Wildcatllamas

When I have had a facial or massage the person would show me the products that were used when we got out to the front area. So it was easy to pass and move on. None of them to offense.

Hmm - minimum $90,000 in play.

For me, Gunbae was okay. Food was good. Waygu beef very over rated but I had sailor loot to get rid of. My problem is, I have a hearing issue that is due to nerve damage. The high level of noise from all the drinking games going on made it impossible for me to hear and began to give me a bad headache. I love Razzle Dazzle for breakfast/brunch. Dinner not so much. Actually not at all since the menu change. I have really enjoyed their Watermelon and Sesame cream, which a friend and I dubbed the Watermelon fruit pizza and their bacon can't be beat. I order it without the pepper.

I like my steak done Pittsburgh style, which must be cooked on an extremely hot fire. It is seared and crispy on the outside and warm rare on the inside. The only restaurants on cruise ships who even knew what is was but also nailed it were all on Virgin. The Wake, Pink Agave and Extra Virgin all nailed it perfectly. So ordering a steak medium to medium well should be a piece of cake. I won't judge you @Cloud9 Bob but please don't tell me you douse it with A1 sauce. That is just to much to handle 😉

Amen on that.

@Essiesmom sure hope you are feeling better!! Nothing worse then getting sick when on a cruise.

I have a $700 bar tab on my cruise in September. The friend who is going with me was afraid that wouldn't be enough so they bought another $100. With getting my mocha fix being covered with DBE then my bar spending may be $10 to $20 a day except when I go to the Test Kitchen and I like their wine pairing. So my possible spending on a 12 night will be about $300. So she will have to drink up to cover the other $500.

Last time I did a cruise out of LA/San Pedro I stayed at a hotel close to LAX and then took an UBER to the port. It was $36 for the friend and I.

I ordered Seltzer with lime and I got puzzled looks. So @Travel-and-See you weren't the only one. Sparkling water with lime just sounds odd.

I have had that happen on every cruise that I have done solo. It is just a courtesy.

I have cruised solo on Princess, NCL, Celebrity and Virgin. On NCL and Virgin I have never had a problem interacting and meeting people. Celebrity wasn't bad, but the folks that I was seated with for traditional dinner were very standoffish with lots of questions as to why I was traveling solo. Princess was the hardest to really meet folks and have a conversation. With Virgin you are really sitting very close together in the areas where the 2 tops are. I would have folks asking me what I was eating and I would ask others. Once the ice was broken then things would go from there. At the Test Kitchen I was seated next to a couple who were on their first cruise. So we got to talking about all our stops and what was good. The husband ordered the mixed drink pairing and they were serving him full size drinks. His wife and I got the wine pairing. He was getting a little toasty by the end of dinner but he said all the cocktails were good and paired well with each course.

I have been up and ready to go at 20 minutes to midnight to book excursions and restaurants for my clients and myself. Even when I have to work my other job the next morning. So I would talk with your travel agent and see what they will do for you. If they won't commit or won't jump on it when it opens then maybe find another agent. You definitely want a Gold level First Mate.

Wow, my cell phone provider gives me free phone calls from the US to Canada and Mexico. A friend of mine in Canada calls me several times a year and has free calls to the US on her carrier. They do have a chat feature that I have had good luck with and I have used their email option as well. I have had better luck dealing with Virgin then I ever had dealing with Princess, even as a travel agent. If I were you I would do like Canadian Cruiser 21 suggests and find a Gold level First Mate (aka travel agent. Handling problems and sitting on the phone for our clients is what we are there for.

My routine is a bit different in that my work life schedule starts at 3 AM. So, when I get up and head out of the cabin it is usually about 6:30 AM and I may go up to the Yoga or I will maybe do the meditation. Then I head to the Galley for breakfast. After breakfast I go and walk laps around the ship. I usually book the Wake or Razzle Dazzle for a brunch/lunch around 11:30. So I get the best of both worlds. Oatmeal, fresh fruit and sometimes I will ask for gluten free French toast are by breakfast go too. So then I can enjoy the Calm Chowder and the salad at the Wake or what I call the "Fruit Pizza" and the bacon at Razzle Dazzle for lunch.

Sometimes, it helps to close any open apps on your phone and then try again on the Virgin app. It seems that it doesn't always play well with other apps, especially when onboard the ship. I like the mocktails that they have and I will have a couple of mochas in the morning. Here is what Virgin has to say about their non-alcohol choices: https://www.virginvoyages.com/ahoy/stories/non-alcoholic-drinks-for-sober-cruises