myra711

Thanks for your thoughts!:)

Where would you recommend a novice snorkeler (read "stays on surface of the water") to go for a good experience? I've only snorkeled twice - once in Hawaii many years ago, and once on my first cruise to GSC. The island is very different now. Do I have to take an excursion to get a fun experience and see exotic fish?

Thanks!

I love being able to walk all the way around the ship on the walking deck.

Hmmm...not working for me either.

Hi Myra! I can't be sure, but I didn't see that one :( It sounds like fun!! :)

It was a lot of fun! If I see it when I go in June, I will let the message board know.

On the Gem in Feb and the Haven gym area had been converted to a sitting area with a few chairs and sofas. DH was very disappointed....

I'm so sorry to hear this! Is there a small sauna or steam room?

:confused:

Check out this other ongoing post for a ton of suggestions: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2173108&highlight=ubp+must+drink.

 

Someone compiled all of the must drink drinks into a list in excel! (Thank you whoever did that). We have our copy printed and ready to go for next week!!:)

We the same for our June cruise! I am also very grateful to the person who put the list together. The list is on page 21 of the thread.:D

Is there a specific machine you are looking for? I just came back 3/12 so I could tell you if I saw it!

Hi Pcakes! I am a penny-ante player, but when I was on the Gem a few years ago I LOVED the machine that had penguins sliding off into the ocean and arbitrarily gave you credits just for no reason. Is that one still there? It was addictive.

Thanks!:)

Wow! WHat an amazing daughter/sister you are. While I don't want you to go into debt or sacrifice your future financial security, I DO want to note that the Breakaway is a very big ship. If mobility is an issue for your mom the Haven has the advantage of including much of the cruise benefits (pool, ocean, food) in one spot.

Looking forward to the rest! Thanks!:)

It seems to me that with the switch to a la carte for most of the specialties, that people make reservations and might not be showing up. I'd be curious to know how many no shoes they get now. Because two days before I sailed on Escape, every Le Bistro reservation was gone. I know that online is just a fraction of what is available. When I got onboard at around 1, the first thing I did was try and get a better Le Bistro time than my reserved Tuesday at 9:30 pm. The best I could do on the hallway screens was Wednesday 8:15 pm. I had wanted a 6:30 or 7 pm-ish.

 

The entire week, every time I walked by there, the restaurant was between a third to half full. Where were all these reservations? If they were fully booked there's no way they could have miscalculated how long people tend to eat. They have done this hundreds or thousands of times, they should know this. So why all of the "red dots" indicating no availability on the hallway touch screens?

I am guessing that they can't have the whole place packed and still have staggered eating times. If all the tables are full at 6, how can they fulfill reservations for 6:30?

On the Jade in January, which would be very similar to Gem there was a treadmill and bike in the Haven area (small room at one end)

dporter - Thanks!

Regarding the gym, there is one on the Epic, but that is the only Haven that has a gym just for the Haven. It was small, but definitely usable.

 

My husband really missed it on the Escape this year.

Oh dear! I will be in the Haven on the Gem, and I had heard that there was a stationary bike and a treadmill in a small room there. Not true?

Looking forward to the rest of the review!

Although my question specifically asked "fshagan" what their routine was to sanitize their cabin ...

 

I will add to the above poster's remarks about hand washing ...

 

Most specifically, the follow - through in the restroom. With the exception of the newer ships, one has to use their dirty hands to turn the faucet on.

 

That being the case, those handles are really dirty.

 

How many people then turn off the faucet with their clean hands or clothes and then open the door to exit?

 

Leave the water running for 3 seconds, grab a paper towel, dry your hands, turn off the water, wipe the mess you have made and use the same towel to open the door. THEN toss the towel into the little trash can that is always by the door. :)

I have been doing that for about 25 years now, in every public restroom, ever since an MD mentioned that the hot water faucet is the most contaminated place in the bathroom.

She I going to be 12 on the 9th.

 

I am just looking for simple clues. What did you use for clues for her to get to the next clue?

OK, I just found an old clue in the kitchen "junk drawer" - it's the final clue that led to the prize (valentine chocolate heart), just to give you a sense of what we did:

You have searched far and near

Now your treat will appear

In the place we keep the tomes

Of Potter, but not of Sherlock Holmes.

That directed her to a specific bookcase, and there was the treat.

I found another one, but I can't remember what it means! ("It may be winter out there but it looks like fall in here")

And just found another: "Boldly go where one girl has gone before...You are likely to find one clue more!" This probably led her to some Star Trek paraphenalia.

I miss those days! Making the clues was part of the fun; watching my kids figure them out was the rest of it. The "prizes" were crummy inexpensive chocolate candy, but no-one minded.

Is there seriously no cut backs that FDR wont do. Pretty soon NCL is going to announce puppet shows to go along with hot dog night. First the cheap tea bags and now no more Lavazza.

What kind of cheap tea do they have? I might have to bring my own English Breakfast.

Hi all! I'm like Locashaina....144 at the max but I'm only 4'9" (on a good day!) so I need to lose 30 pounds to be at the top of my weight recommendations. I started working on it the day after Valentine's day, and I just weighed in this AM (WeightWatchers) - I am down over 7 pounds! I was worried - this is the first time I am trying to lose weight post-menopause and I also had knee replacement surgery 6 months ago so I am limited in exercise. I walk, and I ride the stationary bike. I have two weddings to go to this summer/fall as well as a cruise at the end of June. Lots of incentive!!!!

We did treasure hunts for Valentine's Day for my kids for many years. We always tailored the clues to the individual, and how hard they were depended upon their ages. I think that you or her parents will be the best ones to write the clues, knowing her. Some of the places the kids had to figure out (to get the next clue) were the dog [under her collar], the freezer, the pool table, a favorite book....

Kingmaker, I just want to thank you for taking time out of your cruise to be so helpful! Enjoy the rest of your trip!:)

I appreciate all your feedback. I'm glad to see that the changes aren't an unqualified negative, for some cruisers anyway.

I am an infrequent cruiser and go on the message boards feverishly when I am booking/have booked a cruise. I have been seeing so many negative comments about the change in management. Are there any good changes that have resulted from it? I know that in the original press release, the new guy was saying that improving the food was a big priority. I see many people complaining about new charges; is the food better at least?:confused:

Zqvol - thanks but that didn't work for me. I will try the Google search when I feel like messing around with it a bit more.

Thanks; I will try Google. But it seems like there SHOULD be a way to do in right on this board...if there isn't, someone should fix it! I can't believe no one else wants to do this.

I did try advanced search with no luck. Maybe I am using it incorrectly.