Muckyduckway

I also don't understand why staff remembering the drink you ordered is important - do people really just drink one thing for an entire cruise? Again, genuinely interested in the thought behind this?

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable journey home - hope Icelandair helps bring your amazing and restorative adventure to a pleasant conclusion... and has cake!

When is your next cruise? I'm already gloomy at the thought of this one ending. I don't suppose you'd consider a world cruise - you know, a selfless act of generosity for your fans! 🙂

Yvonne, you know that feeling when you're reading a wonderful book and you just have to stop reading and feel the emotions it invokes, trapped between the desire to absorb what you've just read and the desire to consume even more? That's what reading your reviews does for me. Your words transmit your experience and your photos are a visual feast. We have been to Norway several times but this review has us excited to book another cruise there - it just won't be with NCL (which has been our line of choice until now).

We had this cake on the Hurtigruten ships - so yummy! And, I believe, in a coffee shop somewhere along the coast. We also got it in the Norway pavilion at Epcot, but while good, it wasn't a patch on the others. As you enjoy cinnamon, the freshly baked cinnamon buns in Norway are an absolute must.

Ah! OK, thanks.

Where did you see that the EB shuttle is not free? Our non-package booking says Courtesy Shuttle to and from the airport. Perhaps you meant the port shuttle?

Here you go: And https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2942573-olife-moves-to-all-in/

That was a very short stay; you did well to get so many photos, which is veery useful and much appreciated.

Was the room you had in the Hampton Inn a standard room? Did you venture out from the hotel - to shop or dine? Wondering about shops and restaurants close to the hotel?

@LHT28 That's very helpful, thank you. It didn't occur to me to check an older version of the list.

I can't speak to the situation on the larger ships, but we have dropped off bags at a designated storage area on the Star, Jewel, Jade and Gem. All of these were either in Europe or Australia. Not much use to OP but may be helpful to others.

The itinerary for our next cruise includes the following ports. I understand that some are infrequently used, but if anyone has insight on the free shuttle situation (or alternative) it would be appreciated: George Town, Grand Cayman Cartagena, Colombia Punarenas, Costa Rica Corinto, Nicaragua Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala Acapulco, Mexico Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Ensenada, Mexico

Also, watch out for countries/airlines that use the date of issue to determine validity. A friend's passport was recently declared past validity at the airport because he had renewed it early last time. He was travelling in late March, his passport expiry date was July but the date of issue was early June. He thought that the three months validity required for UK passport holders entering Europe was calculated using date of expiry!

Enjoyed your review - we found Dubrovnik busier than the last time we were there (October 2022) but heading off the main street solved that. NCL do actually have veggie burgers (regrettably they are far behind P&O with their veggie offerings) but you have to ask for them, they are cooked on demand. There's a notice up at the pool grill but we have ordered them in both the Garden Cafe and the Great Outdoors.

We tend to.skip dessert, but do like to have either three shared appetisers or an appetiser and soup or salad. It seems like winging it might be the way to go; it will be interesting to see if there's consistency across the ship's restaurants. Thanks to all for taking the time and for your responses.

Strategy! That's the word I should have used. We don't often eat in the speciality restaurants, so haven't much to base a strategy on. We're likely to want to take the bottle of wine with us, if this is still permitted. If there is still greater flexibility with the FAS credit it would make sense to use that wherever we are most likely to want more dishes, I suppose. My brain is like a tumble dryer these days so it would help a lot to hear how others decide?

On our upcoming cruise we will have two Latitudes credits and one with FAS. Our reservations are Cagneys, La Cucina and Le Bistro, in that order. Any tips on which to use in each restaurant, or does it no longer matter?

That's helpful, thanks

Was hoping that would be the case. Although bringing it back to an inside isn't quite as appealing as to a balcony! Would there be a difference in availability in different restaurants or a general list per ship? I don't NEED to know this, just that looking forward to a cruise tends to trigger a load of pondering!

Some years ago when my Mum had not come to terms with her reduced ability to stand and walk long distances, we booked wheelchair assistance for one of us when travelling through airports. Nine times out of ten she happily took the chair as by the time we reached check-in from the carpark she was already feeling rough. On the rare occasions that she "was fine without it" we either made a persuasive judgement call or we used it knowing that the time saved was hugely beneficial to her well-being. We didn't want to take away her autonomy but that way the decision we made earlier gave her the opportunity to make a decision based on how she felt on the day and not how she hoped she would feel. PS love your reviews and not just because I'm a Librarian!

We will be eligible for the Platinum dining vouchers on our next cruise. For the voucher that includes a bottle of wine, are there any wines that aren't already available by the glass on the standard drinks package?

@Itchy&Scratchy Did you have breakfast at the hotel? Would you recommend it?

Unfortunately I have no point of reference to a regular Cuban restaurant, I think the closest we've come was Bongo's (RIP) at Disney Springs, but it sounds like a good option as a change from the hotel

That's good to know, thanks for posting.