BP99

1 hour ago, Holly.ers said:

Bill we are planning on doing the milli cruise Japan to Korea 12 nights in may 2025. Can I ask a few questions if you don't mind:

- did you book private or group excursions at any of the stops ?

We did all the stops on our own. Most were walkable. we used

maps and did our research before we left.

1 hour ago, Holly.ers said:

- is it advisable to take the drinks package when booking. We are 2 adults and 1 teen , so 2 non drinkers. Do you know how much it is if it is purchased separately afterwards ?

The drink package is very expensive and must be bought for both. I think?

the price is the same buying on board? Also they may email you with

"special prices" if you pre buy.We are Elite and get 4 drinks free each day.

 

- is it advisable to select the gratuity charge  when booking 

You will be charged the gratuity automatically. You can pay it in advance

or when you board if you don't want to pay it after the cruise on your

credit card. 

 

- is the gym/ or classes and extra fee on the ship 

No. The gym is included. I think most classes are included. 

 

- can an e-sim work instead of purchasing wifi on board.

I don't think it will work? Not sure since I don't use one.

Sorry tons of questions ..first timers 😊 

No problem!!

Have a GREAT cruise!!!

Bill

Hi,

We also loved the deer in Nara when we visited a few years

ago! However, some chased me when I wasn't giving out the

crackers fast enough. An awesome place and an event that I 

will never forget. We had several repeat Japan cruises booked

that were cancelled due to COVID! Unfortunate.

Bill

13 hours ago, MtnSeaGirl said:

We are drooling over some of the Transatlantic cruises and have a plethora of questions:

Has anyone sailed post Covid from the US to Spain or England and can speak to what you liked or disliked?

Was there enough different food choices to enjoy on this many sea days? ( one of the sailings is on the Explorer which does not have a lot of speciality restaurants; we are not that picky )

Did you book the cruise and the airfare back yourself or did you use a travel agent?

Heck - Look, we have never sailed on a Transatlantic less more flown out the country but we are not getting any  younger.  Do you have any advice, tips or tricks you are willing to share?

We are thinking of 2026 which is not posted yet, but we expect some of the ports may be silimar.  We traditionally book 9 to 12 months out and enjoy counting off the months, then weeks, then days.  It makes the time go by faster and our work to be a little sweeter when thinking of the pay off.   Thanking you in advance for any advice you can offer.  

Hi,

My wife and I LOVE transatlantic cruses (and transpacific !!).

We have done lots of them on both small and large ships.

PRO's:

1. Sure beats flying!! And for us Canadians it is usually cheaper

than airfare!

2. When you arrive you may? have less jet lag. We have less!

3. The prices can be awesome!!

4. Depending on time of year you can suntan/swim on deck

relax, see shows, play games

5. May? have less children on board. This may? be 

con if you intend to bring yours!

6. Large ships have less motion than small BUT that

depends on time of year. We NEVER get sea sick.

7. If you plan things right you can do another cruise

once you arrive or even a B2B. We once did a B2B2B2B2B

which included a Cunard cruise *final leg" back to NYC. 45 nights and NO expensive hotels in between cruises. GREAT

vacation!

8. Usually they add more activities on seaways (eg Guest

lectures, movies, dance classes, art classes, Progressive Trivia, Bridge, Majong games,etc)

CONS:

1) Occasionally, transatlantic cruise run into bad weather.

Usually the ship can change course and avoid these. 

NEVER a threat to safety BUT some get sick

2. You may get bored. We don't!!

Try one, You may? like it!!

Bill

2 hours ago, debfed65 said:

Please continue on!   We are doing b2b in October and we would love to hear more!!  Any and all information is greatly appreciated! 

Hi,

Most of my tips/info are for Japan land trips (before or after

a Japanese cruise). However these are more general

for a single day excursion (and for other countries):

Food: Each city has MANY places to eat. However, not

all have English menus. We found that most had pictures

that you can point to if the waiter doesn't  speak English.

Many restaurants are close to empty. DON'T eat there!

The busy full ones have the good stuff and are usually cheaper!!

Download google translator (free) at home (I use an iPad). Download Japanese at home. You can use your iPad as a camera and it will translate Japanese to English on the screen. No internet connection needed. No roaming fees. This was useful for Hotels also. Our AC in the room had many buttons but

only in Japanese! So did the toilet!! >20. Test this at home!

Self directed walking tour: Download Maps.me (free) and download Japan on your iPad at home. If you get lost maps.me will locate you on the screen map. No internet connection needed. No roaming fees. While you walk the person walks on the screen!! 

Trains: In Japan the trains run like clockwork. VERY accurate

times!! Usually there is a set amount of time (7minutes?)

for people to get off and get on. Very organized. Trains are

fast and inexpensive.

Is your 2nd cruise to Singapore ? Great place to visit!

Do you stop in Vietnam? Hoi An (sp?) is a Fun place

to visit (ship excursion). 

Bill

On 10/16/2023 at 9:02 PM, jbinpa said:

Hi - I'm considering this 12-day Japan itinerary (with a stop in Busan, South Korea as well) on Celebrity Millennium next August. https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary-details/12-night-best-of-japan-cruise-from-tokyo-yokohama-japan?packageID=ML12I092&sDT=2024-08-07&cCD=CO&search=startDate:2024-08-01~2024-08-31

 

Has anyone ever been to Japan on Millennium? If so, how was your experience? Are there a lot of onboard activities for the 4 full sea days (and a partial 5th) on this itinerary?

 

I realize August can be unpleasantly hot and humid in Japan but going in the spring or fall won't work for a number of reasons.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Hi,

We have been on a Japan Millennium cruise that is close to what

you are planing. IT WAS AWESOME!! It was one of the BEST cruises

we have been on (60 cruises and 4 more this year). The ship is small BUT excellent! Shows were good! Excellent food and service. Not really a cruise that I would take young kids. No water slides, bumper cars etc. We also spent an extra week in Japan and had a GREAT time. 

Some points on Japan:

1) The Japanese are really friendly and many speak English. In many

cities there are students (in uniform and clipboards) that want to speak

to you in English (part of there home work). The Japanese also cue

in line - unlike many other countries. Even for the trains they cue in line!!

2) we found the Hotels in all the major cities (Osaka, Tokyo, Yokohama}

are less expensive than comparable hotels in USA/Canada/Europe/Australia. The hotels were spotless and many included a free breakfast (with 2 sections-Japanese food and North American). Some hotels included slippers at the door, pyjamas on the bed!

3) easy to travel from city to city by train. The bullet train was GREAT:

4) LOTS to see in each city! We loved the temples. The city of Nara and

the temple in the park were fun. Especially feeding the deer which run

around the park and even in the city!

I could go on but...

Bill

12 hours ago, gerif said:

Exactly on RCI I can have a glass of wine with dinner if I want. 

Hi,

I agree! We also love having our RCL diamond free drinks at 

the pool during the hot afternoons!! Also on RCL we love

the free capachino (sp) and latte in the diamond club!!

Also the diamond club food (all day snacks) and diamond

club food during HH is awesome! Unlike the pathetic 

stuff that is served by a limited number of waiters during

Celebrity elite HH. I don't call stale crackers with a bit of

stale cheese a treat! We still sail Celebrity due to itinerary

reasons NOT for the Elite food benefits!!

Bill

2 hours ago, happy cruzer said:

Did you purchase airfare?  Did the price on that change?  Sometimes if the airfare has gone way up in price and cruise price drops, your bottom line is about the same which may take some of the sting out.

 

Have a great cruise!

Hi,

Totally agree. Last minute cruise rates are usually GREAT (except for cabin selection) BUT last

minute airfare is usually terrible. Especially if you live in Canada (like us).

Last minute cruise booking works well if you live near the cruise port.

20 hours ago, latebuyer said:

I'm considering a pacific coastal on celebrity vs. princess and have a few questions. Its Celebrity Summit vs. Sapphire princess. I'm interested in if the food is considered better on celebrity than princess? It definitely seems the rooms are better on celebrity. Are there other differences i should be aware of? The other difference is the celebrity one is leaving in the fall so i would think its a bit better since less rough and better weather but a bit more expensive.

Hi,

We have cruised on both (Elite on Celebrity). I think the food on both is good and comparable. I think

on this website you will ALWAYS find people who complain about food on different cruise lines and ships.

My only question for them is: What do you eat at home? The ONLY noticeable cruise food is when we did Holland America. It was better (and service outstanding) BUT was it worth paying the higher fares? NO.

We don't only travel on cruise ships to eat. We also seem to find food we enjoy! Also many cruiselines

have outstanding shows (ie water shows, theatre, concerts etc) which for us is a BONUS. 

We cruise to enjoy visiting different places in the world. We actually save money cruising Europe, Australia etc. Hotels prices are CRAZY there lately. They have also increased in USA and Canada! Also, we save money on cruising TA and TP (often cheaper) and flying from Canada is expensive (and also uncomfortable!)

Bill

55 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The days of $250 OBC are almost long gone 😭

very few cruises are over 14 days now , transatlantic cruises were also 14 days or longer , now a lot of them are down to 12 days , it think they did that to save the $150 of OBC on longer cruises , 

we also bought shares at $35, and stupidly didn’t buy more when it was $20 a couple of years ago 

Hi,

Yes, I also noticed that lately many TA and TP are less than 14 days. However, We are booked on Odyssey of the seas this April that is 14 days (Ft. Lauderdale to Rome) and Celebrity Edge this fall that is a TP (B2B2B) that one of the legs is 18 nights. So they do exist but rare.

Bill

9 hours ago, Hawkstar33 said:

I was wondering if anyone is receiving any OBC these days with their bookings??  So they charge you $500 extra for all included classic Bev, and wi-fi. Saves you a few bucks, but the wifi is in and out.   Then took away pre-paid gratuities..But you can pre-pay them yourself if you want..Not seeing obc on many if any upcoming cruises, unless it is a suite of some kind.  Yet, I see and hear people using up large amounts on booze, and other items from the shops onboard, at cruise end..

Hi,

If you like and book Celebrity cruises often (or Royal)

you may consider buying shares in RCL. We bought

shares in RCL several decades ago and get OBC on

each cruise. The amount varies based on number of

days for the cruise. Since we like transatlantic or 

transpacific (beats flying and jet lag and costs much less) 

we usually get $250 each cruise. You ONLY buy the

stock once but get the benefit over and over each cruise.

Since we bought the stock went up 3 fold also.

Since we are Elite and Diamond plus the free bonus

OBC paid for itself and the some.

During covid the stock went down 3 fold (a GREAT time

to buy for newbies) and went back after covid.

Something to consider if you plan to cruise a lot!

Almost always combinable with other OBC.

If you stop cursing you can always sell your stock!!

Bill

On 2/15/2024 at 6:58 PM, 39august said:

This was held in the Sky Lounge about 5 times on a 9 nite cruise in Jan., and Feb. on Equinox. Absolutely NO canapes. Just cheap drinks.  Ruined our usual pre-dinner drinks in Sky Lounge for us as at about 4:45 the area along the windows on the starboard side began to be roped off for the" event" and they would close the bar in prep for dispensing the very limited drinks. 

Hi,

I agree with your post.

I would like to add to your "Absolutely NO canapes". IMO the

Celebrity HH canapés are PATHETIC. Try a RCL cruise as

a Diamond member The food at HH is AWESOME! Also

the drinks are better! Having a dedicated Diamond lounge

also helps!

Bill

45 minutes ago, ggo85 said:

We did RCL for years, then moved to X and now mostly sail neither, though on X at the moment. 
 

RCL markets to families with kids.  That’s their demographic, which has changed since we sailed RCL almost exclusively in the early 2000s. You’ll find fewer kids on the smaller, older ships and fewer on certain itineraries and at certain times of the year.  But school break time, especially July and early August, can be overwhelming.   While you’ll find kids on X, there is less for them to do and, in the non-school break season, very few. For example, maybe a dozen on current cruise of 3000+ passengers. 
 

Both lines nickel and dime you.  RCL is slightly worse in that (as of last time we sailed pre-COVID), you had to check out beach towels with fee if you failed to check in and almost all activities on sea days either cost extra or were promos for paid spa stuff.  There was CONSTANT harping for art auction, Bingo and the like. We’re finding more free stuff on X. The pay stuff is available but IMO not pushed as heavily.  
 

Food on X is better in MDR.  We’ve found specialty on X to be somewhat of a disappointment. Ok, but not that much better for the price.  RCL MDR food was so inedible and service so bad (waiters assigned too many tables) that we only ate in specialty restaurants. They weren’t terrific.  
 

I’ve found the entertainment on X to be quite good. Maybe it’s because the shows are new to me.  😀 The bands are good, playing a large variety of music among them.  More geared to 50+ adults, though that might also be due to our cruise demographic. 
 

Also, the non-music entertainment on our X ship is more “adult” in a good way.  So far, no belly-flopping or “Mr. Sexy” or “Love and Marriage.”  Instead, there has been curling and chirping golf ball into pool net, origami, etc.  Things for adults that aren’t (IMO) crass.
 

Service is good, but nowhere near luxury level. Sat at pool for 6 hours yesterday (port day) and no drink server ever appeared.  There is less “drink until you drop” (aka, maximize value on my drink package) on X as compared to RCL.  Again, might be the demographic of an older crowd.  

 

If you are D or higher on RCL, your benefits are better than Elite on X.  However, depends on what you use in terms of alcohol, specialty coffees, lounges, etc.  
 

With an older ship and a port-intensive itinerary in Europe, you should be ok on RCL. Stay away from July and early August — unless you want to be surrounded by kids.  And be prepared to pay for specialty restaurants if MDR food isn’t to your liking. 

 

Hi,

I totally agree with your evaluation!

Also, you forgot to mention that on transatlantic, transpacific and repositioning cruises

there are often fewer kids. We also love TA, TP and RP due to flying is not fun for us and

and often costs more than the cruise.

Also, in your first line you mentioned that you do not like RCL/Celebrity but didn't

tell us what is your favourite. For example I Loved Holland America. GREAT food,

EXCELLENT service, almost no kids  BUT 2-3 times the cost, and a very older 

clientele (eg. way to many scouters). I have also heard great things about many

other lines BUT I'm not willing to pay 3-6 times the price of RCL/Celebrity. 

It's a bit of a trade off for us. More cruises for less $ or less cruises for more $$$.

Also, we mostly pick itinerary that gets to a country we wish to explore for 2 weeks

post cruise.

Bill

10 hours ago, RickT said:

We’re looking at that Norway itinerary or a similar on in May.  We’re elite and hope the Royal perks we’d get are good (especially the drink vouchers). 

Hi Rick,

We are Elite on Celebrity and MOSTLY sail on RCL now (as Diamond plus). We like

RCL better now because:

1) Your drink perks on RCL-use at ANYTIME and ANYWHERE- ie. Poolside, theatre, dinner . Loaded

on card- no vouchers

2) Dedicated Diamond lounge. And YES the coffee machines WORK GREAT. Love expresso,

capachino etc. FOOD during HH is AWESOME (unlike Celebrity HH). Excellent snacks all day also.

Dedicated 1-2 attendants/waiters 24/7 to FIX coffee machines. They actually DON'T BREAK!! They

run out of milk, coffee, or need to remove grinds etc. because Diamond members LOVE using them!!

Attendants fix them ASAP!

3) Entertainment on the larger ships is MUCH better. Ice shows, Water Showa, etc. Also 24/7 Pizza

4) Service and food - same as Celebrity

5) We still sail Celebrity- due to Itinary and time of year

We have done Norway and liked it and most of the scenery is GREAT -- BUT the same scenery for all

the fiords etc. Many tiny towns in remote areas. A more layed back cruise. We liked the Baltic cruises

much more. Did them twice (some different itineraries), Much more to see and do. Action packed.

Great cities to see and explore! If you can walk then you can do each city on your own- no excursion

need. Ship parks downtown or very near. 

Trust me on my comments. We are also from Halifax NS!

Bill

3 hours ago, Oxo said:

We cruise both and in fact we are on the Symphony OTS in Feb and Beyond in July.

Diamond+ and Elite+. We like the RCI Crown Lounge which is open all day, the 5 drinks per day at any bar, MDR and Specialty Restaurants. 

Celebrity has really changed the HH and more.

We like the Central Park Balcony and it is very reasonable compare to X.

Well at least we all have choices which is great. 

Happy Cruising!

Hi,

Totally agree with you!!

Having our 5 free drinks (Diamond plus) ANYWHERE and

ANYTIME is a big plus for us. We LOVE having a free slushy

drink by the pool on hot sea days. Most types are included

(ie yummy mudslides).  At first we thought BIG RCL ships

would be hectic. However, the ICE shows are outstanding,

The water shows are PHENOMENAL. Lots to see, lots to

do. We were just on Symphony of the seas. GREAT ship,

Great price- What's not to LOVE!! The Diamond club with its tables of hot/cold food was also the same on these larger ships.

The service and food was just as good as Celebrity. I you want

better service or food go on Holland America  (which we have) but........(____). We still go on Celebrity but ONLY  

because of the itinerary.  Prefer RCL but......

Bill

On 1/22/2024 at 7:55 AM, lovescarborough said:

We are currently on Equinox 9 nighter. Our first cocktail lounge event was last night and there are two more scheduled plus the Captains cocktail party. We were looking forward to having the lounge again but it really isn’t worth bothering with now. They roped off an area of sky lounge . There was no one on the door, in fact we haven’t seen anything of the captains club host at all. The waiters take your card each time . There are no canapés at all. We arrived at 5.30 and left an hour later . Most people had gone by then although not that many there in the first place. No atmosphere at all, not even background music. We had our usual gin and vodka tonics but looking at the card on the table they are no longer on the list of drinks ! Happily we haven’t been charged for them nor at other bars, so we’ve no idea what they’re up to. Are they just trying to restrict the menu so much that nobody comes and they can cancel them again ? 

Hi,

Love your post. I'm GLAD you actually posted the drink menu.

When I mention how PATHETIC the Elite happy hour is

many don't believe me. We have been cruising for 35 or

so years and early on "Tested" various cruise lines. We liked

Princess and Celebrity best (for price and bang for your buck)

and decided to become Elite on Celebrity. We liked the "free"

drinks during the Elite party BUT the food was terrible. Usually

2 waiters served stale crackers with stale cheese on a small

dish. By time they reached us the plate was empty. Sometimes they would have a piece of stale meat on the cracker or a tiny

dessert. However, we attended to meet others, chat and get our

drinks. At that time, free drinks were ONLY available during

the Elite happy hour. About 15-20 years ago we decided to

try Royal Carnival using our transferable status "Diamond".

WOW!! WOW!! Drinks: almost anything you want. Tables

and tables FULL off hot and cold food. Bacon covered scalllops

were our FAV. Chicken, meat on a stick, shrimp (cold, hot breaded)

chocolate strawberries and on and on. WOW!  We now mostly

sail on Royal. The food and drinks still continue on till the day.

Sometimes we ate so much that we missed diner.

Bill

3 hours ago, verizon said:

Well those suites are subsidized from the dividend of the stock price of RCL.LOL

There is nothing not to like Celebrity if they offer you free WIFI, free Laundry and free Premium Drink Package.

 

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean about "subsidized from the dividend of the stock price of RCL." They (RCL) stopped paying dividends

a few years ago. Thanks! Bill 

12 hours ago, keesar said:

I love the cruisers who book suites for a couple of months each year. Especially with the hefty price increases.   They helped raise the stock price to over $120 a share.  

Hi,

Love your comment but I'm AMAZED about how many loyal Elite (and above) and Diamond and above

(RCL) cruisers don't have RCL shares. When I meet them (Happy hour) I often ask whether they get 

shareholder benefits. MOST say No! I LOVE getting FREE $250 or $100 OBC on EACH cruise I take!  Some they tell me they are worried about buying RCL shares and if they stop cruising. HUH?? Also, some think they have to buy RCL stock for each cruise they take. HUH? Since we bought RCL several decades ago it has tripled! Also during COVID, RCL stock was down and a great time to get in for newbies. It went back up quickly! The ONLY thing I miss is the dividends that they had. That was like a TRIPLE bonus for

a shareholders!!

Bill

6 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

I agree indeed.

The slippage started in 2018, it was dramatic. Up to that  point I did 2 C cruises per year and the product was consistent. 2018 the slide down was dramatic. It was a management change that drove it. C had also started the class apartheid process. Enough.

That was the last time I patronized C despite sailing with them starting in 2001. 

When they started C was the Oceania of the day, a cut above the mass lines. Not any more.

Fortunately there are other cruise lines and other vacation options available for consumers.

Thank you for your post.

Hi,

We really liked Celebrity when we started cruising on different

cruise lines (20-30 years ago!). We became Elite and liked

some of the perks. 10 years ago we decided to try RCL

(as Diamond). The perks were WAY better! WOW! The Diamond

lounge was GREAT, the FOOD in the lounge during Happy

hour was OUTSTANDING!! WOW! WOW! (as compared to Celebrity). We also liked having our 4 drinks (Almost unrestricted

types) put on our card to have at ANY time (not restricted like Celebrity) and at venue like the pool (my wife loves slushy drinks)

dinner (glass of wine) etc. WOW! We decided to cruise MOSTLY 

on RCL. WE ENJOY WOWS! However, we are trying Celebrity again because of the itinerary.

My questions:

Has the pathetic food improved in the Celebrity Elite happy hour?

Has the pathetic service improved in the Celebrity Elite happy hour? Are they putting less restrictions on the types of drinks?

Thanks!

Bill

On 4/29/2022 at 12:20 PM, cw2go said:

I always pay online and about a week early. 

Hi,

Could you please give me the Celebrity website that you use.

I can't seem to find it in their menu or their search engine.

It is buried somewhere on their site.

I have found RCL's final payment site BUT NOT Celebrity.

THANKS

Bill

8 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I was correct, the number in this context is 0.0125%;  but I can see where you were confused. I was responding to Jamie who wrote "So far, in the US, 125 out of a million people aged 18-49 have died of COVID-19. That's not 125 out of a million *who got COVID* died, that's 125 out of a million Americans 18-49 PERIOD. SO FAR!"  

 

0.0125% is correct in this case, but I do thank you for double checking.

Hi,

Sorry about my confusion. I thought you were determining the "case fatality rate" or

in simple terms "how many people die if they get covid". The numbers Jamie uses 

is total size of the population NOT how many die from covid (in that age group).

It's a bit misleading because most didn't get infected. Yes, I agree,  most will not die from

covid if they were not infected with covid. I wasn't clear on Jamie's quote.

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

If I'm calculating this correctly, that is a death rate of .0125%. Have we ever, in the history of the world, vaccinated large numbers of the population for a death rate of .0125%? 

 

And before I'm called a monster, I know first hand that covid is not a hoax as I lost BOTH in-laws to covid. I'm all for vaccinating our most vulnerable population. But I do questing vaccinating healthy individuals.

 

I am not trying to be disrespectful. I am truly trying to understand. We will probably never agree on this subject, but I am willing to listen with an open mind.

Hi,

A friendly comment:

Yes, you are NOT calculating it correctly.

In the USA: 32,700,000 have gotten covid and 581,000 have died.

Yes, 581,000/32,700,000 = 0.0125 BUT that is NOT a percentage (%).

To be a percentage means out of a hundred. So you must

multiply by 100 to get a percentage  0.0125 X 100 = 1.25%.

A simple example. If 1 out 100 people eat bacon then:

1/100 = 0.01 and 0.01 X 100 = 1 . So 1% eat bacon.

Also the graph on the web site https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

says that USA has a 1.7% covid mortality in the USA which is low compared

with many countries in the graph.

Health care is great in many countries and recently getting MUCH 

better since they know a great deal on how to care for people

who have severe symptoms.

17 hours ago, Mike981 said:

Sure would have been nice during this little lull in cruising, if they used that time to get their IT department up to speed. Unfortunately (to me), it shows how important these issues are to Celebrity.

 

I have images of their IT department being one person with pajamas and bunny slippers on, sitting in front of their Radio Shack computer and a black & white TV at their side as they drink Blatz beer.

When we waited many many months to get a refund for cancelled cruises (with no response at all)

most said it was due to their IT department using Commodore 64 computers. Did they

recently upgrade to Radio Shack?

11 hours ago, Shadow9612 said:

 

Canada:  2.9 million doses administered.

 

Hi,

The "good" news is that we will likely get the vaccine by

September. If you call that "good" news.

24 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Great that many Canadians defend their towns.  We have sailed past Halifax three times on trans-Atlantics and stopped three times.  Took the tour to Peggy's Cove and grabbed a quick bite in the restaurant.  We have traveled the world, visited all 7 continents, been north of the Arctic Circles and south of the Antarctic, visited all 50 US states, safari'd in Tanzania and Kenya, traveled in eastern Europe and Russia, listed Japan, toured two weeks in China and Tibet, raised in the Netherlands as a child post WWII, schooled in international schools in Belgium and Switzerland, lived in the former Yugoslavia and Romania, and adopted a girl from a children's home in Romania just for starters.  Halifax compared to Petra, Luxor, Galapagos, Amsterdam's museums, Dachau, Urquhart Castle, just about any place in Ireland, Oldupai Gorge, The Great Migration, Jungfraujoch, etc., etc.  Nope.  Even found Ushuaia and nearby Patagonia much more enlightening.  That said, PEI is lovely and a place I could live.  

Hi,

I live in Halifax also but was not offended with your comments.

Each person has their own opinion. For example you list

Urquhart Castle as a great visit. I have visited Scotland several

times including Urquhart Castle. I would NEVER put it on my 

list of must see castles. Lots of broken walls and little WOW

factor. Yes, it has history and the area (Loch Ness)  and the scenery is beautiful but... You should have replaced it with Eilean Donan Castle for the Scottish Highlands as a must see. Of the multitude of castles

I have visited it would NOT be on my list!! I was once on a tour

of Olympia Greece and the guide told us to use our imagination

when viewing the ruble of broken rocks! If you like castles/chateaus/

Palaces try Southern England, Rhine valley, Loire valley, Spain etc.

Those are spectacular and have WOW factor!

Southern England

7 minutes ago, Welland said:

Sadly I agree that some guests will not reward the crew with extra tips.

We ALWAYS give extra tips even though we stay in inside cabins.

I was quite shocked when people asked  CC if they should give extra

tips to the butler if they stay in a suite.