Donder1

Saw it. Liked it!

If you want peak color, don't go in Sept. 2nd week in Oct. is your best bet!

Thanks for the great Lucy information Jim, well done.

 

 

 

Is the name of it Shall We Dance?

 

I see that part of that film takes place on a New York bound steamer.

 

Jonathan

No, they were going to England for the Royal Wedding. Wait, that's it!

Royal Wedding!

I have sailed on both the Emerald and Ruby. Both are beautiful and the Ruby is newer than the Emerald.

I'd go with the Regal. New ship and I like the itinerary.

There is a great one on a TA crossing with Fred Astaire. Can't remember the name.

I ewally dislike hearing folks on walkie talkies. There are many threads here discussing this issue.

That said, our usual place to lose each other is the Lido Buffet. I do a lot of walking around to find my wife.:)

Exercise is good!

Bring a small flameless candle for the balcony and don't leave home without binoculars. Leave the auto tip on and be courteous to the staff.

We are sailing on the Royal in Sept. We have an aft deluxe balcony and are concerned about the soot problem. I spoke with someone in Consumer Relations as did my travel agent. It was good to know that they are aware of the problem and are currently working on a fix. They spoke of trying a new fuel mix. That said, we haven't changed our cabin because 1. The balcony is bigger than most and 2. I am optimistic that the problem will be fixed by then.

I am an optimistic person. I guess.

Black and Blue Onion Soup

Any souffle

Creme Brulee

Clotted cream and scones at tea

Goat cheese souffle

Fettuccini Alfredo

Agreed. While had an aft suite balcony that was huge, I felt sorry for those who had those tiny balconies. On a couple of occasions I was on the small balcony and realized that it was tiny. I'm glad I didn't have it because the two of yes wouldn't have enjoyed it at all.

 

Just my personal opinion

 

Bob

Was soot a big problem on the aft balcony?

We did the RT to Alaska on the Grand in Sept. (Btw, we also sailed on her when she was fairly new.) I read all the negative comments and wondered if had we made a mistake. Well, the ship was great. The bed was new, the cabin and balcony neat and clean, and service was wonderful. No leaks or odors noticed. The ship was in great shape. The food and entertainment was wonderful. We had a great cruise!

Don't believe everything you read. Most folks who cruise never post here. And, sadly, some people will complain and complain on these boards.

We are also sailing on the Royal and I am not the least bit concerned about the negative posts.

Go for it!

Let me say that probably every area in the world has their own special foods that are the envy of many. In Portland Maine, that specialty is lobster. Right now hard shell lobster is going for about 8.00 a pound.In summer this price drops to 4.00 a pound.

The thing about lobster is not to over cook it. The traditional way to prepare it is to bring about 3 inches of water to a boil, drop the lobsters in the pot head first (humane handling) and cover the pot. 20 min later and they are done. Serve immediately with melted butter. That's it. Pure heaven!

Most ships serve frozen lobster tails (some from Maine and others from????) that are often over cooked and sit for a while before being served. They try, but it's nothing like the real thing. This is changing. Celebrity ships load fresh lobster on board when they dock in Portland as do a few other upscale lines. This is a boost to our economy and a win win for everyone.

The point I am trying to make is that the lobster you will eat on Princess and most other mid priced lines is not great so don't get all excited and pay high prices for it. Save your money and come visit Maine.;)

Princess and HAL are the big players in Alaska. Did a Cruise Tour to Denali and then southbound to Vancouver on the Diamond Princess. In Sept., we did a RT to Alaska from San Francisco on the Grand Princess. Enjoyed both tremendously. Have fun!

I love mysteries. What cruise mysteries are you reading?

Having read all of these posts, I suspect, like others here, that we don't know all of the facts and likely won't. That said, if I was a crew member and saw a teen drunk and not with parents or legal guardians, I would have him brought immediately to the medical clinic by security personnel and have the parents/guardians notified immediately, even if this meant a full, ship wide announcement. The liability is too great to let a teen who is drunk proceed on his own without adequate parental supervision.Falling off the ship, going into a coma, drowning in a hot tub, pool or even vomit, hurting another through violent behavior, etc. are just a few issues to consider. Let medical and security staff deal with this and charge the parents the clinic fee. If they were drunk as well, I'd have the whole lot put off the ship at the next port.

Yes, staff should receive continual training around this issue as well. And, perhaps each shift there should be a designated officer for staff to call when this happens.

We have sailed on both.

My two cents:

I think that the beds and linens on HAL are superior to Princess. The ships are very nice and I like the fresh flowers, teak and brass on HAL. Also, their deck furniture is extremely nice! I also think that their ship sponsored tours are better in terms of choices and service.

Food is about equal in my opinion. I think both do a great job with food and beverages.

That said, Princess has it all over HAL in terms of entertainment and night life.

I'd sail HAL again, for sure.

I always consider the itinerary, cost and age of ship. I like the newer ships but sailed on the Grand to Alaska last September and it was in great shape.

Do Mykonos on your own. Easy and safe to walk around. Very small area. Or email St. John Resort. They will meet you and take you to their resort.

Athens? Istanbul? I'd do either ship or private. Check out costs. In Athens, we did the Plaka and Acropolis with a ship tour and did the Bazaar and Blue Mosque in Istanbul with a ship tour. If we went to Istanbul again, we would do it on our own. We would not so Athens on our own.

I have the Nook GlowLight ($119.00 on Barnes and Noble). No glare and great at night . I need a lot of light to read at night. It is a basic e reader and you order your ebooks online. I have an Ipad and a MAC laptop so I don't need all the fixtures that are on so many of the tablets which are higher in price. BTW, NOOK has a free App so you can read your books on the IPAd, IPhone and computer. Works for me!

I'd love to take my 160 lb well behaved Great Dane. BUT, it probably wouldn't be a lot of fun for him, even on the QE.

Find a great kennel or home sitter. Do your homework and have a trial run. Then, go and enjoy yourself.

I use a well established kennel that I have used for years. I know the owner and manager well. He has a double wide kennel with a private run. He gets daily walks and play time. He gets to hang out in the office with the staff at down times. I bring his bed, toys and extra treats. He is safe and loved and I can have peace of mind. For me, I don't want someone living in my house while I am away.

I hate "Rail Hogs" Sailing out of Venice last year with Bocelli singing in the background, there was a "rail hog" who literally stretched her arms so far out because she was saving a place for her husband. OK, I get it that she was saving a place for him and because it was so crowded on the upper deck, we had to stand behind other people. When her husband finally arrived, there was plenty of room left on either side of them and I asked if they would mind moving over so that we could get to the rail and see everything. She said "No!" They didn't want to be crowded. What a pain! We moved on and eventually found an opening at the rail.

I saw her later being rude to a staff member and just glared at her.

So, I hate rude people that can't show consideration to others, and, particularly, are rude and condescending to the staff.

IMO, If you are going to cruise, be nice, be polite, and be thankful that you are doing something most people in this world may never be able to do. When I think about it like that, it is sort of humbling.

We love to cruise and I will always try to be kind.

We are on vacation!!!:)

We bring a shower curtain, when we cruise on Princess, to conceal our clothing and personal belongings, since Princess cabins have an closest area that does not have any doors and it is near the cabin door.

WOW! Really! You are kidding, right?

Black & Blue French Onion Soup!!!!!

Definitely choose the earlier date because in Maine, peak is usually the second week in Oct. And, keep in mind a lot of seasonal shops and restaurants close after Columbus Day weekend. Anyway, you will love this route. I love Princess, but I don't believe that Princess stops in Portland, which is really a shame because my hometown is so wonderful:)

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I have this thing about someone stepping on my toes as everyone moves to the back to let another person into an already crowded elevator. I usually wear sandals and my toes have been stepped on more than once. Hate that. And, I too, take to the stairs usually for this reason alone.:)

You asked. Yes, seems snobbish to me. I was expecting you to say something like she threw the silverware in her purse or changed a baby at the table. But, MIO??? BTW, what's MIO?:D