lynncarol

If you do try Plitvice on your own, you need to buy timed entry tickets in advance. It is a very popular attraction. We did it by car since we were visiting Croatia independently and purchased the tickets 4 weeks earlier online. The place is amazing!

Yes a nice feature, if you can find an available machine. The last time I was successful was at 4 a.m. which was fine because that was Western time and I was still on Eastern time.

It was probably eight years ago but we used Island Wings out of Ketchikan for a float plane to see the bears in September. Michele, the owner, was our pilot. She dropped us off at a beach where one of her staff took us to an overlook where bears were fishing for salmon. Only 12 people were allowed at the overlook, and local volunteers were there to enforce the quota. It was a wonderful experience. We had to book months early though, as she was extremely popular.

Saturn....I think there are several factors involved in selecting a travel option and only you can know which are the most important to you. 1. How risk-adverse you are: do you worry that about encountering dangerous or uncomfortable situations on your own? If something went amiss, would it ruin your experience? My husband and I love to travel independently, but as we age, we find it harder to 'go with the flow' should problems arise: Cancelled flights, train strikes, loss of luggage, getting ill in third world countries, etc. (All of which have happened to us). If so, independent travel is not for you. 2. How much do crowds bother you? I know from recent experience that the very popular tourist spots in Europe (and also the most visited by cruises) are mobbed by tourists now. I am sorry but that includes Greece too, not to mention their wildfires now. I hate crowds, but many folks deal with that better than I and you might be one of those so cruises to the area (including River cruises) could be the answer for you. 3. How much input do you like in your travel agenda? Taking a guided tour, things are pretty set in stone, unless you are willing to shell out the big bucks for private guides. If money is no object, this is a great way to travel. My husband and I took two of our adult grandkids on safaris to South Africa and Botswana, using a local travel agent to plan everything just for the 4 of us during 2021 when Covid had dramatically reduced prices in these areas. (Of course, this helps if you aren't risk adverse). The trip was probably the most expensive one we ever took and we certainly couldn't afford it now at current prices. But all four of us still recall every second of that trip with awe. Once you have given these issues serious consideration, the answer to your question should be apparent to you.

I do think some folks are just genetically less prone to seasickness. My late father was in the navy during WWII so he loved the water and my mother never got seasick. They spent a lot of their later years cruising everywhere and in all kinds and sizes of ships. i, on the other hand, easily got seasick, but have acclimated over years of cruising and it is no longer a problem nor do I take anything except ginger tablets in smaller motor boats during rougher weather.

Been to all of these suggested spots. Rouen was my favorite but we were there for two full days. If only doing a quick day-trip from Le Havre, I would second the Monet Gardens suggestion but be warned: we were there in September and it was mobbed by tourists.

My husband and I love Rome and have been there 4 times now, spending 4-6 days each time. If you want something unusual, visit the Capuchin Crypt, where the chapels are decorated by human bones and skulls...even to the light fixtures. i guarantee that you won't see that very many places.

We enjoyed our 3 hour snorkel cruise with Sea Cow to Klein Bonaire island. Yes we did see a sea turtle but what I really enjoyed was how healthy the coral was in the area. There was a full boat of 27 passengers onboard, but they split us into 3 groups of 9, each with our own guide who accompanied us in the water. What's nice about snorkeling near the island, is that little swimming is involved: everyone just floats along with the current and the boat keeps up with you. My husband's vision isn't that good anymore and he loved that the guide spent so much of her time treading water while keeping an eye out on her 'flock' as we all enjoyed the underwater attractions and marine life. (On other snorkel groups in previous years, the guide just took off expecting everyone to follow him/her which was stressful for my husband)

We took the ABC cruise via Celebrity Equinox last January. Since we spent the day at the beach in Aruba and snorkeled half a day in Bonaire, we wanted to do something that was not so 'beachy' in Curacao. Fortunately, we found Josh Transportation and Tour service right off the boat. We told him we wanted to see the wild flamingos, the Olde Town Painted buildings, and a scenic shoreline with no tourists in sight. He delivered all of that in spades, including some extra delights that we had not even considered such as great overlooks of the cruise harbor and the fishermen's homes. Josh is a delightful guide and perfect driver with a very comfortable car. I think his what's app # is +5999 5151604. We negotiated a price with him that we considered reasonable for the 3 hour tour he provided.

Because of your help desk, my issue was resolved and I have my original account back. Thanks!!

If you are traveling in the winter and your weather is cold, you need to be concerned about pipes freezing if you turn off all the heat. We leave it on, but turn the temperature down to the low fifties. Our water heater is gas, but it has a 'vacation' setting on it that keeps the water from freezing. As far as the water goes in winter, we turn it off at the main line, but then make sure we flush all toilets and bleed the faucets so no water remains in the system.

Exactly what we do too. Not only for cruising, but independent travel too. I blush to confess the longest trip so far with just a carry-on and a small backpack (our personal item) has been three weeks. Not having checked bags has allowed us to catch earlier flights, be first out of the gate when going through customs, and never having to worry about lost luggage. It is easy to handwash things along the way...the only downside is, in all our travel photos over the years it looks like we have on the same outfits.

If you like to snorkel, I highly recommend Sea Cow's half day trip to Klein Bonaire island.

I don't know how helpful this will be since I have never flown into Bologna. However, we did fly into Rome, then took the train to Ravenna which involved a transfer in Bologna. The latter was a local train, and we bought our tickets at the Rome station. I don't recall it being that expensive. Also, it was not very crowded, so finding a seat was no problem. I would imagine that would be the case for you too since you are arriving in the evening. My husband and I only take carry-on luggage and there were overhead compartments for them. My only advice if you purchase tickets in advance, make sure you don't buy ones that lock you into a certain time of departure. You are, after all, flying in and there's no telling in advance how long it will take to clear customs.

I would suggest you check out the weather before booking a whale-watching tour if at all possible. Been on a number of such tours over the years, including Reykjavik in early June where we saw a lot of minke whales. But on one such tour in Kenai fjord Alaska, the weather was bad, and by the time a pod of orcas was spotted, half the passengers were too seasick to enjoy them. (Thank goodness I was on dramamine).

Remember you are a guest at each port of call. I try to make a point of mentioning to a local that we encounter how much something about their country/island really appeals to me. Even something as simple as "what gorgeous weather you have here" or "your dog is adorable" always brings a smile. (Fortunately, since I am now considered elderly, nobody mistakes my compliments for a 'pick-up' line).

I always learn how to (firmly but pleasantly) say "No thank you" in the local language while I keep walking and avoid eye contact. It always works. The vendors need your money and it is not to their benefit to spend time with folks who have no intention of buying.

True, but since we are both retired now, with so much flexibility, we wait to book until the balcony prices are not much more pp. than an inside cabin. Believe me, for many years we only had inside cabins but eventually decided since we are not night-owls, retire early and love watching the sea, having a balcony was well-worth the additional costs.

If we are thanking those who keep the "cruise line afloat" then we should be thanking all the big gamblers, the heavy drinkers, and everyone who shells out the bucks for the ship's special experiences: spas, specialty dining, excursions etc. If more people were like the two of us (who eat only at main dining, sit on our balcony or take only independent excursions) the cruise lines would indeed be in deep trouble. So thanks, guys!

Years ago, in an attempt to bring our extended family into some semblance of gentility, my sister hosted a 'black tie' dinner at her home. So, I rented a number of black ties and even was able to purchase a big black bow which I reconstructed into a collar for her dog. At the appointed dinner hour, I handed out all the ties to various family members (including children) who donned them over their very casual clothing. My sister and her husband, who were the only ones in formal clothing, were stunned before bursting into laughter. She never again hosted such a gathering for our bunch.

I agree with Hank, the Cisterns are definitely a 'must see'. The last time we were in Istanbul was in 2014, but we had three days there on our own and took the trams everywhere. I remember each time, locals would leap up (unasked) and offer me (an older woman) their seat. I was so impressed because back when I worked in Pittsburgh, even though Pgh. folks are polite and friendly, they rarely gave up a seat on public transportation to strangers.

OK folks...please forgive my ignorance but I have been reading through this thread and also the email from Celebrity and am still confused. Maybe it's because we are elderly and neither my spouse nor I gamble and thus are unfamiliar with Blue Chips. However we are, and have been for years, in Elite status. Do these changes only apply to what goes on in the casino? In other words, will we still get our three free drinks per day?

Ok, this happened 15 years ago, but it was so traumatic, we have NEVER again booked with Celebrity for flights. My husband and I were scheduled for a Baltic cruise that left out of South Hampton via a flight from Pittsburgh to Philly to England. Unfortunately, our flight from Pittsburgh never got off the ground due to bad weather. I phoned Celebrity Air and was told because that was the airline's fault, we were on our own to get rescheduled. Unfortunately, the only flight available was for the next day and had an additional stop-over in Frankford, since we now had to catch the ship in Oslo, But as Celebrity had only authorized one stop-over, we had a terrible time until a ticketing agent finally took pity on us and comped us that extra leg. Also, since we were supposed to meet my elderly folks in Philly who were joining us on the cruise, we had no way of contacting them, since neither of them had a cell phone. Celebrity Air promised to contact the ship and let my folks know what happened, but never did and they so frantic looking for us that my father tripped going down an escalator in South Hampton port and got badly bruised. When we finally made it to Oslo, because we had no ship card, we were refused entrance into the port area. Thank goodness two other couples were in the same situation and between the 6 of us, we made a big enough fuss that one of the ship's officers finally came over to remedy the situation.

Been to Iceland twice. This first time was in May of 2006 when we rented a car for a week. One of those days we did the Golden Circle. There were very few visitors then (it was pretty cold) and we had not seen Yellowstone before so it was magical. Fast forward to 2016 when we were on a September TA cruise that spent 3 days in Iceland. This time we took the Golden Circle by bus and were horrified at how crowded every site had become (and I have heard from recent visitors that it is even worse now). I personally would be un-nerved doing the circle by rental car with such traffic and finding a parking space must be a nightmare. Plus, if you have seen Yellowstone, Geysir pales in comparison. On this same trip, we did an all day tour out of Aukreyri and loved it! Not nearly as crowded as the Golden Circle.

I second the suggestion to take locus bus to Tarquinia. Their museum was fabulous. I don't know whether it is still possible or not, but when we went, from the museum you could take another bus to some of the Estruscan tombs. Afterwards we walked back into the old town and had a nice lunch before returning to Civitavecchia.