Kristelle

That's a good one. My dad has a tshirt that says Warning! Retired! Knows everything and has plenty of time to tell you all about it. That always gets a good response from fellow travellers.

Well thanks for quoting me a month later with that. Clearly my post at that point in thread was about restaurants and was not about US norms and labour laws at all but about how it works in my country. LOl always amuses me when people don't read threads properly.

I guess this is wrong place to post article since you are preaching to the converted and everyone will defend cruises. But they are not for everyone so considering if they are for you, for people who have not done one, is a good exercise

The only thing possibly different is that the dress code on river cruises seems to be more casual - so that might make it easier to decide what is not neccesary to bring. PS you could try asking this in River Cruise forum, more regular river cruisers there.

Re insurance - I think it is more like deciding which level of insurance to have in the circumstances. I don't consider it worth having comprehensive insurance on my old second hand car and I have house insurance with a co pay, ie I pay first $500. . Nobody is arguing have no documentation or have no house insurance - but risk vs benefit analysis about which level to have.

that is same thing - one decides on risk vs benifit - and part of deciding benifit of anything is whether the cost is worth paying for or the risk is worth taking.

but isnt that the same as others are saying - leaving aside legal requirements, one decides one's level of risk vs benifit

Once again I am not getting what you mean. 🤔 People were giving their rationale for taking or not taking one - nobody was claiming to be an expert or deciding what others should do.

https://www.recipetineats.com/pavlova-recipe/ oh and also pavlova - often used as an alternative to Christmas pudding - but also all year round.

https://www.recipetineats.com/anzac-biscuits-golden-oatmeal-cookies/ these are the only biscuits (cookies to some of you) I can think of that are traditionally Australian - not specifically Christmassy though More specifically ANZAC day - which, for those non- Australians who do not know, is always April 25th and commemorates people who served/died in wars. But people eat these all year round.

I would get maybe $50 in cash for small incidental purchases - market stalls and such that sometimes dont take card or have a minimum card spend. or in case of EFTPOS malfunctions in power cuts etc I would probably get it in notes smaller than a $50 note - most places that you might do small spends won't want to change $50. $20 notes or smaller would be ok anywhere.

Gosh that seems a sarcastic post.😮 I dont think anyone was claiming to be an expert - just stating their preferences/circumstances and rationale. If you prefer/need to travel with one, do so - I dont think anybody was telling anyone else to do it or not do it.

As an Australian, I don't ever leave the country without my passport either - since it would be impossible to do so. 😉 When I am travelling though it stays in the hotel or cabin safe unless I am told I specifically need it for the day's excursion.

Yes catastrophic floods in eastern states, including several deaths ☹️ (long way from where I live)

No, not Aussie rules - AFL (australian football league) - that is a winter sport and of course Boxing Day is in middle of summer in Australia Boxing day is traditionally start of a cricket test match at the MCG (melbourne cricket ground, largest cricket venue in country) - and various cricket one day matches and 20:20 Big Bash matches playing on or around Boxing Day throughout the country

But its not really different to living on land in a separate location to the people you short term visit - while you are visiting, you either stay with them or rent a hotel etc I dont have a stake in it either - since it is neither for me nor I have the funds to do it anyway.

well, sure - but no more than people living on land who might do that.

I think some of the article points are valid - and I also think cruising is not for everyone some people deciding it is not for them are probably right. I hasten to add that ocean cruising isnt really for me either - I will stick to river cruising - for some of the reasons listed in article: all inclusive appeals to me rather than add-ons,sea sickness, I dont like huge crowds and long queues.

Yes I understand that. My point was that just because we might have whatever things that anchor us at home doesnt mean people who do not, somehow have a lower quality of life.

I didn't say I would be happy doing it - in fact I clearly said it is not for me But I dont presume that other people whose lifestyle, including a travelling lifestyle, is different to mine, somehow have a lower quality of life because they value different things or have different perceptions on life. I repeat - I think that is very condescending. Then, disembarking on a regular basis where one’s family lives to see them “… as often as many other people do…” would kind of being something of a parasite. ^^ I dont get what you are saying with that sentence - how is staying near your family in short term rental or staying with them short term - being a parasite???? How is that any different to people who do similar when living in their own home in a different location to the family members??

Those are things you value, not things everyone values. Lots of people dislike cooking or gardening, hardly means they have low quality of life Nor would you neccesarily lose them all anyway - people could disembark where their family live on a regular basis and see their family as often as many other people do. As well as electronic contact whilst travelling, of course. All of the real people who posters encountered doing this did spend intermittent time on land too.

^ yes, so it seems the word has a different connotation in different places. I think we've all got that now.

No - sounds like your word was the right one - at least to US ears. as somebody said, it may be a regional or country thing - we all know words have different meanings or nuances of meaning i n different countries.

"Vagabond" to me implies homeless, poverty, living rough, that kind of thing. Not travelling by choice in comfort.

I disagree. It isnt for me but I hardly think it only appeals to those who have a low quality of life, that seems a very condescending comment - it isnt low quality because it is a different perception on what is quality time. and many people are geographically distant from family anyway - one isnt neccesarily more so travelling around than at home and of course Facebook, Skype etc keep people in touch all around the world. You dont need to cut ties with family and friends just because you are travelling long term.