Tmeister

Of those that I've been on so far, I'd rank Celebrity #1 and RCCL #2, but it's been a while (1992 and 1999) since I've been on an RCCL ship, and cruise food seems to have taken a nose dive in quality thoughout the industry in the last 10 years. Princess is a close third in the dining room, but I'd rate it first in the buffet. Food quality in Carnival dining rooms was good, as was a lot of the buffet, but the "Carnival" atmosphere in the dining room ruined it for me. I couldn't stand having the maitre d' screaming over a microphone and the waitstaff singing, dancing and marching around while I was trying to enjoy my meal. Food on NCL was good in quality but fairly bland, buffets were smaller than on other lines, but NCL takes the crown for serving hot food hot. They're amazing!

Afew years ago, Princess served a stewed beef dish on Italian night, kind of like Swiss steak. The waiter practically begged me to order something else, but I really wanted beef that night. It was tough, loaded with gristle and not very tasty. Clearing away my plate, with most of the meat still on it, the waiter asked, "How did you enjoy your meal, sir?" in a voice that shouted, "I told you so!!"

The same dish was still on the menu a year later, and I avoided it like the plague. I heard several diners around us complaining about it.

Ours go in the dryer and come out table-ready.

We bought several tablecloths in St Thomas. I don't know if all came from Mr. Tablecloth, but some of them did. The cotton ones do need to be ironed, and it's a real chore, but they look good when they're ironed. The no-iron ones are polyester and have a slick, "cheezy" feel. They're like TV dinners: convenient but nothing like the real thing!

I've had the same thing happen after each cruise. The firmer the ground I'm on, the more it moves! Concrete sidewalks really wobble a lot for a few days, then it passes.