Texas Tennis

Anyone sailing on the “Italy Intensive” cruise from Venice to Rome on the Azamara Journey on 4/22/23?  

Anyone else on this cruise?  Looking for others to hang out with on occasion during the cruise.  Partner lots to spend a lot of time in cabin, I like to get out and do stuff.  Will need someone to ride the Tidal Wave with me!  

My first river cruise was a Viking Christmas Market cruise on the Danube.  It was wonderful and I absolutely recommend it to anyone.  I’ve since done a second Christmas Market Viking cruise on the Rhine.  I’ve also done A-Rosa and Grand Circle.  A-Rosa is more of a budget line and doesn’t really compare to Viking (but definitely worth the money...I booked a second cruise with them that was canceled due to COVID).  

The one thing that I liked more about Grand Circle than Viking was the included tours.  They had four cruise directors and you were assigned a touring group with one of the four (so guests were broken into four separate tour groups).  You really learned a lot about the locations you we’re going visiting as they were from those countries (this was an Eastern Europe cruise).  Not just during the tour, but they had talks while cruising as well.  

Viking, on the other hands, hires local guides.  So you learn a lot on the tour, but the actual cruise director is basically there in the evening to make announcements and introduce the night’s program (guest musician, etc.).   But both lines were very similar and I would recommend either one of them (and would recommend A-Rosa as well for the budget conscious).

I haven’t been to many of these, but a piano bar would be nice as there is something to listen to and not have to participate in forced conversation the entire time.  

On 4/28/2019 at 5:45 PM, Jeff in Torrance said:

Our first river cruise was "Budapest to the Black Sea," with Grand Circle, about nine or ten years ago.  Very interesting, if not as scenic as some cruises.  GCT still offers the trip, which includes a home visit (ours was a full home-prepared lunch with homemade wine in Croatia).  For a couple of years GCT was not extending the trip into the actual Black Sea, which was a highlight for me, docking at the Port of Constanta, then busing to Bucharest for two nights.  But, the cruise has returned to the Black Sea.

I'm doing this cruise in July.  Anyone else?

I usually try to go, but I'm not very outgoing, and they are usually at a public bar so you're not always sure who is there for the get-together. I usually stand there for a while and then go back to my cabin. How do y'all know who is there for the get-together when it's not obvious (I've only been one time when it was quite obvious who was there for FOD).

I apologize, I will be coordinating the M&G for the 12/27/14 sail. Senior moment...I have my threads confused. I was peeking on your thread for any bit of help I can find :)

 

Nancy

Okay, so who is going to organize the meet and greet?

we just booked the jewel for november 1 from houston. one of the guys i work with was born just 45 minutes from trujillo and has brothers and sisters there. we may get to meet them for lunch and some local hospitality. i'm especially excited because this guy is one of the nicest, most kind hearted men ive ever met which im sure he got from his upbringing.

Welcome aboard! Not too many people on here yet, but growing.

Anyone scheduling a Meet & Greet through NCL?

Thanks for the replies. I feel better now.

Booked a cruise with Norwegian through a travel agent this week and received over $200 in OBCs for a balcony cabin. However, when I look at the reservation on NCL.com, I only see $50 OBC. Does it take a while to get the OBCs? Has anyone had problems with not getting the OBCs they were promised? If I didn't see ANY OBC on the site I'd assume they just didn't put them there yet, but seeing $50 worries me because no single OBC was for $50, I'm worried that they are giving me 50 instead of one of the other ones.

No excursions yet but I am going to look up that race. Last time we did a beach day at Playa Uvas. Small but nice. I want to do cave tubing in Belize and I hear cavetubing.bz is best since u don't need to carry your tube most of the way. The one available through ncl makes you hike in and carry the tube. My cousins and mom are older so that wouldn't work. The cavetubing.bz place has great reviews. That said (doing an excursion in Belize) we may just do a beach break at Sanchos in Cozumel since I hear the Hondueras (Banana Coast) beaches hqve sand flies. But then again ziplining or ruins are tempting too...hmmmm?

Are you buying the dining pass for 119?

I did the cave tubing last year in Belize (on Carnival). It was fun but it is a long walk with tube, not great for older folks.

What is the dining pass? I always just eat in the dining rooms as the food is really good there (at least on other lines, never been on Norwegian) and since I basically already paid for it with the cruise cost. I haven't been to any of the pay restaurants.

Yes I am going with my mom and cousins! Second time on Norwegian and we hope to enjoy it just as much as last time. We love the service and the food was fair to great. This time I think we will try some specialty restaurants. The jewelry doesn't seem that great of a deal.

Have you planned any excursions yet? I've been to Cozumel several times so don't know what I'll do there. I'm also traveling with family (and partner). My mom probably won't get off the ship. If she does, it will just to be to shop around where the ship docks. My partner and I usually go for zip lining or kayaking. We did the Amazing Cozumel Race and recommend that if you're looking for things to do.

Sailing on the NCL Jewel Dec 13, 2014. This will be my first cruise on NCL. Anyone else going? Anyone been on the Jewel? Any tips about NCL or Jewel?