Alrana Eris

Thanks everyone for the kind replies. I am finally getting to my wrap up. Work has kept me busy since our return. Since there is probably no such thing as a bad cruise, I can't complain.

I was the one that picked this itinerary. Nova Soctia was our honeymoon 30 years ago and I wanted to go back. Thankfully Hurricane Lee cooperated with that wish. We did see some storm damage along the way but nothing that took away from the cruise.

This was our first cruise out of NYC, which is close to us (we are in Connecticut). It was easy-peazy to get to and we got a tip here on CC to use an adress across the street instead of the port itself to avoid the long ramps. Lots of people doing the same thing. There is not much to the port, just lots of seating and aisles to walk through, but they got us on board early. Once on board we explored a bit, went to the buffet and waited for our room to be ready. We found our muster station in the casino fairly easily. 

This is possibly the prettiest ship in all of cruising. I loved the decor. I loved the artwork, the paintings and the Venetian glass were my favorites. From the start, walking into the Piaza San Marco just set the scene for what was to come. Although the bar under the lion had a strange step-up up which had the effect of lowering the bar half way around it. Weird but not really a problem, especially since I am rarely ordering from a bar. 

On previous cruises I have not been a fan of MDR's, this time I flipped the script and wanted to eat there most of the time. I convinced my more traditional DH to try MTD. We tried the MDR and just were not wowed. The service was OK but nothing special. The food was kind of bland. We ended up eating in the buffet more, which I think shocked DH. The food was better but the ambiance was not. I guess you have to trade one for the other sometimes.Although the MDR did feature the Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake which was awesonme and I had it twice. Afternoon Tea was something we had both looked forward to. We wrote about it before but it really felt like the wait staff forgot about us. We did not bother going again. 

The specialty restaurants were good. I loved the tepanaki but found the portions a little small in the steak house. Still the quality was great. I think this is the new way of cruising that as more and more specialty restaurants come on board, the MDR will suffer. We tried a couple of the other luch options. Guys Burgers were good, glad to see they were in fact grilled and not baked as some had thought here on CC. I didn't like the Seafood Shack but I went there late in the day. They were about to close and gave me two for one lobster rolls. The Lobster salad was a little strange, never had onions in that before. Not my favorite addition to a classic dish. 

Lots of activities, I played Bingo, had fun but didn't win. Most of my down time was either walking around exploring or playing in the casino. Due to the smoke that was in the main casino, I was mostly in the small crowded annex. Got to see a vlogger (I have no clue who he was, but he had a following) playing some slot machine. The cruise Vloggers I watch were oddly enough on another cruiseline follow a couple of days behind us on a similar itinerary. 

Loved the 80's party, the Carnivale and the Italian Street Party. I think these were the high point of the entertainment to me. The only production show we saw was Epic Rock and it was amazing. DH did it again, no matter where we go, he somehow manages to find strangers that are in the same line of work to chat with. Odd because he is the less social of the two of us. We sat down in the theater for the rock show and he was able to talk shop with a stranger we happened to be sitting next to. Go figure! The show was staged rock classics, somewhat shortened and with an ensemble cast, but it was really good. The kind of show I would see again,

The ports were a mixed bag. St John didn't thrill us. It seemed like a mix of heavy industrial and a poor rundown community. The aging fleet of double decker busses went through some sketchy areas. Halifax was nice, but even though it was a long stop, it felt rushed. The Brewery tour took an hour not a half hour as I had thought but that just added to the sense of rushing. Sydney was our favorite even though it seemed like the shortest and smallest port. Over all I liked the ports, and was glad that unlike the southern cruises one was not taken up by a cruiseline owned beach stop. I like ports where I can do things on my own, even if it is picking from a list of excursions. 

I like the pictures the cruise lines take, espcially on elegant night. I thought the backgrounds were better quality than other cruises we have been on. However one we stopped at turned out to be the portrait studio, where they wanted $100 per print. The hard sell was like being in the mandatory lecture at a time share. The regular prints were good. We had ordered a package before the cruise and ended up buying more on board. We probably should have bought the next package up. 

I met some nice people on the cruise, some through that other site that isn't CC. I have to say that even though Carnival gets a bad reputation for the people on board, I didn't see anyone I would say was a bad element. Never heard loud noise in the hallways at night, didn't see any fights. Security was always present but seemed to stay relatively out of view most of the time. Another thing I noticed was that despite being known as a a hard drinking and partying cruiseline, I saw a lot of people just relaxing at bars and chatting peacefully. I also noticed a lot of people drinking bottled water while at trivia, bingo or listening to the bands. Never saw any excessive drinking and that is something I am a little more aware of and annoyed by than others. 

We eventually got used to the elevators. If I could learn those crazy inclinators at the Luxor in Las Vegas, I guess I can see just how dumb a smart elevator is. I got into the habit of mimicking the elevator's voice, which I hope others found as funny as I did.

All in all this was a good cruise. We are not big cruisers, this was only #3 for us since 2005 and only #2 on Carnival. Not sure we will become frequent cruisers but we are open to another cruise if we found a ship and itinerary we both like. Thank you all for the feedback, this live(ish) review was a new thing for both of us, but it was kind of fun sharing with all of you.

Wow, where to begin. I haven't posted as much as I planned, so here is the not quite live part,  as I finish up.

The walking tour of Sydney was really fun. We both like history and many of our vacations are to historic places. Dylan was a great tour guide, he is young but talked about growing up in Sydney and hearing most of these stories as a kid. I really liked the macabre elements he wove into his tour, just enough to be interesting but not enough to overpower a bright daylight tour. He demonstrated how small Sydney was by saying he could see our ship from his house. The tour ended with tea and oat cakes at the historical society, this reception included a couple of similar tour groups. The tea was served in China tea cups, which was a nice touch.

Easy walk back to the port with time for shopping along the way. The port was a decent mix of gift shops and some others. We brought home some fudge and of course some oat cakes. We ate a late lunch at the buffet,  which ended up being our go to spot on the ship. We had planned on the MDR more but plans change.

I  went to the casino while DH went to the hot tub. I thought it was too cold for that. I (not so) secretly think he was doing it to justify bringing swim suits, more than enjoying it in the cooler climate. 

The main fun of the evening was the Italian Street party. I love a good street fair,  and this was as close as you can get on a ship. There was music, dancing, arts and crafts. There were rumors of food but maybe we left before that. Not going to rehash DH's remark on the comedy show other than to say maybe we should have stayed at the street party. I made a bracelet out of beads, and a paper pizza. There were name tags with a kind of hokey chart to pick your Italian nickname.

Next two days were sea.days and will be in another post.

Halifax was one of the reasons we booked this trip, our honeymoon was a tour of Nova Scotia and we had an overnight stop in Halifax that we enjoyed. I know things change, but the city didn't thrill me the way I expected it to. Coming into port I got to see a lighthouse right off our balcony.  Being the day after our anniversary,  it was Talk Like A Pirate Day, although that wasn't as big a thing as I thought it would be on a cruise.

First the positive, we at least got to take a picture in front of the Five Fisherman. 30 years ago I loved their food. There are ghost stories about the building that was a former funeral home. Like a lot of Halifax it has some Titanic connections. Next were the views from the hills, even the somewhat frightening sense of vertigo when the bus stopped at the citadel. 

The Bicycle Thief was amazing, nice atmosphere, I wanted Digby Scollops because I  generally don't find them outside of this area. They had fast service because they know passengers have to get back on the ship. The dish was a Risotto with peas, prosciutto and of course the scallops. I am not a big veggie eater and don't like peas but tried it and liked it. DH said the main flavor was peas but I still liked it so will ignore that.

Now the Negative, the bus tour, the HO-HO bus was once again using "vintage" double decker busses that were not made to accommodate either tall or wide people. If you didn't hit your head on the ceiling, you will hit your knees on the seat in front of you. The tour guide was pretty good, but at times it seemed like she was just learning the script. The full loop took about 90 minutes which made me feel like we used up too much port time. Oh and the brewery tour, I put up with these because DH is a craft beer fan and for some reason likes to learn the same boring facts about beer production over and over again. I rarely to never drink beer so even the free samples are no consolation.

DH's brother told him about a Scottish store in Halifax. However he couldn't remember the name.or exact location. It was behind a Marriott, in a pedestrian mall, near the convention center. Well after walking around Argyle street and seeing all the closed restaurants,  and being denied the restroom at the convention center, and getting little to no help from Google, we found d the place, in an enclosed mall, next door to a different Marriott and several blocks from the convention center. Nice store though, and DH got some.things for himself and some gifts. The staff was helpful and even pointed out that they had another store AT THE CRUISE TERMINAL! Wild goose chase does not even begin to describe this part of our adventure.

Back on the ship, it was 80's night and this was my time to shine! I loved the glow party. It was totally awesome! I wore my denim jacked which is covered in patches, it is a recreation of one I had starting in the 80's and shows bands I have seen as well as a few movies, it is like my pop culture resume and Joey was impressed.

So last night was elegant (formerly called formal) night. We were apparently the belles of the ball, since DH dressed formally, more on that in a bit. I loved my new dress although it was too long and lead to me tripping on it. We went to the MDR.

The MDR food was as good as before, but still lacked seasoning. Even a little salt & pepper would help out most of the dishes. I had the Spanakopita, although it was called "Greek Spinach Pie" on the menue which cause a very brief confusion when I asked for spinach pie and the waiter was looking on the menu for the exact name. Either way it was good. The side dish was an India dish with chickpeas & potatoes,  it was very good and was the first thing that was actually well seasoned that we had in the MDR. DH had the filet which came with some sort of wine sauce. He said it tasted OK but the consistency or texture was off. Of course I had the CMC again. DH had the souffle which he liked. 

Being elegant night, there were a lot of photo sets. I love taking these cruise pics. DH puts up with it, although he seems to like some of the set themes.DH is a fan of formal night and always calls it that, formal wear for him always includes his kilt, including 30 years ago when we got married. This year we were able to add Carnevale masks for extra flair. Interestingly enough DH was one of 4 people we saw in kilts last night, and I know of at least one more. The photo shoots were fun, although they all seem to have a format that includes the scripted like "kissy kissy" which is driving me crazy. I wouldn't mind never hearing that again. 

Then we got changed, explored a bit, hid some ducks and ran into a mother & daughter we met at another even and played cards with them for a bit.

Today was Saint John, a short port stop. We had planned to do the big pink bus tour. I was underwhelmed with this stop. The bus was old but that is part of the charm. We went through some neighborhoods that were not the best, saw a lot of boarded up buildings in between the historic sites. The shopping was fun at the Port, I liked the container shops and we went to an interesting set of souvenir shops across the street. Then back on the ship for lunch.  There was some issue with customs and we left port a few hours late. Now off to our anniversary dinner at the Steak House.

DW wife to AFS1970 here, making this a joint review.

Love that first view of the ship coming down the highway. That is when this cruise became real. I love the decor on this ship, might just be the prettiest ship I've seen. Hated the elevators at first, now just down to a mild annoyance. 

Our cabin is small but nice, although from our perch on deck 14 we can feel all the motion of the ocean.  Not in a bad seasick way, but it is always there. The shower door seems to be haunted creaking and slamming on its own. We met the room Steward who seems nice. Getting lots of good pics from the balcony.

I liked the buffet, except for the pizza. Thought it was better than the MDR. A few of the ice machines ran out quickly. MSR food was OK, but portions seemed a bit small. There was little to no spice on what we had so far. The chocolate cake was awesome, you have no idea what a milestone this was for me after not being able to enjoy this for years.  

I'm brand loyal to OPI I wear mostly frosts, metallic and dark jewel tone colors. 

We (DH & I) just booked this for our 30th anniversary. From what we can see with the limited pics, this looks like a beautiful ship. Carnival said this was almost sold out, they had less than 20 balconies available. Can't wait to set sail.

Has anyone else seen this?

DH & I had a cruise booked in September to New England and Canada. Cruise was canceled and we got the letter (via email) saying we could pick FCC or a refund and the form would go live on 7/6/2020. So we planned on waiting until then to make a final decision. Today I got an email from NCL that says they have applied the FCC (125%) to my account. No mention of the option of a refund. No mention of a policy change. The link they sent out initially that mentioned the refund just goes to a 404 error page, but I didn't figure on that link being live until refunds were available.

I am going to try and contact NCL about this but I recognize that may be an uphill battle. 

The Lobster Bar in Bowen's Wharf then you can go to the Cookie Jar (awesome cookies) for Dessert

Everyone does the Breakers, do not get me wrong it was beautiful my favorite was Rosecliff, Marble House and the Elms. Mansions  were also nice. Places to Eat The Lobster Bar, Dels Lemonade,The Red Parrot, Benjamin's Restaraunt and Raw Bar are my reccomendations. The Cookie Jar has awesome cookies. Visit St, Mary's Cathloic church Where John and Jackie Kennedy got married. Cliff Walk, Bowen Wharf. Thames Street to shop. I totally enjoyed it. Then again we spent a week in Newport instead of one day. But I enjoyed it. Ditto on what others commented

   You could save all the lying, sneaking around behind their back  and the  drama, which will result, and there will be bad feelings and possible ruin the vibe and possibly the friendships of the group on your cruise.  The simple solution to the issue, You should be honest and up front BEFORE the cruise. Tell them, you and your husband prefer late night dinners and want to eat at different restaurants. Also you can make the effort to do one night of early dinner seating with the group, you can eat something light and then eat later on.  Trust me they may want to do things on their own as well. I wish you luck, I have a feeling you have a complex backstory and drama behind this post. My advice be honest, I rather have you be honest, I can heal from honesty, than lie and not trust you. Again good luck

I'm currently in planning my cruise on the Breakaway. I am opting for a balcony cabin. But I am looking for one that is not above or below busy areas. Anyone can give me a few tips.

Thanks in advance.

15 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

This is very typical of most mass market cruise lines - and most retailers, for that matter. "Sales" run frequently and typically vary in nature from some percentage off of double occupancy, or some degree of BOGO, or some other configuration that defines that "sale".  But in most cases the bottom line from one to the next is essentially the same price.  It is a "sale" in that the starting price is discounted in some manner, but it usually is set at a level that at the end of the day nets about the same price as the last one.  This of course is dependent on cruise line, ship, itinerary, and sailing date, all of which play into the starting price.

 

In our experience the best way to get lower price on a stateroom is, once booked, watch for price decreases relative to that booking between your booking date and final payment date.  That can - and does - happen frequently.  But otherwise, a sale is a sale is a sale.....

Question on NCL  a travel agent offered me up to 150.00 resort fees and on board credit can you explain this to me. I'm a bit confused. I know what an onboard credit is, not so sure what a resort fee is.  Thank you in advance!

There is plenty to do in Boston. It's probably one of the biggest tourist cities in New England. It does lean heavily towards history and museums, although it's also a big university and huge sports city. Museums are everything from fine arts, to science, historic building. There is a lot to see and do walking on your own Like Boston Common and the Public Garden. My favorite is the Tea Party Museum, my husband is the New England Aquarium. 

I purchase trip insurance whether on a cruise, weekend trip on Amtrak especially if I am flying. In 20 years I never had to file a claim (knocking on wood). I been happy with travel guard(I do NOT work for the company)over the years.even when I accidentally deleted the email with my printable policy cards they re sent the email. I will look into the link above.

Always get travel insurance I use Travel Guard. I rather spend that extra 150.00 better safe than sorry. Travel Guard even emails you policy cards to print out. The amount of coverage get depends on what type of trip I do. But my last trip to New Orleans(non-cruise) I never had to use it. I haven been using travel guard for 20 years. whether a cruise, a weekend trip on Amtrak, and especially if I am flying. Many travel experts, travel agents, travel magazines recommend travel insurance.  Always compare travel insurance companies and see which one will work best for you

I traveled with my  breast cancer(my surgery is next week)I did buy travel insurance when I went to my New Orleans non- cruise trip in December.  I never had issues traveling. They gave me coverage(travel Guard) Then again I don't know the policies across the pond in the UK. I know I won't be doing any travel for a  few  months.  With most companies and even people. You mention cancer they treat you like a  fragile doll or get nervous and walk on eggshells around you. But I understand the travel companies don't want the risk of someone  even with a simple cold, your immune system  can be compromised. Sorry this is happening to you. But every cancer journey is different. Good luck!!!

I swear by  Travel Guard, I have been loyal customer for about 20 years. Not once had to file a claim but it is always good to have.

Travelers checks have been out of favor in retail for about 10 years now. Even writing a check can be passe. But my older customers still do use them. I have worked in retail customer service for 30 years. Most people use credit cards now. and now the apple or google pay.   The reason some stores just don't want to take personal checks or travelers checks, Some stores(mine does)use armored car services like Dunbar or Garda it could take about a week or more for a check to clear. Or they use a Square or pay pal credit card reader with an I pad or tablet.  I'm a cash gal personally but credit/debit cards is what retailers are accepting. FYI with a debit card never EVER use it for a hotel room use a regular credit card. They freeze your money and it takes about a week to get it back into your account. Travelers checks are extinct like the dinosaur.

As long as they don't fall out of the dress go for it. With my breast cancer surgery next week. (It's all good don't get all sad- be happy) I will not be showing my cleavage for a few months. If you can show off the girls but keep it classy not trashy. I wish I can turn back to my 20's enjoy it! Rock that cleavage!

I find my dresses at Burlington or Marshalls.   You also can hit Macy's clearance rack. I never pay full price for anything. I like to bargain hunt. I am not so much about formal night like my husband is. Everyone is different. Congrats on the weight loss. 

I usually have my passport, my passport card and my state ID. And pictures of my documents in my email and photos phone just in case lost or stolen. Depends on what port. I would invest in a passport card next time you renew your passport. It is a hell of a lot cheaper than a real ID in the state of CT(175.00)the passport card is accepted as ID to fly domestically. international you still need a passport.

I make  jewelry as a side gig, I did take the class on the Oasis  but the tools for me were not good and project was way too easy for me  and I was done in 10 minutes.  Jewelry making is not that popular as an activity. The scrap booking class well they sold out of that. These classes are designed for those who never did it before and want to try it. Not an old pro like me. I love jewelry making and buying the beads and creating...

I can tell you I ride Amtrak the Northeast Corridor frequently. So I am not famiiar going south to north.  We went last July. I can give some travel advice. Penn Station to Inner Harbor easy to get a cab but navigating around the Inner Harbor. The port was about a short 10 minute ride from the hotel.(don't walk it) Uber or Lyft (Baltimore  had ads all over the Inner Harbor)is your best bet anywhere beyond Inner Harbor.  The water taxi is not as reliable unless you go from Inner Harbor to Fells Point. It takes 3 days tops to visit Baltimore( if you go to Fort  Mc Henry or B& O railroad museum they both take a half a day in itself. Fells Point is quirky shopping and good local eateries. Inner Harbor is your touristy chain restaurants.  

Bring your valid ID security is tighter going to Ellis Island and Statue of liberty than the TSA at JFK or LGA. It's  exactly like going through the airport. Also if you have a U'S. passport invest in a U.S. passport card combo  I use it to fly with no issues. It will take you a half a day if you do both a full day.