Hlitner

I should emphasize that when you use the more interesting local roads, along and near the coast, the experience is more interesting, but the traffic can be horrendous. So it is a tradeoff between time and fun. If one decides to drive back to Cannes along the coastal roads, it is important to build in lots of extra time in case of traffic jams/stoppages. Also keep in mind that there is a decent regional train line (TER) that spans the coast from Cannes to Monte Carlo with stops in places like Cannes and Nice. For those of us who do our own thing, it is a popular option. There is also a pretty decent bus line that spans the coast (there are also local buses). One could make a case to take the train from Cannes to Monte Carlo, spend some time in that city, than take the bus over to Nice, and later take the train from Nice back to Cannes (one could stop in Antibes if there was enough time). I am more of a rental car guy, but the trains/buses can work with some planning. Hank

DW and I have been on more than 30 Princess cruises, and the Caribbean Princess is the ONLY ship upon which we will never cruise again! Why? Take a wonderful ship design (Grand Class) and add an additional passenger deck (with hundreds of additional passengers) without expanding the public spaces. The result, in our opinion, is too much crowding, too many queues, etc. While we are very good at adapting to most ships (we have cruised on 17 cruise lines) we found the Caribbean Princess to simply have too many folks in a space designed for fewer. Hank

I hope Euro Cruiser sees this post and can give a more expert answer. But, if what you are calling express is the Frecce trains (these trains make fewer stops) then I do not think they are covered by the BIRG! Keep in mind that most of the faster trains are not really that much faster :). Hank

We enjoy both Sintra and Cascais (as well as nearby Estoril) but cannot imagine doing it as only a half day tour. One could easily spend a full day at those two locations. I will add that we have done it on our own (we usually go to Sintra on our own). One day we took the train from Lisbon to Sintra and spent a few hours doing our thing. We than took a regional bus from Sintra to Cascais where we spent a few more hours before grabbing the train back to Lisbon :). Hank

We have never carried our Passports in Istanbul (they are either locked in our cabin safe or hotel safe). Keep in mind that Istanbul has more than its share of pickpockets, so be very careful how you carry anything of value. Hank

We fine the trains a wonderful way if one simply wants to get between Point A and Point B. But once you decide to go to multiple places (on a single day) we think that having a rental car is often a better option. Also keep in mind that train stations are not always convenient to the areas where folks want to visit (such as within Ronda). Hank

Nearly all the time, the cruise ships use piers that will have you walking out of the port through the multi-story port terminal. Inside the terminal there are various shops, some eating venues, and wifi. At the distant end you will go down an escalator and then out through the exit doors. There are usually (not always) some local taxis (they do have meters). The last time we used a Naples taxi the fare started at 3.5 Euros. Never a guarantee that a waiting taxi will take a short-haul fare, which will depend on the driver and supply/demand. Hank

At the risk of repeating what many (including me) have posted in the past, we will again mention the "BIRG" train ticket (for 5 zones). The last time we looked the ticket costs 12 Euros and gives the user round trip regional train between Civitavecchia and any of the Rome train stations plus all days unlimited use of Rome's public metro and bus system. You can buy the ticket at the train station or at various local small shops/news stands. The Birg ticket must be validated (by inserting into the validations machines located at the train station) before first use and is valid until midnight of that same day. Hank

If driving between Cannes and Monte Carlo, the scenic route along the coast will also give you a chance to stop in Antibes (they have a nice indoor market near the small harbor/marina). Another option is to head somewhat inland to St Paul de Vence (a long time personal favorite) which is a medieval walled town full of shops and art galleries. Not far from St Paul de Vence is the Maeght Foundation, which is a fascinating art museum for those interested in contemporary art (think Miro). Hank

We have done both, in a single day, with a rental car. But keep in mind that they are in opposite directions from Le Havre, so you do spend some significant time driving back and forth. If you have a rental car you might want to also take the short drive to Fecamp (from Etretat). Speaking of driving in Normandy, if you drive to Honfleur you might want to consider a short visit to Beuvron-en-Auge, which is a small town that looks like it has been misplaced from Bavaria! We sometimes stop there to browse a few of the shops and grab lunch or a snack. Hank

Speaking of PV Taxis (we are living there at the moment) the zone fares have become more of a myth than reality :(. As an example, a few days ago we needed a taxi from Costco back to our southside (Romantic Zone) condo. The proper zone fare is not about 100 Pesos. The first taxi we asked at Costco quoted us 250 Pesos and I just laughed and said "I live here." He immediately dropped his price to 200 Pesos and we said "no." We walked over to another taxi who immediately quoted us 100 Pesos and we loaded our stuff into that cab. When we reached our Condo we gave him 150 pesos (for his honesty). At the time, the fare for Uber was 168 Pesos (we did not use Uber because the wait would have been at least 15 min). We always suggest that cruisers do their homework and understand that cruise ship passengers are seen as "easy marks" by some "entrepreneurs." A further heads-up about our local buses (which still cost 10 Pesos). On our few bus rides, so far this month, the drivers have all been using the new electronic cash boxes (you drop your coins or bills into the system) and have not been taking dollars. The ideal thing to use on a bus would be a 10 Peso coin (or 2-5 peso coins). A couple could use a 20 Peso Note (2 fares). We are told that some drivers will take dollars but that is not guaranteed, and they would expect $1 per fare (the fare in Pesos is about 60 cents). As always, when you pay a bus fare the driver should give you a small paper receipt which you should keep during the ride in case you get checked by a bus inspector. Hank

LOL, you are speaking our language. Ok, we accept this is not for everyone but here we go! DW and I practice what I call "queue avoidance strategy." A lifetime of extensive travel/cruising has taught me that many folks just love queues/lines. They are happy to spend hours, every day, waiting in lines for just about anything...even when it is absolutely not necessary. We are just the opposite and look for ways to avoid waiting in lines. On HAL we simply dine later (after 7:30) when there is usually no line. If there is a free wine tasting, and folks line up to get in the venue, we simply come back later when the line is gone (does it matter where we sit in a wine tasting?). At airports there might be a long security line, but if you walk 10 feet there will be a much shorter line. On HAL there will often be a queue to get into the Lido when it opens for lunch. Folks will line up, 15-20 minutes in advance because they want to be first. Why? Come back an hour later and the line is gone. I know, there are some folks that just need to be the first to do everything.' Another great cruise line example are tender ports. Some folks just want to be the first ashore and they rush ashore at 8 am when nothing is open. We relax onboard, have our Bloody Mary and relax in the Crows Nest. Around 10 or 11 we head down to the tenders and go ashore..as those who went early are already coming back complaining that "nothing is open!" The fact that many places do not open until 10 (or even 11) is lost on these folks who rush ashore at 8am to do their shopping. My favorite tale (it is true) happened years ago on a Princess cruise. Princess generally has 3 MDRs, and years ago one was dedicated to Fixed Dining. We would sit at a lounge around 5, to have some cocktails, and see folks lining up for the 5:30 Fixed Dining seating. Those folks had reserved tables, and nobody was going to get served until all their tablemates had been seated. And yet, some would line-up (every night) about a half hour early so they could be the first to their table (and then need to wait for their tablemates). Very strange. Hank

We love cruising (and also visiting) the Greek Islands and have done it on many different cruise lines, using inter-island ferries, etc. The OP talks about a "budget" cruise which I will assume means money is a major issue. One needs to keep in mind that air fares have increased, in recent years, so the idea of a tight budget becomes somewhat challenging. I would also suggest that while onboard activities are a major factor in the Caribbean, cruises in Europe (and the Greek Islands) tend to involve lots of long port days (many call this port intensive) which makes onboard activities less of a factor for most folks. The OP might want to consider that since airfare is such a major cost factor, it makes sense to try and extend your time in Europe...to the maximum extent possible (i.e. getting the most out of the airfare). When looking at Greece cruises, we think that the itinerary is king. One should not only look at the various ports, but also give lots of consideration to the times in ports. Ideally, you want longer port times and we suggest avoiding cruises that seem to cut those port times a bit short. Since the OP enjoyed RCI, they might want to focus on Celebrity (kind of an upscale RCI) and perhaps Princess. If budget is the overriding concern, one could also look at MSC, although keep in mind that MSC will be heavily booked by Europeans and it is a line where some might say you get what you pay for. So, for example, while MSC's Yacht Club is an amazing high-end experience, their lower categories (they call them experiences) get you a lot less. Hank

One wonders if the crew even has a clue. I assume they receive money, which they are told comes from the tipping pool, but they also may not be privy to "top secret" formula.

With the HIA Package we found our 5 Star Perks mostly useless with the exception of the free laundry (our favorite perk). We also appreciate the priority in tender ports. The free meals in alternative restaurants (nice discount for 4*) have not been a big draw since we find the PG nothing special and have not been on the bigger ships with other options. Hank

Imagine working in the UK and somebody gives you a tip in Dongs. What would you do with it? When in Vietnam, tip in Dongs just like the Vietnamese should tip in pounds sterling if in the UK. Giving folks a foreign currency (i.e. Dollars or Euros) is OK, but it is inconvenient (for them) and they lose some value when they use it versus their own currency. Besides, imagine tipping somebody half a million dong (about $20) or even a million :). Hank

Le Havre has never been a center of tour companies. Heading to the D-Day beaches (and some other regional places) is going to generally be a full-day tour. If you are unable to find some others to join you, and split the cost, then it is likely to be a very expensive proposition but all is not lost. Much awaits those who help themselves. We would simply suggest you head to the beaches on your own with a rental car. The car will cost you approximately $100 and the drive is really not very difficult (especially with a working smart phone to use as a GPS device). All 5 beaches are accessible. although I would think your main interest would be Juno. I would also suggest visiting Omaha Beach since that is where there is still much left to see (including German bunkers). There is one rental car company that used to rent cars right at the port (rentacar.fr) and several others within a few minutes' drive (or a long walk) from the port.

Also there in 70-71. We have twice returned and there is one major change in Saigon, You no longer hear the sound of helicopters in the distance :). I kid you not. The first time we returned (on the old Marco Polo) I took DW up to the rooftop bar of the Rex Hotel (reliving some memories) where we enjoyed lunch and a few drinks. At the time I kept thinking so much was the same, but something was very different. And then it hit me....no helicopters. Just a million motor scooters. Hank

Heavens no, on the HAL vs O issue :). But an invoice from O would have zero credibility to me without proof that O actually made a payment to Portugal. If the documentation from O is not sufficient for your insurance company, then it should also not be sufficient for you.

I am trying to get myself around the fact that the Portuguese Air Force billed for their services. In 50 years of extensive cruising, we have never heard of any military body (be it the Coast Guard or other branches) bill for transportation from a cruise ship to land. I wonder if this means the US Coast Guard should bill any rescue of Portuguese as a retaliatory measure. Several years ago, while on the Grand Med cruise (Prinsendam) we changed course and went out of our way to come to the rescue of a sinking Portuguese fishing trawler (well off the Azores). Our HAL ship (under Captain Halle Gundersen) took charge of the rescue (there were several other commercial ships in the area) and ultimately took all the stranded crew (they were in a large life raft) aboard. Within a couple of hour a Portuguese Coast Guard helicopter flew out to our ship (from the Azores) and winched all of that crew off our deck. You can be sure that HAL did not send a bill to Portugal. My question to the OP is "have you received an actual bill from NCL?" If not, put them on notice (in writing) that need to produce a bill (along with proof they actually made a payment to Portugal) within X number of days. Make it clear that if NCL does not produce such documentation you will consider the matter permanently closed. In your situation I would get an attorney to write such a letter, but an alternative is to simply write such a letter yourself. Hank

With HAL, "ship specific" might be a one night show on one ship, once every 10 years. HAL is a cruise line full of promises...many not kept. Hank

If you do a search you will probably find hundreds of posts, here, on your subject. But as a quick answer you have trains and private transfers. Take your choice. They each have pros and cons. Hank

One reason that DW and I became very happy DIY/Independent travelers/cruisers was because of some bad experiences with cruise ship excursions back in the 80s. Constant waiting for folks was one of the situations that soured us on group tours (which we now only take as a last resort). My opinion is that when folks are late, they should be left behind whether they be on an excursion of late back to the ship. Each individual needs to take personal responsibility for their own situation and stop making excuses. In the past year we have started to take more excursions because they were part of our cruise fare/package. Again, it is common for groups to sit and wait for some late soul. I would think that once folks are left behind they will quickly get the message. Hank

It was a bit of a crap shoot when we were aboard (Sept-Oct). They sometimes had fresh oysters at both lunch and dinner, sometimes at dinner only, and other times there were none. As you can imagine, it is a supply issue and we happened to be in Canada/NE where oysters were available at every port. They also had wonderful raw crab claws (at dinner). Hank

I read your post, while laying on a beach, and immediately read it to DW. That started a discussion about "you would never leave me alone in Europe." After giving that some thought I suggested that if I had my Passport stolen, I would have urged DW to board the cruise. Her suggestion was that she would have the luggage put aboard the ship and we would both deal with Passport issue and later catch-up to the cruise. We are still talking about the issue. But having had our share of emergencies (mostly medical) we also know that decisions made on the spot will often differ from any forethought. We both admire the way you handled the situation. As long-time independent travelers, we understand the related stress and tough decisions that evolve whenever things go wrong. A related story happened when we were on a Celebrity cruise in Israel. A couple (both NYC Police Detectives) decided to take a dip, when we were at a Tel Aviv beach, and they asked some folks to watch their valuable. Those folks had to leave, and somebody came along and stole their pack (while they were in the water). The pack had both their Passports. Fortunately, the ship was staying in Israel another day (I think we were moving up to Haifa) and they were able to get emergency Passports. But it did cost them extra money and they lost an entire port day....having to spend all their time dealing with Passport replacement. Hank