no1talks

14 minutes ago, mowogo said:

"Probably not going to see those steals again until the Galveston MSC terminal opens and they need people on those first sailings."

Hmmm . . .

Galveston is several hours closer than Miami. 🤔 Introductory pricing from Texas would have to be really great, though, because I doubt the itineraries would be any more interesting than those from Florida.

17 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

"Can I assume that it's permitted for him to enter the area if we wanted to show him around (tour the cabin, or have a drink in the lounge)?"

Your best shot at getting this done on the up and up (without crossing any lines, as you put it) is to quietly have a word with the concierge or even the Yacht Club director and ask if your friend may have a discrete tour of the Yacht club facilities.

There has been an increase in non-YC passengers gaining entry in some cases and it has gone over like a lead balloon.

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"Once we had a bird fly in."

And, that would be bad enough on its own.

However, on MSC, you have to add the bird to the drink package. If the lucky couple is enjoying Premium Extra, that will be a significant additional cost.

 

11 minutes ago, lj77346 said:

"I asked, what is the name of the ship we're on."

To keep things interesting,, I would have gone with, "Who is buried in Grant's tomb?"

52 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

The Wine in the Closet

It's probably just me, but this sounds like the title of a previously unknown Tennessee Williams play.

1 hour ago, PhD-iva said:

Good idea, but only works if you drive home from disembarkation? I wouldn’t risk transporting a bottle in my checked luggage…..

 

That time we did drive. However, on other travels, we have had no luggage accidents when using inflatable bottle protectors.

For a bit of corny fun, you can turn an unwanted bottle into a souvenir.

Last year, we found ourselves with a bottle of gin at our disposal, during a cruise. We aren't the sort to sit on the balcony and drink Gibsons. Instead, I had the notion to collect signatures, like a yearbook. The bottle now resides on the fireplace mantle and we won't be opening it.

37 minutes ago, styles27 said:

" . . . husband is very lucky the scopolamine patch doesn’t give him any adverse reactions."

Strictly speaking, saying the husband is lucky that nothing adverse occurred, implies adverse outcomes are more typical.

I suggest it may be more accurate to say you were unlucky, and did not have problem-free use of the patch.

On 1/26/2023 at 6:52 PM, basketballdad said:

patches make many people sicker than going without.

Do you possibly have some data to support this claim of "many," who were worse off than going without?

22 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

"I have never heard of cutting the patches."

Transdermal patches should only be cut under the direction of one's healthcare provider. As far as I'm aware, the FDA has approved only only one transdermal medication, Lidoderm, for cutting. These patches are designed with division in mind. Others, including Transderm Scop, are not made for cutting and dosage errors may occur.

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

"As opposed to just bringing your favorite beers, hard liquors and wines on board? Either at embarkation or from the various ports."

For those who favor just a short list of wines or drink but a few different cocktails, BYOB is doable. However, this would never work for me.

I enjoy a wide spectrum of cocktails and I never know what I shall fancy at any particular moment. I literally would require a full, premium-tier bar setup in the suite. This would be ill-advised for all but the longest of cruises, and only if I were regularly having guests for cocktails.

Far better to go for the package and enjoy a variety of cocktails without the muss and fuss of so many ingredients. (Don't get me started on how many of my favorite wines I would have to bring, to cover food & wine pairings.)

8 minutes ago, orangemini said:

"I asked if he could bring us a couple of cheese boards. He agreed and left to get them . . . when he finally got back he was smiling and waving two chess games . . ."

In an alternate universe, where chess was invented in Wisconsin, the misunderstanding would not have mattered.

5 hours ago, psmarkle said:

"It's pretty close to 5 full days on the ship, so, yay!"

I, too, like staying on the ship. We don't take long excursions and return before the crowds arrive. Ideally, we get back in time for an afternoon tea service, even if the official tea isn't being held.

It is too bad about the tightening of the casino rewards. 

11 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

"I always liked that the people 'dressed well'."

I could not agree more. 

16 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

"Our sea day yesterday."

Thank you for the reply, Cruise5life.

It is as I feared: Buh-bye opera; hello belly flop.

15 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Why is that?

Speaking for myself, G.P., I'd prefer MSC to maintain the European flavor, with which they arrived. However, it has been getting cut away since the return to cruising.

For example, on cruises of 7-days or longer, during a sea day, they would have a one-off matinee show of a truncated opera. To my knowledge, no MSC cruise from the US has continued this custom since the restart. (If anyone has cruised from the US and seen an abbreviated opera, please advise.)

6 hours ago, Stockjock said:

"I wonder how they determine who gets the invites . . . "

I did read that one's YC butler can arrange for speakeasy tokens. Other than that, it might be a bit random, perhaps?

11 hours ago, little britain said:

Price list laundry 🧺 

The dry cleaning prices aren't bad at all, compared to what I pay here, in US $.

However, I am disappointed I cannot get my dress socks returned on a hanger.

2 minutes ago, Seadweller001 said:

"Saw Houdini last cruise.  It was a complete waste of time and $$$s.  The drinks were on a table coming into the room and warm, ice melted.  The show was amateurish.  I would not go again even if they paid me."

This is an example of diminished cruise experience, to which I referred. Last year, our Mera cruise had a band performing different cover sets each show. “Off the Record . . . On the Rocks” owned The Carousel Lounge everytime we saw them. If they were still on an MSC cruise, I'd gladly pay twice the onboard price of this year's shows and happily accept a lukewarm Budweiser Select 55™ for my "included" beverage.


Photo credit to RWS Entertainment Group.

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

"It’s a strange cruising world we are sailing in these days.."

Very true, G.P.

Passengers are irked, from Carnival up to Regent. The way I see it, passengers have limited options.

1) Stay off the ships until things settle.

2) Ride it out with the usual cruises, paying the same (or more) for a reduced experience.

3) Pay more and go with a higher-tier brand and improve the cruise experience, even if the brand isn't what it used to be for its veterans.

4) Take the cruising down a tier, getting a lesser experience, but at least saving some money in the process.

We will be in YC, on Seascape, in March. What happens on that cruise will significantly impact what we plan for our '24 cruise.

28 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"Veni, vidi, Venchi."
- Morpheusofthesea, on day five of this cruise.

24 minutes ago, JAGR said:

We need to get you a few more applause memes! Lol.

 

I have several, but one cannot go wrong with William Powell.

Some of the other gifs might be off-putting, like these:

1 hour ago, Morgsmom said:

"But the fallacy in this Euro-centric approach is that 99.9% of the hard-working employees on the ships are NOT European; they are working 9 month contracts to send money back to their home country."

3 hours ago, carlmm said:

"Only those US-Americans unaware of or not willing to recognize European and MSC customs do tip above the norm."

Yes, I'm blessed to be in a position to tip in a magnanimous fashion.

MSC's daily rate is one of the lowest in the cruise business. Even Carnival has better tips. To wit:
"Starting April 1, the company will automatically charge guests $16 per person, per day for standard staterooms, and $18 per person, per day for suites, a Carnival spokesperson confirmed to Travel + Leisure. That is an increase of $1.50 per person, per day for each category."  

So, three cheers for, "Over-dressed, over-paid, and over here!" (Well, I'm still over-dressed anyway, even if most of my fellow Yanks are not. 😉) 

4 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

"I keep a file called 'YC requests' . . . "

You too?! Here's mine.