Sand and Seas

Sorry, nothing that special for most people. It's been way too many years since we have seen lobster in the MDR. We just enjoy the appetizers that night followed by my favorite MDR dessert of soufflé 😁 (I've been known to skip the entrée and just have a couple of appetizers before fully enjoying that dessert)

See post #2 above. There are reportedly 21 different daily MDR menus. Our longest cruise was 12 days and I can verify there were different MDR menus for each day. Good variety for us😊 We have usually seen menus 1 to 7 in the same order, but they can mix them up if they wish. (I never book a specialty for day 6!) We have also seen 3 different MDR lunch menus. The MDR lunch is only open on embarkation day and 'at sea' days, so not sure if there are more than three.

Check with the CruiseNext desk on your next cruise and ask what is available for you. I believe that's the level for the Dinner with Officers, but you need to sign up that first night. As Diamond we absolutely love attending the Mixology class. Lots of fun drinks to try. We thought we would only try it on one or two cruises but we have found we enjoy it each time as there is a different mix of other Diamond & Ambassadors to chat with. Plus, you really get to know your 'Mixologist' bartenders during the event.

Thanks for sharing with us! We love the entertainment on NCL. So glad you enjoy the Beatles shows too! It's fun to see what you thought of your first cruise😎

An 'evolution' of the menu😦 Seems like it wouldn't be that much of a cost savings but I guess they look at fleet-wide instead of a special detail that added enjoyment to our Ocean Blue experience. (Now thinking back fondly on the original Bayamo menu....sigh....) The delicious mascarpone bread was a favorite of ours and we will miss it too... Thanks for following up with the Ocean Blue staff.

We love @graphicguy's list too! (Except, haven't been on Royal for years). I think you'll appreciate the amazing talent of the Million $ Quartet cast. If they have a 'Broadway Unplugged' night on your cruise, don't miss it! The MDQ cast and some others onboard put on a wonderful performance. And yes, we don't mind waiting in line to see the Syd Norman's crew on any ship. I think we put our favorite list in order with MDQ #1, Syd's #2, and Choir of Man a very close #3😎

Only 126? That's a sadly low percentage of passengers. It does sound like more and more are moving to other cruise lines.

So happy to see another "Live" with @BirdTravels! Very grateful for an update on Encore as we were last on her pre-covid, but will be on her again this winter. We enjoyed wandering around that marketplace. I found a lovely blown glass Dragonfly last year. Carefully packaged it up and it made it safely home with us. Hope you have a wonderful cruise😎

We stayed at the Best Western Cocoa Beach. Very nice and overlooking the beach. We had rented a car from Enterprise at the airport and then returned it right at the port. Cocoa Beach is just a couple of miles from the port. We actually checked into our hotel and then went back and had a good meal at FishLips Waterfront Bar&Grill at the port. For our return trip to MCO, I can also highly recommend Cruise Control. Small shared shuttle vans so you don't have to wait for a large bus to fill before leaving for the port.

We have been using plastic bag tag holders with the old Cruise Critic logo on them for years. They have held up very well. Very easy to slip NCL tags inside of them. Have used them for tags we have printed and also for tags NCL has mailed us.

We spent all of our outdoor time on deck 8. We felt they took the 'waterfront' concept and improved on it for that deck. It was a perfect place for adults to spend hours enjoying the ocean😎

Very interesting! It will be interesting to see if casino benefits change. I am happy with the CasinoNext program and have used several certificates from that already. Maybe it's more of a 'comp yourself' program?

We have stayed at Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon pre-cruise many times. Free shuttle from airport (check hours if you have a nighttime arrival.) Having the Publix grocery store across the street is great! We often get a made to order deli sandwich and maybe pick up a salad there. We have also enjoyed some good food at the Cuban restaurant in that same shopping mall. Also, if you have forgot any item of clothing or sandals, etc, there is a Burlington outlet store there. Decent breakfast in the morning, and then shuttle to cruise. Great way to start a cruise😎

When you sat at the bar, could you only order food from that station? (When we were on Prima last year those seats were only for that type of food.)

The Riverwalk Outlet Mall website looks current, and it still shows Cafe Du Monde.

Yes, I definitely recommend staying within walking distance of the port. Cruise day there is a crazy line of taxis/ubers/etc.😒 Much faster & easier to walk over to the port & avoid that traffic jam of vehicles dropping off cruisers.

We have been able to trade dessert for appetizer. Sometimes the server says I will need to check with my manager, but it's always been approved. And It's hard to believe they couldn't just charge your for an extra appetizer. You could always request (with a smile) to speak with the manager.

We had three different MDR lunch menus on our 12 days on Joy earlier this year. (MDR only open on Sea days for lunch.) We loved the afternoon snacks in the Observation lounge. Quiche, small sandwiches and scones😋

Great & interesting start to your review! Loving the photos Hope you feel better soon

Except for Prima, we have seen Food Republic open on sea days but just for a couple of hours. We have enjoyed several lunches at FR. Just watch the dailies for when they are open.

I love those sweet plantains! Just can't get them until I go to Miami or on a cruise. I have been known to ask for them as a side dish along with my Reuben or Chicken salad sandwich.

We loved it too, but sadly, it is no longer on Le Bistro menu☹️

@justhappy, loving your review of your time in Seattle plus all the great photos! Looking forward to more from the Encore. We were on her prior to covid shutdown and loved the ship. We will be back on her in January so can't wait to follow your review. Thanks for sharing with us😎

I know it's a strange question. In some cities I thought they charge you more to use credit card so it's less to pay cash? Many years ago in a different city, we were told later that we really over-tipped when we paid cash for what was on meter plus tip.

(Here's a rookie travel to New York question...) For a taxi from JFK to hotel, should we pay cash or use credit card?