markeb

Bingo. There's an entire Snopes page devoted to it, among others... https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tip-sheet/

Back to the OP's original question: Yes, I use noise-canceling headphones or now largely earbuds every time I fly or take the train. They are a lifesaver. The two generally highest rated overall on performance and value are the Bose QuietComfort (over-ear or earbuds) and the Sony WH-1000XM4 (headphones) and WF-1000XM5 (earbuds). As posted earlier, Sony is releasing a WH-1000XM5 this week. Looks like a big price jump and I'm not sure of the features. You can go much "better" and expensive (Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufson), but unless you're a true audiophile with really good hearing you may not perceive a difference, and the last time I tried Bowers & Wilkins (have and love their speakers) they were just plain uncomfortable! I'm an iPhone guy, but I've never used the AirPods. The sweet spot for pricing on those is generally $250-300, so not inexpensive. The headphones will have longer battery life for long-haul flights, and will come with a cord to use with inflight entertainment systems on international flights. The Bose and Sony earbuds will give you about 8 hours of charge but will recharge in their case. I find that buds get a little tiring after a few hours, so drop them back in the charged case when you're taking a break. If you want to use the buds with current inflight systems, you'll need a 3.5 mm to Bluetooth adapter, and you've just added a layer of complexity. I was a QuietComfort guy for years. I picked up the Sony WH-1000XM3's in late 2019 based on reviews. They have a different sound quality from Bose, who were historically known for their bass reproduction. I just got the WF-1000XM4 buds, largely because I flew with a Panama hat to a cruise and couldn't wear my headphones... If you look at earbuds, TRY to get somewhere where you can try them on! That's harder to do these days. I actually swapped medium tips for large, even though I don't think I have that large of an ear canal, because the large seated better and were more comfortable. Over ear are a different story, obviously. And to keep this Celebrity related, you're not going to find any decent noise cancelling anything on Celebrity! They "might" have a cheap pair of JBLs (which aren't half bad for what they are), but that's about it. They had nothing when I was looking in August and needed to wear the hat on the flight but wanted to listen to my music. First world problem...

Is this the Silhouette out of Southampton? Drink prices for European sailings include gratuities. Unless something's changed, the Premium package covers those drinks (the $ limit should be higher to offset the difference, but you may have to dig to find it).

What time of day and do you want to do anything in Manhattan when you arrive? What day of the week? Both options are reasonable. Going to Brooklyn is reasonable, although I'm not sure the ferry is convenient to "things to do in Brooklyn" other than the cruise terminal. There's a lot of "it depends" in your question! I will say the Penn Station area has gotten MUCH more expensive lately. Haven't priced hotels Downtown or Brooklyn...

There's a little apple and orange mixing on this thread! If you have a documented positive test, get a letter/certificate of recovery. All stop. That's all you need for 180 days after the documented positive test. Again, all stop. There are nuances on the tests that are beyond Cruise Critic. The grayest area is if you have non-specific symptoms during that 180 day period. But that's a discussion with your personal physician.

No. I assume you’ll be at dinner at talking to the sommelier anyway and this will involve a negligible amount of time. And that you’re not doing this to tag on billable hours. And you can probably do it in the app, on your TV, or heaven help, the phone. You don’t need a PMP to do this.

OK. Project management: Option A: 1 Step. Variable time that could take 30 minutes or more, not including travel to GR desk Option B: 1 Step. Mostly fixed time of 30 seconds or less. No travel from dinner table. Not in the mood to draw out a path analysis or any similar tool. Just ask the sommelier!

Why would you want to stand in line at Guest Relations? The sommelier will do it for you during dinner. You're asking to take the more difficult and time consuming option. Have you ever done this? Or anything like it?

I seem to remember a story of people being turned away from the MDR dressed like that. Cruising to and from Bermuda…

James Dean died in 1955. That's 67 years. He and Marlon Brando, among others, moved them from work clothes in the 1950s. If anything, jeans have lost the "rebel" value since everyone wears them. People who need work clothes wear Carhartt or similar, although they've become semi-designer wear as well.

Just curious because I can't keep track of where ships are cruising. Were the Retreat lounges with self service alcohol on US departures? Or were they from a non-US port? The airport and hotel lounges are my best analogy. In the US, there's pretty much always a bar and a bartender. If you go to a Marriott lounge outside the US, or a United Club/Lufthansa Club in Europe, there's pretty much always self-service alcohol. Beer, wine, sometimes full mixers. It's a pretty striking difference.