moniquet
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Posts posted by moniquet
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You will definitely enjoy the Westerdam as much as we have. Here is my photographic tour of the Westerdam to orient you to the ship and to get you more in the mood for your vacation:
http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/travel-2/ms-westerdam-tour/
Thanks for those, happy memories:) forgot how good it was.
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Tipped our last steward $20 after two days to show we appreciated his care. Another $20 at the end. Of course we left auto tips on too. I think a tip Hal way is a good incentive.
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I suspect that it has more to do with fear of the unknown; most of us are more fearful, justified or not, of places, people, and situations that are new to us than we are of known people or places, even when they are justifiably frightening.
Absolutely:) I have seen a few posts saying not to walk around Castries, St Lucia. We have had about 8 land based holidays there and it seems no worse than any other tourist Island. Crime is high but most is due to the drug trade.
Similar New York. Our Daughter was based at the UN for a while and we were a little nervous the first time we went to visit. We were pleasantly surprised. The only incident we saw in about 6 visits was a man steal a slice of pizza.
It is according to people's perceptions. However I still think people are crazy to visit the main trouble spots right now;)
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Yes, Egyptian tourism will have taken a big hit following Sharm, same as it has done after previous incidents. Quite possibly for a few months by 80%, as happened several times on that 10 year graph that I linked.
But barring further incidents it will bounce back toward its previous levels, same as it did on those occasions - and the same as has happened in New York, Paris, London, Madrid, Bangkok & a dozen other places.
If there's an 80% drop for 12 months, that's the time to say that tourism is down by 80%
References that I've found by googling "Egyptian tourism devastated" were almost entirely comments made immediately after the Sharm incident, even before the smoke had cleared.
JB :)
Yes, agree. There were some people on TV whinging because flights had stopped. We all have our own level of tolerance. Eg. I would visit Paris, in fact anywhere in Europe and I am often in London.
I would NOT visit Turkey right now or Egypt/Tunisia etc. We were on the Island of Kos last year and not dangerous but marred seeing all the human misery of refugees wandering the streets begging etc. Would be cautious which Island I chose.
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Hi, Moniquet,
When you quote figures like that you really need to quote your source, rather than merely saying "I think ......."
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/egypt/tourist-arrivals
(then click on 10-yr figures)
http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/egypt/international-tourism
And a dozen other sources, all show the latest available Egyptian tourist figures at about the same level as ten years ago.
Over that period the figures have shown several dramatic falls followed by remarkably quick recoveries.
Those figures won't reflect the aftermath of the Russian aircraft bombing at Sharm El Sheikh because it's too early to know the impact, but yes of course that's likely to result in another big blip.
But the only reference I could find to anything like the 80% fall that you suggest was a knee-jerk forecast following that atrocity.
So where does your 80% drop come from???
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Yes, of the 5 million German tourists who visit Turkey each year, those nine killed near the Blue Mosque were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Same as the ten Germans who were killed on Germany's roads on the same day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate
http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.A997
JB :)
The stuff about people killed on roads etc is just a decoy. I really don't understand why you defend the indefensible. Where did the figure of 80% come from...I don't know, there has been so many reports on BBC and Sky etc. But if you need to split hairs a quick Google will tell you that tourism in Egypt has been devastated. Surely you have been watching the same reports as I in the British media.
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We were close to it on Liberty, deck 7 and was totally underwhelmed :D just a small space.
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Suites check in at a separate area, coffee, juices and cookies provided. They are then escorted direct to security. No other perks although our bags arrived within the hour. HAL has good suite perks with a lounge and guest services and all day snacks, etc. Carnival suites are larger.
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Whatever a few people think on CC tourism has crashed in Egypt and Tunisia. I think the figure in Egypt is 80% down. Shame because it's a must see. Turkey is looking volatile now. You can be smart but not much you can do if you are in the wrong place like those ten dead Germans at the Blue Mosque!
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Good price
Fantastic crew
Superior itineraries
Sometimes I think people expect too much of Carnival considering the price. Cheap and cheerful with decent food and service.
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Just do like we used to do at cheer competitions, when someone says my xxx is sitting there, just say "OK, I'll just sit here until they come back". Most never do, so you get the chair. If they do come back, just move and do the same thing somewhere else.
Love it, great suggestion.:)
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Our suite had one.
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In theory if people gave up their loungers when not using them eg. Taking a long lunch, participating in activities etc. There would always be some available. However chogs is contagious:D Some of the most respectable and polite people get into the habit of chogging after 3 days without a lounger. (Emerald Princess).
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I live a short journey from London and go a couple of times per month. Even last week the place was heaving with tourists, more tourists than locals around the attractions. The baseball cap, camera hung around neck and a man carrying a bag which looks as if he has all his money in it are give always.
Watch for pickpockets on the underground, (subway) people offering you a flower, trick card games and recently a couple of cartoon dressed characters who pose for photos and then ask for money. Paris has the Gypsies offering flowers too, usually they work in pairs.
You will be fine, lots of Police around too.
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We have been on several land based holidays to St. Lucia and wandered around Castries. Never had a problem just the vendors are a bit pushy, like most places.
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We're on Anthem right now and were in St. Maarten two days ago. It and St. Thomas usually have the lowest liquor prices. I bought one liter of Sauza Tequila Gold for $6 and a liter of St. Maarten white 80 proof rum for $4 while in St. Maarten this tme.
In Oct we were on cruise that went into both ports. We got liter of USVI rum for same price, $4, in Pueblo supermarket in St.
Thomas. Pueblo and Kmart, near Havensight in St. Thomas, have some of the lowest cost for common liquors. Also in St. Maarten the further the store is from the center town water taxi pier typically he better the prices are.
In October we also got liter of LTD Canadian Rye whiskey for $7 and a 700ml of French Cognac for $3.50 in St. Maarten.
We're in St. Kitts tomorrow so I will be checking out prices there but it can depend on what you are looking to get liquor wise.
We've been there quite a few times but IMO the above ports have the best prices for common liquors.
Those prices sound unrealistically low. Beware of fakes, some dangerously so.
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The last time we were in St. Kitts I took a walk into a liquor store to check out some prices and I could not believe how low they were. I was talking to another guy in there and he agreed that they were pretty amazing.
Yes we found the same in December, bought our absolut vodka from there. On some Islands it is hardly worth buying now. Carting it around to save a few dollars.
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They are as safe as any other tourist port in the world. Just take the same precautions you would anywhere.
Barcelona is one of the worse for pickpockets etc.
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We lived there for 13 years. Some interesting sightseeing but most a few hours from the coast. Which Ports are on the itinerary?
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Perhaps issue tickets am. or pm.?
Have been on two carnival cruises and had no problem. QM2 was on sea days. We saw a family of 6 and two children save loungers at the aft pool everyday when we were walking the deck. Only two were used until the two younger couples turned up at noon. Likewise a Princess 10 day cruise, virtually impossible unless up at 7am. Even saw many reserved when the ship was in port.
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I lived in the Mediterranean for many years and the weather is usually ideal. Could be cooler on the sea with the breezes and not hot enough to swim in.
Ideal time for sightseeing.:)
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I would sooner use that money towards a suite and get priority boarding. We don't get to the Port early anyway, stay overnight in a hotel and use their facilities such as pool etc. Until about 1pm. In our suite in 15 mins. Our bags arrived within an hour, although that may have been luck:) never leave the ship early so rarely have a wait for tenders.
What happens if most of the FTTF arrive at the same time:D seems very few perks for that money.
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What bothers me just a little.... are the group of young people that each feel the need to have one of the large Blue Beds on the serenity deck. 4 small people can lay on one of those, but instead there is one tiny little person taking up at least 3-4 of them.
I noticed that, also one person sleeping on the large sofas that seat around 5.
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If you are scared to cruise, just don't go. End of.
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Just returned from the Dec 27th sailing on the Sunshine.
If you were to write to Carnival to ask them to improve a certain aspect of the cruise experience, what would you suggest.
Mine would start with the following:
- Ban smoking in the casinos
- better control over people that want to have long, loud conversations outside my room during nighttime or nap time (thanks to people in cabin 9169)
- ban large human beings from being able to spend over 6 hours in the serenity hot tub with non stop buckets of beer served (I think you know what I'm getting at).
- please please please STOP doing the Wobble song/dance
Anybody else have something?
Not just me then:D
Encourage people to deposit their half eaten meals elsewhere than leaving them on loungers, floor etc round the pools.
Concerns regarding terrorism in Europe.
in Ask a Cruise Question
Posted
Correct if you want to be pedantic:) mentally it is a thousand miles away.