Hlitner

I seem to recall that when we went to Portland, most folks decided to go over the Weymouth for the day. DW and I really enjoyed Weymouth, as we had excellent weather and liked strolling along the beachfront. It is a shame that you are missing Le Havre as that port does have so much to offer including the D-Day beaches or trips as far as Paris. Unfortunately, strikes are part of life in some parts of Europe (such as France and Italy). Hank

On this most recent trip, we flew into Dubrovnik via Frankfurt. After spending a few days in Dubrovnik we took a 3 week cruise that returned to Dubrovnik....twice. The first time we returned to Durbrovnik there was no formalities or Passport Stamp. But when we returned a week later, to disembark our ship (for the flight home) the Croatian authorities singled us out (the only ones on our transfer bus to the airport) for a quick face to face and another Passport stamp. I will admit that having been traveling, extensively, for decades, we could care less about stamps. In fact, the fewer the better since it is a real pain if one runs out of blank Passport pages. In that case, you must get a new Passport (at the normal price) since the US State Department will no longer add extra pages to an existing Passport. Hank

I took a look at the Uber fare estimator and its ONLY about 80 Euros for a one-way from St Paul de Vence to Monte Carlo. Who knows with surge pricing :). Hank

We do appreciate your post/advice. I printed-out your info and DW put it in her trusty folder that she takes on our trips :). That little visit to Istanbul is going to cost us in terms of lost sleep. Since we decided to simply route ourselves to Tokyo, via Istanbul we have left ourselves with a big jet lag problem. But since we old folks are not the best sleepers, so be it. Since we are only going to spend 2 days in Istanbul, that is hardly enough time to recover from the 7 hour time change. And than its back out to the airport for a late-night flight to Tokyo and another 6 hours! Should be lots of fun. Hank

Hmmm. They ban "multi-plug box outlets." But there is no ban on multi-plug round outlets! Go figure. Hank

O is simply playing with a business model that has been enacted, in various forms, across the mass market cruise line industry. The model is all about "maximizing onboard revenue" through various coercive means such as pushing packages that have some goodies, but also leave many folks paying for things they do not need or want. For example, when we booked the Vista we did change the booking to Simply More because we wanted the drink inclusions and Internet. But that SM package also included the large credit that could only be used for O excursions. DW and I are not fans of cruise line excursions and only consider them when they provide something we cannot reasonably do on our own. Over the years that has meant we probably average 1 excursion for about every 100 port calls. But Simply More put us in a position of having to book O excursions to use the credit. We did book the minimum number of excursions (to use all the credit) and strongly disliked all but one. Without SM, we would not have even considered a single O excursion on our 32 day voyage. It is no different on mass market lines. For example, buy HAL's HIA package and they also toss in shore excursion credits as well as a few included meals at alternative restaurants. In a sneaky way they have coerced folks into booking excursions they might not normally consider. The Princess Premiere Package includes things like photo packages, special desserts. Even if you do not want unlimited special desserts (these are monstrous ice cream concoctions) you have paid for them when you purchase the package. When O plays this Simply More game, they are simply showing their true colors as another "less than luxury line" who tries to maximize on board revenue. At least for now, if you go on true luxury lines (Seabourn, Silversea, EJ, Regent, etc) they do not push packages. When you book a Seabourn cruise there is only one price and no add on packages. Some do argue that the downside to luxury lines is that everyone pays for everything as part of the cruise fare. So, for example, somebody who does not choose to drink adult beverages would have paid for those drinks as part of their fare. But that is simply the reality of luxury lines and luxury resorts where most things are included and there is very little nickel/diming. Hank

There are lots of good things on EJ. They have really emphasized cuisine, and it is darn good. Whether, in the long run, they maintain the quality does remain a question. On the early cruises (we cruised 18 days to their naming ceremony) the line featured Moet Chandon products and had a full line of their Champagnes included. Not a bad thing having all the Moet champagne one desires and I quickly found that their Rose Champagne is quite amazing. But it has been reported that they have since ceased offering those products and substituted a less expensive champagne brand (owned by Moet). Another interesting facet is that EJ has 3 Steinway Pianos on each of its ships (they actually ordered 18 expensive Steinways for their fleet). We met one of the top entertainment executives (from the home office in Geneva) who was proud that they paid for those expensive instruments. But, it is one thing to have expensive pianos, and another to actually have anyone playing the things :). A surprise with EJ is that even though they have been operating for over a year, they have yet to implement any kind of loyalty program. A small thing, but still strange. Their marketing is 2nd rate and it was months after our first cruise that we even received an e-mail pushing some new itineraries. I will say that their ship (we were only on EJ1) is drop-dead gorgeous. They obviously hired the best designers, and in the European fashion everything is designed to look good, but not always very practical. For example, in one of their lounges the furniture uses a light green velour fabric that is not going to hide stains (it is in a bar/lounge) or wear. In fact, even though the ship was only a couple of months old we already saw signs of wear on some furniture. Many of their chairs, around the ship, are very low which makes them difficult to exit :). They also are over the top with high quality shops. If you want a $100,000 watch you can find it on the ship. But if you want a less expensive item, forget about it! Consider that they allocated space to two very fine watch brands (one is Rolex). All very impressive but it may not be very practical. On our cruise, some of the food was quite interesting. In their lido (buffet) they had a raw seafood bar where you could find things like raw oysters on the half-shell, cracked crab claws, huge shrimp, etc. Want lobster? It was sometimes an issue of which type! On the other hand, when we asked the pizza cook (in their Lido) if he would make a pepperoni pizza (they had pepperoni 3 feet away at the sandwich station) the cook refused! He told us that he could only make the type pizzas authorized from Geneva! Compare this to Seabourn where they would never say "No" but would move heaven and earth to find the pepperoni and make what you want. EJ also has a contract with the Henessey Folks which means they feature their products. Want some Henessy VSOP cognac? No problem. Want Remy or Courvoisier? No way! Want Glenmorangie Scotch (which is owned by Henessey) and its no problem. Want a single malt from other companies...good luck, And a funny moment happened when a passenger ask for some rye and ginger. EJ1 had no rye whisky. None! One bar tender was embarrassed but speculated that the purchasing folks in Geneva had no clue that rye even existed. Hank

DW and I love variety. Luxury (or perhaps ultra luxury) lines are wonderful, but they also are expensive and because of their limitations with number of ships (and size) do not have cruises to meet all of our "wants." We can return from a nice Seabourn cruise on one day, and go on a Princess cruise the next day, and be quite happy. We have talked with other similar cruisers who go on all kinds of lines, and we have all agreed that the key is to set one's expectations based on value. While on a line like HAL or Princess, we do not expect to be eating caviar, having someone refill our glasses with French Champagne, etc. On the other hand, I really enjoy spending early mornings sitting near the International Cafe (Princess), sipping cappucino and socializing. There is always something to watch in the atrium and its fun. Besides, the International Cafe makes a decent egg sandwich which I cannot get on Seabourn or most other lines. The upcoming SS voyage has been a long time in coming. We had never found the SS itinerary we wanted at an acceptable price point. While we could usually find good value with Seabourn, SS always seemed to be less of a value. But alas, we finally found a SS itinerary that fit our wants and price 🙂 By the way, on our recent Seabourn Encore voyage we met two couples that had recently tried Ritz-Carlton. That line is quite pricy (usually over $1000 per person/day but we had been wanting to meet folks who had first-hand experience. Both couples said the line was fine, but not worth the price. From their description it seems like Ritz-Carlton is another luxury line that is trying too hard to not be a cruise line (we think Explora Journeys also fits into this category). As to HAL, we currently have a love/hate with this line on which we have invested over 600 days. HAL has wonderful itineraries (we think it is their strength) and decent pricing. However, in recent years their cut-backs and nickel/diming have caused us to minimize our cruising on HAL. We recently booked one of our favorite itineraries (Voyage of the Vikings) and are giving a lot of thought as to whether we want to keep this booking despite our concerns about what we perceive as a downgrade to their product. If we take that cruise, it will be after a 2-year hiatus. The thing about HAL is that the line is constantly changing things (for the better and the worst) and there are significant differences between what is offered on various ships and even the quality of what is offered. We have previously written that we think HAL is operated like a ship without a rudder! But we are not aware of any other line that has the breath of longer very interesting itineraries. I have also previously mentioned our concern (shared by some others) that Seabourn may be headed to some kind of "Hollandization" in terms of cut-backs. Seabourn's new President comes from the HAL side, and there are concerns that she may not have her heart in the luxury line market. Time will tell. Hank

We had a few "issues" with Explora. 1. The attitude of the Guest Relations folks (Explora has a different term for these folks since Explora uses their own language) was "we are not a cruise line but simply a floating resort. What other cruise lines do has nothing to do with us" Their overall attitude was that they know it all and nobody should dare question anything. But that attitude issue, from a crew where 80% of their members were at sea on their first cruise, was not our main issue. They will learn and eventually they will morph into an excellent cruise line. With MSC and the Aponte family at the helm, failure is not in their DNA. But what is keeping us from booking another cruise are their unimpressive itineraries. The Explora folks will privately tell you that they are trying to tap a market of younger (under 60) affluent cruisers who generally do not have the time for really long voyages. While other luxury, or ultra luxury lines tend to focus on longer itineraries (measured in weeks and months) the EJ folks generally plan cruises where most segments are no longer than 10 days. We fall into the wonderful category of retirees who prefer to book longer cruises (1 month or longer) on more exotic itineraries. Being on a ship that has short segments mean it can become like a ferry boat with passengers embarking/disembarking every few days (similar to MSC's model in Europe). We prefer cruises where we socialize with other passengers who are mostly going to be around for a few weeks or months. If we see a decent longer itinerary on EJ, we would consider booking a future cruise. Hank Hank

A terrific idea. I took my first cruise in the mid 70s, and now, after far more than 100 cruises (and somewhere close to 6 years at sea) I cannot remember half the ships upon which we have cruised much less the details. DW says we should have saved something from each cruise and your models sounds like a great idea. Hank

Do not get me wrong, as our first experience on O (32 days on the Vista) was excellent and met or exceeded nearly all our expectations. We still cruise all kinds of lines ranging from larger mass market lines to some of the smallest luxury ships. The key to going on cruises of all kinds is to set reasonable expectations based on the cost and caliber of the line. We do not expect a Princess cruise to come close to O, Seabourn, Silversea, etc. But we still enjoy the Princess experience (and the price). Next year we have bookings on Silversea, Seabourn, HAL and Princess! That could change if space becomes available on one particular Allura cruise. While many are addicted to one or two cruise lines, we are addicted to variety :). Hank

We agree (and have previously posted) that the cuisine on the Vista was generally better than what we got on the SB Encore...especially in terms of variety. That being said, I would often order a double scoop of caviar, while sitting at the Observation Bar on the Encore. That caviar, if available on most ships, would generally cost $80 - $100. And I had it most evenings on Seabourn for no extra cost. One evening when I did not order caviar (while at the bar) the bartender brought me over an order (double scoop with all the fixens). I immediately told him I did not order the caviar, and it must be for somebody else. He just smiled and said, "I know you like it so I took the liberty." And that sums up the difference between Seabourn and O. DW and I agree about the SB showers. The Vista had larger showers, but we should consider that SB not only has the shower but also a full-size tub and double sinks. On the other hand, you could choose to cruise on Explora Journeys where the shower is even larger, and the bathroom floors are all heated! I have previously posted that my major complaint about the Vista is the awful design of the Showroom/Theater. I am curious if they have made some design corrections to the new Allura. DW and I were also very disappointed in Red Ginger. In fact, we had 3 reservations in each of the reservation venues and cancelled our third reservation in Red Ginger. Both DW and I agreed that the cuisine in the Grand Dining Room was superior to Red Ginger. Ember also was a disappointment. Toscana, on the other hand, was quite good and had a very extensive menu. Do not get me wrong as we would cruise on the Vista or new Allura in a heartbeat! That being said, having spent 32 days on the Vista and 21 days on the SB Encore, all within 3 months, our overall preference is still Seabourn. It helps that the Seabourn ship carried half the number of passengers on the Vista...and this is the larger SB ship. Next spring we will again be on one of the smaller SB ships (450 passengers) which is even more to our liking. We would book an Allura cruise (for next summer) but the voyages of which we have an interest are currently fully booked. Hank

Interesting thread. If Waitlisted folks need to contact their agent when they spot availability, I assume that anyone not on the waitlist could also grab that cabin if they noticed it was available. Makes one wonder what is the purpose of a waitlist on O? Hank

I am more afraid of having our Passports stolen or lost than dealing with the police. In over 50 years of extensive travel, we have never had a cop ask to see our Passports. If it happens, we have pictures on our phones and would simply tell them that they are safe and secure in our hotel (or cruise ship). If the Police really want to see the document, we can make it happen :). In decades of online activity (from Prodigy, AOL and Genie days before there was a CC) we have never seen a post from anyone who had an issue with the police for not having their Passport on their person. But we have seen numerous posts, and talked to several cruisers, who have had their Passports stolen of lost while they were on their person. Our favorite tale is of two NYC Police Officers (a married couple) who had their Passports stolen off the beach in Tel Aviv while they were swimming. Those two (drinking friends) were humiliated...given their profession. That being said, if you are on a cruise and are told that you must carry your Passport ashore, it is best to follow their direction. I do hate when it happens, but when it does you must be prepared to have the authorities ask to see your Passport as you exit the cruise terminal. In Russia (back when we could travel to that country) it was routine to check Passports every time one left the ship. Hank

I will add that Montaudon Brut is also the included Champagne that has provided by Seabourn (a luxury line) for many years. Yes, it is real Champagne and pretty decent. If I were rating this product on the usual wine lovers scale, I would score it in the high 80s. Not as good as some, and much better than many. Hank