Ret MP

I totally agree with your premise. There are definite advantages to traveling with others/groups. AND there are disadvantages as well. I said earlier that we always travel with my daughter, her family, my old Army buddy, and his wife. Well, not totally true. We do, in between those cruises (the Star Class cruises) travel just the two of us. It is nice to be just us, not having to wait on others, or hurry because others are waiting on us, get up when we don't want to get up, and avoid the drama. Decide where EVERYONE wants to eat and so on. On the other hand, while cruising with others, it is nice to carry on conversations with others, socialize, and just hangout with folks we don't generally get to socialize with or hang out with.

This isn't directed directly towards you @WheresWalter. You just happened to bring up the subject. And your experience is your experience. We were on the Symphony just after she was active for 6 months to a year. El Loco Fresh was kinda new to the system then. We found it to be limited in it's verity of options. But, I don't have anything bad to say about the quality of food or its teste. On a few cruises on Rustbucket Cruise Lines, and a few occasions to visit the Blueiguana the food was tasty but the condiment bar was always a mess and the less that appropriate handling of food by too many, not all passengers was inexcusable. Staff/crew doing nothing about it and not cleaning it up, not for a long time after it needed to be cleaned up. Does it happen on RCCL's condiment bars? I'm sure it does. But, other than kids doing it, I haven't observed adults hand pick things off of the bar(s) and in some cases taste and then return the item(s). These are my experiences, they don't have to be anybody else's. These are my opinions, they don't have to be anybody else's. BTW, the food at the El Loco Fresh could be great today as the management could have changed, the crew may have changed, the kitchen staff could have changed. So, my take is, I don't blame the ship or venue. Everything on a cruise ship changes, often.

We always travel in a group. Usually my youngest daughter and her family and my old Army buddy and his wife. One thing we/I make perfectly clear with everyone, none of us are joined at the hip (except my wife and I are) and if one couple wants to do one thing and another wants to do something else, so be it, no hard feelings or take it like someone does like someone else, it's about preferences, period. That's while ON the cruise. As stated, we cruise together and we share one cabin (2 bedroom suites). So, if one couple can't make it, it causes the cost for the others go up. So far, we haven't had that problem, thankfully. But, we are a group that knows what we want well in advance and make sure we have everything we need to cruise, well, those things that we can control.

SEA, not SEE.

Years ago, long after the new car smell wore off of our marriage, my wife finally asked, at first, then demanded after a while that I put the seat down. At first I told her that I would put the seat down if she put it up after she was done. That went over like a lead balloon. So, I relented and I started to put the seat down and the lid. Now, we don't share the same bathroom. I love my wife. We are joined at the hip and have been for 49 years, next month. We are best friends, too.

https://www.grayflannelsuit.net/blog/1968-raleigh-belair-cigarette-coupon-catalog

This is when I decided to quit smoking in 2008:

LOL! Ya, my mom smoked Ralieghs. Their was a coupon on each pack. My mom smoked about 4 packs a day. She just about supplied our kitchen with cookware and utensils with those coupons. And much more. She was also into S&H Green stamps. She died of Alz..

I've heard that. But, I still feel a lot of pain!

Totally agree. But, you know it ain't gonna happen. RCCL, et al, are in the business of selling cruises, not giving people excuses not to cruise. The only answer is "live and learn". For the amount of years I've cruised, I didn't now about this special holiday period and how it effected cruising, until now. Now, I know and I won't book during that time frame and locations. One of many reasons to be a member of board(s) like this. I'm only surprised I didn't know or hear about this until now, this thread.

Oh man, I have so many comments I could make to that. But, none are appropriate!

When I quit smoking, 2008, I used SNUS, a spitless chewing tobacco pod as an aid. Yes, I do and did know that chewing/pod tobacco can be more harmful to your mouth. But, my intent was to use it for a limited amount of time, just as a crutch and slowly cut back on the use of the harmful addictive and cancerous compounds. It worked. I used the SNUS for about a year and the rest is history. I never picked up a cigarette after the day that I decided to quit. And I haven't used SNUS since the day I though I had enough. I got over the physical addition fairly quickly. However, the desire or automatic reaction to reach for a cigarette during and after certain activities went on for years. However, LOL, I still like being around cigarette smoke. I spend a lot of time in the Casino. I must admit though. My old Army buddy and I did smoke a cigar (but, I did not inhale, sound familiar?) to celebrate something a few years ago.

That's for sure. However, if you prefer not to go on shore, the ship has those guaranteed slots that you put your bank card in and get cash back. Those are my favorite slots, always win. But, then those other stupid machines take it back again.

I'd love to do the Panama Canal cruise thing, again. But, it's only on the smaller ships and I'm spoiled with Quantum/Oasis class ships, that only means that they are my preference. If I find one of those class ships doing Panama Canal, I would try to grab it, it the timing and budget fits.

Our cruise in Jan 2024 will be an anniversary cruise for my Old Army Buddy and his wife, their 39th and for my wife and I it will be our 50th. But, no surprise. Well, I'm sure I will have the Genie surprise the wives with something special though.

That would be a quick fix, for sure. But, it would be punishing all the non-idiots that do have other things they'd like to do prior to going the muster station but still do it in a timely manner, you know, act like adults.

Apparently, there were mechanical issues in the room/cabin as well. I'd believe that a lot more than the rest. Things brake or don't function to their optimum. Yes, I've had toilet issues (the sound of water running, constantly) and AC not as cool as I'd like it. But, never all at once and not on the same ship, single cruise. Note: The toilet was never fixed. The A/C started working fine after we got out to sea, but never saw a maintenance worker work on it. I still find it hard to believe that a cabin can be so neglected, especially with a constant turnover, so bad that dust can accumulate to the point of complaining about it. NO, I'm not accusing anyone of lying. I just have my doubts. Especially if you take the sum of the complaints/issues. The cabin would have to be unused for several days, which is doubtful or sit in port for several days with the balcony door open. JMHO

Obfuscate obfuscate obfuscate! No, any fire on a cruise ship is not a major event, potentially, yes. I bet they have flair-ups in the galley all the time even though they don't cook with flames, if there is no damage and no injury, it's not a major incident. I've been on a Rustbucket cruise, I think it was the Dream, we were on the tour and just came from behind the stage when we could smell a lot of smoke, there was a small electrical fire behind the stage, we were told. The crew responded, put it out, nothing was ever reported as far as I could tell. Hell, they didn't even cancel the show that night. The cruise went on as planned. When we got back to home port, no media attention, no official vehicles when we got to the pier. Nothing.

LOL, I guess my very long response got deleted. LOL Short answer, No, I don't set my cruise over the limit, I set it at the speed limit.

Is that you?

You didn't read my 107 post very well. I said, I'll type slowly, "M A J O R" fire. I'm sure there are thousands of small fires a year all around the world caused by cigarettes, in ash trays and dumpsters and so on but weren't considered "M A J O R". And I didn't dispute the 2006 fire, I only said that the cause was reported as "LIKELY". Which is not exactly a conformation, is it! The one thing that I said of any certainty was that I don't think an industry should make policy based upon one issue. And the hammer drop is, I said I was playing the "Devil's Advocate". Which means that I don't necessary feel the way I posted the post. Except where I said, "My personal feelings...... I don't need anything. But, if you want to, knock yourself out.

BTW, wrong ship, wrong time, wrong everything. And The Dawn isn't an official investigative agency that reports final legal findings, if the damage was significant enough to warrant an official investigation or there were injuries/fatalities there would be an official governmental investigative report . AND it wasn't a "major" fire/incident, it says it was a "small fire". And NO, I don't doubt that it was a cigarette that caused the "small fire". Man, your shorts are too tight. You obviously don't get the premise of that post, post 107. Your link: "The Mercury is reporting a discarded cigarette caused a slight scare after igniting onboard the Dawn Princess which is operated by Princess Cruises. The site says a smouldering cigarette was swept up which caused a small fire on one of the ship’s staircase. Thankfully the ships sprinkler system activated along with fire crew and local authorities. There were no injuries and the small fire was extinguished within minutes. The fire occurred at around 9am when the Dawn princess was docked at Macquarie Wharf in Hobart, Tasmania. This is a reminder how important it is not to smoke on onboard a cruise ship and how easy a fire can spark from the smallest of things. The 77,500 gross ton Dawn Princess was calling at the port as part of a 12-day Australian cruise. The ship which carries over 2,000 passengers is scheduled to arrive back at its home port in Sydney on April 7".

Oh, she knows. I was thinking it was a surprise for her. I was going to say how nice of a surprise it will be for her. But, it is still going to be good for her, well hell, both of you. I'd like to surprise my wife with something like that but she has online access to all my C.C.'s and bank accounts. ENJOY!!!

Yep, we were out to see and in the inner passage. The Casino was open as long as we weren't pulling into port and while in port. The only exception, they did not open the casino again when we left Victoria on the way back to Seattle.