Floridiana

Just jumping in here, what's the story of the Linus blankets?

13 hours ago, SWFLAOK said:

This was definitely the case in Sydney where all of the big ships, mostly on 3 day cruises, docked at The Rocks, while we disembarked 40 minutes out of town in a cargo port.

Large ships don't fit under the bridge, that's why they get the prime spot. The terminal at Sydney's Rocks is  too small for the number of passengers on large ships. When they built it, they did not anticipate the increase in the cruise business. We embarked there many years ago and had to wait in line outside for a ~ 2000 passengers Princess ship. Maybe they have made improvements in the meantime,  but there is not much space around it.

Find your cruise's roll call. Go to Princess Cruises roll calls here on cruise critic, find the Crown Princess and the date.

On 1/18/2020 at 12:55 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

we did hear of one passenger who lost a gold necklace to a “snatch and grab” attack when a small group of young men ran by, ripped his necklace off and kept going.

Good advice not to wear anything gold/silver or their imitations in ALL South American ports. Some ports are ok that way, but a casual visitor doesn't know beforehand.

There are small islands near Nuku'alofa. It's been years since I have been there, google for them. I was on one and there was another one with a resort.They were also the only places where you could swim on Sundays. The locals go to church, plenty of churches.

20 minutes ago, MCC retired said:

Will other cruise lines follow ?

Other cruise lines have already reduced the use of single use plastic bottles by providing refillable glass bottles or they have specific water bottle refill stations. They still permit plastic bottles, but they don't provide them. Some still provide them at the exit when you go on excursions.

I don't think that poor countries have recycling facilities. We asked in Cambodia and the guide told us that one (1)  company collects recyclables. 

As to Ponant, I liked the Austral. Haven't been on Silversea, isn't' it more formal than Ponant?

On 1/5/2020 at 1:55 AM, English Voyager said:

Although the newer Hurtigruten ships have become more luxurious it is not a cruise line but a service for coastal communities.

I think they also do 'real' cruises with their new ships and Arctic expeditions. 

As to the question whether passengers can do easy hop-on, hop off,  it probably depends whether it's a high frequency port or some small village hidden away. You would have to check their schedules. I noticed that they always have the better pier, closer to town or village than the cruise ships.

10 hours ago, fpat said:

we book based on itinerary and not line.

We always book based on itinerary and that has led us back to Holland America ships for their interesting itineraries. The problem with Neptune suites is that we don't want to book less expensive cabins any more. The concierges in the Neptune lounge are worth their weight in gold. 

On 1/13/2020 at 10:01 PM, daryllafferty said:

I had pictured the trip up the Amazon like an adventure movie with green walls of jungle on both sides and tropical birds and animals occasionally seen or heard.  Are parts of it anything like this?  Or are the banks of the river pretty much all cleared, farmed and settled?

 

Does the ship stay mostly in the middle of the river, or is it sometimes close enough to the banks to see things?

The river is too wide up to Manaus, after all you will be on an oceangoing ship. For vistas like you imagine, you need to take a river boat tour or stay in a lodge where they take you on canoes into narrow water ways. We saw the most animals when the Napo Wildlife Center lodge in Ecuador provided us with an Indian guide. We would have walked by the anaconda without seeing a thing and I even missed a rare animal while I was fiddling with my camera, but I have pictures of a giant river otter popping up next to the canoe.

The ocean going ships are not always in the middle of the Amazon. The banks are mostly forested. Bring binoculars. Most jungle animals are elusive, but I saw flocks of birds.

20 hours ago, stilltrucking said:

I've been to the upper Amazon on wildlife focused trips.

Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador? That was one of our best trips and we are not avid birders. Like you I like to watch the river traffic and forest go by, did it on the Danube and the Mekong. 

On 1/8/2018 at 9:23 PM, Bollinge said:

The Boi Bumba show in Parintins was something we will never forget. “Petty” crime is a problem everywhere, not just in the “third world”. Think Barcelona, Rome, Athens.

 

The only time I have ever been robbed was in Naples on the main drag in broad daylight when I had a Rolex watch snatched by a gang on Vespas.

The Rolex did it!

While I can't comment on the ship, I will say something about the ports. The Boi Bumba show is extraordinary. Not to be missed. The dancers do a small part of the actual big festival in Parintins. 

"Petty" crime in most South American countries includes ripping jewelry off people, just don't wear anything gold, silver, precious or imitations on shore. I thought every traveler knew that, but obviously many don't and seem also unaware of the extreme poverty. It helps to come prepared with some background knowledge from books, documentaries, and a good enrichment speaker on the ship. We will travel to the Amazon basin for the third time.

I lik the idea of having Africa on the itinerary. Most go up through the Suez canal and that's if for Africa.

I think you get answers on the forum for the cruise line offering your cruisetour.

Your husband may need proof of the titer levels for Fiji. Information from HAL passengers who recently had trouble going ashore in Fiji.

As Aquadesiac wrote, Brits are probably on Cunard and P&0 ships that start in the UK.

Wendy,

I haven't been on MSC. Ships are too large. I am amazed they take such a large ship on a world cruise. Their yacht club is supposed to be really nice, but the Magnifica doesn't have one.

I've just realized that MSC cruises also has a world cruise. It started on Jan 6 from Genoa, Italy. They have already announced another one for 2021 and one for 2022 from Rome. We are sticking to what we have already booked, but I thought it interesting to see that they are doing these cruises with large ships. In 2020 the MSC Magnifica is crossing the Atlantic from Madeira to South America and then follows a southerly route across the Pacific.

On 12/15/2019 at 11:13 AM, Tom O. said:

I am more concerned with restrooms than anything else, for my trip next summer.

The machines take Euro coins in the countries that use the Euro. May vary from 50 Cents to 1 Euro. And many machines only take the exact coin. Sometimes they have a separate machine for changing bills to coins. Good idea to use an ATM and change into coins when buying from a street vendor, snack bar etc. I also keep coins from one trip to the next. 

I don't remember which Baltic countries had 'for pay' restrooms, but I know from our River cruise that Germany and Austria have many. In restaurants they are free, but department stores, train stations and Autobahn restrooms are almost always for pay. 

On 11/6/2019 at 1:10 PM, mapleleaves said:

I would also factor in the cost/time/ease of flying into Barcelona vs Rome.  ie   can you get a non-stop from your hometown airport to Rome, vs a stop in London with a 5hr layover to reach Barcelona ? 

This!

The Koningsdam shop sold reusable straws with a small brush. They came in a small container.

It's a great cruise with a lot of scenery seen right from the ship. It's a good idea to bring the wheelchair and even better if your father-in-law is able to walk short distances.

I did this cruise with a  different line and had to switch my excursions to 'panorama' tours due to an unforeseen knee injury. Bus steps were no problem and I could walk short distances from the parking lots to the view points. Sometimes, the distance from the ship to the busses was a bit too long (I wish I had had a wheelchair) and there were unforeseen steps in odd places. Our ship had no tender ports.

Good luck and enjoy!

25 minutes ago, rhinomike said:

Do the club orange perks come with the suites or would I still need the club orange package?  Thank you. 

The Club Orange comes automatically with the Neptune and Pinnacle suites, no extra charge. The N and P guests also have privileged embarkation and don't need tender tickets for tender rides. Just show up and join the line at the end if there is one. Laundry service is included and it is done very well. These suites  have a separate lounge with first rate concierges. They make reservations for you and help you in any which way. The lounges have snacks and the only decent coffee according to my husband. I drink tea or hot chocolate. Although the lounge itself is a windowless space, it is great for the concierges, the coffee, the newspaper excerpts, the books (The Koningsdam had no library, the Nieu Statendam probably doesn't either).

Thank you for posting these links. I am all excited for you and, of course, trying to learn as much for our own cruise in 2021.

We were also on the Celebrity ship with ~ 100 passengers. Ships remain in the Galapagos, passengers fly in.

Great visuals!