PandaBear62

Wednesday We were up and going late today. We were at the Haven for breakfast about 9:15 and people came after us so a lot of people were waiting. There are LOTS of people in the Haven and LOTS of kids. We have had a couple of meals with crying kids. I 100% understand crying cranky kids (I have three kids) but I don’t really understand not removing them a little faster. My moms tolerance for this (unfortunately) is quite low. It was a little frustrating because there were lots of people and everyone was getting seated but us. But I assumed they were choosing to eat outside and I had asked for inside. The final straw for me was I got in line 40 minutes later and was chatting with the men ahead of me. (We talked about our dinner experiences the night before-ours was wonderful at Le Bistro and they didn’t have a good night at Cagneys). They then seated the group of three men and I tried to ask about my table and was rather abruptly told that our table was being set and we’d be next. When we walked in the men were at an inside table. So I went over and asked them and yes, they had just walked up. So I went to the hostess and asked why we were the absolute last group seated (and there were many empty tables) and she told me everyone that was seated was ahead of me which was just an absolute blatant lie and when I called her on it she then said she called our name and room number and we didn’t respond. But we were there the whole time. So we were in breakfast at 10 and I left the table and went down and talked to the concierge. I was pretty mad (and you have to understand, I seldom confront anyone about anything). The concierge talked to the restaurant manager and he ended up talking to me and asking for “my side” of the story. I very calmly explained and he said he would follow up and to ask for him when we came again to make sure there were no issues. I realized I should have asked for him but I honestly wasn’t even thinking there was a a manger and the concierge was the only place I thought to go. I actually ran into the dad (of the trio) in the bar a little later and he asked me what happened after we talked. He told me he did see and hear what she said and how she acted and I wasn’t imagining things. So I did feel better about that. So we chatted a bit about that and other things and went our separate ways. I met up with my mom and we played cards while my sister was in the room with a migraine. We played for quite awhile (to give my sister peace) and went to the room about 2:45. She woke up and I left to find a mail box and mail some postcards and she and mom used an escort with a wheelchair to get out to the meeting place for our excursion. I went out and used a shuttle to the post office. They have these shuttles that will take you around by e shipping area…you just tip. I asked the driver if he could take me back and he said he had to go in his lunch. I told him no problem, that I appreciated him getting me there so quickly and I could walk back. He immediately told me he would wait and shuttle me back. I had initially shared shared that the reason I wanted to go to the post office was I mail a postcard to a neighbor of mine who is 97 and I send her postcards everywhere I go. He appeared to be quite moved by this and dropped me off at the ship. I tipped him generously to thank him for his time! In the meantime, my mom (with my sister) was wheeled out to the meeting place for our excursion. The organizers of the sunset cruise arranged for a car to take her to the actual boat (just amazing). They went around giving wristbands and there were two colors (red and green). They asked you about your group so you would be in the same boat. When I said I was with the lady who needed the ride over, she immediately gave me a green band, because that’s what they had. I walked over with everyone and we boarded the boat. My mom and sister were already on. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this excursion. I talked with all three crew and they were all wonderful. As with most excursions they accept tips and I did so generously. They were great to me, went out of their way for my mom and deserved every penny. It was lovely sailing and I ended up talking with a variety of guests on the boat and just had a great time. At the ending the trip the captain told us he called and asked for a shuttle to bring my mom back. Apparently there were some issues (a flat tire, confusion over who was coming, etc) and the head of security for the shuttles/pier came and got us in his SUV!!! He apologized for the wait and we told him we hardly waited at all! He was lovely and so kind to my mom. I was so impressed. He encouraged us to return to St. Thomas and I told him after how well we were treated today we absolutely planned to do so. When we got to the pier we were able to get a wheelchair to take my mom back to the Haven and once again, we were able to board quickly due to being in Haven. It was really nice. We went to the room and my sister went to bed again and my mom and Into the Haven for dinner. I had the consommé again and crab cakes. Then we shared the cheesecake for dessert. The manager came to see us which I thought was very nice and much appreciated. I was very intentional in saying that what happened this morning was over, it was addressed and we moved on. And I truly meant that. I ran to see the Rumours show and caught the last 3 songs. I arranged for my mom to use the Haven escort to the theatre and I waited in line to watch the first 20 minutes or so in Syd Normans Pur House. The show was the entire Rumours album. I’ll then run out, race to the theatre and watch the comedy show with my mom. In general, this trip is all about my mom…what she wants to do and where we go. This is my little time….Rumours was one of the first albums I ever had and I just really wanted to see the show. It was so good! So I watched the first 23 minutes and literally ran forward and down one deck to race into the theater and join my mom. The show in the theater was both comedians: Flip Schultz and Warren Hall. Both are really good comedians. It was definitely an adult show. If you don’t want the adult jokes I suggest you attend the family or PG-13 shows. After the show we headed back to the room. I was cautiously optimistic I might have a good night and fingers crossed it’s true. Tomorrow is Tortola from 6am-1pm and I doubt we will leave the ship. I haven’t yet even made it to the pool and that is my goal for tomorrow!

I use Magnesium creme and I’ve found another big issue is dehydration and lack of exercise. I’m pretty good at home (I keep a water bottle by me, put on magnesium creme at night and go the the YMCA for water aerobics 4-5 times a week, but on vacation, it all falls apart.

Tuesday We started our sea day a little later….I was up and about about 8:30. As I think I’ve mentioned above, I have pretty bad insomnia and was up until about 3:30. This is also why I’m good all day but start getting tired by 9 or 10. Breakfast in the Haven again….I tried the eggs Benedict (single Benedict and half portion of potatoes) and staff did exactly that, which was appreciated. Perfect amount of Hollandaise sauce-enough for flavor but not so much it was everywhere. The French press coffee is so good too. My mom and sister went to the room to get ready for the day and I relaxed in the lounge. They joined me and we ended up chatting with the people sitting near us until 10:45 when we went to the meet and greet. Sadly, it was poorly attended but the people who did attend were delightful. The venue was the Brewhouse which was so much fun. Three ships officers came. I was chatting with the cruise director and sharing how much I liked the choice of beers (not just all IPA’s) and how much I liked the one I was drinking. He brought over the Beverage Manager as it was a new beer to the venue, just starting with our cruise. He called the General Manager over and asked me how we were enjoying the Haven and both gave me their cards and told me to contact them if we needed anything. Wow! There was even a musician at the event. I was so glad we went. I then headed to talk to the Future Cruise desk while my mom and sister watched the presentation on the new ships and itineraries. We have basically decided on a cruise next March and next June. March either sailing out of Galveston or SoCal and June for Alaska. We just have to decide Suite or Haven. The Haven is amazing, but a suite can be half the price and my mom is getting better on her electric chair. I figure we could do a suite, speciality dining and thermal spa for much cheaper than the Haven. We’ll make our final decision soon. We headed to the Haven for lunch. My mom had the butternut squash soups which she enjoyed. I tried the chicken consommé because I enjoyed the onion one so much for dinner last night and the Brie burger. The consommé wasn’t bad, but not nearly as good as last night. The Brie burger was quite good and we had the banana dessert (can’t remember the name) which was awesome. I then headed back to the Future cruise desk to ask a few more questions and while my mom and sister went to Bingo, I went for a nap. I was up 4ish and after dressing for dinner we made our way back to the lounge to play cards, have a drink and wait for the Captain's cocktail party at 7. No Captain at the party but lots of managers. It was funny because my guy at the Future cruise desk was there and he saw me and came over and we chatted. Of course, he joked about coming by because he missed me so much and he met my mom and sister. (He was helping at the event). It was nice but crowded and after you went through the line to meet everyone it was kind of done. So we headed to LeBistro for dinner. My sister and I have the specialty dinner but not my mom (she’s third person in the room) so we’ll pay a la carte for her. The restaurant is cute with the outside tables like a Parisian cafe but we asked for inside because it was noisy outside for my mom. Our waiter, coincidentally, also is in the Haven restaurant for other meals. I did the French onion soup and endive salad and both were delicious. Dinner was the beef filet. While there is a $10 up charge, if you don’t do the foie gras the up charge is removed. It was all quite delicious. I had a glass of a red blend ($3 upcharge). They offer Prosecco as part of the dining package when you arrive and my mom and I paid the up-charge for Veuve Clicquot. It was lovely. I won’t do this all the time but this was special. It’s a $14 charge. My mom ordered the escargot for her appetizer and soup for dinner. She really doesn’t have much of an appetite anymore and that’s what she wanted, so she could also have dessert. I had the chestnut mousse for dessert and my mom some ice cream. The obligatory food pictures: Escargot French onion soup Salad Endive salad Lamb chops Chestnut mousse Beef When our waiter brought our bill he very kindly told us he talked to the manager and he waived the charges for my moms meal. Was it because we were in the Haven? Because we also ordered drinks and paid an upcharge? Because we were nice and chatty with all the staff? Because she really only ordered a few sides and not an entree? I have no idea but it was an unexpected nice gesture. We left a good additional tip for him. After dinner we got in line for the comedy show. Grateful we had reservations…..the standby line was long! We got in, got seats, got drinks and waited for the show, chatting with those around us. Then, big thrill….three of the guys from Choir of Man came to watch the show!!! I went over to tell them how much I liked the show and how talented they were. They were very gracious and shared how much they enjoyed performing the show. My dh and I have season tickets to our local Broadway touring company (we live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have tons of Broadway tours) and their show is right along with those. We watched the comedy show (which was definitely 21+). If you’re unfamiliar with NCL, on our cruise, there are three comedy shows multiple nights through the cruise….family friendly, PG-13 and adults only. And while tonight’s show had sexual content it was nothing at all like another cruise we sailed where all the comedian did was drop F bombs and extremely vulgar sexual content (like we walked out). This was funny without going there. We were back to the room about 11. I took a bath to try and relax my back and then I headed to bed

Yes it is! He’s wonderful.

We were escorted to Choir of Man and all I can say is “don’t miss it”. It was amazing. The energy, the music, the voices….it was a treat. My sister waited with my mom to try and be escorted out at stage level (how we came in) rather than climbing all the stairs. I was at the Haven restaurant about 8:30 and again a wait. I was hoping the wait wouldn’t be the 40 minutes like last night and I was rewarded. It was only a couple of minutes. However, our waiter last night said we could ask for him and I forgot to until I was walking in the restaurant and I swear the hostess was mad at me. It was probably because it made it unbalanced for the servers but oh well. We really enjoy our waiter (Nelson) and I think he enjoys serving us. I had the onion consommé tonight and it was amazing. It’s so simple yet the broth was so rich and flavorful. It arrives with just the Pearl onions in the bowl and the consommé poured over at the table. I will definitely order again. For dinner I tried the prime rib again and I think the chefs idea of prime rib and mine vary. It wasn’t bad, just not what I would call prime rib. I tried the kale salad tonight and it was fine. Not outstanding, but fine. I love the baked potatoes….they’re small but you can add cheese, bacon and chives (you can also add sour cream but I don’t like sour cream). I don’t love the Havens dessert menu, so I tried the lemon sorbet and it was a nice light dessert. I’m talking with Nelson, he shared I could arrange to have Indian food one night, such as butter chicken and some kind of curry. So that will be nice as I love Indian food. I also hope to try lunch in the Haven tomorrow. I also tried the NCL red blend and it was an improvement over the Cabernet in the basic drink package. Yes there was an up charge but I’ll pay an up charge for a better glass. Dinner ended after 10. My mom and sister decided to go to the shops. I made my way to the Haven bar where my arm was twisted to have a double amaretto rather than a single pour. The older I get (I’m 61 now) I enjoy a little down time and I was happy to have some alone time before they returned to the room. On deck for tomorrow: a meet and greet at 11, a champagne meet and greet with the captain at 7 in the Haven and 7:30 dining reservations at Le Bistro.

I haven’t been around the ship a lot so far….will have a better idea after tomorrow (the first sea day). O’Sheehans was almost full about 2ish today.

Monday I slept great last night and woke up and headed to the Haven restaurant for breakfast. I ordered a skim milk latte (that’s how they refer to it, rather than non fat latte) and had some lovely Boursin cheese and prosciutto on a roll and then tried one of the almond croissants. I really liked the size….not too large. It is deserving of its good reputation. We then went back to get what we needed for Great Stirrup Cay and went back to the lounge. We waited in the lounge until the tender was near and we’re taken down by Irvin to the line. Wow, that was nice! We were able to ask for a sand wheelchair to take my mom down the beach, which was very helpful and appreciated. We experienced a little frustration in trying to rent a clamshell or umbrella and finally gave up. I was sent round and round and was becoming aggravated (and I didn’t want to feel that way). We ended up with two loungers kind of in the shade of a tree, near the Bacardi Bar. We went in the water and it was lovely. The water was packed but if you went past the throngs of people where it was a little deeper and it felt like the water was all yours. I’m from CA and our beach water is cold! My mom grew tired and so I walked her back to the lounger and let my sister stay in the water longer. Well, I underestimated the effort it would take to get her on the dry sand….it’s a little of an incline and the sand is squishy and let’s just say, I am so very grateful a woman dipping her feet in the water lent a hand so she had support on both sides. I went to get in line at the Bacardi bar to get mom a drink. It was a bit of a line (the people around me and I joked it was the ships way of keeping consumption down) and she enjoyed her “very light on the Bacardi” drink. There was a young boy (maybe 9 years old) dancing to the music and he was good! It was fun to watch him. By this time my sister was out of the water and she and my mom decided to go back to the ship and I went back in the water. Had a lovely conversation in the water with Kim (who works in education like myself) and then made my way to my lounger about 1 to head back to the ship. I did forget to say that NCL totally changed the itinerary around and informed folks as they were boarding the ship (even though the decision was made at least 3-4 days before we sailed and when people called, some were told absolutely no changes and others were given the revised itinerary-very poorly handled, IMO). We were only at Great Stirrup Cay until 3 and all aboard is 2pm. Anyway, the line was long to get on the ship. Really long. Super long. And Irvin had told us to walk more to the front of the line and there he was, with his paddle, to the front of the line. Then, when we got off the tender, someone was right there with a tender paddle to take us back to the Haven area. Wow, that was so nice. I showered up and went to O'Sheehan's bar and grill with my mom because I was hungry (why eat at the beach when you can be in the water?). I had the sausage sliders which were quite yummy and shared an order of the pretzel bites (which were also good). We went back to the Haven lounge and played cards until about 6:15. We were seeing the Choir of Man show at 7 and plan dinner for after. More later.

I hope it’s not that way all week as well, although honestly, it was fine last night. I was figuring everyone was eating at the same time, no one had speciality restaurant reservations and we have three large groups. Large groups often take longer to eat and they often stay after they are done. So maybe that was why.

I guess we were lucky. We did book early (last November). After I booked a handicapped access room, NCL contacted me asking for specifics. I actually called them and was very upfront and honest. My mom (at the time) used a wheelchair, but can walk and stand for short periods of time. What we really needed was room for a wheelchair and a walk in shower with a shower stool Or chair. I didn’t want to use a handicapped room if I didn’t need it, but I was assured we met the criteria. As it turned out, my mom has declined since November and now has a motorized chair rather than the wheelchair.

We wandered back to the Haven and we’re happy to get in our room. We have a handicapped room. My mom can walk, but also uses an electric chair. It’s nice because it has a much smaller footprint than a scooter and it also means my sister and I don’t need to push a wheelchair! I thought the Haven would be good because so much is in close proximity. She also needs a walk in shower with a bench or chair. I was told that we wouldn’t have a tub, which I understood, but luckily, we do! As I mentioned above, my leg cramps are funky and can be very very painful (like me crying and screaming in pain). I get leg cramps that are actually in the front of my shin and on the top of my foot, so stretching out my leg is useless. So while I hope not to use it, I’m glad I have it. We have a king bed (no two twins) and my mom chose the sofa bed that turns into a bed because it was lower. She would have needed a stool to get in the bed and we would have been worried about her falling. I don’t know if you can tell from the above picture, but there is a long “hook” you can use to pull the rod down to access it from a wheelchair. Lots of closet space! This is the Nespresso machine (it uses the older pods) There is also tea If I wasn’t specific enough…..wow! Our room is awesome. We received lovely little sandwiches….just the right size and amount. I thought I took a picture but oops…nope. We went out to the pool area and played cards. The Haven pool area was covered so it was so comfortable despite the heat. We headed back to the room to unpack and our butler came by. A very nice man named Reynal. We asked a couple of questions and I asked for an extra blanket. I don’t get cold, but I sleep under a weighted blanket. He asked us to activate the button if we were out of the room so we could make it up. Other than that, no requests from us. We went to the comedy show (family friendly) and laughed and laughed. I don’t remember the comedians name (I’ll look him up later, but it was funny). It was great to see my mom laugh and laugh. After the show we headed for the Haven dining room. No availability so we were asked to go to the lounge and we would be called when a table was ready. We had a drink and waited about 40 minutes and our name was called. Our waiter was Nelson and he was super nice. I asked for suggestions for wine and took his advice and was poured a generous glass. I had the slow roasted pork belly as an appetizer and wow, it was good. My sister had the lobster deviled eggs which she really liked. No appetizer for my mom; she tried my sisters. I ordered the prime rib but was brought something like a New York strip steak. It was not prime rib. The baked potato was good-not too big but big enough. I ordered a side of the creamed corn rather than seasonal vegetables and that was good as well. For dessert I had the coconut mousse. It wasn’t what I would call a mousse. It was more gelatin based. It was okay, but I won’t order it again. We asked our server (Nelson) if we could request him all week and discovered we could. So that’s our plan. We reserved tickets for the comedian at 10:30 but I bailed. I had been a volunteer all week in Orlando for US Twirling national championships and I am tired. I didn’t sleep well most of the week (In general, I have terrible insomnia on a good day. Add in the time change and yikes!) and just wanted to collapse in our room. So I headed to bed and my mom and sister headed to the comedy show. More tomorrow. Good night.

We are sailing the Norwegian Escape out of Miami starting July 16. We have a Haven handicapped room. I’m hoping this can be at least “semi-live” as I did purchase the internet package and expect to have a bit of “down time”. To back up, we booked this cruise specifically because of the date and location. I sailed on NCL in 1991 on my honeymoon but nothing since. So I am a huge novice. I have sailed on many other lines. Since Covid, I’ve sailed Disney, Princess, Celebrity and Carnival. Prior to Covid, also Royal Caribbean and Holland America (plus the previously mentioned lines). So I’m not a cruise novice, but rather, a NCL novice. I chose Haven because I thought it would be beneficial for my mom, who is almost 87 and has mobility issues. I thought the smaller area would be helpful. She really enjoyed the smaller, personal dining room when we sailed HAL, so I thought the Haven seemed like a perfect idea. Typically, my dh and I sail in an obstructed view stateroom, so this is HUGE upgrade. We arrived in Miami on the 15th. My mom and sister flew in and were the last plane to land before weather (thunderstorms). The luggage handlers couldn’t be on the tarmac because of lightening (obviously) so the luggage was delayed almost 2 hours. Luckily they flew in on an early flight, so they did land and then made it to the hotel with no additional issues. While I’m from CA I was in Orlando the week before the cruise. I booked the Flix bus from Orlando to Miami and felt it was a good deal. While the seats were close together, they had plugs for charging and 5G wireless. I paid $35 for my seat, plus $5 to choose a specific seat and $4 handling charge. We left Orlando at 3:25 and I was in downtown Miami just before 7. I ubered to the hotel, got my room, went down to their small (but functional!) bar area and bought a beer and went to bed. We stayed at the Aloft Brickell. I was not impressed at all. I can say it did what it needed to do. The room set up was crazy. The beds were very tight and then there was a huge open empty space. My other little “pet peeve” was that on the receipt for the beer, there was a line for gratuity. However, I was automatically charged 18% gratuity. If the line had said “additional gratuity” I wouldn’t have cared but I felt that was rather depeceptive. On the plus side, there was very warm water for the shower and bath. This turned out to be fortuitous, as I can get horrific leg cramps and the only solution can be sitting in hot water. So, after going to bed, I was up around midnight running a bath. Luckily it worked and I was back in bed and up by 8. We ubered over to the port for a 9:30 check in. We zoomed through and were in the Haven waiting area very quickly. They had coffee, tea, water and orange juice, fruit, little sandwiches and pastries. We sat and had a bite to eat and watched the remaining passengers depart. We quickly were guided on to the ship and into the Haven. We had a little talk by our concierge (Sanja) who seemed quite sweet. We were offered lunch in the American Grill and we chose to do so. Before I go further, I need to say, I don’t think of myself or my sister as high maintenance or picky. We’re thrilled to be on the ship and can generally be fine with anything. My mom can be a little more difficult but we will work to keep her under control this week! I say this only for anyone reading this to take it with a grain of salt. You won’t hear from me critiquing every meal and every action and sharing what isn’t “up to snuff” because I won’t notice. Anyway, we went to the American Diner and enjoyed our lunch. We had the shrimp and lobster roll as an appetizer. There were two and we shared them. They were good! It said spicy but it really wasn’t, just flavorful. We all enjoyed our lunch. My mom had the fried chicken, my sister the seafood platter and I had the shrimp and grits. Now, I wouldn’t pay for it separately or with a dining credit but it was wonderful for a free lunch. More to come.

Thank you everyone! I haven’t sailed NCL or Out of Miami since 1991, nor ever sailed in the Haven (or any concierge type room) ever and don’t want to do the wrong thing!

We are sailing tomorrow out of Miami and just realized we have two different check in times for the three of us. One has a 9:30-10 time and the other two, 10-10:30. Can we all go earlier or do we need to all go later? We are in the Haven, if that matters. I’m assuming it’s a “go through security” time and not boarding time? Any input is appreciated.

Thank you! That clarifies it for me….it has to do with the same versus different departure and arrival ports.

So I tried to book a back to back cruise for October. Cruise 1 is Seattle to Vancouver, with a stop in Victoria. Cruise 2 is Vancouver to San Francisco with no ports. I could not book them back to back. I understand this is because of the Passenger Vessel Services Act (right?) but I don’t quite understand why. Can someone explain it to me? i understand you have to go to a foreign port. But I thought that was just for cruises that originate and end in the US. The agent said Canadian and Mexican ports don’t count? If the cruises are together as one, meaning departing and returning to a US port, then Victoria is the “foreign port” . If this doesn’t count, how does it work with the weekend Mexican cruises that go only to Ensenada? I'm not trying to argue about it, I just don’t understand and want to. thanks!

I use mine a lot, but as a shawl I just throw it over my shoulder. In terms of nicer ones, that you’d wear with a nice outfit, that’s wear I’m lost. The Hello Mello is great, but it’s definitely utilitarian…I wouldn’t wear it with a nice outfit to dress it up. So in my mind two different types of shawls!

Yes, my method is similar to 5-4-3-2-1. It really varies trip to trip what I bring. Some trips it's all pants and tops, other times mostly dresses and sometimes a mixture. It's a little more flexible. I brought 2 pairs of navy pants, but one was ankle pants and the other a pair of capri like (longer than mid calf, but not to my ankle). I like to reduce shoes, so prefer one color of shoe that will go with everything. I don't wear skirts. I normally would have brought a patterned pair of pants with blue but the ones that currently fit weren't what I wanted. In terms of sleeveless blouses, I did that because we were cruising the Panama Canal and it was quite warm and humid. Sleeveless blouses with a lightweight cardigan were great because I could be outside and then have an extra layer when I went into the air conditioning. Other trips I would bring other sleeve lengths.

I pretty much follow this packing guide for all trips: I call it Base + 5 (I got the basic idea from the Vivienne website). For every trip, bring the basics. (This includes what you wear on first travel day) 1 sleepwear Socks (if needed, up to 7 pairs) underwear (up to 7 pairs) 1 swimsuit (if appropriate for trip) 1 heavier outerwear (if needed for trip) bras (up to 3) shoes (up to 2) Cold Weather Bag (contains 1 scarf/pashmina, 1 neck gaiter, 1 pair of magic gloves, 1 pair wool socks) I bike short if packing any dresses (you could also pack a slip or slip shorts...whatever you want) 1 quart bag for liquid toiletries Small bag for other toiletries Then you start with 5 items......2 tops, 2 bottoms and 1 jacket/cardigan/coat. They should all match with each other. Tops can be blouses, tees, etc...whatever works for you. Bottoms can be shorts, slacks, jeans, skirts....your choice. Then, for every trip, add one item per day, up to 10 days. (This is in addition to the items mentioned above). So if you travel for 3 days, you get 5 + 3 items. If it's 10 days, you get 5 + 10. This works for many trips. But, let's say you're going away for a week and this includes a wedding, with more activities. Or, you're going on a cruise and want to wear something nice for gala nights and want to have extra swim suits and cover up. So, if you're on a trip like that, add one item for a trip that's 1-3 days in length, add 2 items for a 4-5 day trip and 3 items for a 6-7+ day trip. Your items can be bottoms, tops, dresses, extra shoes, extra swimwear, etc. Whatever works for you. As an example, I'm traveling to Orlando in July (I'm volunteering at an event). The gym will be freezing and I'll want pants and a lightweight jacket or sweater. Then I'm going on a 7 day cruise. I like to wear dresses on warm weather cruises. My trip is 16 days long. So I am packing my basic items, my 5 base items, plus 10 added items (I'm going longer than 10 days, so I maxed at 10) AND I'm adding three items because I have different clothing needs on this trip. So that's 18 items. I'm a 1x/18-20 size. These items plus toiletries fit in my Travelpro rolling suitcase (I believe it's the 22" one). Then I take a smaller personal item. I frequently take a Kipling Sasha or a Kipling backpack, but it does vary. For my trip in July, this is what I'm taking: 3 slacks (think Athleta Brooklyn lightweight). Two navy blue and one taupe. 6 tops that match (I will bring all sleeveless) 5 dresses (all sleeveless) a 2nd swimsuit 2 very lightweight cardigans (1 navy, 1 red) that are nice when inside the ship, like at dinner 1 sweatshirt material cardigan (for the gym and airflights....I'm flying coast to coast and will be on the plane awhile and am always cold on planes!) That's 18 items. The dresses I have all have some kind of blue in them. The tops for the taupe pants also have some blue in them. That way I don't need as many shoes. Planning your wardrobe to reduce shoes is really important for doing carryon only. In winter, I tend to use black and blue as bottoms and bring a pair of black skechers and a pair of blue skechers. If there may be snow or rain it would be a pair of sneakers and a pair of ankle boots. The two shoes I'm bringing (included above) are a pair of navy skechers and blue tevas. The blue tevas can work for the pool as well. I don't need dressy clothes because I'm sailing on NCL. Sleeveless tops/dresses are nice when out on deck and it's warm, but I bring the cardigans because I do get cold. Now, if you're not a dress wearer, you can bring more slacks and tops. Now, do I follow this exactly for every trip? Well, no. But it does me a nice structure to consider as I'm figuring out my packing list. And it's easy for me because I know this will fit in my carryon. Now, having said all this, really, you do you. I prefer to travel with carryon luggage only. I don't like managing all of the clothes and don't mind doing a little laundry. If you don't, that's really okay. It's not a contest. I think the reason people post about carryon packing lists is that you do need to think and be a little more careful than if you're bringing lots more and it can be helpful to see what other people do. I'm actually one of those people that pack carryon for every cruise I've done. I did a 5 day out of LA with a personal item. I've sailed to Alaska twice with a Travelpro carryon and a personal item. I did a 16 day Panama Canal cruise in April and brought way more clothes than I usually do. It didn't fit in my trusty Travelpro, so I used a Rick Steves 22" backpack. Still a carryon, but you get more space since there aren't wheels. I spent three weeks in Europe (including a Norwegian Fjords cruise with HAL) that I did with only my Rick Steves backpack (no personal item). With most of my trips, the people I'm traveling with carry more.

typically it was a notebook with a Princess logo, a bottle of champagne or wine stopper. The last day or so there were some string backpacks.

The first Bingo, about $130. Second $200ish. Third Bingo maybe $250ish. Fourth Bingo was the rolling blackout, so about $3300 if someone won in a certain number of called numbers. No one did, so it went to $330. We did not go to the final Bingo, when the blackout game had the winner of it all. To play Bingo on the iPad, it was $69. It came with the games in the iPad (maybe 16?), three paper games and a scratch off card (we won $5).

I’m way behind!!!! Tuesday April 25 I am typically writing notes throughout the day, but didn’t do anything on the 25th. So I am writing this the day after. So it will likely have less details. Sorry. Patters for the Day Menus: I have eaten way more meat than I typically do, because I have been really impressed with the meat dishes this trip. The meat has been tasty, cooked how I requested and tender. Tonight was no exception. I had the chateaubriand and it was really good. I could have cut it with a fork. The dish came with yellow squash and it was also good…..not mushy, yet cooked. I didn’t care for any dessert on the menu so had my standard: vanilla ice cream with caramel and whipped cream. We went to the Explorers Lounge for 80’s music trivia. I would have done terrible but Tom (a guy in our group) and Debbie (a woman we met in the Sanctuary on Panama Canal day who had joined us for activities since then) rocked. We knew 18/20 songs and artists. That was not enough to win…..the winners had 20/20. It was a lot of fun and our entire group enjoyed reminiscing about 80’s music. We then headed to Crooners and stayed the rest of the evening. I bought Kevin Brando’s CD. I’m not a souvenir person but I thought his music would be fun to enjoy when we get home. Dh and I headed to bed and watched yet another episode of Love Boat and went to sleep.

I ordered one today for dh and I to share. The tiramisu one. Because it’s a sundae glass and quite sloped, there wasn’t even 2 scoops of ice cream in it. The top has a little ice cream, 2 thin rectangles of chocolate and a square of tiramisu fall red cake. So not nearly as big as it appears. We enjoyed it, but it’s probably a one and done for me this trip. I asked if I could “make my own sundae” and the answer was “no”. Just the 5 or 6 they offer.

Monday April 24 I was up earlier (note I said earlier and not early) and was out of the room around 9:30. I first went to the International Cafe but it was quite crowded-there was going to be a presentation on making sushi. Dh had gone to the hot tub and I made my way to the Lido deck to sit in the shade and read. As we’re making our way in the Pacidic towards Mexico the humidity is greatly diminishing and it’s very comfortable being outside. We ate lunch in the buffet. I said I wasn’t impressed earlier in the trip but I’ve found it more to my liking the two times I’ve eaten there since. I had a couple of prepared salads and enjoyed my lunch. Dh and I headed back to the Lido deck and sat and read. We left about 1:30 to make our way to the Explorers Lounge for trivia, this time about Broadway and West End musicals. I knew I wouldn’t know much but wanted to play anyway. Well, I was wrong. We had a great time! We ended up with 16/20. The song was played and the team had to name the show. It was a good combination of easy, harder and more obscure. Our group then agreed to meet up again for trivia at 4:30, which we did and then head to dinner. Menus: Not overly impressed with dinner and the menus were slightly different from the app (the menus were correct, not the app). Small changes, like sides. I had the sirloin, which was fine, but I really enjoyed the polenta side. I chose the ameretto creme brûlée for dessert, which wasn’t “ameretto” enough for me. We went to our room and then went to get seats for the Holiday Hiccips game. It was silly, funny in a juvenile was but we laughed and laughed. A background was put on the screen Then crew came out in funny simple costumes and acted out a scene. Obviously, this was Jaws and the Entertainment Director was the MC. He used to be a cruise director but still does this, because it’s so much fun. (According to Cole, the current cruise director). I would never have attended if another one in our group hadn’t been before and recommended it. We then went to Crooners for the Motown music but it was packed! Luckily people did leave about 9:45 (at the first break) and we got seats. Music ended at 11:30 but we stayed and chatted with a couple we met until after midnight. Such a fun night!

yes, absolutely! The dresses I have used for Princess would not be appropriate for Cunard.

Sunday April 23 I slept late today. I had a really bad night. Falling asleep wasn’t the issue but I woke up probably 5 times with leg cramps. So when I finally slept for any length of time is was probably after 3 or 4. So I didn’t wake up until close to 10. I wandered up near the International Cafe and listened to a trivia type show that was crew against guests. It was actually pretty funny and the cruise director managed to penalize the crew enough for the guests to win. For example, during the music trivia, the song played was “Candle in the Wind” and a crew member said it was “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John and was penalized because he didn’t say “Sir” Elton John. And then one of the questions was the sing the refrain from Country Roads by John Denver (does everyone in the US over a certain age know this?? I think so). I know I’m not describing it well but it was pretty funny. Dh met me here and after the game we went to the Lido deck for lunch. I think I’ve mentioned before I don’t like the buffet much on the ship (I LOVED the buffet on the Celebrity ship we sailed on; it was AMAZING, so it’s not that I’m anti-buffet) but I do really like their pizza. So I had a slice and dh had a hot dog from the grill. It is really humid on deck so we didn’t stay here long. I went and changed and visited the thermal spa. I’d like to say I read the entire time I was there, but I read and dozed, read and dozed. I then went upstairs to the room and we just relaxed until dinner. Our nightly reservations are at 5:30. With a group of 7, dinner takes about 1 ¾ hours. So we will do a show at 7:30 and then perhaps a game. Or just go to the room to relax. Dinner menus: I had the fried Camembert cheese, which was quite good. Not heavily breaded and the cheese was nice and melty. I tried the French onion soup for the first time this trip and it was good. Not too salty, which sometimes happens. Not much appealed to me for dinner, so I had the chicken pasta. The pasta was a flat pasta, not as wide as fettuccine and not rounded like spaghetti. Dessert was vanilla ice cream and caramel (kind of a standard for me) Afterwards, we went to see the show. It was excellent, I thought. Of course, I do love Elton John and Billy Joel. But to show you it is individual taste, a friend said he didn’t care for some of the renditions. We went to the game show. It’s kind of a version of Family Feud, but with three teams of two. It was kind of hard to follow, because people were telling out answers, so it got kind of noisy. But it was fun. Dh and I went to Crooners for a drink after this but only stayed a while. We headed back to the room and watched an episode of Love Boat. It was definitely a very lazy day.