dcinmb

26 minutes ago, Becky2010 said:

They may be included, but we still had a speech from Ponant about what tips people generally leave. I guess that’s over and above what is “included”? Not sure. But it clearly seemed to us to be an expectation based on what they said, and envelopes left, etc. 

I did mention the speech in my query [which my TA forwarded to Ponant] but the rep did not address it.

“People on CruiseCritic have been debating whether grats are included or not, especially as they’re not listed in the inclusions on the Ponant site. Apparently, Ponant leaves envelopes for cash tips in the staterooms and on a few sailings, the officers have made announcements encouraging guests to tip.”

I asked my TA for clarification re: tipping and this was Ponant's response:

"Yes, gratuities ARE INCLUDED for North American travelers who are booked through our NYC office. The confusion occurs because travelers who book through the France HQ office do not have this included. Occasionally, the message is not made clear onboard, and it does cause some confusion. Envelopes are not supposed to be left for travelers booked from North America."

My original invoice did not state "Open Bar and Gratuities Included" but Ponant added it per my request.

My status match was already approved and applied to my booking. Thanks, everyone, for your help and advice!

6 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Just submit the form online and use Canada for your country. That's what most of us did. USA has never been in that dropdown menu. It didn't matter; they approved it anyway.

Thanks! Canada wasn't showing up for me either so I went with the U.K. and received an immediate reply asking for proof of status.

20 minutes ago, 3ric said:

Sounds good. FYI, i have found Ponant often will stack promos so double check if you can benefit from both status match and referral. you never know!

I’ll try, thanks!🤞🏼 

12 minutes ago, 3ric said:

Oh thats too bad! I am glad you hace a contact. Weird the email didnt go through, i will try again but i checked and the address looks right. I tried DM ing you here but it is disabled.

I hope you have a fantastic trip!

Very strange. When I checked my spam folder after your first reply to me, it was empty but I just checked again and both of your emails were there.

It’s sounding like I may be better off applying for a status match but I’ll have to talk to Ponant tomorrow to see if they’ll approve it. (I haven’t submitted the online form since there’s no U.S. in the dropdown menu.)

Thanks again!

5 minutes ago, 3ric said:

Just contacted you! 

Thanks! I haven’t received your email yet but I already received a referral from someone else an hour ago. I’ll look out for your email just in case.🙂

I’m about to book my first Ponant cruise to Antarctica and would appreciate a referral. I can be reached at dcinmb at yahoo dot com.

Thank you!

9 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

We had the Yellow Fever vaccination back in 2011 prior to going to South America.  It said it was good for 10 years.

 

We are going to Kenya and Tanzania in 2020 for a Safari, pushing the 10 years.  However, I read somewhere that the vaccination was good for life, not 10 years.   Anyway, we are in our early 70s, so hopefully we don't need another vaccination for YF.

When I got my Stamaril injection a few weeks ago, I was told that it's good for life. Per the CDC, a booster dose is not needed for "most people."

https://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/vaccine/vaccine-recommendations.html

On 5/1/2019 at 3:30 AM, sailco said:

Don't forget anti malaria medication. You don't ever want to get malaria, but there are some very nasty forms of it in Africa.

 

We had yellow fever vaccinations when we visted Sth America a few years ago. At the time we were both over 60, my husband was just 70. The specialist travel doctor took into account our general state of health and any existing conditions before we were vaccinated. Neither of us had any side effects but I can understand it's a difficult decison at 80.

 

The yellow fever vaccination is interesting because many countries like Tanzania and even Australia require you to have it if you've been travelling in a country where yellow fever is prevalent. 

 

But hey.....travelling, exploring the world and adventurous at 80..... I hope I am too.

Have a wonderful holiday.

On 5/1/2019 at 5:14 AM, mef_57 said:

I used to be very frequent on the TA forum as I was there on and off.  I check in infrequently but some of the regulars are not young.  I notice a lot more local tour operators posting there but my old Tanzania and birding 'penpal' is 85 and still does his almost annual trips with a vehicle and driver.  If not Tanzania, then other African countries and DIY month long trips.  He did get his last Yellow Fever booster just before 80 and when they decided it was a lifelong vaccine.  There are also other older folks and those more in your age bracket. Give it a try.

Also as mentioned, malaria meds are more important.  It is a disease more likely caught than yellow fever....though risks are low with precautions.

As mentioned, numerous countries want the YF certificate on entry and I think Australia is even more stringent that most. 

You might also ask in the TripAdvisor Kenya forum about entry to Tanzania - as they have more yellow fever occurrence.

Good luck.  You'll have a trip of a lifetime.

Thanks, sailco and mef_57! Anti-malarials (Malarone) are definitely on our list, as are Typhoid pills. We're also stocking up on some Insect Shield Permethrin-treated clothing and hats. And about a month before our trip, we'll start taking Vitamin B-1, the efficacy of which as a mosquito repellent is still unproven, but it sure worked for me the three years I lived in Tokyo.

3 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

We were just on a cruise that stopped in Mombassa and Tanzania (Dar). When we boarded we were told that Kenyan authorities  were requiring  yellow fever vaccinations.  No mention that we needed one for Tanzania.  CDC doesn't recomm for over 60. But were were in a bind. We already spent money for visa and tour. Contacted  my primary doc who said it shouldn't be a problem  but he would email a medical exemption to ship if I felt so strongly. Other people bought letters on  board with them and they had no issue.

Thank you, Mrs f. That's a relief to hear that exemption letters were sufficient. We'll also be sure to get the travel clinic to stamp the yellow fever waiver section of the yellow ICVP card. It's my understanding that both Kenya and Tanzania require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you're coming from a country with a known risk (like, for example, Kenya!). 

Thank you for all of your advice, mef_57. I did a search on the TripAdvisor Tanzania forum yesterday but found very little recent info re: the yellow fever waiver for those aged 60+. I assumed, perhaps erroneously, that this may be because TripAdvisor posters tend to skew younger, so I decided to post here on CC instead, but agree that it would be worthwhile to post on TripAdvisor as well.

Our local travel clinic advised us to make liberal use of both 100% DEET and Picaridin, as well as Permethrin-treated clothing. Fortunately, we will be there during dry season.

Thanks again!

We do cruise quite a bit but this particular trip isn't a cruise. We'll have six days in Kenya (Nairobi, Lewa Conservancy, Amboseli) before we venture into Tanzania for a week, then back to Kenya. In hindsight, we should've started our trip in Tanzania but it's too late now!

I agree. We'd like her to get the vaccine (she's in her 80s but fit and healthy) but we've spoken to several local travel immunization clinics, including the county public health department, and they won't give it to her because of potential side effects. In our minds, any potential side effects (I got my vaccination yesterday and have experienced none) are preferable to the prospect of actually getting yellow fever.

My mom and I will be traveling from Kenya to Tanzania later this year. My mom's been told that the yellow fever vaccine is not recommended for people aged 60+ and that a waiver will suffice. Has anyone had any recent experience entering Tanzania with a yellow fever medical waiver?

Thank you!

Diana

Pre book your admission tickets for LAST SUPPER.

 

Be sure to visit the Museum & Shop at La Scala during the day time .

Thanks, kuldalai. We already have our Last Supper tix and are planning to visit the La Scala Museum on Wednesday morning.

Ice cream!!!!

Www.chocolatmilano.it

Very near the Last Supper.

A must do stop every time I'm in Milan. As my wife says, stuff the Last Supper. Let's get a post card and go to Chocolat instead. It's that good.

Wow. Not just gelato, but breakfast, lunch and chocolates! We may have to stop by before and after The Last Supper. Thanks for the recommendation!

We’re seeing The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo) at 5:00 pm. And I’ve only seen it once before (back in the 90s), but agree that it is a must-see!

We'll be spending 1 1/2 days in Milan in a few weeks and would love some feedback and suggestions:

Our tentative itinerary:

MONDAY

• Arrive Malpensa Airport at 18:00
  
• Take Malpensa Express to Porta Garibaldi; 5 min. walk to hotel
  

TUESDAY

• 09:00 - Duomo di Milano - Will purchase the €16.50 Duomo Pass in advance; any other tips for avoiding the crowds?
  
• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
  
• Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiori
  
• Castello Sforzesco
  
• 17:00 - Il Cenacolo (already have tickets)
  
• 20:00 - Nabucco at Teatro alla Scala (already have tickets)
  

WEDNESDAY

• Morning TBD
  
• Noon/early afternoon - Take train to Verona
  

A few questions:

(1) We plan to visit the Duomo at 09:00 on Tuesday. Per Google Maps, it appears that Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II should be next on our list? After that, should we go to the Chiesa di San Maurizzio al Monastero Maggiore or the Castello Sforzesco?

(2) Any restaurant recommendations in between the Santa Maria delle Grazie and Teatro alla Scala? We're more interested in delicious food than a fancy ambience. Would reservations be necessary?

(3) Any suggestions for Wednesday morning? We plan to take a midday train to Verona but can delay our departure if we need more time in Milan.

(4) Regarding the train to Verona, we're looking at either the Eurocity or the Frecciarossa. We will each have one large and one small suitcase with us and would prefer to keep them near our seats as opposed to by the doors. Would purchasing Eurocity 'First Class' or Frecciarossa 'Premium' or 'Business' Class enable us to keep our luggage with us?

Thank you!!

Thank you, Wayfairers! Sounds like you covered a lot of ground. I usually favor private small group tours over ship excursions but we have a lot of shipboard credits (and we're doing private tours in most of the other ports) so I was hoping to take a ship tour in Salalah. Unfortunately, none of the ship's offerings sound that compelling so we may have to go private after all. Most of the private tour operators listed on TripAdvisor get mixed reviews, so thank you for recommending Al Fawaz Travel & Tourism.

I'd love to read your blog as it looks like we may be visiting many of the same ports.

Thanks again!

Diana

Our ship is docking in Salalah in mid-November and we're trying to figure out which shore excursion to take. I understand that a lot of people recommend staying on the ship, but we'd prefer to get off as our itinerary already includes quite a few sea days.

Some of our options:

• The Lost City of Ubar
  
  • Rub-Al Khali (the Empty Quarter)
    
  • Ubar
    

  [*]Archaeological Exploration

  • Al Balid
    
  • Sumhuran
    
  • Taqa
    
  • Al Husn Souq
    

  [*]Frankincense Trail

  • Job's Tomb
    
  • Al Husn Souq
    
  • Mughsail Beach
    

There is exactly one review of Ubar on TripAdvisor and it is not good, with the reviewer saying it's a "major skip," but the Empty Quarter looks beautiful. Is it worth visiting if we'll also be visiting Wadi Rum while we're in Jordan?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Diana

How was your trip? What would you do again, what would you change?

We had a fantastic time. We were lucky to have great weather in most places, including Juneau, Glacier Bay, and Girdwood for dog sledding, so we were able to accomplish pretty much everything on our list. The only activity that was hampered by weather was our Kenai Fjords cruise; we saw lots of whales (humpbacks, orcas and even a fin whale), puffins, eagles, mountain goats, harbor seals, sea otters, etc., but were unable to make it out to Northwestern Fjord as the water was too choppy. The weather was much better on the days preceding and following our cruise so I would schedule an extra day the next time we're in Seward.

We ultimately decided to skip our night in Talkeetna and drive from Seward to Denali in one day, although we did stop in Talkeetna to wander a bit and take our Denali flightseeing tour. The drive was long but perfectly doable as we stopped along the way (Exit Glacier, Potter Marsh, excellent BBQ in Indian).

In Denali, we did two full days on the Wonder Lake shuttle (5:15 am on Day 1; 6:45 am on Day 2) and saw tons of animals (grizzlies, caribou, moose, wolves, Dall sheep, eagles) on both days. Luckily for us, Denali showed up on Day 1 so we went all the way out to Wonder Lake. On Day 2, Denali was completely shrouded in fog so we turned around at the Eielson Visitor Center.

If you're going to Denali, I highly recommend the Tonglen Lake Lodge. It's seven miles south of the park entrance and absolutely gorgeous.

http://tonglenlake.com

We're pleased with the way our trip turned out so we'd probably do something similar the next time we're in Alaska, although we'd try to go back later in the season so that we could go to Anan Creek or Katmai, and possibly take a northern lights tour out of Fairbanks. If we were to take another cruise, we'd choose one that includes Sitka. Our rental car was pricey because of the one-way drop charge but it was worth it as it enabled us to cover A LOT in a limited time.

Hope some of this is helpful. Have a fantastic trip!

Thanks for the link, Don. While the super zoom capabilities and reasonable price points of these cameras are appealing, they all have 1/2.3" sensors, so their image quality is not going to be as good as that of the Sony, Panasonic and Canon models I mentioned in my original post above. The consensus here and in many reviews/comparisons I've read is that it's hard to beat the Sony performance-wise, so I went ahead and ordered it today.

I got lucky and Sony reduced the price by $200 again, so it was clearly meant to be (I can rationalize anything)! Placed my order with B&H today and will receive it by Thursday.

Thanks again for everyone's advice!

Thanks, havoc315! I'll look into it.

Thanks for everyone's input. Sony it is! (Happy Early Birthday to me!;p) Although I'm kicking myself because it was $200 cheaper a few weeks ago when I was thinking there was no way I was going to spend that much!

Thanks again!

Diana