IWORK2CRUISE

Pretzel Rolls! Can't buy the same at home.

Escargot. I never eat it at home.

Chilled fruit soups. If you can still find them.

WooHoo! We are booked on the Majesty! Can't wait! Just over two weeks away.

 

Congrats! We just celebrated our 20th by going out to dinner to a new restaurant that is located in a venue that we frequented while dating and stopped in at on our wedding night.

This will be much like you going back on a sister ship that is similar to your honeymoon ship.

Have a great time!

We passed 140 while on a B2B in Europe and I was so excited about the fact that we would receive a crystal block on Brilliance to commemorate my first trip to Europe.

Nope!

There were cruisers on board who had over 500 points and were mentioned daily. The LA catered to them.

I approached her after the Diamond/Diamond+ welcome party and asked about our perk. She informed me that I was wrong and walked away. :(

Fortunately, I contacted C&A after we were home and they sent one to me.

Too bad I didn't think of using the internet while still on board.

All is well now and hopefully we will make it to another one!

There are many people who can't drink alcohol for health/medication reasons who still enjoy the taste of a cold beer.

 

 

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For light beer we have typically had Amstel Light, Miller Lite and Bud Light offered. We don't like Bud.

 

 

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When we sailed on Rhapsody of the Seas in 2011 the tenders ran all night at certain times. I think it was hourly. We left the ship somewhere around 2:30 am to drive to Haleakala for sunrise.

I would tend to think that Celebrity would be the same.

Thanks kartgv.

Hi all,

We will have one day in Kona in Sept.

My husband remembers being there with his parents many years ago and seeing beautiful wild Poinsettia(A LOT) but can't recall where.

I had suggested driving to Waimea but I'm not sure if that is the right direction.

Any suggestions from those who know?

Thanks!

So, I am being strong-armed into going on the Gem in July to Nassau. I have never been on a cruise and generally do not like being on boats. I tend to get some form of seasickness if I am below deck, so I am not thrilled. I have done plenty of research and this still does not seem like something that is up my alley at all. I have had an open mind to this whole scenario, but here are my concerns and any input or feedback would be appreciated.

 

1-FOOD: It seems to me that most of the food is reminiscent of a Golden Corral buffet or a Quaker Steak and Lube. I don't eat out often but when I do I prefer restaurants that have favorable ratings from sites such as NY Times, Time Out NY or Zagat. I feel like, in general, that I will not be thrilled with the dining. I do love dessert and everything that I have read indicates that is the strong point of the NCL's food offerings. Do you think I'm being realistic or am I maybe setting the expectations too low?

 

2-ALCOHOL: I have become a total beer snob and cannot physically drink crap beers like Bud or Lite anymore. My body rejects them. It appears that the beer menus are completely dreadful with Sam Adams being the only drinkable beer on it. Does anyone know if the Gem still currently serve Sam Adams? Also, bottom shelf liquor doesn't agree with me. Does anybody know how much drink prices increase by if you go from a house liquor to a call or premium brand? For instance, I see that a Cuba Libre is $5.75 (I assume it's made with house liquor..Castillo rum?). Any idea on the bump if I wanted Appleton instead?

 

3-CROWDS: Everything I have read about the Gem indicates that it is very crowded. I would really like to just find a relatively quiet, cool and shady place to sit and read books on my Kindle. Does an area like this exist on the Gem? If I am being forced to be on a 'vacation' I would like to avoid the noise and crowds since they drive me nuts here in NY.

 

4-CULTURE: When I go on a trip I like to go to places that have museums, architecture, local restaurants and bars, along with other places to experience local culture. I guess Cocoa Beach will involve some local seafood joint for lunch and Great Stirrup Cay seems to be a pointless destination based on my interests. Any food and drink recommendations for Cocoa Beach? Nassau appears to have very few sights and museums. Is there enough in Nassau to occupy somebody for a good eight hours? Also, does anybody know of any local restaurants and bars in Nassau that would not be tourist joints while also being safe to visit? I am open to trying any of the local cuisine and want to give some Switcha a try.

 

5-ENTERTAINMENT: So, I pretty much loathe shows and plays. I'm not interested in magicians or dancers prancing around. This pretty much leaves The Second City and World Beat. Would I need reservations for either one of these before the vacation starts or can it be a spur of the moment decision? Does anybody have any info on who the actual entertainers will be on the 7/12 trip?

 

6-SEASICK: Do any of you have a preference for avoiding seasickness...bracelet vs. meds? Can you take the meds and have a bunch of drinks or does it make you drowsy?

 

 

Well, I guess this post has gotten a bit long, so that's all for now. I appreciate any feedback and help with this whole thing. Thanks in advance for your help everybody!

 

Thanks,

KoL

 

If in fact this is not a joke, go with an open mind.

The NCL Gem is a beautiful ship with many restaurants to choose from.

There are premium beer selections.

You can find historic sites in Nassau. Check it out.

http://www.10best.com/destinations/bahamas/nassau/attractions/additional-historic-sites/

I do agree with that, it was more a quick response rather than a detailed one. Some ships have had audio controls - but which I haven't seen work - where you could control whether general announcements were played in the cabin. That way, the passenger can choose what suits them.

 

Of course, emergency announcements override this.

 

True. I remember the days when you could turn up the volume control for announcements. Now, the ships that have them don't seem to have them functioning. So, if we are in the cabin for the captain's announcements we open the door. A little inconvenience. Wonder why you can't control this anymore?

http://www.bermuda.com/things-to-do/nightlife.aspx

This is just one of our sunrise pics from Haleakala in 2012.

It was magical and ever-changing.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1d704b3127ccefe66f767ac8d00000030O00AYuWjhu5bMWIPbz4S/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00101697849120110925143808490.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

I complain every cruise.:) I complain that the cruise has ended and I have to go home!

We have met complainers on several cruises and have sometimes wondered "What in the world? Are we really on the same cruise?"

While there are some who may have legitimate complaints, like bathroom backups or lost luggage, I always find it amusing to hear things like "I didn't know the island was going to be so hot" or "There was a line at the buffet." or " I didn't like the dessert last night. The food is awful."

 

We always travel with an open mind and find as many things to enjoy as we can. We have seen some great sights, some great entertainers and met some very fun people.

We have had some great and maybe not so great food but it is impossible to not find something you like on a cruise.

We always appreciate the crew who are taking care of us and can't wait to sail again.

When it was all paper (and less expensive and more entertaining!) I played multiple times per cruise.

The introduction of the machines has taken way the "fun factor" as far as I am concerned.

I will still play occasionally on paper cards and in 2011 I did win a 7 day cruise while on Rhapsody of the Seas.

Thank you, Bingo as we got to go on Oasis!

 

We sail on Rhapsody again in September and I will look for those paper cards again. :)

I would like my rewards to go toward the drink package. Is that possibly? How do I start that process? I've gone to the myrewards website and I see where I can redeem them for onboard credit, but don't know how to specify that I want it to go toward the drink package? because when I go to purchase the drink package it asks me for a credit card. Thanks!

 

Go ahead and redeem for OBC.

Then, once onboard you can sign up for the beverage package of your choice.

Go to Michaels if you have one nearby.

Has anyone had this problem before? any advice from anyone who has done this recently

 

It is always best to have too much information rather than not enough.

Even on a closed loop cruise something could happen at a port stop that would prevent you from re-boarding.

Proper ID and parental authorization would indeed be required.

Even a minor "accident" on-board such as a skinned knee that might require medical attention should be considered.

There are usually a number of hangers available but when we pack formal attire or other things that must hang we usually double hang things on the lightest wire hangers from the dry cleaner.

It's easier to pack the hanging things in the separate part of the suitcase.

We were on Brilliance in 2012 in the Norwegian Fjords.

One afternoon, we returned to find that there was a seagull trapped on the next balcony. We were sailing away from port and other seagulls flew alongside.

The poor thing tried to leave and join his/her friends but couldn't grasp the fact that it couldn't jump through the glass panels.

Our neighbors had already notified Guest Relations and our room steward. However, the guests in the cabin had their do not disturb sign posted so the staff were not allowed to disturb.

When the poor bird started to actually vomit, one of our neighbors pounded on the cabin door and woke up the sleeping guests. Then, our cabin steward went out on their balcony and sort of lifted the poor bird who then happily flew away.

Congrats! Have a great time.

Maybe I will get one sometime?

You could always place a Royal Caribbean emblem of some sort over the "dam ship":)

Embassy Suites - Ft. Lauderdale/17th Street

They have a Managers Cocktail Party in the evening with appetizers. too. Free breakfast, too.

They had a shuttle (for pay) to the port in the morning. Sorry, I don't recall what we paid but it wasn't out of line.

Wow.

The only B2B's that we have done have been in the same cabin.

 

I have seen many others post that it is so easy to cruise B2B as the stewards move your bags and hanging clothes from one stateroom to the next if you change cabins.

 

I can't imagine what would have happened with your parents. Why did they have to completely pack and put their bags out?

We did B2B on Brilliance in 2012. Both ere 7 night voyages. Week one was Baltic Capitals and week two was Norwegian Fjords.

We really got the bang for our buck. One round trip airfare, two cruises and breathtaking sights.

 

The Baltic was a lot of culture and also some beautiful scenery. For example, cruising into and out of Stockholm was really beautiful. I could go on and on.

 

The Fjords cruise was all scenic beauty!

 

If the current promo pricing and your schedule would allow you to do a similar

B2B, you should go for it.

[quote name='Sunflower&Scientist']. They will either discontinue use of balloons on this cruise or tell us the location and route to the location, of balloons so they can be avoided. They will also make sure that all foods onboard will be prepared with non-latex gloves.[/QUOTE]

Sunflower & Scientist,
It seems to me that these are issues that should be brought up in advance with the special needs department. I would not wait until boarded to find/instruct specific handling.