Smitheroo

Sorry, I didnt see much darting in and out on embarkation day. Instead people tried to carry too many plates/cups so they didnt have to go back into that feeding frenzy. I dont care about all the statistics concerning food waste etc. It is hard for a person to carry a plate and a cup of hot beverage. Two trips? are you kidding, one is enough.

Many people do believe that you must wear a tux. As you point out, not true. You wouldnt see your hairy legs with a black velvet skirt on! Didnt I say "long?"

someone has already corrected me

I could spend 3 weeks at sea and still want more..... good thing there is something for everyone although its a bit tougher for those of us who love sea days. Read, drink, relax, watch the ocean......

I agree with you about the cool grandson in a tux at dinner but...... I just want to point out to anyone contemplating trying Cunard. Men do NOT have to wear tuxes at dinner. It is optional, jacket and tie is fine. (at least it was in 2013) At the table I was at, a group of singles, two young showed up in tuxes the first night, the other men wore jackets and ties. The women wore cocktail style dresses or even just dressier dresses, knee length. Woman do not need to wear a ball gown. My go-to apparel was a long black velvet skirt (January voyage)

Getaway has a Spice H20

I would choose a TA on the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2. What I like is what most people hate- they care about how people dress for on their voyages. Yes, passengers can dress casually and eat in the Kings Court buffet, but they are strict about attire after a certain hour. It does make a difference (for some) What I dont like (I'm assuming its still the same, I last sailed with Cunard in 2013) is the set dinner time with the same people. I know that Breakfast and Lunch were open but dinner was a set time (early or late) at the same table. Things might have changed with covid and never returned, I dont know. I love NCL's free style dining. I also liked Cunard's entertainment which included their "Insights" program with lectures on various topics by experts in the field (where I first learned about Mr. Ocean Liner Bill Miller) and daily movies in the theater. As well as the Best Ballroom on the Ocean.

That was the case as late as June 2001 in the US. I know because I flew out to San Francisco where my daughter met met *at the gate*. But I think only pasengers were allowed past a certain point for international flights. Or else that might have been local. I dropped my mother off at Logan in Boston long before 9/11 and I couldnt go to the gate.

I think I may be mixing that up with the Cunard policy

I was on an excursion on one of the Mexican cruises. The tour ended at a stop in Ensenada that was not too far from the ship. One couple left the tour group without notifying the tour guide. it caused her a lot of anxiety because she has to know that all people on the excursion are returned to the ship If they had told her I'm sure it would have been fine. They didnt and she had to run around various areas of the last spot to see if they were still there. Very inconsiderate to the tour guide and fellow excursion guests.

It was my understanding that the corkage fee is waived if you have the drinks package but you can only consume the wine in your room. If you choose to consume it in the dining room then you pay a corkage free. Correct me if I'm wrong

I missed the Tropicana on my recent Getaway cruise. Sounds like it would have been very enjoyable. The Getaway isnt high on my list for repeats but if I ever do, I will be sure to try it out

Oh, this is nothing. Hang around on cruise critic awhile and you will know what I mean

It not just a money saver (in some cases) its just so much easier. I probably break even or maybe even lose a little by paying the drink gratuities. (2 drinks break even) I still do it because sometime I do want to drink and its less effort.

I believe the OP said that the 3rd person had the soda package.

I have experience with universities as well. They had trays. But.... that was 20 years ago so things have changed I guess. dont know why dining halls would have a problem with trays. A dining hall rarely, if ever, resembles the Garden Cafe on an NCL ship on embarkation day. All I can think of for the ships is extra clutter? I really doubt they worry about the occasional person who might take advantage and take too much food because they have a tray and then waste it. It would be interesting to know why these institutions have eliminated trays.

good idea. I dont think my studio cabin had an ice bucket and tray unless it was hidden somewhere. Dont think it would work in the Garden Cafe but was ideal for what you wanted.

*Another* thing I was not aware of- there is a place to leave your luggage!!! I didnt know this until I heard the announcement half way through lunch that guests could leave their carry-on bags in the casino until cabins are ready. Experience is a very effective teacher! I only had a tote bag and that was another part of the chaotic process. I wasnt going to leave that at an unattended table with my money and important papers in it.

I'm sure cafeterias must still have trays but you're right about buffets. I've never seen trays.Most buffets arent the chaos that the Garden Cafe can be, especially on Embarkation day though.

Yes, except I only learned that from experience. Definitely it will be the MDR. Using my water bottle to put my tea water in doesnt appeal to me and then I'd have to get a cup anyway. (it would be safer though) Its just not convenient for one person to dine alone in the Garden Cafe unless you eat in stages. Eat your plate of food, go back for your hot beverage. Although heading back into the lines doesnt appeal after doing it once lol but I will just have to do that because the risk of a disaster is too great (even just accidentally dumping your plate, which I have never seen happen) That would just be a mess for them to clean up, a cup of hot water on a child's head would be more than that. I have actually seen that happen in a crowd trying to get refreshments at a baseball game. And the man had a tray! It had about 6 big cups of soda and as he turned with his sodas on a tray he lifted it above the others to make it easier for him to get through the crowd. Someone jostled him and the 6 tall cups on the tray went over, right on the heads of two children standing close by. One was my cousin who was about 4 at the time. He just looked shocked, the girl next to him started screaming. I'm sure it was icky feeling but at least it wasnt scalding

I was just going to come back to this thread. A tray brought in from the outside would not be something that NCL would promote but for a completely different reason - infection control. It would not be a good idea to bring a tray into a food area that possibly has been everywhere else on the ship including the bathrooms and then rest it on surfaces in the Garden Cafe. I wouldnt even try it now But on to what you said- the risk of passengers wasting too much food because their eyes were bigger than their bellies. That is not nearly as great as the potential safety risk of dumping a cup of hot tea on a child's head. Because that is what almost happened, through no one's fault other than me trying to carry one plate and one cup and a small child being close to me. All it would have taken is one person in the crowd to jostle my arm. The child wasnt doing anything other than being short. I'm sure there is a lot of food wasted anyway. And the tray wouldnt be big enough to carry all the plates,bowls and cups you imagined. There must be a tremendous amount of food wasted. For one thing, in the MDR they serve a basket of rolls regularly to me, one person. The most I would ever take would be 1 and definitely not 4. Surely that basket of rolls is tossed after they've served me. I could kick myself. I just filled out a survey on the cruise I just took and forgot to mention the chaos in the Garden Cafe, especially on embarkation day, and the potential accidents waiting to happen.

Sorry, I just googled it and I have to admit that I dont recall hearing the song Kiss even once. That must seem unbelievable because I do know who Prince was.

Definitely doing that next time! I didnt think they would be open until dinner.

I could probably write one up myself ? I think I'd like to try the tray option first. I just dont like leaving my food unattended. And definitely wouldnt if it was far from the food lines