cruisinqt

On the Mardi Gras there was a gelato place on the lido deck that had great cake. There were 2 flavors that changed each day and they were way above average. They were open most of the day. Oh and the gelato was amazing.

Thanks. I’ll start looking right away then

This is exactly the type of info I was looking for with hotel and restaurant info too, thanks. I’m definitely looking into the upgraded seats since my husband is 6’6” and will need the additional leg room. How far out did you make your reservations? We are almost a year out. I’m not sure if I should look now or wait till 6 months out.

So the bags will be transferred to the connecting flight for me? Great to know. That map and instructions is exactly what I needed. Thanks.

Ooh good point I’ll watch out for that. Thanks.

Yes we will be doing DFW to BCN. I’ll start keeping an eye on Air Canada for any sales between now and then.

Great advice. Thanks.

I didn’t even think about looking at airfare through the cruise line. I’ll check that out.

We are doing a transatlantic repositioning cruise. It starts in Barcelona and ends in Florida. So we’re only looking at one long haul flight. The flight home from Florida will only be a couple hours. I’ll be looking for the premium economy seats. I didn’t even know there was such a thing. Thanks.

I’ll definitely check Celebrity. Thanks

We are doing a 14 day transatlantic cruise and it will be our first time ever visiting Spain. And it’s our first flight to Europe. We’ve never done such a long flight and looking at airfare has us overwhelmed. With such a long flight should we opt for nicer seats? I’m afraid to even look at the price for first class. Is there something in between? And are there certain airlines that are preferable for long haul flights like this?

Same thing happened to me. I ended up having 2 accounts under the same name associated with 2 different emails. Try using a different email and password to see if you can get into the other account. So to answer your questions no the program hasn’t changed, you shouldn’t be dropped because of inactivity, and yes you should have the same VIFP level you had before. Just find that other account and you should be good to go without having to add all of those cruises into your account. Good luck.

We’ve been platinum for quite a while and haven’t had any problems with their laundry service. No fading, color bleeding, or shrinkage. I’m quite surprised because I heard the same tale about the hot water. I send in underwear, T-shirts, shorts, slacks, blouses, bras, just about everything and haven’t had a problem yet.

We bought Apple AirTags last year and love them. It’s nice seeing exactly where your luggage is while flying or cruising. And at $99 for 4 they’re affordable too. We could see our luggage go from the dock to the ship which was reassuring that it wasn’t accidentally left behind. I’ve had nightmares about that happening. We liked them so much we bought the dog collars made for them and have them on our dogs too. Now if my dog gets lost I’ll find him quickly which is reassuring. I just love those trackers.

When we had this problem we just got side by side balcony cabins then had the cabin steward remove the balcony divider. That way we could still access each other’s rooms via the balcony doors. Plus it made the balcony huge.

We take ours with us into port all the time. I have a carrying strap for it to clip onto my backpack, suitcase, or beach bag and it’s always with me.

It may have been because ours was a summer cruise and the ship was packed. But Chibang and Cucina Del Capitano both insisted that we use the app to reserve a table. It was during the dinner time rush and they were very busy so that may have been a factor. Maybe on cruises that aren’t during peak season or when it’s not a busy time of day for them they might be able to accommodate you. But both times when I asked for a table they said “Sure, what time is your reservation?” And when I said I didn’t have one and would like to be seated at a table or make a reservation for as soon as possible they said I should be able to do that on the app. When I said I forgot my phone in the cabin and could they help me make a reservation they indicated that it needed to be done on the HUB app.

They leave the room while you strip down and climb in the bed and cover up with the provided sheet. They say panties are optional. Then when they massage you they uncover an area, massage it, then cover it back up and move onto the next part. They are very discreet and you’re never fully exposed. And when they finish they leave the room so you can get dressed in privacy. I’m a very private person and the massages don’t make me feel uncomfortable at all.

Depending on which ship you’re sailing a number of the restaurants require reservations through the HUB app. On the Mardi Gras we tried to make in person reservations at Chibang and were told we had to use the app for that even though it was a free restaurant. Same thing happened at La Cucina for dinner. I bought a lanyard on Amazon that I love for cruising. It’s a simple lanyard that has a phone holder attached that you can easily slide your phone into and it has a little credit card pocket on the other side for your sign and sail card. It’s very lightweight and only cost $7.99. You should check it out. It makes lugging a phone around so much easier. My husband loves his.

I use a waterproof sports case. It’s this small case that hangs around my neck like a lanyard. It can hold my phone, watch, money, and credit cards. And I’ve never had water deep in. Everything else like towels and swimsuit coverups stays in the beach bag on the boat. No one really wants clothes anyways. My husband bought a waterproof fanny pack that he loves. But I prefer the small case, it’s under $10 on Amazon and very easy to carry around. We use this on all excursions. I know that our stuff on the boat is probably okay but I have less anxiety knowing it’s with me.

I think it’s one large bottle each, but they were big like a liter. We just order a 12 pack ahead of time. They’re really cheap.

The MDR for your time dining has always welcomed walk ins and Pig & Anchor has always been a first come first serve type place just like Guys burgers. So I figured they didn’t need to be mentioned and it was just a given that you could walk right into those places.I was mainly addressing the variety of special restaurants which operate differently. But thanks for the clarification. You are correct. And I’ll definitely be checking out the broth bowl on our upcoming Celebration cruise. Sounds yummy

We sailed her in late July and it wasn’t bad at all. Our boarding time was 10:00 and the check in process went really fast. We were through the check in and waiting in our seats by 10:15. The only thing that irritated us was waiting till 11 to board. Since we are platinum and in the first boarding group we got on fairly quickly and the line was very fast. They called our group and by 11:07 we were enjoying our first drink by the pool. I would say arriving at 10:30 would be the ideal time to check in. There would be less of a wait. And it’s before the mad rush between 11:00 and 1:00 when it’s the busiest and everyone’s dying to get on board. I think the second best boarding time would be after 1:00 when the crowds have thinned out. I’ve done this time on many ships and just practically walked right on board. Of course all of these times depend on what check in time you snag.

In July on our Mardi Gras cruise we tried to walk up to Chibang and make reservations at the desk. They said we had to use the app. There was no list there at the desk to put us on and they were very busy. We were able to walk right into Emeril’s whenever we wanted and get a seat right away without reservations but they aren’t free. So from my experiences the restaurants that were free needed reservations ahead of time through the app. But the paid for restaurants (that didn’t require reservations like the sushi place or Emeril’s) you could just walk right in and get seated. That’s not to be confused with the paid for restaurants like the steak house or Bonsai Teppanyaki which require reservations days in advance. But what I’m trying to say is that it might be difficult doing your time dining without a phone.

I completely agree with you on this. Very few businesses can be completely shutdown for a couple years and still make it. It still remains to be seen who makes it and who goes under. Some cruise lines will make it while others will not. I’m fine with whatever they have to do to stay afloat. I’m just happy to be back on a ship.