Hlitner

Traditional dining is disappearing from many cruise lines. DW and I do sometimes miss the ole days where there were two dining times, no alternative dining, assigned tables (almost always shared), etc. When I started cruising in the 70s that was the norm. Times have changed. In fact, on the Explora Journeys Line (a new luxury line that will soon have six, 900 passenger vessels) there are no main dining rooms. Their ships have 4 restaurants with no assigned tables, no set dining times (it is all open sitting), and is likely the model for the future on many ships. Our current favorite cruise line, Seabourn, does not have any fixed dining or assigned tables. The dining venues are open from 7pm - 9pm and everyone eats "open sitting" in the MDR.or lido or has a reservation in an alternative venue. It is similar on Oceania (a so-called Premium Line) where the dining venues open at 6:30 pm and their "Grand Dining Room" is all open sitting. On ships with all open dining, folks can still dine at the same time every day, but they do so by simply going to dinner at that time with no fixed sitting. Hank

Select a cruise based on its embarkation terminal? Really? Would I prefer to take a cruise from Port Everglades, or Monte Carlo (where the last time we were in that port they did not even open up their terminal)? One might also choose to cruise out of Civitavecchia (Rome) where it is very possible the "terminal" used might be a large tent! Our next cruise embarks from Dubrovnik, which does not have what many would consider a luxury port facility. I can think of many past cruises from awful facilities in parts of Asia If I am taking a cruise that will last for a few weeks/months, I could care less where I might spend 1-2 hours during the embarkation process. We have embarked on cruises from exotic ports that did not even have a real terminal, but that is the price for being in some fantastic parts of the planet. Speaking of port facilities, some of the worst we have experienced (over 50 years) have been in the USA, such as an awful facility in Philadelphia, a dump in Seattle, etc. And DW reminds me that the first time we embarked out of Istanbul (a fantastic city to visit) there was no terminal....we simply boarded from an open pier. That city has now built a nice new terminal, which many do not like because it involves some long walks. In the old days, when there was not a facility, a taxi could drop folks very close to the gangway...which we would take over most cruise terminals. Hank

We have been cruising for just over 50 years (on 18 cruise lines) and have experienced many changes in the industry. Although I am not a fan of auto tips, pooled tips, etc., I do understand the necessity on the mass market lines, Direct tipping became a bad solution when fixed sitting, assigned tables, etc. were eliminated for most cruisers on the mass market lines. Most luxury lines have a no-tipping system, but one must be willing to pay for that level of service. Mass market lines have their own policies, but some do insist that the crew pool their tips (failure to do so can result in termination). And how do you tip if you are getting different waiters/tables at every meal, eat many meals in the Lido, dine in alternative restaurants, etc. The reality is that the crew works as a team which makes direct tipping unfair. We prefer the no-tipping policy on the luxury lines, but also cruise some mass market lines and accept the auto-tip policy as an alternative. If crew members do not find this system fair, they are free to seek employment elsewhere. If left to me, there would be no "auto tips" and all cruise lines would simply raise prices and eliminate tipping. By the way, on two different luxury lines we have actually had some crew members refuse our attempts to "slip them an extra tip." Tipping culture is primarily a North American thing, and many other countries have a different attitude. When Princess Cruise Lines first based a ship in Australia (I think it was the Sun Princess) they quickly realized that the usual onboard tipping culture did not work since most Aussies were opposed to the idea of tipping. They believe that it is up to the employer to pay a living/reasonable wage, and this is reflected in their culture. Princess had to change their policy to a no-tipping system with tips included in the cruise fare. In Japan, most folks see tipping as somewhat of an insult. My point is that cruising is an international thing and the mass market approach to tipping (i.e. auto tips) ticks off many cruisers. But it is the way it is! Hank

Good point about back to backs being a little disruptive. But that is only an issue with turn-arounds in a USA port (perhaps also in the UK). In most of the world, a back to back is handled as just another port day for those continuing the cruise. The problem in the USA, is a CBP requirement to "zero out" the ship. Not a biggie for back to backers who plan on going ashore for a few hours, but a real hassle for those of us who might want to spend the turn-around day on the ship. My problem with shorter cruisers is that the onboard atmosphere is somewhat different than we find on longer cruises. For those of us who enjoy socialization with other passengers, short cruises can be a minor annoyance since some new-found friends may quickly disappear at the end of segment. I should also mention that one cruise line's "back to back" is another cruise line's segment. Most longer cruises are simply made up of multiple segments. If one takes a 110 day World Cruise, it will likely consist of more than half a dozen "segments" where some cruisers disembark and some others embark. World cruisers would not generally think of their cruise as a back to back to back to back, etc :). Another issue with back to backs (or segments) can be the repeating of entertainment (especially production shows). We recently completed a 35 day Oceania cruise that consisted of 3 segments (no repeated itineraries). Most of the Production Shows were repeated on each segment. On a cruise line like O, where the Production Show is generally the only live entertainment (from 9:30 to 10:15) it does create the dilemma of either seeing the same show, 3 times, or perhaps spending more time in a near-empty bar (with no entertainment). Of course, there are also those cruisers who simply go to their cabins at 9:30. Hank

Now you are being "judgmental" (using your words), bless your heart 🙂 Hank

I think most places have some decent local/regional products. But cruisers are notorious for throwing their money around on tourist-oriented goods that are overpriced (for the tourist market) and often made in Asia (i.e. China, Vietnam, India, etc). We live in Mexico (Puerto Vallarta) for part of the year and DW seldom buys anything to bring home (i.e. we do not need more junk). However, when we do buy it will generally be local/regional art/crafts. For those coming to PV (or some other Mexican ports) you might want to look at Mexican works of art such as the interesting, beaded works made by the Huichol Indians. There also are quite a few art galleries that feature works of art created by Mexican (some are well known). However, if you are going to buy "junk" at a flea market such as pottery then so be it! And for those who insist on going to Walmart (in Mexico) for their shopping...we have little sympathy. As one who loves living in Mexico (and the Mexicans) we urge folks to support the local/regional artisans. Hank

Frequent world travelers have generally learned about the different "tipping cultures" found around the world. North Americans have generally embraced a tipping culture (which much of the world finds ridiculous) which has been enhanced by "tipping guilt." The result is that tour industry workers, around the world, will often have their "hands out" for tips when they are dealing with North Americans and do not waste their time with folks from other cultures where tipping is kept to a minimum. So getting back to the OP's question, nobody is obligated to tip guides on excursions or tours. In fact, given the recent pricing of cruise ship excursions, and the quality of many excursions, one might make a case that guides should tip the participants :). We just returned from a 5 week cruise (mostly in various Med countries) and did notice that some folks, on excursions, did tip while many others tipped nothing. If folks are "hung up" with their own "tipping guilt" than they get what they deserve, which is less money left in their pockets. We are now in an era where even automated vending machines are starting to have tip options :). Just 3 days ago, we were in a decent burger place (Innsbruck, Austria) where one ordered by computer terminal (like many fast food places in the USA) and,sure enough, on the final screen there was an option to tip (the machine) with the default being 5%. Few Europeans would tip a kiosk, but that tipping option certainly generates revenue from North American tourists. We wondered, at the time, whether any of that tipping money actually went to the workers! By the way, we could not help but notice the recent post about tipping in Puerto Vallarta (where we live 10 weeks a year). Many Mexicans, in the tourist industry, are underpaid and do depend on tips to make a living. When we are in that country, we are generous with the staff who give us good service and only tip them directly (with Pesos) so we are sure they get the money. If the Mexican is rude (unusual) or tries to rip us off (it happens too often) they will not get any tip! For instance, a taxi that quotes us the correct price (after 18 years in that country we know the correct prices) we will usually give him/her a generous tip. The driver that quotes the wrong price may get his price but will not get any tip (and end up with less than if he/she had been honest). We sometimes will play the "bargaining game" and get a price down to a proper price, and then give the vendor an extra "bonus." They do get the game and it usually results in smiles (and a new friend). Hank

We have been fortunate to have embarked on cruises from 5 continents it many different ports. Some have decent cruise terminal facilities, and other ports have little (sometimes just a tent). Cruise Terminals are expensive to build (and maintain) and somebody must pay the big bucks for that type of facility. In the very busy ports around the world, facilities have been improving. Other ports, lack the money or do not have the volume that would justify the cost. In some cases, the major cruise lines (primarily owned by CCL, RCI and MSC) will help finance cruise terminals. But again, this usually happens in ports where the volume does justify the cost. My question to the OP is "are you prepared to pay more for your cruise if it gets you a nicer terminal? The reality is that while we all appreciate nicer facilities, many are not willing to pay the extra money to subsidize the construction of new ports and facilities. I should mention that over the past thirty years, we have seen lots of improvements of port facilities around the world. Places like Tokyo, Barcelona, and Istanbul, have spent millions to improve their cruise terminals. Others like Civitavecchia have been slow to spend the money, but even that port now has one very nice terminal (unfortunately it is not nearly enough to handle their volume). Other ports, such as Venice, spent money to improve things only to later ban most cruise ships due to environmental concerns. Hank

There are already some lines (Oceania, Explora Journeys, Seabourn, MSC Yacht Club, etc) that include Internet (sometimes unlimited and other times with some restrictions) as part of their regular cruise fare. The reality about the so-called mass market lines is that most have adopted a business model which has basic fares with various add-ons/packages. Many find this kind of pricing beneficial since it lets them buy the options that best meet their own needs. Look at this through the eyes of the cruise line business model. Internet (mostly provided through Starlink) has certainly improved, but involves an extra expense for the cruise line. Like any Internet service, the more folks who use the Internet (at the same time) the more bandwidth must be provided by the cruise line. More bandwidth means more cost. Not everyone on a cruise, chooses to spend their time on the Internet while some folks are completely addicted to their devices and Internet connection. Asking the big-time users to pay more helps keep the cost down for other cruisers. I think the issue for the OP is that they are looking for luxury amenities at a mass market price and this is not going to happen until it is forced by competition. Hank

Plan "B" can simply be to grab a taxi (there are usually some available at the port) to the airport at your chosen time. When it comes to Sunday mornings/afternoons in Athens, our goto place is the huge Sunday flea market located in Monstiraki. If you wanted to do this, DIY, you could arrange, online, to hire a car/driver and pay to have that driver wait for you while you explore the expansive outdoor market area (this covers an entire neighborhood). As to Sounion, it is a pleasant drive (we have done it with rental cars) although, IMHO, there is not a lot to offer other than the decent views from Sounion. While the Temple of Poseidon is OK, it pales by comparison to the ruins that are within the city of Athens. Hank

Thanks for the review. Ever since the Covid restart, we noticed that SB had hired quite a few new staff (on our various cruises), some of whom had yet to adjust to the SB way of doing things. When asked about SB, we used to say that the staff/crew does not have the word "no" in their vocabulary. Unfortunately, for the OP, this did not seem to be the case with the server they first encountered in Solis. Tis a real shame and we sure hope that the management team quickly imposes some attitude changes where necessary. While we have seldom had any complaints on our SB cruises, if a server told DW that she could not order two starters (in place of a starter and main) I think the issue would quickly get elevated to the restaurant manager. That is just not acceptable on SB (or other lines). On SB we expect to hear, "no problem" or "we will do our best." I will add that we have also been cruising on other lines (in the past two years) including Explora Journeys, Oceania, HAL and Princess. Every line seems to be having some "issues" with new hires. One senior manager on O told us that, one result of the Covid shutdown, has been that too many experienced staff/crew moved on to other careers. We also found it interesting that the new Explora Journeys line (a higher end luxury product) hired about 80% of staff (for their first ship) that had never worked on any cruise line. It was explained that the new line sought very experienced staff from top hotels,restuarants, and resorts generally located in the middle east (often from Dubai). The reason was they wanted staff that understood how to deliver quality and thought that more important than previous cruise ship experience. To some degree they have suceeded, but there are also some rough edges that we think was due to the inexperience of staff working on ships. Hank

Thanks for the excellent review :). We will add Ritz to our personal "watch list" for some future bookings. That being said, a quick glance has given me the impression that SB can be a lot less expensive (sometimes only about half the price of Ritz) which we factor-in to our cruise decisions. It is less about being cheap but more our philosophy of looking for good value, be it a higher-end luxury line or mass market product. I am curious to see if Ritz starts offering some longer itineraries and promotions on voyages, once they add the new ship....oops, meant "yacht." Hank

We like to give complements when it is deserved. In our case, the GDR on the Vista ticked most of the boxes including excellent service from our wait team and the sommelier. Our norm was to go to dinner around 7:15 (to miss the initial rush) and always request our favorite waiter (Kadeck) who always treated us like VIPs. Not only was the service top notch, but Kadeck also guided us through the various menus with suggestions on what to order and what to ignore. While we also enjoyed most of our time in the alternative restaurants (3 times in each venue) our favorite place was the GDR. As to "slow," we normally prefer to dine and not rush. For the few evenings when we did want to speed it up (to get to a show) we would simply mention it to our waiter. On most evenings we would say "take your time" since we were generally not in a hurry. As an observation, when we shared a table with others, dinner always took somewhat longer, since the staff must adjust to the slowest diner at the table. Hank

Just off 5 weeks on the Vista, where we had an excellent Filipino band. Hank

A lot of O malarkey. Onboard we met some real long time O fans who lost several deposits because of cancelled bookings due to COVId. They still love O and view that as “it happens.” I prefer systems where refunds do not depend on the customers needing to be assertive. Like Os ridiculous air fee policy, this needs to be fixed. Small stuff, but still an issue for those of us who cruise many lines. Hank