alyssamma

lol, well, now maybe we are showing our age. I thought it was back from the *original* season with John Belushi and the Greek restaurant that always had Pepsi (and cheeseburgers and chips) and not coke. Thought it was a play on that. Didn't know about Billy Goat Tavern until I googled it. I guess that makes more sense 🙂

Great reference!

Reviews I've seen on the ship are good. I'd say book it.

Can't answer as I've never been on Poesia, but wanted to say I booked this cruise - if you mean the Sept 12th one...the price is excellent and, in a very unique itinerary, it stops at all 3 Baltic countries.

So...I have something very similar...21 day I'm taking next month. We ended up buying the laundry package for the below reasons...that being said, I was still pissed af at the huge price increase. 1) We will need to do laundry in the middle of the cruise and not the end 2) They may not (as you mentioned) offer it onboard. However, we get 15% off packages as diamond so technically waiting we could get the same pre cruise price, but the stress (and the fact that MSC may not honor the diamond discount) made us decide against that. 3) The difference in price is only $36. It's more of a "principle" thing than an actual cost thing. When you step back and think objectively about it, it isn't that big of a deal. 4) We just got back from a HAL cruise where we paid $147 for unlimited laundry and were really happy with the price. Here, again, psychology comes into play. "Unlimited" for a, relatively, low price made us happy. But the reality is we only did about 60 or 70 items (and we were sending laundry about every other day for 2 weeks). Math-wise this is a *worse* deal than the 40 for $76, Now, we could split it up, use it whenever we wanted, etc., but overall cost-wise it was about the same.

You must have AMAZING grandparents...

You'll love the YC. Much better than retreat or haven. Flam is very nice and has a nice fjord. Get up early to watch the ship navigate through it. Lots of people will tell you to take the train (if you do, book direct not through the cruise), but I think a walking tour (you can do this solo) is just as good. Either way you'll like it. I think the big problem will be the time of year and the weather. But regardless, you'll be in the YC 🙂 Copenhagen is an amazing city. You'll love that. Kiel is near Hamburg...that's a great city also. I can't comment on the other ports. I'd start looking for air now...prices are insane.

Depends on several factors. Most importantly, what are you looking for 🙂 If you want a fjord cruise then maybe not. It you want a taste of Norway with a day in Copenhagen then it's great. FWIW, I have friends who booked this today also.

You are an ambervert

Yes, this makes 100% sense and is not in dispute. I think the confusion was a) how does this work on ships...is it for the *entire* cruise or only part of it, and...b) in Europe (and elsewhere) is it *common* to keep your passport for the *entire* stay. Hotels will need your passport to record the info but then they will return them to you and *not* keep them.

Just to add...we stayed in 4034 and *loved* the room. Huge balcony, no obstruction. However, there was noise from the stage, so if you go to bed before 10pm or so you'll hear that. It wasn't very loud and didn't bother us at all - we'd stay in that cabin again - but if you go to bed early and are a light sleeper it might bother you.

This is, unfortunately, correct. People have mentioned day passes in the past, but I don't think anything like that exists anymore.

I've only sailed the NS - and I assume the K is similar. I made a list of pros and cons if you are interested...

That's fair. Pluto is a planet to me 🙂

I think the difference there was escorted land trip maybe? I have only been to Paraguay in SA. Went to many places there and no one held onto my passport. But that is my only SA country...

I don't think we are that far off 🙂 First, I never made a comment about cruises other than to a) express surprise and b) ask how it works. I've only done one cruise that wasn't Caribbean. Second, I agree in places like Moscow or Georgia you may have to do this. But that is far from "common". I would say 80+% of countries in Europe don't do this. And to be clear, I'm talking about doing it for the *entire* hotel stay. Third, yes, YMMV. It is odd we've been to the same places and had different experiences. Perhaps it is the times we went? I was in Romania, for example, maybe 15yrs ago. Travelled all over (except the capital) and didn't encounter this. Were you perhaps there earlier? Or maybe more recently and there has been a change? Or maybe it is visiting for work vs pleasure?

See above...meant Northern... smh right back at ya, lol

Yeah, see above...meant Northern and not Republic...

Yes, had it backwards...Northern Ireland is what I meant...

UK is the country. The other 4 are not sovereign states. I guess it all comes down to how you define country...that's why the joke above is funny. But not part of the EU in any event.

UK is the country composed of England, Wales, Republic of Ireland and Scotland. LOL, there is a pretty funny joke from Ted Lasso about England being a country composed of 4 countries 🙂

We can agree our experiences are quite different then...even for the *same* countries.

Really? There are more countries in Europe than France England and Germany? Shocking. LOL And get your facts straight...England isn't a country and it isn't part of the EU.

Been to the Baltics, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. I had to give them my passport for them to record the info, but got it back immediately. Interesting that we had completely different experiences...

Yeah, Moscow makes sense. And a tour also makes sense. River cruises aren't hotels. My thing is it isn't *common* to surrender your passport for your entire hotel stay in Europe.