MagnoliaBlossom

I would ask your ENT, what he recommends. he/she will know what is available in your area and which good audiologist will work you through your needs. I will tell you I have never known an ENT who recommended the two brands I mentioned.

I disagree, Rocket (love the name, BTW). I have had HAs since I was in my 50s and they are a blessing to me. My husband, who fully intended to hate his, says the same. I have worked with geriatric patients for nearly 40 years and many hate their hearing aids, and have at least one pair sitting in a drawer somewhere. Here is my observation over the years from both a professional and person perspective. BTW, I am not in the HA industry. 1. Let me say this upfront - the astronomical cost of hearing aids is a sin. 2. You really do, for the most part, get what you pay for. If you go to some of the big names such as BelTone or Miracle Ear you will not get a quality product. 3. Ask your ENT doctor who they recommend, and who they would steer clear of. 4. at first your aids will be very unnatural and drive you crazy, but you WILL get accustomed to them . When you get new glasses they seem wonky the first few days too. The brain needs time to adjust to the new norm. Wear them at least two hours at a time at least twice a day. Do not start your experience in a noisy area like a restaurant with lots of background noise. Gradually increase your wear time until within 30 days you are wearing them for six hours straight. 5. if they still bother you go back to your audiologist and have them adjust your aids. It may take several visits to get them just right. 6. A reputable company will have a trial period during which your aids can be returned for a full refund if you cannot adjust. 7. Most of my patients who have had failures did not follow the above protocol. Just my soap box and my experience. Helen Keller once answered the question “which sense would you have restored if you could?” By answering her hearing, as hearing loss is the most socially isolating of the senses. Just a thought. MB

It’s not an NCL thing, it’s an immigration matter. It can be done in certain instances but it has to be arranged in advance. Unless it is an emergency and then a different protocol is followed. Hope it works out for you.

Oh, from Ireland I would think so! What a beautiful country you live in.

Airport to pier is an issue for Galveston cruisers. We have a four hour drive so it’s not a problem for us, but I have researched it for friends. There are several shuttle services that appear to have decent schedules, so if you’ve not found those you can search for them. They operate from both airports. one way car rental would be an option but no one does rentals to Galveston. Boo. I agree that Galveston is a great port from which to sail. We are Louisianians who lived three hours from NOLA all our lives (until grandchildren “forced” us to move to Texas so we could properly spoil them) and it is mt favorite sailaway. I only wish for a sailaway that would put you at the mouth of the Mississippi during daylight hours. Not gonna happen but it would be most interesting. Seeing those rigs as you come back into port is quite a sight. Yes, summer time kid cruisers can be trying but I don’t think any port has a monopoly on that, it’s the nature of the beast if you choose to sail during school vacations. And as NCL doesn’t sail the Caribbean during summer months it’s not an issue. Im just tickled to see NCL return to the Texaribbean as they first branded it and do so with nice ships and wonderful itineraries. Maybe a Panama Canal cruise will be an offering one day. happy sailing! PS. I do not know why links to random posts have popped up in this window, nor can I delete them. Hopefully it is a one time craziness.

Just booked a very nice 14 day southern Carib voyage on the Escape from Galveston in January of 2025. It’s available three times, all in January. It is so nice to have a longer cruise from Galveston that has an interesting itinerary, not just added to ports to the basic western Carib.

I haven’t but someone posted very recen fly about redeeming for a cruise. I don’t recall if it was on this thread or not, but it can be done. Maybe if you search for it you can glean so,e information from her post. It may have been on a social site but I don’t go there very often, so I’m thinking it was here.

I don’t remember the particulars, but it was a serving of several types of sushi, enough to share, and it was served in a cute boat. It was a very good meal, served with soup or a noodle bowl and choice of tea.

I have found in recent years it is more difficult to get price adjustments after upgrading. Several here have also reported this and there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. I would advise you of a few things. Familiarize yourself with the deck plan, especially note how many categories of balconies there are and which you would like to be in. (I’ll explain that in a minute). Make yourself a list of preferred cabins and absolutely nots. watch the deck plan for remaining cabins closely as time passes to see if balconies are filling up then decide if you feel okay with waiting until after FP, or whether you want to proceed sooner. I have a 2025 cruise booked in May and it is a unique itinerary and since I booked it has risen in price tremendously. If yours is also one of those, it bears watching closely. IMHO, it is better to call and speak to a human than upgrade online. If no other reason. You can often times pick up some good information while you’re waiting for something to process. There is not usually much of a hold time, so I see it as time we’ll spent. NOTE about balcony categories. On smaller ships like the Dawn, there are now only two categories of balconies., BA and BX. We will be on a family cruise and in order to choose our cabins and be close to one another, we had to book a top or next below it category. This may not apply to you at all, but in these times of ever changing rules, it’s good to have a full arsenal of information. I hope it turns out well for you. Have a wonderful voyage!

Which ships have IMAX theaters?

I forgot to say the sushi bar has a “boat” that is wonderful. Well worth the $15 or so.

It is a very common misconception. I think more people don’t understand it than do.

It would have been helpful if someone at NCL had had the creativity to not give CFs such a Silvia r name as their existing product 🤨

No

I really wish NCL would simply sell a certificate for half price, if you’re onboard, and stop with the “free OBC” nonsense. It is so confusing and we have all heard people oohing over how they are going to spend their free OBC. I mean, I know why NCL does it, but it’s deceptive, IMHO.

Yes,indeed! One of the best items on their menu.

I agree, the atrium is awful. Not the quiet place for relaxing with a beverage and new friends like on older ships. No idea why they decided the atrium should replace the theater for game shows, trivia,etc. We rarely visit the atrium unless we need to visit customer service and then it’s a pain because the noise level is such that communicating with the CS people is nearly impossible.

There is a FB page designated to buying and selling CF and CN certificates. Always for less than you can buy them onboard or on NCLs website. Be sure to know the restrictions of CF vs CN and the expiration date. I’ve sold one recently and it was easy and all above board.

If you are driving, do NOT park in the “whale lot”, NCLs designated parking area. Lots of break ins there. We park at Fulton Place. we were on the BA in December and February and enjoyed relaxing in the area right outside Vibe. Good bar service, nice bathroom that is right there, not much traffic, but not much shade either. The promenade (waterfront) on deck 8 has lovely seating and easy access to several bars and restrooms. Our favorite place to hang out and read. if you are a napper you may want to steer clear of rooms on deck 9 that are close to the shuffleboard courts. I don’t nap but when I was on the balcony reading or playing cards it was noticeable. Didn’t bother us, but it might others. O’Sheehans has a very nice Cuban plate that was my favorite dish there. I always find embarkation day stressful. So much hurry up, and never knowing what curve balls NOLA will throw at you (it’s rarely the same two cruises in a row), that by the time we are onboard I’m ready for some pampering. We love going for a sit down meal in the MDR and a nice adult beverage. I highly recommend it. sometimes, but not always 🤨 they offer a bag drop in one of the lounge areas near the atrium. It allows you drop you rolling carryons, plus whatever else you’re u don’t want to lug around, in a safe spot. Look for and ask for it, as it makes lunch much nicer, especially if you’re going to the buffet.

To add to the above post, if you want to see the French Quarter as you sail by be sure to be on the port side before sailaway, so when you turn you will be on the correct side. The Quarter is only visible for a very brief time so be prepared. the sites along the way include Jackson Barracks, the Dominos sugar refinery, and the Chalmette Battlefield. There are several wonderful MS river guides posted here that do a great job of pointing out landmarks along the way. You’ll just have to search for them. You will not reach the Gulf til almost midnight depending on river levels and marine traffic. Refineries will light up the night sky along the way and you will pass towns that you usually hear about on the Weather Channel following a hurricane on the coast. if you are lucky enough to pass an inbound cruise ship it’s pretty cool. They, like us, are all lit up and it seems as though you could almost touch the other ship.

Keep us posted on the ongoing struggle. Wish you luck.

Such a pathetic way to treat customers.

We were on a pre seydock cruise once and they had supplies stacked in various deck areas and were pulling up carpeting in a few venues.

My SIL refers to these people as “good candidates for a Darwin Award” 🤣