Shorex

I am booked on this one in 2020 :) Can't wait!!

Just a few tips:

Book a tour in advance with hanoikids.org

Take a stack of US $1's. Great for tuk-tuk rides, tips, etc.

In Hanoi, eat at the Green Tangerine

In Saigon, take a Back of the Bike tour. They will provide a private car for a token amount if riding on the back of a bike isn't your thing :)

Don't just eat at the hotel in Siem Reap. They have fantastic restaurants. Try the Nest downtown. Best duck ever. Also in Siem Reap go the Phare, the Cambodian circus. Nothing like the precision of the Shanghai circus, but lots more heart.

Have a cocktail and a burger at the rooftop bar of the Rex Hotel in Saigon. If you're old enough, you'll know the significance.

In Siem Reap, see

So much more you will never experience on a typical ocean cruise port stop. Now I want to go back! (Again!)

Best way to see both Vietnam and Cambodia is to take a river cruise on the Mekong with a land portion in both Vietnam and Cambodia. We did this with AMAWaterways and the overall itinerary was similar to:

7-NIGHT CRUISE WITH 2 NIGHTS HO CHI MINH CITY PRE-CRUISE AND 2 NIGHTS SIEM REAP, 2 NIGHTS HANOI, 1 NIGHT HA LONG BAY, 1 NIGHT HANOI POST-CRUISE

The Mekong cruise itinerary is here. With about 80 cruises/land trips in the past twenty years or so, this one ranks in the top three experiences. Several years prior we had stopped in Ho Chi Minh City and Halong Bay on an ocean vessel, and wanted more. This was much, much more.

Absolutely depends upon where you are. We have stayed in very nice hotels with large, elegant marble bathrooms. However, out in the country you may encounter a hole in the concrete where you place your feet and "arrange" yourself. Provide your own tp. Bathrooms in airports and some other places will typically have two or three "western" stalls. Experiencing the culture as it is, is the reason you go to China, right?

I will be on the cruise for first time ever to Asia. I understand that the cruise line will keep the passport for the length of the cruise. Most likely.

 

Now this may sound like a very silly question but has anyone come across a case where the cruise has misplaced or lost a passenger's passport? Never heard of that with over 80 cruises world wide, never heard of that reported on cruise critic.

 

Do they take the passport out to to the port for immigration purposes. Not that I believe, immigration officials come aboard the ship.

 

Do they have proper safe and filing systems to make sure its virtually impossible to lose it? Absolutely, the cruise ship immigration officer would likely lose her job if one got lost.

 

The reason I am paranoid is I am starting a new job right after and I cant afford to waste a week getting a replacement passport. I understand I am being unreasonably pessimistic but I absolutely have to be back on that flight and the thought of handing over my passport for a week is bothering me. Don't fret. I don't know if you would be permitted to board the ship without surrendering your passport. If they did allow you to keep it in your possession, you would be presenting yourself to port immigration officials around, oh, call it 3 am or so. For every port.

Relax and enjoy the cruise.

There is a thread active now on the Crystal board about Mama Lee, who lives on the Crystal Serenity. That thread links to a Forbes article about her. Rest assured she is not lonely or without friendships. She is doing what she loves, dancing every day.

Of course this lifestyle suits very few. It's a choice made by those with substantial means. They could choose to live in a condo in Florida, a ranch in Wyoming, a farm in Kentucky, a hacienda in Arizona, etc. etc. etc. but they prefer to live on a cruise ship. If they didn't love it, they wouldn't do it.

Several years ago I researched the Zambezi Queen for a segment of a possible safari. It really isn't a cruise ship, it's a house boat. It barely moves a few miles during a stay. Guests board smaller boats to get even closer to elephants and other wildlife. No ports, no river traffic, no towns. Instead of a typical "shore excursion" you can go on a game drive.

There are three Chobe Princess house boats that can be chartered for your own party. Or you stay in a lodge on an island on the Chobe River as a base camp for your safaris. All owned and operated by the same company. The closest airport is Kasane in Botswana. Imagine all the whinging on the cruise air board about connections and air fares.

All of the criteria and measurements that apply to ocean going vessels, or European-type river boats are irrelevant to this African experience. The target market for the Queen is not price sensitive, they are looking for a quality African safari adventure, not for a low level of per diem expense.

I've understood the concepts and execution of fare bucket stratagems for years. It's the creation and application of the underlying algorithms that are not available to the public. Infrequent flyers continue to look for "tricks" when there are no "tricks."

You should clear your cookie cache before looking again, this way it doesn’t show what you were looking at. This is what we have learned from some IT gurus.

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This is an example of a fallacy of presumption. The conclusion (clear cookies) presumes a problem (airlines manipulate pricing according to individual online searches) that does not exist. I know of no one who understands the pricing algorithms developed by airlines to maximize revenue. Those who do understand the intricacies do not reveal them. IT "gurus" are not "gurus" about the economics of airline pricing strategies.

What if every time I checked the price of a stock it went up? Well, clear my cookies and that won't happen anymore. There's as much logic there as in the airline pricing fallacy. In other words, none.

I always print out the terms and conditions of the actual policy and take it along. That way, prior to calling the hot line, I have a pretty good idea of exactly what is covered (and to what extent) and what is not.

For a pre-cruise stay in Abu Dhabi, we found it, finally, at gas stations. Not at pharmacies, not at grocery stores, not at convenience stores. So the factoid is: around the world, if all else fails, check where auto batteries are serviced.

Obviously, this drastic action is situation specific, depending on the totality of facts and circumstances. A decision would be made involving the captain, security, and corporate. Others in the party may be compelled to leave or not.

I can imagine this conversation, "Sorry you're getting tossed off the ship, honey, but I'll be finishing the cruise. See you at home."

You can book the Zambezi Queen from other vendors - it is not a ship owned/operated by Amawaterways. It is owned by the Mantis Group that has hotels and eco-lodges around the world. Amawaterways merely includes four days on the Queen as part of a larger luxury Africa tour.

I see Amawaterways pricing of $9k pp for a tour of 3 nights in Capetown, 4 nights on the Queen, and 2 nights in Victoria Falls. Yes, that's pricey, but no where near $3k pp per night. If you want a luxury tour, you pay luxury prices. If you want a budget tour of Africa, you get budget accommodations.

No tour operator needs to justify their pricing, either take it or leave it.

I can understand adults taking a chance on Allegiant Air - eyes wide open, willing to take the chance for convenience and price. However, I do not understand any adult who would put their children at risk of death for convenience and price. That, IMO, is reprehensible. Before anyone jumps in to say "but major airlines have had accidents too!", so what, when the risk is known to be higher, perhaps substantially higher, I wouldn't even risk a pet on Allegiant, much less a child.

More insults at those of us who prefer to keep our passports in our safes. Calling us "frightened little people" who "are horrified" because they "are followers" and are "incompetent" is very immature and childish behavior. Why do you need to insult others to support your point of view? Are you that insecure?

Actually, the same person doubled down on childish insults. Meanwhile, those of us who secure passports in the safe will continue to do so. SanteFeFan, have you been around long enough to remember the poster Greatam? She had posted links to some state department resources that provided analytical and rational recommendations to not carry passports on your person unless absolutely required by law. Her wisdom is greatly missed.

Yes. However, a visit to Machu Picchu is not a "day" tour. It is a multi-day add-on to a cruise. For example, here is the schedule for a pre-cruise Princess tour to Machu Picchu. Other lines may "embed" the multi-day tour into a cruise, thus giving up three or so days of the cruise for the tour. Ask your travel agent for information on cruise lines who provide this service, there are many possibilities.

IMO, no cruise itinerary is a "must-do" for everyone. We all have preferences and priorities. You understand what some people enjoy about the Caribbean, and those factors either strike a chord in you or they don't.

Occasionally in the past, when I had time and airline status, I would deliberately book a Sunday after Thanksgiving flight. Armed with a subscription to Expert Flyer, I knew the possibilities for a bump (or a series of bumps) to accumulate a pile of Delta dollars. Those days are long gone, and now I would never book on that day. It's total chaos.

My answer is, actually, somewhat more than we think we'll need. Beyond that, it's private.

If the cruise line won't let the OP book these two consecutive cruises, then the OP will not be on these two cruises. All the opinions concerning the nuances of PVSA are irrelevant as to the specific situation. True, the cruise line will not forcibly forbid anyone from leaving. However, in this specific case, the cruise will not sell the second cruise, so the OP will not be boarding the second cruise if he is booked on the first. So, OP, without the permission of the cruise line, you must look for other cruise options.

Remember the online travel website would function as your TA, with all the responsibilities and abilities of a brick and mortar shop or a big box store selling cruises. Personal service can vary widely between all the iterations of "TA", but most of the time the bookings go smoothly.

Personally, I would go with the agent for the benefits. Think of it this way, even the cruise line told you to go with the agent.

If the price drops, the agent will (most likely) match the price drop.* However, in that case, expect to lose some or all of the benefits. You can't have everything**. Don't stress, you have a found a fair and reasonable offer. Enjoy.

* Ask that question to the TA. And ask about a corresponding drop in benefits. More information is always good.

** Think Marie Antoinette

Occasionally I have experienced these symptoms and it is irrelevant to me whether or not they qualify "officially" to be labeled MdDS. Fortunately my symptoms have always dissipated within a week or so and are no impediment to future cruising.

I do understand that the condition for some may be severe enough to forgo cruising completely. And that is sad.

For those who have the means, it's a personal lifestyle decision. It wouldn't be mine. But as Keith mentioned, it's a great lifestyle for those who choose it.

If I wanted to book a cruise leaving tomorrow, I'd be on the phone asap with the cruise line. By the time you get replies here, it could be too late.

Can someone please tell me if I need a passport to travel.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. (If some random poster answers "no", do not rely on that answer.) Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Experienced travelers on this board do have your best interest at heart. Do not play Russian Roulette with this cruise.

If, for any reason, you choose to try to board the ship without a passport and fail, do not come back here for sympathy. However, if you try to board the ship without a passport and succeed, you have full rights to come back and say, "nah, nah, nah."