navybankerteacher

That is simply writing - followed by reading: there is precious little remembering involved.

Renaissance Rome is worth a look - as are some of today’s flavors of a more modern era.

Not ships I am likely to be on.

Same here - if a cruise is worth remembering, I am likely to remember it - otherwise I am happy to forget it.

Civita Vecchia 4 times without getting to Rome???????? No time???? Yet time for Cozumel??????

I’ve heard it the other way: Carnival is the Hershey’s of cruise lines.

A few years back on Celebrity Millenium down to Aruba and Curaçao - after a couple of days taking in San Juan, which is definitely worth the time.

That used to be the case on HAL - they also used to have fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast (no extra charge), and live music in several venues in the evenings, while sailing interesting itineraries. They have sunk from being a moderately priced slightly premium line to being just one more nickel-diming provider of oversized mass market ferry boats - unwelcome in a growing number of interesting ports.

Key question: does Oceania let you bring wine on board for use in your own cabin without corkage charges?

It seems to me that you are referring to “…>$15/bottle US retail stuff on cruise ship…”

I think you should check your sources : I just looked at NCL’s wine list — it showed nothing in the “<$15/bottle…” range. The cheapest was $26 per bottle. And I doubt that could reach “mediocre”.

Of course US products (of virtually any nature) tend to be costlier — it just takes more pay to get people here to do the work. Which may at least partly explain why things like New York City subway cars are made in Japan (using steel made from iron ore shipped from the Great Lakes smelted using coal shipped from Virginia).

What I posted was “…there is a universe between Two Buck Chuck and grand cru.” :END OF SENTENCE — which in no way suggested that Yellow Tail was comparable to grand cru. I simply mentioned that in my opinion Yellow Tail does well on cruise ship balconies. I am curious about what inexpensive labels you might not designate as “undrinkable”.

With a little testing it is possible to find a very enjoyable (if unsophisticated and unpretentious) wine for $15 (and sometimes less) a bottle. There is a universe out there between Two Buck Chuck and grand cru. Yellow Tail Australian reds, for example, and San Marino Italian Pinot Grigio do very well on cruise ship balconies.

I wasn’t aware of a particular line being named (or who, precisely, “the quoted poster” is). But, in any event, I am disappointed to hear that HAL has joined the lines applying universal corkage. The last time I sailed HAL, now a couple of years, this was not the case

I was referring to a civilized line which lets you bring your own wine on board - and only charges corkage if you drink it outside of your cabin.

Very true - of course there will be times when you won’t get what you pay for, but you surely will not get something you are not willing to pay for.

And (if you are on a civilized line which lets you bring your own wine) what you save over buying ship’s wine will cover much of the cost of upgrading to a balcony cabin.

With a bit of research, it is usually possible to do/see things more enjoyably and less expensively on your own. The only ship’s tour we’ve taken in the past 20 years was to Santiago de Campostella from the port- transportation only, no stops - much easier than researching/arranging public transportation.

Seconded - one of our best was a HAL sailing fro Quebec to New York (about an hour from home). Quebec is worth several days - and don’t stay near the airport or in the modern city- go for something inside the walls of the old city.

I enjoy dining with others - part of the enjoyment of travel is the interaction with others. Of course it helps to have compatible fellow passengers.

I think OP was talking about pre-paid drinks (the cost of which are built into the fare) which NCL tends to market as “free” . Sort of like General Motors advertising “free” wheels when you buy a Chevy.

Perhaps one should not assume folks living in Southern Brooklyn and Queens are well informed. It is close to 19 miles from JFK to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal vs. about 12 miles from LGA. Geography is not really a matter of "personal preference".

That you will get ill, or that you wont?

Easy answer: NO! A)Spend a little time with travel books from your library, or on line, to find information about your ports. B)Then match what there is to do with things you like to do. If there are beaches, and you like to spend time on a beach, the decision should not be difficult. Similarly, if you are near Mayan ruins and you are interested in history and culture, think about checking them out. Can you get to them by taxi - or is a group tour better? If all you want to do is drink and buy trashy souvenirs, check out Senor Frog's and hang out with the souvenir hustlers. Part of enjoying a cruise is planning for the cruise -- do some thinking and planning.