shipgeeks

I've been pleased to notice that no one has been on their phones at our tables in MDR, in Diamond Club, or other venues we've spent time in on our last couple years of cruises. However, this week, at home, I'm noticing something I find very strange. I joined a group on another site because we thought we might book that cruise. That cruise is now happening, and every day I get multiple messages from people onboard. "Where is ----" "Do they sell --- onboard?" "Anyone want to play cards?" "I lost my ----" (And another one that was much too personal to repeat here, IMO.) Why are they posting this online, instead of turning to another passenger or a crew member, or Guest Services, or walking to the shops? Are they all sitting in their cabins, looking for all their answers online? Is any face-to-face contact going on this week?

Princess

Having been the recipients of a "bump", perhaps I can explain what occurred. We were booked on a cruise departing on a Tuesday. On the Friday before, we received a phone call asking if we'd be willing to be bumped, as it was oversold. We were not ready to commit, so said no. But over the weekend, we decided the compensation was appealing, and decided we would. We were not able to reach he agent over the weekend, but we called on Monday, said we would, and she said "fine, I'll take care of everything". She did, and when we did the makeup cruise the following year, we appreciated the extra benefits. I believe we were approached because we had booked air and transfers through the cruiseline, which meant they could do all the rebooking. Possibly people living close to the departure port would be contacted first, as well. If no one had accepted any of the offers, I suspect they would have increased the benefits until someone did.

I'm not convinced that we know the whole story. Are they really claiming that the letter was handed to them as they stepped up to the counter to complete checkin and board? Or did RC try to email/text/phone them beforehand (as is the usual protocol), and they didn't receive it?

Exactly! And for those who have complained that "there weren't any on our cruise", they are all the way at the back of the buffet; trays keep coming out, hot from the oven. So delicious.

I, too, have realized that bulk makes a lot of difference. We do not have AC at home, so any time I'm in a place that has it, I'm really cold. That means cruise ship public spaces. So I pack only garments with sleeves (preferably long) for dining rooms, theater, etc., but I've found that they can be very light as long as there are sleeves and not too low around the neck. I do not do cardigans, shawls, or ponchos, but a silky or jersey top keeps me comfortable.

OP, Have you ruled out sailing both ways? I imagine that would give you the widest range of options, re cruiselines, dates, ports, etc. We did that on Celebrity, and had a wonderful time. One of the highlights was a group of Hawaiian dancers and musicians who were brought onboard for two performances, both theater and outdoors.

We've seen lots of activities on Royal Caribbean cruises, including the smallest ships.

Yes, Baltimore is very easy boarding. Would you fly in (BWI), or drive? There have been some previous posts from cruisers in your area who drove. Trinity Reservations can provide hotel advice, including which have shuttles, etc., if you arrive a day or two before. And Vision cruises are nice because they are a bit longer than some, and itinerary varies from week to week.

We had all the brochures for the Regency cruises when they were operating, and had high hopes of booking several. They seemed to be exactly the kind of ships we liked. One time we were flying in to Tampa for a HAL cruise, and as we approached, Mr. S said "Look, there's Regent Sea!" She was docked, but at some distance from our ship. We knew we wanted to see her as we left the port. Late that evening, in the dark, our ship finally set sail. We jumped up from dinner, ran out to the open deck, and watched as we passed. I thought she was one of the most beautiful ships I had ever seen; just perfect lines. Sadly, we never did get to sail on her, or any other Regency ships. We miss the ships like that.

I could be wrong, but it seems to me there was a hotel shuttle available when we were there a number of years ago.

We do, too!

Well, I stand corrected re Rick Steves book. I see that our old one does not have your ports, either. I do know that we did those three ports on our own, on foot. I probably looked up the places - not via a travel or tour company site - to get maps and find out more about what's there.

OP, assuming all the ports will be new to you, I suggest you might find Rick Steves book on Mediterranean Cruise Ports helpful, primarily in setting out what some highlights are in each port, and perhaps more importantly, how close things are to the cruise port. As some have noted above, some can easily be DIY, even on foot, assuming you are reasonably mobile, meaning you need neither a cruiseline excursion nor a private one.

Silly me, when I first heard about it, I thought it was going to be a quiet, serene place for adults, with nothing but the ocean lapping at the beach, and the servers footsteps across the sand, to disturb that peace.

That's a worthwhile question. For us, the only possible negative cabin would be one with an obstructed view. If I were booking today, I'd check the deck plans to see if there are any that we might not want for that reason. However, I know there are some who feel strongly about certain decks, forward or aft cabins, close or far from something, etc., so for them, choosing would be desirable.

Or "level" or "category" or whatever word someone chooses. It's just a word. For us, it did make a big difference. If we had, for some reason, booked Aurea without knowing that we would have anytime dining (no option to change) we would have been very unhappy. Bella was perfect for us. We had no negatives in any aspect of our cruises. I think it just pays to explore this before committing to a booking.

Still called Formal on the six RC cruises we've taken in the last two years. On two of them, as well as the two formal nights, there was an additional Dress Your Best night (on a 12-night cruise).

cflips, I would also recommend becoming familiar with the different "experiences" before booking, as each has different price levels, and different amenities. For example, we will not do anytime dining, and that is one of the "advantages" of Aurea level, good for some but not for us. Also, you might want to consider doing a status match, if you have a nice loyalty level with one of the other lines you've cruises. We loved our MSC cruises, primarily for the elements that were "different" from our usual cruises.

Thank you! That article is much more detailed than what I saw, but it has to be the same train. (I'm embarrassed to have gotten the state wrong.) My September cruise to Portland was one of the cancelled ones mentioned. I'll be interested to learn more about this before we get there again (although we have yet to do the Casco Bay ferry, and that will be a priority).

Saint John is quite hilly; however, there is a Container Village right at the port, which could be of interest. Shops, local foods (Beaver Tails, poutine). The boardwalk in Halifax is our favorite thing to do there, and it begins right at the cruise terminal. Nice harbor views, places to eat/snack along the way, Maritime Museum at the far end. I would choose that over a tour to Peggy's Cove or to the Citadel (very steep hills to get there) any day. Portland has a narrow gauge railway very close to the port, as well as the ferry. (However, I'm not sure how difficult it might be to board the train.)

I think greed - people grabbing dozens of bags at a time - killed this amenity. In more recent times, one could ask for a bag at Park Cafe (on Vision ships, at least), but perhaps that is not even the case any more.

The article said an existing tourist rail group has acquired (or will be acquiring?) buses to provide a full package for cruise ship visitors to Portland. I wish I could find that article again!

Thanks, everyone. The article said it's "in the planning stages", so I guess we'll learn more in the months or years to come. I agree, it will have to be pretty good to lure us away from just spending our time on foot in Portland itself.

I saw (and then lost) an article about a scenic rail trip that will be offered as a tour for cruise passengers, from Portland, with a one hour bus ride each way, to link up with the train. I believe it might be the Green Mountain railway. Anyone familiar with that rail line?