Markanddonna

8 minutes ago, whogo said:

Welcome to the forum, newgirlhelpme.

 

Do not rely on your pre-cruise itinerary, arrival and departure times can change and should be clearly communicated in onboard announcements and your ship's daily schedule. All aboard time will probably be posted at the gangway, some people photograph the sign as documentation and as a reminder of where the next photos were taken. For example, "Ephesus - All aboard crew: 4:30. All aboard guests: 5:00."

 

Make sure that the time on your phone and watch agrees with the ship's time.

Bring your daily planner. It has the port agent's name and info in case you have an emergency.

19 minutes ago, newgirlhelpme said:

This is great news! Thank you so much! Yeah the excursion we booked for istanbul picks us up from the port, but none of the excursions offered return service, I wonder if that’s why? I planned on getting a taxi but it is good to know about the tram! Thank you so much! 

The internet has good instructions on how to use the tram. I was told after this experience that rush hour gridlock is a daily occurrence. How does your tour suggest you return to the ship? Our experience at the end sort of ruined an otherwise very nice day. 

Some advice: stay together. One of the women in my group was off on her own after lunch when we had free time not far from the square in front of Hagia Sophia and was assaulted by teenagers. They tried to grab her purse. They didn't know who they were messing with and didn't get it. I understand women should not be alone in Istanbul.

My recent COVID experience in Europe was that you need to go to the pharmacy for most everything, including packs of electrolytes in powdered form. Most countries don't have drug stores like we do. Also, if you are seeking an antiviral, they may give you something other than Paxlovid. It is sort of the same but with a different dosing regime. We went to a hospital in Prague, and they gave my husband the antiviral without performing their own test, and he never was face to face with a doctor. 

Like Cruiser Bruce said, the highly rated excursion companies work hard to keep on schedule and to get you back to the ship on time. 

That said, here are two caveats: Several years ago, the ship and local time were different.There was a little blurb in small type on the daily informing people of that. Good thing that our close knit group worked hard to get the word out or some would have been an hour late. That is the only time out of hundreds of ports I've been to where there was a time difference.

If you are in Istanbul, consider looking for a tram-based tour. The rush hour traffic at the port is often severely gridlocked. Nothing was moving, so it didn't matter if you were in a car, on a bus or van. Only the tram was moving. We had to get out of the van and fast walk to the port to make it on time. We weren't confident that the ship excursions suffered the same problems, but they did. As it ended up, the ship was at least two hours delayed in leaving port. The crew told me that night that they all took the tram because they had been there before. Maybe we should be getting more excursion advice from the crew!

7 hours ago, WestCoast505 said:

 Unfortunately the design of the Celebrity ship didn't allow for that since the buffet wasn't near any other restaurants or the main dining room.

 

I'd be curious to know if the ship designers have a 'buffet ratio' that sets the size of the seating compared to the overall passenger count.  

This is a problem for many newer ships as most still jam the buffet, pools and spas and fitness center on the same deck. They double the cabins and the decks, but add little room to these critical spaces.

It depends how well you handle heat and humidity. Do you enjoy opening the door to a wall of hot/humid air? Personally, I wouldn't unless I won the vacation.

9 hours ago, bakedak said:

ON THE LAST FEW INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS WE FLEW THE CARRY ON BAG WAS LIMITED TO 15 POUNDS.  WONDERING HOW TO GET 1-2 WEEKS OF CLOTHES 15 POUNDS OR LIGHTER.

It does depend on how many seasons you have to deal with and if it is winter, you might not be able to do the carry-on. Launder items in the sink or send them out. I also discovered on this past cruise that I could cut out my evening outfits and didn't bring my pretty dancing shoes. I don't dance all that well anyway!

3 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Wait, doesn't he have a camera man and producer that travels with him?

Ah, reality. You noticed that minor detail, didn't you? And he has connections everywhere he goes and a budget to buy whatever he needs. I still love Rick Steves, though.

Dealing with missing luggage taught me a few things:

- staying at an apartment/AirBnB is risky if the airplane loses your luggage. Like the OP said, you are sort of trapped at the apartment waiting for the delivery. We suffered through two days like that and when it was discovered, opted to go to the airport ourselves to retrieve it. That gave us the final day to sightsee.

- Airtags are somewhat useful, but we knew where our luggage was without them. It doesn't really move most lost luggage faster when an airtag is attached. It still has to go through the system's bureaucracy.

- Careful planning and online advice on how to use only a carry-on can revolutionize your travel. No more schlepping big bags through the airport, up a few stairs, over cobblestone, or up the stairs on trains. 

- You see the beauty of carryons only when you have gone through this problem yourself. Up until this past November, when ITA lost our luggage from NYC to Rome, I thought myself immune. 

Having some cash is important on some trips and in some situations. The problem is that you won't know until you are in that situation. Taxis in some countries (Israel, Turkey, Greece, some central European, and most likely other countries) often ask to be paid in cash- sometimes US dollars. That happened in those mentioned countries in the half last year.

The only critical time to have cash was last month in Prague- having coins for the toilets was important. Yes, you have to pay, and the old women manning the toilets have no mercy. Even the train station in Prague required payment, but a turnstile accepted credit cards!

There are countries where we survived on only a credit card. In Auckland, NZ, we needed coins for the lockers. Having no currency, we asked at the desk, and they told us about the free lockers on another floor. 

On our 17 day (2 B2B) cruise last Jan and Feb, we stayed onboard quite a bit, partly because we had already been there and also because some ports just weren't all that interesting (Jamaica for example.)  The ship with the passengers was overcrowded so we got to see a quiet, laid back atmosphere. How nice!

7 hours ago, aborgman said:

 

Carnival 3 day cruise to Nassau

1986: $325 ($910 in 2022 dollars)

Today: $420

 

The price of a Carnival 3 day to Nassau is about 1/2 what it was in 1986.

The problem is that many who have been to Nassau more than once are hesitant to leave the ship and often don't.  To many, it isn't a desirable port, therefore the cheap rate.

We are forced to compare apples to oranges, even on cruises we took less than ten years ago to today's offerings. Ships are way bigger, there are more passengers, the dining experience has declined markedly (unless you eat in the specialty restaurants), the typical passenger has changed, lots of alcohol and excessive drinking sometimes prevail because of drink packages, and the cruise lines are attempting to decrease their expenditures to make up for the COVID years. 

Cruising is a lot less appealing to me than it was ten or more years ago. Our last cruise (Celebrity TA) was fantastic, but most of our cruises are meh. Maybe it is because, like many of you, I have been to lots of fantastic places and have so many experiences to which I can compare. I have come to appreciate land travel much more.

I met missionaries who were going to Vietnam via cruise ship.

Almost never, esp in Israel where they give you an ID card to carry so your passport is not tracked by other countries who hate Israel.

The decision to go with an agent boils down to final costs. I wouldn't book with an agent if the total savings is less than $100. An agent who charges a fee, likely nonrefundable, needs to do way better than a $100 difference.

With some research on these boards, you can easily find your own hotels and tours on your own. 

I would definitely get travel insurance but never accept the one offered by the cruise line. Fewer benefits for the money, unless you are REALLY old. That is when most travel insurance gets really out of control. The cruise lines don't base the policy on age.

Both ports are great. Know that Rome is at least an hour from the port while Barcelona is just minutes away. You should find lots of advice. Also look on the Tripadvisor forums for advice. (under "more.")

I just received three checks totaling the full amount requested. My husband came down with COVID and had complications because of preexisting issues. Here is how we had success:

1. Not only did I keep all the receipts, but I also submitted a table of the various expenses with a code corresponding to each piece of paperwork. It likely made their job much easier.  They sent us the checks about three weeks after we submitted. 

2. I requested a letter from the doctor in Poland stating that she recommended my husband return back to the USA for treatment. 

3. Nationwide was very good about payment but was no help while we were in a crisis in a country where we couldn't speak the language. Not everyone (that includes the receptionist at the hospital) speaks English, despite what people might tell you. Their team in Krakow never returned our call. They were supposed to be locating doctors who could speak English.  I did my own research, found our flights to return home, and did the rest.

4. If you have to return home while you aren't feeling great, be sure to arrange airport assistance. They were all fantastic- four airports!  We couldn't have made it without their help.

I just received three checks totaling the full amount requested. My husband came down with COVID and had complications because of preexisting issues. Here is how we had success:

1. Not only did I keep all the receipts, but I also submitted a table of the various expenses with a code corresponding to each piece of paperwork. It likely made their job much easier.  They sent us the checks about three weeks after we submitted. 

2. I requested a letter from the doctor in Poland stating that she recommended my husband return back to the USA for treatment. 

3. Nationwide was very good about payment but was no help while we were in a crisis in a country where we couldn't speak the language. Not everyone (that includes the receptionist at the hospital) speaks English, despite what people might tell you. Their team in Krakow never returned our call. They were supposed to be locating doctors who could speak English.  I did my own research, found our flights to return home, and did the rest.

4. If you have to return home while you aren't feeling great, be sure to arrange airport assistance. They were all fantastic- four airports!  We couldn't have made it without their help.

5. Yes, I did respond with a positive review on InsureMyTrip.  People who have actually used the insurance should be the only ones giving reviews.

17 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

And yet I found the newer ships to have higher rankings and the older ones to have lower rankings.

 

If my M class cruise that has a 3.7 ranking is inflated I would like to know...

No, different cruise line. I was on the Constellation in April and would have given it a 5 star.  I think I did!

I looked just this morning for the reviews on a different cruise line. I wanted to see if reviews since mine were overwhelmingly negative. They were. 38% rated the target ship a one star.

Here's my takeaway. Cruise Critic ratings probably should be modified because of the "age factor."  Older ships that are/were well-loved have inflated ratings. More up-to-date reviews are often more negative because the industry continues to suffer from the lingering problems from the pandemic and permanent cutbacks. Cruising also is more mainstream, and society hasn't become more refined and agreeable.

I recommend anyone looking at reviews to do a statistical analysis. Look at the last 33-34 cruises and make a simple tally record of the ratings. Then, just multiply their totals by 3 and get a percentage. Examine what the reviewers say and look for typical comments. I used the OMNI calculator and discovered the overall satisfaction rate in the past half year was 47.7%.  Since the ship's beginning sailing, the ratings were about 76% satisfaction. The CC editor gave it a  4.5 out of 5. 

 https://www.omnicalculator.com/math/average-percentage#the-weighted-average-of-percentages

Shows you how the reviews are now quite inaccurate!

22 hours ago, Go2SeaTheWorld said:

Oh, no, almost used it for a cruise we had planned right as Covid hit (so cancelled) & learned from Cruise Critic how risky that could be. We're flying American. Really glad to know about that about the luggage. I'm a pretty high maintenance packer, especially for a 2 week trip. Hoping that we could still purchase the airport transfer to the cruise ship, though.

Work hard at examining each item as you pack. I am going solo to central Europe for a few weeks in Sept and did a trial with a carryon and backpack.  It worked!  That said, tacking on a cruise adds to the complications and need for double many items. On the other hand, every time we get back home, I reflect on how I could have done with about 1/3 less clothing and shoes.

1 hour ago, sherrihall128 said:

What would you recommend for a transfer? I'm planning way ahead for our cruise in 10/2024, and we plan to stay in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for 3-4 days before the cruise.

I don't have any recommendations since we just went with the train (mistake) and then a taxi from Jerusalem to the airport, which cost about $100.

If you are looking for tours, I highly recommend Guided Tours Israel.  I've used them four times with great success.

Don't take the train. It is really a commuter train, and large luggage is cumbersome. I learned the hard way. Based on our experience and others I met along the journey, I would not use NCL for flights. You won't get the details, perhaps until about a month before. You have lots of planning to do. If you have the time, arrive earlier and visit Israel.  

I've been on two NCL Eastern Med cruises in recent years and had a wonderful experience. NCL's itinerary is far superior, IMHO. Each one of those ports is fabulous. Although I favor Celebrity if all else is equal, in this case, it isn't. Go with NCL. 

We had to use the medical center about five times for my DH on another cruise line. We were very impressed with the professional care, the good communication, and kindness of the medical team.