Hlitner

Many cruise lines have a laundry option where there is a bulk price "by the bag." On these lines you might pay $30 for an entire laundry bag (you stuff in as much possible). Does O ever have this kind of deal? Hank

I want to mention a real life scenario. On one visit to Civitavecchia, DW and I made our way to the train station (we probably walked from the pier), bought a BIRG ticket, and were heading to the platform to catch the next regional train which was just arriving at the station. We passed some folks from our cruise who were sitting on a bench and made a quick stop to see if they needed help. They told us they had pre-purchased IC tickets (to Rome), had reserved seats, and were waiting for their train which was running nearly an hour late. In the time those folks waited, they would have missed at least 3 regional trains/Freece. Their train into Rome was, perhaps, 20 minutes faster, but it also took away some of the other train stations (such as Trastevere). Those folks wasted more than an hour of their day in Rome waiting for that "faster" train. We have long preached a simple rule of independent travel, which is to try and keep the maximum flexibility and be willing to change your plans "on the fly." Hank

I am a little confused by the OP's post, so will simply answer with our own experience. We are out of the USA as much as 7 months a year (on various trips all over the world) and have not "exchanged" currency for more then 20 years! We completely rely on ATM machines, whether we are trekking around Europe, traveling in Japan, in South America, etc. As a rule, we find we get the best exchange rates via ATMs, do not have to deal with money exchange places that have limited hours, or various exchange rules (such as found in Mexico). I should add that many banks. around the world, will no longer exchange cash for non-customers. Because we rely on ATMs (sometimes for many months of travel) we travel with 3 different ATM cards, each drawn on a different account in a different bank. Not only does this allow us to easily get a lot of cash in a single day, but it is security in case an ATM card gets "eaten" by an ATM machine or gets lost/stolen. Hank

Adult oriented, round trip from Seattle, etc. all screams (to me) Holland America (HAL). No longer one of my favorite lines (we are 5* Mariners with about 550 days on HAL) but it does tick the boxes required by the OP. Personally, having done AK on several different cruise lines, we prefer much smaller ship lines (luxury cruise lines). Arriving at a port like Icy Strait Point on a 450 passenger Seabourn vessel is a completely different experience with being on a 2-4000 passenger ship. Hank

I cannot help you with the rates of the so-called Federal taxis in the port. Keep in mind that those taxis (which are only permitted to pick-up folks in the port) charge a "fee per person." Outside the port the regular PV taxis charge a rate per taxi (not per person) as does Uber (also active in PV). A taxi outside the port will probably ask about $200 pesos (about $12 US) to go to town (Centro). A good negotiator might be able to get them down to $150. Most of the taxis can hold 4 persons. Hank

Thank you both, I just printed out your suggestions and gave them to DW :). As to liking pizza, that is like asking a cow if they like to ......... On the other hand just yesterday we were in the best pizza city on earth, NYC :). Hank

Just a word about the "R" ships for those who may not know the history. There were 8, identical ships (down to the same soap dishes) built for Renaissance (hence the "R") Cruise LInes, We actually had breakfast with the knighted English marine architect who owned the London firm that designed the ships. He told us that when he met with the owners and bankers behind Renaissance they told him (at lunch) what they wanted and he quickly sketched a ship on a napkin. They told him to build 8 ships that were to be exactly the same. And they also decided to simply call them R1 - R8. Through the years, and after Renaissance's bankrupcty, those 8 ships moved around between O, Princess, and Azamara. While the ships have all undergone modifications, the original cabin bathroom sizes have not changed (except where some cabins were converted to larger suites) because it is simply too expensive to do that kind of redesign. This is one reason why DW and I have not cruised on any of O's R ships and also stopped cruising on Azamara. We prefer ships that have bathrooms where there is room to breathe :). Hank

When folks ask questions similar to the OP's, about experiencing a specific country our suggestion is generally, go that country and spend a week, or longer, on land. Cruises are great but they have limitations when it comes to truly experiencing a country. It is relatively simple to fly to Dubrovnik or Split and spend some time exploring Croatia. Hank

For what its worth, it is really a pain to go all the way across the road, through the parking lot, etc. to Walmart just to get a few Pesos. And once you have the change you will need to again cross the road since buses to Centro are on the port-side. Depending where you dock (there are 3 piers) there will be some vendors near the pier, and you might be able to get Pesos from those folks. Hank

I have been "informed" that DW wants to explore Trastevere (weather permitting) during our upcoming port day in Civitavecchia. That neighborhood is not our usual haunting grounds so wondering if you have any advice/suggestions, etc. for that part of Rome. We will certainly do our share of browsing and be looking for a decent cafe/restaurant for lunch. Hank

We have never seen the wisdom in taking the overpriced cruise line excursion to Capri as they simply use the same ferries as everyone else. Once on Capri, one could argue whether they need a guide to say things like "this is a jewelry store," "that is a cafe," "look at the view," etc. As to the ferries, there are two different companies that have ferries from the nearby Molo Beverello port (a 5 min stroll from the cruise port). Since one cannot be positive when they will get off their ship and over to the ferry port, we have always just purchased a ticket on the next ferry..once we get to the ferry terminal. Once we arrive on Capri, we stop at the ticket office (located at the end of the pier), check the return schedules (you want to go back to Molo Beverello) and buy our return ticket on the ferry that best meets our own schedule. Keep in mind that a ticket purchased is only good on the ferries of that particular company. Once on Capri, most folks spend the bulk of their time just walking around Capri Town. But you can also take the local bus up to the smaller/more residential town of Anacapri where there is a chairlift that takes folks up to the top of Mt Solaro. The view from the top is spectacular, but we warn folks that the single chair lift may not be appreciated by folks who are afraid of heights. For those who want to go to the Blue Grotto (a true tourist trap that many find worthwhile once in their life) you can find tours right on the same pier where you arrive from Naples (or Sorrento). The Capri tour involves taking a boat from that pier, around Capri, to the Grotto. Once at the Grotto you will need to transfer (on the water) to a much smaller boat (hand rowed) to get into the Grotto. Keep in mind that those folks that row the boats do expect a nice tip (I once heard one rower say "you cannot get off my boat until you tip!" Moving between the boats may be difficult for folks with mobility issues. Hank

I will be honest and say that, although we live in Mexico 10 weeks a year, we do our best to avoid Walmart! That being said, Walmart is known as having one of the better exchange rates (US Dollars to Pesos). Since I have not used US currency (in Mexico) in nearly 20 years I have no clue whether you can ask for change in Pesos and/or dollars. There is a back story to that Puerto Vallarta Walmart (across the road from the port). A few years ago, Walmart built a new (and much nicer) store about 2 miles from the port. When the new store was being constructed, the "word" was that Walmart planned on closing the old store (the one near the port) which is not all that popular. For whatever reason, they did not follow-through and have kept both stores. If I had any reason to ever go to Walmart in PV, I would go to newer (and nicer) store. I have long wondered why cruisers would come to Mexico and spend their time shopping at Walmart, but that is another issue. I can tell you that when DW and I have cruised to PV (that has happened a few times) we certainly do not waste our time at Walmart. We love living in Mexico because of the wonderful Mexicans, terrific places to eat, and great weather. Going to a foreign land to visit Walmart, Mc Donalds, Subway, Burger King, etc. is just not our scene :). Until a few short years ago, both Walmart and Sams (both across from the port) were quite popular in PV. But then Costco opened a new store which many of us find much nicer than the Sam's Store. And close to the large Costco (about 1 1/4 miles from the port) is a relatively new Le Comer Supermarket (the nicest supermarket in the PV area). There is just little reason for most locals (and expats) to go to that olde/smaller Walmart.

Ours (DW and me) took just over 9 months. It almost seems like they have never gotten their act together from the backlog that happened during COVID. Funny thing was DW was approved about 2 months faster then mine, but she needed to have another interview (which we did while rentering the country at ATL). Mine was eventually approved without any new interview or an updated photo. No explanation why they do what they do? For those who have not entered the US in the past year, the procedures have really changed (for the better) for both GE and everyone else. CBP has implemented facial recognition (at most of their locations) which makes things very fast. On our recent entry through ATL we simply stopped at a GE kiosk. looked in the camera, and were approved within seconds. At that point there was nothing printed out and we simply walked to the agents booth who glanced at our Passports and waved us through. The procedure does not seem much different for folks without GE although their line was longer. To be honest, we do not think that GE is worth much since it just gets us to the luggage carrousel faster and we have to wait for our bags. A few months ago, at Port Everglades, everyone just went through a quick facial ID scan (no special line for GE). If one cleared the facial ID system (which takes less then 5 seconds) they were done. Only those who failed facial ID (which would be most with foreign Passports) were steered to a face-to-face with a CBP Officer. To us, the biggest advantage of GE is also getting a KTN and having TSA Precheck. That truly saves time at many airports for both domestic and international flights. Hank

Officially, No! But this is Mexico. If you get a nice bus driver, he/she might help. But the drivers are no longer supposed to provide change, and their electronic fare boxes are designed to only accept Pesos. A nice driver might try to use other passengers to make change. But other drivers will not help (or are just too busy). My advice is that folks have Pesos (either coins that can make 10 pesos per person or a $20 Peso note (which is equal to two fares). These days, a driver would be crazy to accept a Dollar for two fares. I did see one driver (in 10 weeks) actually take a US Dollar for a fare (that is really worth 60 cents) and then the driver paid the fare in Pesos (from his own pocket). That is the exception. And paying 1 dollar for a 60-cent fare is not a good deal for the cruiser. Speaking of the "$" sign, this is used for both Pesos and Dollars...which confuses some folks.

We have also done it with a rental car (there are several rental car places in town within walking distance of the pier). The car let us also drive up the coast, stop at a beach (for lunch), visit a winery, etc. At one time there was a train (the station is within walking distance to the pier) but not sure if that even exists post COVID. The bus idea is great, assuming it is running. Hank

I will toss out an idea, which we have not personally used. Europe has the "Flixbus" which are pretty comfy coaches that are generally on time and quite inexpensive. There are some Flixbuses that go direct from Le Havre (not the port) to CDG in about 3:15. On most days there is a 9:45 bus that would get you to CDG at 12:55. You would need to get a taxi to get you from the port to the Flixbus. I am not sure of the exact location to catch that bus, but assume somebody will post that info (or it can be found online). Idealling you want to be at CDG about 3 hours before a flight to North America. Hank

Flying from North America to Europe is really difficult in terms of jet lag. We travel all over the world, and actually have less problem flying to places like Japan then to Western Europe. I have read all kinds of jet-lag remedies and suggestions, and not much works. But, DW and I do have our ways to minimize the impact. Most of us do overnight flights to Europe, and we find it is very helpful to get 2-3 hours sleep on the flight. Flying in lay flat business class really is helpful (if one can handle the cost). Some of our friends rely on Ambien on those overnight flights, but we prefer to remain drug-free. So, we get out of bed relatively early on our flight day and just pray we can get some sleep on the flight. Once arriving in Europe, we drop our luggage at the hotel and usually head out for breakfast and some exploring. We do our best to get through much of the day and head back to our hotel around 3 (when you can get in your room). At that point, DW and I like to take a nap (no more then 3 hours) after which we shower and head out to dinner and perhaps more evening activities. We then try to get to sleep at a reasonably late night sleep time, and if we are lucky we will wake up the following morning in pretty good shape. I think the worst flight (to Europe) is when flying to England or Ireland. The problem is that the flight is too short to get much sleep. Some friends will try to get some sleep, right after takeoff, and will advise the flight attendant not to wake them for dinner or drinks. But that has never worked for us. We find the extra 1-2 hours to get to the continent quite helpful. Hank

We were a little concerned about booking 8 (a normal time for us) because of the 9:30 show times. I will also confess that sharing tables is something we have always enjoyed. Been sharing tables (often large tables) for nearly 50 years of cruising, and a majority of the friends we have made on cruises happens at shared tables. When we look back at a near lifetime of extensive cruising, our most memorable and favorite cruises have been the ones on which we met the most interesting folks, quite a few of which we still count as friends. Just last year, on a long HAL cruise (from Japan to Seattle) we shared a table at our usual later dining times (one can be lonely on MDR after 8pm in the MDR) and were joined by a single gentleman who turned out to be a very famous travel writer and founder of a well-known travel guide company. Truly fantastic dinners. We are well traveled, but are complete amateurs compared to this man who made a fortune as a writer, publisher, and traveler. Those are the kind of tablemates that feed our thirst for more travel knowledge. It does not happen at 2 tops. Other cruisers have told us they now avoid dining with strangers since they do not know what to discuss. We just smile and suggest, "travel and cruising" and grandchildren. What could be more natural? Hank

We will try to keep this thread on topic since we know that CC does encourage these kind of first-hand "live" threads. I want to talk a little more about O's system for obtaining alternative dining venue reservations. They system rewards folks who book the more expensive accommodations with an earlier booking window. For those of us in the normal/lower cost cabins, by the time the window opens (45 days prior to embarkation) many of the best reservations (times and dates) are gone. What to do? While we understand the trend towards cruisers wanting to book 2-tops, all cruise ships (with the exception of some luxury line small ships) have limitations in 2-top availability). When you use the O online reservation system one can input whether they want a private table (i.e. 2-top) or shared table. If one inputs the private table option, the display of available times is limited to only those times where a 2-top is still available. We quickly realized that if were to only book 2-tops, we would need to accept some lousy times (for us that would be too early or two late). We did initially book 2-tops where there were good times but then went back and changed the criteria to "shared" tables. Voila! There were plenty of availability at the best times (for us 7-8pm). A lot of cruise experience has taught us to compromise on some things, and sharing tables is, for us, a very easy compromise. Flatbush Flyer (a frequent poster and long-time O fan) has suggested that folks can call O and deal with dining reservations or shore excursions via phone calls. But our own style is not to sit on a phone (when avoidable). We were also determined to deal with O like we do with many other cruise lines, which is to say we rarely ever talk to anyone from a cruise line. We prefer using online resources and being able to print-out related info so we have a hard-copy record. DW and I book many cruises and I prefer to do things with a few mouse clicks (at my own leisure) rather than sitting on hold, often dealing with cruise line clerks who do not have a clue, etc. By the way, if doing a comparison with Explora Journeys (which has been requested in another post), they did not even have online capability for making pre-cruise dining reservations. EJ1 has 4 restaurants of which 2 require reservations. It was possible to call EJ and get a single reservation each of those two venues (even though we were on 2 segments). EJ also has one very special restaurant (called Anthology) which is quite small, costs several hundred dollars, and features a single menu curated by a Michelin staffed chef. The chefs are only featured for a limited time (sometimes only a few weeks) so the menus undergo complete changes with the change of chefs. Anthology also has a galley that is open (through a large glass wall) to the restaurant. In our case, we actually watched the Michelin 2* Chef (from New York Cities, Aquavit) prepare our meal. That venue is run in a style the French would call "degustation" with a multi course menu. You got what the chef wanted you to get, and if you did not like the menu your only option was to cancel the reservation (the menu was available in advance). We met the chef, and she told me she did submit her menu, in advance, so the ship could arrange to have the needed ingredients on hand. An interesting concept that cost over $350 per couple, with wine pairing. Some would argue that it was a bargain when one considers what they same meal would have cost at the Chef's land-based restaurant. Most of the dishes were the same as one would get if dining in NYC at Aquivit. Hank

Most ships will change the ship time to port time, but there are exceptions. The Captain has the authority to adopt their own policy. If the ship time is different, that info will be in the daily schedule. It is also wise to check your time (and the time you must be back aboard, which will be displayed near where you exit the ship Hank

When you compare cabins on the R ships to luxury line cabins, there is a big difference. There are also space ratios, crew to passenger ratios, etc. We cruise mass market and luxury lines and there are many differences. Both have their place Hank

We booked an April Seabourn cruise from Tokyo to Vancouver.

Different airlines have different policies regarding advance seat assignments. Some will allow you to reserve seats as soon as there is a reservation number Others will not allow seat assignments until the ticket is actually paid (with a ticket number) which some cruise lines do not do until only a few weeks prior to embarkation. And other airlines have different policies depending on the class (i.e. first, business, etc). So, for example, United will normally allow seat choice as soon as booked. But Croatian Air will not...even if the booking is through United (a partner). British Air will not allow seat assignments for even Business Class until 24 hours before the flight (except for folks with their own BA status). Hank

We would never use the term all-inclusive in terms of O since the line does not include gratuities or adult beverages (except during lunch/dinner). Hank

There were very few children (certainly no more than 10) on our 18 days. In fact, I think it was a few days until I noticed any kids/teens. Keep in mind that we were cruising in late Sept-Oct which is during the school year just about everywhere around the world. While EJ does market they are family oriented, I am not sure it is a line that will attract many kids. The amenties and atmosphere is just not what we would want for our own grandsons. If we were to take our grandchildren on a cruise we would probably look towards Disney or RCI (MSC Yacht Club would also be OK). Hank