broker1217

Body lotion typically has less oil-it dissipates faster. I found both the Otium and Bulgari quite watery and nowhere near as moisturizing as a decent grocery store type (Cerave,Eucerin,Avena, etc). I also didn’t like the stronger scent of the included toiletries. I bring my own body lotion and hand cream.

We also used Fivestar. We arrived December 3 and the line for immigration was quite short, so not sure we saved any time there. It took an hour to get our bags and we were AA with Priority bags. The Five Star person stayed with us and escorted us to the taxi stand. Took 45 minutes for the 5 Star taxi to arrive. I don’t think we saved any time. edit to add: We would not willingly arrive in Barbados again-not a fabulous experience or airport.

Sorry for distracting ronrick-enjoying your thread and photos immensely!Keep up the good work and enjoy the Otium Suite! That verandah hot tub-wow!

Yes, I loved how it was set up at the entrance and soap, water and towels were touchless. Great set up.

lol-we have the same supplies! And we don’t care what others think either. We have wiped down our tray tables on planes for years, and wash our hands after leaving planes and when returning to our cabin. Use the stairs and avoid handrails. So we are atypical cruisers as we simply spend time with one another and enjoy the verandah. We were in a bit of a pickle leaving Lima since the port area is so unsafe, so we did the ship transfers to whatever hotel they used, then took a taxi to our day hotel.

We know it’s a risk we take to travel, especially during holidays. Just be aware that it is out there and do what you choose to stay safe. I feel the busses and airports are a real risk factor, and would mask up for those. But we will survive, and will continue traveling internationally in less than 2 weeks (albeit masked at airport and on planes).

I hesitate to say this, but we disembarked in Lima on the 19th and there was a LOT of coughing on board. One woman in Observation Lounge was coughing, sneezing and blowing her nose. lots of coughing on transfer bus departing Lima. We both tested positive for COVID one and two days after returning home. We did not go to shows and skipped excursions the last 10 days, and we don’t dine with others. In hindsight, I wish we had avoided any shared elevators and had masked up on the transfer. Just use precaution as you see fit. While we were on board (Dec. 4-19) there was no enforcement of washing or sanitizing.

DD- could you please validate something? Is the SS water bottle the only water in the cabin? I drink at least 2 liters a day so I would need t be carrying my bottle around to be refilled?

Yes-if you click the hyperlink ‘Read more’ in the email, there is additional detail under What to Pack n page 7.

Per the email sent specific to Nova: Gentlemen dining at La Dame are required to wear a jacket.

I think the flaw in this logic is that people are choosing SS (or Cunard) only for the dress code. I have the cash and interest necessary to book SS. I like many things about SS—food, wine, service, public spaces, dining options, itineraries, etc. I tolerate the dress code and adhere to it, but I find it antiquated. My question to you is—-if you are allowed/encouraged to dress formally at your discretion on SS, why is it a problem if others choose to not dress formally? Why are you alluding to lowest common denominator and what do you mean by that? I am genuinely curious. Does it impact your experience in a negative manner if others are wearing a jacket and dress pants and no tie?

Well-I have to say that we book SS in spite of the dress code, not because of it. So I am pleased with the change on Nova. I will always follow the appropriate dress code for each ship. But if SS wants to stay relevant, they need to keep up and to evolve. That means everything from dress codes to music to food and beverage choices and excursions. Unfortunately for luxury lines, their target demographic is constantly aging. They need to change and evolve to stay relevant, Even if it upsets the traditionalists.

We are sailing Nova Barbados-Lima in December. This is welcome news and will simplify our packing. I am especially pleased since we love to eat outside whenever possible, and a jacket in hot climates is an uncomfortable inconvenience for my husband. He will bring 2 jackets, but no suit and possibly no ties. He will be able to dress nicely for the tropical climate-silk and linen shirts with no jacket or tie.

If you click on the READ MORE button in the email from Barbara Muckermann you will find more detail. After 6 PM—-no jeans, shorts, sneakers or flip flops. Men are required to wear a jacket in La Dame. Casual wear is always suitable in outdoor spaces.

I would suggest perusing the Connoisseur list soon after boarding. They have some excellent wines at very good value, I find the French wines particularly well priced (I am from US). US wines tend to be somewhat overpriced in my experience, especially brand name wines like Caymus or Silver Oak, etc. We looked at the Connoisseur list over lunch in Atlantide and ordered a bottle of Puligny Montrachet to enjoy at a later dinner. The process was well handled and wine was tagged with our name. When we arrived for dinner we told the sommelier we wanted our pre ordered wine and it was served promptly. The price for the Puligny Montrachet was well below what we would pay retail at a wine shop.

The hallways were wide enough that it did not seem to present a problem. We were able to walk past easily. But-obviously the question is what would happen in an emergency situation. For example, the passenger in the cabin next to us was traveling solo and used an oversize walker due to his size. He fell twice in his cabin, one time screaming for help late at night. Who would get him down stairs or off the ship in an emergency? There were at least 5-10 devices on each deck any time we were out. This was our first SS cruise and it did give us pause. Most of our previous cruises were on Viking and any assistive device must be stored in your cabin.

I was just on the Moon and there were many, many scooters, wheelchairs and walkers in the hallways. Electric wheelchairs and scooters were plugged into hallway outlets to recharge.

We were in 605-and there were definitely folks in 603 and 604 starting maybe 3-4 days into the cruise. We saw the verandah tables outside the cabin doors and room service carts in the hall loaded up with food in styrofoam take away containers. One time saw a crew member in full white hazmat suit including booties, gloves and plastic face shield. Also garbage left outside cabins in red garbage bags indicating bio waste. Lasted for about 3-4 days and I have no idea if it was crew or pax.

Our recent TA had Top Gun on the last night in Venetian Lounge. Good choice of recent movies on TV-The Whale, Man called Ovo.

We are self sufficient and don’t really care if we have a butler, it’s not a value add for us. We do like having the ice bucket and wine and drinks replenished. Free laundry/dry cleaning would be ten times more valuable. On our recent cruise I did find the multiple butler visits, along with cabin steward, intrusive. SS is the only line we have cruised that did not service your room while you were at breakfast. Other lines quickly figured out when you had breakfast and the suite was done when you returned. On SS the lone cabin steward started at one end of the corridor and worked down. We were at the end so got service around 11 AM. Then the butler would visit. Butler would visit again in afternoon.

We dined at La Dame twice on our recent TA and enjoyed it. It was worth $60/pp for us, but only you can decide if the value is there for you. For us it was worth the upcharge for a more intimate venue with elevated service, but we don’t really like Atlantide, or main dining rooms in general. I realize we are in the minority on that opinion. We are willing to pay to be in a more intimate, quiet setting with better service. If you are happy with the food and atmosphere in Atlantide it may not make sense for you to pay the upcharge.

Dining is so very subjective-only you can judge if the upcharge is worth it to you. We were on the TA and did Kaiseki twice for dinner and 3 times for lunch. For us it was completely worth the upcharge to be in a smaller, quieter venue with great service at dinner, but we are not Atlantide fans. I recognize that is not a popular or typical opinion. It is not authentic Japanese, but we did not expect that. My husband did the Omikase one night and a la carte the second. The sushi and sashimi was lovely at lunch and the servers knowledgeable and delightful. Regarding Silvernote-we waitlisted and were notified upon boarding that we got our requested reservation.

T-shirt, cardigan, leggings, Olukai slip ons. I put compression socks on after boarding. I keep face wash wipes in my carry on and remove make up before sleeping.

Has your TA call contacted SS Air to inquire about a routing that departs before midnight? With all due respect, your TA should be working this issue and problem solving. I’m sorry you are having this issue and that you and your husband have to try to resolve. If it were me, I would research alternate routings/airlines to see if there is an earlier departure. Frustrating, but dealing with cruise line air requires micro management.

Take a look at their Alaska cruises- ship to airport transfers are not included. The page on door to door has a disclaimer saying services may vary and to look at the individual cruise to determine inclusions.