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Why not do the math? If you were paying as you go: that breakfast buffet would cost you around $10, your lunch with drinks around $20, your dinner with wine and all the in between snacks and drinks $75. A 15% tip would be $15.75. That doesn’t even include the room steward or others you may tip. So it would be cheaper and more convenient to just pay the added gratuities. You’re not obligated to tip anyone more, but I hope you do.

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My bad knees were acting up on my last cruise and I was having trouble with the rough seas. My daughter suggested I purchase a cane at our first stop. I’m glad she did. Right after getting my cane we were waiting for an elevator and a lady behind me picked up her cane and pushed past me forcing me to use my cane to keep from falling. There were gasps from other passengers and one “Did you see that?”

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Princess regularly have a very large group for "Concerts at Sea". We had the misfortune of being on one of their cruises. There were around 1000 of them. They had many activities that were restricted to them. They took over everything and limited venues etc. for others.

We are on a Concerts at Sea cruise but not as a participant. I can always chill on my balcony. And since this is my I beat breast cancer cruise, I’m not letting anything bring me down. [emoji4]

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just wait until the Browns are in the super bowl

I hope they do. If the Steelers do not, of course [emoji846]

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We were on the Crown four years ago when a large group from Cleveland were doing their annual Super Bowl Cruise. They took over the ship. Shorts in the MDR on formal night and they (staff) let them in. Said there were too many of them and wasn't worth trying. Bottles and glasses in the pools and no one said anything about that either. The group basically did what ever they wanted and no one said a word about it.

Well considering their chances of making it to an actual Super Bowl in the near future is very slim maybe we should let them have a little fun. Who let the dogs out? Yes, I’m a Steeler fan.

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Because IF the guest has removed the auto tip, the waiter would have to hand in the tip to the tipping pool. If you paid the autotip then he would get to keep what you gave him. So he or his supervisor will have to check. They take this very seriously.

Correct. Good for you for tipping.

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The next one!

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My daughter and I did one of the gourmet dinners, I can’t remember which one. We were seated beside a couple and the other ladies at the table were looking down on the wife. My daughter and I decided to draw her out. Yes, she was kind of provocatively dressed, hair, makeup and jewelry, overdone, but we found out that she was from a former Soviet nation. She had some great stories and we had a lovely time talking to her. You can’t judge a book...

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My problem with ginger is that you cannot tell how much of a dose to take.

 

For all of your who are comparing Bonine and Dramamine you should know that they contain the SAME generic medicine called Meclazine.

 

Meclazine is the generic that you would get if you went to the doc on the ship to ask for anti seasick meds.

 

It is the ingredient found in Dramamine II the NON drowsy kind and not the original one. It is also found in Bonine.

 

For those here in the USA using the generic is much less expensive!!

 

Dramamine gives me palpitations. If I find that I haven’t taken enough ginger to help, I just take some more. It’s a food product. Or eat sushi! To each his own.

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I prefer ginger chews. You can order them on amazon.

I learn to scuba in 1990 and worked my way up to instructor trainer. I swear by ginger. I get deathly sea sick. I take ginger capsules from GNC but the chews are great too. Some people like candied ginger. What I like is that you will be less likely to have a reaction to natural products.

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So back on subject: We did an excursion in Ft Lauderdale at the end of one of our cruises because we had a late flight. It just seemed like more fun than sitting around the airport. And it included airport transfers. There was a group of ladies who were late getting on the bus for the airport. One of them had the audacity to tell the driver that they had to be dropped off at their airline first because of their flight time (We had the same time and we got back to the bus early.). The driver said, “Sorry, we have to drop everyone off in order and your airline is last.” I thanked the driver.

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Yes. He’s 72. One of the first albums I ever owned was “A Wink is as Good as a Nod to a Blind Horse.” Sorry, way off topic.

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Rod Stewart is still alive?

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Funny story for the Rod Stewart concert folks: My daughter and I went to a Billy Joel concert in Pittsburgh. We were only able to afford last row, behind the stage. When we get there, his piano is on a turning stage. After a while we realized that no one was behind us and there was a table behind us for standing room only sports games. We stood there and danced and didn’t impair anyone’s view. We felt we had the best seats in the house.

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We were on an excursion and our bus broke down. Since it was a ship sponsored trip, they had to wait for us. We still ran down the pier and apologized to everyone. We were not even officially late.

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When we go to a show in the large theaters, we just sit first row, center stage. Most people don’t want sit there because they feel exposed. No one will stand in front of you there.

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Hi-Husband and I love to meet new people when we are cruising. We also like to sit with people for dinner. Our last experience doing that wasn't great. The people were rude, racist, and just all-around horrors. We couldn't get away from them fast enough. Then of course we would see them all over the ship and they would want to stop and talk to us..we would just say quick "hello, how is your day?" and keep moving.

 

We want to be able to sit with others again..but now we are a little nervous about it.

I really love the luxurious feeling of formal dining. To me, it’s part of the cruise experience. On my first cruise I had the ideal table mates. They ranged from farmers to educators. Our conversations were lively and fun. It was a difficult time for me because my fiancé was between chemo treatments and was not well enough to make every dinner but insisted I go. They took good care of me. Since then, my daughter and I have cruised 5 times. We have had okay and downright bizarre table mates. We finally drew the line when we were seated with a couple who “shared” her drink package, ordered every appetizer, entree and dessert and ate them with their hands. The man was unemployed because he couldn’t find a job that paid $80 an hour. The woman was a teacher at a private school. I make $16 an hour, my daughter, a little more. We scrimp and save all year for our one week of pampering. And we each have our own drink packages. That was it. We now do table for two, second seating because we love having the same wait staff and we can take our time dining.

For my first cruise, my fiancé and I chose traditional dining and for some reason, we were given a table for two. But the dining room was far from our cabin and Jim was very ill at the time. I went to the Maitre ‘D to request a closer dining room, he put us with three other couples who were incredibly supportive. Most nights I dined without him since Jim was too sick to leave our cabin. They were wonderful. After Jim died I started cruising with my daughter. At first we chose late traditional with others based on my original experience. But, unfortunately, my original experience was not repeated. We still like late traditional (We love the movie “An Affair to Remember”, it’s a girl thing) but we started asking for a table for two after we were seated with a couple who ate with their hands, ordered every entree on the menu and ate it, and the guy was collecting unemployment because he couldn’t find a job that paid him $80 an hour. He and his SO were “sharing” her drink package. She had a masters degree in education and still didn’t know how to use a fork, knife and spoon. My daughter and I scrimp and save all year for our one week of pampering. We make no where near $80 an hour, jointly . So to keep me from doing something unchristian (I do take my religion seriously) we decided that we can do second seating for two, we love having the same servers since they make excellent culinary suggestions. So I still like traditional time and we usually go to the the late show. We like the front row.

My first cruise was the Ruby Princess in 2010. I was accompanying my fiancé who was undergoing chemo at the time and was very ill. He needed to attend a board meeting in Tortola so he insisted that we make the trip. We had an obstructed view cabin and I spent much of my time trying to make Jim comfortable. But I was able to experience enough of cruising and our very attentive crew to know that I liked cruising. And I’m a very experienced scuba diver who is used to rough sailing. Anyone who has dived the USS San Diego off the Wahoo in the Atlantic will know what I mean. So after Jim died, I decided to simplify my life. I told my daughter that if she helped me to sell my house and move into a townhouse where I would not have as much upkeep, I would buy us a cruise. She was unsure that she would like it. Now we are preparing for my 7th cruise and her 6th. To us, no other type of vacation is as relaxing and stress free.

I get deathly seasick. I can be on a boat dock, look in the water and get queasy. When I became a scuba instructor and had to lead tours I had to find something to let me tolerate boats and dive. Many medications do not mix with the increase of pressure when diving. I discovered ginger pills. They don't make you sleepy, increase your blood pressure or require a prescription. I have used ginger on really rough trips with 110 ft boats and NEVER hurled. If you can't find them at a drug store try GNC. I swear by them.

My daughter and I prefer late dining because people are never rushed through dinner. We still can make the last show and we can get Sushi before dinner. We asked for a large table, but last year we got a table for two and it was okay. We are very adaptable because we are on VaCaTion.

I have a terrific Mother-of-the-Bride dress that I bought for my daughter's wedding. You bet I'm wearing it for formal night. I have another formal and two cocktail dresses that I bought for work related functions and two tea length dresses that I bought at consignment stores. This will be the third cruise that I will wear these same dresses. I highly doubt that I will meet anyone who will remember my outfits. I love dressing for dinner. It makes my hum-drum life seem more elegant and refined. But if you're all about flip flops and shorts in the buffet, good on you.

I love dressing for dinner. It just seems so civilized. I really don't care what others wear, just please don't sit me next to an unruly child. On my first cruise, my companion was turned away from the traditional dining room for attempting to wear shorts. That was the Ruby Princess in 2010.