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constantcruiser

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    Rowlett, Texas, USA

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. We lived in Hawaii for many years before moving to Texas (ouch!) and are staying with our booking on Solstice in September. Obviously it's no longer possible to dock in Lahaina, and ships going to other parts of Maui will have lengthy and sometimes rough tendering. The shallow waters around Kauai make it impossible for even mid-sized ships to dock there, and any larger ships cruising along the coastline will remain at a considerable distance from the shore. Although the Big Island is not my favorite, the volcanic landscape is literally like no other place in the world. Astronauts train there because the terrain is similar to the moon. Kailua-Kona is beautiful, and I understand that some businesses which were destroyed in Lahaina have relocated there. We're just going to enjoy the days at sea and then spend a few days on our "home island" of Oahu. I agree that, if this is your first trip to Hawaii, you would be better off visiting by air...but we're just looking forward to a relaxing voyage.
  2. We're on the Sept. 23 sailing from Vancouver to Hawaii, which is home for us. Kauai has a small dock and would require tendering. Probably wouldn't be worth the stop for the short time the ship could spend there.
  3. We were on Radiance's second northbound sailing this season, which departed Vancouver and disembarked in Seward. Fortunately we flew into Vancouver the day before the cruise departed, because we spent 2 hours in Immigration when we arrived. Although we've visited Canada many times, this was our first visit since the start of COVID and I assumed that was the reason for the strict enforcement. However, I met a Canadian woman on the cruise who said it was due to a rash of gun smuggling. Handguns and assault rifles are illegal in Canada, and apparently there have recently been a number of cases of Americans smuggling weapons across the border where they can be sold for a higher price than they could get in the US.
  4. On our second RCCL cruise back in the 80's there was a middle-aged man at our table who was a real character. He outdrank, out-gambled, and out-partied all of us. He introduced himself as "FM" and said he sold fire extinguishers. He danced with many of the older ladies, and I even tried to set him up with a couple of them. On the last night of the cruise, he came to the table wearing a priest's collar. At first we thought it was a joke, but then he told us the only way he can truly enjoy his vacation is if no one knows his true calling. FM stands for Father Mike and his goal is to keep people from meeting fire in the afterlife! He has long since retired, but we still exchange Christmas cards every year. So there may be a clergyman on your cruise who just wants people to treat him as a fellow passenger.
  5. The Port Shopping Director is paid by the stores to recommend them. I assume Diamonds International is now well-recognized and no longer needs the publicity, so they stopped the kickback.
  6. We are D+ and were on Radiance to Alaska three weeks ago. No champagne, water or soda in the stateroom, although C&A had specifically asked us what we wanted upon arrival. No special D/D+ event. No gift at the end of the cruise. I'm not sure if the Loyalty Ambassador was even on board, because I visited her office and called her twice during the cruise; but she was never there and didn't return my calls. The ship is very short-staffed right now (down 130 in dining services alone) so the Loyalty Ambassador position would be one that could easily have been vacant. Thankfully both the Diamond and Concierge Lounges were fully staffed, as were most of the other bars. Internet was not working most of the cruise, in fact the only time when you could even access the app was when you were off the ship in port!
  7. We were on Radiance Northbound three weeks ago. We did a private 8-hour excursion from Seward to Anchorage, and the bus departed Seward at 8:00 am. I simply went to Guest Services, explained the situation, and she gave me #2 departure tags. We were off the ship at 7:00 and were two of the first people to board the bus. The Seward "terminal" is just a small warehouse, and they only bring out a few bags at a time. Smoothest debarkation in 50+ cruises, so you should have no problems.
  8. Getting the last Texas A&M/Univ. of Texas game on the ship was the only reason my family agreed to a Thanksgiving cruise. We booked nearly a year in advance and I must have called the Crown & Anchor Society 20 times over the course of those 12 months. Every time they assured me the game would be shown on board. If you've ever been on a cruise leaving from Galveston, you know that at least 75% of the passengers are Texans; and others had also checked to be sure the game would be shown. So it was particularly disappointing when the CD announced they would show the Baltimore game instead. Frankly I was afraid my family would fly home midway through the cruise and I would be stuck cooking a turkey!
  9. We were on the Radiance Northbound cruise May 20-27 and the weather was heavenly....60-70 degrees and sunny everyday. We actually bought a couple of short-sleeved t-shirts along the way because the clothes we packed were too warm. But the crew said the weather the week before was miserable. So be prepared for anything and everything...and have a wonderful time! By the way, we skipped Sitka because they are repairing the dock there. I don't know how long that process will take, but we visited Icy Strait Point instead and loved it.
  10. I made an interesting discovery while visiting a laundromat in Barcelona between cruises. I put my clothes in the washers about 1:45 and stepped just outside into the courtyard. When I returned about 20 minutes later, the doors were locked and the sign said they'd reopen at 5:00! I didn't realize how seriously the Spanish take siesta....
  11. Several years ago our family did a Thanksgiving cruise leaving out of Galveston, TX. It happened to be the last time Texas A&M and the Univ. of Texas played each other, and everyone aboard the ship seemed to be wearing maroon or burnt orange. On the second day, the Cruise Director announced that they would show the Baltimore game on Thanksgiving Day, and there was nearly a mutiny. So many passengers called Guest Services to complain that their phone lines were constantly busy. By the 3rd day, the CD was begging people to stop calling and said they were doing their best to get the rights to the college game. Every day their progress in getting the game was the highlight of the Captain's update from the bridge. The day before Thanksgiving, the CD announced the game would be shown in the theatre AND in the largest bar. It was a very close game; and on that one day, the ship sold more beer than it ever had before! So don't give up if you REALLY want a specific game.
  12. We were on Radiance the week of May 20, and were told by our Cabin Steward on the 2nd day that there were no robes available on that ship. We are D+ and it's the first time that has ever happened to us.
  13. We were on the Navigator to Alaska the week of May 20, and I observed only one man wearing a tux, and very few in suits. My husband wore a long-sleeved dress shirt, tie, and dress slacks and he was the most "formally" dress man at our table of 8. I wore black dress pants with a a black lace top, and lots of bling and felt very comfortable. For us flying to ports just doesn't allow for lots of extra clothes.
  14. I'm definitely in the minority here. Our cruise next week will be our 51st (mostly on Celebrity), and I've gotten over the "must be the first person on the ship" phase. Now we prefer the 12:30-1:00 arrival time, so we can sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. By the time we're checked in on the ship, we can go directly to our cabin instead of spending 2 hours jammed into the Windjammer with every other passenger and his/her luggage
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