vistaman

thank you for all the information ! maybe i will book a trip to Mexico in March with a low single sup also depending on the flights

i was on the Dawn late October Are the team on board still wearing masks? Enjoy your crossing - have a nice cruise !

Since covid catering on Lufthansa went down heavily, despite they are the same family I always try to fly on Swiss or Austrian ...

i recently was in Italy - despite Italy is a member of the EU as is Belgium - i was informed that i could not play in a casino - "playing hall " is maybe a better word for it not having a Italian ID however you can play with coins not with banknotes in " places with drinks "

I simply do hate it - at least a small piece of soap is appropriate i was in 4 upper class hotels in Spain and canaries - last time in one of the 3 top hotels in Barcelona dispensers as well - at 400 € basic room as a single - not classy at all was in an average hotel in Hamburg in summer small toiletries and a soap at 210 € a big bottle of Molton Brown is in europe between 28 and 34 €

is there a corkage fee ? already thanks for the info !

i think it is depending on the captain as somebody told me on other SS ships the team on board must not wear masks anymore ...

I am not so crazy of Livorno - i was in Florence and Pisa many times. A visit to the market is very pleasant . You can also take a train to Viareggio or the upmarket Forte di Marmi. For the wine lovers : there is a restaurant some 4 klm outside Livorno with a exceptional and not so expensive wine list. "Oscars " A few years ago the ms Europa 2 did make a call in Viareggio and it was with tenders .

I am just back from the Dawn and i had a great cruise as well - the embarkation was maybe somewhat easier as no testing were involved however I found it appropriate some glasses of water and soft drinks should be available during the procedure it was a 7 days cruise Barcelona Barcelona and a nearly full ship ( cabine aside mine was empty by some damages ) sometimes the dress code was not enforced ...the cruise director Vicki was great and my favourite place to have a drink became the Arts cafe especially in the morning playing for very small amounts i did prefer the old machines with the 7 games instead of those new ones with 20 games on each machine but 5 lines ...

those big ships are usually dacked at Steinwerder terminal - rather far from the center

actually i did 2 MSC in Yacht Club and it was not bad in view for what I paid as a single ... around 3000$ in an outside PH but even in YC you cannot compare the food with C but the speciality restaurants were not bad at all - and the non complimentary wines were very reasonable i consider those one week cruises as " a week away " in winter because both C as Hapag were too far away ... Asia and Australia

the bars are only serving softs - said by friends of mine -

the bars are closed when in Saudi A and no drinks ( alcohol ) on the airline

thank you for the info , i join on 19 th and i am a great winelover esp Champagne and French white however Burgundy is heavily depending on the "house" - at the moment at my wine supplier a Corton Charlemagne of Louis Latour is 186€

I wish on new Crystal there will be a decent informal buffet instead of that Brazilan meat with basic hot items like a good steak or grilled salmon or similar or is that not luxurious enough ??

on New Crystal we want a full size midnight buffet 🙃 now seriously : is a midnight buffet still done somewhere ? and I do mean a buffet not some pizza, sandwiches , snacks or "curry wurst" curry sausage as done by Hapag or croques as on¨Ponant my very last was on QE2 in June 1998 doing a crossing

No that was the cruise before - what was a 5 days cruise with an event on female clothes and fashion very upscale i did Hamburg to Norway and the Shetland , Scotland and Isle of Man ending in Liverpool with an unexpected call in Belfast due to a medical emergency.

to catlover 54 , it is sometimes a disaster in Europe ... I left Europa 2 on 25 th june - i had a quick look and noticed Austrian did cancel my Manchester Vienna Brussels at 5 am and rebooked me on 26 th Manchester Frankfurt Brussels 240 € for my hotel Manchester Frankfurt caught delay so connection missed ( was not alone ) LH obviously cannot do a quick transfer between planes anymore - plaane was not on gate and additional rideof coach refused despite flight was announced with 40 min delay as well had to fly to Berlin and from there to Brussels was downgraded on that flight 2 suitcases still missing .... yes i do have designer clothes 😄 ok it is all insurance but i do not have the energy for all those items like i was in my 40s

and on Hapag Lloyd cruise ships .choice up to 10 cold cuts and 8 cheeses and on Mein schiff the same but of a cheaper quality

i found a lab in Hafencity in Hamburg 29 euro but he could not give a print i was near an ice cream parlor the concierge made the print in the hotel was validaded by a doctor in the Netherlands ??? for my next cruise in september i found a lab near the casino in hamburg making prints on embarkation i decide to be naughty : i gave her - an older unpleasant woman not working on the ship - my vaccinations my EU certificate , the questionnaire and my PCR and she shouted in german antigen test your antigen test 😝

I an leaving tomorrow for departure 15th june on Europa 2 from Hamburg to Liverpool With a negative PCR but going to some lab tomorrow for a antigen : togethet 80 € quite an industry those tests !!!

It seems I am one of the few non German DACH pax willing to" dance" from the Europa to the Europa II. I think with kids you better can go and cruise on Europa II for sure On the Europa I met Germans pax - they did one cruise on the Europa II and not willing to go back on her. I was able to book "Beste " for this year as well 😁

thank you -for sure I find some place in HH and if not there is still the airport I have a condition that - in Belgium - was eligible to receive a 4th vaccin and they even do consider people like me to give a 5th in autumn last cruise : before leaving Belgium I took a PCR done in the labo ( location in central station ) of the University of Antwerp - 60€ - i want to be sure before departure my decision then arriving in Tenerife on a saturday : labo on airport Norte closed at 1 pm so on a Sunday : everything is closed on a Sunday in non tourist areas - so back to the airport by taxi twice some 20 € and a test 30 € : so 70 € what easily could be done on board ok if you pay for a HLC cruise you can survive 70 € for sure but the nervosity around it ... have 3 more HLC cruises this year - one departure in Kuala Lumpur at the moment you must pass a test within 24 hours after arrival what is in my case not matching the 24 hours of my boarding on the Europa 2 so a second test probably 😝 however everything seems to be cheap overthere - I think the cheapest fare ever for a junior suite in a five starred hotel 😄

mrs catlover54 - I was 3 times on HLC since December 2021 and looking forward to a 4th in 2 weeks I think on the Europa 2 the team on board does know me better as on the ms Europa . On the Europa 2 I only did receive a bill to sign in the speciality restaurants and on the Europa in all the restaurants. I remember when the ms Europa 2 was launched there was a line on the bill with "tip" - I never wrote something down but I do give gratuities and i do add a banknote for a better wine when that wine is served decently On the Europa there were many new faces from various countries even Tunisia and Kirgisia - HLC should add the country on the name label worn on the jackets - as previously done by defunct Crystal I find the Europa restaurant more gastronomical as the Weltmeere on Europa 2 - and the Yacht Club is better as the Lido ... Many items are imposed by TUI - like a general manager and a hotel manager - it is nice to see people are promoted the maitre d' on the 2 is now hotel manager on the Europa to give a example What i do not like is the request by HLC of a antigen test within 24 hours : i do not mind to undergo tests but i always stay overnight before a cruise and i always take a PCR before leaving Belgium- you never know - those tests are becoming a real industry - antigen test costs 3 € but labo is asking 30 € to put in on paper in my hometown a labo is closed for fraude - 109 € for a fast test and the test not executed it seemed so now when in Hamburg I must try to find a place for a antigen or going back to the airport .... HLC should provide it for the international guests : was done in Dubai last year

Oceania is extremely expensive once you are on board. drinks excursions transfers spa hairdresser ...