Hlitner

We have cruised a lot on both Princess and HAL and would be fine with either line in Japan (cruised around Japan on 2023 on the Westerdam). If choosing between those two lines we would let price and itinerary be the deciding factor...even though we prefer Princess. Have not cruised on X for a few years, but they also have a decent product. I would not limit one's search to only those 3 lines. Several of the luxury lines (i.e. Seabourn, Silversea, etc) also operate in Japan/Asia and they offer the ability to cruise on a luxury small ship. There are also so-called Premium Lines (Oceania and Azamara) that have cruises in the Japanese market. Before saying, "I cannot possibly afford a luxury or Premium line" it is wise to price out the options. Keep in mind that luxury lines have few extras and Silversea does offer options that include excursions (these can be quite expensive in Japan). Arriving at a port on a small ship (fewer than 1000 passengers) is a much nicer experience than having to deal with 2000+ of "your friends." And whenever a cruise enters or leaves Japan (such as when they go to/from Korea or Taiwan) each person on the ship must go through a face-to-face with Japanese officials. This is a royal pain and can mean long delays (hours) on large vessels. Hank

Paris has an excellent taxi company called "G7." That company has an English speaking phone line and also offers the ability to book taxis online (or via an app). When we are in a situation where we must have a taxi at a specific time (such as when heading out to CDG for an early flight) we simply book with G7. Not sure, but I think G7 can also arrange for a larger vehicle (which you might need for 4 persons with luggage). As to the RER, it is similar to a Metro/Subway system. We use to the RER to/from CDG as long as we do not have too much luggage. Dragging large pieces through subway/train stations is possible, but not our idea of fun. Hank

I notice you are in the Toronto area, which happens to have a major airport that is known for delays/cancellations. Pearson has the most delays of any Canadian airport with 51% of flights delayed and 12% cancelled (Montreal is not much better). Let's face it, those of us who live in the North have more reason to be cautious than most in the southern climates. As independent travelers (we do most things on our own) we like to talk about "Plan B" which is our back-up plan for when things do go wrong. When it comes to flying-in for embarkation, we always look at the first port and how difficult it would be to catch-up. When going out of Florida ports to the Caribbean, it usually means missing at least several days of the cruise. DW and I take many long cruises and a lot of them involve transatlantic or transpacific crossings. Miss embarkation on a TA cruise and one is likely to miss more than a week of a cruise...not to mention thousands of extra dollars involved in playing catch-up. Many American cruisers take what is known as "closed loop cruises" where they do not need (or have) a valid Passport. If they miss embarkation, they cannot possibly play catch-up because it takes a valid Passport to fly to fly to any of the ports outside the USA (not sure if the Bahamas are an exception). Hank Hank

Now you are speaking our language! For us, one of the best parts of Italy, France and even Spain, is the food/wine. If we miss a site, so what....we will just see it on another visit. But miss decent food/wine....no no no. Hank

Have seen that happen on several visits, which is one reason we do not use the boats. There are also queues for the boats and the frequency is not as good as the trains. When we use trains (like last month) we simply do our own thing and head to the station when we are ready to leave. With a boat, one usually needs to set their schedule based on the boat schedule...which is not our thing. Hank

Have done many of our "personal" food tours. Just walking down a street, see an interesting display, stop for a bite :). Over our many visits, our best luck has been with completely unknown places that just looked "right." That being said, Venice is a tourist city (unless you go into the University area, and we prefer eating out at Burano. Hank

Forty years of renting cars, in Europe, has taught me to shop around for each trip. Autoeurope (and their sister company Kemwel) are good options if renting for 3 or more days. Keep in mind that both autoeurope and kemwel usually have deals with a zero deductible, which is something we think is a good idea in Italy. Be careful if booking with any company, to check the deductible/excess. Alhe rso keep in mind that quite a few credit cards, exclude Italy from their included excess waiver. One other warning, if you are not familiar with driving in Italy. Many rental cars are "stick shift" and you will usually pay a premium for automatics. Also read up on ZTLs (Zona Traffico Limitato) which are restricted driving zones (policed by cameras). Accidently penetrate a ZTL and you might find yourself hit with a substantial fine (billed through the rental car company) in excess of 100 Euros. Also be advised that an International Drivers Permit (available from AAA) is legally required (in Italy). That being said, we have rented a few dozen times, and nobody has ever asked to see that document. But not having an IDP can get you fined if you happen to get stopped by the Police. Hank

Forty years of extensive independent travel in Italy, and I have never heard of such a thing! It a hotel told me that, we would be looking for a different hotel (even if we did not plan on going to the pool). We do agree with the advice to forget a beach, and also forget the pool :). Plenty of places to get pizza (we have been underwhelmed by the famous places and delighted by unknown venues). Since you will only have the afternoon, just walking around town, perhaps stopping at a museum (especially on a hot day), and having a nice lunch and decent dinner, would keep us happy. Hank

That is a tough choice and one without a clear winner. We have stayed in that part of Italy, a few times, and enjoy both towns. Things to see? They are both old towns and one can wander either place, enjoy the old walls, old buildings, cafes, etc. In Lucca, you can ride a bike or walk around the walls. In San Gimignano you can admire the old walls, buildings, shops, and old Towers (part of Tea with Mussolini was filmed in San Gimignano). I should add that Lucca is quite easy to do on your own, as you can take the train from Livorno to Lucca (change at Pisa). As to areas of the town, in either place you will just about see it all (assuming you are mobile). Both towns are popular tourist places (we often go to both when we have a rental car and stay in the region). Some tours to San Gimignano might be coupled with a brief visit to another town and San Gimignano is also possible to couple with a visit to some of the Chianti area (and wineries). When DW and I drive to San Gimignano (we have actually stayed in that area) we sometimes visit the small village of Colle val Elas. Another good pairing with San Gimignano is to also go to Volterra, but I have no clue to what they do on excursions since we do our own thing in most parts of Italy. By the way, If I were organizing a small group tour to San Gimignano, I think a stop in Volterra would be ideal. If taking a small group to Lucca, I would also toss in a short stop in Pisa (at the Field of Miracles). Hank

It has been a few years since we last cruised in Indonesia, Malaysia and most of your ports. It is a fabulous itinerary and a really interesting part of the world. Sorry I cannot offer port-specific advice, but any thoughts we have would be terribly out of date. Like most cruises and places, our own preference is to do things on our own (DIY) unless it is not reasonable. As a general rule, when larger cities are part of the day (such as Jakarta) we will do our homework and be off on our own (using public transit, our legs, taxis, etc). For the more rural islands, in this part of the world, we would certainly be looking at private tour options (you can get together with others using the CC Roll Call board for your cruise) and as a last resort, cruise line excursions. I will admit that we may be in the minority in not liking large group excursions, but it is what it is :). Hank

I often put on my "skeptic hat" and that is the case with this situation. We have often posted that the Turks are wonderful entrepreneurs and this sounds like a scheme I heard about during a land trip in Western Europe. So, lets do some speculation. You go to a "rug factory" in Turkey, as part of an excursion. Most already understand that when a tour compoany takes you to a store/factory, it is likely they are getting a kick-back on sales (or possibly own the store). Nothing wrong with the practice, but be aware that you may not be getting the best deal because of the extra involved costs (i.e. paying the tour company, cruise line, etc)> Now, assume that the carpet place sells your information to another "entreprenaur" that is affiliated with a carpet store located in your home country (i.e. USA). You are then contacted and encouraged to let them try to sell you more products (such as carpets). They will come to your home or perhaps arrange to meet you at a hotel suite, store, etc. The odds are that the merchant dealing with you in the USA has no real connection to the merchant you met in Turkey (or elsewhere) but they have simply purchased your information and see you as a "mark" for some business. I might mention that on the so-called "dark web" (accessed through a TOR browser on the Internet) one can purchase all kinds of marketing lists, credit card info, social security numbers, etc. Just about anything you can imagine is for sale. As always, "let the buyer beware." Hank

It actually is invaluable, is Asia, because of its camera feature. Many may not realize that you can use Google Translate, with your phone's camera, to point at signs (even in Kanji) and it will translate. DW and I have no problem traveling around Japan (there are plenty of English signs and many Japanese speak/understand English) but there are times when one really needs help with Kanji such as with restaurant menus. In fact, we have used it to do things like read the instructions on a vending machine (Japan has all kinds of vending maAnd thatchines). As to Japanese culture, it is fascinating any mostly a positive experience. When I was a young adult, I lived in northern Japan for 2 years and really enjoyed the country, its wonderful people, cusine, etc. Now returning as a Senior, while much has changed, the culture remains mostly unchanged. Folks who plan on cruising in Japan would be well advised to find extra days or weeks to spend, on land, exploring some of the country. Cruising around Japan is fine (we are going back for our 2nd cruise in 3 years) but the time we spend on land is very special. After recently spending a week in Kyoto, I cannot imagine only spending a port day in that wonderful city. Japan also has a fantastic transportation system which is very helpful for the independent land traveler. Hank

No idea of the minimum (we are usually more concerned with daily maximums :). I should mention that DW and I enjoy Turkey so much, that we recently decided to do a stop-over on our way to Tokyo. While it means going the long way round (to Japan) it lets fly on one of our favorite airlines (Turkish Air) and gets us to Turkey for free (the wonders of using airline stop-over schemes). I should mention that for those who have never experienced the Business Class lounge at IST, it is something to behold. Hank

For many years, we have relied on an annual travel med policy (Geoblue) which gives us $100,000 plus of medical coverage and our Chase Sapphire Reserve. Unfortunately, we have also had to file two separate major claims (both involving medical emergencies (in one case medical evacuation) with both Chase and Geoblue. In the case of Geoblue, it was simply a matter of filing the claim (with lots of backup documents) and a couple of quick phone calls. With Chase, every claim does seem to become complicated, involve substantial delays, back and forth communications, etc. Keep in mind that Chase does not process their own claims, and the third-party company that does the deed can be somewhat demanding/difficult. If one follows their procedures, meets all the requirements, is persistent, patient, and has some understanding of how to deal with claims folks...you will eventually get your claim paid. But keep in mind that the process can take many months, which means you will need to cover most/all the related expenses out of pocke, during that interval. Buying "additional travel insurance" can actually complicate a claim because of the primary/secondary issues and possibly claims coordination complexities. My advice to the OP, is that since they obviously have some concerns/doubts, they might want to contact a decent independent travel insurance broker for advice and even help selecting the best policy. Here on CC, many of us suggest the Trip Insurance Store (ask for Steve) who is often featured here on CC. Hank

Here in the USA, we live in a litigious society. Once folks threaten or take legal action against an insurance company, cruise line, airline, etc. any resolution becomes the purview of lawyers. Our experience is that being persistent, and saving the legal route (which seldom works) will usually have a better outcome although it can test one's patience. In the case of the OP, rather than going the legal route, we would have contacted a decent advocacy group (such as Elliott.Org). I would have a lot of sympathy for the OP, if the cruise line had scheduled the air (without the OP's input). However, if the OP chose those flights, and made a decision to fly-in on the day of a cruise (after 2 flight changes) then we have little sympathy. Many of with a lot of travel experience will routinely advise folks to always fly-in at least a day early for domestic embarkations and suggest that with foreign departures a few days is a good idea. Not only does same day flights run a high risk of missing a cruise, but it also means that if your luggage is misrouted, it will not likely catch-up until later in your trip or after you return from your trip. Some folks will post that they cannot (or simply will not) fly-in early because they do not have the time, do not want the extra cost of a hotel, etc. But those folks need to accept some responsibility for their own decision, which is not wise in this era of late/cancelled flights. Hank

One could argue that "missed port" coverage is not really insurance, but rather gambling. In most cases, missing a port does not cost a cruiser money (unless they had booked a non-refundable private tour or bought some kind of non-refundable ticket) so it is more like playing the lottery. Most would say that insurance is to cover a financial expense/loss. Missed port coverage is akin to going to a resort and paying for "bad weather" coverage (sold by some resorts. The reality for me, is that when we miss a port we actually save money :). And since we are usually on ships with included booze (or others with a drink package) missing a port actually costs the cruise line :). Hank

A friend, who is an avowed champagne lover, tells me that the best champagne is always the one you do not have :). I actually prefer Monopole to David Leroy, but that is just a matter of personal taste. When we cruised on Explora Journeys, they had multiple kinds of Moet and Chandon and I quickly became a fan of their Rose Brut Imperial! But one evening, sitting at the bar, a fellow cruiser told me she preferred Monopole (Blue Top) to Moet products! go figure. Seabourn uses Montaudon, which like Monopole, is a controversial choice. Hank

We have done Turkey with and without Lira. If only visiting Kusadasi or Istanbul on 1 or 2 port days, and using pre-paid excursions, one can generally do OK with credit cards and Euros (US Dollars are also OK, but not as popular as Euros). When we spend time in Turkey (we generally do our own thing) we also like to have some Turkish Lira (which we simply get out of a local ATM. Be forewarned that the Turks are very skilled entreprenaurs and experts in the art of bargaining. Part of the bargaining process (in places like the Covered (Grand) Bazaar) can be how you will pay (cash is best and Lira's are usually the best cash). Most of the Turks will accept Euros (and often dollars) but at a price (nothing is truly free). Speaking of bargaining, DW is also quite skilled and once spent nearly an hour bargaining for a high-end small Turkish carpet (which we use as a wall hanging). That bargaining session included sitting with the shop owner, drinking tea and beer, chatting about our families, etc. While some might find that a bit much, it is part of their culture and can actually be fun..as long as you are not in a hurry. Hank

A long transfer to Yokohama. We actually enjoy that city and suggest taking a walk through China Town and sampling some of the food :). Will be back in Japan next year, but have already booked air into HND.

This was a "glitch" in the Princess system about 15 months ago, when we had the same problem. It is nice to know that Princess corrects its' problems. Hank

You do not mention the port so we will give you a generic answer. Many cruise lines do ioffer "day of the cruise transfers" from nearby airports and sometimes from a nearby city hotel (which is usually part of a cruise line pre-cruise package). It would not be practical, from a cost perspective, for cruise line's to pay folks to sit around an airport (or city) for multiple days waiting for various cruisers. Since you are flying-in 3 days early (we have no clue as to where) we assume you are staying at a hotel. Let's assume you are staying in Rome, where there are over 1,500 hotels! Would you expect a cruise line to have transfers from all those places? If you have booked a Princess pre-cruise hotel package (which will often cost about twice the price of booking it on your own), then it may include a transfer (read your documents). Otherwise, you will need to arrange your own transfer (this can be done online, by most hotels, or by simply grabbing a taxi). By they way, once upon a time we did book a cruise line pre-cruise hotel/transfer package (this was Celebrity) in Buenos Aires. When we landed at the airport (after flying all night) we were met by the local tranfer company who told us, "we are waiting for another flight that is late, so you can relax in the coffee shop for about 1 1/2 hours" Our reaction was to grab a taxi to our hotel, go out to a nice breakfast, and later return to our hotel as our transfer van was finally arriving. That was the last time we booked a cruise line package :). And no, Celebrity would not reimburse us for the cost of that transfer. Hank

A quiet port with a decent facility (which we think was partially financed by some in the cruise industry). What to do? You can take an excurions (if you like excursions) or simply negotiate with a taxi driver to take you to the nearby town of Tapachula. Not a bad place for a few hours :). Many of the available excursions will focus on chocolate and/or coffee..both of which have history in this area. By the way, as a part time resident of Mexico (Puerto Vallarta) we appreciate the quality of Mexican chocolate. The coffee? Tis OK. Hank

I suspect that 18 months might be a bridge too far in terms of excursions. I will tell you that we are booked on the Quest for April 2025 (less than a year) and there are very few excursions showing for the Japanese ports. Guess we shall need to wait and see. DW and I tend to take very few excursions (we generally prefer to do our own thing), but we still like to look at the offerings. We have seen this happen with some cruises, when the cruise line is intending to make some itinerary changes. On our April cruise, they do have plenty of excursions posted for Taiwan (part of our itinerary), just not much for Japan. If you hear anything more, please post here. Hank

I think of that the same way as one can buy a Rolls Royce and get an included RR umbrella. Hank

No, we have no great solution to the rental car dilemma. In the past (and this was all pre-Covid) we rented from several different agencies all located in the vicinity of the train station. To be honest, we have found many neighborhoods in Marseille to be less than "pleasant" which is only one reason we prefer to take ourselves somewhere in the nicer parts of Provence. As to Aix, when we do visit that city, we usually find ourselves just wandering around the old town part of town. I had also mentioned that the Cours Mirabeau is a decent area for folks looking for a nice area to have lunch. We have spent several extended vacations in Provence, and have rented apartments in both St Remy and Avignon (inside the walls). Avignon is our favorite area to use as a base, but parking can be a hassle. When we rented in St Remy (for 2 weeks) it was a fun experience and we started to feel like locals as we neared the end of our 2nd week. The downside to staying in St Remy was that there was a limited number of restaurants (within walking distance) for dinner, and not a lot of later evening life. For the info of others reading this thread, Provence is primarily a rural region that can only be explored with some kind of vehicle. Friends, who prefer using trains and/or buses have learned (the hard way) that one really needs a rental car in this part of France. Parts of Provence have been impacted by the flood of immigration, and there are some parts that seem "less French" such as Arles. Choosing a base, for a longer visit, is certainly more of a challenge today than it was a few years ago. Hank