RegForte wrote:
> Steve B wrote:

>>
>
> Those virus outbreaks on cruise liners didn't spread person
> to person via food. Think doorknobs.


You're right. Salmonella, e.coli, and hepatitis are spread via food.

>
> I'm not a fan of the wash your hands every 5 minutes
> solution. That's not the way to spend a vacation.


Washing your hands often is a better way to spend time than
being draped over the toilet. But then I guess it depends
on how/where you'd prefer to spend your vacation.

gloria p

George Shirley wrote:
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:

>>
>> When you went to an attraction, they had a reservation and we walked
>> right in while other tourists were standing lin line. There were many
>> choices if you did not want to go with the crowd.
>>
>> There were 44 people on the bus, a few less than the 3500 on a cruise
>> ship.
>>
> I have to agree with Ed. Wife and I made a number of European motor
> coach tours the five years we lived in the Middle East. We had to go one
> way or the other to get home to see the kids so we elected to visit
> Europe more than once.
>
> Not only was everything handled for us, and we had good meals also, we
> met a large number of nice people from many countries. We always had a
> good time and we are still in touch with some folks even after being
> back in the US for twenty-four years now.
>
> A Euro Rail pass was always a nice way to travel too. Get on and off the


I agree, Ed and George. In April we went to NZ-Aus for a month
on a Overseas Adventure tour, They limit size to 16 people or
fewer. We had the time of our lives and saw probably 4x what we
would have seen if we'd been on our own depending on a guidebook.
Our tour leader was phenomenal.

Seven of us who were on that trip are headed to Morocco next week
with the same tour company. We spread the word that we were
going and the rest joined us enthusiastically. For a few it will
be their 7th trip with the tour company.

gloria p

gloria.p wrote:

> RegForte wrote:
>
>>
>> I'm not a fan of the wash your hands every 5 minutes
>> solution. That's not the way to spend a vacation.
>
>
> Washing your hands often is a better way to spend time than being draped
> over the toilet. But then I guess it depends
> on how/where you'd prefer to spend your vacation.


You can wash your hands all day long and still catch
a virus. Doing so doesn't guarantee anything, except
maybe an extremely tedious vacation experience.

--
Reg

Steve B wrote:
> SO, HOW ABOUT THE NOROVIRUS? JUST KEEP CLEAN, WASH HANDS, USE SANITIZERS
> (MAYBE TAKE YOUR OWN)?
>
> Sorry, just looking for health info, not tour tips.

Quit your infantile whining. This is Usenet, not your doctor's office.
You don't pay us to dish out hygiene advice. Go do a websearch and learn
to flow with thread drift.

Serene

--
"I tend to come down on the side of autonomy. Once people are grown up,
I believe they have the right to go to hell in the handbasket of their
choosing." -- Pat Kight, on alt.polyamory

Steve B wrote:
> We're leaving for a cruise somewhere around the ninth. Princess lines out
> of San Diego. A week in Mexico. Oh, Boy! If it wasn't free, I'd just as
> soon stay home and watch wrestling, and I hate wrestling.
>
> Have heard of this norovirus. What tips can you tell me about it? Foods to
> avoid?
>
> And they say they have a "wine bar" with "nominal pricing". I hear they get
> $10 to $15 for a real drink. Can't bring your own booze, either. Can't
> have what you buy onshore until you debark. Can anyone tell me about their
> experiences?
>
> I'm really not looking forward to this. Limited time ashore, half the trip
> listed at sea. But I've been stuck on a boat before, and know how to cope.
> Spent about 1,500 nights on various sites working in the oilfield.
>
> Weather is warming up here, and I could be fishing.
>
> Steve
>
>
I don't know how Princess operates but I was just on a 14 day Royal
Caribbean transatlantic from Barcelona to Galveston and you could not
get into a food venue without having a crew member squirt your hands
with sanitizer. There were also sanitizer dispensers all over the ship.
I had to buy a tube of hand cream to get rid of the dryness on my hands
caused by the alcohol from the sanitizer.

As for the booze. The wine prices will be close to outrageous but it's
the only game in town. You can call Princess and see if they have a
package that's available. Royal does and it saves you about 30% over per
bottle prices. If you don't finish the bottle at dinner, you can take it
to your cabin or they will keep it in the dining room and bring it back
every night. We usually have a bottle of white and a bottle of red
hanging around the dining room so we can order a glass based on our
dinner choices.

A cab driver in Funchal, Madiera told us how to sneak booze onto a
cruise ship. He had taken us to a wine tasting and we found the wines
to be rather 'feh' but did like the local rum a lot. He suggested we get
a bottle of water, drink it and fill the bottle with the pint of rum. No
problem getting it on the ship.

I had a coke card which enabled me to live on Diet Coke for a lot less
than the by-the-glass would have cost and I found a bar that would fill
my thermal cup from the cruise line with Diet Coke, no ice and two
pieces of lime. We had ice and glasses in the cabin. DH and I would sit
on our balcony and sip rum and Diet Coke. I did give the bartender a
cash appreciation.

You can try these:
http://www.kegworks.com/product.php?...58&source=base

I hear they work. Some people also get away with packing a box of wine
in their suitcases, but I hate box wine so I never have tried that.

If your booze preference is for something not clear like rum, vodka or
gin, refill iced tea bottles and carry them on. Same color.

I get a lot of good information on cruisecritic.com Their boards are
great.

Real drinks are about $6 or $7 with a 15% gratuity added. I've never had
a drink come in more than $9 and that was for a cosmo a couple of years
ago. I suggest you try the drink of the day. To save money never get the
souvenir glass unless you know for certain that it's free with that
particular drink.

Have a wonderful cruise. You might want to join Cruise Critic and find
the "Roll Call" for your cruise. You can meet fellow cruisers in advance.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

>>
>>You got a free vacation. What you make of it (and what you make it for
>>others) is up to you.
>>
>>I hope you have a good time...
>>
>>George L

I have to drive about 1,000 miles on the Interstate between here and San
Diego, going through Vegas. I personally would have taken a $500 spiff from
the company. But, I will go and make the best of it, and I'm sure I will
have a good time.

Steve

sf wrote:
> On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 09:01:51 -0600, ffu > wrote:
>
>> I wonder if much will change on the Princess ships now that Carnival bought
>> them ?
>
> Carnival? Heaven help us! Hopefully Carnival will consider Princess
> as its upscale line and treat it as such.
>
>> It defiantly sounds like he's trying to talk himself out of going, I
>> say go, I've only been on two but had a blast.
>
> I just went on one a couple of months ago and would like to go on
> another soon, but I think our next trip will be land based.
>

I'd go on a Carnival cruise before I'd go on an NCL cruise. IMNSHO, NCL
is on the bottom of the list for cruise lines. I would rather stay home
than take an NCL cruise. My food is better and my house is cleaner.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote

> I think Steve has the same idea about cruises that I have. You spend a
> lot of time on the boat and little time on shore where you'd really want
> to be. I'd like to hear his thoughts when he returns.

I have spent probably 1,500 nights on "boats" or their equivalent.
Sometimes lashed into a bunk to prevent injury for a few days at a time.
Rode out three hurricanes. I'm not experienced on being aboard a vessel
where there's anything to do during a 24 or 48 hour run except sleep or look
at the horizon. With the entertainment and accoutrements, this will surely
be a new experience. I do wish we had more time onshore, and think I will
take the provided tours so we get back in time for sailing, as I like to
spend a lot of time in locales.

>
> My niece wanted us to go on a European cruise that was an allegedly good
> deal. In the 8 days or so you were on the cruise, you spent only 40 hours
> on land in a variety of ports. Dinner was on the ship every night. Seems
> to me, if you are in Italy, France, and Spain, you'd want to eat locally
> and enjoy the ambiance of the country you're visiting.
>
> My impression (and I may be wrong) is that a lot of these ships pull into
> port, you take a while to get off and have time to go to a few tourist
> traps to buy trinkets and are herded back on the ship. Food is
> plentiful, but mediocre, on a par the TGI Friday or Applebee's and the
> like unless you pay extra for the better places.
>
> For free, I'd go. Probably have a decent enough time. Not my first
> choice for vacation though.

GMTA.

Steve

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote

>
> My impression (and I may be wrong) is that a lot of these ships pull into
> port, you take a while to get off and have time to go to a few tourist
> traps to buy trinkets and are herded back on the ship. Food is
> plentiful, but mediocre, on a par the TGI Friday or Applebee's and the
> like unless you pay extra for the better places.
>
> For free, I'd go. Probably have a decent enough time. Not my first
> choice for vacation though.

I spent a week on Kauai, and next time it will be for no less than a month.
I do not like being herded for any reason, and if I want to spend an extra
day or week in one spot, that's what I like to do.

Steve

Janet Wilder wrote:

> A cab driver in Funchal, Madiera told us how to sneak booze onto a
> cruise ship. He had taken us to a wine tasting and we found the wines
> to be rather 'feh' but did like the local rum a lot. He suggested we
> get a bottle of water, drink it and fill the bottle with the pint of
> rum. No problem getting it on the ship.

I guess things have changed, on the cruise I took, there was a big
liquor store right at the docks ... nothing was said about not bringing it
on board the ship, you were just informed you couldn't bring home
more than 6 bottles. I had a big bottle of Bailey's to make the coffee
drinkable ... I'd get it from the snack bar every morning and it was
pretty bad.

I had no idea you weren't supposed to open booze on the ship,
never mind that you couldn't bring it on board.

nancy

"George Leppla" > wrote

>> What's an all-inclusive?
>
> All-inclusive resort where you pay one price and everything is included
> including room, food, all drinks, tips, etc.

Ours is anytime dining. I'm sure that's not the "all inclusive" package.

Steve

"Pete C." > wrote

> I don't do cold. I left frozen CT for TX and have no intention of going
> back. Mt. E. is colder than CT - hell no!

I was watching that special on people climbing Everest. Why the hell would
someone WANT to do that to themself?

Steve

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> George Leppla wrote:
>
>> I have been known to say that a good vacation is 50% Latitude and 50%
>> Attitude. Since you have already decided that you aren't going to
>> have a good time, you can look for things to bitch about or you can relax
>> a
>> bit, go with the flow and not be a PITA to those you are traveling
>> with. No one likes going on vacation with someone who is determined
>> to be a Wet Blanket.
>>
>> You got a free vacation. What you make of it (and what you make it
>> for others) is up to you.
>>
>> I hope you have a good time...
>>
>> George L
>
> I think Steve has the same idea about cruises that I have. You spend a lot
> of time on the boat and little time on shore where you'd really want to be.
> I'd like to hear his thoughts when he returns.
>
> My niece wanted us to go on a European cruise that was an allegedly good
> deal. In the 8 days or so you were on the cruise, you spent only 40 hours
> on land in a variety of ports. Dinner was on the ship every night. Seems
> to me, if you are in Italy, France, and Spain, you'd want to eat locally and
> enjoy the ambiance of the country you're visiting.

There is opportunity to sample the local fare. Of course you don't get
to see and do as much being on a cruise as you do when hoteling it, but
the advantage is that you only have to unpack once as your hotel comes
with you. You don't have to worry about where to find a meal as it's
always there for you. You know what the accommodations are in every city.

I'm not saying that cruising is better than land-travel. It's just
different and it has its advantages and disadvantages just like
everything else in the world.

> My impression (and I may be wrong) is that a lot of these ships pull into
> port, you take a while to get off and have time to go to a few tourist traps
> to buy trinkets and are herded back on the ship. Food is plentiful, but
> mediocre, on a par the TGI Friday or Applebee's and the like unless you pay
> extra for the better places.

That's only on NCL. The food is better on other lines.
>
> For free, I'd go. Probably have a decent enough time. Not my first choice
> for vacation though.

I love cruising. I love the fact that I am pampered by the crew who is
intent on making sure I am a happy customer (Not on NCL, though)

We are going to New Jersey for granddaughter's bat mitzvah in April and
are taking a 5 day cruise from Bayonne to Bermuda. The ship sails to
Bermuda and stays in port over night. It becomes, in effect, your hotel
during your visit. We understand that hotels and restaurants in Bermuda
are very expensive, so we are going to be able to visit and save some
money and NOT have to fly anywhere. I'm rather down on airports right
now, though I will have to deal with them again in May when I got to
Israel (not cruising) with my gal pals.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Janet Wilder wrote:

> I'd go on a Carnival cruise before I'd go on an NCL cruise. IMNSHO, NCL
> is on the bottom of the list for cruise lines. I would rather stay home
> than take an NCL cruise. My food is better and my house is cleaner.


Absolutely correct. NCL has a lot of problems.

George L

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote

> I could enjoy a cruise for maybe a day or two, but once I've walked the
> ship, I'm ready to head out to some other places. I love the water, but
> day after day of ocean is not that exciting.

Try it for 180 days. You see my reservations. And on a boat with no
buffet, hot tub, TV, or much of anything else. Except 12 hour work shifts.

Steve

George Leppla wrote:
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> George Leppla wrote:
>>
>>> I have been known to say that a good vacation is 50% Latitude and 50%
>>> Attitude. Since you have already decided that you aren't going to
>>> have a good time, you can look for things to bitch about or you can
>>> relax a
>>> bit, go with the flow and not be a PITA to those you are traveling
>>> with. No one likes going on vacation with someone who is determined
>>> to be a Wet Blanket.
>>>
>>> You got a free vacation. What you make of it (and what you make it
>>> for others) is up to you.
>>>
>>> I hope you have a good time...
>>>
>>> George L
>>
>> I think Steve has the same idea about cruises that I have. You spend
>> a lot of time on the boat and little time on shore where you'd really
>> want to be. I'd like to hear his thoughts when he returns.
>>
>> My niece wanted us to go on a European cruise that was an allegedly
>> good deal. In the 8 days or so you were on the cruise, you spent only
>> 40 hours on land in a variety of ports. Dinner was on the ship every
>> night. Seems to me, if you are in Italy, France, and Spain, you'd
>> want to eat locally and enjoy the ambiance of the country you're
>> visiting.
>>
>> My impression (and I may be wrong) is that a lot of these ships pull
>> into port, you take a while to get off and have time to go to a few
>> tourist traps to buy trinkets and are herded back on the ship. Food
>> is plentiful, but mediocre, on a par the TGI Friday or Applebee's and
>> the like unless you pay extra for the better places.
>>
>> For free, I'd go. Probably have a decent enough time. Not my first
>> choice for vacation though.
>
> Cruises certainly aren't for everyone. If someone is set on doing
> intensive sight-seeing, then a cruise ship is not for you. There are
> river barge cruises in Europe that tend to combine some aspects of
> cruising with intensive land tours. Look at
> http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/ Becca and I hope to do one of these
> sometime.

DH and I did a two week river barge from Budapest to Amsterdam in 07. It
was on Uniworld lines and I highly recommend them. The wine is
complimentary, BTW. All the sightseeing is included. The pace is
relaxed. The service is gracious and the food was incredible. Really
incredible!

We are seriously thinking of taking another river barge to celebrate our
25th anniversary (12/31/2010) sometime in 2011. Looking at Egypt, China
and Russia and trying to make up our minds.

> I know of people who takee a cruise to an area to get exposed to a
> number of places... kind of like a scouting mission.... then they go
> back and stay to really get a more in depth visit.
>
> I would rate cruise line food as being much better than TGIF's or any
> chain. Not gourmet by any means, but certainly not "mall" food.
>
> Some people like cruising, some like camping, some like going to an
> All-Inclusive. It is all good.
>
> George L


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Steve B wrote:

> An idea, there. I have looked at the prices, and they sell 375 ml. bottles.
> Price range $17 (Cutty) to $30 (Courvoisier) 375 ml. converts to 12.68 oz.
> Not that bad. What's the limit on soft drinks and bottled water? I read
> they have a daily card for like $5 that includes all the soda and ade drinks
> you want. Know about that?

You can bring all the soft drinks you want on board. I drink Caffeine
Free Diet Coke (or Pepsi) and they aren't available on board so I bring
my own. No problem.

The Soda cards usually cost about $42 for the week per person including
the automatic gratuity. Canned sodas are about $2, glasses of soda are
around $1.50. Depending on your intake, it might be an OK deal. Sodas
are from the gun, available in any bar, lounge or dining room.

George L

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 09:18:17 -0600, "Pete C." >
> wrote:
>
>>Perhaps you should re-read where he indicated "Princess lines out of San
>>Diego".
>
> I caught that after I hit send. Do you feel better now that you're
> all superior?
>
> --
> I love cooking with wine.
> Sometimes I even put it in the food.

I think there should be a 30 minute delay, or a RETRACT button on computers.
I know I would buy one. TODAY!

Steve

Pete C. wrote:
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> Pete C. wrote:
>>> An "all-inclusive" is a resort (or cruise) with one fixed price for
>>> the duration. All food, drinks, activities, etc. are covered under
>>> the base price, so you can do whatever you want in the resort without
>>> ever having to pay extra charges.
>> You can get one of them for a trip to the top of Mt. Everest. The only
>> downside is that it cost $60,000 and you have to have some climbing
>> experience. Check out Himex if you are interested.
>
> I don't do cold. I left frozen CT for TX and have no intention of going
> back. Mt. E. is colder than CT - hell no!

My sentiments, exactly. I left New Jersey for way-the-heck-south Texas
where it was only about 70 for a high today and I'm freezing.

The only way I want to deal with S-N-O-W is to see it on top of a
mountain while I'm in the valley in a tee shirt and shorts.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

SO, HOW ABOUT THE NOROVIRUS? JUST KEEP CLEAN, WASH HANDS, USE SANITIZERS
(MAYBE TAKE YOUR OWN)?

Sorry, just looking for health info, not tour tips.

Steve

"Becca" > wrote in message
...
> Steve B wrote:
>> Have heard of this norovirus. What tips can you tell me about it? Foods
>> to avoid?
>>
> snip...
>> I'm really not looking forward to this. Limited time ashore, half the
>> trip listed at sea. But I've been stuck on a boat before, and know how
>> to cope. Spent about 1,500 nights on various sites working in the
>> oilfield.
>
> Wash your hands often and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Avoid
> touching handrails, doorknobs, etc. When you use the elevator, press the
> buttons with your knuckle, not your fingertips. I have been on about 60
> cruises and I have never caught the norovirus, but who knows, it could
> happen.
>
>
> Did you fill out all the info on the Princess website?
>
> You will get a daily Princess Patter in your cabin. Make sure you read
> this, it will tell you what is happening on the ship and where it is
> located. You may not feel like singing karaoke, but go, it can be a hoot
> to watch, the trivia games are also fun. They will have enough
> entertainment on the ship, that you will not get bored. On some cruises, I
> never leave the ship.
>
> Relax and have a ball. :-)
>
>
> Becca

I could kiss you! Do you realize you're the first person who answered all
my questions? If I hit the Lotto, I'm remembering your name.

Are you married?

Steve ;-)

"--Bryan" > wrote
Even in your room? Gee, on Amtrak you have to buy their high priced
drinks, EXCEPT if you have accommodations, then you can bring your
own, as long as you don't take it out of your room.
>
> Steve

--Bryan

You can bring ONE BOTTLE of wine or champagne. No hard liquor. You may
consume it in your room, otherwise a $15 corkage charge if you want it in
the dining room(s)..

Steve

Steve B wrote:
> "George Leppla" > wrote
>
>>> What's an all-inclusive?
>> All-inclusive resort where you pay one price and everything is included
>> including room, food, all drinks, tips, etc.
>
> Ours is anytime dining. I'm sure that's not the "all inclusive" package.

Most cruise lines are not all-inclusive. Your fare includes your cabin,
food (including room service), most entertainment. Bar drinks
(including soda), tips, shore excursions, etc are all extra cost.
Since cruise fares are so low, the cruise lines have come up with a lot
of ways to well you things. They call it "revenue enhancement".

Cruise lines tout that their cruise packages include almost
everything... but there is a lot of nickel and diming going on. If you
are smart and avoid stuff like "gold by the inch" and "art auctions",
you'll be fine.

George L

Janet Wilder wrote:

> We are going to New Jersey for granddaughter's bat mitzvah in April and
> are taking a 5 day cruise from Bayonne to Bermuda. The ship sails to
> Bermuda and stays in port over night. It becomes, in effect, your hotel
> during your visit.

You will love the Explorer of the Seas. If you haven't been on this
type of ship, make SURE you see the Ice Show. Yes... there is an ice
skating rink and they have some excellent shows.

George L

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> George Leppla wrote:
>
>> Cruises certainly aren't for everyone. If someone is set on doing
>> intensive sight-seeing, then a cruise ship is not for you. There are
>> river barge cruises in Europe that tend to combine some aspects of
>> cruising with intensive land tours. Look at
>> http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/ Becca and I hope to do one of
>> these sometime.
>
> I've considered the river cruises. They make more frequent stops and you
> see things other than just ocean along the way. I'd like to do a canal trip
> sometime too, sort of like driving only using water instead of roads.
>
>> Some people like cruising, some like camping, some like going to an
>> All-Inclusive. It is all good.
>
> Yes, they would not be building the big ships if people did not like them.
>
>

I think y'all would love river barge cruising. Part of most of the
European cruises are on canals. On ours we were on the Danube the Main,
then the Main-Rhine Canal for quite a bit until we hit the Rhine. There
were a lot of locks.

The barge usually puts in right in the heart of town. There is a guided
sightseeing tour in the morning and then you are free to wander on your
own. We absolutely fell in love with the river towns in Bavaria. It was
like the illustrations of a Grimm's Fairy Tales book had come to life.

Though there was awesome food on our Uniworld barge, we would often try
the local fare for lunch or a snack. Many times the travel person on
board would tell us what the local specialties were and we could then
try what we wanted. Got to taste some really awesome sausages and beers
as well as some great wines and Ansbacher coffee. YUM!

One day we got back to the barge for lunch and they had prepared a
Bavarian feast complete with roast suckling pig and about a dozen
varieties of sausages. The pastries and desserts were inspiring.

There are usually around 200 guests on these barges so it's quite
intimate. I got to know the head chef pretty well because he and I would
sing Karaoke in the lounge at night. One night he took me on a tour of
the kitchens. I was amazed at how little space they had to prepare all
that food.

If you are going to do a trip on water, I highly recommend river barges.
They are a lot more expensive than cruise ships but the individual
attention and the level of sophistication is worth it.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

"The Cook" > wrote

> If you hate the idea of the cruise why did you not refuse the offer.
> Did someone force you to go? Someone else might have loved to go in
> your place.
> --
> Susan N.

Our company offered it for free if you sold $100,000. I sold $178,000, so
didn't reach the Caribbean cruise level of $200,000. It was a take it or
leave it offer. No cash value. Not transferable. A $399 cruise for
$178,000 in sales. Don't know about you, but I'm thrilled ...... yawn
..........

And I don't "hate" the idea of a cruise. Just asking about ship board
conditions and the norovirus. We will be at sea about half the time, so I
guess it is a real "cruise".

Steve

"sf" > wrote

> I just went on one a couple of months ago and would like to go on
> another soon, but I think our next trip will be land based.

My next trip will be one month minimum trade out on Kauai for a vacation
rental.

Done deal.

Steve

"Becca" > wrote in message
...
> Chemo the Clown wrote:
>>> And they say they have a "wine bar" with "nominal pricing". I hear they
>>> get
>>> $10 to $15 for a real drink. Can't bring your own booze, either. Can't
>>> have what you buy onshore until you debark. Can anyone tell me about
>>> their
>>> experiences?
>>>
>>> snip.....
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>
>> A friend of mine takes cruises maybe 3-4 times a year. He fills
>> several water bottles with vodka and gin.
>>
>
> We have cruised with your friend, a couple of them.
>
> BTW, when you board the ship, you can take your own soft drinks, bottled
> water and a personal bottle of wine or champagne. You can also buy liquor
> in the ship's store.
>
>
> Becca

An idea, there. I have looked at the prices, and they sell 375 ml. bottles.
Price range $17 (Cutty) to $30 (Courvoisier) 375 ml. converts to 12.68 oz.
Not that bad. What's the limit on soft drinks and bottled water? I read
they have a daily card for like $5 that includes all the soda and ade drinks
you want. Know about that?

Steve

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> sf wrote:
>> So, eat lunch where you port if dinner is out. If you're on a cruise
>> to do more than just sample each port, you're out of luck unless
>> you're willing to foot the cost of paying of your own overnight stay
>> in a hotel and transportation to the next port where you want to get
>> back onboard. Cruises are for getting the feel of a place and
>> deciding if you want to return for a closer look. At least that's how
>> I use them. There are places, I've crossed off the list that way.
>> BTDT, move on.
>
> Our first tip to Europe was on a motor coach tour. We got to see many
> places in 10 days, a good sampling of the region. It was a good way to
> experience the land, learn how things work, know what we wanted to see in
> the future, etc. It made subsequent trips much easier. I'd still be
> standing in line trying to get a bite to eat at the Auto Grill had I not
> seen how it works. Just a bit different than the way we do counter foods.
> Tours also have the ability to get you in and out of places quickly instead
> of standing in long lines and the guides are very knowledgeable so you get a
> lot of information easily.
>
> I could enjoy a cruise for maybe a day or two, but once I've walked the
> ship, I'm ready to head out to some other places. I love the water, but day
> after day of ocean is not that exciting. I'd rather be driving or looking
> out the window on a train or bus. Driving has the advantage of being able
> to stop whenever you like. There is no place I don't want to go, just that
> I'd like to see some places more than others.

There is so much to do on a cruise ship, Ed. We had 6 sea days in a row
on our last voyage which was a transatlantic and we were never bored or
at a loss to do anything.

We played trivia a couple of times a day. The ship had a daily sudoku
puzzle. I went to the gym every morning (except for 3 times out of 14
days---pat-pat) There are pools and hot tubs and lounge chairs in the
sun for the lay-abouts. There are classes like vegetable carving and
towel folding or wine tasting. This cruise had a cocktail tasting, too.
We did one on another cruise and it was a lot of fun. We got to mix
cocktails and drink them.

There were lecturers on board, too. One fellow was from NASA and gave
lectures about the space program and stuff. Another lecturer talked
about some other stuff. We weren't interested, so I don't really
remember what it was.

There were bridge tournaments and card games and dominos.

There were seminars, too. One was on accupuncture. We also learned some
rudimentary Tagalog at a class and DH was having a grand time using it
on the waiter, who seemed to be delighted with it, and our cabin
attendant. I sat through a Spanish class and realized that I knew more
than I thought I did.

I climbed almost to the top of the rock wall and went in-line skating
with my girlfriend. Spent a lot of quality time in the steam room and
sauna, too. Passed up on getting a massage as I now have a gal locally
who is so awesome.

There are also ballroom dancing lessons and movies to watch in a theater
or on the TV in your stateroom. We had a group from the Cruise Critic
Roll Call board that got a room in the conference center and planned
some activities in advance.

The library has lots of books. There is also WiFi (not very cheap but
cheaper than Princess) if you need to find something on the computer or
check your email. If you don't have your own machine, they have several.

There is a show every evening in the theater. There is dancing into the
wee hours and several different venues so that you can take your pick.

There is also bingo (very pricey) and the casino where the machines are
tighter than -----.

Let me tell you that sitting on one's balcony with one's sweetie and an
adult beverage while watching the ocean can be very romantic.

One of the best parts of sea days is that we find time to be together
with nothing else to distract us ;-)

Of course this isn't for everyone, but don't knock it if you've never
tried it. Do a 3 day from a nearby port if you can and give it a try.
Lots of people get addicted to it like I am but that addiction does not
preclude my traveling other ways.
--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

sf wrote:
> On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 12:05:10 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" >
> wrote:
>
>> Our first tip to Europe was on a motor coach tour.
>
> That's something I could never do. To much packing and unpacking, too
> much being too close to people and the time tables (ugh). I don't do
> "early", so don't expect me to be up at the crack of dawn packing with
> a smile on my face.
>

We've done motorcoach tours in Mexico and they are our least favorite
way to travel.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Steve B wrote:
>>
>> Wash your hands often and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Avoid
>> touching handrails, doorknobs, etc. When you use the elevator, press the
>> buttons with your knuckle, not your fingertips. I have been on about 60
>> cruises and I have never caught the norovirus, but who knows, it could
>> happen.
>>
>>
>> Did you fill out all the info on the Princess website?
>>
>> You will get a daily Princess Patter in your cabin. Make sure you read
>> this, it will tell you what is happening on the ship and where it is
>> located. You may not feel like singing karaoke, but go, it can be a hoot
>> to watch, the trivia games are also fun. They will have enough
>> entertainment on the ship, that you will not get bored. On some cruises, I
>> never leave the ship.
>>
>> Relax and have a ball. :-)
>>
>>
>> Becca
>>
>
> I could kiss you! Do you realize you're the first person who answered all
> my questions? If I hit the Lotto, I'm remembering your name.
>
> Are you married?
>
> Steve ;-)

Steve, I sure hope you win the Lotto, now more than ever. lol


Becca

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> When you went to an attraction, they had a reservation and we walked right
> in while other tourists were standing lin line. There were many choices if
> you did not want to go with the crowd.

The ship excursions work exactly like that. No waiting in lines. They
have the tickets in advance.

I think most organized tours do this. We had similar experiences with
our land-based tour in London and Paris and the bus tours we arranged to
Granada and Cordoba when we were in Seville (on our own). It's very
difficult to get into the Alhambra without advance tickets.

Our Israeli tour is going to be on motorcoaches, but we stay at least
two nights in each place.



--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> George Leppla wrote:
>
>> I used to sell bus tours years ago and they are pretty popular. My
>> personal objections are that I hate riding in a bus and sticking to a
>> schedule. When I am on vacation, I like a little more leeway in the
>> daily schedule than a bus tour allows.
>
> On the Colette tour we were on, you had a couple of days of free time. We
> stayed in Venice for three nights, IIRC and one of the days had nothing
> scheduled. If you elected not to go on the group tour, so be it, that day
> was yours too. Only obligation was to leave to the next destination with the
> group.
>
> It is not something I'd do all the time, but it is a good introduction. SF
> used a cruise, this is a similar thing over a smaller area than she traveled
> in. When we went on our own, we rented a villa and stayed in the same
> place for a week and took day trips as we saw fit. There are tradeoffs in
> that we did not see as many places over a larger area, but we did see more
> of the localized stuff and interacted more with the locals. Buying
> groceries, for instance, rather than buying a meal at a restaurant. Buying
> wine for $3 a bottle rather than $15. We used to go to the same store most
> every day. I'd teach the owner a couple of words in English, he'd teach me
> a couple of words in Italian.
>
>
>> My business objections to selling bus tours was that often a tour
>> company would cancel a tour if they didn't sell a minimum number of
>> seats. It isn't fun calling people and telling them that the vacation
>> they thought they were going to take had been canceled at the last
>> minute and nothing else suitable was available.
>>
>>
>>> When you went to an attraction, they had a reservation and we walked
>>> right in while other tourists were standing lin line. There were
>>> many choices if you did not want to go with the crowd.
>> Yep... that is the way to do it. It is a good system. Most tour
>> operators who run tours for cruise line people offer similar services.
>>
>
>> I have never been to Europe and probably won't for for at least a few
>> years... and may only go the one time. Right now, I am thinking of
>> flying to London, spending a few days there, then doing a river cruise
>> through Germany, then heading to Rome for a few days. But the time
>> needed to do it right is more than I can take off while I am still
>> working.
>
> To do that right could take 3 to 6 weeks. Or you could take 6 months Once
> in London, it is a short train ride to Paris for a couple of nights too.
> (on the way to Germany?) I like Rome, but I like Florence and surrounding
> area even more. Even if you are traveling on your own, consider a local bus
> tour in Rome to see the highlights for a day and then go back to areas
> you've missed or want to see more in depth.
>
> The killer for the trip is the value of the dollar against the Euro.
>
>
That sounds like our trip. We did London for 3 days then took the train
to Paris for 3 days. Then we flew to Budapest for a day and got on the
river barge.

We spent a day in Amsterdam after the river barge and then flew to
Seville where we spent 3 days taking day trips to Cordova and Granada
and then touring Seville.

From Seville we went to Barcelona and took a Mediterannean cruise that
stopped in Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Palermo then back to Barcelona.

We were supposed to spend a couple of days in Barcelona and take a
transatlantic back to the US but DH got sick on the cruise and we spent
a horrible week in Palermo. He was in the hospital for 5 days.

This trip to Barcelona and transatlantic cruise were the "do-over" It
was well worth the wait.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Becca wrote:
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> When you went to an attraction, they had a reservation and we walked
>> right in while other tourists were standing lin line. There were many
>> choices if you did not want to go with the crowd.
>>
>> There were 44 people on the bus, a few less than the 3500 on a cruise
>> ship.
>
> The river barges are not very big, they hold about 150 people. Since we
> are still working, we have focused on 7-day cruises, but in the next
> year or so, we plan on trying one of the European river cruises. We have
> clients who are just wild about them. I'm not sure how I will feel about
> it, but I will give it a try.

You will love, love, love it! Just make sure you go with a good line. Go
for a quality company. There are many companies but a lot have old boats
and no one who speaks English. Use one of the American companies like
Uniworld, Viking or Avalon. They all have good reps. You can also check
out the river cruise section on cruisecritic.com for recommendations.

I can't wait until we do our next river barge. If they weren't so
expensive and far away, we'd do more, we loved ours that much.

Also, try vacationstogo.com They always have good discounts.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Ranée at Arabian Knits wrote:
> In article >,
> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>
>> I think Steve has the same idea about cruises that I have. You spend a lot
>> of time on the boat and little time on shore where you'd really want to be.
>> I'd like to hear his thoughts when he returns.
>
> I think I'd enjoy an Atlantic crossing. Or a privately hired ship
> for a small group of friends/family, but I'm not sure I'm keen on the
> floating city.
>

I'm not keen on a floating city either which is why I draw the line at
the Voyager class ship which holds about 3,000 people but doesn't seem
to be at all crowded. Those new mega ships are not my cup of tea. If I
wanted to visit a city, I'd go to Houston or San Antonio and not float
on one at sea. Those huge new ships are too big to even fit in most ports.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Janet Wilder wrote:
> Becca wrote:
>> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>> When you went to an attraction, they had a reservation and we walked
>>> right in while other tourists were standing lin line. There were
>>> many choices if you did not want to go with the crowd.
>>>
>>> There were 44 people on the bus, a few less than the 3500 on a cruise
>>> ship.
>>
>> The river barges are not very big, they hold about 150 people. Since
>> we are still working, we have focused on 7-day cruises, but in the
>> next year or so, we plan on trying one of the European river cruises.
>> We have clients who are just wild about them. I'm not sure how I will
>> feel about it, but I will give it a try.
>
> You will love, love, love it! Just make sure you go with a good line. Go
> for a quality company. There are many companies but a lot have old boats
> and no one who speaks English. Use one of the American companies like
> Uniworld, Viking or Avalon. They all have good reps. You can also check
> out the river cruise section on cruisecritic.com for recommendations.
>
> I can't wait until we do our next river barge. If they weren't so
> expensive and far away, we'd do more, we loved ours that much.
>
> Also, try vacationstogo.com They always have good discounts.



Pssst, Janet..... I have it on very good authority that Becca is... I
mean has... I mean are... a very good travel agent.... agents.
Whatever. <vbg>

http://www.cruisemaster.com/meetgeo.htm

George L

Janet Wilder wrote:
>> The river barges are not very big, they hold about 150 people. Since
>> we are still working, we have focused on 7-day cruises, but in the
>> next year or so, we plan on trying one of the European river cruises.
>> We have clients who are just wild about them. I'm not sure how I will
>> feel about it, but I will give it a try.
>
> You will love, love, love it! Just make sure you go with a good line.
> Go for a quality company. There are many companies but a lot have old
> boats and no one who speaks English. Use one of the American companies
> like Uniworld, Viking or Avalon. They all have good reps. You can also
> check out the river cruise section on cruisecritic.com for
> recommendations.
>
> I can't wait until we do our next river barge. If they weren't so
> expensive and far away, we'd do more, we loved ours that much.
>
> Also, try vacationstogo.com They always have good discounts.

Thanks for the advice, Janet. So far, everyone is pleased with the job
Viking does, so chances are we will cruise with them. Some of the
companies will cancel a cruise if the ship is not full, but Viking does
not do that.


It sounds like you really enjoyed your river barge cruise, I am so glad
to hear that. :-)


Becca

On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:50:42 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 07:34:39 -0800 (PST), --Bryan >
>wrote:
>
>>Even in your room? Gee, on Amtrak you have to buy their high priced
>>drinks, EXCEPT if you have accommodations, then you can bring your
>>own, as long as you don't take it out of your room.
>
>Them's the rules. Play by them or don't go.

We took a 40 of bourbon on the cruise, we never took it out of the room. But
you have to watch that you don't leave it on the desk as they will confiscate
it. We always locked it in the safe when we left the room.

Nancy Young wrote:
> Janet Wilder wrote:
>
>> A cab driver in Funchal, Madiera told us how to sneak booze onto a
>> cruise ship. He had taken us to a wine tasting and we found the wines
>> to be rather 'feh' but did like the local rum a lot. He suggested we
>> get a bottle of water, drink it and fill the bottle with the pint of
>> rum. No problem getting it on the ship.
>
> I guess things have changed, on the cruise I took, there was a big
> liquor store right at the docks ... nothing was said about not bringing it
> on board the ship, you were just informed you couldn't bring home
> more than 6 bottles. I had a big bottle of Bailey's to make the coffee
> drinkable ... I'd get it from the snack bar every morning and it was
> pretty bad.
> I had no idea you weren't supposed to open booze on the ship,
> never mind that you couldn't bring it on board.

Different cruise lines have different rules about bringing liquor on
board. I am fairly certain it has a lot to do with liability issues as
well as revenue issues.


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

George Leppla wrote:
> Janet Wilder wrote:
>
>> We are going to New Jersey for granddaughter's bat mitzvah in April
>> and are taking a 5 day cruise from Bayonne to Bermuda. The ship sails
>> to Bermuda and stays in port over night. It becomes, in effect, your
>> hotel during your visit.
>
> You will love the Explorer of the Seas. If you haven't been on this
> type of ship, make SURE you see the Ice Show. Yes... there is an ice
> skating rink and they have some excellent shows.
>
> George L

Thanks, George.

I've done 4 cruises on Voyager of the Seas and the ships are, except for
decor items, identical. Been to the ice shows on all voyages and twice
on the last one. Went to a regular performance then back a second time
for the Platinum/Diamond performance. The girl fell both times, but the
shows are spectacular.

I'm looking forward to this cruise. It will be something different.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.