wcook

I like to book my cruises directly with the cruise line. But my last two cruises I’ve been unable to book the cruise I want direct and had to go through an online travel agent to book.

Ship: You have an outstanding balance of $23.47 and can’t leave until it’s paid. Me: Oh, gosh darn, I’m completely tapped out. I am stuck on this ship. Woe is me. Ship: And your drink package is cut off Me: Wait! I just remembered I have another credit card. I guess I can leave.

I’ve been lucky. Only one missed port ever, and that was due to emergency repairs at the dock, not ship or weather issues. For pretty much any flight in the world, I can look up stats on how often the flight is delayed or cancelled. It’s a shame we don’t have that for ships and ports. Only antidotal reports.

Keep in mind UK -> Caribbean is usually about nine days in a ship. With work, you could find something that works, but I gotta believe you are better off with the long haul flight.

That kinda undermines your point. The airlines clearly have a gate keeping role. If they aren’t going to let you on the plane without the proper documentation, they can do a lot to help you understand the what proper id they will be looking for. Same with the cruise lines. While the ultimate responsibility lies with the passenger, the cruise lines can and should do more to help

I hear you. Even as an American I sometimes have visa issues. I wanted to take a cruise stopping in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are new to the whole tourism thing so provide incomplete and sometimes contradictory info on their visas. It would have been awesome for the cruise line - which is actively working with the Saudis in the first place - to sit down with their immigration and tourism people and put together a visa faq for the thousands of passengers. Nope. After running around in circles, I gave up and booked a different cruise. Bummer.

Which port? Which airport?

The only times hurricanes really mess up a cruise is when they hit the embarkation/disembarkation ports. Even during a busy hurricane season, the odds of a particular port being hit your week is very small.

Trouble in the Eastern Med?

That has always been our rule when traveling with others (usually family). Dinner is mandatory. Everything else is optional.

The great thing about balcony cabins with young kids is you can usually fit a pacnplay on the balcony.

General advice on room for four: Don’t do it. If it fits in the budget, get two rooms… you’ll probably have to book one parent and kid in each room and then switch onboard. if it doesn’t fit in the budget, there are four person rooms available in all room classes, down to the cheapest inside cabin.

There is no best type of vacation. Cruises offer up wonderful vacations, but so do many other types of vacation.

40 years ago Cathy Lee was doing teevee commercials for Carnival and the Big Red Boat was taking Disney families on three day Bahamian cruises. Both solidly aimed at middle class couples and families.

A MySpace ripoff.

Not a worry today. But give it a few years.

To put things in perspective… Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory. It’s official currency is the US Dollar. Same with BVI. It really is the dominate currency of the region.

Feels like a scam (I'm cynical that way) but it would be a hoot to take the job. Remember, the people on tour don't know anything. So you can just make stuff up and be entertaining.

Me? I love the newer supersized ships. So many great options and things to do. I also love smaller ships 🙂 just not quite as much

I’m sailed MSC in steerage. Similar product to Carnival/Royal/Norwegian. Only noticeable downside was weak entertainment shows. I’d happily sail again if they have the right price and itinerary.

I was curious, so souvenir (n.) 1775, "a remembrance or memory" (Walpole), from French souvenir (12c.), from Old French noun use of souvenir (v.) "to remember, come to mind," from Latin subvenire "come to mind," from sub "up from below" (see sub-) + venire "to come," from a suffixed form of PIE root *gwa- "to go, come." The meaning "token of remembrance, memento, that which reminds one of an event, person, place, etc." is recorded by 1782.

The ports are slowly pushing back. For example, Nassau just opened a huge port market with lots of space dedicated to Bahamian products.

Keep in mind the folks who provide transportation deal with this every single day and know better than anyone what time people have been getting off ships.

Very nice port, most of it is fairly new.

I was fine with it. I was in Dubai, so my body clock was nine hours off anyway. And later dinner was less hurry back to the ship.