dumbth

The Jade has been reconfigured since my trip, but my balcony partition was easy for neighbors to stick their head around and socialize, which I did not welcome but you might.

While Geir. is great, you might pick up that fjord thru an excursion from Alesund. Alesund is supercute so try to leave some time for wandering and not all excursions. Check carefully the excursions at Bergen (for excellent Sonefjord and Hardingerfjord) and the fjord near Stavanger. I thought Geir. over hyped, and if you actually stop at it's port the excursions onward don't interest me. I would definitely visit Alesund and cruise an excursion boat at least part way to Geir. port. They have probably improved it now, but the mountains around Geir port used to block communications so no credit card ship transactions were possible for tix or special food. I prefer the fjords around Bergen over the steep ditch of Geir. fjord. You can do Sonefjord (sp) on your own with a "norway in a nutshell" combo tix sold by the city. They used to offer combo tix to Hardingerfjord which I really like. More to look at than just an extreme ditch, it is the fruitbasket microclimate of Norway (land of all my ancestors).

In half a century of traveling every corner of the world, I cannot think of a city on earth that tops Paris. It's got some problems, but the architecture, street food, gardens, etc beats all. A central dropoff is plausible since there is vast room for busses in Place Concorde. Near stunning gardens as a place to spend leftover minutes before pickup. Another cruise line describes this tour thusly: "Enjoy a half day of exploring Paris all on your own. Your tour begins with a scenic drive to the city center. You’ll disembark at Cours-la-Reine Park and promenade near the Place de la Concorde, a favorite place for shopping and sightseeing. City maps will be provided to help you plan out your day. Feel free to explore the Arc de Triomphe, the world’s largest triumphal arch, and get a glimpse of the famous Eiffel Tower. See the Notre Dame Cathedral from the outside and admire its beautiful Gothic architecture. If you’re an art lover, the Louvre Museum is a must, as it is the home of Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. After your day of exploring the City of Light, you’ll rejoin your motorcoach at Cours-la-Reine at the agreed upon time for a relaxing ride back to the pier." Even a remote dropoff may give a charming walk to center, where downsized attractions can be knocked off like intensely flavored morsals: dazzling Sainte Chapelle, Monet's water lily museum, snacks and sublime ice cream on Rue Sainte Andre des Artes, etc.

I am a frugal HI resident who in years past sailed the islands on a 40' sailboat. When looking for a lazy way to re-live such experiences, I too was hit by POA sticker shock as well as reviews not up to par with my NCL Med experiences. Furthermore I hear the itinerary no longer cruises the Na Pali coast, which was #1 highlight with no excursion logistics needed. There is an NCL alternative, which are the HI-Tahiti runs in spring and fall. The price per night is vastly more affordable, so I have been trying for out and return HI-TAH-HI. Visiting all the ports twice is fine with me, and I think the several sea-only days would be good therapy. That itinerary seems changeable and they cancelled me once, but someday...

If you can get a direct train, it has got to be the easiest. Check timetables on web. If you have overpacked, learn where to dump excess bags at end of car. Otherwise I think you might get stuck with an expensive water shuttle to airport which may be no fun to load bags into/from. Then a land shuttle from boat dock to chaotic airport, then ... Even if you get a land bus to the airport, departure spot is less handy than the train. Do the train at least as a learning experience. It is supremely civilized and convenient (well, just beforehand check if they are have scheduled a 1 day strike).

Exactly my inclination; maybe we kindred spirits should hang out together 😃. No, seriously I cherish solitude and suffer when folks intrude in a self righteous way oblivious to signals. Especially regret the attitude that numbing one's natural and wise inhibitions with alcohol is an enlightened thing. I put up with someone who spent a long cruise contorted around our balcony partition because I bored him a bit less than his wife, but someday will draw the line sharply. P.S. The above was composed before the previous post appeared and was not intended to be comment on CptAleSpill.

I also love freestyle (dining), although I wish the 24 hour snackbar had some vegan food other than heart attack french fries. Hard to stay frugal with solo cabin prices, but this forum gives timely tips. I'm concerned by the emphasis on drinking alcohol, and have suffered unpleasant intrusions by drunks on NCL. There is poor availability of diet sodas, which is my round the clock lifeblood. Should become a more frequent traveler if these factors improve or mobility declines.

If you are traveling light, such as with only a carry-on size backpack like I've used all over the world, then just take a fascinating shoreline walk to airport. Preview on google aerial maps. First take in some of the top kitesurf spots in the world, with interesting beachside activities by hotshots launching and landing. Beware of a few unsavory characters selling contraband from ramshackle cars. Next you encounter famous windsurfing spots, with interesting demographic shift to older and established wind warriors (easy to chat with). This was all pleasant and interesting to me some years ago, but there is a chance it's engulfed by territorial vagrants by now. Oh, on the way there are also friendly spots where local families go for beach time away from tourists.

(never mind)