Tothesunset

One thing I don't understand. You get off the ship at, say, 9.30 for the 3 hr trip home. The other passengers need a loo stop after a couple of hours. Fair enough. But do they really need to spend 45 minutes having a cup of tea, a faceful of food and a wander round the retail outlets? They've only just had breakfast for crying out loud. 

L'enfer c'est Les autres

45 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

Glad to see you are demonstrating the class that a fellow passenger does not have. There is no excuse for treating any crew member in the manner you described and if I were Captain they would have received an official warning. 
I no longer travel long distances with tuxedos, but I do bring a navy blue suit that I can also mix and match with other items for the informal nights. 

Even that is too difficult for those turning into McSilversea. 

47 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Boy, this Eclipse thing is just too over the top for me. Am I the only person who really doesn't care or is not all excited about it?

 

What eclipse? I'm in the dark about it. 

2 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

You will get an exit stamp as you get on the ship.
All the stops in the EU will be counted as transit stops and don't count towards her 90 days, so as far as time in the EU that adds to her allowance goes, it will be just the time period from landing in Portugal and getting on the cruise ship.

She has a right to unlimited stays in the EU as long as she is accompanying an EU spouse (me!) but it would be much safer to have an exit stamp. 

Your response is most reassuring. 

On 17 May we arrive in Lisbon by air from where we take a cruise ship calling at ports in Portugal, Spain and France before arriving at Tower Bridge to disembark. 

Now, I'm Irish so can enter and leave the EU freely; however, OH is a  British Citizen and will have her passport stamped on entry - the problem is will she also acquire an exit stamp at some point?

Does anyone have experience of a similar situation? 

2 hours ago, turtlemichael said:

That was his one job and you were maybe his highlight of the day. Petty bureaucracy is similar everywhere, just more so in China! Let's hope his boss appreciated his efforts.

He may well be recounting the same story on the Chinese site Tourist Critic. 

I invoked the wrath of the Shanghai police when we visited 10 years ago. 

Walking along the Bund there was a statue of Mao affixed to the plinth of which was a small plaque written in Chinese characters with a small-type translation (I assumed) underneath. So I strolled over to look at it which provoked high-pitched whistling, everyone - the locals at least - stood still and a Chinese copper came running towards (at?) me furiously blowing his whistle. I was given a good old dressing down (actually he was shouting in Chinese so for all I know he might have been giving me his favourite pulled pork recipe). 

Apparently, I had commited the offence of approaching the statue. But how else to read the plaque? 

Top tip for Mysty. Take binoculars. 

6 hours ago, mysty said:

Yesterday was our second day in Hong Kong.  We ventured out for an excursion called New Territories - Heritage & Tradition.  The New Territories is one of the three main regions, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula.  It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory and contains about half of the population of Hong Kong.

 

First stop was the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next was the Man Mo Temple in Tai Po.....

 

 

That makes me feel so homesick as an erstwhile New Territories resident. The best place we ever lived. 😢

Was the email issued 2 days ago, perchance? 

Around the start of the spaghetti harvest? 

3 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Try a winter in Wales! 😁

Whatever time of year you visit... 

At what point can Covid still be considered to blame for inadequacies of the current product?

Covid and the sellout to mothership occurred, to all intents and purposes, at the same time. I'd posit that current deficiencies owe more to the latter than the former. 

17 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

 

The facts are that SAGA is looking at a partnership... not to "be taken in hand." SAGA has already declined unsatisfactory offers over the last few years from a private equity company and an Aussie Insurance company. 

 

Nooo....

Dont go spoiling this thread by stating something verifiable. 

So.... 

As I read it from the conjecture so far: Saga will be taken in hand by an existing cruise operator, a non-cruise operator or someone else. 

That clears it up, then. 

6 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

Our bit of lemonade without the sugar today, reached a difficult decision regarding our elderly dog Biscuit and had her put down.  15 years since we adopted her at the Richmond shelter.  No data as to how old she was then.  Blinded by some genetic condition, hobbled by arthritis, and mentally she just wasn't with us as anymore.  The vet agreed, my wife agreed, so why do I feel like s**t?

Lion King  

 

It's the hardest, but kindest, decision you can ever make. 

Colourful and smart. 👍

3 hours ago, AandASailAway said:

As for pricing going up—like almost everything except pay—I can't help but think things will settle down in another year or two. We will likely stay land-based in the USA in 2025... maybe 2026, and see what happens. We have had some of our best trips right here in the USA. As much as I would like to see more parts of the world, I am not willing to sacrifice to make it happen. 

 

You are very fortunate when a "home" vacation can offer so much geographical variety. 

1 minute ago, Observer said:

 

Or perhaps period for waitlisted cruises is so long because they are going to stretch the ship again   🙂 

I think the only thing SS is stretching is customers' patience. 

I suppose it's not surprising that once SS was sucked into the mothership that changes would come along. I'd expected some sort of alignment with the new company's core values - ie fleece the customer to the last cent - what has surprised me is the slow dribble of nicks and cuts and tweaks that are slowly transforming SS into a very expensive mainstream line. 

SS is now, seemingly, a branding exercise rather than a unique product. 

It's so sad. 

3 hours ago, drron29 said:

No they had gone on our last cruise. 

So it seems, the way things are going, SS is less M&M, more like S&M. 

5 hours ago, lincslady said:

It is the humidity - and I noticed especially in Singapore that the aircon is set so cold indoors that outside feels even worse than it needs to.  

It's weird the way they do that. When we lived in Hong Kong it would be 40 degrees and 100% humidity in summer but if you went downtown to eat you had to carry a sweater. Glad I wasn't paying the energy bill. 

2 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

@mysty  Feels like a red wine night tonight...

Is there ever a time when it isn't? 

Another true story:

Around the turn of the century I was part of a group that examined candidates for postgraduate qualifications from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 

On the final evening the dozen or so of us would go for a group meal and each examainer's individual food allowance would be pooled for one big blow-out. Sadly, alcohol could not be claimed against this allowance but there was no limit (within reason) for food. 

So at a Chinese restaurant somewhere in London the chief examiner asked for the bill but said to the waiter:

"When you make up the bill, instead of itemising the beer and wine can you put it down as food?" 

"Of course, Sir." 

When the bill came the final lines were:

6 bottles red food - £xxx

6 bottles white food - £xxx

12 pints draught food - £xxx

They've sent it out early.

Its another couple of weeks until 1st of April. 

2 hours ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

On another site, passengers aboard the Silver Dawn have just shared a letter they received from the Hotel Director suggesting appropriate amounts for "additional appreciation."

 

Truly shocked. 

32 minutes ago, nfcu said:

 

 

That left a bad taste in my mouth.  Should we be paying for something that in my mind is the cruise line's responsibility?  I have not donated since but tip individuals who provide great service. 

 

By that argument should the cruise line also pay the staff properly so that tips are unnecessary and don't only favour the few at front-of-house?