Over from NZ

They're exceptional ports if you're willing to put the effort in! 🙂 We've been to them all twice. First time around we sold ourselves short in Marseille by not organising anything. Was our fault. Second time we went to the Palace of the Popes in Avignon and the Pont Du Gard.

We didn't take our teen when we did the Med (twice). However they were "ghost towns". Almost no kids/teens on the ship at all (May/June both times). I even took a pic to show him that he probably wouldn't have enjoyed it like he enjoyed the South Pacific cruises over holiday periods.

Are you looking for best or cheapest? Taxi or Uber is by far the easiest.

Many of them do. There's usually on average about 2 a week. It was a 21-night cruise in the Mediterranean.

Yep. Our last Mediterranean cruise; after wearing a suit to the first 5 formal nights.. I duly presented in the MDR in shorts and Polo-shirt for the 6th like so many others I had observed. I enjoyed the food as much as the first 5. I did feel a bit self-conscious.. but that was all in my head. Once I got over myself and realised that nobody cared what I was wearing.. I was fine lol 🙂

We really used to enjoy traditional dining and taking that away was a negative. Be good if they brought it back on other ships too.

Traditional dining is long gone. Difference in motion will be negligible. Worrying about nothing 🙂

In the Med.. shorts and Polo shirts will now suffice for formal night. It must be rough & ready in Alaska & the Caribbean then!! hahaha.

Gotcha. We had 4-nights there last year. Purpletraveller's post sums it up very well. We did all those things. We also had a trip to Mdina (about 30-40 min bus-ride) because the wife is a GOT fan (and it was a great wee medieval walled town!) and a day-trip (similar bus-time) to Marsaxlokk where we saw the traditional Luzzo boats and had a ride in one to the grotto. However if you're just there for the day.. would look at Purpletraveller's recommendations. We enjoyed Fort St Elmo.. but even just wandering round Valetta admiring the old buildings, city walls etc was great.

Are you just there for the day?

Easy solution. That particular itinerary can start and finish in Rome. Fly into Venice.. spend a few nights there and train to Rome. Then do the 21 night round-trip, Rome-Rome.

The mighty dollar talks.. for now. Cruise ships are not exactly endeared by the public in NZ.. and I'm sure many would like to see them gone altogether. Reading the article and seeing just how bad they are.. does make me cringe a bit and I'm obviously guilty of having partaken. You might find at some point.. a country such as NZ with a green-coalition and not as much invested in the industry, says.. 'nup.. no more'. But I can't see countries with big dollars invested in the cruise industry turning them away. I think they're too big of a thing in Aussie to get rid of. I don't think the writing is on the wall for cruising.. nowhere near it in the near-future. For now they can get away with virtue signaling.. but it's going to have to change at some point in the decades to come. At some point as global warming etc ramps up and the bigger economies get more serious.. the cruise industry has a major problem coming. I wouldn't be buying shares in them for the long-haul lol 🙂

Wow. Without fact checking any of it.. if that video is correct.. that's a horrific indictment for cruise-ships. It's just horrible. But horrible enough to make us all feel ashamed?

The "bribery" comment is more to do with the fact that it required a tip in order for the staff to find those people seats each night. They should be doing that for you regardless. If they're telling you there's no seats.. but for a fee, they can make them appear - that's a bribe.

Interesting. ANZ Platinum card insurance clients in NZ have always got a rough deal compared to our Australian counterparts even though ANZ Australia owns ANZ NZ.. and ours is 90-days (although you can apply at their discretion for an extension up to 180 days). I've never trusted the free insurance and have always booked my own.. but as you say - if you were relying on the free card insurance and doing a world trip.. you better look elsewhere for cover.

We had 4-nights here last June and it was excellent - https://www.ikcollection.com/palazzoconsiglia/ It's right in the heart of Valetta. We just got a taxi from the airport to the Hotel. It's cheap and easy. Was very easy to just get one at the airport once we got off the plane. Malta is a cool wee place. Loved it there!

It'll cost you a lot more than $49 a visit! 🙂

Yep. When you're done.. you just go up to the counter and pay on your way out. 🙂

Well summed up.

Some greqt pics and commentary! Definately not the Tram at the top of the hill though lol! There's a gondola that goes up the hill though. The Tram is in the centre of the city 🙂

Our last cruise.. it was an extra $5k for a balcony. We couldn't justify it. We've had balconies in the past and never got the use from them. I don't like being cooped up.. so a balcony is wasted on me. I don't go on holiday to stay in my room. Particularly when we have itineraries with port days almost every day. That said.. we've got a balcony room later this year on a Pacific cruise because it wasn't much dearer and we might spend possibly a few hours in it maybe.

Sadly, traditional dining got the heave-ho. Part of the casualisation of the dining experience which includes the dress code as well. Oh well, is what it is. It's now less of an occasion.. but the food is still alright 🙂

You're splitting hairs. When those ships are home-ported down under for much of the year.. there is no smoking inside whatsoever. The casinos are 100% smokefree.

Yes there are! Any ships sailing out of Australian and NZ ports for a start are non-smoking indoors.

They're all going to give you the same useless odds. That's a given. Other than that.. it depends on what your idea of "best casino" is? Smoke-free as said above is probably the best! 🙂