Live Cruise Q&A! Easter Sunday 9 April 2023. Get Your Questions Answered

[@markeaston7353]

Thanks Gary. I always learn so much from your live Q&A sessions.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@nanfrostsfashionfocusstyle6250]

Thanks for the tip about Barcelona being a nice port for embarkation!

[@andreac6074]

Thank you for this livestream, although I'm catching up later! Always informative and inspirational. My favourite cruise was Cyprus to Muscat, on an independent ship (MS Voyager, from Voyages of Discovery) in 2016 that sadly is no longer in business.

[@lw3158]

Just when I think I'm going to take a break from cruising, you come along with another of your great live chats! Well we have a land vacation coming up in May, France & Italy and I just said to my husband, I'm going to take another cruise in the fall, he said ok, great, have a nice time.

[@tipsfortravellers]

ok :-) well I hope you do as sure you will have a great time and his loss?? :-)

[@cruisingfromtheozarks]

Excited for the MSC to Norway in your future as we are booked on the MSC Euribia in fall of 2024!!!

[@cruisingfromtheozarks]

Watching the replay as usual. Can’t catch you live because it’s during church, but still enjoy the replay!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching the replay!

[@janiekcarney5482]

Good Morning!!!

[@vickielee9397]

Great info Gary.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks 👍🏻👍🏻

[@scottbrown8976]

Gary. Sorry we missed your last Q&A session. I have a Cape Town port question : we are on SilverSeas departing Cape Town on January 27,2024 for 15 nights. Question: is cruise ship docking in Cape Town especially problematic due to winds and swells? Asking because on February 11, 2024 we have a domestic Flight to catch and an on time return to Cape Town will be very important. Thanks for any thoughts you may have on Cape Town port delays which we might encounter. Scott Brown

[@dianacarragher5845]

Hello Gary missed the live chat I'm in Sydney so a time difference The people who asked about which cruise line P&O a better choice but the are not like P&O UK but they have a long history 90 yrs in fact. I like more refined cruising these days on Celebrity Eclipse on the 19 th we are Elite status and concierge stateroom we are both ex P&O staff from the late 60 and 70 so have watched cruising evolve. Love blogs and knowledge.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks!

[@gratefultube]

Is cruising about as close to eternal life as one can get in this lifetime?

[@francesgill8621]

I'm doing Panama canal o. Windstar in December, 7 day but full transit. Really looking forward to it.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Fabulous!!!!

[@miguelteixeira2267]

Hi Gary, I don't see any recent videos about Costa Cruises, which I love to do, what's your opinion regarding that cruise company and why isn't normally on your list? :) Incredible channel :)

[@PamalaClift]

Is it true? Holland is no longer having Lincoln Center and BBC? That might be the last straw for our cruising with Holland. Then Eurodam just becomes and old ship floating on the water. Heard the entertainment sucks and it is now awkward to get around. I am near tears…

[@joyturnbull-eb8hh]

About 90/180 days in EU. We’ve just done Northern Europe cruise from Southampton, our passport was never looked at when we went to all EU ports so in our case these days in port did not contribute to our 90/180

[@tipsfortravellers]

The line submits all the passenger details to each port / immigration rather than individual passport screening though

[@glynismccartneyintricatesc5281]

❄️☀️❤️🇨🇦

[@achromatic03]

Question: for the all-included luxury cruises (silverseas) that include excursions. If you do one of their specialty excursions that costs above what is included, do you pay the FULL price of that excursion? Or is it discounted? It seems like it would be discounted the max amount of an included excursion, but I can't find this answer anywhere. Thanks for your unique content!

[@tipsfortravellers]

They seem to have discounts on the cruise planner for my cruise if not booked one of the included , so assume that is normal!

[@nushratj]

Hello, are you in NYC? I may have seen you in a subway station. Happy travelling.

[@tipsfortravellers]

No, it wasn’t me. I’m in London right now

[@nancyz1728]

The Ms.Konigsdam has been in Portland OR for weeks. Is there a refurbishment facility there?

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes must a facility there be as they ship is in dry dock right now, so must be taking place there. All ships have to undergo regular dry docks where they have hull cleaned, engine checked etc. Sometimes they will also update things like carpets etc. They tend to go into the large shipyards mostly in Europe if having bigger internal changes made (e.g. changes of layout, new cabins added etc)

[@luismanes3762]

Hi Gary, love your channel. My wife and I are going on Oceania sirena next month. As far as a dress code for dinner, are jeans, dress shirt, and sports jacket acceptable? Would you suggest going with dress slacks instead?

[@tipsfortravellers]

Slacks yes. Jeans not allowed in theory

[@luismanes3762]

@@tipsfortravellers Awesome, thanks for the reply Gary. Cheers from Miami, FL.

[@dogzdad123]

Gary: Sorry to have missed your live Q&A this morning, but I did watch your replay tonight. I do have a question for you, if you have a moment. I have put a deposit on a Princess cruise around Japan next March on board their "Diamond" ship. My travel agent steered me toward booking this cruise in reply to my inquiries about visiting Japan. Upon a deep dive into the ship, I found that it has a checkered (recent) past. Namely, how it handled an onboard COVID crisis, and a swapping of ship names (on some other issue). QUESTION: Should I be stay put and trust Princess has learned from their past experiences, and stop worrying? Or, look for an alternative? Thanks!

[@tipsfortravellers]

The Princess Japan itinerary is a good one, as is the Holland America one. Princess has been a bit patchy in terms of service, food etc since end of shutdown. They do seem to be working too improve. I am not a huge Princess fan as think they slip a bit behind HAL and Celebrity, which are their closest competitors. However, they have been in Japan doing this season for a long time and know it well and so sure it will be a good trip.

[@dogzdad123]

@@tipsfortravellers Thank You! 👍

[@mcgarrett5oh]

Hi Gary, We are in a Aqua Sky Suite on Celebrity Beyond in January 2024 and had not found in any of my research that we could eat in any of the 4 specialty restaurants without paying. I believe we are limited to Blu and Illuminae. Is this a new policy? Thanks!

[@tipsfortravellers]

When I was on Celebrity in Retreat on Silhouette and Edge was told could eat in any of the included dining rooms. Do worst case it’s only Blu & Luminae 👍🏻

[@allansr100]

Hi Garry - are you aware of the disastrous implementation of the new Azamara website?

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes! I’ve been hearing lots from people going crazy with bookings, etc. 😬😬😬😬