Fairgarth

We found that not every bank in Italy would produce cash from an ATM using our card. Ironically, one of the best which always worked was Deutsche Bank.

We have not been to Bari but always wondered if it was worth a visit. Now we know. Thank you!

Well, yes, but....the excursion you want is fully booked. OK then, we'll take our second or third choice. Or maybe take your first choice since you really want to see it but pay a local guide. Everybody gets to eat in the speciality restaurants at least once. But again....some passengers (frequent fliers?) can eat there every night so the rest of us peasants could only get 8:30 on Wednesday night. No thanks. Never did make it. Overall, however, I rate Regent in a different league from Celebrity.

We did LA to Ft. Lauderdale. The canal is the highlight of the trip. Obviously! It was a long, boring haul southbound from LA till you get to the canal. For us, that was the right direction. I would not want the excitement early on and then spend days and days anxious to get home.

Same with entertainers. They can join in the middle of a cruise, spend a couple of nights and then they're gone.

I don't get it. Ships offload people all the time, at any port, for medical reasons. Is that considered some kind of exception that does not apply to the rest of us peasants?

No, sorry, QM2 is not for you. I'm don't want to pour cold water on your trip but am trying to be realistic. Others may disagree and are free to chip in. I can't imagine an 18 month old on QM2. They don't belong in the dining room, for instance. How are the parents going to enjoy the many activities that QM2 offers? Afternoon tea, planetarium, top class lectures, ballroom dancing, evening shows, library, art classes, passenger choir etc etc. The ship will get you there but I don't see how you can enjoy the Cunard experience. Just one person's opinion. You did ask.

Padova - 20 minute train ride from Santa Lucia. We rented an apartment in the historic centre for four weeks and loved it. Do your own research for things that interest you.

Thank you for all the interesting and informative comments. So buffet is off the hook. We did enjoy many of the shows in the packed theatre and spent to much time in the Wheehouse Bar. Yesterday, Day 7, enough is enough and we went to emergency. Chest X-rays and blood work were normal so we have flu or RSV. We had flu shots in the fall but RSV is a new one on me. And the treatment? Nothing. Just time. Today is Day 8 and we are both miserable, sick puppies.

Last Thursday we were in Aruba. We went up to the buffet for a quick bite of lunch, first time up there. Friday, sea day, I was coughing all day. Sturday, sea day, we were both pretty miserable and stayed in bed, coughing and shivering, no appetite. Sunday we had to get off and fly home. That was a miserable 6 hour flight. So now we are at day six with no end in sight. It's not Noro, it's not Covid so what is it? How long does it last? Did anybody else get it? It's the first time is 23 cruises that we have come home with an 'unwanted' souvenir.

So we booked a ship's tour. We were in Fuerte Amador and they offered a train ride across to Colon, bus back and a one hour stop at Agua Clara visitor centre. I thought this could be a great way to see it all: canal, ships, locks. The train is air conditioned, comfortable seats and snacks included, drinks for sale. We like a train ride. And that's what you get. So how about taking in the canal sights? Nope. Trees. Both sides. Mile after mile. Ah well, maybe the bus back will be better. Nope. Trees. Both sides. Mile after mile. We had maybe 100 yards where you could actually see a ship. We got lucky at Agua Clara and saw a large ship entering the new lock. So if you like a bus ride and a train ride, go for it. If you are interested in the canal, forget it.

I wondered if a gust blew the aircraft sideways and down and the right gear went off the tarmac and collapsed. Hard to tell.

A retired flight attendant friend remarked that their training will now have to be updated. To include the procedure for evacuating an inverted aircraft. Who saw that coming?

I never knew that. Thank you!

Thank you so much for this fascinating cruise report. Antarctica has been on my bucket list for quite some time but I had been giving up hope. Having read through this, I really must make the effort, it would be unforgettable. I was born and raised in Dundee which used to have a strong connection with Antarctica. Capt. Scott's ship, RRS Discovery was built in Dundee. It is now moored in Dundee and open to the public. I have visited it along with the museum on shore. I came away with the impression that he was an upper class twit out of his depth. Now Shackleton however - what a man! Yes, he lost his ship but he did not lose any men, not one. The book I like is "The Endurance" by Caroline Alexander. Shackleton and five men rowed in a 23' open lifeboat across 800 miles of open seas from Elephant Island to South Georgia. The lifeboat was named "James Caird". Shackleton was having difficulty financing his expedition and a Dundee jute baron called James Caird helped him out. Today the James Caird lifeboat is in Dulwich College in London and is open to the public.