Chip and Dale

4 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I wasn't considering insurance. I was inquiring more about knowing if the stones are natural or lab created.  

I was at my jeweller yesterday and inquired about the lab created diamonds. They have a very expensive machine that can determine whether a stone is a genuine diamond or lab created. 
 

I was told that the naked eye can be fooled into thinking that the lab created stones are genuine. Therefore, they bought the machine to ensure that mistakes are not made. 

15 hours ago, Ukigirl said:

I’m amused by some of the dumb things people have said to me when they found out I’m taking a solo cruise. I’m happily married, hubby and I have gone on at least a dozen cruises so I’m very comfortable with RCL ships. Because of his work schedule he has limited vacation days , most of those will be used for a back to back in November but my office will be closed for a couple weeks in March.  I brought up the idea of my bucket list which includes a solo cruise and he has no problem with me going.  I’m an introvert, love alone time so looking forward to being a big girl by flying to Fort Lauderdale, staying overnight and getting on that ship all by myself (been married for 32 years). Just want to chill by the pool with my books, eat when I want to and basically do whatever I want and this a big deal for me.  If I want to talk to other people I will, if I don’t then that’s just fine too. Well, told some members of my family and friends and got so many comments, everything from “aren’t you scared for your safety “, “what are people on the ship going to think when they see you by yourself “, “you will be eating alone?” and my absolute favorite “is everything ok with your marriage??”  I’ve read a lot of threads on Solo cruises, I’m a smart woman who can take care of myself and yet I still can’t believe those comments. Yeah should have kept my mouth shut. Sorry for the long rant 🙄

Good heavens! A very justified post!!! Honestly you shouldn’t need to explain yourself. 
 

I HAD a friend and have a sister who feel it is their duty to announce in public little helpful things that they typically voice as questions. Adorable things like “oh I know you have a problem with so and so and don’t want them included right?” Of course this is in front of a huge group that knows so and so!  Sister will spew things like “of course you are doing, not doing, not meaning something you said etc etc”......depending on who is listening or judging. 
 

I no longer reply or react. Life is waaaay to short to become involved with other people’s opinions or drama. I ditched the friend and limit togetherness time with that sister 😁. 

I loooooooove time on my own! YOU GO GIRL !! More power to you! 
Dee

3 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

So my wife is disabled, and often times, I go on excursions, by myself.  I like adventure, and do some wild things.  My wife is happy sitting by the pool reading a book.  Been married 26 years.  We don't have to always do the same things.  One zip line excursion, there was a young "lady" in the Air Force.  She obviously likes a little adventure.  Some other lady ask her if she is all alone, and some other things.  She just kept trying to ignore her but finally said, her parents are doing their thing, and if you didn't notice, I'm in the AF, so you really think I can't handle doing this alone?  Shut her right up.  I gave her a thumbs up.

 

My wife has been asked so many dumb questions, that she is having a hard time with coming up with unique answers.  I don't know why people think married adults can't do things on their own. 

People can be insensitive big mouthed, opinionated etc etc! When my daughter first announced her 1st pregnancy years ago MANY truly dufus people immediately started telling her horror stories about birth defects, miscarriages and no good ending stories. 
 

My oldest sister went through similar cancer horror stories from people when she was diagnosed with cancer and also during waiting for and having chemo sessions 🤦‍♀️  
 

I don’t have the patience for such behaviour so told them to forget speaking other than to put your hand up in a stop sign and repeat “this is not helpful to me. Please stop speaking”. If they continue the hand again PLUS “perhaps you didn’t hear me, I said that this is NOT helpful, please stop speaking!”  
 

They used this and most people got the message! For our own sanity, at times we need to do what takes care of us, even though we risk offending someone. Those who care about us and are beneficial to our lives will stay. Some others may be offended and leave. 

59 minutes ago, Colorado Babe said:

Thank you!  I posted this to warn others to be very careful when purchasing jewelry in the Caribbean.  This will mostly be the last time we ever do so.  It's a shame that one bad apple can ruin it for everyone.

You are quite welcome. Sadly this particular person/store was caught and seem to be trying to fix the situation. My hope is that you are happy after they do a correction. 
 

There are many many bad apples in the Caribbean now I’m sad to say. On every island we visited over the last few years we noted that fewer locals owned the stores and most islands one family seems to own and run multiple locations of the Sam store. 
 

We bought a new wedding set for me for our 40th Anniversary. It was purchased in Canada. I would never trust buying in the Caribbean now for a large purchase. 

3 hours ago, rusty nut said:

Is there something wrong with lab created diamonds? It seems to me that, being created in a lab, their CCC could be made exceptionally flawless, and at half the price, why not? Of course, I don't know much about diamonds. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with lab created stones IF that is what you want and that is what you receive. 
 

It is quite common to find “lab created” gems now in North America. From my experience they are clearly marked in NA jewelry stores. 
 

The problem is that the value is quite different and in the Caribbean at many many stores, they are not clearly indicating that it is NOT a genuine stone that you are buying. 

I will not spend big dollars in the Caribbean now because I have seen some pretty shady situations. I follow when in doubt DON’T!

Dee

I used to buy many pieces of jewelry in the Caribbean but sadly during the last 4 years that has not been the case. 
 

Having been in the business many moons ago I know first hand what to look for (yes it’s easy to be fooled by the manufactured stones!) and the approximate price that would make buying in the Caribbean worthwhile. 
 

I do still look at pieces but would NEVER trade “up” since I have found far too many of the stores showing what may be genuine stones next to the manufactured stones. 
 

An example. For ladies looking at any ring with a cluster of diamonds or precious or semi precious stones. They will always provide you with the total carat weight. What matters is the carat weight of the largest stone! For the most part, the smaller stones if lost can be replaced quite cheaply. Eg. a good quality ruby in an eternity band ring that was $20 to replace. 
 

If you are given a price and decide to walk away, then suddenly are asked “what would you like to pay?” WALK away quickly!  I have found many many vendors in the Caribbean now seem to try out the highest price they believe you will go for. Only if you are prepared to walk away will they offer a better price. I can often buy identical pieces here in Canada for less in Canadian funds than in US funds in the Caribbean even at duty free and supposedly no tax. 
 

I’m so sorry OP for what you have endured. I truly hope you are able to resolve everything and get your original piece back or be compensated appropriately by the jeweller or insurance.  You deserve a lot of credit for posting your experience!

Thank you!

Just returned from a b2b on Reflection- 7 and 10 night. Caribbean. 
 

DH did not bring a suit and I did not bring formal dresses. 
 

On the 7 night the demographic was younger. Fewer pax over age 65 to 70. Many young couples a number of babies and young children . Very few dressed formally. 
 

On the 10 night a much older demographic and many more people dressed formally. BUT it truly varied from gowns and tuxedos to very casual pants and polos or shirts for men and capris/slacks/skirts and tops for ladies or a dress for ladies - nothing fancy. 
 

I love shoes, shawls and evening bags. Most nights I wore designer jeans (white, white with embroidery, blue jeans with leather trim), capris and a nice top.  Hubby wore khakis and long or short sleeve shirts. I brought one casual dress with a shrug. 
 

We never felt out of place in the dining room. We really enjoyed the flexibility of NOT doing formal.  Reflection had more tables for two than we have ever seen on a ship! It was great! I have severe food allergies so always request a table for two. You may be in close proximity to the next table but still lots of tables for two. 
 

The only person turned away from the dining room one night was politely asked to change from his baseball cap, shorts and flip flops into long pants, shoes and no hat. No one seemed to care what anyone was wearing. Please don’t worry.  Do what makes you feel comfortable. We loved the more relaxed feel with Celebrity!

Dee

We just returned from 17 nights (b2b) on Reflection. We had the classic pkg as a perk. 
 

i LOOOOVE champagne!!! We both love caipirinhas (Brazilian national drink), I drink Sauvignon blanc, hubby likes Malbec. Hubby looooooves pina coladas and drank on daily.  I drink a LOT of spring water which is available at every bar and restaurant with the classic pkg.
 

I eat keto, so low carb no sugar. I’m not big on pop but hubby drinks ginger ale and Diet Coke. Ginger ale had sugar so no for me. But hubby drank it. I used champagne in place of ginger ale for the bubbles. It WORKS!
 

I drink my champagne (or sparkling wine) in a tall glass on ice - no hangover!

I can ALWAYS tell the difference between sparkling wine and genuine champagne! I ordered my champagne on the rocks each time at bars handing over my card which says “CALL” for Classic pkg. Sometimes I received sparkling wine sometimes champagne 🤷‍♀️. Never an additional charge with the exception of a mistake which we corrected at guest services. No worries. 
 

At lunch hubby had wine or Diet Coke or pina coladas. I had champagne on the rocks. Dinner we drank Sauvignon blanc and EVERY night our goddess Roberta our Brazilian bar server would make me a caipirinha with my monk fruit sweetener and made hubby a real one with sugar. After consuming the caipirinhas each night we would add a glass of Prosecco to the ice and limes in the glass and it was delightful. 
 

The coffees and teas were excellent at El Bacio! Seriously, I carry my own tea (tea snob!!) and their English breakfast was very good. I carry my own pure organic ginger tea for health reasons. 
 

We actually drank less than the value the pkg would cost if paid for. Only one time in 17 days  did a bar tender tell me to specify sparkling wine! 
 

I don’t think we would book Celebrity without two perks - drinks and either obc or paid gratuities. Celebrity is more expensive than RCI so in our minds there needs to be perks. We were very happy with our drinks on both cruises. 
 

Hope this answers some questions. 
Dee

9 hours ago, Lilikins said:

Thank you for your responses! 

 

We we will follow up with the cruise line and airline. I’m honestly unsure why and how she has gone on this long without being officially tested. I have jokingly/kinda seriously suggested doing a test with a bunch of peanuts and me on standby to administer an epipen and steroids in case she has a reaction.

We travel a lot. Flying and cruising. I have numerous deadly allergies and ALWAYS carry two epipens. When flying you put your meds in a ziplock bag. I carry eye drops and nasal sprays as well, all in the same bag. It’s best to pull them out of the-carryon and put it on the conveyor at security. The airline is no problem.

I usually have my epipens in my purse when we board the ship. 

Hope this helps

Dee 

We have only cruised RCI till recently. Have cruised Serenade many many times. The ship is beautiful, full of glass and it’s enjoyable to stand on the lookouts on multiple decks down into the centrum. Any cabins close to that area can be quite noisy in the evenings due to the entertainment. You will often see the doors closed leading to cabins in these areas in the evening. We have always booked either hump or aft balconies. Some extremely large aft balconies that are balcony cabins not suites on this class. Love them!

The Diamond Club is located beside the Viking Crown Lounge. They usually expand into the VCL in the evening. You can use your 3 free drinks at bars or go to the Diamond Club. They typically allow you to top up and take drinks with you to dinner on all RCI ships. The lounge servers are typically very good and don’t want to tick anyone off. They have appetizers every night and they aren’t bad at all.  The Diamond Concierge can assist with reservations, problem resolution and assistance with issues you may have on-board. Some are better at the job than others but we have had pretty good experiences with most of them.   There is a coffee machine in the Club. Slow but not bad coffee. You always have access with your card. They do a continental breakfast in there daily which isn’t bad at all. The Concierge has regular morning and evening hours. It’s a nice perk!

You will each have some free internet minutes (I’m D+ ), not sure about what it is for Diamond or a discount on a pkg. You should get a discount on laundry. Invite to welcome back and I believe top tier party.  You will each get a buy one get one free for the first night in the specialty restaurants i believe. Sometimes they will be flexible with the nights and other times not so much. 

Make sure you  go on the website and get logged in once you have a C and A number. You can put in your preferences and order freebies that will be in your cabin when you board or soon after. I’m not positive what these are for Diamond but we get a bottle of sparkling, coke and some bottled water. They always leave a plate of cookies. 

I have extensive deadly allergies and we are now trying Celebrity to see if they handle this better. The food has deteriorated throughout Royal ships over the years but you won’t starve. 

Breakfast room service is free if you go with the continental options. There is a charge for hot food. Not worth it!  There is a $7.95 charge for ALL room service orders EXCEPT the continental breakfast. 

Boarding you  will get some priority but so do many others. It all hinges on your timing as to how much quicker it gets you on-board. Disembarkation is a pain with most ships now. They want you OFF as quickly as possible. Our last cruise on Adventure (a larger ship with the promenade and ice rink......our favourite class) was a nightmare. This can vary by port we have found and also crew. 

Cabins usually open at 1 p.m.  cabin stewards appear shortly before muster drill to see if you need anything and then to make sure you go to the drill. We’ve had phenomenal cabin stewards and crappy ones. Much more good than bad. 

You can each carry on a bottle of wine. I usually have bottled water that I carry on BUT you can get bottled water in the Diamond Club each night. Some ships the servers will hand out a can of pop/Soda here and there. I usually tip $1 per drink most of the time in the Club. We receive EXCELLENT service 😁. 

No complaints with the Diamond Club. They’re very good to us. It’s nice to chat with other cruisers and it is open each night including embarkation day. We usually do the muster drill and then go up for a drink then go to the cabin to check on luggage. 😃

That’s all I can think of for now. 

Dee

Looking for information on Reflection Cabin 2A - 7356. 

I booked this cabin because it looks like a larger balcony. 

I would appreciate any information anyone can provide. 

Thanks in advance 

Dee

4 minutes ago, If only said:

We do have the 3rd booked but we also have the end of Jan booked on the Reflection as well & will not be doing both. Depends on flight & hotel.  Will let you know when we are sure.

Shirley

We fly in on Sunday December 29 (points) and will stay at Marriott pompano beach for five nights (points as well). 

I do  believe we are quite a bit older than you are 😉. Dennis travels constantly for work so we try to do two or three weeks at a time when we fly.  This holiday is one of those times. It’s an excellent break after Christmas with kids and grand babes which is quite involved for Nanny cause she’s a sucker 😍

Hopefully we will meet!

Dee

1 minute ago, stevea36 said:

When the Sommelier comes over the first night have him come close and describe what you want and slip him a 10 or 20.  that should be enough to get him going..   As I said, the first night you will get what you ask for, but lookout after that.    (Make sure he knows that you would like to try other whites as well as what you are getting).

 

Also, if you get an invite to the wine tasting, go, it is a lot better than RCI's.  They take the time to discuss each wine, its origin, etc.

 

Steve

Excellent advice thank you so much!

Dee

10 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I hope you do also as it is a nice change with some of the same benefits. Pinnacle and Zenith would be nice. If some day it happens, them it happens. Great. But we'll have a blast on our way.

EXACTLY!  We’re just looking for fewer problems and less stress when we cruise. 

I’m hoping I don’t sound incredibly snooty and demanding. We are pretty patient and try to manage our expectations. Nobody and nothing is perfect. We have started telling cabin stewards to forget the towel animals, we’ve seen them all and it’s too time consuming for them. So save it for the newbies or those who like them. We usually stay cool till the problems reach serious or ridiculous levels. 

No matter what, we always seem to have fun 😀

Dee

6 minutes ago, Marelaine said:

 

Wow! You're making me smile. Calories don't count on a cruise.

 

Anything broken is free of calories 😁. Just some helpful advice I found on the internet so it must be true 😜. 

I don’t know if the CBP has anything like Bailey’s. Not a favourite I like khalua , but I watched cruisers who had early seating on a cruise bring ice cream to the lounge to have it topped with baileys. I’m betting with the ice cream in the buffet on celebrity this might be amusing 😍. 

I’m hoping the list of alcohol that I have seen that included tia Maria and khalua is correct. It is missing the brandy required but hey I will rough it like camping! 😁. Those two make such a good boozey coffee!  

You guys are making a crappy work day a lot more fun!

Dee

3 minutes ago, elaineb said:

Could one order a fish dish from the adult menu then a Kid's filet mignon on the side?  Surf and turf.  Asking for a friend.

Ok hands down the funniest thing in my day today 😜

Say hi to your friend for me 😉

Dee

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

Our favorite class RC ships are the Radiance class especially the Jewel.  Quest is held in the Safari Lounge on those ships. Up close and personal. Lot of fun.

 

On Celebrity we always pick the CBP and the OBC as our two perks. Longer cruises we do the CBP and gratuities. Like you, we don't  drink to break even. As a perk it's still a good deal. Celebrity has Sommeliers in the MDR. Nice as we feel the beverage service in the MDR (SD) is much better than RC in the MDR (MTD). We like that RC has a dedicated DL that you can use at anytime. But if you're staying in a suite or you are a Zenith Michaels Club is great and open to you at anytime. Bummer for us we don't do suites and we're not Zenith. 

Our favourite ships have a promenade. But we looooove the aft balconies on Radiance Class ships. 

We did exactly as you described with perks. The rep, Annie actually suggested it for the first two cruises. Smart girl!  

We used to do nothing less than a JS years ago. Then the rates seemed to climb and forget it. The value just wasn’t there. We never strived to reach Pinnacle on RCI. We do so much land travel now it never even appeared on our radar. We will see how we like Celebrity and may continue with the line. But highly doubtful we will pay the difference for a suite. We were bitten a few times with horrible cabin stewards in suites on Royal after paying a premium. It’s annoying if you pay a reasonable amount but it’s incredibly annoying if you pay through the nose for a suite. Royal is rarely helpful when it’s just poor service in our experience. 

We like variety. I’m enjoying the comments on here and the Celebrity boards about what to expect. Hoping we like Celebrity and have a good experience. 

Dee

11 minutes ago, If only said:

When they bring around appetizers in the CC Lounge the cold ones are brought out first then the hot ones follow.  The servers pretty much know what is in them but tarragon will be tough.   I found eating in the dining room was far safer for dinner than the buffet for allergies, as the servers in the buffet may not know the ingredients.

Just realized we may be on both your cruises.

On Royal it got to the point where I was much safer in the WJ. So sad. I go by “when in doubt don’t!”  

I rarely try anything offered on a platter. Servers often think its safe if it isn’t touching an allergen on the tray but soooooo not true. No worries I’m pretty sure I won’t starve 😁

We are on Reflection January 3 and 10 , 2020. Are you?

Dee

10 minutes ago, stevea36 said:

Similarly, I had only been drinking Pinot Grigio..   I was introduced to Chenin Blanc and Voignier by the sommeliers.   Unfortunately, on my last sailing they did not have any Voignier by the glass (and I had the premium package), but I did have some very good Chenin Blancs.

 

I'm sure you will do fine... Just "grease his palm" and he will take VERY GOOD CARE of you as opposed to just good care 🙂

 

It may be nice to try glasses of other wines rather than needing to purchase a bottle. 

Can you suggest a “grease amount” to receive VERY GOOD CARE vs good care. We typically tip $1 per drink in the lounge on Royal.  

The service we received in the lounge on Adventure was positively OUTSTANDING!  The second week found many many newly minted Diamonds in the lounge who arrived at 3:30 and didn’t leave till 8:00!  They were very snotty with the crew who were 3 of the funniest, kindest, most accommodating crew members we have ever experienced in a lounge. YET there were soooooo many complaints against them. They did their damndest to keep everyone happy. Last call was 7:45 the week before, yet they were still trying to catch up most nights the 2nd week until 8:15. The three of them had to go to work in another bar immediately after they left the lounge. We tipped them extra the last night.  

We tip well but ONLY when warranted for good service. We always start out tipping for drinks in the lounge. I had to ask them to slow down on Adventure. One night I realized wow that was tooooo many glasses of champagne. They NEVER let my glass run dry! By the way a friend taught me years ago to drink champagne/sparkling on the rocks. Tall glass full of ice topped up with champagne. NO HANGOVER!!!  With those adorable servers I had to start counting the number of glasses and shake my head no when they looked at me at times. I was always the one with the tips 😉. 

Dee

1 hour ago, stevea36 said:

Make friends with your sommelier in the dining room.   I usually sail aqua class and found that the sommelier in BLU would offer me wines on the classic package the first night and after he found out what I liked would offer me others that, i bet, weren't on my package..  but, these guys are very knowledgeable as opposed to the folks on RCI.   I make sure that I have some sort of camera with me to take pictures of the labels of wines I like !!

 

 

I will definitely follow your advice. We aren’t wine snobs per se but we like what we like. So it will be interesting to see what is available. We were drinking Reislings from Germany when in Pompano in January. Neither are available in Ontario where we live.  So sad! We purchased Reislings when we returned home that were far more expensive yet not as good. Sometimes price matters (like my favourite Moët et Chandon) but at times it doesn’t have any bearing on the taste. 

My oldest son introduced us to a phone app called Vivino. You can input a name or take a picture and it almost always provides a rating and a review.  I have an iPhone but I believe the app is widely available. It has helped us to be adventurous finding good prices for wines that appeal to us. 

Dee

1 hour ago, stevea36 said:

Make friends with your sommelier in the dining room.   I usually sail aqua class and found that the sommelier in BLU would offer me wines on the classic package the first night and after he found out what I liked would offer me others that, i bet, weren't on my package..  but, these guys are very knowledgeable as opposed to the folks on RCI.   I make sure that I have some sort of camera with me to take pictures of the labels of wines I like !!

 

 

I will definitely follow your advice. We aren’t wine snobs per se but we like what we like. So it will be interesting to see what is available. We were drinking Reislings from Germany when in Pompano in January. Neither are available in Ontario where we live.  So sad! We purchased Reislings when we returned home that were far more expensive yet not as good. Sometimes price matters (like my favourite Moët et Chandon) but at times it doesn’t have any bearing on the taste. 

My oldest son introduced us to a phone app called Vivino. You can input a name or take a picture and it almost always provides a rating and a review.  I have an iPhone but I believe the app is widely available. It has helped us to be adventurous finding good prices for wines that appeal to us. 

Dee

1 hour ago, stevea36 said:

 

 

there is no promenade on celebrity like on the RCI ships, but if you sit by cafe al bacio (do you get the hint that I like this place) you can do a bit of people watching...

 

As for the track, you have the same issues as RCI, but I find that people will rarely move their loungers into the track itself.  (before I developed knee issues I used to walk the track quite a bit). you will get the slow folks who walk three abreast.. just let them know you are there before you put your footprints up their backs 🙂

I haven’t done the footprints up the back for a long time 😜. I used to run till arthritis and a broken knee stopped that activity.  I usually just say “on your left”  or pass when there is a larger spot. No worries. 

We we love to people watch. 

Dee

24 minutes ago, Marelaine said:

 

Tell your husband he can get chocolate chip cookies in the buffet and Cafe al Bacio all day 🙂 They also have sugar cookies, oatmeal and sometimes peanut butter cookies.

Sometimes a break from adult food and large portions is nice. I'll have to remember the kids filet and chicken fingers are available in the MDR. One night we didn't want to dress for dinner so went to the buffet and helped ourselves to the kids buffet, hamburgers, hotdogs, mac'n cheese, chicken tenders and some other comfort food items.

 

I’m having visions of two oatmeal raisin cookies with ice cream in between 😍

22 minutes ago, Marelaine said:

 

Tell your husband he can get chocolate chip cookies in the buffet and Cafe al Bacio all day 🙂 They also have sugar cookies, oatmeal and sometimes peanut butter cookies.

Sometimes a break from adult food and large portions is nice. I'll have to remember the kids filet and chicken fingers are available in the MDR. One night we didn't want to dress for dinner so went to the buffet and helped ourselves to the kids buffet, hamburgers, hotdogs, mac'n cheese, chicken tenders and some other comfort food items.

 

They actually have a kids area in the buffet???

43 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I on occasion will order Mac n Cheese and a dessert from the kids menu on RC. We don't have kids. Well I guess my wife does.

Too funny! 😁 We don’t like a lot of the fancy smancy food. Good food YES, cooked properly YES but I need lots of veggies and something I like to go with it. A good source of protein. 

I’m excited......obviously it doesn’t take much!

Dee