Michael P

I apologize in advance for the length of this response, but there's a lot of information to share.

You're not going to have a lot of time in Kyoto, but you should definitely go. I would avoid the tours, as they're overpriced, and you'll have a lot more fun exploring on your own. Since time is precious I'd recommend going to Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. If you're interested in Kyoto, I'm pretty sure you're interested in seeing a temple. There are many temples in Kyoto, of course, but Kiyomizu captures the essence of old Japan, I think. In general, this is what I would do if I were you. If you're in Osaka you could take the Shinkansen to Kyoto Central eki, and then take a bus from there. That's fine, as it's the most obvious, but it's actually not the best way to go from Osaka. The Shinkansen is fast, but it's way overpriced for such a short trip. Also, You're going to have to deal with massive crowds at Kyoto Station, and the place where the buses depart from is a madhouse. Plus, the walk from where the bus lets you off is very far away, and a complicated walk unless you understand Japanese. Having been in and out of Kyoto Station dozens of times, I know its crowds well and will do anything to avoid it. Instead of taking JR into Kyoto Eki, take the Hankyu line from Umeda to Kawaramachi station in Kyoto. Umeda is the first stop, and Kawaramachi is the last stop, so no way to get confused. The trip takes about an hour. It is a bit of a walk from Kawaramachi eki to Kiyomizu, but it's interesting and a lot of fun. You'll get out of the station onto the main street. You'll walk by the Kabuki theater which is towards the end of that main street. At the end of the street there will be a large temple. You won't be able to miss it, as you'll see the temple entrance and the mob scene there. Keep going though, as YOUR destination is so much more interesting! At that temple you need to take a right. At that point the street you'll be on will start to get much smaller and start to gently go uphill. You'll start to pass many small and interesting omiyagi (gift) shops which you won't be able to resist checking out. I have gone this way many, many times, and I've never been able to do it without buying some interesting things to give as gifts to people back in the States. After a short while you'll see some structures that you'll recognize as being parts of a large temple. It really is a quite simple walk from the eki (train station). I've done this exact route many times when I''ve hosted visitors from the States, and it always worked out perfectly.

I don't know your arrival and departure times, but if you arrive early into Osaka, and leave Osaka late on the next day, personally I would probably spend the night in Kyoto at a ryokan (Japanese inn), and have a kaiseki dinner. If you do that you should select a ryokan that has an onsen, preferably an in-room one. If you did the overnight at a ryokan, that would be a fantastic experience for you, especially if it's your first time visiting Japan. I doubt that few, if any on your ship, will have an experience such as yours. If your times work out this should be your first option. If the times don't work out for that, then the one day trip as you suggested is your second best bet, and will still be great in its own right.

I can think of many options for you, but I believe that these basic ideas are enough for now to give you something to think about.

Hope this helps...

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That's fantastic that you'll be stopping in Osaka, Japan. I have no doubt that you'll enjoy it. Having lived in Japan for several years in the past, and having made countless NYC-Japan trips since then (wifey and I are actually in Japan right now for a few days), I would never say that Kobe is a "must see". I've spent a lot of time in Kobe (especially Sannomiya and Motomachi), and I can tell you there's no compelling reason to go there. There's nothing wrong with Kobe, as it's a nice little city, but it's just a typical small Asian city. It would be a waste to dedicate the one day that you have to it. You'd be better off doing the following:

1. Stay in Osaka, and explore that.

2. If you feel the need to travel a bit, then go to Kyoto. That would be worth it. I'm thinking you may have meant Kyoto rather than Kobe. That would be much better, and very much worth it. Hope this helps.

Michael

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We loved our honeymoon decorations so much that we took a few pieces home with us (like the heart shaped 'Happy Honeymoon' and 'Just Married pieces), and hung them on our Christmas tree as part of our celebrating our first holiday as husband and wife (we were married on 11-12-13). Hanging them on our Christmas tree will become a tradition, I'm sure, as we both truly cherish our honeymoon cruising experience!

Cheers,

Michael

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PSUtraveler

Since then I have completed scuba diving courses up to the advanced open water level.

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Congrats on getting certified!

It opens up a whole new world to you!

It's a great personal accomplishment going from having underwater anxiety issues, to being comfy enough in the water to become a diver.

Cheers,

Michael

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I signed up for "snuba" on my next cruise. I am looking forward to getting deeper than I can snorkeling.

 

p.S. Video will not play on my iPad Air

Great! Glad you signed up.

I'm a hardcore scuba diver, but I love anything that can allow non-divers an opportunity to see a little bit of the amazing underwater world (DW is still a non-diver ). I'm 100% sure you'll have a wonderful experience!

Cheers,

Michael

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It's back to that cashless society thing again. The fewer people that handle their money, the safer the company is.

You are so very correct about the company being protected. But it's more so a psychological edge. People are more apt to spend more when they're not handling actual cash. As so often happens, at the end of a cruise people are shocked at their bill. When you're paying cash as you go, you're able to keep better tabs on your spending. They will leave no stone unturned to separate you from your money, LOL.

Cheers,

Michael

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I can totally understand your indecisiveness about this issue. I went back and forth on this for quite a long time. I felt it was a rip off to give them 50 bucks just for them to do their jobs more efficiently. In the end I did it because it was part of our honeymoon and I wanted DW to experience that for her very first cruise, and I was so glad that I did! It was nice going directly to our room and having our luggage already there. It was great going to Guest Services, and not having to stand on the usual insanely long lines. Tender options could be valuable if you're trying to get to an excursion that's not booked through the cruise line. On the second leg of a B2B, I didn't do FTTF, and I can say, that I really missed it. Now...always!

Cheers,

Michael

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Just got off the Victory recently, and concur with the other posters. It's charged to your room. Cash might work, but charging to your account will always work (and be encouraged).

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Wow. That's a very serious issue, and it's a little disheartening that so little was done about it. I think two free drinks hardly addresses such a serious breach of security.

DW and I have recently gone on the Imagination, and had a great time, although we definitely will not sail on her again. It's a bit too small (and old) for us, and since it normally does shorter itineraries, there tends to be more out-of-control drunks onboard (drunken fighting, hallway parties at 4 AM, etc), which we don't like being around. We had just come off the Victory the day before, and was able to make a good A-B comparison. It can't compare to the Victory, although I will say the food on the Imagination was so much better than the food on the Victory. It was the exact same menu, but almost everything was tastier. The ship is worth it depending on how good a price one gets, and what they're looking for.

Cheers

Michael

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I would definitely recommend getting them to celebrate your special time. I surprised DW with the room decorations (plus the chocolate strawberries and macaroon treats), and she absolutely loved it. It makes for a really nice memory. I also surprised her with a "Happy Honeymoon" cake during our first night dinner, and she loved that also. For an added treat, you may want to consider a door decoration as well. I had a custom one made up prior to the trip, and DW was very touched. Everyone around us also loved it, I might add. We did a B2B, with the second cruise being a surprise. I didn't do the room decorations for that cruise, although I did order a cake. That was enough, and DW was still thrilled. I would really recommend it because it's these really small things that make such a big impression. I can almost guarantee that it will always bring a smile to your loved ones face when you guys reminisce about your special time. I know it does for us.

Cheers,

Michael

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The hairy chest 'contests' are not advertised as an 'adult only' activity, so how are you to know to remove your kids? :confused:

 

I've only watched one or two of these. That was enough for me. Lame. I also have never seen over the top behavior , but I have seen some suggestive moves.

 

I also don't doubt the previous poster about what they may have seen. When alcohol is involved you just never know what's going to happen.

 

These are FAMILY cruises and the 'entertainment' should be viewable by all, unless advertised differently.

 

There is a family comedy show, and an adult comedy show. We know this because we are told. ;)

I don't think this type of cruise organized activity is what the OP was referring to, but it's an interesting point, for sure. I think the hairy chest contest (hereafter HCC) is quite harmless and generally very much a 'G' rated event. Whether its lame or not is a personal interpretation and can apply to anything on a cruise (Game Show, bingo, etc.). Sometimes however, things are fun BECAUSE they are so lame/corny, and because we don't typically do them in our 'real life' back at home. Anyway, the HCC seems to me to be quite innocent fun. It's not like the contestants are Chippendale Dancers or something. Even 'suggestive moves' are not so intense. What about when the waiters are dancing in the MDR? Aren't their moves somewhat suggestive at times? Does one then just order room service to ensure the kid is not going to be exposed to anything? I do think that a parent should use common sense in that if they have any doubts at all about the HCC, then just don't bring their kids there. They shouldn't have to be handheld and told that by the cruise line. Easy enough, as there are many other things the kids can enjoy on the ship. But I have to add that if the parents are so concerned over the appropriateness of the HCC, they probably shouldn't even bring their kids on a cruise, as the kid will be subjected to seeing a lot worse behavior by means of drunken party cruisers. Additionally, their kids are exposed to a LOT worse at a typical day at school with their classmates at home than at a HCC. A parent may choose to be in denial of this, but the things that comes out of little Johnny's mouth when he's hanging with his school chums is far worse than any lame 'suggestive move' at a HCC.

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DW and I are very easy going, and realize that there are a lot of people that just don't know proper manners. But, one of the few things that I find really annoying are drunks having parties in their rooms at all hours of the night and disturbing everyone's sleep (or drunks getting out of control in public places . So very inconsiderate, in my opinion. Another thing is seeing grown folks physically fighting. On one recent cruise we had not even left port and had already seen a pretty nasty fight between two guys. I really dislike seeing low-life ghetto behavior on cruises, and hate to have DW exposed to those types of people. Generally, I don't get too concerned about other 'stupid' things like a lack of buffet or Lido Deck etiquette, because we all know that some people just don't have any class.

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Even though DW and I love cruising, we do a lot more regular traveling. No military or in the travel industry, we're just passionate about experiencing other cultures. Also, as a hardcore scuba diver, we often travel to paradise like places for diving, like Micronesia, Malaysia, Fiji, or the Philippines. I have been to well over 100 countries, and consider traveling the best education in life. In terms of specifics, we spend a lot of time in Bali, Thailand (Phuket and Khao Lak), and OZ (love Sydney, and of course the Great Barrier Reef). Cambodia (Angkor Wat), is a favorite (amazing), along with India, HK, Japan, Morocco, and Singapore. DW particularly loves Jamaica for the great food and people, France, and the Cayman Islands. Seeing major historical sites is another reason that we travel, and having had a chance to walk the Great Wall several times, see the pyramids in Egypt, and the Terra-cotta Warriors really made an impression on me. We also travel for specific events, like concerts, or sporting events, like during March Madness (especially if my alma mater, Syracuse is making a deep run). We also love the theater, and when we're not seeing Broadway shows here at home in NYC, we're in the West End in London. I would say however, that our three top travel experiences have been safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, going to the Beijing Olympics, and going to the London Games.

We definitely do love cruising, though. Compared to land travel, It's so multifaceted, and so very addicting (it's also a heck of a lot easier than trekking through Nepal, for example). We love the service, and it makes me very happy to see my DW being pampered. We love just having the carefree cruise life, from having smoothies on the balcony watching the water go by, to doing the Wobble on the Lido Deck at 2 AM. Cruises are just so much fun! But even with that being said, it's only one facet of our traveling experiences.

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A few months ago DW and I did B2B cruises as the first part of a five week global honeymoon. On the first cruise I surprised her with a cute "just married" doorhanger, and she loved it. Since I had ordered decorations for the stateroom as a surprise, I figured that the door decoration would complement that. In general though, I feel that door decorations such as pictures, magnets, "funny sayings", etc., are pretty tacky, although I have no problem with it, and certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it (live and let live). I don't mind seeing them, I just wouldn't do it myself (aside from that honeymoon situation). As a few have pointed out though, there are some great exceptions, like New Year's Eve, or Halloween. I especially feel that Halloween door decorations would be so much fun.

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Obama just dinned at one of the restaurants in Tokyo that I had recommended to the OP, (Sukiyabashi Jiro).

It's one of my favorites, and I've never been disappointed.

Good choice Prez!

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To be honest, I dont think cruising is the way to visit most areas and regions. You need to be at a place more then 5 or 6 hours to say you were really there. You are far better off visiting places and staying for a few days then just a port stop from a ship. Nothing wrong with cruising, but you really cant say you really love an area or island when you only spent a few hours there, as you have not really experienced the area

Exactly. It's only a very quick introduction. Gives one motivation to return to specific places that they really enjoyed, though.

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I join Roll Calls because I love the feeling of being connected to people. I enjoy the friendly banter between fellow cruise mates, while also learning a few new things here and there about the cruise world. A Roll Call that is very active is exciting, while one where people don't post, isn't much fun.

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First off congrats! You've gotten some good advice on how to handle the situation, but it seems to me that you're handling it properly. You're already considering the source, which for the most part is pretty clueless about cruising. I wouldn't even bother to debate the issue with them because a lot of those people barely travel out of their backyard, let alone globally. Don't waste your time and energy trying to break things down for those people. You're getting yourself all annoyed over a bunch of uninformed people when you need to be focusing on your wedding and enjoying your engagement period.

We just came back from a five-week global honeymoon, where the first two parts were cruises. The first, DW knew about, with the second cruise being a surprise (B2B). We had the best time ever! Just rejoice in your engagement, and don't worry about it. You're really going to love your cruise.

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Grand Turk, and Turks and Caicos in general has excellent diving. In the 2013 Scuba Diving Top 100 Readers Choice Awards for the Caribbean and Atlantic region, T & C did very well.

Best Marine Environment

1. Turks and Caicos

2. Bonnaire

3. Cayman Islands

Best Macro Diving

1. Bonnaire

2. United States Virgin Islands

3. Cayman Islands

4. Turks & Caicos

Best Shore Diving

1. Bonaire

2. Curaçao

3. United States Virgin Islands

4. Cayman Islands

5. Turks & Caicos

Best Big Animals

1. Bahamas

2 Turks & Caicos

3. Belize

Best Advanced Diving

1. Tie – Bonaire and Cayman

2. Bahamas

3. Mexico

4. Turks & Caicos

Best Wall Diving

1. Cayman Islands

2. Turks & Caicos

3. United States Virgin Islands

There's a lot more, but those are the highlights.

Source:

http://www.scubadiving.com/photos/top–

100–readers–choice–awards–caribbean–atlantic

Even though I'm a passionate diver, I've never been to Grand Turk, but would do it in a heartbeat if I can ever get there. Just go, and I'm sure you'll love it!

Michael

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With a bad back and a bad knee, I wouldn't attempt the full climb. The worst part is that you hold hands and climb the falls as a human line. It makes it very difficult to maintain your balance or break a fall if you slip. My wife and I did it a few years ago and we are relatively healthy and agile, but we both ended up with some bruises. Probably didn't help that we were first in the line.

Climbing up as part of a "chain gang" is, without a doubt, the worst way to do the Falls. Being hassled for tips by so called 'guides', video guys, who aren't actually taking videos, and being told to yell "ya mon" every few feet really detracts from the experience. It's easier, safer, and more enjoyable, to just go on your own, or with another couple.

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If I opt to use the walkway/stairs, can I get in and out of the water at my leisure? Or is that frowned upon, or would I be in others way?

You can absolutely get in and out as you see fit. If there is a group going by at that exact moment, just wait until they pass.

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Good call. Why risk it? That is especially the case if you're going to have so much more of your holiday ahead of you. DW and I just recently climbed the falls, and I was secretly concerned because I have a host of sports related injuries to my knees and back. Even though we're both quite young, and I'm in the gym pounding away every day, I was really worried. The climb ended up not being very difficult at all, and even my ultra feminine wife climbed up like some kind of crazy mountain goat. But still, why stress about it? You can just go and walk on the side and enjoy the beautiful scenery. That's good enough.

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:grin: Don't ever get a place in Cayman, then. You'll experience the same thing from the phone guy, the cable guy, the property manager, the yard company, etc. We've gotten to the point that we're amazed if someone shows up to do work at the time they say they're going to...usually if it's the same day, it's all good. Service is great once they get there, though. We're never disappointed with the actual work, it's just the timing that takes some getting used to...

Oh Bookbabe, you are so very right, and I couldn't agree with you more. DW and I have a place in Bali (in Tejakula, 3 hours away from the crowds), and recently acquired a place in Jamaica (close to my family's property in Green Island), so I can relate to what you've stated. The situation here, in the presented fact pattern, is quite different though, in that we're talking about a business entity which is primarily focused on tourism. It's actually a fast paced mindset wrapped within a laid-back persona. Entities like the phone or cable company cater to the local population that's not going anywhere, so it is much more likely that they will operate on "island time". But, maybe that's not even written in stone. Heck, even here in NYC, you could possibly end up waiting half the day for the cable guy to arrive. Sometimes it can be quite the crapshoot. In any event, I would have expected her to have responded in a more timely fashion, and at the end of the day, I was glad we didn't go with her.

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I had the same issue with Nicki the last time we were there. I get that it's a small business, Caribbean "laid-back" time, etc., but in the end she ended up losing our business because of the exact same feeling that you were experiencing. When she did finally respond, (several days later), it was so impersonal and so nonchalant, that it reinforced the idea that we had made the right decision going with someone else.

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Personally, if I were going to be spending a couple of thousand bucks on a ring or necklace or something for DW, I would never, ever buy while at a cruise port in the Caribbean, (especially when we live about a 15 minute walk away from the Diamond District here in NYC). But regardless of where you are in the States, you could do much, much better at home, with more options and higher quality. As far as the sentimentality factor goes, ehh, that's a personal call, but anything can serve as a nice momento. If you buy, you know the saying, just beware.

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