New2cruise2022

I like Ruth’s Chris. So when I eat steak ANYWHERE else other than Ruths Chris or off my own grill, it’s a different experience. But just last week I was at a catered event (that was free) and steak was served that was surprisingly very good — not overcooked and tender. It wasn’t hot but the taste and texture was great. Attitude and expectations go a long way with dining.

It sounds like you asked and answered your own question. It’s a questioned answered only by the consumer. You pick the things you want - the ship, sailing, duration, room, ports, packages - and then look at the price offered. It is satisfies your values and your budget, then it seems reasonable. Compare the offerings and accept the things you want as a consumer.

I’m considering both of these as well. Does anyone have experience with Stay, Park and Cruise at the Best Western Worldport?

Thanks! I’ll keep an eye out

I love that everyone has a different point of view. The point is … we are going to have a great time no matter what.

Gibraltar is a very cool town. Worth the visit if time allows. Great history. The crazy baboons all over the rock. A unique visit for sure. Cadiz is a great town to experience. Lived there for a year and never got tired of walking on cobblestone and experiencing the shadows of a world from long ago. It is a tough town to navigate if mobility is an issue. When I lived there an older women from a cruise ship had a nasty fall on the street and broke her hip. Visited her and her husband in the hospital for a week while I helped them communicate in a foreign country. (They didn’t have travel insurance. Would not recommend.)

Human interaction. 😬

I will have to try that.

They only offer it in the app for guests 1 and 2

All of this is very helpful. I will be on a cruise. I’m not worried about volume or whether one restaurant is more filling than the other. But I think I’m leaning to Cagney’s. 🤷🏿‍♂️

Great advice! Thank you!!!

All of this is very helpful. Dinner times left for Cagneys are pretty late, not that it’s a bad thing. My kids are 15 and 17. Late night steaks probably sound perfect for them.

I’ll have to clean up my language a bit, but I’m getting there.

You sherlock’d the ***** out of this. Well done. BTW, Tenerife is so great. Windy always. But so great.

First time cruiser here again. I got FAS for passengers one and two with 1 specialty dining on 5-day cruise. I also have a 3rd free passenger that does not have 1 specialty dining. I currently have a reservation for Teppanyaki (dinner and a show — more entertainment that specialty food) because I figured it would be cheaper out of pocket to bring the 3rd guest to this restaurant over another. I have no idea if I am correct in this thinking/math. Will I pay more or the same to take the 3rd passenger to Cagneys? Bring your facts, experiences, and opinions. Thanks in advance.

This. This. This.

That moment when you find your people. I don’t judge others and I certainly don’t care if others judge me. I plan to casually dress for all of my meals, eat early-ish at a restaurant just so I can peruse the buffet a few hours later. When family or friends ask me why I am having two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners … a simple “Because I can.” is the only acceptable response.

I have questions. And yes, many of them have already been answered somewhere in some forum or in the corners of the internet gathered by a Google search. But a) I like opinions sprinkled in with facts, b) I love to ask follow-up questions, c) I really love seeing what soap boxes, pet peeves, and passions individual contributors own and put on display for our entertainment. And d) when your first cruise is still 70 days away but thinking, obsessing, reading, and writing about is added value to my lawyering, business running, dad-duty filled days. This place is my new guilty pleasure/addiction with all of the advice, opinions, and characters that I find here. (It’s also my motivation to keep working hard and earning money so I can go from first-time cruiser to this-is-my-third-cruise-this-year cruiser.

I tip. Out of gratitude, yes. But it is also a self-aggrandizing practice. I would tip for your opinion and advice. Definitely!

I’m telling my teenagers to be sure to eat oranges everyday on our 5-day cruise to keep scurvy at bay. And that they each have to fake a turn swabbing the deck.

Do you think this happens often? People asking for all of it to be removed? (Regardless of whether service was indeed minimal or just an excuse to outlay less money?)

PS - I am aware that gratuities are already included and I will be paying the DSC as well. I will be your basic inside cabin guy with the FAS drink package. Just curious about daily tipping for stewards, bartenders, servers, etc.

I have often stayed at all-inclusive resorts (Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic), where despite the all-inclusiveness it is still commonplace that services are tipped regularly. Singles and fives are passed for drinks and service regularly. It isn’t “expected” but extremely normal and appreciated in word and service. Some travelers dislike this, but the many people accept it as a way of doing business. What is your experience with tip as you go on NCL?

Hawaii remains one of the most expensive places to visit because of the unique offering to Americans. It’s still America. It is easy vacationing. To the xenophobic American traveller it means no passport, no birth certificates. No currency exchange. Foreign travel isn’t that hard but it is intimidating to many people that don’t have experience with it. So, the travel and hospitality can charge a premium for the convenience to Americans. Some of the same patterns exist with the USVI.

Patience and Planning. Have the one and do the other and civility will abound. Be patient. There are thousands of people trying to do many of the same things, very often at the same time. That means there will be moments of congestion and therefore lines and waiting. Plan ahead. If patience isn’t your forte, couple it with planning. The same way you account for rush hour traffic, plan to get places early to avoid the traffic. You might arrive at your destination early. The difference here is that you are on vacation. Grab a drink while you wait. Talk to the people on vacation with you. Make conversation with someone new. Bring a book to read, a deck of cards to play. Worry about you. Don’t judge others. Some are able bodied. Some are not. Some are just on vacation and paid to use the amenities of the ship … including the elevators. Smile and have fun.