TN Vol Fan

We’ve done two but not in Mexico. One in Puerto Rico (before hurricane) was not good. It turned into a rum factory tour, special dinner was so so and everyone got a 50% refund. Our St. Maarten one was fabulous with great stops and a wonderful French lunch as well as a perfect custom dinner on board ship. Also pre hurricane.  

Im not sure I’d do one in Mexico, based on Mayan foods?? Or is it also a Mayan ruins tour? That might be interesting if you’ve never been.

Be prepared for cancellations because  they are so expensive and sometimes they do not get enough interest.

Good luck and happy eating!

The OV rooms forward are our favorite OV cabins!  We’ve been in all 4 of them on various trips. None of them have beds blocking the view.  The two at the center, 7000 & 7001 are very large and rectangular, while the next ones are very long with lots of space.

The biggest draw back to them is you cannot go from one side of the ship to the other through that hallway; only for crew.  And being so far forward you do walk a long way to get to anything on the ship. FYI you do have to keep your curtains closed at night to help the bridge, just above, keep their night vision. We never had a problem with this.  

I would book book these OV again in a minute.

TXRed

You might want to look at the NonAlcoholic drink plans. We drink a lot of coffee thru out the day and if you do, that kind of drink plan might save some $. X does not have coffee cards like Princess.

Be prepared to get up very early on Tracey Arm fiord/Juneau day. We were up and out by 6am!

If your DH isn’t crazy about the buffet for breakfast I’d highly recommend theMDR. Their menu is pretty extensive including eggs Benedict and vanilla French toast, yummy. Lots of sides also.

Don’t be shy, ask anything that comes to mind.

We started with X back in 2002 and have loved the experiences on their ships.

TXRed

We saw the AB out of Skagway at 1AM. The viewing was hindered by the ships smoke, fog and the full moon. The captain did make an announcement for the viewing. You can search on the internet for the best places for viewing your week of traveling.

Coffee on X ships is brewed using Lavazza coffee. It’s pretty good. But certainly try Cafe al Bacio. Their pastries are all no charge and anything is available to go. If you have a Classic Beverage Package all the non alcoholic drinks are included.

The Blu dining venue is just for Aqua class passengers. It’s sized small like a specialty restaurant and has a different menu than the MDR. Nice but the Aqua cabins are pricey. Some love it and some can’t see the value of it.

If you have any questions, just let us know. This trip was a family vacation for us with our DSs and DDIL. All three of them have never been to Alaska before. Gave us a thrill to see them explore this wonderful state.

Good sailing to you.

Just got off the Solstice and Brent Nixon was not the naturalist on board. There was one but really did not compare favorably with him. I’ve taken this ship 3 times from Seattle and was not impressed with the young lady doing the nature talks. Don’t know if he was off temporarily or just not working with X anymore.

Do not miss the Miss Amanda destination talks. She was amazingly good with history and points of interest in each port.

Before you go check out the possibility of seeing the Aurora Borealis lights. We got a sighting #5 out of 9, but they were not very colorful. Certainly fun to try and get a good siteing.

Enjoy your cruise!

SharonK

It certainly is!

This will be my third time going out of Seattle on the Solstice. But this time DH, DSs and DDIL are going also. We haven’t had a family vacation with everyone in years (one son travels for work mainly).

Glad to see your Choice Air problem got resolved. We usually have used them going to Europe with no trouble. What ship? Europe is great in the fall.

SharonK

Hello fron Knoxville!

Yes your roommate can come with you to both the Elite breakfast and the Elite Cocktail Party (5pm - 7pm).

We enjoy the quiet time for breakfast, just remember there’s no hot food served. We always ask for almond croissants extra, as well as small rolls for our bread selection.

Usually it’s in the Tuscan Restaurant and you’ll get to talk to the Captain Club hostess on duty there. Always nice to introduce yourselves.

We get to go to Alaska in just 2 weeks on the Solstice- can hardly wait.

Enjoy your trip with your sister.

Oh course they accept cash! But you can put credit on your room account also and use it on the slots. If you have OBC you can use that for anything in the casino, but it will be in promo mode and must be used for gambling (winnings will be paid in real cash).

Check with the casino cage for all your options.

Good Luck!

Check out the thread Favorite Unique Drinks. There are some great suggestions there for different drinks that might be just what you’re looking for.

Use the search tool to find the thread, it’s not very recent.

Enjoy!

What’s in a Chocolate Monkey?

I got sick 2 days before the end of our Reflection cruise ending April 2. It was a severe sinus and ear inflection but not the flu. Still coughing after 3 weeks. DH never got sick!

I think no matter what you do for prevention just being around that many people in a closed environment will get you sick.

Thank you! Looks like we are going to be at the table getting yelled at for doing it wrong [emoji15]

No one will yell at you, just maybe give you some strange looks. LOL

I love to play craps, but still have to think of all the rules and odds. The dealers will help you enjoy the game..

Don’t be shy and tell them you are novice players.

What might help you is a online tutorial game for practice before you go on board.

Good luck!

The biggest difference in the last few years is the Elite breakfast is it is now plated selections instead of a buffet type meal. You can order as many as you want and you can still ask for some things extra, but nothing hot. We always ask for almond croissants and they magically appear!

On the Connie it will probably be held in the Tuscan Grille restaurant which has no real windows for a view.

Enjoy a great itinerary.

You cannot even get close to eating all the food offered.

Cabin 7000 is one of our all time favorite OV cabins. Large picture window with a deep sill great for storage of souvenirs. Also this room is very rectangular making it a little more spacious feeling.

Since you are right below the bridge, you will be required to keep your curtains closed after dark for their night vision. There is a crew door nearby that sometimes slams, but that never seemed to bother us too much. Also remember you are walking far forward especially from most of the food venues except the Spa Cafe. We always thought we needed to burn those calories!

We once spent 28 days in that cabin on the Connie and 17 days in it on the Infinity. You’ll love it!

If you would like avocados for breakfast and can’t find them, ask one of the managers and I bet the next day, they’ll be out for you. That manager might even find you with a bowl of them. That has happened to me several times with various requests.

Give it a try and be pleasantly surprised.

When we were on the Solstice as a new ship, you could do a glass blowing experience that was a lot of fun. It was a round ornament in what ever colors you wanted. The instructors helped you out, taking safety very seriously. It didn’t take long but it did come with a Murano lunch with the glass blowers. I still have mine years later. I can’t remember what the cost was, but it was a lot more than $40.

We’ll be back on Solstice in July and I certainly will sign up. Great activity!

Elite level does pay for specialized coffee, Elite + does not. Of course if you have a drink Package, you would not pay according to the pricing. We’ve had the Classic Package and did not pay for any Cafe al Bacio drinks.

Only 6 weeks to go for my Cafe Mochas!!!

We have 3 OV cabins on deck 3 booked for this summer on Solstice to Alaska. Very convenient and once you’re in the cabin hallways quiet enough. Also we like mid ships location over far forward for less motion.

If your budget can stand an OV, your beverage Package could be included.

I know S and M ships plans are different but I’d pick the deck 3.

Have a great Alaskan cruise.

Most definitely! I’ve gotten flowers several times in Seattle and Amsterdam that I carried on board, my cabin attendant got a vase and even arranged them for me. The only place I would be wary about getting flowers from would be in the Caribbean due to insect infestation. NO would be fine.

Service charge is only after 11 pm and most items on the menu have no other cost. No matter what room type you’re in, you can always write in special requests on the hang tags and you’d probably get it. You also can order from the MDR menu during dinner hours. Room service is 24 hours. We like to get cheese plates and shrimp in the afternoon.

Don’t forget you can get free pastries from Cafe al Bacio to go when they’re open, but no room delivery from them.

You might want to have a small tip ready for the deliverer. They zip in and out really fast, particularly in the am.

Just keep in mind the Elite+ perks are only cappuccinos, lattes and expresses, not all the other drinks at the Cafe. I didn’t think the specialty teas were perks, but we have had the Classic Drink Package often enough which did include them.

You can also get the perk coffees in the MDR or at the Elite breakfasts.

Love my Cafe Mochas!

Yes X still hosts the Elite cocktail parties, usually 5-7 pm. The exception is only when there are too many Elites to be accommodated in the Sky Lounges. Then either paper drink coupons or drinks loaded on the Sea Passes are issued.

We go and just use our Bev Package enjoying the company and quieter atmosphere.

Yes, she’ll be welcomed into both the Elite breakfast and evening cocktail event. Introduce yourselves to the Captain Club hostess and remind hEr you are rooming together. She may even get the Elite coupons on her Sea pass card. That happened to 2 friends rooming with me. But it’s not a guarantee,

Hope you both enjoy your cruise.

I remember that book on the Solstice when we cruised her 3 months after launch. Though I Have not seen them recently. So pretty, I asked if they were for sale and was told no. A missed revenue stream for X. Maybe they will do it again for Edge.

I have done the IPad art tour which listed every piece of art on board. I went to Guest Relations to get the Pad and then chose which pieces I needed info about. Nice to do if the pool is too crowded! I just don't remember which ship I did it on.

Ask at Guest Services and they'll tell you if it's available. Don't forget the wonderful art going down to the Specialty restaurants. Enjoy the ambience of art on all the X ships.