pseudoware

Am I the bad guy if I reach for the bread or sip my wine while four strangers at the table are joining hands and chanting?

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3. Hand held fan - If you are going to a hot tropical place you will thank me for this bit of advice ---- BRING ONE

My DW would like this. And if it means I would hear "It's so hot!" a few less times, even better.

Wait... does she know my username? [emoji15]

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We have shared tables with some wonderful people over the years.

 

We have little time for those who insist on drilling down to find out your status, occupation, etc in order to place you in that socioeconomic box in their head. Not that interested in hearing how important are tablemates are. We still laugh about a condo we had in Costa Rica for a month. One of our fellow guests who had a bad memory told us EVERY day we saw her at the pool that her brother was a Governor of some US State. As though we could really care.

 

We do not want to hear about how successful, smart, or kind to dumb animals you children are. We don't give a hoot about how cute your grandchildren are. We have some of both...we know all the stories. We feel the same about the cats, dogs, or goldfish that you left at home.

 

We have zero interest in discussing religion, sex, or politics. Anyones...including our own. Not interested in others view about ending world hunger/poverty. Likewise, don't ask us to hold hands at a table and/or pray prior to our meal. From our perspective it is the height of rudeness nor do we want to hold or shake anyone's hand on a cruise ship.

 

Other than that, it is all good.

This post might come off as a rant to some, but a couple terms come to mind for those who are aware of this stuff: tact and social skills.

We'd likely be less hesitant to dine with strangers if we felt more people possessed these qualities. A couple meals with a different Joe-head-up-his-butt have unfortunately left us with not wanting to expose ourselves to the possibility anymore.

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Men should NEVER wear any kind of hat inside, anywhere-

Good luck with that. It ain't the 1920s anymore. Should we go back to wearing suits to watch a movie, baseball game, etc.?

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All it took was to be seated with that one self-absorbed jack hole who can't stop talking about himself and how awesome he is, even while attempting to put food in his pie hole, to the point where the path from plate/table to mouth becomes a two-way thoroughfare instead of one way like everyone else.

We don't care to run that risk anymore. Always dine by ourselves.

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Here's a good resource:

http://www.takepart.com/cove/index.html

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" I am Diamond, which means I have been on more cruises than you have."

"And look at my CC post count compared to yours. Kiss my feet, commoner!"

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Think different. North Beach, less than a mile away

http://www.hotelboheme.com

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Why not save all that trouble and have room service deliver a carafe of coffee. We order a large one along with Rolls, fruit & juice delivered at 6am each morning. We are very early risers ;)

 

 

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Because room service or not, the coffee is crap, imo, unless you pay for something better. :)

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Dining with a "sweet lady" from southern USA. Lovely to everyone, but our waitress was a South African. Our lady was incredibly rude and dismissive to her and never once said please or thank you. Did I mention our waitress was dark skinned? She took the high road and was extremely polite and helpful to this rude "lady".

I'm not accusing your waitress of anything, but I'm guessing *some* people who handle meals might have their own way of getting back at rude customers. Some tables can be a long way from the kitchen.

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http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1226994

Edit: Looks like the author of the post I linked already chimed in on this thread. Still, I can't say enough how helpful that post was when our ship docked at La Seyne-sur-Mer.

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Supply of Starbucks Via packets. I don't have to go all the way to the buffet for free, crap coffee, and I don't get gouged for the gourmet stuff.

We get a cabin close to the Int'l Cafe (or whatever the cruise line calls theirs) so hot water is just a few steps away.

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Can compare rates here:

https://www.carphonewarehouse.com/sim-only/international-sim-card.html

Yeah, you could try to get a local sim in each country, but IMO it's more of a pain that's not worth any small savings you'd get. It's more important to me that I maintain the same number throughout to ensure family back home knows how to contact me at all times in case of an emergency (of course, they are subject to int'l rates from their provider in this case, so I'd stick to calling them, while they just text or email).

If you're unable to get specific info, it's not a bad idea to bring along an HDMI to RGB converter.

Not worth much, but I'd be surprised if the TV in your cabin didn't have an HDMI input.

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They were from another country, maybe they didn't know the meaning of serenity.

 

I've observed ethnocentrism on cruises. Many times.

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They should make smokers go someplace deep in the bowels of the ship where others don't have to be subjected to their 2nd hand toxins.

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There is an area for smoking on cruises... However, the teenagers across the hall from us were celebrating graduating high school and smoking other things. [emoji85]

 

 

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Designated area or not, not too many things worse than smoking. Does the smoke stay in its "area?"

Occasionally indulging in those "other things" doesn't compare to sucking on several cancer sticks throughout the day and forcing others outside the "smoking area" to put up with it.

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This is one of the best online resources for a single port, imo:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/mobile/directions/

Also, staying a cab ride away, like on the Lido or in Mestre, is an option.

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More than once, I've been on a cruise and saw people smoking cigarettes.

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1987, Sitmar Line

10 days, Western Caribbean

Didn't cruise again until 2007. I realized time had passed, and cruising had changed, and I'll never experience a cruise again like that 1st one.

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Should cruise lines adopt this attitude rather than perhaps just throwing them off the ship?

 

If a cruise line adopts a zero-tolerance smoking policy, and/or imposes strict penalties for violators, I have no problems. I don't want to be around anyone's smoke, anywhere.

Smoker's "rights"? BS. I have a right to not have to be exposed to their toxins.

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On the Big Island, Harper's will p/u and d/o at the port. Their rental place is 2-3 miles away in Hilo.

https://www.harpershawaii.com/

On Kauai, there's a rental place at the shopping center a short walk from the port in Nawiliwili. I forgot the name, but a Google search should find it.

Reserve in advance, for sure.

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thanks for the replies. Are the buses or taxis wheelchair accessible? What is near to the port?

Yes. It would be helpful to find out where you'll be docked, as it's a humongous port. But a bus s/b accessible from anywhere. The link below is one of many resources to help you plan.

http://cruiseportwiki.com/Honolulu

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"Long pants and a shirt with a collar are fine...", but you will see a fair share in short pants and a t-shirt, so it's basically "come as you are." The food will taste the same. Makes packing much lighter and easier. Enjoy!

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We did Western first since we decided Rome and the French Riviera were "must-do's" for our 1st time. We thought of starting/ending in Rome, but Barcelona was easier & more accessible for us. YMMV.

We did Eastern last year. As mentioned, we had trouble finding the "perfect" for us itinerary.

Best advice is nothing new - do your homework for each port and plan based on the experience of others. The Caribbean is cool for winging it in port, the Med not so much, imo. The Port of Call boards is where you want to be.

Enjoy the planning journey as much as the trip itself.

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