Pantheral

What I did find interesting was that the NZ authorities were only concerned upon disembarkation while we had spent the week prior arriving from Australia via the cruise ship and having 4 ports of call in NZ where at any one of the ports we could have brought non-native honey ashore....

Our cruise in Australia and New Zealand was in 2019 so things may have changed since, but as I recall, the reason for concern in NZ regarding the honey was not infecting their bees with the virus that was impacting bees around the world. We waited to purchase our honey in NZ ports from NZ sources and had no issues with customs upon disembarkation at the time...

Sorry, I don't remember the exact tour. It was in 2015 and did much of my communications through my work e-mail and I retired in 2021. I did find one reference to seeamalficoast.com, but I am not sure that's who I ended up choosing and that website no longer seems active. The tour you referenced does match quite closely to the one we took and the cost is relatively the same, except in reverse order (Positano first). I'd even say the tour director/driver in many of the pictures looks familiar, but that could be my faulty memory. Sorry I cannot be more helpful.

Jim, I hope the two of you have a wonderful day on Mackinac Island!! I know that the Grand Hotel is a special place for you and I hope you experience it in all its beauty. Oh, and by the way, the rest of the island is wonderful as well 😁

Jim, I hope the two of you have a wonderful day on Mackinac Island!! I know that the Grand Hotel is a special place for you and I hope you experience it in all its beauty. Oh, and by the way, the rest of the island is wonderful as well 😁

If you are looking for a nice indoor activity this morning due to the rain you could visit the Milwaukee Historical Society up the street: https://milwaukeehistory.net/visit/hours-and-rates/. I am guessing you passed it on your way to Mader's. BTW, glad to see you went there and had a good dinner.

My first charge card was from Gimbel's in 1981, which I applied for at the exact store that is now this hotel! First purchase was the first edition of the game Trivial Pursuit which I still own! At that time, Gimels and Boston Store on 4th and Wisconsin were the two anchor stores of a downtown indoor mall that stretched 4 blocks. Like most malls, it is now a shadow of its former self.

One consideration not yet discussed is your preferences in ingredients and preparation. I am much more adventurous in dining than my wife; and having worked in restaurants I can generally visualize the dish better than she can. Blu tends to be a bit more unique with ingredients and preparation. Luminae, while still a bit more creative than the MDR, can be a bit more "traditional" with some dishes each day. So, we tend to spend more time dining in Luminae...

Once again happily following along on another of your adventures! Excited you will be visiting our hometown of Milwaukee, if only briefly. Looks like we will be having some great weather for you over the weekend! Sooo much better that the 90s and high humidity we have had much of the last 2 weeks. Your hotel in Milwaukee is nice and in a great location for you to explore. It is right on the Milwaukee riverwalk. 4 blocks north on 3rd st is the only remaining true old school German restaurant, Mader's, but there are many wonderful restaurants around the downtown area. 8 blocks east on Wisconsin avenue is the lakefront and the Milwaukee Art Museum with its one-of-a-kind addition designed by Santiago Calatrava. It has a winglike Brise Soleil, which is opened and closed daily at 10am and noon, weather permitting. Enjoy!

Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Do: - Enjoy the suite. Even if it's just a bit bigger that regular stateroom, it does feel less cramped over time. - Priority tendering: nothing better than skipping the long boarding lines at any tendered port of call, both coming and going. - Appreciate the boarding process, especially at Ft. Lauderdale. Again, no waiting in lines, head up the elevator and board with your escort. - engage the butler and room attendant. Tell them what you like to drink, pillow style, etc. Not all butlers are equal, but most will provide you with the basics for happiness. every room attendant we've has in a suite has gone above and beyond to be helpful. - consider hosting a small cocktail party if travelling with friends. A good butler will be happy to set this up and even help send invites to guests - Get to know all of your potential servers, concierges and bartenders in all the suite areas (Retreat, Luminae,etc) We have often had the same server at Luminae every night and they will learn your preferences - seek out help from the Retreat Concieges if you have any questions or are looking to make reservations Don't: - expect everything will be perfect. - miss any invited events, particularly sailaways on the helipad if they fit your schedule - forget to ask/request -forget to tip accordingly hope this helps, but mostly enjoy the cruise and the benefits, you paid for them!!!

If you don't ride the bike, you can also hike/walk around island, the entire loop is 8.2 miles, but the southern and western sides of the island are much more scenic. IIRC, on the western side about halfway there is a small restaurant that has great ice cream. With regard to Somewhere in Time, truly an under the radar classic. There are many locations from the movie around the island: the hotel (obviously), the meeting tree and the gazebo to name a few. I also found the Fort fascinating.

Jim, first of all, thanks again for your great review. Based on your reviews over the years I have been able to provide the DW with possible cruises of our own!! When will you be arriving here in Milwaukee for your upcoming cruise? My wife was born here and it's been my home since 1981. Happy to answer any questions or make suggestions...

We did private tours in both Messina and Naples. Messina was a van of 6 of us and we went to Taormina where we couple disembark on the opposite of the city from tourist buses and nearer to the amphitheater which is not to be missed. After an informal tour, we drove up the mountain to Castelmola (where the buses cannot travel) where we had an amazing lunch at a small family restaurant. Then it was back to Messina for a quick tour of the town including the Bell Tower at the Cathedral. In Naples we hired a private limo that took us to both Positano and Sorrento in the morning including an incredible pizza lunch in Sorrento, and then Pompei in the afternoon. At Pompei our tour guide hired a private guide and she showed us around 20 different building/sites in the ruins. Those who took the ship's tours only toured the main market and a few other larger buildings, we saw homes, restaurants, brothels, etc. The cost of the Messina tour at the time was comparable to some of the ship's tours. The Naples tour was more, but a) we got a lot more out of it, and b) it was just for the 2 of us. I recall our tour provider could have accommodated up to 6 people which would have made the tour more in line with the ship's tours. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks to everyone for the information!