Hlitner

Have you considered splitting the cost of a rental car with another couple? We have done this, a few times, over the years. Posting on the CC Roll Call for your cruise is often a way to find another interested couple. By the way, 100 Euros for a single day rental is no longer considered too much But in Europe, one can often save a substantial amount of money if they book a manual shift (but one must know how to use it). Hank

Funny thing about cruise pricing. We have been around plenty of folks who want to discuss the topic and talk about where to get the best overall deals. We have also met plenty of folks that make it clear they do not want to discuss cruise pricing (not just the cruise they are taking at the time). One common thread seems to be that folks who book direct, with the cruise lines, do not want to "hear it" about ways to get better deals. Kind of like the person who pays sticker prices for their cars and do not want to know about folks who negotiate discounts. How does the cost topic come up in a conversation? Many times, somebody will ask the innocent sounding question, "how do you book your cruises?" I have previously posted (often in response to questions) that, over the years, we have learned about better ways (and good agents) by just listening and asking simple questions. And lest not we forget the topic of this thread. Hank

Thanks all

Just wondering if the dinner menus for the GDR are posted in advance?

LOL Ine. Am sure there are more then a few who would agree with “no Hank”. 😀

What you are missing I suspect you want to miss :). If there is a price drop, we simply send an e-mail (which takes me less then 30 seconds) to our agent and ask her to check it out. She will find out if we are eligible for the lower price, does it impact previously promised amenities, etc. No work of time for me, no exploring if the price drop will change other things (such as needing to rebook, reprice, lose amenities, etc). You are right that most cruise agents will not be as concerned about the cost as you, but the good agents will work on your behalf to get the best overall deals. But what you are really missing is losing money! Sometimes lots of money! Consider that there are decent cruise agencies that will enhance any booking with either on board credits (which can be thousands of dollars on an expensive voyage), pre-paid gratuities (which can be hundreds or thousands of dollars), and sometimes other amenities. So, for example, say I book a cruise with a total price of $10,000. One of my favorite cruise agencies will simply give me exactly what you would get by booking direct...but than they will also give me $700 of On Board Credit which I can take as a refundable on board credit or that same agency will simply give me that $700 within a few days after we return from the cruise (my choice whether I prefer the OBC or post cruise rebate). We find it interesting when we have discussions with other cruisers (on cruises) about various booking options. We listen, learn, and also contribute to fun discussions. It does not matter to us how anyone books their cruise, plans their trips, etc. but the give and take of discussions with other cruisers has taught us an awful lot over our 50+ years of cruising. Some folks listen, learn, and act. Others just do their own thing. Such is life. Hank

Consider this. TAs, who are part of larger organizations (such as the major consortiums) certainly have a lot more clout than a single cruise customer! Prior to COVID, nearly 80% of cruise bookings were handled by cruise/travel agents. I am not sure of that percentage today, but do know it is still the majority of all cruise bookings. But, the issue is not whether a TA has clout, but whether that particular TA will go to the extra lenghts to help a customer. Finding the TA who you trust to really help you when the chips are down, is not an easy task. Many in the travel industry function as mere order takers and everyone lives on a commission structure. The smart TAs will move heaven and earth for a customer because they are either very nice folks or perhaps because they want to earn your loyalty to attract future bookings. I have argued, here on CC, for many years, that folks that have this idea of booking direct gives them "control" are simply perpetuating a myth. The real control lies with the cruise line and they reinforce that control with a written passenger contract! That being said, the "leverage" lies with high volume cruise/travel agencies (and their higher volume consortiums). Our two favorite cruise agencies both belong to a huge consortium that books over $1 Billion a year in cruise/travel business! That, my friend, does give them lots of leverage...if they choose to use it. Hank

Just a comment about POM and Pt Everglades. We have never paid attention to advance pier assignments. On the day of the cruise we will sometimes look at our online Marine AIS program which shows us exactly where each ship is docked (AIS is an onboard signal sent to both satellite and ground stations). And when you drive up to the ports entrance, there is a display that shows where each ship is docked or, if you can't read, you can simply ask the gate security person. Hank

Total bunk! (and I am sorry to say this). Some folks here on CC have talked about this "control" thing for decades and it really is BS. The truth is you generally will have more "control" by using a decent high volume cruise agent (especially those in the powerful consortiums) because they have personal contact and clout with the cruise lines. About 3 years ago we had an expensive booking with a well known "premium" cruise line. Three weeks before the cruise the revamped a good part of the itinerary and even moved the disembarkation port from Lima, Peru to Santiago, Chile (about 1500 miles distant). We were furious, were not interested in the changed itinerary (which was not even close to the cruise we had booked) and asked the cruise line about our options. They would only offer a FCC and no refund. By leveraging the clout of our cruise agency (and their consortium) we were able to quietly get a full refund! This would not have likely happened if we had booked direct with the cruise line! And that is just one example (we could cite quite a few) of 50 years of extensive cruising. So. for those of you who continue to believe this myth of having "control" we say, bless your heart ::). Hank

The rules are different in every State and often within different in the different jurisdictions within a State. You need to deal with the folks who sent you the jury summons. Hank

Oh My. And we thought it bad that there will be 5 ships on our next visit (but fewer then 10,000). That port schedule is certainly a recipe for late departures. Consider 3 ships departing at 10:00. They will likely have their last tenders about 9:30. But those 3 ships have about 10,000. If only 1/3 of those passengers were ashore in the evening, it would take more than 5 hours to get them all down via the cable car. Boggles the mind. Hank

We had no idea that the C y C webcam was down. The camera is still there (after a few beers I get paranoid and think it is looking at me). The next time we stop at C y C (we go there quite often for their evening live music) I will ask if it is going to be fixed. Hank

The luxury market is pretty competitive and we wonder if Crystal is in a position to meet the competition. Also keep in mind that the new player on the block, Explora Journeys, will soon have 5 more ships (each with about 900 capacity) plying the luxury market. Will A&K make the huge investment to secure new-builds for Crystal? Questionable. And it has been mentioned that the decent shipyards are all booked for the next few years. Hank

I will try to help, but keep in mind we have not cruised on RCI for some time (we are Diamond Plus) and have never been on one of their mega ships like the Ovation. We have done a few Pacific crossings between Japan and the USA. most recently last May (Japan to Seattle). I also lived in Northern Honshu for two years (long time ago) and have a pretty good idea of the fall weather. That time of the year, from Seattle to Sapporo (which is actually some distance from the port) is going to be a northern pacific crossing and will likely be a mixed bag with temps often not warm enough for outdoor swimming. Another issue for folks who have not done trans ocean cruising is that there are a lot of sea days. Some of us love long lazy sea days, and others hate it! On the Ovation there will be lots of daily activity options, but keep in mind that you will have 9 straight days at sea. As to Japan, if you limit yourself to cruise line excursions it will not be cheap (all the cruise lines have been increasing excursion prices). You can always book private excursions or even go off on your own (we do a lot of independent port days). I am not a big fan of that itinerary because it goes to some more obscure ports (i.e. Muroran, Hokodate, Akita, etc. I do know those places (I lived about an hour from Hokodate) and while I loved being in northern Japan, I am not sure it is ideal for cruisers. If you can find the time and money, spend some post cruise time in Tokyo and try to squeeze in some time in Kyoto (one of the best parts of Japan for tourism). Tokyo is connected to Kyoto (and Osaka) via excellent bullet trains. But also keep in mind that spending time in Japan can become expensive (although those of us who do independent travel have ways to control costs). I also have a criticism to aim at RCI (and other cruise lines). When your itinerary says "Sapporo" you may not be aware that the port or Muroran is at least 1 1/2 hours (each way) from Sapporo via train or excursion bus. On our recent HAL cruise, that also stopped at Muroran, I do not even recall if they offered an excursion to Sapporo. It is a long day. Your final port of Yokohama is also some distance from Tokyo (generally about 45 minutes) although some do consider Yokohama as akin to a distant Tokyo suburb. DW and I actually like Yokohoma (we will return next year), but most first-time visitors will certainly want some time in Tokyo. And finally, when looking at a budget you should consider that airfares between Japan and the USA are quite pricey. Depending on where you fly you are talking about 9+ hours on the plane which makes business class very tempting, and also outrageously priced. Hank

While some folks do use robes (if provided) many others would not be caught dead or alive in a robe. DW and I laughingly call folks "robe people" who wear cruise robes around the ship. On a recent Explora Journeys cruise, two women decided to enter their Lido buffet in robes (we assume they were coming or going to the spa) and were quietly ejected from the venue! A few of us did find that amusing as it is rare to see any cruise line enforce some rules of decorum. Hank

Thanks for that info :). With other cruise lines that have boarding times, we have yet to be on any cruise where it was enforced. But waiting to get into one's cabin/suite is pretty routine across the industry although both HAL and Seabourn usually do have the cabins available upon boarding. A lobster & filet sandwich (with a glass of nice while wine) will do quite nicely to take away the sting of not being able to access one's cabin. Hank

Yeah, we did notice that little requirement. The good news is that they sell a 7 day Vignette and its now possible to simply do it online (the Vignette is electronic with no sticker). The 7 day will be fine for us since we will quickly transit Slovenia on our way to Croatia.

We had no problem arranging for a rental car with Europcar. Would have also been fine with both Avis and Hertz. There was no extra charge for driving into Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany as long as we dropped the car back in Italy (we are flying home from Malpensa). In the last few years we have had very few issues with driving into some of the Eastern European countries and things have really improved in the last 20 years. But, it can be very difficult (or expensive) to do a one-way rental between countries. The one country that causes me a lot of heartache is when we want to drive into Switzerland where they only sell long-term Vignettes for about 50 Euros! I find their system annoying and anti-tourist so will sometimes design my routes to completely avoid that country. Hank

I get it, that some folks think of O as a "Premium" cruise line. Then again, when we boarded the Sky Princess (Dec) with over 3000 passengers, we were onboard and enjoying a drink by 11:30. No hassles, no boarding by room category (we were just in a tiny suite), etc. That "mass market" line does not believe in keeping their customers waiting until 2:30. It has been the same on HAL, Celebrity, RCI, Carnvial. Seabourn, MSC, etc. So folks are telling me this "Premium Line" makes folks wait until 2:30? Color me confused. I have cruised on 17 different lines (dozens of ships) from many ports (including the POM) and no other line as ever kept us waiting until 2:30 or even 1:30. Where am I going wrong? Hank

Yes, if it is booked by Seabourn. A couple of years ago we did a month long Ovation cruise from Miami to Monte Carlo. We had a lot of OBC, and since we do not like cruise line excursions we had decided to use it for good wines whenever we dined in TK. We quickly became friends with the Sommelier who would talk us out of some very expensive wines which he replaced with lower cost items (not always on the wine list). About a week before the end of the cruise we realized we were going to have money left over and decided to ask about a transfer from the pier at Monte Carlo to our hotel in Nice. The Guest Relations folks said they could arrange for a private car/driver and quoted us a price which would use up most of our OBC. It was a no-brainer. The key is that you must book through Seabourn and then they will use your OBC. Hank

One hallmark of cheerleaders is they keep cheering for their team, no matter how they play. We have never had a problem disembarking at NYC ports (done it many times on mulitple cruise lines). And I guess the fault of the rust and A/C is also the fault of the OP (and certainly not O). No A/C in the tropics. If there were no other cabins we would have requested to be disembarked at the next port and flown home at O's expense. Hank

Yes, you can save money (not always in the form of a "discount") but you will need to use a decent cruise/travel agency (we strongly suggest using a high volume reputable cruise agency) and preferably one that is part of a large consortium. Your savings might come in the form of a discount, but it is more likely to be in the form of an onboard credit. pre-paid gratutities, etc. As a general rule we save 7-10% on most of or bookings (when compared to what it costs if you book direct with the cruise line) simply because we use decent cruise agencies. There are other ways to get big discounts, but they generally involve things like gambler discounts (for those that spend a lot of time in the casino and are tracked), Interline rates (for folks who work in the travel industry), etc. Regarding the gambler deals, some of these are quite good. Folks that spend a lot of time in the casinos (on certain lines) can sometimes get cruises for almost free (they usually must pay the taxes/fees). On the other hand, they may spend many hours a day gambling (not my idea of a vacation) and since the odds always favor the casino they may actually pay more for their free cruise then folks who pay the normal price :). Another way to get discounts, in terms of a lower price, is with last minute bookings (within a few days or weeks of a cruise). Over the years we have gotten some amazing last minute deals but one must be flexible, able to travel on relatively short notice, not be choosy about their cabin category or location, etc. The best of these deals will generally be found through the usual reputable high volume cruise agencies. In many cases, the cruise agencies are not permitted to advertise their best deals which is why it makes sense to get on the private e-mail lists of several decent agencies. I would further advise that last minute deals are the kind of thing that when you see a good deal you need to act quickly! Here today, gone in a few hours is the nature of the game. Hank

MSC operates almost like a ferry line, when cruising in most of Europe. Unlike other cruise lines, MSC will generally embark/disembark passengers at every port (when allowed by law). While you certainly should notify MSC in advance (with their lousy customer service you are likely to get no response) but you should expect no problem. MSC will not charge you any extra fees (some of the US based lines no charge an extra fee) but do not expect a discount. Hank

WOW! Talk to 20 expats here and you would likely get 20 different suggestions. We love living in the Romantic Zone/Old Town because there is so much within walking distance and we are right next to the beach where we spend many of our days. For short term, many love the Hotel Zone where there are multiple hotels (and some all-inclusives) with beach and pools. Other folks like to go about 45 min from PV to Nuevo Vallarta where there are many upscale resort/hotels and a nice beach. While we think of Nuevo as something akin to Miami Beach (as opposed to real Mexico) it is a beautiful area. In our part of town (Old Town) there really are not any hotels, close to the beach, that I would recommend. There are some hotels, but none of them would get my "stamp of approval." If you move away from the beach there are some excellent places (often a bit up in the hills) some of which are quite pricy. This part of Vallarta is also very gay-friendly and some of the short term places tend to attract a majority of gay men who do like to party pretty late in the night (i.e. Blue Chairs, etc). Our part of town is not what many would consider quiet :). Not an issue in our condo (where we get the constant sound of the crashing waves) but more than a few folks have been known to complain that its too noisy late at night. I know I am not giving you a good answer other then to take some time researching the place that would best fit your own wants. The largest hotel, not too far out of town is the Sheraton which is about 1 1/2 miles north of our location. Some say that is a good compromise to get away from the noise of town, and still be within easy distance of the city. Hank