durangokid

I have always gotten the value plan and had no issues other than slow internet speeds. Don't use facetime or Skype and do not try to watch Netflix or other streaming sites, so not an issue there. Have taken care of keeping in touch with family, kept up with some stock market business and surfed the web with no issues. Of course, we live in a very rural area and have satellite internet which can be slow so are not bothered by the speed or lack thereof on cruises. YMMV

Had it done many years ago on a Carnival ship (1999?) - cost then was $35 plus gratuity and then they tried to sell me a sparkly barrette for another $35. YMMV

Hubby just puts his CPAP on the floor next to the bed. The hose is long enough to reach without issues. We bring an extension cord but some cruise lines will provide one. Also he just uses the tap water while on a cruise and never had a problem.

On the right side of the screen it lists all the ships by name for each cruise line forum. Click on the one you are looking for and it lists all posts for that particular ship. Saves having to just search. Just my $0.02 worth. Happy cruising!!

When we were there in October I saw several clear purse/bags being used and wished I had brought one.

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us. We will be on this cruise in September and with all the super-cold right now I am looking forward to it more than ever!

We did this on the Star in November and it was wonderful. They really spoil you with the service but be warned - there is a LOT of food!

Following. Thank you for sharing your experience. We will be on board for September 18, 2018 sailing with family and friends. This makes me wish it were sooner!

It's a few years old now, but I have scanned the Patters for the 15 day Hawaii cruise on the Star Princess out of Los Angeles. Elua were on that sailing, so much of what they did on my sailing would still be relevant. You'll find a link to that Patter below in my signature.

Thank you! We will be on the Star October 25 and I am voraciously studying/reading everything I can!

Mary in NC

Per our TA, the fare is $34 pp on the Star Princess in October - Pier (San Pedro?) to LAX

I would love to try both of them.... Right Now! Sigh... I really need to sail.

Me, too. However, you get to cruise before I do. :D

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

 

Overall, we had a great time. Next time we go to Europe, I'll know to plan even more time before and after our cruise.

geoherb thanks for the review .. We are contemplating this for our 50th wedding anniversary in 2020. We would probably stay and spend more time in Scotland after the cruise and have our kids fly over and join us for that. And Hi from one North Carolinian to another! :)

durangokid aka maryinnc

Our favourite Hawaiian themed cocktails when we went in 2012 were Macadamia Madness and North Shore

Those look yummy and intriguing!

Going to Hawaii October 25 from LA. Friends were discussing the special drinks Princess offered in Alaska (i.e. Melting Glacier) and we were wondering if there were any tropical themed drinks offered. Just one of those curious things to wonder about while waiting for the time to pass. TIA for any help. ;)

Yes I have cruised post bariatric surgery. Had a vertical gastric sleeve (VSG) in November 2007 and cruised in May the following year. Tried to explain to waitstaff I now had a teeny stomach and could not eat much but they still tried to encourage me to eat and worry there was something wrong with my food. Nowadays I usually order appetizer size portions. Meet with the Maitre'd and explain the situation and ask for smaller portions. If they do not accommodate you then just eat what you can and leave the rest. The worst lesson my mom ever taught me to was that I had to clean my plate. Good luck on your cruise.

Never done it ourselves but have read about hotels offering rooms for the day. Would give you a place to put luggage, change after the beach and rest before heading to airport. Sorry, don't have names of any that offer this, again have just read about it in the past.

I'm not sure if sleeve is much different than bypass, but you should still be on all liquid for the most part. Plus you are not going to feel like doing anything, much less travel across the country and get on a boat. You'll never leave your cabin. 1st month is hell, good luck.

 

Oh, and look into Isopure protein water as a alternate to shakes. 40G of protein in a 20 oz bottle. Drink one a day

I am 9 years out from my VSG and can tell you it is vastly different than a bypass. For a VSG they remove about 80% of the stomach so you end up with a banana shaped stomach that can hold about 4 ounces. Recovery time varies but I was back at work full time at one week (desk job) and felt great. I wish I could have taken a cruise at that time! At two weeks you will most likely still be sipping a lot of liquids and only very soft foods, i.e. soft scrambled eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt. Bring your protein powder and shakes and rely on them. Do not push yourself to eat things you know you shouldn't - being overfull and getting the "foamies" ain't fun and it ain't pretty! Good luck on your VSG journey and remember - it is a tool, not a miracle. :)

Thanks for your review. We were also on this sailing and it proves everything is subjective. I would say 90% of staff and crew we saw/interacted with were very friendly and smiling. Even had one waiter from dining room who had only waited on us one time recall my first name several days later while getting a coffee at cafe promenade - I was impressed with that! Chair hogging in solarium - I did not notice a lot of this but there were some that I noticed with shirts, bags, shoes, etc on them and never saw anyone using these chairs. As with any cruise on any line - YMMV. Happy cruising everyone!

I have the replenish package for our October cruise on Oasis. The coffee's and Chai tea sounds good. I wondered where is the quickest or easy place to get the water? I can drink 8 to 10 bottles a day too.

Most of the bars on Liberty of the Seas had the bottles of water when we were on her last week. The Solarium Bar had a water dispenser but not bottled. YMMV

Mary in NC

When we sailed the Splendor in March we got the cubes. I had hoped to get the duffel, so when I ran into Kevin (the CD) I asked him if they had any more duffels available. He made a few calls and they did not.

 

We're on the Magic again in July and will probably get the cubes again. Not that I'm going to refuse a free gift, just not a fan of cube packing. I'm more than willing to swap, if anyone is interested :)

I have two extra duffles and would be interested in a trade. Email at:

durango_kid at yahoo DOT com (yes that is an underscore in the durango part)

Thanks!

(Going on the Paradise next week, curious to see what we get)

Thanks for the info Mary!

 

We border Chesapeake, Va & 1 hr. North of the Outer Banks. We have tons of tourists in the summer months traveling thru our town headed to the OBX.

Thanks - we are heading to the OBX in June with our sons, daughters in law and grandkids for a week. Lived in NC 30 years and this will be the first time we have been to OBX. :) we are in Statesville about an hour or so north of Charlotte up I-77.

See ya on board soon!!

Looks like we are on the same cruise, 2/2/2016. Would you mind letting me know the cost?

I believe $90 or 95 per person - well worth it since you get to see the engine control room which is a real rarity. BTW where is Moyock, NC?

Mary in NC <---currently at sea on Glory

We just did this tour on the Glory yesterday. When we boarded Guest Services would not take a reservation and made us go to the shore excursion desk to sign up. According to the gentleman there, the number of tours is dependent on the number of people interested and number of sea days they can offer it.

It is well worth the price, IMHO, and very informative. We had a group picture on the bow and one on the bridge with the Captain. No individual pictures. Also some other goodies including a backpack tote, hat, wristband and some treats delivered to the cabin. Was over three hours for ours and a LOT of steps!

Mary in NC

We are doing a B2B on the Glory starting this Saturday. Also have to change cabins, same deck but one is forward and one aft, and have been told to let the stewards know (both cabins) and a little extra tip doesn't hurt. Plan on asking our room steward for his/her suggestions on how to handle this and will post back here with that info. Bon voyage everyone!

Never had a problem bringing knitting on board. And yes, I love to knit socks with DPNs, too! Will be bringing several skeins to work on during our Journeys cruise on the Glory January 23.

My motto is "I knit so I don't kill people" :D (Greatest therapy ever!) Enjoy your cruise!