moniquet

I remember reading an article written by a woman whose extended family cruised on the Paradise. She said that everyone had to sign a paper saying that they wouldn't smoke or bring any tobacco products on the cruise.

 

She said that her teenaged son's cabin steward (the son was sharing a cabin with an older cousin) claimed that he smelled smoke, and he searched the cabin and found a pack of cigarettes. Both her son and the cousin denied having brought cigarettes with them. Nevertheless, the two of them had to leave the ship at the next port, along with their fathers, since both of them were under 21, which meant that they couldn't be left all alone in a foreign country without a guardian. The woman suspected that the cabin steward was given a reward for finding the cigarettes.

 

When I read this article, I decided that I would never sail on the Paradise. What's to prevent a cabin steward from smuggling cigarettes onto the ship and then planting them in someone's cabin, and then finding them to get a reward?

 

If I should go on a no-smoking cruise, I wouldn't care if people had cigarettes with them. Unlit cigarettes in someone's suitcase don't bother me. And I wouldn't care if those people smoked while in port. Yes, they might smell a little for a little while, but so what? But I wouldn't want to have to worry about someone planting cigarettes in my cabin.

Sounds like the Gestapo not a pleasure cruise:(

I would be just happy to see a smoke free CC:mad:

Hmmm....statistics. Did you know you are more likely to get murdered by a member of your own family on Christmas Day.:D as the saying goes, statistics are much like a drunk uses a lamppost for support, not illumination.

Anyway, for the foreseeable future I definitely shall not be visiting Egypt, Tunisia or most of the Middle East. Dubai seems safe but the resort is awful, hated it. Will stick to the Caribbean and Florida. Whatever the stats may say.:cool:

I prefer twice a day. Good to come back to a sparkly bathroom when we have been getting ready for dinner. Bear in mind some have a nap in the afternoon and may need the bed straightening.

Not interested in the towel animals at all.

When I say tourist targeted I mean by terrorists, of course tourists are a target in any tourist area in the world, mainly theft. Most of the places you mention have not had terrorist incidents against tourists.

I have been to Belize a few times. Found the people really friendly. Once walking in a quiet area by the sea a Policeman stopped and warned us there had been a robbery there the day before and a tourist had had a gold necklace snatched. Not the same as dozens being attacked with kaleshnikovs is it!

20 years is an issue with Egypt as terrorist attacks against tourists have been consistent up to the present year.

Today's events are very sad.

 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who have been impacted.

 

JB is right and this is what I have talked about starting with yesterday posts. What happened in Paris has happened in many places around the world on different scales. It has happened in our own backyards for those of us in the USA, and much too often in the past several years and also has happened in places from Europe to Australia.

 

Again thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and friends who have already been impacted by todays horrific act.

 

Keith

Absolutely dreadful, all those innocent lives gone. Shocking scenes.

Yes, it can happen anywhere. However, if you saw my link on a previous post, can you tell me of any country except Egypt where foreign tourists have repeatedly been targeted for over twenty years? If we are looking at statistics Egypt must be the top of the list.

Which examples are "far fetched"?

We are flying Norwegian from Gatwick to Puerto Rico 2 weeks tomorrow. Will post how it was.

Hi, Dex and Reedprincess, thanks to the both of you for coming to this site and giving everyone great information.

We have been to St. Lucia before and did Herod's tour which we very much enjoyed.

This time we are looking for some beach time and probably have it narrowed down to Rendezvous Day pass or Reduit Beach.

One of my questions is about taxi fare. When one says $30 taxi fare is that per person or the total fare for everyone in taxi? If it is for everyone, do they have a limit of passengers per taxi?

 

I wouldn't go to Reduit beach. It is absolutely crowded when the cruise ships are in. Shoulder to shoulder right to the edge of the sea.

Thank you JB:) we can agree to differ, you could be right about lucky or unlucky.

Why poor examples. They were in response to someone recommending travelling alone. Nothing to do with flying and an incident which everyone is well aware of. The atrocities in Tunisia I have already mentioned above if you read my posts.

This chronology of tourist attacks in Egypt may be of some interest.

http://www.usdivetravel.com/T-EgyptTerrorism.html

Agree with several other posters

1) Decide on the list of ports in order

2) Find the longest cruise that does them all

 

The memories of the Med won't be the ship/line but the ports and what you experienced in them.

Absolutely agree. Every Port is different, whereas in the Caribbean it is not such a big deal as they are pretty much the same.

Booking cruises to the Middle East has always been a complete crap shoot as cruise lines seem to change their minds about that region with the change in wind direction. That is why when DW and I decided we wanted to see Egypt we simply got on a plane to Germany and flew Egyptair from Germany to Cairo where we spent 2 weeks traveling around Egypt on our own! We simply wanted to see the country and not be subject to the whims of cruise lines and/or tour companies. While cruise line tours from Alexandria to Cairo historically travel in large buses with armed guards, we actually drove that same route in a normal car with our hired Egyptian driver. And at the last minute we had our driver detour over to a Coptic Monastery (a really interesting experience as the Monk who showed us around looked like Rasputin) which is something that is not going to happen when you are part of a bus convoy!

 

I would also mention that when we go to countries like Tunesia, we tend to go off on our own and avoid large tour groups. The reality is that large groups are historically more dangerous then a couple of tourists. Even the State Department often warns travelers to avoid large groups and try to remain low key (i.e. do not walk around with your cruise card hanging on a lanyard for the world to see). But we also understand the reticence of many travelers to do anything on their own (some will not leave a ship without having a guide to tell them which way to look).

 

So if one wants to visit Israel next year, do you think its wise to do it via a cruise booked now? What are the odds that the ship will actually go to Israel? Maybe yes, maybe no. Such is the dilemma of cruising. If you want to see Israel jump on one of the daily flights and go. If you want to see Turkey, fly over for a few days or weeks.

 

Hank

Perhaps you were just lucky.:) this July. A Croatian national was kidnapped in the desert out side Cairo. In August he was shown in the usual video and was murdered. Last year a Texan man was also murdered whilst travelling the same route.

I don't see your point. OP is not going to either Beirut or Tunisia, and no one has said either place is particularly safe at the moment....

 

I do have to agree that the media are over the top in reporting many of these incidents, including shootings in the US, which (in my own opinion) only encourages others to the same types of acts in order to get the same kind of attention....

The OP isn't going to a lot of other places mentioned either, did you ask them what's their point? Actually I was pointing out that a lot of the dead in Tunisia were on cruise ship tours and killers of the same mentality operate in Egypt, Syria, Israel etc.

Personally I would stay away from some of the Greek Islands right now. We were in Kos this summer and it was overrun by migrants. Upsetting and at times unpleasant scenes although not exactly dangerous like Egypt.

Carnival has a careers webpage. They also give a warning about fraudulent websites. See here.

http://www.cclcareers.com/Home/join-carnival/how-to-apply

I would say it is best to contact the cruise lines first and find out which agencies they use.

Beware of a lot of scam websites offering cruise ship jobs. They take a registration fee of around $100 or more and that's it. No jobs. Some of the cruise lines carry warnings on their recruitment sites about them.

Venice...Villefrance (with Monte Carlo, Nice & Eze closeby)...Dubrovnik...Naples (cannot get enough of Capri and Sorrento)

Wow...I need to call my travel agent and book a Med cruise!!!

Great choice.

Yep, I am passionate about this one because the media does sensationalize items.

 

In fact, I've been in places at the same time the media is reporting about them and they are so over the top that nothing they show comes close to the experience we have.

 

Oh well. Happy Cruising.

 

Keith

The media were "over the top" reporting the Tunisian massacres:confused: bombs in Beruit yesterday, they must be kidding:).

I was giving an example:rolleyes: could happen anywhere in the region!

I do not think 24/7 news is sensationalist when cruise ship tourists are shown being massacred in a Tunisian museum or shot on a Tunisian beach or shot by mistake on a tourist bus in Egypt. The facts speak for themselves.

We have often watched the stragglers, or should I say staggerers:) many appear to be exhibitionists ang get their 2 mins of being noticed. They are the ones who never run and have that look at me face. Have even seen one strolling back with a drink in her hand. Some are just idiots. Last ones I saw the man had walking difficulties, would think they were aware of their capabilities of time taken to walk back to the ship.

Of course there are risks in everyday life, be it just driving to the shop, or slipping in the kitchen. However, these are unknown risks. Most sensible people wouldn't knowingly put them self at risk by driving with faulty brakes or walking alone in a seedy part of town.

We loved Seeing the valley of Kings but would not return after tourists were shot there. The world is a more dangerous place now and it is not just the ability of terrorists to strike, it is how some countries have the ability to respond to these threats. For the time being quite a few places are off my bucket list. I trust airport security in the UK. USA and a few places in Europe but after seeing chaotic scenes at some Airports re. Security in Africa I prefer not to take the risk right now.

What was true in 2010 is not necessarily reality of today.

 

So much has changed in five years. Had you heard of Isis in 2010? Had there been Arab Spring? Were there tens of thousands killed in Syria? Were people standing at bus stops in Israel stabbed with no provocation or prior interaction with the attacker? Etc Etc Etc

 

Condition in the Middle East are extremely different now vs then.

 

Agree.

There are more issues than piracy now.

 

There is an adults-only pool deck on Royal Princess. You may want to consider splurging for the Sanctuary area on one of the sea days; if you want the 14th you will need to make that reservation as soon as you board. But as others have already pointed out, the best way to mark your special occasion is to celebrate together wherever you are, not where you might otherwise be.

Adults only is just theory from what we saw. Not even the crew said anything to kids there.