Tom.Kitten

Cruise line formal nights are a conspiracy to extract more money from their passengers in the form of laundry and pressing fees and last-minute panic shopping in the on-board boutiques.

I would highly recommend that anyone planning to purchase something from DI or other cruiseline promoted retailers, you may want to search on these threads or look at on line reviews before your port day . It sometimes pays for buyers to be aware...JMHO.

We have never prepaid gratuities on our previous 7 cruises but did so before our upcoming one. That was because the rate was increasing as of April 1 and we wanted to be able to pay the old rate. On a past trip our room thermostat was broken for an entire night and we froze until it was repaired. We requested the service fee be removed for that one day only. We feel if there is an issue it is easier to have the charge removed if you haven't prepaid them than to try to get a credit later.

I first head to my cabin (if they're open) to drop off carry-ons, read the daily blab, and then take a nap until the muster drill calls start. If the cabins aren't available yet, I explore the buffet, then wander/explore the ship until they are. After the muster drill, I go to the sail-away only long enough to pass under what ever bride we're going to pass under, the return to the cabin to resume my nap. It really is all about the naps.

There's even a fancy French name for it: Mal Debarquement. Some people get it badly enough to seek medical treatment, and it can last for months. I had a bad experience ibce several years ago, and found a simple remedy that actually worked. Simply sit upright and roll your head around on your neck very slowly for several revolutions, several times a day. After about six weeks of suffering and questioning my sanity, a few days of that simple exercise, and it was gone.

I have never understood who would buy art or diamonds on a cruise but apparently enough do that it is profitable

For them to rent the space Mike

 

 

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I've had several hand-paid jackpots on slots over the past several years. It annoys me that they give out W2-G forms for wins over $1,200 just like back home. I can't say that I'm ahead of the shipboard casinos, but of the 15 cruises I've been on I've only paid for the first three. The rest have been casino VIP (very idiotic player, I think) invitations. Of course my casino donations more than covered the cost of those trips, but I'd have probably lost playing back home anyways, so it all balances out in the end.

Menu's are on the Hub App. They are also posted outside the MDR. And lobster is traditionally the first formal night. Finally, lobster is just a really big shrimp/crab thing. It's good, but not that much better than most other offerings.

I wish they would announce lobster night in the daily paper on the ship. I alusuakly eat all meals in the buffet, and only find out about it afterwards. Waaaaa.

Buffet will have most of what the MDR has but not all (such as no lobster on the buffet on lobster night).

Zero? Some cruise critics said 50 cents, $1 and even $80!

How much are the certified miniature artworks, (that they give as gifts, with a Certificate of authenticity) actually worth?

Sailing solo, 2nd time to Alaska. It's gonna be EPIC!

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Sailing solo, 2nd time to Alaska. It's gonna be EPIC!

It's our honeymoon! :hearteyes:

Great!

This will be my first time on a ship this huge! My other 2017 cruise is on the comparatively tiny Celebrity Summit. I've read a lot about the Anthem, good and bad; I really want to see what it's like for myself. I hope there are a lot of LGBT folks aboard! I hope the get-togethers aren't in the loudest g-d place they can find on the ship so I can actually meet people and do this thing they used to call "conversation", instead of doing a lot of shouting and giving up. I hope by the time I board the ship I have found a bf to come with me!

Back to Bermuda for me... :-)

Sorry I didn't see your message until two weeks after the cruise -- but I did find the Adventure Bears group and was warmly accepted.

Sadly, my husband passed away in October last year. I am bringing a bit of him with me for a very informal thing; Bermuda was his favorite destination. I did Mexico last December solo, and doing Alaska (only a couple of weeks away now!) solo as well - and it'll be my first Princess cruise. Will I get a special tiara for that? Since cruising alone can be a bit depressing and tedious (I found THAT out on the Mexico trip!), I'm dragging Jason along for Bermuda. The Alaska trip came up unexpectedly, and there wasn't really time to find a companion -- but it's my goal to be friendlier and attend every FOD on that one. :-)

All the spas on the ships I've been on have been co-ed; or maybe I just don't know what you mean? Rog and I got the "couples" massage on his last voyage (RCCL Liberty of the Seas) and no one batted an eye.

From my experience, I'd rate the NCL Breakaway the best for entertainment, and RCCL the best for food, although it is on the decline. NCL food was ok, but lacking in variety, the only truly good meals I've had on NCL were in the pay-extra-gourmet rooms. Since I'm on a strict diet during the next couple of cruises, the food isn't going to be as much of a consideration for them.

Every day I count the days down in my head ...

Please don't tell me I'm the only one aboard...

I'm really glad to hear from you, Anthony, and I hope we can meet up on the ship. My husband and I sailed the Breakaway to Florida and the Bahamas last March, and she's beautiful. She's the largest ship I've cruised on, but still not so huge that you don't get a real cruise feeling from her.

I am looking forward to having the bonus time in Bermuda, too! Previous ventures there have been two-day dockings on RCCL.

Welcome, Skjeimai! I hope to see you on board, just three more days...

My lucky tenth cruise, and I'm dragging along my best friend Jason for his first cruise ever!

My last attempt to get back to Bermuda was diverted to St. John, New Brunswick, by hurricane Juaquin, so I'm hoping I have better luck with a try in July.

I wish I'd know this was a thing... I'm booked for 12/12/2015 -- it will be my own private chubbaho.