Turangi!

MWF, So glad you enjoyed Venice! It is a magical place…We spent a week there before a cruise and enjoyed, the art, the architecture and the ambiance of this unique place… We stayed off the beaten path in a glorious apartment in the Dosoduro… A day trip on a boat from Venice to Padua on the Brenta Canal was a highlight as was taking the Vaporetta out to the Lido! I can’t wait to go back again! My most outrageous picture was of a glass sculpture on Murano! We always try to spend time before and after a cruise in the places we start and disembark!

We had been tracking our recently booked June AZ Norway cruise for years…(precovid it was on the list) and I print out prices so I know what has been offered and might be again! DH wanted to book Norway in late August and I said wait until the Labour Day sales and that I wanted to wait for the balcony deal! i.e., the double upgrade, which as luck would have it was offered in September. I usually compare prices between Big TAs and the cruise line and do a spread sheet weighing what’s on offer… There is never a right time to buy a cruise, it’s all about what you want and what you get… yes, there might be a lower price but without the perks… we got a great deal to our minds with a ton of OBC, balcony for interior price… [which is always inflated during the double upgrade sale but considerably less than an earlier offering I had on file…] and we booked it because it was a “good deal” after diligient research! … With the OBC we have found that we have to use it or lose it, and once ended up on an ship’s excursion we didn’t really want after the one we had booked was cancelled and didn’t have anywhere else to spend it… Black Friday sales might be worth waiting for but they are usually more flash than substance… Tracking on multiple sites (and even though I have booked, I am still tracking) will give you the best information to make a decision… if you can wait to last minute, those do offer the cheapest base prices for cruises but getting there by air will cost a whole lot more… so maybe not a win/win strategy! Turangi!

Currently on the Radiance and I only have high praise for th RCI port staff that managed efficiently and calmly to get me and my lost passport (left on the plane) reunited and on the ship before sailing! I was on the floor of the embarkation hall emptying out my purse after having all the right forms for all the health requirements. Shout out to the wonderful RCI rep who had all the contacts to make it happen and the wonderul Dana who walked us through security and customs to keep me calm! I definitely got the Royal treatment and appreciate everyone who helped us that day.

Quick question about Juneau’s Blue Bus to Mendelhall Glacier….do we need to book in advance or can we wait to arrival and walk up to book … if the sun is shining? Thanks!

Congratulations to Harold!