Hlitner

During our 18 days we never saw a single bottle of mineral water although we did make the request at several restaurants. They provide either still or sparkling water (simply their still water infused with some CO2) which does not have any of the flavor of popular mineral waters (San Pelligrino, Perrier, etc),

Another issue is how many days you plan to stay in Tokyo? With only one night, we would suggest staying somewhere near the cruise port (as Brucemuzz points out, there are multiple ports). For one pre-cruise night we would suggest staying relatively close to the port (such as Yokohama if you are embarking at that port). With more than 1 night, we think one needs to give more consideration to where in the Tokyo area best suits you wants/needs. My suggestion to the OP (besides agreeing with Brucemuzz's post) is to extend your pre-cruise visit as much as possible. For example, on our recent cruise (from Yokohama) we spent 11 pre-cruise days in Japan and split our stays between Tokyo and Kyoto! I would have been delighted to spend many more weeks in Japan...but there are limits :). It is an amazing country to visit and land time gives one many opportunities not enjoyed by folks who rely on cruise days. Hank

We have spent a fair amount of time in KW, and we park our car in our hotel garage and go everywhere on foot or using the local shuttle bus. For a cruiser who has normal mobility, I would not rent a cart unless planning to go somewhat afar. Hank

DW always carries a scarf, not wanting to put on anything "borrowed" on her head. It goes without saying (but we will say it anyway) to wear modest clothes with knees covered. Hank

Just keep in mind that Topkapi is closed on Tuesdays. DW and I have always enjoyed just stopping for lunch at an outdoor cafe (often in the area of the Covered Bazaar). Remember to pay attention to your personal security as pick pockets/purse snatchers are always active. Hank

Much ado about very little. All Barcelona is doing is eliminating an excellent docking location that primarily served relatively small ships. Their main cruise port, which can handle 4-5 large ships, remains unaffected. There is also additional docking space in the commercial port area although this is somewhat more distant. As to the main cruise ship area, most cruise lines run shuttle to the Columbus Statue (at the base of the Ramblas) and there is a regular local bus route that stops at the port. For those of us who like long walks, it is also possible to walk from the port into town (we really enjoy the view as we cross the bridge). Hank

If embarkation convenience is your priority, Pireaus is a pretty good option. It is not difficult or expensive to move between ATH (or Athens) and Pireaus. Rome/Civitavecchia is also not difficult, but it does involve somewhat more money (a private transfer between Rome and the Port can cost over 120 Euros). But as one who often travels and cruises in Europe, we think the embarkation port is a relatively minor factor, if one is willing to spend a little money. When it comes to Europe, we suggest that the itinerary is king. Once you find a cruise/itinerary that best meets your wants, you can look at the transfer options. Venice has become somewhat of a hassle for many cruisers. In fact, we have an upcoming long cruise that ends in Trieste, and we are not even planning on a visit to Venice (been there many times) because it is a hassle. The Port of Trieste opens up many other possibilities for a driving trip in Croatia, Slovenia, and even into southern Germany. Hank

Unfortunately, many of the Princess drink recipes (these are company recipies) are more about size (large) and looks. If you want properly made cocktails, befriend the bar tender and tell them exactly what you want. Living in Mexico for many years (winter months), we are well versed in a proper Margarita and the Princess recipie is anything but! We once gave a real Margarita recipie to a friendly bar tender (he made it) but he explained that making the drink properly would not come close to filling the glass that Princess specifies for their margarita's. So, in order to fill the glass, they must use mixes and other non-alcohol product to bring up the volume (and ruin the cocktail). Fortunately for us, we are happy with basic drinks like straight or on the rocks whisky. Even an amateur bar tender cannot ruin those kind of drinks. A glass of Cognac cannot be ruined (unless they use bad cognac). Lets face it, Princess uses commercial drink mixers (out of cartons) that are full of fillers and preservatives. How about a real pina colada made with Coco Lopez and decent pineapple juice? It ain't going to happen on Princess. Hank

A Cubano without some kind of roast port is not a real cubano :).

We did see some evidence of local purchasing, especially when it came to the raw seafood bar (in Emporium). As to the "very best wines" that is far from true but we do hear similar claims from the other luxury lines...none of which provide complementary "fine fines." We do give some credit to EJ for their contract with Moet and the provision of several of their very good Champagnes. Getting back to local food purchases, since the menus are unchanging in all the venues (except for minor changes in Emporium) there does not seem to be much reason for purchasing local items. Menus are set in Geneva, supplies are ordered weeks/months in advance, and the onboard chefs are given almost no flexibility to deviate from the Geneva dictates. Hank

We just came off a cruise where the cuisine would certainly qualify as 4 Star (using your standard) out of 5. In fact, we even had one meal that was cooked by a Michelin 2* Chef who provided a tasting menu (7 courses) that was based on what she serves at her NYC Michelin 2* restaurant. And then you have Seabourn where anyone can have caviar on demand (just call room service) for no extra charge. As much as we enjoy PB&J, I am happier when eating caviar :). The truth about the cruise industry is that there are many different cruise lines (I believe over 50) and you can get all kinds of food from barely tolerable to gourmet. It is simply a matter of your budget and personal preferences. Hank

I would want to know the actual schedule (times and day of week in port) and specific ship. Overall, if not on a strict budget, our preference (with those 3 lines) would be MSC...but only in their Yacht Club (only their newer vessels have that option). Hank

Welcome to the world of cruise line excursion "rip offs." There are many cruisers who are willing to pay a big premium (often hundreds of dollars) not to have to think, deal with doing things on their own, etc. The reality is that in Hokodate, both the morning market and red brick warehouses are within walking distance of the ship and not a problem for folks who are mobile. Unless you enjoy paying big bucks for a bus that drives you a few blocks, these two places can easily be done on your own. In fact, no bus will take you to the Morning Market since it is just too close to the ship. As to the Rope Way, for some of us it is a long walk and others might want to simply grab a taxi or use public transportation. Keep in mind that the Morning Market and Red Brick Warehouses cost zero (for those who simply walk to those places) and can only be visited on foot! As posted, doing the Rope Way on your own does involve the cost of the "ticket to ride" (also the name of a John Lennon/Beatles song). I will be honest and say that HAL cruisers tend to not move quickly :). When recently in Hokodate, DW and I walked from ship to the Red Brick Warehouses in less time (about 10 minute) than it normally takes to load a HAL Excursion bus :). Hank

Not sure why some folks want to get into drama! So let's understand that the Passenger Vessels Services Act (PVSA) does include rules that govern cruises between US Ports (or cruises that do not involve a "distant foreign port"). But a violation of that act simply involves the imposition of a Federal fine....not an arrest warrant. Cruise lines generally follow the rules are do not allow folks to book cruises that would violate the PVSA. In an emergency or extraordinary circumstances, violations do occur and a fine may be assessed. The PVSA rules are a bit complicated (some of us think they make no reasonable sense). But the rules are the rules and PVSA is something that both cruise lines (and their passengers) must tolerate. Hank

This is one of those situation where bigger is better, and I strongly dislike mega ships. But we all have our priorities. You are generally going to find the best production shows on the monster RCI or NCL vessels. Keep in mind that will be sharing those ships with over 4000 (even 5000) of your best friends :). Hank

Things have changed since our last visit, but it seems like you currently have two options. You could purchase an Istanbul Card (Istanbulkart) for 70 Lira (about $2.50) and than load it with an amount that would be appropriate for your travel habits. You would buy the so-called Anonymous Card which can be purchased at thousands of ticket vending machines (I believe there are machines at the Tram stop outside the port). A full fare on the train is 15 Lira or about 50 cents I understand there is also an app (for those with working Smartphones) which can be used instead of the physical card. For many that might be too complicated, but it has the advantage of not paying that 70 Lira price for the card..and you can tie the app to a credit card so you do not have to be concerned with loading money on the card. When you get on a Tram or bus you simply hold your card over the reader. Another option (which can be a good thing for independent travelers) is the Istanbul Travel Card (which covers transportation and other entrance fees). You can read about this online and decide if it makes sense. The bottom line for a cruiser (going off on their own) is that a single round trip on the T1 from near the port into town would cost about $3.50 (the $2.50 card fee plus 30 Lira for the fares). Additonal trips would only be about 50 cents. Its a bit of a rip-off that you need to pay for the card, but we are not talking about serious money and the cards are convenient. There is another option which might not be worth the hassle (we have never tried it). There is an App for Smartphones which can downloaded onto your phone. I think it works in conjunction with the card (which is how the system in Japan works) and there is talk of it even replacing the card (I assume you would scan your phone). You might want to go to this link and read more details: The Guide to IstanbulKart: Price, Where to Buy & How to Use Istanbul Transport Card – ISTANBUL.TIPS Hank

Like most parts of the world, it is a mixed bag and conditions can vary from very nice to darn awful. On our April/May crossing from Yokohama to Kodiac island we had the bad luck to cruise during a time when there were two major storms in the Bering Sea. The result was 5-6 consecutive days with seas around 8 meters (25 feet). On the Westerdam they had to drain the pools (which would have sloshed on the deck) but otherwise, it was just business as usual (except for those that suffer from mal de mer). We tell friends, who ask us about cruising, that rough seas are simply a part of cruising and folks that constantly ruminate about the issue might be better off taking land trips. Hank

Just had a delayed thought about our time on EJ. One evening, while sitting in the very handsome Whiskey Bar (everyone should at least view that venue) I asked the bar tender (who also handles the adjacent cigar lounge) about the cigars that are sold onboard (there is an attractive humidor attached to the cigar lounge). He told me that the cigars were Dominican and the most expensive one cost 90 Euros! WOW! That is over $100 for a single cigar. I thought about using some of our onboard credit to try that smoke, but DW would have tossed me overboard :). Hank

Just talked to some friends who are frequent cruisers on luxury/premium lines. They wanted our assessment of E1 and, knowing their preferences, suggested they would be very pleased with the cuisine and laid back entertainment (oops...meant "experiences"). Our friend got back to me a were very disappointed in the EJ posted future itineraries. To quote them, "we don't fly halfway around the world to go on 7-10 day cruises." EJ needs to thread a needle between shorter cruises (which are attractive to many younger folks who still work) and longer cruises (which are popular with many retirees). This can be done through careful planning (do not have repetitive itineraries) and marketing long itineraries (which consist of smaller segments that can also be marketed to the younger folks). But, if they continue to change/revise itineraries they will lose credibility among folks who tend to book cruises well in advance. Hank

Personally, we are fine with older vessels (the Prinsendam was a longtime favorite). But others, with whom we have talked on the Seabourn Quest and Explora 1 indicated that this was a concern. Many "Crystal refugees" have flocked to Seabourn, and we would hear comparisons (good and bad) on a routine basis. We also met quite a few travel/cruise agents on the Explora 1, who told us that they would push that product to their luxury cruise clients. My big issue, reading the thread, are the comments about closed restaurants, lack of sit-down dining options in some cases (we think that there should always be a sit-down option on any luxury line), etc. Our recent (March-May) cruise on HAL's Westerdam, really soured us on the current state of mass market lines (we have one remaining future mass market booking with Princess). DW and I have decided that, given the current situation with cruising, we should stick with premium and luxury lines. We do have future bookings with O, SB, and SS, and will keep looking at Crystal (and following onboard posts) to see what happens as their ships approach capacity. Viking and Regent are also on our radar. It is a very competitive market and there is no room for lines that truncate their services because of a lag in bookings. Hank

Thanks for posting the onboard reviews. We have not been on Crystal for many years, but have been thinking about the line for the near future. Nothing in the onboard posts convinces me we would even want to consider Crystal. Why? We just came off 18 days on the new Explora 1 (Explora Journeys). That ship is about the same tonnage as the Serenity, but only has a capacity of 930 with the same crew size as on the Serenity. E1 has 4 normal sit-down restaurants (no charge), a lido (called the Emporium) and a small venue for Guest Chefs (this is expensive....about 530 Euros for dinner with wine pairing). Despite only having 241 passengers on our first segment, all the restaurants were open (every night) and there were often 2 sit down restaurants (plus the Lido) open for lunch. The ship was fully crewed (about 650) with no reductions due to being far below capacity. Breakfast was also in the lido and one of the sit down venues. Nobody used the fact that we were at 25% of capacity as an excuse to close anything! What I read in this blog are a lot of excuses. If I am paying for a luxury product, I expect all the venues to be functioning. That is called luxury. The paying passengers should not be penalized because the cruise line cannot sell their berths! I do think that A&K is a terrific company, and hope they get it all together before it is too late. The industry needs Crystal (and the other luxury lines), but they should be cognizant of increasing competition from lines with newer ships. Consider that EJ will have 6 ships by 2028 with the oldest only 5 years old (at that time). Silverseas has added new ships and most of SB's ships are less than 10 years old. On our recent Seabourn Quest cruise (August) the Restaurant was open for lunch on most days although nearly everyone dined in Colonnade or at the pool. Since Colonnade is a hybrid lido (you can use the buffet or order at the table) it does satisfy most folks. I do believe that guests on luxury lines should always have a sit-down restaurant option! Hank

That is troubling :(. We have always thought of SB as the line where the word "no" is simply not part of the vocabulary. I guess we never asked the questions that would trigger a no. Hank

Not always frustrated and often somewhat amused :). The management attitude is that they are somewhat full of themselves (in terms of the cruise line) and it can be amusing. They have even invented their own language. It is not a cruise "ship" but rather a "vessel." They do not have any "entertainment" but do have "experiences." There is no Cruise Director but they do have an "Experience Manager." There is no crew, only "hosts." And there are no passengers, just "guests." When DW suggested to one of the suits from Geneva that they rename in the indoor pool (now called the Conservatory) the "Aquatic Immersion Experience" he loved the idea :). Yes, we did experience the "No," "we will need to check," and "we don't know," enough times to see the humor. This primarily happens at the guest relations desks or "destination manager" desk. By the way, none of these desks is marked with any kind of signage (not even on the desk) as you are somehow expected to know. There are also no port lectures, no port maps, and almost no port information. When they do provide a shuttle (at ports) you may or may not know, will generally have no clue as to the schedule (until you get to the shuttle), etc. After all, this is a very high class outfit where they expect you to know, or go to the Guest Relations desks so they can tell you "we don't know." I do believe that these "hiccups" will eventually be resolved, but make no mistake, EJ will work hard to be "different" from any other cruise line. We would happily go back on EJ (if we find the right itinerary and price) although the next time, we might have more fun if we uncounted a "no" or "we don't know." I will add that since we were on a very special voyage (when they were preparing for the Naming Ceramony" we met several top management (from Geneva) and were impressed. They are trying to reinvent the cruise experience are are generally off to a good start except for some folks needing an attitude adjustment. This is not a line for everyone. But for the kind of folks who enjoy the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, etc. they will find much to like. Hank

Going a bit off topic. but PV has changed a lot in the past 20 years, and one can debate whether it is for the better. The southside (Zona Romantica/Old Town) has seen much of the old town character destroyed as the older buildings have gradually been replaced by new high rise condo buildings. Since we live right in the old town area, we find the changes somewhat sad. On the other hand, some would argue that new is good. The Mexican government is slowly completing the new highway that will reduce the travel time to Guadalajara from 5 hours to about 3 1/2. PV than becomes an easy "go to" weekend destination for the middle class of Guadalajara (and environs) which makes the case to build even more condos. We know quite a few folks who have already abandoned PV in favor of smaller (less commercialized) communities up and down the coast. Hank

You might want to keep in mind that "grid lock" is all too normal throughout much of the Istanbul area (including around the port). Not much you can do if embarking/debarking and need to use a vehicle to handle both yourself and luggage. Otherwise, as an independent type of traveler we will generally walk out of the port and either use the tram (they can move through the traffic jams) or sometimes just take the long walk over the bridge and to the downtown (Golden Horn) area. Hank