no1talks

If cruise itineraries are going to be predominantly bought by passengers from Brazil, MSC is correct to go heavy on Portuguese. Brazil is not a bastion of multilingualism. You have to staff based on passengers' communication abilities.

"Say the secret woid and the duck will come down to give you $50 OBC."

On the next episode of This Old Cabana, we'll discuss how much to tip for getting a half-bath added to the back.

They are mostly free. They charge for Lambada lessons because, well... It is the Forbidden Dance, after all. 😆 (I'm sorry, I cannot resist pop culture references. Just ask @morpheusofthesea.)

Accordingly, for the next three weeks...

Yes, and it doesn't have enough seats. Three per go is not enough capacity.

I played the hell out of Robotron, back in the day!

The advantage is MSC's. When short on butlers, preselected pillows and alcohol saves time. As far as the "favorite drink" mentioned in the e-mail, I took that as a reference to one's bottle selection. The implication being that your selected alcohol will be waiting for you and you can make yourself a drink right away. On our last cruise, we had no interest in opening our included bottle. Instead, we collected staff signatures like a school yearbook in bottle form.

I've said it before, but since you asked so nicely... If I'm taking the trouble of going out to sea, I'm damn sure going to dress better than dinner at Olive Garden. I don't begrudge others their casualness. For myself, I'm in a tux at 6pm sharp, formal night or not.

Yes. It's the top-secret ship within a ship within a ship... The Ya-Yas Yacht Club.

Well, when I Lent, I always get soot.

Disney, huh? The a/c was probably just a cover story. I'd wager it was those damn brooms again.

Devils Tower, of course! (Going waaay back for that pop culture reference. 😉)

@JAGR, the re-re-re-retelling may remind you of Mark Antony's line in Act 3 of Julius Caesar, but I'm reminded of... NIAGARA FALLS!! Sloooowly I turned, and step by step... inch by inch...

Tony Soprano would have approved. 😎

True enough. It is quite contentious on the luxury cruise message boards. They can get especially snippy, when tipping early in a cruise is mentioned. And what, pray tell, do you have against bon mots?? I love bon mots! I've been known to eat a whole box while I'm watching my soaps.

Do you mean friends and family of MSC corporate? Friends and family of non-corporate VIP guests staying in YC themselves? Friends and family of brazen, but non-VIP YCers? All of the above?

Permission to treat the witness as hostile?

Hmmm... After a quick bit of Google-fu, it seems Lanson is not available in the Carribean cruise region. Perhaps Lanson takes the place of Nicolas Feuillatte in the Mediterranean? It would seem odd, having two entry-priced Champagnes by the glass.

Insofar as actual Champagne goes, NF will likely be the least expensive on the entire ship, including the Champagne bar. There will be less expensive "bubblies" that are within package price caps, but they won't be Champagne. There is probably a prosecco and an asti at the two lowest price points.

They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!

@rkacruiser, it's a much better white tent to "serve notice" on NCL for their audacity to white-tent as well. 😁

I have a suggestion... 700 sq. ft. of "Take that, NCL!"