silvercruiser

We had hot chocolate every night on Pacific Princess for a 28-day b2b Amazon cruise in 2009. The lounge right outside the d.r. was always so empty that the guys working there were so happy to see us.

I never thought about the slanting configuration of the aft portion of the ship contributing to problems like this when I took an upsell to an aft mini suite last summer for 35 days on HAL's Veendam. Luckily there was no slant, the large balcony totally covered and absolutely NO SOOT. It was total heaven to sit out there and look out at the sea. After that experience I too would have been horrified to have encountered the problems some of you experienced on the Royal with soot. It's just not right

ibfern...regarding luggage repair, I was told on two different Princess cruises to bring the damaged piece of luggage to the pursers desk and they'd send it up to luggage repair. I never knew that luggage repair even existed, but it does and a wheel was replaced one time. The second time a hotel employee on a side trip in New Zealand had ruined the handle, forcing it down so it wouldn't work and that too was repaired.

I wouldn't have known about this, but I'd mentioned it at the desk and was told that it could be fixed right there on the ship. Does this fall into the category of Secrets They Don't Want You To Know?

Gotto Cruise ... I was just wondering about you two the other day, as I haven't seen any posts from you for a long time. Has it really been 19 years since we sailed around South America on the Regent Sea? I'll post my full signature so you can see where I've gone since then.

Keep in mind that early Dec., before Christmas that is, is about the least expensive time of the year to cruise in the Caribbean. This makes it a good time for many Floridians to take a getaway.

I have two of the Belkins, one always packed in carryon bag and the other to use here at home for my various electronc gadgets.

Duct tape can be purchased in miniature rolls. I got a pack of 2 rolls from Magellan years ago and have kept the same little roll in my "anything" box for years without needing it. But nice to know I have it and wish it'd been there years ago when my luggage zipper was ruined and I had to use scotch tape to keep the bag closed!

Amazon also has several choices for travel sized duct tape, quite inexpensive. The peace of mind is great.

Rod Simons is a super tour guide. He's lived in Bermuda all his life and drove me just where I wanted to go, stopped for pictures and was well worth the $40/hr. for the two hour tour in his taxi. His email is: RESIMONS@ibl.bm in case you want to pre-arrange a tour.

I experienced swollen ankles for the first and only time a year ago on a Grand Circle river cruise in Holland. Weather was damp, but pretty chilly, not hot. There was lots and lots of walking, as is the norm on river cruises, and the swelling began about 5 or 6 days into the cruise. By the end of the day my ankles were huge, but by morning all was ok. Then it started in again. I hate to think it was the food, because the food was absolutely the best I've ever had in 700 days of cruising! I honestly think it was the damp weather and all the walking.

This is a very interesting thread and brings up a problem I never thought about until last spring when I did a river boat cruise in Holland with Grand Circle. I already live at sea level, Florida, but am not used to cold weather, which I encountered there. For the very first time ever, my feet and ankles, after the first few days, were very swollen. I attributed it to all the walking we did at each little town we stopped at. I hate to think it was the food, which was absolutely the very best I've ever had on any trip ever. (and I'm adding my signature, so you can see what I mean.) It never occurred to me that salt might be the culprit. And I've also never given any thought to the water, as long as it's safe to drink.

Thanks everyone who contributed to this thread. It sure has given me lots of food for thought. Next week I'll be on the Emerald Princess for 10 days and I'll keep a close look at my feet, for sure!

I meant to omit my Signature (cruise history) and then tried to edit it out, but couldn't.

These probably aren't what you want, but if they are I'd be happy to mail them all to you. And next year I'm doing VoyageOfTheVikings and also the 42-day rt FLL TA.

Westerdam 1996...Caribbean

Zaandam 2000 ..... "

Noordam 2003 ..... "

Amsterdam 2004 .. South America

Zuiderdam 2006 ... Alaska

Veendam 2007 .... Caribbean

Ryndam 2007...Sea of Cortez

Veendam 2008 .... Caribbean

2008 MAASDAM Montreal to FLL ..........10 days

2009 MAASDAM FLL to Montreal ....... 15 days

Song of Norway was my first cruise too and I can still remember what a thrill it was to actually be on a cruise ship to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

I don't usually include my very long signature, but want you to see what that first cruise led to!

I lost track of how many times I got my bottle of suntan lotion back on a long South America cruise. I'd put an address sticker on the side of the bottle with my name on it and whenever I forgot and left if by the pool I'd get a call from the purser's desk that it'd been turned in.

I think Plaza deck is the most convenient place to be if you're not going to book a balconey cabin. I have one booked on the Grand for next Dec. right up near the Piazza and again in Jan. 2013 for a 49-day S.A. cruise. The only inside that's better is up on Lido, because it's so handy to the pool and Lido buffet, but I still prefer Plaza.

Song of Norway, Dec. 1977. Then the Southward a year later, Jan. 1979. Nothing more until 1993 and since then you can hardly keep me off the ships. Totally addicted.

Song of Norway, Dec. 1977. Then the Southward a year later, Jan. 1979. Nothing more until 1993 and since then you can hardly keep me off the ships. Totally addicted.

I remember you, "Too Tall Tony" from a 5-day cruise out of Tampa, Feb. '95. We took the Rainbow to Alaska that summer, too, the last cruise before they returned to Tampa and went out of business. A 49-day cruise on the Sea in the fall of '94 started me back on cruising.

Steve Lewis was the CD on Marco Polo. Wonder where he is now.

Thanks. We'll be on the Veendam next Feb. so maybe it'll be available there by then. We've gotten used to it on Princess and like it, as we often just want a table for two.

I seem to remember news about HA offering a change in dining preferences, like Princess "Personal Choice" or NCL "Anytime Dining." Is this going to be an option, if so when and on which ships?

I sailed on the REGENT SEA for 49 days in late 1994, from Ft. Lauderdale back to Ft. Lauderdale and going all the way around South America. Still have many happy memories of that trip.