cruisingfun

Hi Skipper: Congratulations on booking the cruise to South America. Would love to do a South American cruise either on Oceania or maybe try Azamara. Enjoy your Oceania cruise Terry

Hi Skipper: I sailed on Oceania Cruise Line's ship, Nautica this past August. It was the same itinerary that JohnG wrote about (Barcelona to Athens). The staff treated us with exceptional courtesy. We loved the fact that there were no photographers always sticking those cameras in your faces. After a full-day of sightseeing in Florence, we were welcomed back to the ship with the band playing, cold towels to freshen up with and cold water to drink. It was great being in a smoke-free Casino even if it was small. They had penny slot machines. I would not hesitate to sail on Oceania in the future. I am almost dreading my Carnival Cruise in January because the experience will be so different. Wished Oceania would sail out of Galveston. I have some pictures and have scanned in the daily program for the day at sea, the bar menu and laundry pricing on the following website: http://picasaweb.google.com/AACruise Terry

Hi Cheryl: It is difficult to find reasonably price hotel's in Galveston. My daughter went to Texas A&M at Galveston for 4 years and most of the time when we went down to visit we ended up staying in Texas City (about 20 miles north). You could try using Priceline to find a hotel. I looked on Google Maps for the address of your hotel. It didn't appear to be in a "bad" part of town. Did you check http://www.galveston.com/default.asp for hotels? They showed the following events occuring during November: NOVEMBER Texas Aviation Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Gala Lone Star Motorcycle Rally This mind-blowing Galveston Park Board sponsored event is a four-day Island-wide affair attracting more than 250,000 bikers and motorcycle admirers. The largest of its kind in Texas, the rally features motorcycle processions, drag racing on the sand, Lil' Hawg races, live entertainment, poker runs, concept vehicles and much more! Galveston.com and Company Epicurean Evening The Galveston.com & Company "Great Taste of the Gulf" Epicurean Evening takes place each year, where guests have the opportunity to sample some of the Gulf Coast's finest cuisine and beverages from Galveston County's top restaurateurs, hoteliers and dedicated suppliers. Strand Christmas Tree Lighting Held at Saengerfest Park, 23rd & Strand Downtown Farmers Market Held at Saengerfest Park, 23rd & Strand, the second Saturday of every month Annual Greek Festival I have a feeling that the Motorcycle Rally will be going on during the time that you plan to be there. There were a few events that my daughter & her friends would get of Galveston for the weekend. The motorcycle was one of those events. Enjoy your cruise Terry

Good Morning: If your ship overnights at Maui (and I believe it does), then I would take the Sunrise excursion to Mt. Halekala. It is amazing to see the sun rising above this inactive volcano. If you decide on this tour, then please bring gloves and a jacket as it downright cold. My husband & I were there in June and at daybreak the temperature was right around freezing. Here is link to the National Park website: http://www.nps.gov/hale There is also a vineyard on Maui, Tedeschi Winery. They have a tasting room and offer a short tour of the winery. The Maui Splash wine is made from pineapple juice and is actually very good. Not too sweet. Terry

Sunbeam: Thanks for the camera information. My husband & I are looking for a new digital camera to use on our Oceania cruise this summer. I have an old Sony Mavica that uses floppy disks, but none of our new computers have a floppy disk drive. My daughter's boyfriend has the Olympus Digital camera that you can use underwater, so we are leaning towards that one. Also considering the Pentax Underwater Digital Camera. But the Olypmus pictures are a little better. Thanks again, Terry

Thanks for sharing the pictures. The ship looks great. What brand of digital camera did you use? Terry

Good Morning: About the only time I can think of that the cruise lines will require full payment is if you booked your cruise within 60-70 days or so prior to departure. I looked on the Royal Caribbean website for answers (FAQ's) and found the following: Final payment of the balance must be received at Royal Caribbean's offices at least 60 days prior to the sailing date for 3, 4, or 5-night cruise vacations and 70 days prior to the sailing date for 7-night or longer cruise vacations. The payment schedule for groups is different from that of individuals. You will usually receive cruise and air documents no later than 28 days before the start of your cruise. For all holiday sailings, (Christmas and New Year's), payment is due 90 days prior to sailing. It may be that your travel company does not want the accounting headaches that can occur with frequent payments. Terry

Thanks Jason Believe it or not I never noticed the "Planning" section. Great information Terry

Good Morning: Does anyone have a suggestion for a Med Cruise Port book? I found one at Barnes & Noble, but it was pretty lame. The best book we found was Europe by Rail. Excellent information and resources, but it had more information than we really needed. Thanks Terry

Hi Byron: You may want to look at SuperShuttles: http://www.supershuttle.com/htm/cities/pbi.htm. According to their web site they serve all cities in Florida. They have a fare listed from Palm Beach to Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale port) for $64 one way, but I didn't see anything for Miami. Other than taxi's and if they don't have a lot luggage, they could use the Tri-Rail service (http://www.tri-rail.com/) from Palm Beach to the Miami airport and then take a taxi from the airport to their hotel. But be aware, they would need to use the shuttle bus service between the airport and the Tri-rail station. Another option would be to rent a car. Terry

Hi JohnG: Thanks for your reply. I had already read your review (enjoyable read by the way). My husband & I were looking at staying at the Renaissance Hotel near the Barcelona airport. I will look up your hotel suggestion. Terry

Good Afternoon: My husband & I are planning an Oceania Cruise this Summer from Barcelona to Athens. The ship will offer ports of call in Provence, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Rome, Amalfi, Messina, Valletta and Santorini. Though we have traveled to Rome and Florence (on land trips), I am not that familiar as to "have to see" sights in the other ports. We plan on spending 2 nights prior to the cruise in Barcelona and 2 nights after the cruise in Athens. Any ideas on what to see & do would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Terry

Good Afternoon: My husband & I are planning an Oceania Cruise this Summer from Barcelona to Athens. The ship will offer ports of call in Provence, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Rome, Amalfi, Messina, Valletta and Santorini. Though we have traveled to Rome and Florence (on land trips), I am not that familiar as to "have to see" sights in the other ports. We plan on spending 2 nights prior to the cruise in Barcelona and 2 nights after the cruise in Athens. Any ideas on what to see & do would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Terry

Hi All: Sorry I haven't been around in while. I had to think long & hard about what is my least favorite thing about cruising and I have to say the following (and will probably get flamed for the comments): 1) I have trouble with parents that let their kids run around unsupervised during the cruise and expect the cruise line personnel to monitor their children at all times. I was on the Splendour of the Seas about a month ago. The captain made an announcement that parents are to supervise their children (when not in the kid's program) and if there is any unruly behavior the family would have to disembark at the next port of call. 2) Underage drinking. This can be a real problem especially with parent's that buy their underage teens drinks. Terry

Hi Cindy: Here is a link where you can book your transfers from either Houston Intercontinental Airport or Houston Hobby Airport: http://transportation.galveston.com/ Houston's IAH is about 1 1/2 hours from Galveston and Hobby is about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic. (Which can be horrendous at almost any time of the day) As far as hotels, personally, I wouldn't book any hotel across the beach. The weather in January can be on the cool side. The beach is disappointing especially if you are used to Florida and the Caribbean. Both of the following hotels, The Tremont House (located on the Strand in downtown Galveston) or the Hotel Galvez are Historic hotels. If you are interested in ghosts, the Hotel Galvez is supposed to have them. Though when I stayed at that hotel, we weren't bothered. Another good hotel is Moody Gardens. Though if you have money to burn than I would stay at the San Luis Resort (which is across from the beach). Here is a link to Galveston information: [url=http://www.galveston.com/cruising/]http://www.galveston.com/cruising/ If you working with a travel agent, they should be able to help you with all of your pre-cruise arrangements. You can also purchase a hotel package and transfers from Princess. Have fun planning your trip Terry

Hi Joey: There was a Concierge Level discount available, but not any longer. There is still a Senior (over age 55) discount available. As far I can tell, there are not regional promotions available. Other specials available are for the Deluxe category and Inside staterooms. As the ship fills, the specials are discontinued that is why it is important that you as consumer and your travel agent need to be vigilant. Have a great afternoon. We are finally getting some rain here in North Texas. Terry

Hi Joey: Without knowing the specifics of your cruise, I can tell you Royal Caribbean (and most likely Celebrity Cruise Lines since they are part of the same company) will adjust the price of your cruise even if you have paid in full. Please check with your travel agent Terry

Hi Joey: I will try to answer your question to the best of my knowledge. Other TA's may have different answers. There could be many reasons why a discount was given to one person and not to another: 1) May be a regional promotion and only available to select areas 2) May be a 55 or older special rate (hate saying Senior citizen rate since I can qualify). At least one passenger in the cabin has to be 55 or older to qualify 3) Could be a group rate and once the TA sells out their blocked inventory, any new bookings could have a higher rate 4) Could be a special promotion only available to new bookings You can always check the cruise line website to verify rates. Though I will say the sites don't always show the government fees until later in the booking process. Port charges are usually shown upfront as the cost of the cruise: for instance, a un-named cruise line has a 3-day Pacific coast cruise starting at $249 per person but there is an additional $44.94 per person in government fees that needs to be added in. I know my customers that travel together compare rates and they compare the rates they received with other passengers. But it is very difficult to please everyone. I don't know whether I have answered your question. If not, let me know. Terry

Good Afternoon: This is both a tip and a warning for sailing on Grand Princess. We splurged one year and booked a Mini-suite guarantee. We ended up with a forward mini-suite. The suite was great and loved having a tub. Be aware, since this suite was under the flying bridge, whenever the deck hands washed the bridge area your balcony would get soaked. My husband found out the hard way one morning while drinking coffee out on the balcony. So if you would like a mini-suite book one mid-ship and don't take a guarantee. On Royal Caribbean's, Empress of the Seas don't waste your money booking the Junior Suites. These cabins are not much bigger than regular oceanview cabins. The junior suites are located on the deck below the pool deck, so there is a lot of noise especially when the staff is setting up for a pool party. Royal Caribbean should reclassify these cabins as a minimum oceanview with balcony and not as a junior suite. Terry

Hi: If we are driving to the port (Galveston or Houston), we usually take some bottled water and Dr. Pepper. If we need to fly to Florida or the port of departure, then we buy the water at the first port of call and Dr. Pepper if they have it. St. Thomas does not sell Dr. Pepper for some strange reason. FrostyBoy64, my husband says nothing mixes with Dr. Pepper. What have you found that will mix with Dr. Pepper? Terry

Hi: I found the following information at the Red Sail website: Stingray City Catamaran Sails Stingray City Lunch and Snorkel Sail Take a 4 hour trip to famous Stingray City on our Lunch/Snorkel Sail. Snorkel equipment is provided and lessons are available. Snorkel in 12 feet of water. Enjoy a delicious, deli-style lunch before you head back to your cruise ship. Bring your own towel, sun protection and cash for drinks. Time: 9:00am - 1:pm Check-in: 8:45am at Safehaven Dock off Seven Mile Beach It appears that you will need to take a taxi to the Safehaven Dock. But like Schatje suggested, you may want to contact the tour operator (or your travel agent) for exact directions. Terry

Good Morning All, According to the latest Princess Press Release: http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na819 (hope this link is clickable) They are really stepping up to the plate by refunding the cost of the cruise and reimbursment of expenses. Terry

JohnG: Thanks for the information and link for L.J. Comier. Terry

Hi Bryon: You may want to look at the following website for transportation information to Galveston from the Houston Airports: http://transportation.galveston.com/ The least expensive roundtrip transfers from Houston Intercontinental Airport is $150 for 2 people through the above website. Enterprise Rental car used to offer a one-way option from the Houston airports to Galveston, but according to a client of mine that option is no longer available. You may want to give Enterprise a call or check with your travel agent. Purchasing the transfers through Royal Caribbean may be a better option. Terry

Hi: There are some all-inclusive cruises that will include your liquor and tipping. For example: Radisson/Seven Seas, Silversea or Seabourn. There may be others and I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. Occasionally the above lines have some good cruise bargains. Hope this helps. Terry