Airbear232

For Thanksgiving, always Royal.

My DW and I started cruising 15 years ago and loved the experiences of being on board - the dining and the entertainment. I can’t say that we haven’t enjoyed some of the amenities of the large ships because we’ve enjoyed venues such as Central Park, 270 and especially Broadway shows. That being said, as often is the case, it seems the pendulum moved too far in the direction of flash and vow. Much as we’ve enjoyed the things mentioned above, we don’t cruise to be on the next “Great Wolf of the Seas.” I hope that there will always be smaller ships that have a more traditional feel and that are able to reach many different ports.

We do a lot of Thanksgiving cruises and one of the highlights has always been that the Xmas tree and other decorations are up the morning after Thanksgiving.

I agree that the cost is a big part of it. Lines have kept costs largely inflation proof, so something has to give. I remember on Celebrity a few years ago we did an Eastern Med cruise that went to Istanbul. One of the big highlights for me was towards the end of the cruise they had a brunch. And the highlight for me was they made puff pastry swans. My grandmother used to make these, so it was a great treat for me.

I’m just reading this thread now and find the story sad. You would think some level of government would step up and stump up the funds to preserve a piece of history. Curious but how much would it cost to repair/refurbish her and how could she then be monetized?

Question to ask, was the food better because of the preparation, the availability or both? I’ve only cruised for the past 15 years, but even in that time have seen a change. My own belief is that there has been a decline in both quality of preparation and availability of quality (affordable) ingredients. I think in the past, ships had classically trained chefs as opposed to many now who are trained in house and not to a high level of standard. I also think quality ingredients are getting more difficult to source as the food industry is focused on producing the cheapest product with a good profit ratio. The quality of things like eggs, vegetables and meat has gone down in North America. We have them in abundance but they are not of the same quality. It’s very difficult to find many types of cheese now as they are either no longer produced or their production has gone way down. When you combine this with “chefs” who are little more than institutional cooks, I think the end product suffers.

One thing you pointed out, really got me thinking. The new ships have so much “noise” about them that most people miss one of the best aspects of cruising which is being at sea. It’s great to just get comfy in a chair and enjoy the beauty of the sea. I have to say I love Royal Caribbean’s 270 lounge on Quantum ships as one of the best places to just relax and watch the ocean.

138 until New Year’s Cruise on Freedom of the Seas!

Love it !

Whatever are you talking about? Many cruise lines have golf simulators and mini golf. Driving balls off the ship was stopped allegedly for environmental concerns. This too would be a non-issue with biodegradable products. A more likely reason would be cost associated. To hit a large bucket of biodegradable balls would likely be several hundred dollars for it to be profitable for the cruise line.

I don’t see it as an option for mega ships but maybe for smaller upscale ships

Seriously? Safety: Not an issue. BTW, crew members don’t throw objects in the air to be shot. Environment: Not an Issue with biodegradable products. World Events: ROTFLMAO I do believe it’s not something likely to be on large mega ships but believe it could possibly feature on smaller upscale ships.

Okay, so what do you say is a “great” cruise line? On holiday cruises, we still bring formal wear. For us, it adds to the experience. For skeet, I thought the issue in the past was environmental around lead shot. There are other options now which render this a non-issue. To my knowledge, on a personal vessel there isn’t much issue in bringing firearms into other countries provided they’re declared and you follow the directives given by the respective country. For a cruise line this should pretty much be a non-issue. That being said, I can’t see it coming back on today’s mega ships. However, it might suit some of the lines with smaller ships.

Did you try it?

1- 2 a day cabin service 2- chocolate night 3- full service in MDR 4- warm bread in MDR 5- cruise compass printed 6- skeet shooting (saw this was done way back, and think it’d be fun) 7- tux rentals 8- observed dress code in MDR

Have fun, try new things and enjoy yourselves!

Thanks for this. Never heard of him nor the Fugs before. And I thought it started with the Ramones.

I don’t know, I blame the government for not maintaining minimum standards of service on airlines. They’ve been allowed to uncouple so much from flights. Surcharges on baggage, food, as well as constantly decreasing space have taken from the experience as well as safety. Baggage surcharges is what led people to try and take as much as they can in cabin. At least one person each flight looks like the Michelin Man wearing excessive clothes and pockets stuffed. Back to OPs question, I’m surprised no one said “Capital One.”

On most cruises we’re on, we see families and groups with matching shirts and sometimes hats. We always thought it was a great thing but never did it. We gave an upcoming New Year’s cruise on Freedom of the Seas and I wish thinking of finally doing this. I’m looking for feedback from anyone who has done this on the experience and logistics involved. How hard was it to find a company to produce the shirts etc…. All feedback is welcome.

Our first family cruise was on December 20, 2009 on Explorer of the Seas out of Cape Liberty. As we drove down the road and the ship came into view, the Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feelin” started to play in our car. Since then, we’ve played it as we drive into cruise ports. Do you have an anthem for your cruises?

For us, the preference is soft sided with with 4 wheels. We’ve used hard sided but like some others, don’t like that they open in the middle. Also, we’ve had pieces crack. The soft sided with waterproofed ballistic nylon are really durable. When we go on vacation, we enjoy taking things with us and using bigger bags. I am the one who moves all of the big bags (plus more) through airport etc. Four wheels really help here and I’m looking forward to adding in-line skate wheels as Harmonymouse suggested to make things roll smoother. Anyway, to each his own, this is what works for us.

Why not, they don’t crack.

That’s a really brilliant idea. It must also make it easier to claim your luggage by the unique wheels.

IMNSHO, the Allure is a great choice. Royal did a great job with Oasis ships, though they are large, they never feel crowded. There are many activities to suit everyone. And, they have Mamma Mia - which for us is always a highlight.

We don’t drink alcohol as well. Don’t worry, have a great time.