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Miss Ellsworth...thank you so much for sharing all your experiences & your views on "real travel". I love that you own it all by stating "Look at what I've done!" You go girl!

Wow! graphicguy...my upcoming cruise will be my first NCL venture. I started the thread to reassure myself that NCL is a good choice. I love all of the things you have listed in your post. Thank you for sharing your experiences...and I appreciate your spirit & humor.

I stand corrected. Thank you for addressing my erroneous info in a rational way without making a personal attack. You are demonstrating a wonderful example of mature & respectful discourse.

My identity on geocaching.com is the same as on this forum. You are welcome to view my info there.

geocaching.com Check it out. World wide game locating caches (hides). Started by two guys in Oregon years ago when gps was a new thing to the general public. They challenged each other to find hidden objects by providing their opponent with gps coordinates. It grew from there. Nerd's game...I am a nerd

Thank goodness for deep overnight cleaning given all the "bugs" being spread on cruise ship due to close proximity for patrons.

I've been in the UK before, but it was before my geocaching days.

I try to score a geocache everywhere I visit but I only started in 2008 when I was stationed in Germany so I missed opportunities in the ROK & in Guam. Have strived to score one in every country/state since then. My upcoming sailing should give me two more scores...Portugal & England. If I can log a geocache in those two countries, that would make me very happy.

Hehehe...I have never seen a wunder bar either. I mostly book private excursions myself. Had a close call making it back to the ship in the Caymans but everyone else did too so no worries.

I want all new NCL cruisers to come to this thread to see all the wonder & joy that an NCL cruise can bestow on their lives. Share the love!!!

Wunderbar!!! So envious of your adventures...hopefully I can follow in your footsteps in the future. Thanks for the share. Keep 'em coming NCL cruising peeps!

Here's to those who wish us well, to those who don't, go to hell! Yeah...I had to google that

Hahahahaha...just wait til you see videos of me dancing...lol

OMG...I'm going to hell for hearting this post!! And I am a spiritual person who worships the Almighty, Jesus & the universe.

Sad...but so true

Wish I could give this 10 thumbs up!

It's really not a matter of time to sail to the next port. It is a matter of how much it costs them to be docked at any port. They contract for a certain amount of dock time. More time = significantly more $$$. They are making business decisions. Send opposition to corporate or discontinue to use this line although other cruiselines are under the same constrictions..

@Moosally - agree...reality is what we individually project onto/into our lives (more metaphysical stuff most will poo-poo). We should all strive to make ours & other's projections as positive as possible. And yes, CruiseMH, that means accepting that others' perceptions/experiences are different than our own. I believe we are here on earth to love, support & propel one another to goodness.

Everything we have been taught/indoctrinated to believe...lol

Tipping is an entirely a personal decision. As a former service provider while putting myself thru undergrad & grad school, I know how much tips made a difference in my life. Please purchase only what you can afford & know that even a nominal tip amount means a lot to those folks who choose to live their lives onboard a ship, separated from their families to support said families. For those who are unable to afford both their cruise & all the expected gratuities, they are still entitled to wonderful life experiences. Please make the staff feel valued by either verbally acknowledging them or filling out what is known on NCL as a "hero card". Kind words go a long way, but tip if you can...even if it feels minuscule compared to what the more fortunate can afford to give.

Looked 'em both up...sound very yummy...will have to try!

As a former bartender, I have no idea what Caipirinhas (do the pirinhas/piranhas bite?) or Sidecars are (I tended in beer/simple cocktails). I will definitely have to google those drinks & maybe try both on my upcoming sailing. Thanks for the positive post!

"Shocking Demise" affecting cruise consumers! I am certain covid has been a "Shocking Demise" for not only the cruise industry, but imagine the effect on their ship staff!!! If you don't own a business significantly affected by the pandemic, please have some empathy for those that have...from the Mom and Pop shops to lucrative corporations...more for the Mom and Pop's though please. I pray that all cruiseline staff who leave their families behind to strive to make a decent living while enduring family separation to provide said family with financial security are now starting to feel more security in their occupational choice. (long sentence...I know...hopefully grammatically correct). For many of us, we have had to tighten our budgets. For those who feel no need to do so...kudos! Wish all of us could be so lucky. Welcome to the world of capitalism...we can choose to participate or not participate. Our choices (freedom) are our own.

While I empathize with those who really miss their cookies/biscuits, I have not heard of serious consequences from not having a cookie/biscuits other than to the cruise line due to backlash. I do believe peeps should have their opinions known & hopefully NCL has staff that monitor these boards & take the opinions submitted seriously & bring cookies back. However, I think I'll still be here tomorrow if I don't get a cookie...truly a 1st nation crisis ...just saying...

It all depends on your beliefs & lifestyle. You may be able to get a great rate due to many avoiding charter cruises that may be offensive to them. Sometimes these cruises book fully as niche communities love them. But the bottom line question is whether what you want to surround yourself with is consistent with your own preferences.