gem lady

History. Read "The Path between the seas" before you go!

How do you find this info about the various charters?

Same thing with my 4/5/2015 on the Silhouette. Showing the regular cruise with cabins available and then the charter listing where everything is sold out. Was not like that earlier today. How do we find out?

DH Had a massage a few years back on Passion Island. Said it was the best massage he had ever had. The guy was named either Victor or Hugo. I think it ran about $80.00 for an hour. He had originally asked for a 30 minute massage, but said it was so great he went for the whole hour!

Been to several of these and found them quite entertaining. It is the vinum series of Reidel glasses that you get to keep which is usually a step up from what you find at Home Goods etc. They usually pour decent wine, and if you are driving to the port, you can take the glasses with you and you wont have to pay postage. Using the right glass really does make a difference in the taste of the wine. If you have never used Reidel, it is very informative. If you already use Reidel, it's a few more glasses for your collection and it sure beats sitting through an art auction.

Another vote for Hotel Jazz. Had a great time here.

Buy locally. I have been in the jewelry industry for over 35 years. I do appraisals all week long on items bought on cruise ships and in ports. Rarely do I see a client who has gotten a good deal. Usually paid more than they could have bought from their local jeweler. Research diamond studs before you go. Know what size, color, clarity etc that you want. I see a lot of poorly cut stones coming from the islands. Be careful. Ask for lab certs if large stones from GIA. There are a lost of BS labs giving out papers claiming the stones are higher grades and worth more than they actually are. I go to the " jewelry seminars" on board and try to keep a straight face. They are loaded with misinformation. Find a local jeweler you can trust.

Enjoyed your trip very much. Great foodie pics. Thanks, Jane

jt1120,

I can certainly feel your pain. We were sucked into a NCL partial music charter on the Pearl in February. (Very expensive) It was a Sixthman production and the music was fabulous! Then there was the issue of being on the Pearl....filthy, filthy, filthy! It was really disgusting and I am really not hard to please, but I couldn't believe what a disaster this was from embarking to disembarking and everything in between. This was our first cruise on a line other than Celebrity. The best part of this cruise was that we took a little 4 day on the Connie prior to the Pearl. I don't know how old the Sky is, but if it is of the same era of the Pearl, BEWARE. Wild horses could not drag me on a NCL ship. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just booked a Silhouette cruise for April today. Now I have something to look forward to for the next nine months.

Cap't Floyd with F.I.S.H.E.S. will take you on the best whale watching tour ever. His wife will pick you up at the gate and take you to his boat. Best excursion we have ever been on.

Thanks for all the help. I did not realize that these staterooms had a single bathroom. Sharing a bathroom with 2 teenagers is a deal breaker for me. This will definitely be a 2 stateroom adventure! Besides, I may come to my senses before then! Jane

Hi all, I have had a temporary lapse of sanity and am contemplating a cruise for next spring with an 18 year old nephew and 16 year old niece. He will be graduating from High school and neither child has ever been on a cruise before. It would be on the Silhouette the week of April 5th. What would be the best housing arrangement? Isn't there a family veranda stateroom that would be good for 4. I can't seem to find it. I am not keen on them staying in a stateroom by themselves. Any input on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Tried NCL Pearl this past February. Disaster from start to finish. Ship was filthy. I mean really filthy! Music was fabulous as it was a partial music charter with some great bands, but I could not get over the condition of the ship. I think I will stick with Celebrity!

Just off this same trip a few weeks ago. You do have to clear immigration early in the am on your Key West stop. You are assigned a time and location and have to bring your passport. You can get off the ship after everyone clears. Took 10 minutes for us start to finish. Went on the NCL Pearl directly after our Celebrity trip and had to do the same routine, but it took 2.5 hours. A complete disaster. (Never again) Make sure you go to the Liars Club show with Captain Tasos. Truly one of the funniest things I have seen. You will have a great time. Celebrity really does a great job. Their competition not so much!

Hi , We will be going on our first cruise as Elite members. Short 4 day jaunt on Connie. Will there be an Elite elegant tea? If so, what is the attire for gentlemen? Thanks.

We did Rome in Limo last fall for Rome, Naples and Florence. They were fabulous. Great drivers, great personalities. They will be waiting for you at the ship and will show you the best time. Cannot say enough nice things about our excursions.

How about on the pearl? Coffee makers?

What is a clamshell?

Happy Birthday Ed! You are a true southern gentleman! You have made my day. Jane

Hi Green4me, The cruise I am looking at is the Mountain Song at Sea with the Steep Canyons Rangers, Della Mae, David Grisman etc. This is what they are calling a partial charter. Any idea how this works? How will the Sixthman folks be separated from the other passengers? The price of the Sixthman cruise is about double that of the regular cruise fare. Will you be paying extra for the music that the whole ship is going to get to experience regardless? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi, The Pearl is scheduled for the Mountain Song at Sea Feb 3 through 6th. It is a Sixthman production. Didn't realize NCL bought them. Has anyone ever been on one of these Sixthman charters? It looks like a lot of fun. The reviews from last year are pretty good although I don't know if NCL owned them then. Never cruised with NCL before, so don't know what to expect. Any advice? Thanks, Jane

Just returned from our adventure in Spain and Italy. I researched this trip for over a year and after seeing great reviews for Rome in Limo, decided to use them for our tours in Florence, Rome, and Naples. I cannot begin to explain how wonderful they were. We had Vinny in Florence, Franco in Rome and Raffael in Naples. They were all wonderful guides - very knowledgeable, fun, great drivers. (Raffael even sings for you - so much fun) We had such a good time. They really made it a memorable trip. I can't say enough good things about them. We also had a private guide at the Vatican (Chiara) and at Pompeii (Paowla). These gals were so fabulous. I cannot imagine visiting these wonderful places without them. They were so great and passionate about their work. It was a pleasure to be with them. If any of you are planning a cruise through Italy, these guys are a must. Jany is the manager and she is a gem at answering questions, scheduling, etc. You cannot go wrong with these folks. We can't wait to go back.

Sylvie DiCristo gets wonderful reviews from Cruise critic folks and trip advisor. I spoke with her the other day to confirm our tour with her on Oct 21. She has several other days available in October if any one is interested.

For anyone that is interested- From the current wholesale guide for golden beryl-

In 1.0 - 2.99ct size

Commercial grade $8.00 to $25.00 per carat

Good $25.00 to $40.00 per carat

Fine $40.00 to 60.00 per carat

Extra fine $60.00 to $85.00 per carat

Of course if the size of the stone goes up, so does the price per carat. This stuff has been around for a long time. Color ranges from greenish yellow to yellow and orangy yellow. TypeII gem usually eye clean as opposed to its greem counterpart. 7.5 on hardness scale. Anybody have any gem questions, I will try to help.