happy cruzer

My take on the entertainment/shows on NCL has been that they make NCL different than the other major lines. If it goes away, then the reason to pick NCL gets less. The only major line that we thought compared on the shows is Celebity on their newer ships. So if you like production shows, give them a look. Sigh.

They say rolling out by this fall. Would love to know details since I am sailing early Sept...

BBQ often just means grilled. BBQ basted implies a sauce but we will see....

BBQ snapper and BBQ salmon would not even be close to the same flavor... I'm still loving the new menu!

Hi, Just looked at all my booking across about 4 different lines. All booking prices were higher. But RCI's was the winner as far as price increase - 30% increase for next April. Booking early was a good idea. Any other experiences out there?

Yes, I would guess that wording is just trying to encourage people to use the package in the DR and buy drinks/glasses of wine in other venues. The website probably is not accurate to what happens on the ship?? Agree if you can only use it in the DR, we will pass or buy just the 3 bottle package. We are doing traditional dining and usually purchase from our server. Will verify the policy at purchase time. Also will keep an eye out for recent reports.

Love it!

Celebrity has very limited smoking areas, Smoke free casino, just one outdoor area for smoking. Celebrity ships are less crowded i.e. higher space to passenger ratio. We do both lines. Carnival is great for home port cruising like you seem to need, convenient and at a good price point. We avoid Carnival during school breaks because of the crowding. Just do the research and set your expectations.

Yep, lots of polka in the German heritage areas like New Braunfels....

We are ok with the white wines by the glass. But as mentioned it is far better to carry on your favorite reds IMHO. Also if you have no drink package, the Viva Vino package is a good option if you do not want to carryon and pay corkage.

Still dreaming. Any recent reports? Thanks.

If the airline makes a major change, do you normally have the option of a refund? Is the answer - it depends? 🙂

I should have. Buttttt - I got anxious about booking around a holiday and looked at AA before SW opened their bookings. Found good times and good price on first class going out (their website is nice in that it lets you easily look at first class pricing by flight vs. round trip) and booked that. Based on price alone SW now would be better. Will look at it harder this weekend to see if I want to make any changes. I got what I wanted at the price that was a value - so all good. But patience would have paid off 🙂

So if you decide to carry on Champagne, how do you get it chilled at a restaurant in time for your meal? Chill it yourself in the room? Can they get it chill quickly in ice? Thanks

Sounds like the pros for NCL may be major from your kids point of view.. Drink and dining. If the prices really are comparable then go with NCL....

Do they still offer the Foster's? I did not see it on a recent bar menu. Thanks.

Some itineraries don't have alot of great options. Many people are wanting the best option for the low price. Would the guy complaining pay times two for the better flight? Cruise air seems to work best for the routes with lots of flights/options.

This would be very good know in case you can't get a reservation in one of the specialities when you want or want to dine with someone that does not have UDP. Maybe someone doing a live review can confirm.

I think that some TAs are offering the grats. But if the cruise price is high then that won't help the bottom line?

Hi, I got an email for a TA that was advertising their memorial day sale. The offers did not look that good to me. In the past, there seemed to be good offers at Memorial Day or even better ones for Labor Day. Anyone seeing good offers for RCI or any other lines? Thanks.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Thanks for sharing your experience. Please stay with us and ignore the judgers. I have booked a cove balcony cabin on deck two but it is a bit forward of midship and should be ok. Others like yourself have noted the noisy cabins. And I think you did good to get some compensation since the noise went on all night.

Seabands work for anxiety and help you sleep. I'm putting mine on now to go back to sleep 🙂

Marketing talk. What about decaf? Some cruise lines' specialty coffee includes alcoholic specialty coffee. Also the tea and location? They probably actually give you more than specialty caffeinated coffee but just limit the location you get it. Terms and conditions usually cover the details.

Anyone have details about the included beverages besides the ones in "The Galley"? At a bar, an you get juice/mixer? A Virgin Mary? Club soda? Sparkling water? What would the charge be? Just getting my expectations set properly. Thank you.

A bit off topic - How many cruises do you have booked? Even though they are going to the same ports in many cases. With the recent inflation, we decided to hold some cruises. We have 5 on hold, never had more than 2 before. And when we reprice them notice that holding them was a good idea prices are going UP. Try to get refundable deposits or deposits that will turn into future cruise credits if changes are needed. Also we currently have medical insurance that covers out of county.