TouchstoneFeste

Balboa, I think. He was viewing it from onshore and obviously on a calm day :)

My understanding is that they use local "agents" rather than having company-owned facilities and employees, so it's not surprising that it's not possible for all locations to accommodate early pick up. We asked a neighbor to act as our pickup point to accomplish this.

On the Roll Call for this trip, @frankp01 (who has done 6 Christmas crossings), made this obvservation: "We were on one December crossing where the winds were so bad the promenade deck remained closed the entire voyage. We were also on one December trip where it was so calm, and relatively warm, that we actually went for a swim in the outdoor pool. On most of our December crossings the decks have been open at least a few days, if not all." This was specifically about usability of the promenade deck, but perhaps he'll chime in on the more general topic.

Not all that recent, but at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in May 2022 we transferred our luggage directly from the taxi to the porters/dock workers (as I recall, the taxi driver and porters did this, but I helped). Only thing we carried from there on - by choice - was our carry-on hand luggage.

At my age, early sinning is the only kind I can manage.

Not sure what you mean by "a more authentic experience" (this summer's Macbeth appears not to be a period recreation), but our best information is that Elizabethan outdoor performances were in the afternoon. That said, my wife and I took in an evening performance there a few years back, and the experience was still wonderful; the house was pretty full, too.

Thanks! I feel better ...

I finally left mine as a tip in a restaurant, but it was only 10 pounds, Just transferring the problem to someone else, but at least it was someone with a local bank.

Would that include a ship tour? Or would that still have to booked at the excursions desk?

As Victoria2 suggests, you should have ordered the turf and turf.

Legos?

Sure ... I'm just saying a lot of people in the US might miss the distinction. Not that it's right, just an explanation of what might be going on.

We have another one of those "separated by a common language" problems, I bet. To many in the US, where we don't have the same deep tradition in "masquerade", the term is equivalent to "costume party" (that is, "fancy dress" to those in the British Isles, I think?).

We'll be disembarking from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on a Friday morning, needing to get to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. What are your experiences getting a taxi there? The only other time we were at BCT (embarking) there was a huge line waiting for taxis, but the day was complicated by a bike race which made it difficult for taxis to make it to the terminal. Is the line normally very long? Should we consider a car service instead? (Not looking for adventures on the ferry here; too much luggage.)

It's not mandatory :) More widely observed among the folks who visit the Queens Room in the evening for dancing, or for the even more exhausting occupation of dance-watching.

This is quite a good point - if you think you'll never get another shot at Florence, just walking around is amazing (the city itself is a museum). As is true throughout the tourist world, the food nearest the major attractions is iffy, but walk a few blocks away and you could find some treasures.

My wife and I have spent a total of about 2 weeks in Florence over 3 trips, and we feel like we've just scratched the surface. I agree with @LibertyBella that trying to do both there and Pisa (in one day?) isn't a good idea. It would just be frustrating :) Even if you get skip-the-line tickets, there will still be lines for the major Florence attractions - just shorter ones. (Plus, if you're renting a car, driving in Florence would also be ... let's go with "frustrating".) I'd recommend a leisurely day in Pisa, maybe with some additional stops along the way. Sounds like a wonderful trip, though. Enjoy it!

In the US I think it would be referred to as a "formal shirt" - that is, to be worn with formalwear - or a "tuxedo shirt". Even those definitions can get muddy, however: https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/tuxedo-black-tie-guide/classic/tuxedo-shirts/

Would there be an option for "fully read, didn't understand"?

Exactly how I interpreted your original remark.

I think this may need to be parsed out a bit (and perhaps allowances made for cultural differences as well). It goes without saying that favorable comments on surveys, etc., would be welcome. Coming from the US, I find it very much normal to tip a lounge pianist - in fact, many have a tip jar handy. On the other hand, I wasn't surprised when Billy Joel acted all huffy when I sent him a tenner after that concert. I think the approach that @PORT ROYAL took, trying to buy the performers a drink, might have been more appropriate (well, not for Billy; I believe he abstains now). So maybe there's a distinction to be made between "headliners" and "background music"?

I don't know if this is possible. My alternative was to buy a travel cup from the gift shop and make a quick visit (or two ... or three) to the King's Court each morning. Nice travel cup, by the way; still use it. Had it packed (with socks) for our April 30th departure :( Still sitting on a pier in Brooklyn as far as I know, but I'm assured I'll get it back soon.

I received an email a week ago from our Cunard rep with an "en-route emergency number". Granted, this was in case *I* encountered an emergency like a delayed flight. Is this not normally provided? And did Viking's indicate it was to be used in case of *their* emergency?

Doubly sad for you, to add the family crisis to the loss of money you must have incurred. Hope you at least had insurance to cover that.

True, although I didn't really have a backup plan for this! If our crossing is cancelled, at least we ought to have enough time to grab a flight. (On Coronation day.)