mnocket

I'm doing this one in August. I was so looking forward to Longyearbyen, but strangely the excursions there are a bit disappointing. It actually seems like despite the cold, winter may be a better time to visit. Still it's Longyearbyen!

It's been 4 years since I was in the YC for a Caribbean cruise. One thing I really appreciated was that the pool area was far from crowded. It sounds like that has changed. I'm not sure why, since they didn't add anymore YC cabins☹️

And that's where we differ. If I use a TA, I expect them to answer the phone when I call. If, for example, my flight is delayed/canceled at the last minute, I need a TA who is available to make alternate arrangements immediately. Since they booked the flight, the airline won't even talk to me - I have to go through the TA. Since many cruise "specialists" are one-man franchises, you really can't expect them to be available at a moment's notice. For that reason alone, I am hesitant to book flights through TAs. There's really no savings and you lose control of your booking.

Yeah, I recently returned from a cruise along the Amazon river. Took an excursion to a "traditional native village". While there weren't any markings, I'm sure all of the things they were selling were made in China, Japan, etc. The only time you can be sure that an item is as represented is if you actually see someone sitting there making them. This used to be common, but not so much anymore☹️

There are lots of people who sing the praises of their travel agents. They claim they offer steep discounts - 10% is often mentioned - and swear they are responsive, knowledgeable, and provide outstanding service. I've never met such a TA. I've always found that high discount TAs aren't much more than order takers - essentially call center employees. That's actually understandable since they rely on volume to make money and don't really have the time or motivation to provide time consuming, personalized customer service. Then there are the full-service TAs. They don't offer large discounts/perks, and some even charge above and beyond the ticket prices for their service, but as a result they have the time and motivation to offer top-notch customer service. Why? Because that's how they make their money. These are the true professionals of the travel industry. They know their worth. That said, the majority of TAs fall in the middle. They provide neither high discounts/perks nor exceptional, personalized service. Most TA employees are not cruise experts. In my experience, what you've experienced is actually pretty normal. I'm not saying high-discount, high-service TAs don't exist, but if they do, they are the unicorns of the industry and near impossible to find.

Exactly. It always surprises me how some people can't distinguish between what a company is legally allowed to do, and what is the right thing to do. Some things, actually lots of things, can be legal but result in companies treating their customers poorly. Still the fanboys won't hesitate to run to the company's defense.

Are the questions that actually get asked going to be pre-screened? If so, by whom. Transparency matters.

As I said, I guess people see things differently. What he actually said was... It's one of those over-priced trips pitched at people arriving on the ships for its novelty value, and at railway enthusiasts wanting to tick it off their bucket list. He was saying he felt it was being pitched for its novelty value (hard to argue it isn't novel) and to railway enthusiasts. I guess people who are attracted to things because they are novel are novelty seekers, but why do you see that as disparaging? People do things all of the time because they are novel - nothing wrong with that in my eyes. I don't think people who take the "polar plunge" on antarctica cruises do it because it feels good. They do it because it's novel. They do it to be able to say they did it. I certainly don't see people who do things because they are novel (i.e. novelty seekers) as "shallow and trivial", but to each their own.

Honestly, I don't think he said anything disparaging about anyone. I guess people just see things differently.

Our first visit to Montreal was this past September. I'm originally from NY and am always seeking out traditional NY delis in other cities. I didn't know about Schwartz, but will definitely stop by next time I'm there. One question.... I looked at the menu online and they simply list the sandwich as "smoked meat". It looks like corned beef, which is fine, but I wonder if that's really all they have (other than turkey and salami which is also listed)?

First it's relative (compare to pre-Starlink internet speeds on cruise ships, not to home internet). Second, the speed the end user sees is more a function of how the cruise lines implement Starlink (e.g. how do they throttle speeds) than it is the Starlink infrastructure. Yes, Starlink continues to launch more and more satellites and things will only get better, but reports from most people who have had Starlink service are very positive. There are always exceptions.

Shake away. I find money belts to be annoying. I'm a wallet in the front pocket kind of guy. I've never had a problem, but if I get nailed, I'll be the first to admit I probably should have listened to you🙂

Anytime you send cash to a stranger, especially one in another country, you are taking a risk. The best you can do is look for references and decide for yourself if the risk is worth it to you. Personally, I have no problem finding and booking tours from reputable companies that accept credit cards and offer full refunds for cancellation - right up till the day before the tour. Now if the tours you're looking at don't require you to send a cash deposit in advance, I guess the only real risk is that the tour may not happen or they may claim an inflated price once you show up. Maybe it's a common practice and perfectly normal, but I haven't gone that direction.

Well this certainly seems to be an area where MSC could make improvements. I'll venture to say that this happens often on embarkation days.

Because it wasn't perfect? Perfection is an aspiration that is rarely, if ever, achieved. Some critics will never give a perfect score as it's akin to saying "nothing could ever be better". Only a true pessimist could believe such a thing😄

Sometimes one must just accept that things are simply not the way one wishes they were. For whatever reason, cruise lines, including Regent, have decided that they will not enforce their "no reserving pool lounge" policies. This has been a problem for so long and there have been so many complaints about the issue. If they haven't decided to enforce their policy by now, it's very unlikely that they ever will. For the sake of one's blood pressure, this is a case where the adage to "accept the things one cannot change" comes into play. Or perhaps this is a more fitting quote... Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable. (Denis Waitley) Yes it's surrender, but sometimes surrendering to reality is the best course of action. Still, for those who are determined to continue the good fight - I wish you well🤞

You should choose a cruise ship that has Starlink internet service. Here's a good resource for finding one.... Starlink on cruise ships: Which lines have faster internet connections on board? - The Points Guy Then when you've narrowed down your choices, check out that cruise line's forum on CC to see whether or not people have been successful using a VPN. Starlink supports VPNs, it's the cruise lines that may or may not allow it.

I also thought you could likely skip the photo, but others posting here have said that it is required. Maybe a few others could chime in on this?

Windstar has some nice itineraries for Croatia. A big advantage is that these are very small ships, so unless there's a megaship in port, the crowds will be a bit better. Small ships aren't for everyone, but for this itinerary, I really like them. Here's one to look at, but there are many more... overview (windstarcruises.com)

For a Caribbean itinerary, I don't really need any hand holding and so I'd probably be inclined to book with discount TA, or if the savings weren't significant I'd book direct. jmho

I pretty much expect that cruise line excursions are going to be twice the cost of booking independently. There are times when I'm willing to pay that markup, but I typically do the research and book my own excursions.

I don't always book with a full-service TA, but I did for my upcoming AOV cruise to Antartica. The TA I chose was one who posts frequently on FB and is very knowledgeable about AOV. I didn't get a discount - that wasn't my motivation. AOV has earned a reputation for abysmal pre-cruise communication. For that cruise I wanted a TA who had personally done the cruise several times and could provide the type of pre-cruise guidance that AOV fails to deliver. I'm happy with my decision. For a different AOV itinerary, I probably would have gone another direction.

We stayed at the Borg in September. It is perfectly located and very nice. However, the day before boarding we were informed that our ship would not be docking at the pier that's right in town and easily walkable from the Borg, but instead would be docked at another pier several miles further from downtown. Just something for people making their own arrangements to be aware of.

Why hasn't this post put the matter to bed?

You seem pretty firm in your belief that cruise line call centers will negotiate prices. Why don't you give it a try and report back. I'm with those who think it's a lost cause, but I'm always willing to be proven wrong.