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pavementends

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Everything posted by pavementends

  1. > SALT Bar cocktail class sign ups were also occuring. I could totally get behind a cocktail class. In addition to the SALT classes, on my cruise they did a cooking demonstration in the theatre. No audience participation but we did get to taste. It was a chicken curry I've made a few times at home.
  2. We found it worthwhile and will probably do it once or twice on an upcoming cruise. If you are a highly sophisticated amateur and feeling quite superior you will probably want to give it a miss. It was worthwhile to me to use one or two less familiar techniques. Also I had a chance to try an induction burner and now consider that they would be OK in a kitchen.
  3. At least on my trip the demo was at the shopping area near the cruise port, so it would be easy to skip if you want to. It's actually not bad, not too long, seating comfy enough, interesting to see. But I advise deciding in advance if you are set against buying a rug. For me it was easy enough because (1) I already have rugs and (2) It is risky trying to guess what will work with your room. > They can't make you walk through the door. Can't stop you from walking out either.
  4. I once got a delay of a couple of months with respect to the originally proposed date. I think it ended up being less than 12 months but not by a lot.
  5. pavementends

    Laundry

    Laundry is a benefit (if you are elite enough) or a charge (for plebians like me). I use the free self-service laundry, no butler involvement.
  6. Undoubtedly this happens sometimes because of emergencies, illness, and accidents. OP needs to contact Silversea. Be aware that just because you have been allowed on shore that doesn't mean that you have been officially admitted to the country. There is a possibility of problems upon trying to leave at the airport. So just, umm, not returning to the ship would be a bad idea.
  7. OK about the frescoes There are 25 per group. Each group watches a movie while the previous group is in the chapel. Visits are for 15 minutes. From the web "Scrovegni Chapel visits last 15 minutes. Automatic access doors open only once upon entrance and exit, to enable the stabilisation of the interior microclimate. Groups should arrive at the ticket office 30 minutes prior to visit. Those who have booked for 9.00 should come at 8.45 (not earlier)." It is unquestionably worth a visit but at high-demand times my guess is that it can be sold out. Venice to Ravenna is apparently 2.5 hours by train. If I got to that area I would want to see the mosaics in Ravenna so I would plan a night or two in Ravenna. I want to arrive in the general area a day or two before a cruise anyway.
  8. Those taking high single supplements as an affront are missing the point. A high single supplement means that almost all of the cabins can be booked as doubles. It is a sign that, considering itinerary, cuisine, ship quality, price, etc. etc. there are plenty of people happy to book the cruise. On the other hand, attractive single supplements* are a sign that the cruise is comparatively unattractive. It's not that a line doesn't "want" singles; it "wants" to get the full amount of revenue for the cabins if possible. *Unless, that is, a ship actually has cabins suitable only for singles.
  9. The Giotto frescoes are not so easy to see, with highly limited group sizes and timing. But probably you know that. I was lucky. If I were in that area again I would want to go to Ravenna. Not expecting it however.
  10. Call Seabourn. They may be able to give you a stateroom choice even if not on the web. (In my case there was originally a choice and it disappeared). By the way, it seems typical for any cruise line to offer only a few options for choice on the web. This way they don't give hints about how many cabins are actually left. Yes, sometimes the luxury cruise lines can be better priced than Viking. Viking does have a LOT of cruises to choose from and a user base that apparently doesn't look anywhere else.
  11. Viking has included tours although those tours in my experience are oriented toward less-mobile passengers. (I was on a Viking Greece/ Mediterranean cruise. There were stern warnings in the cruise preview about steps and walking). Any tours that use a bus are going to be roughly the same size. I haven't been on Seabourn (yet) but I would expect the food to be better than Viking. Seabourn does not include tours. Seabourn does include gratuities and drinks.
  12. Be aware that Bangkok traffic is truly next-level. Expect a substantial amount of time on the bus even if running to schedule. I haven't taken a cruise ship excursion in Bangkok but I have taken an excursion from a hotel. On return I abandoned the tour bus a few blocks from the hotel and walked.
  13. Explora aims at a luxury market and has the ambition to outdo other luxury lines like Silversea and Seabourn. And at the moment there is very good availability and prices that overlap Viking. In my mind it's a no-brainer to go with Explora if the itinerary works for you. Although right now the itineraries are quite limited. I was looking hard at an Explora trip but found a very well-priced Seabourn trip with a better itinerary. I don't expect to be back on Viking as I was somewhat disappointed with the food.
  14. It would be pretty impressive (and fast footwork) to get a hotel open in that time frame. Maybe what is planned is renovation of the existing building? I can see the advantage of having your customers waiting the weather in a luxury hotel, so presumably less unhappy. (Those considering the air bridge option should be aware of two costs: the additional cost of air transport and the possible loss of time in Antarctica due to weather delays). Personally I found the Drake crossing not that bad, but then I wasn't killed by a rogue wave.
  15. While not the same trip, I had no trouble getting almost all the excursions I wanted and I never did it more than 6 months ahead. (Because I never bought a cruise more than 6 months ahead). OP might be too early not too late. Now there WILL be changes (both additions, subtractions, and time changes). But I wouldn't worry yet.
  16. My plan is to spend time in Portugal both before and after the cruise. And Lisbon has excellent flights to the US. I was thinking that a nonstop flight, all other things being equal, is less subject to issues than a flight with a connection. And I am after all getting in a day early.
  17. (Posting here because more than one cruise leaves from Las Palmas.) I am on a cruise this spring leaving from Las Palmas. Any experience with the reliability of flights from Lisbon to Las Palmas? The problem is that the nonstop runs every other day. Right now I am arriving one day early on the nonstop. Is that safe enough? (There are plenty of one-stops that take twice the time and connect in in Madrid.)
  18. I would like to encourage all who are unhappy to try a new cruise line they have never used before. Then that experience can be judged by what it is as opposed to comparing it to what it was before.
  19. Yes I received a refund of Viking air. I'm not sure how much in advance you need to cancel but all you need to do is call. It would be a tragedy to fly down to South America and not spend some time in those cities.
  20. "LA is a great big freeway (put a hundred down and buy a car)" I go to LA rarely. Because the traffic is terrible OP should try to choose one or two things to do and plan around that with the objective of minimizing driving. If I go there again- I would go to the Getty Museum. Haven't been there yet. From Long Beach- there are whale watching day trips.
  21. On a different Viking Ocean cruise I had the same experience. There should be some degree of consistency in portion size- a main course should be main-course sized. Overall- for me Manfredi's was fine but the Restaurant was more disappointing than not. I realized afterwards that carefully-chosen items at the World Cafe might overall be better...but with a less enjoyable dining environment.
  22. (Coming from the US) I don't have a problem with either the automatically added (Viking) or included (some luxury lines) gratuity. It doesn't take long to realize that on many lines this is part of the cost, and as long as I know it's part of the cost, I can mentally add it when making my purchase decisions. I do have an issue with those implying that this is not "enough" and that I should be tipping more. As I have noted elsewhere, if I need to expend mental effort figuring out exactly who and how much I need to tip...it makes it less of a vacation. So if you persuade me that I am oppressing the masses then I will take my vacation dollars elsewhere.
  23. When I made my complaint on board, they were at great pains to explain that this restaurant was not meant to be "Japanese". And I tried to explain that that was not my complaint. I am OK with using the name Kaiseki for some sort of Asian-influenced restaurant. My complaint was that even allowing for a flexibility of concept it was not "good enough" especially for an upcharge. A few further comments. Yes, I have been to some very nice (and pricey) restaurants in Japan. I have been very happy with the food in all the other restaurants on board. And it appears (given comments above) that some ships have a teppan and a somewhat different dinner than the one that I had, so that my criticism of Kaiseki did not apply across the fleet.
  24. I walked from the train station pulling my carryon. Not very far but a bit tricky to find the way to the port. Google maps helps. I thought I would kill time getting lunch at the hotel nearby but they started boarding early. I was able to walk on, no waiting at all, and was on board for lunch. Salisbury is a good overnight the night before the cruise. Caterbury is also OK but requires a train connection.
  25. In Hanoi I was given instruction at the hotel about how to cross the street. Yes, in the cities the traffic is totally insane. It seems to mostly work out as I did not see any injuries while I was there. Only you can decide. Personally I consider walking in the city exciting enough- the sidewalks are all filled with motor bikes so you have to walk in the street.
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