north29

I prefer balconies but having done at least 8 TA's , some we never really got to use the balcony. If there is little difference in price, I would do the balcony just for the sake of walking out to see what the weather is like.

I like fine dining, with quality over volume, and have never felt that the specialty restaurant on X or RC were truly speciality dining in food or service. At $50 PP and that does not include wine at $40 per bottle is higher than most really good land based restaurants. My favorite is Quisine but as stated above is better with a group of sx.

I will agree with many and especially if you are older, long flights suck. Not that it applies to you but on a recent trip from Florida SW airlines to La over night at hotel in La, and then United to Hong Kong from San Francisco(yes had to take a short flight to SF) with 5 days in HK and then Tiger airlines (yikes, had to pay a couple of dollars for water to take meds) no seat assignment to Singapore.

Now my point, I booked the comfort seating in the long haul leg, thank the TA who made me do it. So do yourself a favor and book the upgraded seats in economy. Do it as soon as possible, as stated above book a isle seat, much better even if you have to get up to let seat mates move around

We have applied for the Shareholder Benefit several times. There is usually an email acknowledgement of the request send within 24 hours' date=' then an approval/ denial email within 7 business days.

 

We have NEVER received the Shareholder Benefit since it cannot be added to any other incentive or discounts including: BOGO, NextCruise discounts, CAS discounts or onboard credit. We've found these others to be a greater value so I've stopped applying for the Shareholder Benefit.[/quote']

I gave up trying to us the Stock holders benefit and sold my stock for a WILD profit

It is still strange to me that so many people buy clothes or travel with clothes that have to be pressed or special washed while traveling. I have put every thing in the W and F bag, even a button up shirt make of no press material, it was buttoned up and came back the same way washed and folded..

Travel insurance might help

My 2 cents? If you really want to see Italy do a land-based trip, not a cruise. When you try to see places like Rome, Florence and Venice during a one day port call, you really aren't doing it justice. You end up on very long tours, with brief stops to see the highlights. Take your time and spend a few days in each and really enjoy them. I'd add a few days in Naples too, though. See Pompeii (allowing far more than the 2 hours most combo tours will give you there), hire a driver and spend a day seeing the Amalfi Coast, take the ferry to Capri one day, etc.

Pretty close to my opinion Rome and other ports on a cruse ship are OK but you never really get to experience the country unless you do it on your own or small group "at leisure" land tour with no less than 3 days in each city.

Vaping has never been proven good or bad for you for a replacement of tobacco. I would imagine that nothing you put in your lungs is good for them.

Having said that KEEP the regulations the same as tobacco, heck around here Vaping at the local flee markets with covered walk ways is not allowed

We just look nicer than every day dining wear. Having said that, a lot depends on the cruse, air travel, or adventures before or after the cruise. Example from our home in Florida, on 7 day or longer cruises, we tend to dress up a little more with nicer outfits and yes a jacket for me NO tie or formal wear. On international cruises with time before or after the cruise, we just try and look nicer on the SUGGESTED formal evenings. It is amazing how good you can make a MINIMUM amount of clothes look with just a few LIGHT weight accessories. YOU do not have to wear a different outfit for each day on the ship NO ONE will notice or even care.

I always use a lanyard, but I get the lanyards from Hobby Lobby. they are small, thin and light weight with a zipper in the back which will hold a CC or yes cash. It fits around the neck easily and and does not add bulk worn under a shirt. It also works as a small wallet for evening wear.

We arrive at the port early and board as soon as they allow. We then head to lunch and then to a bar to relax until the staterooms are ready. It's then off to the stateroom. First, we wipe everything down with antibiotic wipes, then unpack our carry-ons. We review the daily schedule, head to the spa for their specials and then explore the ship until Muster. Early to Muster, then back to our balcony with a drink in hand for sailaway!

X2 only we go to the Buffet and have a couple of glasses of wine with lunch and give our seats up when it fills up and people are looking for a table to have lunch.

If you get lucky, the tribute band for "QUEEN" will be on your cruise.

LOL, not just single pax. I tried to book a last minute cruise on the Oasis for July of this year. There were cabins available, but the price was, if I remember correctly give or take a few dollars, Inside was $3400 PP.

I guess the days of last minute cruise deals are gone.

I'm a do it yourself person, I have used TA on occasion, even one our friends is a TA. Recently wanted to do a New Cruise line, serched all over for a deal, perks what ever to lower the price which I though was too HIGH. Anyway found a agency who's price was considerable lower than the cruise line and other travel agencies. Tried to book it on line but not much luck and a few questions. So I called and was sent to a nice TA. Anyway after checking the pricing, the lower price came with NO perks or any thing, when we added up the extras like PP gratuities and OBC, the price from the agency was the same as the cruise line. For some type of crusher it might have been a good pricer but not for us.

Bottom line is just keep checking around for the price, best place to start is the cruise line for basic prices and then travel agencies who MIGHT have some cabins they are holding and there was a price increase or be careful as I said above low prices can be deceiving and actual cruise pricing is almost like APPLE, priced fixed.

If the odds for a bad weather cruise were the same as gambling in the Casino, I would live in the Casino LOL

First off we are well traveled, physical able and love adventures on our own.

Venice can be tough, but NOT THAT BAD. Fly in to Venice, purchase a powered local canal boat ticket just inside the air port that will take you to Zartarie(may have misspelled it. Drag your luggage to the docks, this might be challenging because there are different boats for different area, just ask. Get off at Zartarie and stay at the Bella Aarti, int just a easy walk about the length of a football fields down the closest street. The hotel is near the Academia bridge and lots of shopping and restaurant, of reasonable price near by, St Peters square is a bit of a walk. Off to the cruise ship just go down to the same dock area and purchase a ticket for 8 euro PP and 15 minutes you are at the cruise ship of terminal.

There are other hotels on the same street. Make sure breakfast is included.

I'm in the same boat, NEW to HAL and they are indeed prehistoric in technology in booking air. Air is EXPENSIVE and only cheap for 20 hour flights to Europe NOT an OPTION. Just called HAL and if you booked with a TA you must book through them( I guess) On RCI you can easily book and check prices on line. I hate booking some things through a TA, but some how I did this because of a deal that was advertised (not) on a cruise, I could have easily booked with HAL for the same perks.

I will try the pre cruise or active booking mention in last post.

PS I'm hearing impaired and HATE talking on a phone HAL, get a hint.

If you are hesitant about going to Mexico, you might want to think twice about US cities like Orlando, Miami and FLL. It does not matter where you are, and you might be unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time ANYWHERE in the world, bad thing can happen. Driving to the port or to the grocery store might be more dangerous.

I bought a Invicta Sub Mariner look alike at Sam's club 5 years ago, and it is tooo close to the real thing, well from a distance LOL. Anyway the price was $106, on board it was, SAME WATCH, $140 or so and on Amazon, $96. Anyway after 6 years of constant wear, shower, swim, sports, gardening, to name a few, it is still going strong. It keeps as good as time as my ladies Rolex

I gess I am lucky.

We will be sailing on the Eclipse TA leaving Southampton on October 28th. Since we are on a private cruise-tour, we will be arriving at the terminal by coach from the London airport with no stops. Are there any shops in the terminal where we can purchase wine and other items? If so, is the wine reasonably priced? I ask because we found the prices in the wine shop in the San Juan terminal to be as high or higher than on the ship we were doing a B2B on.

 

Thanks

Answer if you are arriving on the same day as embarkation NO. at least no easy one. If you have some other people, there is a place just up the street basically behind the Ibis hotels , which sells by the case only.

Too many nasty comment to the poster. He was using his D+ status to say he is a long time cruiser and this is a first toilet problem for him.

Having said that, why post it anyway. It will be fixed, and what are future or next weeks cruisers going to do, cancel.

I know form experience what toilet problems are LOL but never posted it here

We will be on a major trip to Provence and then a TA home on the Koningdam. We are packing art supplies etc and with little room for a lot of clothes. We will do our best to keep the HAL cruise happy and will eat in the MDR.

This is our first HAL cruise so I hope they do not keel haul us for lack of traditional clothes. LOL

Never have enjoyed the PERK of getting off the ship early or in front of everyone else, but If I had a private tour waiting that I had to meet I would be up set. Having said that, most private tours, understand and will not leave a booked person, even if they are a little late, they know the rules.

However, X and others cruise lines, need to come up with a less intrusive way of getting their tours off the ship, after all they are dealing with moving a small city.

Unfortunately many parents do not care if their children stay out after curfew, as we know the ship is a safe place RIGHT. The parents who see no problem with breaking the curfew, will only care if/when something BAD happens and then they will most likely file a A LAW SUIT blaming the ship.

Lots of opinion on good deals or not and moral issues on being honest. I agree with most, there are only a FEW good deal, once in a while. However if you see something that you cannot live without, go for it. Still, my local jeweler is the best over all place to buy "jewelry" that is expensive.

Now if the duty free purchases that people do not declare, who know if the ship reports it, but if the US really cared, they would have a system set up that any CC purchase over say, $2000 dollars in a foreign transaction would be reported to them, and then they could investigate if further. This would create additional jobs for a Whole lot of people LOL and then they would have to raise the duty fees and set up penally cost to help pay for the new customs employees. With the new programs like mobile passport and other stream lining of immigration for Americans who hate the process, they could hire back all those laid off by them