lettienets

You can print your documents directly from Costa homepage. You can log in and check your booking. After final payment you can print your documents. You can book Costa excursions online - it is quite similar to Carnival.

Thanks, that is great to know! I got the impression elsewhere it could not be done.

I haven't had documents/luggage tags/boarding passes by mail in years for any cruise lines I have sailed on in the last few years. You have to do it yourself online with RCI, Holland America, RCI, Carnival etc. If you don't have a computer and internet, you have to book your cruise with a travel agent. They they print your documents.

So I will have to keep that in mind if I book this cruise I am looking at on Costa online. What happens if you book near last minute, say a week or two before it goes?

Never been on Costa yet. Doesn't everybody get electronic tickets now on cruises? You mean they still mail your documents etc?

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Pricing is a bit like cruise pricing. You see a discounted price often from the get go, nobody every pays the asking price. Then things start to move down or have OBC or some kind of a coupon or a sale or an upgrade. Somewhere in there you have to decide if you really want that cruise, what are you willing to pay?

I bought one PW Fanch Ledan and it was really stupidly expensive at the time but it sure looks striking on my wall and everbody comments on it. I also had one free print framed by them. I figured if I waited to frame the free one it would still be in the cannister. The day they arrived they were ready to hang and look great. What can you say, did you like what you bought?

Here's one for Froufie, best cruise review ever!!!

(and in her favourite colour!):p

Hi Loretta - thanks for stopping by! :)

 

I used to used the now defunct Webshots so was forced to find another webhosting site - using photobucket now (yes I had to creat two 'free' accounts cuz I had so many pictures to post !).

 

Once the pics are uploaded on the site it is VERY EASY to copy and paste them into a review - codes are provided for each pic - you just click on the one for a specific pic and then paste onto your post (yes you have to have 2 or in my case, more, windows open). Try it out!

That's the part I can't figure out, having 2 or more windows open. I have downloaded photos to photobucket and then moved them one at a time, going out of CC, back to photobucket, back to CC etc. I wondered if there was an easier way to get your 6 photos added per post. :confused: Can you drag them or is it always cut and paste?

Froufie, your review and photos are fantastic, thanks for all your work sharing so many beautiful things with us. How do you upload so many photos, what process and program? Thanks very much.

Have you received your tshirt from Carnival yet. If so could you post a picture. I would like to see it.

 

By the way I totally disagree that solos spend less. I know I spend three times as much cruising solo as I did with my husband when he was living.

I spend plenty as well on excursions, flowers, stuff in the shops etc. I can tell you I have spoken to many couples who brag about not spending on the ship like a badge of honor and bragging when the topic comes up on chat boards. At least on Holland America you get an extra sea day point for every $300 spent onboard (and preordered stuff)

Only going to be more and more singles in the future, less marriages, more widows and widowers with the aging population, more divorces etc. Maybe they factor that in.

I totally missed that. Was it mentioned in the daily programmes? It would have been fun to see the results.

Hi sapper1 Must have been in the daily programme but I don't remember. You had to pick up a sheet with the rules and instructions on what was allowed etc somewhere. I can't seem to remeber that either... ! My tablemates met one morning in the Lido and brought all kinds of bits and bobs to create our ship. We laughed so hard and enjoyed it very much. Our ship was so small and we did our float out in the hot tub much to everyone's amusement. Shipbuilding is an especially good activity on transatlantics when you have lots of time. Will have to see what happens next trip.

I participated in shipbuilding last year on the NA TA for the first time; my table mates made a ship. It was so much fun, just the "spirit-building" alone! Although there were only two ships in the sailout, we enjoyed it thoroughly.

Was looking forward to doing it again! :(

I like it flavour-wise and cut my slices thin so it isn't so "chewy" with each bite. :) The gravy is nice.

If you look behind the red part of the wading pool you will see a little "waterfall". (on Rotterdam) :rolleyes: That raised bit is a stage at this end. The one hot tub is at the other end. No matter how you cut it, Rotterdam and Veendam are not appealing to people who enjoy pools.

This is the retreat on Rotterdam (July 2011 TA and Baltic cruises) Horrible place, sunbeds are fixed, can't even move them in direction of the sun! They were generally empty. The area around the wading pool is smaller now, no walking space because of the other sunbeds. Who wants a hot tub on a hot day out there? The video screen shows floating fish all day, can't see anything anyway in the sun. The concerts shown at night (eg Tom Jones, Phantom of the opera type music etc were loud and awful, very few people were out there). The Lido mid ship pool and hot tubs were full of kids. It was congested and crowded and there were not enough sunbeds there either for lounging. Also when the Halcats played there too noise was terrible.

The beautiful seaview pool was a wonderful adult retreat area.

Now, it is wasted space. My last cruise on Rotterdam. Also, they consider the changes on Veendam an improvement since 3 hot tubs were added after the wading pool fiasco. Maybe more hot tubs will be coming to Rotterdam...If so keep Rotterdam and Veendam in cold climates.

It's the poolette look of the first Veendam redo containing a bar area, Slice (pizza) and a large screen which faces the stern.

Enjoy your cruise.

Bob

I hope so, as I am one who likes a quiet pool. Oh well. Is there one hot tub in the sea view area on Rotterdam or more?

I am going to miss the seaview pool, been on this ship 2x before redo.

Now the midship pool will be busier than ever. :(

What is the retreat area like on Rotterdam? Is it the poolette look of the first Veendam redo or the second version with the 4 tubs? I am on Rotterdam next week and not looking forward to the changes seaview area.

I am assigned open seating on my upcoming July 12 9 day TA and 12 day Baltic, well it is a collectors 21 day. Never had open seating before and am a little nervouss about it as I am travelling alone. At first I didn't like the idea because I enjoy a "family" of tablemates. But then I thought well this is a long cruise...maybe a good idea. Any thoughts on open seating for a long cruise like this, especially solo? Sure hope I meet up with people to eat with.

I figure when you travel there are just way more people you encounter on planes, airports, ships etc than you would encounter in your daily work and home life. So chances of picking up germs or viruses are greater.

Carnival main dining room food is the best for presentation, quality, and quantity. I am amazed at the good food, esp since their cruise prices are cheaper. Mongolian wok and deli sandwich bar at lunch are very good too.

Room service menu not too appealing.

I like it gooey, like choc. sauce in the middle. Sometimes it is too dry.

Can anybody tell what is special about transatlantic cruises.

They are longer, have more sea days, a good balance of ports, some over there and some on the way home. They are usually way cheaper because the cruiselines know you need a flight into one city and out of another one on two continents and a lot of people don't want to do that.

I appreciate Hutch&Pat's review of the lanai. I certainly would not want to deal with people sitting in my reserved chairs, extra noise by the life boats, deck washing water, doors hard to open and close or leaking, shadows of people, deck lighting shining in my room etc Gee, I didn't even think of any of these nuisances.

Ruth C, if a guest wants a chair on the sunny side but has two reserved chairs on the other, there will be even less chairs for everybody else unless people take their chairs around (NOT) so therefore they leave 2 empty chairs and then occupy two more = less public chairs available.