shipgeeks

I'm not aware how Carnival does it, but RC, for example, schedules the shows to fit the timing of the set dining, allowing those diners to attend the show either before or after the meal.

And we are still not sure if she is asking re NCL or RCI, so if there are any differences in possible services available, we are not able to advise.

We have sailed on Enchantment twice this year, and have three more booked. We have breakfast and lunch in WJ, and late set dining in MDR. Everything at the right temperature. No problems, no complaints. Dinner menus seemed very slightly different from years past, but with as many choices. WJ had some differences, but at least as much variety. As others have noted, service is outstanding! I have to say, that when I go to the grocery store, there are always things missing. Fruit but no yogurt. Meat but no potatoes. Cheese but no crackers. I give the cruiselines a lot of credit for being able to provide the quantity and variety of foods that they do, as well as the continuing quality of the preparation. The main thing that keeps me going through the dullness of what I have at home is the knowledge that in a few days I'll be aboard Enchantment again.

I saw it on my news page a few days ago, including the quote "Our lives flashed before our eyes". Such horror! Such tragedy! But then I wondered why I hadn't seen it on CC. Maybe because it wasn't that big a deal?

Buying a water plan?? We take our own bottles, pref wide-mouth so we can put in ice if we want it, and just fill them from our cabin tap or from filled glasses at WJ. All the water aboard is good.

Are you sure a balcony cabin will be worth the additional cost? We were given a balcony on our AK cruise, and we only used it one time the entire 12 days of the cruise. We spent all our waking hours up on the open decks, watching the scenery and enjoying the sunshine. Re shore excursions, it's worth doing some research. The railway excursion we did was only $1 more if done as a ship excursion. We learned that a local bus could take us to Mendenhall Glacier; that was worth doing on our own. At other ports we did neither, just walked.

Yes, we had the above in our Seaside Bella cabin.

We do not have a smartphone, and have not yet been convinced we need one. We do at least four cruises a year. We do have a laptop and printer at home, which we use for making our bookings, doing checkin, getting covid test results, etc. We print out our boarding passes. When we get to the cruise terminal, we complete our checkin verbally and with our paper documents. Onboard, there has been no problem getting paper daily schedules, menus, etc. We're fine with not being in touch with the outside world for the duration of the cruise.

What ship/cruiseline?

We have had very good luck with buying luggage at thrift stores and church rummage sales. The downside is that we don't necessarily find things that fit our wishes on the first try, so when we see something good, we buy it. All have lasted at least as well as the ones we bought at retail years ago. I imagine some of our best finds were bought for family members for a special trip, used once, and then donated. If you have suitable outlets nearby, they might be worth a look. Oh, and even though I agree that plain black is too easy to be picked up by the wrong person, we overcome this by putting stickers all over the top (handle area).

OP, Thank you for reporting back to us. I'm really glad it worked out for you, finally. Have a wonderful cruise!

It appears that you have put some thought into your options, and made a decision. However, just a few further thoughts. We always do set (late) dining, by choice. In 40+ cruises, we have only once or twice had an unpleasant companion at the table, and that was tempered by the others, the good ones, who were also there. I have recently heard a number of complaints of long wait times when showing up for flex dining, at least on some ships. I don't know how widespread this is. With set dining, we know we can walk in at our assigned time, and go right to our table. (And, yes, it will be with the same table mates every night, so no additional first-night "Where are you from?" small talk.)

We always dress up, but we have never bought photos. We've never taken photos, either. We just enjoy the whole Date Night element.

I attended the afternoon opera excerpt, "Butterfly", when we were aboard Seaside in 2020. It was fabulous, even though I am not normally an opera afficianado. I enjoyed it so much I went back again on our following cruise. Both were very well attended.

We definitely take our own water bottles and just refill them. Wide-mouth ones make it easy to fill in the cabin, or from cabin ice bucket, or from glasses of water in the buffet.

It is called Formal in the Cruise Planner on those days.

Very juvenile.

OP, I understand your frustration. We have participated in RoyalUps, and our understanding is that if we win, it will be for what we bid on. I, too, would be very disappointed to get a balcony if I wanted an OV; we do not like balconies. The cabin always feels darker with that metal tunnel beyond the glass. No opportunity to be at the window and just look right out at the sea. Being told you can keep the door locked is not the point. I hope you can get this straightened out.

MSC has evening buffets. I'm not aware of any paid shows. We went to the main theater shows each evening. We enjoyed them. The content was more like Cirque du Soleil, rather than Broadway stories, because of the multiple languages aboard. No comedians, for example. Formal nights are fairly similar, in that nothing is strictly enforced; however, we thought the passengers, overall, dressed a bit better all evenings than on RC, again, due to the European and British passengers aboard.

We've never been on Allure, but have stayed on Deck 3 on many other RC ships. All positives, no negatives! We actually prefer OV cabins to balconies, and the lower the deck, the less motion (in case you have any concerns about seasickness). I think you will enjoy it.

I've seen recommendations for Trinity Reservations, which lists hotels and their amenities, including port shuttles, etc. You might also get some good info on your Roll Call, and on the East Coast Departures board here on CC. Happy cruising! Enchantment is a lovely ship.

There is a new post in the "Ask A Cruise Question" section of CC, re Leaving Balcony Doors Open. Maybe it will refresh the topic.

And I am hoping his expertise will surface again, re some recent posts from people who should be reminded/told. (aka "I'll do as I please!")

I recall a tiny notice on the frame of our balcony door saying that the door should not remain open. I have read here on CC that doing so can disrupt the AC in a number of nearby cabins, as well as creating wind problems when the hallway door is opened. Can anyone weigh in on what the little notice actually says? Secondly, can any experts explain what happens? And third, has anyone experienced being the neighbor of an open-door person, or the open-door person himself? Did management take any steps to correct things?

And if the first page of one you bring up says (in fine print, of course) something like "this site is sponsored by a travel agency....", go back and look for the real one.