Essiesmom

Welcome to Cruise Critic. If you go back to the main boards page, scroll down a ways and you will find a forum called UK Cruising. Folks there should be able to help you out. EM

I have not seen it offered when you book online, but if you call to book or have questions, they offer the opportunity to prepay. EM

Loveseat, not full couch. EM

I e been that far forward on Equinox. It’s a long walk to the MDR. EM

Sunday 2/25 we have Le Dumont d’Urville and Sirena passing through westbound. Incidentally, Jules Sebastian Cesar Dumont d’Urville (1790-1842) was a French naval officer, explorer and botanist.

The buffet will be open for all three meals as well as much of the time during the day. Lunch will be served in the MDR on sea days but not port days. Formal nights are no more…they may be called gala or elegant, but smart casual is fine. Some will, some won’t. Just an observation about my last cruise on Celebrity. I found dinner very disappointing. I booked late as a solo and was given select/anytime dining. I was u able to make a reservation in the app and had long hour waits for a table. I ended up in the buffet. While the buffet was terrific at breakfast and lunch, at dinner there was not a single item available in the buffet that was on the MDR menu. One about 60% of the serving stations were open. I was on the smaller Summit, you may have a different experience on the Solstice. EM

I believe with Carnival you can book your children without an adult as long as they are in a cabin near you. You would need to read the specifics on the Carnival website. EM

This was the machine in the Marketplace buffet in Dec. But I know they also had Diet Coke. This machine is only for those with the drink plan. EM

If you were initially entering Brazil by cruise ship, it would be reasonable for the checkin agents at your departure to deny you boarding without the visa. But if you don’t need a visa to enter the country by air, and therefore already IN the country when you check in to the ship, why would they even ask for a visa to enter a country you are already in??? Now, would there be complications if you were to visit multiple ports in Brazil, some overlapping the new activation date? Muddy waters? EM

We had one of the insides they now call ‘junior’ on Divina and it was tiny. The junior balconies in the same area have no seating other than at the desk, and a slight,y narrower balcony. I didn’t see any on the OVs. Unless it’s a really short cruise, like a 3 day, I would look to move. EM

Prinsendam was never a sister of the R ships of Oceania. EM

What ship? If on Divina or Splendida, those ‘junior inside and balcony’ are much smaller. EM

I believe there are few lines that allow them. I did see one from a distance on a Carnival ship, but I’m sure it wasn’t approved. I think they might have them on Virgin. It would have to be fireproof, you would have to take it down every time you left your cabin. EM

Take a look at MSC, too. Lots going on there. EM

As long as you both have a boarding pass you should be good. EM

Many cruise lines have their own reps who can become your ‘personal vacation planner’(Princess, Carnival) and although they may accrue credits for booking cruises, they do not earn a commission. EM

Welcome to Cruise Critic. There are several places here that you should be researching this situation. First, there are boards here for most of the cruise lines. You can ask this on the Celebrity board. I think there may have been threads there about it. Also, there is a section called ROLL CALLS. This is where someone on a cruise starts a thread where other CC members on that sailing can join in and discuss the cruise. Likely there is a Roll Call for your sailing. To find your Roll Call, go back to the Main boards page, scroll down to Roll Calls, select Cala duty, then your ship, and s roll down looking for a thread with the dates for your cruise. Lastly, there is the Ports of Call section which will have an area covering Brazil. EM The roll call for your Eclipse cruise on 4/20/24 is the first on in the Eclipse roll calls, with 7 pages and 162 comments. EM

The TA might get a better commission from Regent because maybe she books more clients with them. EM

Accessibility on Roatan is not a problem going ashore, although I don’t know about excursions. Carnival family of lines ports at Mahogany Bay, it is a port created for cruise ships. Other lines dock at Coxen Hole. You could ask on the Ports Of Call boards about excursion companies that you could contact about accessibility. As for Belize, it is a long tender ride. The tenders are from the port, and are two levels. You board on the upper level and debark on the lower. I have seen wheelchairs onboard, but never determined how they got from one level to the other. EM

Friday we have Ruby Princess on a partial transit

Thursday was Le Dumont D’Urville passing through, and Viking Mars doing a quick partial.

You started out with a luxury cruise line, so that may be where you need to stay. To necessary the same line, but the luxury lines have smaller ships. By the holidays, do you mean Christmas? The higher end lines often have open end cruises, rather than closed loop. Look at cruises from Miami on Oceania, Silversea, Viking, Regent, Seabourn, Azamara. Maybe Virgin, the Yacht Club on MSC or their brand Explora Journeys which is an all yacht club ship. EM

Did the monkey defect to Disney?

Have those of you who disapprove of the cards at the cabins ever cruised on a ship with that system? The cards are in a sealed envelope. On the envelope it says if it appears to have been tampered with, go to GS for a new one. I can’t remember if on Divina you could tap the card to open the door, or had to insert into slot. Not sure if on smart ships you could tap the card still in the envelope… maybe I’ll try it next time. But the principle reason on other lines for not giving the card at checkin is/was to keep people from accessing their cabins before they are ready. On Carnival, the card isn’t at the door until the cabin is ready. EM

Wednesday 2/21 carnival Pride doing a partial transit