drfun48

The closure of the bridge might effect those who get hotel reservations in Staten Island which has become more popular. The Pulaski skyway as stated effects turnpike to Bayonne traffic and also Holland Tunnel to Bayonne Traffic.

 

As always, if you are driving into NJ remember it is against the law to pump your own gas however gas is about 20 to 30cents cheaper in Jersey then the surrounding states.

The trip from the airport to the port is short but the above stated construction patterns could increase a 15-20 minute trip by a half hour.

And be careful driving when in NJ or you are apt to be the recipient of our famous bird salute.

Look I don't enjoy cruising with kids any more than most of the posters here,but I find abhorant the thought that anyone would bash a child,especially on their birthday.

They must have been in line right after Mr. Burns.

 

http://download.lardlad.com/sounds/season11/mansion6.mp3 (I wish I could have found the video. This will have to do.)

EXcellent !

The Equinox cruise I was on in January had a number of people with social security numbers below 100.

Bright day-glo yarn. Pink or lime. If that fails a medium sized child.

No tipping required or expected but the service was so exceptional that i did tip naturalists,bartenders ,service personnel and maids on each of my four trips.

One of the bar maids was so grateful she actually cried and gave ME a gift of a pen and key chain when I was leaving...great people. Trip of a lifetime. I keep going back.

Hope Fernando,maitr'd is there for you...an amazing worker.

Do the Conch trolley...it's very informative and helps you decide what you want to do next.

Who are you to say that ??? The Fashion Police???

 

Luvstosail

Boston Ma

No just someone who observes and opines. I've done over 40 Celebrity cruises,mostly with younger crowds. This last January had a more mature group. While they were dressed appropriately on formal nights,their styles were not as current as with younger groups. Also did see a frighteningly large number of older gents in Speedos...yuk.

Who are you the free speech gestapo ?

Were there a lot of people really dressed up on formal nights?

Dressed up...yes modern fashion no. Many of the women wore gowns obviously from granddaughters' weddings,and the tuxes looked like they could have been worn on the Titanic.

"There is almost always a Catholic Priest on board to do mass. Many ships have daily mass. "

 

This may have been true at one time on Celebrity, but no longer. Now you will only have a priest on board around Christmas and Easter, possibly Ash Wednesday as well. Other lines may do things differently.

100% correct.

Thanks again.

 

So Murano is up scaled on formal night?

I've actually booked Murano for second formal night but don't want to miss lobster. Sounds like we won't.

 

Will do re pastries.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Murano is upscale from everything on every night,but has the same menu each night.

If you want lobster twice you'll have to go to Murano's on a different night than the second formal night,however be advised that it is not as good in the main dining room.

That's very helpful, thank you.

 

As you're here, can I ask you another question. Thinking of booking a restaurant for the second formal night, but wondered if that's daft and the formal night dinner might be above the norm anyway. What do you think?

 

Thank you

 

PS - did you have a good holiday?

Second formal night dinner is probably the most upscale,featuring lobster and Beef Wellington.

My take on specialty restaurants is Murano's is head and shoulders above all else even on formal nights, start with goat cheese souffle ,the better lobster there or chateaubriand ,finish up withstawberry crepe in balsamic sauce.

Tuscan is Italian ...very large and heavy fare.

Silk harvest was fun...we kept orderinf small plates instead of main courses and they were all fabulous.

I hear that the fried wontons with cream cheese are the favorites of the entire crew and staff...I can't disagree.

Cruise was great...only caveat was many slow moving seniors,more than I have experienced before on Christmas or summer times. Downside of those is too many kids...You pick your poison.

Almost everyone had beverage packages.

Look for best pastries in Al bacchio cafe...both mornings and evenings...better selection than in buffet.

Lots of lessons on Eqiunox last week.but you will have to go with what they are teaching that week...among others there was tango,fox trot and cha cha...also different line dances,and a flash mob group.

You must of had a great time.

A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.

As reported in USAToday...

 

These cruises fall under the purview of the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), whose mission is to prevent gastrointestinal illnesses on board. The VSP conducts unannounced twice-yearly inspections of cruise ships, scrutinizing a vast checklist of sanitation standards, from food-handling safety to swimming-pool maintenance.

 

The VSP also provides public health information and safety requirements to cruise lines, including the ban on soggy nappies. The idea is to prevent contamination of pools, and ward off the spread of norovirus, cryptosporidium, giardia and E. coli — all of which have caused illness outbreaks after fecal accidents at public pools and water parks on terra firma.

 

"Many of the cruise lines have been questioned by parents who don't understand the policy," says CDC representative Bernadette Burden.

 

Here's the straight poop: Swim diapers are not leakproof. If properly fitted and changed regularly, swim diapers can prevent solid feces from escaping. However, they don't contain urine or diarrhea, nor do they stop seepage of infection-causing germs, leading critics to dub them "fecal tea bags."

No need to increase risk of infection on ships,but my point is that good safe hygiene should not only be limited to children. It amazes me that adults can sit in a hot tub with a drink in hand or a swim up bar at a resort for hours and never take a bathroom break.

Let me know if there will be a Victoria's Secret supermodel cruise group. I'd like to be on board for that one.

Frozen Bloody Mary...a special order !

I know this is bound to ruffle some feathers but it is just an observation based upon contrasting 40+ Christmas/New Year's or summer cruises in relation to my most recent mid-January cruise aboard the Equinox.

First and most obvious is the age distribution.At holiday/summer there are so many more younger families with school age children as well as 20 , 30 and 40 y/o couples.

I was amazed to see how many 70+s dominated this cruise... many more than I anticipated. (BTW we are a couple in our mid 60s) There were only a few toddlers and very few 5-15 year olds.

Now for the behavior patterns which I observed.

Oldies...much slower at everything...lots of walkers and scooters.Getting in your way,slowing up everything.

Kids...at times rude ,running about,much more discourteous. Getting in your way,slowing up everything.

A slowness to comprehend simple instructions on the part of the oldies was common.

An inability to follow to follow rules on the part of the kids was common.

Elevators...seniors often got on in the wrong direction,did not know when or where to get off and frequently felt compelled to make stale jokes aloud in the elevators e.g. first floor housewares,second floor shoes, or to comment on how much weight we were all gaining.

There also was a quite evident flatulence problem with the elders.

The kids on the other hand often find the elevators to be an amusement park game.with loud obnoxious ,unsupervised behavior.

The older group was also not only more on time but very early for everything. Seats were gone in the theater 15 minutes before a show and at excursion time and outside the mdr a half hour early.

They were not nearly as competitive for outdoor and pool lounges. They did not chair hog as much,but did not remember often to remove towels and belongings from chairs so it did in fact look like they might still be being used.

Now here's one that might irritate some.

Much has been made of the horrible practice of allowing babies in diapers in pools and hot tubs.

I find this no more disconcerting than seniors who have bladder and GI issues using the same pools and tubs. Yuk!

Finally,while I find the younger group hard to take when children run rampant,are undisciplined and loud.

I find the elders many of whom have a sense of entitlement, by virtue of their age equally annoying.They also seem to have sharper elbows on buffet lines.

So there you have it . You pick your poison. Neither group is perfect and while I fully expect to get flamed by representatives of both groups,it's just the way I see it and an observation based upon my own experiences...not gonna stop me from cruising.

We did not get a waffle cone with ours either!! Now I am really upset.

 

I always felt bad for the staff at the Gelato site. Kept cleaning and cleaning with few customers. We would buy as we felt sorry for her.

That's how my wife feels about the staff at the expensive jewelry shops...such a big heart !

On our cruise on Reflection, I was disappointed with the free ice cream at the buffet. It was not creamy but icy and the "peach" did not taste anything like peach. The gelato was significantly better in our opinion even though there was a small fee attached. We are hooked!

The gelato is great and you can use your laundry coupon to clean your clothes after you spill it on yourself.

A few wrinkles are fine, you'll fit right in. Relax, you are on vacation and no one is looking.

Not true ,I am looking. How am I expected to enjoy my vacation when others on board have wrinkled clothing ? It's bad enough some have wrinkled skin! What's next,drinking alcohol at the bars ?

Next wedding shop in your area going out of business, buy a tux...

Forgive me but this subject drives me crazy.

Why does a man have to RENT a tux for a cruise or buy one from a rental going out of business ? Why does a woman spend thousands on a wedding dress that she wears once yet a man is supposed to rent a tux that he can wear dozens of times that costs under $200?

How often does a woman rent her formal wear on a cruise to save space?

Even without a garment bag,a tux could be placed clean in luggage and pressed for a few dollars on the ship.

Gender inequality gone nuts !

Reasonably looser slots and more beautiful women poolside.

Whipped cream,and fruit toppings,fresh and preserves, multiple flavored syrups. Ask to have one fresh instead of out of the warming tray. A good morning to the server helps a lot in this regard.

I get a lot of compliments when I tote my Snoopy backpack with my tux. It is good for holding snacks for my now famous therapy llama.