CruiserBruce

@cruisemom42, each cruise line has their own financial issues, whether they be older, more expensive ships to maintain, or smaller ships that have different cost/profit calculations. Newer, larger ships might have "mortgages" on them that can be extended easier. How Celebrity/RCL is balancing their books may have absolutely nothing to do with the ways HAL/CCL balances theirs.

To do what? Cruise Hawaii?

We have been doing this a lot recently for lots of travel, not just cruises. Sometimes a TA can't get the rates you can get online. Sometimes it's the other way around. Just go with it...there is no guarantee of absolute uniformity in every situation. We have had great rates from our TA, other times she can't match what we see on other sites.

There is an extensive process of vetting excursion vendors. I am sure every cruise line does it a little different, but as everyone holds the cruise responsible for anything that might go wrong, the cruise lines do very detailed assessments and screenings of their vendors.

Chocolates on formal nights only has been the standard since resumption. Its not news. Walmart and Nordstroms weren't 100% shutdown for 16 months due to Covid.

If you look at the HAL website, the protocols are listed there. If there is a ship in port, taxis will be there. For Pearl Harbor, a little more complicated. Make sure you have the cab company phone number. Or use Uber/Lyft.

Hasn't happened since the re-start.

Most requirements have been eliminated, unless countries they are sailing to require them.

I imagine those would be travel agencies, and we are not allowed to discuss those on Cruise Critic.

More and more credit cards don't charge transaction fees outside the US. We have two different ones, neither is Capitol One. One we have had for over 20 years. Both have "tap" capability without PINs.

There are a couple options for laundry. I am not well versed in the pricing, but I doubt any of them come to $30. The tipping question is beat to death here. If you leave the auto tipping in place, any extra you give to an employee, the employee gets to keep.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! 1. Define "expensive". 2. Don't know. 3. NO!! Very hot topic if you look around the board. You can always tip extra if you wish. 4. Be there by 11:30. 5. Depends on the ship and event. 10-15 minutes is usually OK, but some events can be very well attended. 6. You can just show up, or make reservations. Up to you.

I would start with asking on the Alaska board, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/ There was just a thread over there a week or two ago about the train station locations. It is not at all uncommon for flight schedules to change. Happens more often than not, it would seem. We have 3 flights booked between now and mid September. 2 of the 3 have had changes greater than an hour.

They aren't, but if you believe that, just clear your cookies.

Yes, Cabo is always a tender port. PV is occasionally if they have too many ships in ( true of any port if you have more ships in than you have dock space), never heard of Ensenada or Mazatlan being tender ports.

Just a little reading around the board:

There are many threads here about tipping. Tipping in Europe is fare less than in the US. Usually you might round up a restaurant bill...a couple euros. Not a 15, 20 or 25% tip like in the US. Similar with a taxi...round up.

Yes...sodas and waters count against your 15 on the Signature beverage package. HAL carries Coke products. No muster app.

Islands/ports? Budget? Limitations? There is no charge for writing more complete questions.

It probably be easier just to book two rooms.

Signatures can be turned off...not everyone can see them.

Ok...you will get off the ship in Civitavecchia. You will need to train to Rome Termini, where the high speed train starts. We have taken both trains, although not on the same run. Getting to the train station in Civi is discussed here frequently...either a taxi or two buses are required. Once in the train station, you just need to get the right train and connect in Rome. I would suggest using trenitalia.com to do your planning.

I would be looking on the Celebrity board, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/ Each cruise line has their own policies about smoking, but the majority have been constantly tightening up smoking rules and areas.

Depending on exactly where you are coming from and route, traffic will be much better on Saturday morning, as opposed to Friday night.

It will be before 8am...closer to 7am. But HAL wants you off the ship by 9:30ish...so anything in that window.