CPT Trips

Definitely research each city on the itinerary that will have free time. Particularly the not so well known ones and ones you aren’t familiar one. We now travel with a list of things to do if/when we have time. Generally the trip leader/concierge/cruise director can help you with directions. If the trip leader comes up with an interesting activity for the free time we will join. If not, frequently we will breakaway from the morning tour towards the end to go DIY explore on our own. If you do breakaway mid-tour, inform the guide. There is usually a lot of time before we need to return to the ship for the port talk or departure. The lunch break typically takes a least two hours and there is a lot to do in that time. Plus we get to try the local street food and beverages.

We had a similar Christmas markets cruise with GCT. A large (>20 maybe as many as 30), multigenerational family group. The age range was septuagenarian (maybe older) to teenage. We had a couple overnights in towns and the 20 and 30 year olds headed to the clubs along with the crew. Breakfast service suffered just a bit. 😉🤷🏻‍♂️ On nights aboard the lounge was more entertaining that on our other cruises.

@notamermaid I’m trying to avoid politics and stick to facts about how our form of government operates. The house is controlled by one party (the “opposition”), the senate by the other party (same party as the President). The house vote was almost straight party line. The vax requirement was administratively imposed, not by law. as such it could be changed without legislation if the Biden administration wanted to.

I wonder about the source of that assertion. On these boards 79% of the statistics posted are made up as the poster is typing.

Globus was the company that deserted us in Oslo mid tour when all the borders closed due to Covid in March of 2020. Nope!

Sure. Go to the cruise line website to know what retail price is. Then shop around with a few local TAs and see what you can get.

I was about to respond, “Don’t fly United.”

And also, limited brig space.

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If your ship docks at Port de Grenelle, you’re looking at a 15 walk to get to the tower area. I can’t help with Viking’s itinerary and timing on that transfer day. Our experience was on the arrival day, so we knew the time our flight was going to arrive and how long it would take to get to the ship after that.

How’s this for differentiation? Similar mapping is available for, in my case, UK and Ireland.

Whoa, raided by the “Revenuers” on a cruise . . .

I assume that because it’s unlikely that Viking has a Kosher kitchen. On another line, a few of the travelers kept Kosher and their meals were prepared off the ship by a Kosher vendor and served in disposables.

Lots of sport in this thread.

@Rebel54 Most of the stories are a couple branches away on the family tree.😱

If one is going to delve into genealogy best be prepared for surprises and, perhaps, scandals. “Extremely short” pregnancy or walking the aisle with a baby bump. Bigamy, going on the lam and then starting another family. Discovering that the father listed on the birth certificate died years before the birth. You just never know.

Yes. Really. When we had the cancellation experience (granted we canceled several days before the cruise) we were told that if one wanted to cruise the single supplement would apply. That was in the T&C

@GeezerCouple Your approach may get the booking. What about boarding? I don’t have any experience or knowledge with a travel companion, real or imagined, just ghosting the boarding process. But I do think that the cruise lines have this covered, to their advantage.

I had just such an experience, only with a real friend, not an imaginary one. We discovered that the terms and conditions covered this, to the cruise line’s advantage. Not only did they not refund the one passenger, they changed the remaining person’s fare to the higher single rate. Trip cancellation insurance would cover the cancellation, but not the increased fare. The solution was to cancel both and get full reimbursement.

No, that’s a more modern method. More used for signage than for record keeping.

Equal does not necessarily mean fair. Several people go out to dinner together. One orders the surf and turf for $100. Another the pasta at $50 and the final person the??? at $75. Is splitting the bill equally fair to the pasta person? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Better yet, leave the stickies in the elevators Making impressions in the clay with the stylus wasn’t all that great. But it worked.

We have been rafted outside a Viking ship where the receptions were aligned. Viking would not permit us to pass through their ship, but required up and over and down. Makes me wonder how accommodating other ship would be if the mooring positions were reversed. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@CroisiEurope America The itinerary appears to have an unusual port call in Amsterdam. DAY 12 AMSTERDAM Enjoy lunch and time on your own in Amsterdam today. Passengers are welcome to board the ship at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy a welcome cocktail with the crew before dinner. The evening is free to do as you please. Is there a possibility of booking only the Berlin to Amsterdam portion?

Are beef or lamb sausages generally available?