Hlitner

If you can handle 15k steps a day, you will be fine :). The villages are actually quite small and so darn crowded that a group can move fast. Riomaggiore and Monterrosso are connected by the most popular hiking trail (within the region) which has been closed for many years due to mud/rock slides. It is reopening this summer and, your tour might include a short walk on this trail (likely on the Riomaggiore side) although it is very doubtful a HAL excursion would include the entire hike (all the way to Manarola. Both Riomaggiore and Monterrosso (the villages at either end of Cinque Terre) have parking/drop off areas that are best suited (among the 5 villages) to larger buses. Of those 3 villages, my favorite is Manarola (love some of the views fro that village). Although all the villages are always too crowded, the most crowded are Riomaggiore and Monterosso (because they both have parking lots/garage). If you take that excursion make sure to wear comfy footwear and a decent hat. Hank

Many here may not be aware that Rudi Sodaman is also functioning as the top chef for Princess. Like HAL, Princess has refitted many of its existing ships to include a "Rudi's" venue. The difference, on Princess, is that Rudi's is usually packed (sold-out most nights) and is an excellent restaurant. This person wonders why that venue is so popular on Princess, and apparently not very popular on HAL. I should add that on our last Princess Cruise (Sky Princess) DW and I liked Rudi's so much, that we tried to get a 2nd reservation (on a 2 week cruise). There was no availability on the app so we had a conversation with the restaurant manager who sqeezed us in at 9pm. When we finished dinner (about 10:30) the restaurant was still nearly full! What is nice on the Sky Princess, is that Rudi's is located just off the main Atrium, where there is live music entertainment until about 11:30pm. When one dines in Rudi's, you can hear (in the background) the music coming from the nearby Atrium which just seems to add to the ambiance. Hank

Ouch!

i love your post because it highlights an issue with trains, not always mentioned here on CC. Assuming they are running (i.e. there is no strike) it is not unusual for them to run late. For cruisers planning on using trains in Italy, it is wise to build-in a substantial time margin to allow for such issues. Hank

We have picked-up and dropped at that Budget location and it is quite convenient to the shuttle bus (as per Euro Cruiser). I also recall our experience at that Budget location which is that paperwork issues can move at a snails pace. Pray for no queues and have a fantastic trip. We do love having a car in italy :). Hank

At least 2 hours of your day will be spent just getting to and from Alberobello. I guess the good news is that still leaves about 4 hours for other things :). Ironically, we will be back in Brindisi in September, with along port day. Still deciding what to do with our day, but will likely follow Cruisemom's advice and take the train to Lecce. We have previously been to Brindisi (caught a ferry over to Corfu) so want to get away from that port city. Hank

We do know you of your love of history and historic places, so no surprise with your post. Think of the cruise to the Fjords as a real vacation LOL. DW actually enjoys that kind of itinerary since it means easy days :). When we are in the places where there are historic sites, I have been known to drag her more than 10 miles (walking) in a port day. If you manage to get to Oslo, you will find some things of interest in that city. Hank

The activity level will depend on which villages (there are 5) are visited on the tour. Every village does involve walking (including some slopes) and the walking can become longer, depending on how close to the village you get via the transportation. I have never been a big fan of cruise ship excursions of their descriptions. Using terms like moderate and strenuous really does depend on one's point of view. Many cruisers have trouble walking the length of their ship, and few will use the steps to even go down a single deck. On the other hand, there are plenty of folks for which a few miles of walking is not a big deal. A friend put it properly when she said "my moderate is another's death march." If you have more info about the excursion, such as which villages it visits, some of us can probably be of more help. Hank

Villefranche is a very walkable town with most of the tourist oriented places within a couple of blocks of the water. One can spend a day just browsing some of the shops and enjoying a long lunch. If you want to actually do something else, then consider going to the Villa Ephrussi di Rothschild. If you are real walking/hikers, it is possible to walk from the tender pier all the way to the Villa. Otherwise using a local bus or taxi does make it easier for folks that do not like hikes. There is a lot of info, online, about the Villa and purchasing tickets. Hank

Something strange about the Encore sailings. Look for any of the November sailings. They all seem to have disappeared along with most of the December sailings. Wonder if it is just a software glitch. Hank

Yeah Edinburgher, St Paul de Vence and the Maeght are old friends. Just to reminisce, back in the 80s, DW and I cruised on the budget ship "Regent Spririt" (Regency Cruise Lines) which was a small vessel doing cruises from the old port of Nice. Our turn around day (docked in Nice) was on a Sunday, We asked one the ship's entertainers, who was from Nice, "what should we do in NIce on a Sunday.." He told us to go to St Paul de Vence. We really loved that first visit and have been back at least 10 times. It is also a place we recommend here on CC, although getting there does favor folks who have a rental car from either Nice or Cannes. Hank

Just a few words about my "take" on Club Orange If we were to cruise on a Pinnacle Class ship, we would likely book a lower category veranda and the Club Orange option. On Vista and smaller, we see little benefit to CO. As 5* Mariners, we already get our share of "priority" and the other normal perks. Dining on HAL is never a problem for us, because we simply practice what I call "queue avoidance." We normally go the MDR after 7:30, which is a time when there is no queue on HAL (many are already in bed), and DW has no use for priority breakfast (she is not a breakfast person). Celebrity has become a "no go" for us due to very high pricing on Retreat suites. If, and when, we spot a decent deal, we would return to Celebrity. For now, we still find a lot of value with Seabourn, Oceania (their new ships), and Silversea. In fact, we have an upcoming Silversea cruise (14 days) that cost us less than $350 per passenger day. On Silversea, for that price, we get a suite, included excursions at every port, and free everything onboard. The only thing close, on HAL, would be a suite with HIA and an upgrade to the higher drink package. Our upcoming Seabourn cruise cost us about $400 per person day, which is also all-inclusive (no excursions). On Seabourn, I tend to eat caviar every day (you can get it from Room Service, at bars, lounges, etc, for no charge) with French Champagne. On HAL, assuming one could get caviar, that alone would cost at least $100 a day. A fellow Seabourn cruiser insists that she eats enough caviar to cover the cost of her cruise :). And for those who have not cruised on a luxury line, it is normal to spend a month on a ship and have an onboard account balance of zero! No nickel and diming on those lines, no photographers, no art auctions, etc. There is still "value" to be found with some cruises and cruise lines, but those deals are certainly more difficult to find then in years past. For us, part of the fun of travel/cruising is looking for those "sweet spots." What brought me into this thread was looking at the price of HAL's Voyage of the Vikings cruise (for the future) and realizing that it was an awful value. I pointed out to DW that we could fly Business Class to Paris, and spend more than a month in France , for less money than the VOV. And, trust me, that in France we would be eating/drinking a lot better than on HAL :). Hank

I debated whether to respond to this interesting thread, but finally decided there are lessons to be learned. Sometimes DW and I will refer to ourselves as "world travelers" which may or may not be an appropriate label for folks who have visited over 140 countries. We travel on both cruise ships and land (and love both). If we were to look for a moral or other reason, I suspect we could easily find reasons to not visit a majority of those places. Having spent significant time in France, DW and I sometimes joke that even the French do not like Parisians (and vice versa). I suppose that statement could also apply to New Yorkers (my birth town) and some other large cities around the world. We have spent many months in Paris, and could easily point to various incidents that might politely be called rude. However, Paris remains one of our favorite places, on earth, and there is much to like and enjoy in that city. One thing about D&N's comments regarding pickpockets. Yes, Paris has its share, but so does nearly every other tourist city in Europe and the USA. Travelers are well advised to develop an anti-pickpocket strategy and follow it wherever they go in the world (Japan might be the one major exception). I have a good friend who had her wallet lifted out of her purse, while she was at the top level of the Eiffel Tower. Bottom line is always to be aware of your surroundings (and the people in your area) and never make yourself an easy "mark" for the professional thieves. Hank

We will often buy the cheapest room (which is a suite) on the luxury cruise lines (Seabourn, Silversea, Explora Journeys). We find those lines a lot better overall "value" than HAL. On HAL, we seldom book a suite (we have done some Signature and Vista suites) and have routinely turned down some great upsell deals to a Neptune. Since we spend such little waking time in our cabin/suite, we don't see Neptune's as worth the cost. On the other hand, if on some other lines (MSC, Celebrity, etc) we do see the suites as a better value because of the perks associated with suites (such as the Retreat on Celebrity, Yacht Club on MSC, etc). I do think that HAL has the worst suite amenity program of all the cruise lines upon which we cruise. This is even more true on the Vista and smaller classes, which is generally what we seek out with HAL. Hank

You are preaching to the choir. We have collected over $24,000 in claims through e-claims and that card. Hank

Absolutely. We have one cruising friend that puts in a standing order for caviar to be delivered in late afternoon, so they can enjoy during shower time, Seabourn has a long-time reputation for their caviar (which is very good domestic). Their "Caviar in the Surf" is one of the most memorable events we have experienced in the cruise world. When we were in the Carribean, they rented the entire Carambola Beach Club on St Kitts. The passengers were all tendered ashore to a full day beach party (including BBQ lunch with items like grilled lobster, steak, etc). We were laying on the beach around noon, when we heard a loud siren. In came a speed boat (from our ship) with the Captain, Hotel Manager, and a few other officers, When the boat stopped off-shore, the Hotel Manager, in his dress whites, jumped into the water (about chest high) and waded over to a nearby surf board. He carried, over his head, a large container (about a kilo) of Caviar, Passengers were invited to wade out to the surf board where they were served champagne and caviar. Was truly a fun moment. This only happens when they have the right port (such as with St Kitts or a small island in Greece). Is Seabourn perfect? No, they have their negatives just like every line. But they often do get things right. Hank

If you like caviar, that is one reason to cruise on Seabourn. On that line you can order decent Caviar (at no additional cost) from Room Service, whenever (and as often) as you please. I will often order a double portion (which comes with a large round tray of fixens) when I am enjoying a cocktail before dinner. The bar tender puts in the order, and in a few minutes a large portion of caviar appears :). That line also has "Caviar in the Surf" when cruising in the appropriate warm waters, and other times will have the senior officers serve caviar in the ship's pool (off a surfboard). Lots of fun for caviar lovers. Hank

Regarding the TA Vacation question, TA simply means Trans Atlantic. In the cruise world, many transatlantic cruises are also so-called "repositioning cruises" because the cruise line uses them to relocate their ships (such as from North America to Europe). Consider that we love TA cruises, because we find it a more pleasant option than flying across the ocean. We have actually done many TA cruises that cost us less than it would have cost to fly Business Class. And many cruisers (including me) love all those lazy sea days. Hank

Unfortunately, the OP does speak the truth! Inflation and demand have caught-up with the cruise industry, and HAL is no exception. We laughingly call ourselves "equal opportunity cruisers" because we look at options with many cruise lines with the term "value" being a very important factor. Since COVID, the best value has been found (at least by us) with the ultra luxury lines (Seabourn, Silversea, Explora Journey, etc). Consider that a balcony cabin on next year's Voyage of the Vikings (a favorite cruise of DW) will cost about $400 per person/day (with the HIA package). We sometimes find decent small ship luxury cruises for less! Finding a good value, or simply stumbling on a bargain, means looking around with an open mind, flexibility (in terms of cruise lines, ships and itineraries). Limiting oneself to one or two cruise lines really reduces the chances of finding the most interesting values. There are some decent cruise data bases (all run by cruise agencies) that make it easy to look for cruises across all the cruise lines/itineraries. Had to smile at the posts about Casino specials, as we think that HAL has really pushed into that market. But folks need to use common sense :). I once met a fellow cruiser, on Princess, that told me they were cruising for free because of a casino deal. And then his wife added, "yes, but we lost over $20,000 in the casino to get this free cruise." When I think of gamblers, I think about Las Vegas, which is an amazing city. All those gorgeous hotels/casinos were built from the proceeds of gamblers....most of whom insist that they win! Really? Hank

One of our favorite trips is taking a TA and post/cruise spending significant land time in Europe or Asia. The problem for working folks is that they need to find the time (and the money). There are many TAs in the spring and fall, so one can simply pick their embarkation/disembarkation port and use that as a starting point to work-out a land itinerary. In Europe, you can either plan around a train trip or rent/lease a car. Speaking of Greece, one of our "goto" trips involves cruises that begin/end in Pireaus (Athens) from where we can also take advantage of the ferry system to visit several Greek Isles (generally ones that are not on cruise ship itineraries). As an example, the last time we did this (2 years ago) we got off a cruise in Pireaus, took a ferry to Naxos, spent a few days, took another ferry to Paros, spent a few more days, and then ferried back to Pireaus and flew home. Another idea (we have done this a few times) is to take a cruise that has their last port, Le Havre. Quite a few cruises go to Le Havre on their last day, and then move on to an English port to end the cruise. But we arrange to disembark 1 day early (in Le Havre) and take the train to Paris from where we start a land vacation. Hank

This thread has already started to thinking/planning. We have been looking for an excuse (really don't need one) to spend a few weeks in Paris sometime next year. I had already started looking for apartment rentals in St Germain des Pres, when this thread popped onto our radar. A few weeks in Paris, along with a few weeks (with a leased car) in the south, does might be the basis for a trip 🙂 In the past, we have disembarked from some cruises (in both the north and south of France) and continued with a long driving trip. Lots of options which is when I have a lot of fun working out an itinerary. Hank

We have never driven that entire route, but have done the section between Cannes and Grasse. And we have driven (many times) between Cannes and Nice. Most of our longer driving trips (in France) have been about the wine growing areas and the chateau country (mostly the Loire valley Valley).

And consider that the Koningsdam is not even a large ship, by today's standards. Other lines have ships carrying more than twice as many passengers, with more being built every day. We once visited a port in Greenland, that had a population of about 1000. Our ship had 3600! The locals were not welcoming (most stayed inside) and it was like being in a ghost town. Even the local cafe/bar was not open during our daytime visit. Some friends stopped in a tiny fish store and asked the owner "what kind of fish is this?" The owner responded, "give me $5 and I will answer your question." Bottom line was that nobody in that small Greenland town wanted visitors. Hank

As I recall, if you have an early flight, you cannot use that Luggage Direct plan. So, there would be little reason for folks to want to rush off (with the express disembarkation crowd) since their flight would not be very early. It is a terrific option for late morning/early afternoon flights. The last time we disembarked in Seattle, our flight was not until late at night. We simply arranged to rent a car in Seattle (where we stored our luggage in the trunk) and enjoyed a delightful day in the region (we drove over to Tacoma). After dinner we drove our car to Seatac, turned in the vehicle, and caught our flight. The car cost us about $70 (including gas) and we had a delightful day. This was our solution to the problem of how to deal with late night flights to the East Coast. By renting a car, we had a place to store all of our luggage. When you use Luggage Direct, you still must deal with your carry-on stuff, which is a problem. The rental car also made it easy for us to drive over to Tacoma, go to the fine Glass Museum, and later head out to dinner before turning in our car. We had also considered renting a "day room" at a Seatac area motel, but that actually would have cost us more money and required we check-out by 5. Hank

And so the anti-cruise ship trend continues to grow, world-wide. That 1000 person restriction favors the small luxury ships (we love those vessels) as well as the R ships of Oceania and Azamara. I have previously posted that as both avid cruisers and land travelers, these bans/restrictions do cause us to have mixed emotions. I do not like what large cruise ships (and we do cruise on some of those ships) does to small, charming, communities. We have chatted with several locals in Key West (who all voted against cruise ships in their city) and do "get it." While some folks see this pictures of the huge mega ships and say "Wow," many others say something like "Oh NO." I think that those huge vessels have contributed to turning many communities, around the world, against cruise ships. It also does not help, that many on those ships will book overpriced cruise ship excursions, which are of little benefit to the locals, and have the added factor of keeping cruisers together in larger groups (also seen as a big negative by locals). While folks may not have an issue with 1 or 2 couples walking through their community, browsing in the shops, eating lunch, etc. they do not like seeing large groups being led around (like cattle) who spend little money (other than at "recommended" places). We live in a cruise port (Puerto Vallarta) for part of the year, and see (almost on a daily basis) both the cruisers on large groups excursions as well as those just off on their own. The large groups will sometimes block the sidewalks (as they stop to listen to their guides), crowd into a "recommended store," and do little to help the local economy. Consider that many who port at Puerto Vallarta (our winter home) will simply take an excursion to Las Caletas (or other similar places) which do not benefit the local economy (other than the tour operator, Vallarta Adventures). When advising folks here on CC, we urge visitors to PV to simply go into town (via bus or taxi) and enjoy themselves. But many fellow cruisers are obviously uncomfortable doing their own thing and I guess we have to accept that this is part of our North American culture. I know I should get off my soapbox, but we always do our best to encourage fellow cruisers to do their own thing, eat nice meals ashore, etc. In April, we were in Santorini (another place that is being ruined by too many cruisers) and could barely move through Oia. It was the same in Riomaggiore, where once could barely move because of large groups clogging passageways as they listened to their guides. It was not so much the number of folks, but the fact that many of those folks were being herded in groups ("follow the bouncing sign) through narrow sidewalks. The group stops, and it becomes sidewalk gridlock. Those of us who love cruising need to do more to encourage locals to want our presence, not to dread our visits. Hank