musicgal

146 today-

September 18th- Getting ready for our cruise in November and weighed in at the doctor's office this morning at 147.4 lbs.  Five feet, five inches.  Goal is to get to 139 pounds by embarkation (with shoes on:-)  Weighing weekly.  Light weights and walking 4 times a week.  These ten pounds are the hardest to lose. Will update on this thread every week.

The shore excursion thing may be a glitch... I know folks on my cruise are experiencing an inability to see available excursions while logged into our accounts.  If you look at excursions for your cruise while logged out, you can then call NCL and book that way if it is indeed a glitch. 

I understand where you are coming from- two of our ports were cancelled after our final payment and I have had to be very hands on about taking care of minutiae that should have been automatically done by the system (like manually cancelling the excursions for the cancelled ports). I like the ships and our previous NCL trip was very nice, but I would advise anyone to go through their account documents with a fine toothed comb right now to avoid standing in a line at customer service during the cruise. 

I had better meet Juan Valdez if I spent that amount of time on a tour bus:)

Does anyone recall when Christmas decorations start to be put up?  Is it right after Thanksgiving or does it happen mid-December?  We are on the Joy after Thanksgiving thru the first 2 weeks of December, and we have never been on a decorated ship before.

On 8/17/2024 at 2:25 PM, ronheg said:

if we book a 7 day cruise from Galveston from 2/28/25 to 3/7/25 will there be lots of kids on the ship?

Look up the Friendswood Independent School System calendar and you will see an approximation of when the local Spring breaks occur.  You could also look up Cypress as well as the Woodlands... these are the more affluent areas where people will drive down to Galveston to take a quick cruise that time of year. We lived in Friendswood for many years and that (and skiing) is what a good majority of folks with teens did during Spring break.  Happy cruising.

Yes, I had the thermal spa package last fall... price depends on the length of the cruise. Massages and services as you probably know, are extra.

My experience on the Pearl Fall colors cruise to Quebec City last year is that the ship was pleasantly full but not obnoxiously crowded. Very few young people- loads of seating available at every venue excepting the popular games in the atrium. Hot tubs were not crowded nor was the spa. A room that might hold 4 people (2 parents, 2 kids) is going to be more likely to hold just two adults who have the money and free time to go on vacation at that time of year. We had a very nice and relaxed time. Enjoy!

This is a good thread to start, James.  As of this hour, I have not been able to see our 11/30 Panama Canal cruise listed on the NCL website. It is likely that they are updating it, but as of yesterday you could still access the shore excursions for the cancelled ports.  They were still advertising the original itinerary- which I found to be rather sloppy on their part.

I also was not able to make a bid for upgrade after the email notification either, so I think they are in major overdrive updating everything.

I respect the fact that the cruise line has to alter an itinerary occasionally.  But, I think it is prudent as a consumer to note the frequency of these occurrences.  We all as reasonable travelers agree to be flexible with itinerary changes in our cruise contract, but at some point it must occur to the corporate decision makers that it begins to look like a bait and switch. It does seem as though these changes historically occur pretty soon after final payment- just a phenomenon to take note of. Thank you for the post.

24 minutes ago, PatJim said:

 Haven guests, regardless of what ship they are on, are escorted to the theater ahead of times.  At least that’s always been our experience.  And usually, you’re the first in the theatre, so you can choose to sit elsewhere if the reserved seats aren’t to your liking.  Haven reserved seats are held until 10 minutes before showtime.

We were on the Joy in May.  The Concierge requested that we show up in the Haven lounge a half hour before showtime, to be escorted down.  

We were not escorted down- as we were in a suite on the Pearl.  We just showed up and met the concierge and were directed to a plethora of open gallery seating. This time we are in a Haven aft away from the Haven lounge area so presumably we will get instructions on how to navigate this when we talk to the concierge.

I really enjoyed Paris and I am very conservative.  We stayed near the Tuilleries and the Louvre and walked the entire city (almost).  That abomination of a "fashion show" was somebody's idea of being cute- not representative of the vibe of a normal Paris day.  Speak a little French and you'll be treated very nicely.

9 minutes ago, Elvis1209 said:

If I knew there were non-Haven in there I might have a problem with that.  I pay a substantial premium to stay in the Haven and I wouldn't like it if they allowed just anybody in there. (No offense to any outside people.  Sometimes I'm one of you!)

I tend to agree.  This is our first Haven purchase although we did get to experience a few of the perks by staying in a suite last year (having escorts, breakfast in Cagney's, etc,). It has never crossed our minds as cruisers to enter the Haven area (or similar areas on other lines) as there is a specific reason that those guests choose to pay extra for that level of seclusion and privacy. It's not a snobbery issue but more of a desire for a little more space and quiet around you during the trip. This is increasingly nice for us as a couple as we get older. I would also add that some of our favorite meals and wines have been experienced in the "complimentary" restaurants like Savor. There are tons of great bars on board- no need to crash a facility/area you have not paid for. 

Just a question to those familiar with the Joy Haven experience.  Part of the Suite/Haven experience on the Pearl was a designated area in the theater for those customers.  Is that the same for the Joy? If so, that will make our show planning a little more relaxed.  Thanks.

Three of my grandkids are on the boat with y'all. Looks like fun!

To be quite honest- I bought it for a voyage to Quebec City last year and I made sure I used it.  I found it to be anticlimactic in terms of what I experienced. The hot tub areas and the Therasso spa were not very hot.  I could not handle the heat in the sauna- and I am too old to want to dunk in the cold pool.  The atmosphere was very nice once in, but there were bugs floating around in the water in some areas... like my own pool at home. The loungers are hard and they emit a soft heat.  I found myself liking the deck hot tubs more, for what it's worth. I don't think I would buy it again unless I bought a bunch of other spa services in conjunction, and definitely not on a "warm" trip. You are always running a gauntlet at the front with bored techs trying to sell you other services, and the services are much more expensive than they are on land.  

On this subject- life is humdrum enough that I don't have to (or want to) wear my daily "rags" on a cruise. The daily uniform of t-shirt and jeans gets left at home for the duration of a multi-thousand dollar cruise, and the pretty things come out of the closet.  Sure, it's nice to be comfortable during the day- but it's also wise to take advantage of enjoying those beautiful backdrops you get at sea, whether it be a sunset on the aft or the ambiance of the main dining room outfitted with brass and crystal chandeliers. Photos aside, we get old soon enough, with few enough chances to enjoy the special treatment afforded a cruise passenger. Besides for that, the flicker of pleasure in my husband's eyes is worth the extra 10 minutes required.

We have a Fall cruise on the Pearl booked and it will be our first with NCL. I am wondering if there are some folks here who can tell me if this cruise attracts any party animals... reason being that our aft cabin is right over Bliss Ultra Lounge which has the bowling lanes and late night karaoke.  Looks like those activities shut down by midnight- but I know that these Fall cruises generally have fewer night owls/ young couples due to school being in session, pools being closed, etc. I'm thinking that folks in our age demographic (60s) will be a little more likely to have a few drinks and go back to their cabins. I really don't want to switch out cabins at this point because of potential noise, but would like to know if we need to bring earplugs.

I think that yes, we will cruise again-  Although my husband never was a big fan of the cruises we took out of Galveston, I think he would really like Canada and the Mediterranean.  We don't cruise to gamble or to chow down at the buffet, but to see things we haven't seen before.  With all that said, neither one of us would like to get stuck on the neverending sea voyage, even if we weren't ill.  Covid is going to have to burn out before I make another reservation, and I definitely need to get my deposit for the last cruise I booked (NCL Canada) prior to booking another.

That's it. That's what I have been expecting.  They are going to let the virus die on any and every surface of old age and hope that it burns it's way out of the public by summer.  What an age we live in.

The coronavirus is really like a forest fire.  I am not resigned to catching it, by no means. But, was talking with my sister the other day and told her it was like trying to hold back a wave with your body.  There are just too many variables and unknown contact points, both on and off ships and now, just in general life.  For example- I sing in a group where the leader was sick this past week.  He is married to a nurse who works in one of the biggest hospitals in Houston. There is also an active case in Conroe a few blocks away from where they live. If she is unknowingly exposed, then he is exposed.  He does setup for the band so his hands touch everything... mikes, keyboard, guitars, ipads, stands.  I started wiping down things that I touched frequently about two weeks ago, but CV is so contagious all it takes is a cough aimed in the wrong direction at the wrong time.  Add that to the fact that they are still practicing intinction at our local church for communion which is totally the wrong thing to do anyway, regardless of a pandemic.  (Intinction is the practice of dipping a piece of the communion bread in a common cup of wine/juice. Many people end up sticking their fingers into the cup accidentally). I am out of pocket for the next two weeks for Spring Break, stay-cationing with our grandkids here at the house.  We should, as a country- really know if this is escalating exponentially in 14 more days.  For all of our sakes, I hope it doesn't- and that warmer weather will put the Kabosh on it.  If not- we do what we can in the meantime, especially where it pertains to exposure.  Every person on these boards loves to cruise, me included.  I hope that the industry can survive this hit.

Early this morning I was reading about a number of Filipino crew (on DP)  that were infected along with a smaller number of Indian personnel. It is not hard to see how this spread quickly...food handling, cleaning... any personal services rendered had potential to transmit the virus.

I think it all comes down to reasonable customer service in the end.  Missing a port or even two on a voyage is part and parcel of the vaguaries of weather and chance... rough seas, hurricanes, dock strikes, men overboard, etc.  As cruisers, we know that every line is in existence to make money- but part of that ability to make money is based on the ability to secure passenger loyalty.  With regards to an absolutely demolished itinerary, good customer service should include offering pax a complete refund and/or cancelling the cruise until COVD-19 runs its course (which may be quite awhile).  So, I understand your chagrin and hope you find some resolution in all of this. I gave you some Twitter support👌  Hang in there.

14 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

 

I'm not trying to argue, but rather understand (one negative of forums is not getting non-verbal communication).  How is weight creeping up not gaining the weight back?  I lost over 50# a few years ago by reducing calorie intake and increasing activity.  Where I fell apart was maintenance mode: eating "normally" (not paying attention 😉 ).  While I didn't gain it back overnight, the weight did come back.  My husband and I more found when people wanted to know our secret and found out it's the tried and true "exercise and eat less" they weren't interested since that's work.  Many people want a quick fix and no effort.

 

Do you have any tips for staying in maintenance mode?  I suspect for me I will always need to track my calories to avoid the creep up, but I also have a strong enough family history of diabetes that I will likely be tracking one way or another 🤷‍♀️

pacruise-  Weight "creep" is unfortunately a very normal part of life as most of us live it... from the mid 20th century to now.  If you look at photos from the 70s, you will see that people are much leaner in general.  This is even truer when you look at photos from the 40s and 50s, which we've been doing lately in an attempt to scan family pics into a digital format.  There are tons of reasons why- from hormones in meat to misinformation about fats and cholesterol- to a very high rate of antidepressant use which encourages weight gain, to disrupted sleep patterns, stress and cortisol, the wide availability of fast food and a culture which heavily promotes alcohol and soda.  What I have seen generally, is that people have a preset conception of how they can lose weight- (which is generally scientifically wrong), but they never implement their system for longer than a couple of weeks because a system that actually works involves prolonged effort and discipling.  

It is absolutely normal to gain weight back over a period of years of eating "normally".  I think that people feel guilty about it though, and that compounds the difficulty in the thought process about losing it again.  The rationale may be something like "I lost if before- I know I will just gain it back so why bother".  That's wrong thinking.  People don't feel that was when they put gas in their tank only to have it run out.  They go and refill it again.

In maintenance, I think what is important is that you set limits for how far you will let it go and then work at it for a period of time before it gets out of hand.  For example:  I had a friend who wanted to hire me several years back... very nice person.  She and her husband had allowed themselves to get to the point where it was hard to walk even and they were not disciplined in their eating habits.  They needed to attack the weight issue at least one way and since they didn't want to pursue cutting calories, they needed to exercise at least.  I suggested walking, light weight training and swimming- none of which struck a chord with them.  I've lost touch with them, but I would imagine they have probably pursued bariatric surgery by now- which ironically forces you to do (eat less) what you could have done earlier when  the weight hasn't caused peripheral issues that make it hard to move.

14 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

 

 

 

 

I think what I find most about people who insist that "diets don't work" is that when they see someone successfully losing weight by modifying their eating habits- say, "Oh, you'll just gain it back once you start to eat normally."  Well, no you don't.  Weight creeps up over a period of time unless you habitually gorge on high calorie food or alcohol.  I was down at my goal last Spring, but hosted a ton of parties where I cooked and took some nice vacations where I indulged myself.  I had a lot of fun and drank good wine with my spouse and our friends and family.  I don't begrudge that to myself or anyone- but as my husband and I laugh about it... if you do the crime you gotta pay the time.  I estimate being close to my personal goal around Easter, at which time I will just go into maintenance mode.   

5 hours ago, JenGi said:

I'm doing the same as you are.  Its been difficult for me to exercise lately,  too cold outside but still trying.  

Keep up the good work, Jen.