Jetmama1

We enjoyed the free coffee on board. One of my favorite things to do was order the free room service continental breakfast. They would give us a carafe of coffee that we could drink at our leisure as we prepared for the day. 

I was still logged in on my iPhone. My iPad had logged me out and wouldn’t accept my existing password. As I was double checking it on my phone, I noticed that my iPad app was auto updating. Reset my password and it works perfectly. 

6 hours ago, joepeka said:

When I launch the app, it opens on the Day 1 calendar with a "Welcome Aboard!" message. I swipe left on the screen and it takes me to more details about my sailing including the cabin number, guests and muster station.

I know the name of my muster station, just not the actual location. 

15 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Crew will have a map once you board anyway and can tell you where to go. But likely yours will be near your room, so either directly above or below. Not knowing the location of your muster station shouldn't at all be a stress point on boarding day.

Not worried at all. I can be patient. I just don’t want to!
 

I know we’ll check the muster station off, then find our first drink onboard. Just making a plan. Once I have my plan, I go into vacation mode and can go with the flow. 

Thank you @OCSC Mike!

Interesting. I'm not seeing it yet. I appreciate knowing where to find it eventually. There’s nothing like that online check in to get you excited.

I did switch to a current cruise on Quantum and I could see the safety tab. Of course, it’s not personalized, so I still don’t know. 
 

I will try to be patient. 

Has anyone found where the muster station locations have been moved to on the app? I used to be able to access it from a “safety” tab. We are sailing on Quantum and I want to get an embarkation plan going. 

I found my sleep tracker to be highly inaccurate during my cruise. All of the motion of the ship made it think I was restless or awake, but it was just my bed moving along with the ship. 

I was on Vision out of Baltimore back in December. We flew in, but were greatly in the minority. Everyone we met was driving distance to the port. We chose it for the longer itinerary and the fact that we were going to be flying into port anyway, being west coasters. There will be a lot of passengers looking for transportation back to Baltimore. It kind of makes you rethink flying out the same day after a cruise though. 

I stayed at the Doubletree San Pedro before a cruise that I was doing solo. I found it clean and comfortable. I felt safe walking on my own all around the marina area. My room happened to have a fantastic little patio that was perfect for a glass of wine in the evening and a cup of coffee in the morning. Enjoy your trip!

Hi! I know it sounds like a lot when you see the price upfront, but the little things really do add up onboard. A quick look at the menus on the app shows that non alcoholic cocktails are generally about $8 and sodas/juices are $3.50. I didn’t find a menu with water bottles listed, but I seem to remember that they were about $3. Keep in mind that the bars will add an automatic 18% to all of those prices. 
 

Do the math and decide if it’s worth it for you. Everyone cruises in their own way. 
 

When I get a drink package, I find a few key benefits. First, I can pre-pay that expense prior to the cruise, rather than get the potentially surprise bill on the las night of the cruise. Second, when I’m on vacation, there is something freeing about not second guessing an order of soda, coffee, etc. Third, with a drink package, you can try interesting mocktails without fear of wasting your money. If you don’t enjoy that drink, you can just order something different. 
 

Whatever you decide, have a fabulous time!

Back in April, our sailing had this show around 1:30pm. It was interesting, considering the adult themes that come up, for this to be mid afternoon and not late night. 

When we sailed on Brilliance, we embarked on deck 5, the outer promenade deck. I remember it was easy to check in at our muster station. 

From the Viking Crown Lounge, there is a wheelchair lift that allows access to the lower level of Izumi. There is seating on that level as well as a level above. Walkthroughs on YouTube may help you see the layout better. The deck plans are unclear in this area. 
 

You should have access to all 3 specialty restaurants for Vision. 

I used to print out my set sail pass. Now, I take a screenshot so I have it in my photos even if the internet/cell coverage goes wonky. 

On 8/5/2023 at 12:56 PM, Rusty_lock said:

Loving this, if you get a chance can take a picture of the drink menu board at cafe promenade. My grand kids will want to be frequenting there and they have a lot of food allergies…. Soy, gluten and dairy. They are hoping for refreshers like they get at Starbucks. 

This is what I’m seeing there. (Glare and all!) 

My Ensenada day was of the DIY variety. I took a stroll from the port to Bar Andaluz. It is one of the two that purport to be the home of the original Margarita drink. The 20ish minute walk made this one perfect for me. I got a couple of Cadillac Margaritas. Honestly, they were totally sneakers. Standing up to order the second one kicked me big time. Delicious on a beautiful day!! I finished my time ashore with a stroll along the bay front area. It probably has another name, but I was just walking. 

Dinner was at Hooked. I had the chowder, which was amazing. I didn’t care for the biscuit. It had a weird spicy finish and tasted really doughy. The baked oysters were fantastic. I am not usually an oyster fan…it’s the texture for me. These were great. I had the captain’s platter for my entree with grilled salmon. The salmon was the winner for me. The shrimp seemed over cooked. The veggies on the side were good, but the carrots were seriously under cooked. I loved the lemon tart to finish it all off. 

Today’s lunch was at Jamie’s. Bread was amazing, arancini was so so. Tagliatelle was great. Salad added a nice bit of brightness to the otherwise heavy meal (but it was kind of sad looking). Dessert was fantastic with the ultimate brownie. 

Lime & Coconut deck 12 is rocking. 

34 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

R U still here?

I was but I’m now up on 12.  

Found a duck in my room! 

You’re not lying! 

15 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

 RAJ is onboard!! Sooo cool. He’s the best bartender. We will be doing rainbow shots there later. Promise.

In which bar can I find RAJ?

Cloudy but bright here. Hopefully that marine layer will burn off soon. 

Safety briefing complete from my hotel. I just need to check in at muster once onboard.