graphicguy

Great snag. I think the point of this exercise, a little shopping goes a long way, not only with NCL, but all the cruise lines. I can always seem to find a good deal on NCL. I'm bound and determined to find one on Royal's new ships, but so far, no luck. I keep searching and am confident eventually I'll find a deal. Like you @ChiefMateJRK, I like those Alaska cruises early or late in the season. Great deals there on NCL. Same for sailing during hurricane season on NCL in the Caribbean.....or, sailing right after the little kiddies go back to school.

Sounds like your future plans are bright. I am happy to hear that!!!! Also happy to hear the hip replacement experiences. My surgeons (one for abductor muscle and one for hip) wanted to move my surgery up a little. It’s now 08/23. I’m good with that. I want to get this done and over with!!

I find Nespresso quite good, too.

Maybe I missed it, but what's the reason for not using the Nespresso in the room?

I was wondering why there was a moving truck parked in my driveway this a.m. Seriously, hope all these changes are all for the better!

So sorry to hear of Ted's passing. Met him on the NE cruise a little while ago. Super nice person. Often chatted with him on these boards, also. This reminds me of the number of people I've met while sailing that I've also interfaced with here on these boards. The number is pretty large. All have been just wonderful. I'm better as a person by meeting all of you.

This is Ohio, so not sure how it transfers. But, while it's been several years since I received a speeding ticket, I beat 3 of them. The first one the officer just never showed up for my hearing, so it was dismissed. The 2nd one, the officer stated he "observed" me going faster than the posted speed limit. But, after going to court, with a picture of his position he said he observed me, there were signs, tall trees and big bushes in the way of his view. Case was dismissed. Last one, my municipality set up a white van on the side of a road with a speed camera pointing out of one if its windows. I got a speeding ticket in the mail. Again, went to (Mayor's) court and asked to question the officer who signed my ticket for my offense. Well, I guess the officer was supposed to be in the van to observe all infractions according to our law. He was not, or he couldn't recall my offense. The camera took a picture of my car, but it was grainy and could have been any car. Plus, Ohio just did away with front bumper license plate requirements. Again, it was dismissed. In ALL cases, they said if I just paid the fine it would not add points to my record, nor be reported to my insurance company. It's a money grab.

That right there tells you it’s a money grab….”just give us the money and everything will be fine”! No extortion there. You need a good lawyer! Do you know one? 😉

Here...here! Amen! Ethical issues? Cruise lines? Most of the responses are akin to overly dramatic knee jerk reactions.

There are very nice BnBs near the port. Many people like the Tremont House to stay before a cruise. I personally have stayed at and loved the George Manor near the pier. You can stroll the seawall area by the water, which is nice. I used Galveston Saltwater Moms (who only advertise on that forbidden social media site) for transport. They are wonderful.

Absolutely!

Agree with all of this! Lots of hand wringing regarding policy. If you find one cruise line not to your liking, try another. They all have their warts. They all have their quirks. They all have their specific advantages. I’ve never found ethics on any of them to be even remotely an issue with them.

from about 6 months ago...

I peruse a lot of threads at Cruise Critic. I've been a member here for a while (well over a decade). I'm very fortunate. I have cruised a lot, on many different cruise lines. So I get to have a "wide field of view" on a good number of cruise lines and ships. Regardless of the cruise line, as long as I've been here, there has been something "Janky" about one thing or another with all these brands, in all of these cruise line threads. If you're unhappy with any cruise line, there are others...lots of others out there. What one person loves about a cruise line, another person does not. The constant with all these threads is you can find the FUD for every cruise line. Not minimizing anyone's feelings, but if you have ethical issues with NCL, sail Carnival. If you have ethical issues with Carnival, sail Royal. If you have ethical issues with Royal........you get the drift. OR, you can vacation another way....

I have a theory and an opinion. We all know how much either of them are worth. I think with NCL sailing at capacity on every sailing, the contracts for excursions may not include as many participants as they anticipated. In an excursion can't accommodate, a change needs to be made. As far as itinerary changes, I got nothing. Again, those contracts and arrangements are made months in advance. I would imagine it's a huge PITA (and costly) for the cruise lines when they have to make those changes. And, it trickles down to the guest, who only sees their excursion and/or itinerary change.

Not quite following the "ethical" argument. But, having sailed all the other lines you referenced, while I like both Royal and Carnival (for very different reasons), one of them is not their implementation of "free at sea" type of dining. NCL originated it and still does it way better, as you know since you've sailed them previously. You see what restaurants are open, you show up, you get seated. No making reservations. No planning around a dining time. As far as the rest, I don't know the itinerary on your Getaway cruise as the NCL WEB site is doing funky things. You want to be irritated, be irritated about that. So, my guess is there is some sort of issue with excursion booking related to that. Unethical? Ummmmmm....just can't go there. But, if it's something you feel is a large enough issue, you should indeed find another cruise line (or at least one that has their WEB site operating correctly). Loyalty is always a 2 way street. Given you've also sailed Carnival, I'm not getting the vibe you're feeling particularly loyal. Nothing wrong with that. Just an observation. If you're looking for a reason to book something else, sounds like you're looking for reasons. Don't need them. Just do it.

Met Capt Kate twice (Edge and Apex). She is Celebrity's best asset. First, she probably offered the best interactions with guests I've seen with any Capt on any cruise line. Plus, she's just a genuinely nice person. I'd sail any ship that she's the Capt of for her presence, alone. Now, you're making me look at Virgin, again. I probably won't book anything for a month, or so, though....maybe even later. Most likely, it will be an NCL cruise, as I've been able to find good deals, and there's a gaggle of us CC friends who are looking to cruise together on NCL.

That sounds fun. I've sailed the Solstice. That's the only "S Class" I've been on. It's been a while. I remember the Bocce courts and glass blowing demos.

@JamieLogical..glad you found something you like. I like Celebrity, too! Not familiar with the Silhouette. Number of days? Itinerary?

I was booked on that cruise, until some oft postponed surgery got in the way. Good fares on that one. That said, regarding fares, I don't book cruises...on any cruise line, that doesn't fit in my cruise budget. I do SHOP cruises, And, the ones that fit my time frame, my budget and an itinerary I like, are booked. It just so happens those cruises happen to be on NCL. If you limit yourself to a certain week, a certain ship, a certain itinerary, you really limit your ability to get a "cruise deal". Plus, if you add in the Free at Sea perks, the deals become even better compared to other cruise lines. Speaking of Starbucks coffee...No way I'd buy that on board, or drink it even if it's included in a drink package. Sail a ship with an Observation Lounge with NCL, or in the Diamond Lounge on Royal. They have coffee machines that are way better than the coffee from Starbucks (unless you're a "foo-foo" drink from Starbucks). And, they're free. Truth is, I take those instant coffee packets from Starbucks you can buy by the bundle that work as well as the regular Starbucks on board.

Must depend on the port. I've never had a separate security line for Haven in any of the ports I've sailed out of on NCL. I always had to go through security BEFORE getting to the check in for Haven guests.

I've been vacillating on booking a Virgin cruise. Perks work (like the bar tab credit). I'm curious, for certain. But, I get this suspicion I'll either be the oldest guy on board, or the "outsider" compared to the rest of the guests for varying reasons.

You're right. Those options are not ideal. Hope things work out for your Husband. Job in tech is crazy right now. Interestingly, when you and I sailed together a couple of years ago, the tech industry was crying for people. Now, I'm retired but still getting resumes sent to me in the hopes of me putting them on "top of the pile" for the few job openings my former company has. Can't help them as I've been gone for a while. Even former colleagues are all nervous....many of whom have been there for many years. Best wishes for your Husband's search. I hope it all works out and you're sailing again soon!

Good plan. I like Celebrity. I sailed them when they had cheap(er) fares. Haven't sailed them in a while. It you sail Celebrity enough, you hit ELITE status. During the restart, their fares were really cheap, and included EVERYTHING. And, they were doing double-up points. So, I got to Elite Quickly. That maps to Diamond on Royal. But, I last sailed Royal a couple of years ago...on Anthem of the Seas. I've never had a bad cruise, but if one came close, it was that one. So, I've punted them to the back burner. Plus, as you point out, you never know how much the drink package is going to be until you book. Celebrity? More sedate than NCL, but the ships are quite nice and enjoyed sailing them. I peak at their fares pretty regularly, but they are quite high. I think Royal and their sister brands have made a conscious decision to raise fares across the board. Add in the "extras" and I've stayed away.

Good points. You have to get through security before you can cue up in the Haven waiting area. There is NOT a separate line for anyone to get through security. The previous guests all have to be disembarked before anyone can embark. Once through security, you can go to the Haven waiting area. I agree with Bird....probably 11:00-ish!