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Everything posted by chefchick
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Brilliant will have 4 homeports in the USA
chefchick replied to CineGraphic's topic in Virgin Voyages
Can you expand on that a little more? Living in Seattle, I would love to take advantage of that. -
Iām here as wellā¦Iām no newbie to NCL (platinum) and I knew what I was getting myself into, but the Epic is, letās say, not my favorite ship. I got a great fare and a slow boat to Europe so itās all good, but Iām afraid the crowds and weird cabin are only the beginning. Have a great cruise š„
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Can sailor loot be used in the casino?
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Maybe Iām just confused, but please reiterateā¦Iām currently have DBE (was status matched on my first cruise on Scarlet Lady). I will be boarding Resilient Lady next month (and this will be my third voyage overall on Virgin btw) so I assume my DBE perks will be as shown in my current invoice? But after that? Does the fact that I booked something in 2024 āgrandfatherā me in going forward? Or will I now have to book another 2 cruises to get back my full DBE perks? Or would it be 3 as the perks donāt take effect until after your 5th voyage?
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Does NCL still have Prime Rib in the MDR or the buffet at least one evening? If not, has anyone ever ordered it from Cagneys? Prime Rib has always been one of those cruise āindulgencesā like a pina colada or escargot so I hope I can still get it somewhere on board.
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Has anyone ever stayed on deck 5 under The Manor on the Scarlet Lady?
chefchick replied to Jezo's topic in Virgin Voyages
I am booked on a sold out sailing and was āforcedā to take the last available cabin 8294A which is in line with the elevator, right above The Groupie and dangerously close to the Manor š±. This is also a limited view sea terrace so not ideal to say the least. A few cabins have opened up recently (very few) but they are THOUSANDS of dollars more expensive. We are committed to going and are excited about it, but has anyone had experience with cabins above the karaoke space? How far does the Manor noise travel? Iāve tried scouring the internets for info but have found very little. -
Thanks for your opinion, but even you must admit that taste is subjective. I too am a Culinary trained professionalā¦did Test Kitchen blow me away? No, but I could honestly eat that mushroom pate dish every night. I appreciate that Virgin is trying to give its customers many options for dinner different than just the āstandardā fare offered on other lines. I do have to ask, did you enjoy other restaurants on your Virgin cruise? And have you found other main stream cruises you thought had better āincludedā food overall?
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Favorite red wine on premium plus drink package
chefchick replied to Acruisefiend's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Follow up questionā¦best red and white wine choices from the standard beverage package? Also, do you have a favorite wine to choose from the platinum āfreeā dinner? I realize that inventories differ from ship to ship, but what have you maybe enjoyed lately? -
For you stay in San Juan, can I suggest the Mezzanine for one of the best cocktails in town. 156 Sol St. 2nd Floor, San Juan. In old San Juanā¦on a quiet street. Itās upstairs from a restaurant Iāve never eaten at but it is worth going out of your way for.
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Special food of the day in the Buffet or in the Local
chefchick replied to detroitlions's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Here is another question for āthe expertsā ā¦I became platinum not too long agoā¦ my husband who doesnāt always cruise with me is not. Can both of us sign up for the behind the scenes tour or is that for platinums only? -
Special food of the day in the Buffet or in the Local
chefchick replied to detroitlions's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
I have a 12 day itinerary coming upā¦.i donāt always book a speciality restaurant on the first night but did this timeā¦.do you think they might offer Prime Rib on night 8 as well? -
Cruise Thoughts, Advice, and Opinions, Please.
chefchick replied to Daruma's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
I often cruise solo and generally prefer to dine alone. Make your reservations for one. I have never been asked on NCL if I would prefer to share a table. I have been asked by others sitting near me in the venue if I would like to join them (Iām sure they were just being nice) but I politely decline. I really enjoy dining aloneā¦enjoying my meal at MY pace (do I want to see a show and eat quickly, or do I want to savor every bite and take hoursā¦itās my vacation so I decide) š -
I sailed the Prima in a Studio (my favorite of all the NCL studiosā¦better set up with the ā separateā bathroom). The lounge was similar to othersā¦.there was a good coffee/espresso machine, water, juice and a pay for wine by the glass dispenser. Pastries and such in the morning, cookies and fruit in the evening. Yes, I think there was a hairdryer (I bring my own) but there is no coffee maker in the cabin. You could ask your steward for one, but Iām not sure they could provide one? Prima is a lovely ship. Have a great time
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More than one side or appetizer
chefchick replied to excited balcony's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Regardless of what the terms and conditions say, in reality it all depends on the server you get, the restaurant manager, what day of the week it is, which ship you are on šā¦in other words, the only way to be sure is to ask (nicely, of course) before ordering. -
Does anyone enjoy Royal Caribbean?
chefchick replied to MartaMartian's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Living in Seattle, I have cruised to Alaska MANY times and on many lines. Besides your itinerary (how long in port, are tenders or shuttles used, etc) how the ship is laid out and what is available on board is more important (in general) than in the Carribean for example. I have sailed Ovation and what I liked was the cabin (larger, even as a solo) and the crew was great. What I didnāt like was the layout of the ship. It was much more inward focused, if that makes sense with its main promenade and it always felt crowded. There were many activities geared to kids so that would be great for you, but so does NCL, for example. My advice? Decide YOUR priorities based on your needs and find a SHIP that matches (not just a cruise line). Alaska cruises are much more about excursions and scenic cruising (and the excursions are very expensive but generally once in a lifetime memories as well). Hope that helps. -
Although not technically āloungesā if one wants a drink there is a casino bar, the draft house, the social club, and bars inside Razzle Dazzle and Pink Agave all that are air conditioned comfort. I enjoy a pre dinner cocktail myself, so Iām not sure why you would need more than two? I never had a hard time getting a lovely seat at either venue. Yes, at peak times servers were stretched, but not anymore than they are on any other cruise lineā¦you obviously have a lot of experience, donāt tell me you havenāt had to wait for a cocktail on Royal, Celebrity, Princess, etc.?
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Midnightopal i was āupgradedā to a limited view terrace in the bow (9300 block) and yes, itās all metal, no glass and,unfortunately it doesnāt have a hammock but has an egg chair instead. Again, I paid for an inside and received a sea terrace so Iām not complaining, but I donāt think I would pay for this category cabin.
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This is ridiculous and why the general public thinks cruises are unsafe or a bad decision. The worse thing that happened was the app wasnāt working for a little while š±. We all managed. I think this āarticleā was in The Sun (which isnāt the most reliable source) but some idiot on here gave them this info to run with.
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Yes, I am on the FB group (both I think) ā¦.same profileā¦.I am scheduled to arrive late in the afternoon on Sat and have no plans for the morning eitherā¦I also have DBE and a 1:45 check in time so I had planned to hang in the lobby till it was time to call a Uber or cab. I will be on the lookout for you two and hopefully it will all work out. Really looking forward to this sailing.
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Also, does anyone know how tipping works with porters at Barcelona embarkation? Similar to US? I know we embarked in Southampton once and the porter shrugged off my tip so I like to be prepared either way.
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Cantgetin- I believe you and I are staying at the same hotel prior to the TAā¦Melia (airport)? Would love to share a cab to the port if you all have room? (Iām traveling solo this time).
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Iām on the transatlantic and would love you to spill the teaā¦my regular TA is great, but when it comes to booking a Virgin cruise, he clearly doesnāt know the secret handshake (or heās not letting me in on it) š
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Oh How I Wish Virgin Would Sail From the US West Coast!
chefchick replied to CruiseLoverFromNorCal's topic in Virgin Voyages
Iām going to guess you are NOT located on the west coast? Some of us donāt appreciate having to start every cruise with a long plane rideā¦and living in Seattle I love Alaska cruises mostly because I can drive to the port. (just like the folks from Florida do for most Carribean cruises). -
On Virgin America #RIP, they had the same S&P shakers, but they were red plasticā¦.I might have a set in the kitchen somewhere. God, I miss that airline.
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I believe the āshake for champagneā benefit has been replaced with a free $100 bar tab for DBEā¦enjoy your free bubbly or whatever floats your boat š