Time/value of Port Talks?

[Frisky070802]

11 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Absolutely.

 

We have been with friends on a cruise and both did the same excursion but on a different bus and guide and our reviews of the excursion have been very different.

 

Again - all subjective which makes the whole exercise difficult to have real value.

 

Once discussion threads get too long - 25 plus responses - I tend to stop reading them unless the subject is really compelling to me.  I feel like these would be pages and pages of responses very quickly and then who is going to read from page one to page 25?

All true. But I still think if you think about Tripadvisor, Google, Yelp, etc, even if there are hundreds or even more comments on a restaurant, hotel, or what have you, you do get a high-level view from the overall ratings.  Yes, someone might give it 1 star because they were unlucky enough to have a hung-over guide.  But if 99% of the ratings are 4 and 5 stars, you have to figure the odds of having such a guide are low, and most people liked it.  So maybe you go for it.  

[wolfie11]

13 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

A rating system would be great.

 

And gravel paths for people with walkers!

[CDNPolar]

6 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

And gravel paths for people with walkers!

 

I know - or at least suspect - that your response is sarcastic, but we have to accept that this is Europe or Asia, where they don't have accessibility standards that we expect in other regions of the world.  

 

I am not yet at the point of mobility issues - thank goodness - but I also get it through extensive travel.

 

If you think Europe is bad, check out some off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions in China.

[wolfie11]

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I know - or at least suspect - that your response is sarcastic, but we have to accept that this is Europe or Asia, where they don't have accessibility standards that we expect in other regions of the world.  

 

I am not yet at the point of mobility issues - thank goodness - but I also get it through extensive travel.

 

If you think Europe is bad, check out some off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions in China.

Actually, it is a serious remark.  I was on a tour in Costa Rica walking a little over a mile through a wildlife reserve.  The paths were loose gravel and the two ladies with walkers had a terrible time because their small wheels would not roll in the gravel.  I’ve seen the same thing at Icy Strait Point in Alaska.

[CDNPolar]

10 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

Actually, it is a serious remark.  I was on a tour in Costa Rica walking a little over a mile through a wildlife reserve.  The paths were loose gravel and the two ladies with walkers had a terrible time because their small wheels would not roll in the gravel.  I’ve seen the same thing at Icy Strait Point in Alaska.

 

Sorry, forgive me regarding the remark being serious.  Was not sure how to take it but regardless, I took it as support for those with mobility challenges.

 

We see this everywhere.  We just cannot travel to anywhere outside of North America and expect good accessibility.  Just not something that exists yet in many countries.

[wolfie11]

CDNPolar absolutely no offense taken.  I think I am a bit more aware of accessibility issues after I had a knee replacement with some complications and had to use a walker on a cruise for a few weeks.  I’m very active, so I still did excursions and really became aware of issues faced by people with mobility problems, as things I wouldn’t have even thought about became real obstacles.

Edited March 20 by wolfie11

[KBs mum]

6 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I know - or at least suspect - that your response is sarcastic, but we have to accept that this is Europe or Asia, where they don't have accessibility standards that we expect in other regions of the world.  

 

I am not yet at the point of mobility issues - thank goodness - but I also get it through extensive travel.

 

If you think Europe is bad, check out some off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions in China.

A lot of European countries have accessibility regulations that exceed the ADA, but we also have historical infrastructure that we value. We could remove it to improve access, but then what would you visit? If the building or street has protection under planning regulations because of being of historic importance then they are not required to provide access if doing so would damage or alter anything original. 

Any essential places, such as grocery shops, chemist's, Doctor's surgerys are allways acessible. 

 

Viking excursion descriptions are hopeless regarding surfaces, steps, slopes and distances. For this reason we make our own arrangements after research. Google Streetview and the website for where you are visiting are best. 

 

I use a wheelchair and haven't noticed any difference between modern buildings in Europe and the US, however disabled/acessible toilets and hotel rooms in the US fall far short of the requirements in the UK. Trains in the UK are hopeless, though. 

So far we've found Australia and New Zealand to be better than the US, in Europe Germany and Austria are good. Italy is problematic, purely because of the terrain and historical layouts. 

[carolinetodd]

On 3/18/2024 at 6:53 AM, OneSixtyToOne said:

 After boarding you can ask questions about any of them and get a full rundown. 

Not always.  I asked about the "Florence on Your Own" drop-off point and was told we'd be dropped at Piazza Santa Croce, when in fact the bus dropped us 20 minutes walk from there, and the guide left us at Santa Croce.

[OneSixtyToOne]

40 minutes ago, carolinetodd said:

Not always.  I asked about the "Florence on Your Own" drop-off point and was told we'd be dropped at Piazza Santa Croce, when in fact the bus dropped us 20 minutes walk from there, and the guide left us at Santa Croce.

Florence is one of those places where busses are not allowed in the old town and parking is very limited. The driver will attempt to drop you as close as possible to the rendezvous spot as parking is at a premium. Parking for buses is on a first come first serve basis so it’s not something that can be guaranteed. We had a five minute walk on arrival but a 15 minute walk at departure. That should have been clearly communicated to you.