret. I like lobster...good lobster.....real Maine lobster. The over salted warm water lobster tail served on most cruise ships is garbage. So, what to do? If you are cruising out of Port Everglades, fly down the day before your cruise and have dinner at Kelly's Landing (off 17th Street) where you can get a whole Maine lobster (we are not talking tails) right out of the tank. That will be the best seafood you have on your trip and it happens before you embark :). Hank