navybankerteacher

Of course if they paid staff more the drinks and the fares generally (if they hired more competent staff throughout) would cost more. It is always a balancing act between level of service demanded by, and the fares demanded of, the lines’ customers.

You mean the building is still there - once it stopped offering banking services it stopped being a bank.

Exactly - having been to the Caribbean dozens of times, on Navy and cruise ships as well as flying for land stays, there are a number of islands which hold no attraction - particularly when inundated by thousands (if not tens of thousands) of other cruisers - so staying aboard a largely empty ship can make for a very pleasant day.

Of course if it just a bank’s ATM, it isn’t really a “bank”. My local bank has an ATM in our local supermarket and at several off-premises locations- but those locations are not considered banks. Any bank is required to handle US legal tender (which includes coins) for its depositors.

Because a taxi from almost anywhere in central Manhattan can get you from hotel to MCT for about $20 to $25 you should not limit yourself to one close to the terminal. If saving money is primary just look for a low cost hotel and add $25 to their rate, and then compare the total to what you see as expensive Ink48.

Very many ships have cabins with connecting doors - each capable of holding three. Not only would this likely give you more room per passenger , it would provide two bathrooms- a far more preferable arrangement.

Her bank is cashless?????

I have to ask: are you actually saying that banks in Boston do not have quarters?

That is my memory - for some reason Baltimore taxis - in all of the of the dozen or so times I’ve used them over the years - have struck me as poorly maintained, unclean, and often foul smelling — what is it about Baltimore taxis?

I think “spoiled” in the context of this thread means a feeling of dissatisfaction with cruising today when compared with each person’s memories of earlier cruises.

Agree with this decade’s selection. I wonder if HAL’s Zaandam is being kept in shape.

Yes - but the VALUE received is perhaps 1/3 of what it was in 1986 - when MDR food was pretty good and well served, there was higher quality entertainment. There is no point in comparing dollar costs, even when adjusted for inflation, if you are not looking at the same product — and that short cruise to Nassau today is simply not the same as a three day cruise in 1986 NCL is a great example - when they started (with TS Norway) there was great entertainment, very good food, good service - most folks who sailed her 25 or so years ago and enjoyed the experience would be sorely disappointed if they were to sail on any NCL ship today and wanted to pay the same fare (adjusted for inflation).

I was not suggesting a postmark - a number of countries have different functions performed by their post offices.

I liked it, I do not feel it was so unsatisfactory as to be unmentionable. Then, of course, I do not claim to be a highly qualified pastrami aficionado.

If someone wants info about restaurants close to the cruise terminal, discussing ones far away is not particularly helpful - regardless of how good they might be.

Agree about Katz’s - but we are talking about something near MCT.

I just checked - there is a sandwich shop selling smoked meat sandwiches - United We Stand- just two (long) blocks from the cruise terminal at 10th Avenue and 54th Street. I have no idea about how “good”, and still recommend Juniors if you have the time and a serious interest in really good sandwiches.

It is highly likely that Royal will not let him sail unaccompanied . But you should not waste your time seeking advice on Cruise Critic. Talk to your travel agent, if you booked through one - or directly with Royal. The likely way to resolve this situation is to change your booking to a three person cabin, followed by trying to replace your cousin with another adult.

I used to meet my brother at Bobby Van’s on West 50th - but it’s been several years, rarely go into the city now except for evening theatre . Junior’s at 1626 Broadway , about 49th Street , probably about a mile and a half straight east from MCT - good for corned beef, pastrami etc. sandwiches.

Agreed .

Agreed - $60 for a subway ride (actually two rides, because they bring you back - but still…) is an interesting fare — on top of having to get yourself to/from 90th and Second Ave.

Usually not. You can, of course, probably find some government agency - perhaps just a post office - to stamp your passport, but you can spend a lot of your in port time doing that - so you might come back with an official souvenir - but fewer real memories. This is especially true in the Caribbean

Good suggestion. Do a bit of advance research about each island, identify what you might want to see/do on each. Talk it up on your roll call - get ideas from people who know the places, perhaps join up to share a rental car - or rent one on your own. If you read up on Caribbean islands you can learn a lot -perhaps pick one or two activities on each - too often organized tours wind up with you spending the day on a bus with a lot of other people who did not bother to learn and to plan in advance.

Speaking of HAL - a few years back there was live music in the evening in the main dining room, there was fresh squeezed orange juice at breakfast -- at no extra charge, there was top quality food (INCLUDED IN YOUR FARE) well prepared and well served, there were well-stocked and staffed libraries, there even used to be promenade decks which circled the ships (now only on their older ones).

Anyone with a working memory, and some experience, can confirm your last line. Pretty much all the lines - certainly the likes of HAL, Princess, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival and (especially) NCL are competing in a race to the bottom. How can any thinking person recognize that most cruise fares are very close to where they were 20 years ago without realizing that those fares must be buying less. Quality of food, level of service, included dining venues, music, variety of entertainment, even such trivial things as prizes offered for trivia contests -- have been degraded. Yes - even if your memory just goes back 4 years to "precovid cruises" you have to see what is happening, if you experienced cruising pre-2003 (20 years back) you would realize that cruising is utterly different.