Essiesmom

That sounds like spam to me, malware? No one should ever use their email as username. EM

I was trying to remember which ship we sailed that did not have light, and decided it was Solstice. Can’t remember it being missing on Summit and Infinity, but I use a balcony so little, I no longer book them. EM

You want them to bend a little, so creak is natural. There are complaints about the Celebrity Beyond in heavy seas…EM

A cruiser on the Carnival board recommended an app called Live Transcribe which I guess works like closed caption, was able to use it in the back of the theater for production shows, etc. would also work for dinner conversations…it also translates…EM

I suggest anyone lusting after a luxury watch first research the cost of maintenance. I currently have two Rolex oysters. The first was a stainless steel college graduation gift and at the time (1973) cost $212.70. I don’t remember what I paid to have it serviced in Germany, but a few years later it was $200, sometime in the 80s. Then it was up to $400. Last time I asked, probably 20 years ago it was at least $1000. The second is ten years newer, two tone, purchased in Hong Kong for $948. They both sit in a drawer while I wear my Apple Watch. EM

It looks like HAL is concentrating on their three newest ships. Drop over to the HAL board and read the live from by Hank (Hlitner) and Cruisemom42. They are on Westerdam doing Japan, and there is almost no entertainment, last set ends at 10:45 and bars close down then. There are five live threads from the World Cruise but I stopped reading them so can’t comment on entertainment. EM

On the threads page here (Celebrity) in the upper left corner, under Find your roll call, it says Find posts about… and to the right of that Select ship. That brings a drop-down menu. Choose your ship. It will give you an endless list of threads mentioning Eclipse. You might have to go back many pages, as you are asking about last year, but you should find some threads from Alaska cruises. EM

But some people like to sleep with the curtains open, and find the light on the neighbor’s balcony to be annoying. EM

Okay, just browsed through cruisedeckplans.com and pinched a couple of pictures of cabins with a single sofa bed. One shows it made up, the other just as couch. There is also a video of cabin 14075 on YouTube if you Google it. Bed is made up there.

Did you make a dining time request when you booked? It’s been four years since I sailed Seaside and I think the ship was very full because there were three dining times. I know there is a time after boarding when you can go to the dining room and ask about a table for 3. Your dining room, time, and table number will be on your cruise card.

A triangle signifies a single sofa bed. I don’t know if it folds out. Dining time and arrangement depends on what ‘experience’ you booked. If you booked Aurea experience, you can choose to dine whenever you wish. However, I suspect you are Bella or Fantastica, in which case your dining time and dining room will be assigned. You will have an assigned table and the same staff every night. You may or may not be sharing a table with others.. you can order as many items as you wish from the menu. Very late dining I am not sure of. It would be in the buffet. You can choose to eat dinner in the buffet instead of the dining room. Whether room service is free depends on the experience you booked. EM

One of the best ways to find out what is going on on a ship is to read the ‘Live from..’ threads. There is one currently on the first page by GenerationX called Beyond LIVE Solo Retreat review. EM

What cruise lines does not let you refill a water bottle? I always have a water bottle, usually insulated, and refill in the buffet. They just want you to fill it using a clean glass, rather than putting the bottle directly under the source. EM

For US cruisers ice water is free in the MDR. No need for a water package. I believe in Europe a water package is included for US and UK cruisers as we deem it acceptable to drink water with meals. EM

At the top of the threads page, upper left, it says See Posts About, and to the right of that Select ship. Select ship is a drop-down menu, click on your ship, and it will being up threads/posts about that ship. EM

While I agree itineraries from San Juan would be nice, I have researched cruises to and from San Juan, and find air arrangements from my location to be rediculous, mostly in timing and routing. So it would be south Florida for me. EM

Yes, more formal than HAL. The Princess Grill suite I glimpsed on QE was nearly identical to a mini-suite on Princess. EM

I had E1115 on Oosterdam for 32 days, San Diego to Rome. It was a disappointment. If you want to see out the window, you have to climb up on the bed. I had the beds separated as I was solo, but still couldn’t get to the window because the nightstand was so deep. It did have a couch. The next spring I did a collectors cruise in the Caribbean on Westerdam, in an inside gty. I was allotted K1116, one of the big insides. I liked it so well that in 2012 in the Med for 24 days, I specifically picked that cabin on Nieuw Amsterdam. This time my sister was with me, her first inside cabin. With Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam the OV cabins have the beds on the side walls, so you can get to the window. EM

As far as EFFY is concerned, you do not have to pay duty on it because it is made in USA, NYC to be exact. I always bargain, and prefer to buy ashore as I can bargain more. My last cruise, I saw a silver and gemstone pendant I liked. They were doing a promotion of 30% off some things, but not this one. But they were willing to reduce from $695 to $650. Too much. I went back to my cabin in and looked up the EFFY website and found the same pendant on sale for $486, but there was a special code for another 25% off, making it $364. I went back to the shop and the manager grudgingly agreed to sell it to me for the $486 because I could show it to her online. Nope. Said I could get for less. She kept saying I would have to pay tax and shipping. I said shipping was free. I went back to my cabin and ordered it, did not have to pay tax or shipping, and have been wearing it ever since. I went back to show my receipt on my phone, and she was annoyed as she was trying to sell a tanzanite ring…. I knew not to go back into that shop. But I really wanted to tell the lady looking at the ring that she should look online, she might find the same ring on sale, or even a better one. EM

Try TJ MAXX.

You might also ask on the Florida Departures board, under North American Homeports. EM

You can lock it up when you get on the ship. You will not need it again unless your cruise has a stop in Skagway and you want to do an excursion that crosses the border into the Yukon. EM

Your husband can scoot to the table and transfer to a chair. Your waiter will drive the scooter to a parking area, and retrieve it after the meal (I believe they love doing this, or seem to). It is a good idea to affix something to the scooter that will distinguish it from other similar scooters. particularly if you were to rent one. I understand a keys operate the same scooters. EM

I went on a short cruise in early March and was prepared to do it with BC and ID for the first time since I got my first passport in 1970. I had renewed my passport online, but it hadn’t arrived. Well, it came in the mail the afternoon I was leaving for the departure city. What a relief. On leaving the ship after the cruise, at the bottom of the gangway an agent was saying ‘BCs to the right, passports to the left’. She saw my passport in hand and told me to put it away, I wouldn’t need it. I was the on,y one in that huge room. Walked up to the agents, stood on the red footprints, the machine read my face, and off I went. Facial recognition with passport. Priceless. EM

Does the cruise line not offer transfers? EM