CrazyTrain2

Gerbils do a shift change every evening.

I never really understood the Lord of the Flies bidding game. Some suites just ain't that sweet and you end up paying more for a lesser experience. The bidding process is useful to VV since they get to see relative demand and what people might be willing to pay.

On 3/30/2024 at 8:00 PM, beltsbear said:

The desserts are a bit much.  This varies ship by ship but on the royal princess they would not just give me the gelato I wanted which was cheaper and easier.  So first time I ordered the big Sundae which is free for me with the gelato flavor I wanted.  The second time I ordered the big sundae without two of its features, no brownies and no coating the glass in chocolate.  They made it as asked. The third time i deleted everything but the gelato but they still put brownies and whipped cream in.  I was on princess premier.  The next time (in two months) , I will further experiment with the Jack Nickelson method of just getting gelato. 

I do a mean Jack Nicholson impression, do you think they would get it?

Shhh, Don't tell the cruise lines but the uplift on cabins is for suckers. If you take the cost differential and put it towards experiences you'll come out way ahead.

In the olden cruising days, balconies were very limited. most cabins on a ship were inside.  I love sailing inside.  It is so restful and no worries about somebody smoking on their balcony, talking loudly or playing music.  When I want the sit quietly outside the ship offers so many options not the 10x5' cell called a balcony.

You will NEVER sleep so well as in an inside cabin.  

Let the dog piling begin from the Sweet Suite crowd, but this sailor can afford any cabin on the ship and still chooses an interior cabin.

20 minutes ago, robertsammons said:

Buying points might be the best way, it's annoying the way they price up one way flights 🙁 

I just checked and that is a GREAT idea.  I have a bunch of AA points - I think it is time to dump them.

I know we are WAY early to book flights, but does anyone have tips on getting decent one-way fares back to the States??

Last October I got lucky and found $800 PP fares from ABQ to BCN on Delta Comfort+, looking at comparable flights the fares are more than the cruise. I'll return from any city in Europe.

It might be cheaper to come back on the Queen Mary.

I'm booked baby!!  April 12th sailing San Juan to Barcelona.

Lets Gooooo!

On 2/29/2024 at 12:42 PM, Lady Arwen said:

I’m going to be honest with you guys.  I put the extra bottles I purchase on ice or in the fridge to keep cold.  I have plantar fasciitis and painful knees.  I use the bottles of cold water to roll my heels over to get relief and I use them to ice my knees.  We don’t drink the water lol.  It’s for medical purposes and I just keep reusing the same bottles over and over.  So, now you know the ugly truth!

Does that qualify as infused water?

This topic is making the ship designer's head spin around and possibly explode.  For decades they have been designing for more balconies is mo' better into their ship designs and this thread shows folks the benefits of ICs. 

In the old days balconies WERE the luxury cabin.

We sail both inside cabins and balconies. It depends on the pricing.  I have never slept so well as in an inside cabin.  Additionally, I have never had an inside cabin that was noisy.

What I will not do is bid up for a balcony.  It can often end poorly in that the Balcony cabins you get are the ones NOBODY else wanted.  It is just a game by the cruise line preying on your excitement.

Some lines like Virgin Voyages have amenities on Balcony Cabins I am willing to pay for.

Enjoy!

Banished to the BLUE line!!

5 minutes ago, IndyKid said:

How did their price compare to Princess?

Cheaper and it covers more things.  I buy an annual policy and then I am covered for all my travel for the entire year - going to see the kids, personal travel unrelated to cruising.  The cruise lines are NOT the insurance carrier, they are only selling somebody else's policy. Additionally, if you have to cancel your trip or even make modifications your insurance is NOT REFUNDED from the cruise line.  Cruise insurance may or may not cover cruise air.  Frankly it's horrible coverage.

I use Allianz but I've never had to file a claim.  They have good ratings.

No chance this hurricane in the Red Sea calms down by April.  It's up to you whether you want to seek safe harbor on another cruise or ride it out to see where the ship ends up.

4 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

When you say basic package, do you mean Standard?

Perhaps you are not aware, Crew Appreciation (tipping) is automatic. While Packages purchasers prepay gratuities, Standard purchasers may adjust or remove, but the default is to accrue them as a daily charge. To post that anyone buying Standard is stiffing the crew is untrue. 

A few years ago Princess said that they were working to increase package buyers from about 50% at that time. I can't offer a current number, probably more, doesn't matter. The same report stated about 10% opt out of tipping. Quite a difference in numbers to make a generalized statement.

The standard package is a marketing gimmick for the brochures and data aggregators to make Princess cruises look cheaper by comparison.  I was not trying to infer that standard package selectors all did not tip, but it does make it makes it POSSIBLE.  After you add gratuities into the standard fare it makes the plus more palatable - and perhaps more drinkable.  Ultimately, I'm still miffed that Princess does not offer a package without alcohol.  The a la carte pricing + gratuities quickly gets you into a Plus or Premier.

24 minutes ago, Wonders By Wallis said:

Just look on the top shelf, start on one end and work your way to the other. 🙂

With my eyes, I'm gonna need to zoom in on the phone and snap a picture.

I'm onboard the Discovery Princess in April.  I signed up for the Premier package and I usually don't drink that much.  What top shelf (at least on board) cocktails/brands should be on the list to sip and toss overboard (I know overboard is a No-No)?

If Princess would offer an alcohol free package, I would have chosen it. The basic package makes no sense for anybody unless you are stiffing the crew, it's simply being used as marketing eye candy.

2 hours ago, herdfans4 said:

What is carlos drag name?  We had Titty Kaka and felt like she was the best drag performer  we have ever seen and really enjoyed her but I see she is on Resilient lady after feb in Australia.  hoping for a great one on Valiant lady in March

A woman named Carlos. https://www.tiktok.com/@awomannamedcarlos Absolutely a fantastic performer.

I didn't set any records on Daytona but I did wear out a path between the game and getting hot pretzels - and a few of the specialty treats.  Tested out the theory that you are a worse driver when intoxicated.  

SPOILER - You are a worse race car driver while intoxicated.

VV has figured out that less is more:

1. Less Kids (No Kids)

2. Less announcements

3. Less upselling

4. Less nickel and diming

5. Less water in the pool (OK, that one is not a benefit)

6. Less drink packages that encourage people to get black out drunk

7. Less selling of specialty dining, but plenty of choices

8. Less Judgement - You do you and you be you

We sailed on the October TA on Valiant. We fell in love with VV.  Bought 2 MNVV cert while on board.  Got home and started looking.  We went from Fell in Love to Fell Overboard. I'd say we are 75% sure we are going to sell our MNVV certs.

The only discounting I am seeing is for the Aussie sailings and the airfare and travel time kills that idea.  Currently, there is a demand supply in balance - VV does not have enough ships to satisfy the demand.  But these prices are going to move the demographic to older, more affluent sailors.  The parties are going to move from off the charts to needing a hip replacement.

We'll see how this shakes out but it is a real bummer for our formerly favorite cruise line.

I'm still going to be hung over from El Clasico, but I am really looking forward to being on the ship and sipping my first cocktail.

See ya onboard!!  This will be EPIC!!

On 8/24/2023 at 2:46 PM, chengkp75 said:

Well, first the ports have to support shore power.  This isn't just like plugging your boat into the marina.  Cruise ships use Megawatts of power in port, and the power needs to be delivered at 10,000 volts, so the port needs to build sub-stations to receive this power from the grid, and then shore power stations for the ships to connect to.  While it costs about $1 million per ship to outfit a cruise ship for shore power, it costs the port many millions to build the infrastructure, with a long pay back period.

 

So, either the port can simply ban cruise ships, at little cost to the port, or they have to commit to a long term, high capitalization project to keep them.

So it's more involved than running a few extension cables from my Tesla?

I wonder if Cruise companies will begin to get the message about accessing shore power instead of running their engines to maintain electrical power while docked.  The fundamental issue is the exhaust fumes funneling into the city.  I don't know VV's capabilities for shore power so I am not disparaging VV, just a message that more ports are becoming aware of the environmental impact from ships.

It's a little hard to hide the issue with a trail of billowing diesel exhaust fumes.