Hlitner

I guess that depends on your perspective and ability to walk. For folks that enjoy walking, they could take the train to the San Pietro train station and walk (about 15-20 min) to the Vatican. As to pickpockets, that is an issue throughout much of Europe (especially tourist areas) and wise folks know how to take reasonable precautions to protect their valuables. And yes, for those who do not want to take the bus, I think the #34 does the trick. If one purchases a BIRG ticket (at Civitavecchia) that would cover the round trip regional trains plus all days use of Rome's buses and metro. We do agree with your warning about pickpockets. Over a 50 year DIY travel life we have had attempts made (on us) in Bologna, Istanbul, and Arles. We have also watched folks get nailed in Barcelona and Rome. Pickpockets tend to go after the "easy marks" and folks that take precautions and are always alert to their surroundings will normally do fine. Cruisers who we see wearing their cruise cards around their necks and carrying their wallets in front pockets or putting their purses under their chairs just make us shake our heads. Hank

"Hassle free" means you would need to arrange a private transfer (companies such as Romecabs or Romeinlimo are reliable). Private can be quite expensive, but it works. Any other method is going to involve some degree of hassle. For those of us not as concerned about "hassles," using the trains are a pretty good option. Hank

The taxis we used in the Greater Tokyo/Yokohama region did accept Visa/MC. I cannot say if that is always the norm everywhere and with all the taxi companies (if BruceMuzz sees this thread he can advise). That being said, as a long time DIY traveler I have learned to never depend, 100%, on credit cards. When we did want to use a credit card with a taxi (we only did this on some longer more expensive rides) we always asked the driver before we got in the taxi. And we always had enough yen to cover a tab. By the way, Japanese taxis do not expect tips. If the fare is 479 Yen, and you give the driver 500, he is going to give you 21 yen change! Another tip about Japanese taxis is that the driver will electronically open the rear door for entrance and exit. It is not normal for folks to open their own door. Hank

Appreciate the thread. We ran into a similar shore excursion issue with HAL when cancelled ports meant unused shore excursion credits that were not refunded. This all plays into my long-time issue of the industry adopting a decent "cruiser bill of rights" that would not allow for cruise lines to charge folks for things they cannot or will not deliver. O cruisers pay for SM shore excursios as part of their cruise fare. It is simply wrong, for the cruise line to pocket that money when the cruise line cancels a port or shore excursions. Also consider that O, just like all cruise lines, contracts with local tour providers for their excursions. The cruise line does not generally pay for the excursions, when a port is cancelled, so there is now an incentive for O to cancel ports to enhance their bottom line (by keeping the money that should have gone for the excursions). Hank

We can agree to disagree. Changes due to COVID or to avoid a war zone do make sense and are part of travel. However, cancelling an entire season in Alaska and itinerary changes for the sake of changes have never been part of travel with reputable companies. And we do agree about your "move to another line" but since we already cruise on many different lines it is not a matter of "moving" but simply a matter of choices. In our case we have reluctantly decided not to even consider booking any more EJ cruises until they get their act together and show more respect for their customers. We have also advised some of our friends (who often ask us for cruise advice) to avoid EJ (for the moment) in favor of other better established luxury lines. For 2024 we are cruising with Oceania, Silversea, and Seabourn. In 2025 we have already booked an Asian cruise on Seabourn. Although we still see ourselves cruising about 100 days a year, we have no future EJ bookings. EJ will eventually be a solid and reliable cruise line (the Aponte family has a good track record) but one cannot help but wonder how many years it will take them to find their way in the luxury cruise market. Consider that within the next few years, EJ will need to fill 5 additional ships.

Do not be so fast to dismiss the option of getting a shared taxi from the pier to the station. It is money, well spent, in terms of all the time you will save waiting for the shuttle bus plus the walk (or using the city bus) to the station. Will taxis be willing to take folks to the station? Maybe yes, maybe no....but you will not know until you politely ask the drivers if anyone will take you to the "stazione." We always talk about knowing your optons and having a Plan B. So, Plan A might be to ask for a taxi, and if that fails the shuttle bus is Plan B. Keep in mind that when you are in DIY mode on a port day, time is your enemy. When you need to travel some distance (such as Livorno to Florence or Civitavecchia to Rome) it is often worth an extra 10-20 Euros to save 1-2 hours! You can never have too much time in cities like Florence. Hank

We will echo much of what Edinburgher has posted. Yes, it is a relatively easy option with the toughest challenge getting to/from train stations. Since DW and I are very comfortable with long walking days (measured in miles) the challenge was doable. Once at the Le Havre train station (taxi or about a 45 min walk) we simply purchased tickets for the next train (about one train per hour). By the way, there is a nice discount for seniors (I think it is 60+) if you ask at the ticket window. Once at Rouen, we simply walked from the station into the center of town (think of a mile..much of it downhill). We spent the day (always walking) strolling around Rouen, having a nice lunch, doing the usual sightseeing. It was than a more difficult walk back to the station where we caught the next train back to Le Havre. I think the last time we did this it was the Saturday when there were NO taxis at the Le Havre station (locals figured all the drivers were home having dinner). Rather than stand around praying that a taxi would eventually show-up, we simply walked back to our ship (we had plenty of time since our ship was not departing until 11pm). For those considering this option I will mention that on prior visits to Le Havre we have rented cars (and drove ourselves just about everywhere in the region) and once used a shared taxi to simply spend a day in Honfleur. We have also trekked all the way to Paris (once on an excursion and another time using the train). Of all the options, we would likely never use a port day to return to Paris which remains DW's favorite city in the world. When it comes to Paris, we prefer spending 1-2 weeks (usually in a rental apartment). While Rouen is manageable for a one-day visit, Paris is crazy to do on a port day. The exception might be the person who has a once in a lifetime chance to see Paris and is happy to get a tiny snapshot. We have long suggested (to fellow cruisers) to do a cruise that has Le Havre as its last port (usually before returning to England) and arrange to disembark a day early (in Le Havre) from where you head to Paris for a multi-day or week stay. Hank

They are fools for leaving Nerja. Once stayed at the Parador (on the top of the cliff) and the paella, made by a beach vendor, was the best I have ever had! Given a choice between Gibraltar monkeys or paella, it is an easy choice. :). Hope all is well with you. If you see our mutual friend, tell her we say hi. Hank

As much as I dislike cruise line excursions (we consider them in a class with going to the dentist) this is one of times when we agree with the poster about taking a cruise line excursion. But ideally you would want one of the new type excursion that will also get you back to the ship without having to deal with the cable car. Most excursions will eventually end in Fira from where you need to eventually deal with the cable car queue (to get down to the tenders) or be willing to deal with downhill walk. As to a boat tour, the temperatures should be OK. But for a first time visit to Santorini, you should want to visit both Oia and Fira (the two main towns). Doing a tour that includes both those towns will get you tendered ashore to the ferry port where you board your tour bus. If the tour ends in Fira, and you have to deal with the cable car, well that is going to be a problem on a day when there are a lot of ships. That being said, we have been to Santorini about a dozen times, always returned via the cable car, and somehow survived. We will again be in Santorini, next month, with 4-5 ships and are actually thinking about a DIY plan (we know the island quite well) that would have us dealing with that cable car. But since its early in the season and will not be too hot, we have been considering the idea of walking down to the cable car (which means dodging some donkey poo). I should mention that although that walk is all downhill, it does involve a lot of stone steps (which can be slippery) and is not something appropriate for folks with any kind of mobility limitations. Hank

Interesting and somewhat far flung itinerary. Been to all those places (more then once) but never on a single driving trip. Overlord can certainly handle the request (if they are not booked) but it is going to be expensive. You might want to ask your driver to toss in a short visit to Beuvron en Auge for something a little different. Also consider a quick visit to St Mere Eglise (where the paratrooper got stuck on top of the church). I also think an oft overlooked place in Normandy is the amazing "Peace Memorial Museum" located in Caen. As to the tapestry in Bayeux, while we found it fascinating, an hour in that building was enough (for us). If you find the cost of your idea a bit steep (it will be) you might want to consider just renting a car. Driving in this part of France is not very difficult and rather than spending 500+ Euros a day it will cost you about 100 Euros. Hank

Having tickets in hand will avoid any queue to buy tickets, but it will not avoid the queue to get on the car. As to the crowds, your ship will only be a small part of what makes up the "crowds." I do agree that its smart to go early in the day, if for no other reason then you can take your time and explore the top. We used to take the cable car to the top station, spend a few hours exploring, and gradually work our way down to the mid hill station. But on our last visit the cable car was no longer stopping at the mid station (in order to save time and let them move more passengers per hour). We do not know the current policy regarding the mid station. We also like going up top earlier in the day and then walking back to the ship once we return to the lower station. We will stop for a drink or perhaps lunch, as we are passing through town, and later continue back to the port. Hank

That is your choice. If you want to look like a cruiser it is not difficult. If you make the choice to try and blend-in that is also possible. We live in Puerto Vallarta for a few months a year and have a terrific view of part of the "Malecon" from our condo balcony. DW will often look down and have some fun picking out the cruisers :). Many do stick out because of how they dress, carrying fanny packs (bum packs for those of you in the UK), their shoes, etc. Does it matter if you look like a cruiser? We agree with those who say it makes folks more of a "target" for both pick pockets and local businesses who may charge "special prices" for cruisers. In Mexico some of us say that there are 3 prices, 1. the price paid by locals. 2. The price paid by "gringos" or "gringo pricing" and 3. The price paid by cruisers. In fact, when I hire a taxi in Puerto Vallarta I will ask the driver his/her price and if it is too high might say, "I am not a cruise ship passenger!" Suddenly the 300 Peso price becomes 150 :). Hank

We agree with the others. No secret. I recall we sent in our reservation request a few months in advance, and a few weeks later got a positive response I have heard that those with good connections inside the Catholic Church (such as being friendly with a Cardinal) can sometimes take advantage of who they know. Hank

That is a good thing although DW and I prefer not to spend cruise time in a laundromat :). But that is the price we will have to pay since we are O Virgins in a lower category cabin.

Another downside to that location is if you find yourself on a cruise where the foghorn is going night/day. We have been on a few cruises where the foghorn sounded (every 2 minutes) for several consecutive days. Those in the lower cost inside cabins were able to sleep like babies. The folks that paid the big bucks also got the "big noise." Hank

Our preference is to cruise, round trip, to Europe. We always look for that opportunity, although it does not always work because of schedules (the ships and ours).

A few years ago we spent a few weeks driving through Ireland. DW stopped in some shops, looking for gifts, and was not happy with what she saw or the prices (the US Dollar was weak at the time). We bought nothing. But when we returned home, DW visited a local "Irish store" and found some nice Irish products for less than it would have cost in Ireland :). Just this past year, I stopped at the Duty Free shop on the Sky Princess and noticed that some of the "Duty Free' higher-end booze items were more expensive than the same products at home, where we have a pretty high taxi and all the booze is sold at State stores. Princess has a price guarantee, so I showed the shop manager that decent Cognac and Scotch was cheaper in Pennsylvania (with all its taxes) than at their shop on Princess. She just laughed and said their price match was only a match for similar items at ports on that particular cruise. When I mentioned that the booze was a lot cheaper in Ft Lauderdale (our embarkation/debarkation port) she explained that they do not consider that one of their ports for price matching :). Hank

We have done quite a few TAs (in both directions) and favor West bound for the simple reason of the time changes. Consider that on the East bound (we are doing one next week) there are 5 or 6 twenty-three hour days. We prefer gaining hours rather than losing them :). Many ships now handle the time changes by changing the clock around noon. I think that practice started, many years ago, on HAL when the popular "Captain Albert" came up with the idea and convinced his company that it was a better option then taking away an hour during the night. Setting clocks ahead during the night, is a real problem for the crew (particularly those who work in food service).

Hmm, almost like a conspiracy in Bruges. A few years ago we had booked a high-end B&B near the center of Bruges. The place was really nice and we were delighted when we arrived and was met by the owner who handed us a glass of nice wine. He than informed us that his card reader had not been working for weeks because of problem with his bank. He needed to be paid in Euros and, since we were staying there a few days, we owed him more than $1000 Euros. In those days, daily ATM withdrawals were limited to a few hundred. It took me two days, using two different ATM cards, to get all the necessary cash. A real pain. One big change, in the past few years, is that one of my ATM banks (who used to have a $500 daily withdrawal limit) now allows me to go into my account (via smartphone) and raise the daily withdrawal limit (for only that day) to a max of $4500. This is another of those situations where we have explained to some posters (here on CC) that having a working Smartphone is almost a necessity for independent travelers. There are still some cruisers who do not have a smartphone and have indicated they have no desire to have a smart phone. I compare them to folks who still ride horses and do not have a car. Hank

About 10 years ago we ran into some problems using US issued credit cards that did not have a Pin. More recently, the cards generally work with or without a signature. We do have Apple Pay set-up on our phone. Keep in mind that if using Apple Pay, depending on your card you may incur foreign exchange fees. Some cards (Chase Sapphire, AMEX Platinum, several CaptitalOne cards, etc) have no foreign exchange fees. One other suggestion is that we find it wise to have enough Euros so that we can pay cash if cards do not work or are not accepted. More than once, we have been at a European restaurant (or even a B&B) when the credit card system was down. Most recently it happened in Bruges and it did cause some real problems at the restaurant where we had dined. Quite a few customers had to go down the street to a nearby ATM to get Euros, because the credit card reader would not work. Technology is great, but there are times when it can let everyone down. Another interesting thing happened when we went to a museum in Stockholm. Sweden has gone somewhat cashless, and many places are no longer used to using cash. At one major museum, DW was required to lock-up her purse in a locker. The lockers were the old kind where you had to insert the appropriate coin to remove the key. When you later unlocked the locker you would get your coin returned. The problem is that hardly anyone in Sweden carries coins (or cash). So the museum's information desk gave out coins (for free) and begged folks to please return the coins because they also had a shortage. Hank

We have done that walk, a few times, and do not ever recall a shuttle bus. There are usually taxis at the port and one might be able to get a taxi to take you to the cable car. We are pretty fast walkers and can probably do it in under 40 minutes, but many cruisers need that much time to get from one end of the ship to the other :). The walking route is quite nice since you walk right through the center of town. Keep in mind that if it is a busy day, the queue at the cable car station can be quite long. The last time we were in Gibraltar we waited at least 30 minutes before we got to the ticket window. And once you have your ticket, there is another wait. On some other visits we had almost no wait. Hank

We once spent a few nights in San Sebastian and really enjoyed the evening/night life with decent tapas and restaurants :). But, the most fascinating part of our visit was watching the locals come to the beach, directly from work. One particular lady walked onto the beach, wearing a very stylish business suit and carrying her heels. She found a spot (near us) and pulled out a large fabric bag which she put over her head (there was a hole for her head). The bag was full length. She then changed into her swimsuit (under the bag) and within 1 minute was ready to lie on the beach 🙂 You have to love a city with that kind of atmosphere. Hank

LOL Bruce, It was called the "Grand Mediterranean Cruise" and we did it twice on the Prinsendam (62 and 60 days). The snide remark about that cruise was that they emptied-out the south Florida nursing homes, backed up the ambulances to the ship to off-load their patients, and were waiting on the pier for their return :). It was not quite like that, but we were only in our 60s on those voyages and felt like we were among the youngest on the ship. In fact, the first time we took the Grand Med, the youngest passenger was a 22 year old lady (hi Jennifer) who was traveling with her grandmother. One of my favorite lines was said by a comedian at the Welcome Aboard Show, "welcome aboard to all the seniors and their parents." Hank

There are a few related issues. We have gone through the trouble of getting the necessary Japanese approval for our meds (in a sense it is akin to an import permit). It is a royal pain to fill out the forms, but they can now be submitted via e-mail and will generally get approved within a few days. So, when we entered Japan last March (with a 90 day supply of our meds) we did have the required (by law) approval. However, on our trips to Japan (over many years) nobody has ever asked to see the med approval. In fact, nobody at Japan customs has even asked about our drugs. That being said, Japan is a country that takes their laws very serious and there is no telling on how much hassle you could go through if you get caught violating their drug import rules. One other issue which we think is very important. Japan also has very strict regulations on what drugs can and cannot be brought into their country. So, for example, just traveling with non-prescription Sudafed could get you into very hot water. And do not even think about bringing in controlled substances (i.e. narcotics). Even NyQuil is banned in Japan. I guess the simple answer to the OPs question is that old saying, "are you feeling lucky today?" Hank

I do think the answer to the OP's question is that it depends on what you consider good value. Some folks are willing to pay a lot of money for more cabin space and others do not think that the extra space justifies the cost. We fall into the latter, because we enjoy socializing on cruise ships and spend very little waking time in our cabin/suite. We have sometimes posted a thought that we can cruise in a normal suite on some luxury lines for about the same (or less) than a Neptune on HAL. Consider that we have cruised on Seabourn for under $400 per person/day. With Seabourn, that gets you all-inclusive (except for shore excursions). If we pay $400 per person/day on Seabourn, spend a month on the ship, we will disembark with a zero account. No cost for the alternative restaurants, no such thing as an add-on in any dining venue, no tips, no ship photographer, no extra cost for drinks, etc. On HAL, we could easily pay $400 per person/day for a Neptune, but we would then need to add tips, drinks, extra dining fees, etc. I think for those who are wedded to HAL and have the money, a Neptune makes sense. For those looking for the best value for your cruise dollar, if you are willing to pay Neptune prices you might want to take a close look at some other more luxurious cruise lines. Hank