Cathalain

The amount of sugar in those virgin drinks of the day is a lot. I am not sure how you are able to drink all that juice and soda and still keep your blood sugar in control.

Once met said "ice and juices", yeah, it occurred to me that I might not be able to have them at all. As Charlie Brown would say, "RATS." :D

I saw the Celebrity non-alcoholic packages, they looked really good. I hope that RCI will work out the kinks and offer something like this, I'd buy it for the coffees. I LOVE their premium coffees.

The doctor's note would be an option, though I could see Debde's point, everyone on the planet would submit a note, etc. However, wouldn't RCI have a system that keeps track of special needs guests, anyway? They could just mark the seapass cards with their little stickers - "person can't drink", that's the end of it, you know?

I don't know, but I do think a non-alkie package would be a great idea. ;)

This might seem like a dumb question, but I guess I should ask it anyway....

My fiance is not an excessive liquor consumer, but he IS going to want a drink now and then, I already know this. :D I, however, am a diabetic and can't partake. Now, it's no problem for us to buy the package as a couple, but ... my question is this: can those "drinks of the day" be made without the alcohol? I've loved them every time I've had them, and if they can be done without alcohol, I'll happily purchase the package just as if they WERE made the proper way.

If that's not possible, we may skip the liquor package, because he's not going to be able to consume 110+ dollars a day worth of drink, no matter how hard he might try. :D

EDIT: This question is for when it's rolled out on all ships - I'm aware that it's not available on our particular ship as of yet.

I sailed on the Grandeur in September of 2009 - it was my first cruise, as a matter of fact - and the sewage smell difficulty, while not overpowering, WAS present. It's disappointing to read that the problem apparently still exists.

Unfortunately, unless airlines see fit to lower their fares (hahahaha, right), we're stuck with whatever sails out of Baltimore, and apparently the Grandeur, for now, is it.

I hope that it'll be settled by next October, as that's our next cruise. I'd hate to think that the refurbishment would be completely ruined by the sewage smell.

EDIT: Our cruise price dropped, as well. Not going to try and guess why. But, no complaints either.

... I'm all for that. :)

Ship - Monarch of the Seas

Deck - 5

Stateroom # - 5057

Stateroom Category – K Inside

Starboard or Port Side - Midship

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Fairly quiet. I could hear hallway traffic since it was a corner room, but it wasn't enough to keep me awake.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Not applicable, inside cabin.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Not applicable, inside cabin.

Was wind a problem? - Not applicable, inside cabin.

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - Not applicable, inside cabin.

Any specific problems with this cabin? - At the time of sailing (September of '10) I actually found infant cockroaches running in and out of the drawers of the vanity. This problem has most likely been fixed by now, but I was so shocked at the time that I made an immediate complaint, and had to watch conditions in my house for a couple of months afterward - all it takes is one or two of those things brought home in a bag to infest an entire house. (This incident REALLY upset me, a lot.)

Any other comments? - I probably wouldn't rebook this one, but then I'm liable to not rebook Monarch altogether (mainly because of the above incident).

Hats off to Hyacinth & crew. The QE2 episode is my absolute favorite. I especially love when Hyacinth & Onslow kick up their heels. It was the one time she wasn't ashamed of him.

Ohhh, more KUA fans! :D I LOVE that show!

I loved the ep where they went sailing on the yacht and Hyacinth went over the side when she was trying to pull Richard out of the water. I never, ever laughed so hard in my life. I had tears going down my cheeks!

I've read this entire thread from first post to last... how sad that others find it necessary to belittle people while on what's supposed to be a lovely, enjoyable vacation. Rudeness in general is a bad thing, and returning that rudeness is even worse, in my view. People like that aren't worth the time nor the aggravation.

I'm sure that everyone has had behavior toward people that has been unintentionally rude on occasion, but if I'm called on it, I admit my error(s) and I apologize, it's as simple as that. If my apology is accepted, no harm done. If not, I did what I could to make amends, and I won't agonize over it any longer.

People have their own reasons for doing or not doing things. If I'm sitting in the MDR and the people around me don't wish to speak, I don't take that as a personal affront. Perhaps they're just not talkative, or they don't feel comfortable in formal clothes, or (insert your own reasoning here). I am not a mind reader and wouldn't presume to even guess the reason why people do or don't do things.

Guess I just come from the school of "MYOB", I suppose. I just don't pry my way into situations where I am clearly not wanted. If a 400 pound woman wants to eat six plates at the buffet, that's her business, not mine, she has to live with the consequences. It's not my concern to tell her she's doing wrong OR right.

It's my vacation and I'm looking out for myself. But at the same time, I'm not looking SO much out for myself that I ignore common courtesy - know what I'm saying?

The Charm City Circulator is in service now. You'll want the Orange Route going from Hollins Market to Harbor East. The route through Harbor East goes on Aliceanna Street to Central Avenue. It's Central Avenue that Chesterpeake described as a "no-man's land" and it can still be a little rough there (not overwhelmingly so, just be careful).

The Charm City Circulator is free. There is not currently a route between Harbor East and Fells Point - in order to go to Fells Point you will need to take alternate transportation, a cab will run you about 4 or 5 dollars (it's not too far). I believe that they are working on a water route now for the CCC, but it's still in development.

http://www.charmcitycirculator.com/route/orange-route

Not Cathalain, but I'm not familiar with a Berkshire hotel. There is a Brookshire Suites hotel that is a block from the Inner Harbor/Harborplace.

madelinerose, thank you. :) I meant Brookshire, not Berkshire. My mistake! :D

Cathalain,

 

We have a reservation at the Homewood Suites on President Street that doesn't seem too far from the Berkshire. Is this a risky area in the evening?

 

Thanks,

Tina

President Street is considered part of Harbor East. This is a very safe area. You will not have any worries. :)

What is your price range? There are several good large-name hotels around the Inner Harbor that are about 5 to 10 minutes from the pier by car, but they're in the "expensive" range (anything around the water will be). The Hilton at the Convention Center is brand-new and they're fairly reasonable, so you might want to try there first if you want to stay in the downtown area.

I can tell you better what to avoid than where to go, unfortunately. Do not get anything that's situated on Russell Street (major highway leading into the city) - it's far away from attractions and the neighborhood is questionable. Also, the Berkshires might look attractive based on where it is (a couple of blocks from the harbor), but again, the neighborhood turns questionable at night. Most of Baltimore does, unfortunately, so my advice is to stay around the Inner Harbor/Harbor East area. It's pricey, but you'll thank me later.

There are several new hotels around the Harbor East area, as well as upscale restaurants and attractions nearby. If you specify a price range you're looking for, I could maybe give you more suggestions.

This is exactly what I want to do once I hit this gentleman's age. :D

I hope you enjoy every single minute!

Ship - Grandeur of the Seas

Deck - 2

Stateroom # - 2107

Stateroom Category – Interior N

Starboard or Port Side - Midship

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Eerily quiet. Hardly any traffic at all. Never saw anyone in the hallways but the cleaning staff and even they were like ghosts. There was a bit of rumbling the first night, but we were going through a bad storm, so it could have been from that. Otherwise, smooth as silk.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - I don't believe it was.

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – No balcony, inside cabin.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - No balcony, inside cabin.

Was wind a problem? - Not applicable, inside cabin.

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - Not applicable, inside cabin.

Any specific problems with this cabin? - None whatsoever.

Any other comments? - This is a disabled-access cabin, so it was quite spacious and had plenty of room for a wheelchair and a walker. Cabin is near the elevators so is very accessible for those who need the accommodations. The room is VERY dark when the lights are off, may disorient those who need a small light source to sleep. I'd recommend taking along a small nightlight or something to help you see when you wake up - you will not know what time of the day it is because it's pitch-black day or night. No complaints, however, the room is lovely and quite accessible to the disabled.

I just booked #1111 on the Pride for next December. I was hesitant at first but after reading the boards here, the consensus seems to be that these 1As are highly sought after! I'm a single traveler, so this is absolutely perfect for me, and the price was right.

Does anyone have any information about #1111? I'd love to see pictures if possible. Thanks. :o