Markanddonna

We tend to go on longer trips, like transatlantics. Also, you may not find what you need at the pharmacy. I prefer not trekking around to find a pharmacy, although we have done so several times.

Just google a cruise packing list. Don't forget the very basics. If you do, that will be the most expensive toothbrush you ever bought (at the ship store.) Also, since COVID, medicines are not available in the gift shops. You have to contact the medical center. On Celebrity, you can't just walk in anymore. You need an appointment! (as of Jan, 2024 on the Silhouette.)

Some nice people we dined with also felt the way we did about the MDR. The menu was what I would call "uninspired," and the food was somewhat bland and often dry. I am usually happy just to not have to cook. We have been on quite a few lines, and I would describe their food as similar to MSC's. MSC, however, is half the price.

We are trying to book a cruise with our adult daughter, who wants her own cabin. For an inside, it is $1,102 PP if two people occupy it (total $2,203), and for one person in a cabin, it is $3,294. Are they trying to discourage solos?

I thought the food on the Constellation in May was great. The food in the Sillhouette's MDR in January 2024 was quite disappointing. The menu needs a redo and the head chef needs to go back to culinary school.

We have stayed at several Premier Inns in London that are close to a Tube station. Very good experience.

I recall having to go through a special inspection in NZ because of a factory sealed can of academia nuts from Hawaii.

I am not providing an official rule, but please realize that a person who needs a rollator is likely putting themselves at risk and the crew who assists. I saw a frightening situation with a man in a wheelchair being brought on a wildly rocking tender. Although he was supposed to provide his own assistants, only his elderly life was there. Three crew members stood with him before he had the nerve to step onboard. Three thin guys helping a rather hefty man. I felt it put everyone in danger. I also didn't appreciate sitting for so long during this time in that rocking boat. Everyone on the tender had to endure this. Wise people know when it is time to say no to some experiences.

My above comments were for RCL.

Here is a snippet from my review from 2022 to describe disembarkation at Southampton: Friday Debarkation: We took off our own luggage at 8 AM. No problems with packed elevators. The British customs officers had a short 2-minute meeting with all passengers two days prior, so we just walked off with no problems. Taxis were waiting at the left of the exit and we took it to the National Express station. We had a 9:50 departure so waited quite a while. You need a reservation unless you want to leave mid-afternoon. The ride was just fine and we were at the Victoria Coach station by about noon. Taxied to Premier Inn. They allowed us in our room at 1PM upon arrival.

We were on the MSC Meraviglia for a short cruise last year and thought it was great. Lots of drinking, though, but the passengers were all St. Patrick's Day friendly. We had just gotten off the MSC Divina and were very disappointed with our fellow passengers and the food. So, MSC can vary widely. We just got off our second Celebrity cruise. Our first was last year's TA, and we thought it was near perfect. We also are not drinkers, and that is what the majority of many cruisers on all the cruise lines are all about. We are more active seniors, dancing, games, etc. The 10-day Celebrity was pretty dead in the evening, and most cruisers were above age 70. I thought it was like HAL. Nice people, but they just sat around the lounges, didn't move much, and enjoyed their beverage package. The general feeling about MSC with Celebrity fans is very negative. Their opinions were "what they heard from others" not their own experience. The food on this Celebrity cruise was like what I expected on MSC, but the cost of the cruise was double.

I've been on about 7-8 MSC cruises, and most were very good/fine except one out of Miami. They were overbooked and had the rudest group of passengers ever. We just got off a meh Celebrity cruise with food in the buffet and MDR at about the same level as MSC. Twice the expense for the experience. I have concluded that as the years go on, each cruise and ship can be as different as night and day. I have noted that much discontent happens with drink packages. One difference I have noted is where you disembark. After that experience on the Divina, we will avoid Miami crowds. Interesting that the Miami sailing was a ten day and a much better passenger experience was had out of Port Canaveral on just a three day. Reading reviews can be helpful, but so much depends on little details, like, are you in the Yacht Club? For the average passenger, reading their reviews really isn't worth it and skews one's perception.

We disembarked last week on the Silhouette and were given one. We had an inside.

We have cruised on about seven cruise lines, so we have a lot to compare it to. There were about five children onboard, and we were about the average age. At least half were older than us. I believe that thing that affects all cruise lines are the cutbacks seen on almost all cruiselines over the years. The standards for many have decreased. We hope that our May TA on Celebrity will win us back.

We have been on about 7 Royals and 2 Celebrity cruises. We have always enjoyed Royal's longer cruises, primarily transatlantic and transpacific crossings. The Anthem OTS was sensational in 2024. Even in our 70s, we enjoyed the I-FLY and Dodgem cars. We booked a TA on the Constellation for a 2023 spring sailing and thought it was an exceptional cruise. The food was a step up, and the crew and fellow passengers were great. This was going to be our new, favorite cruise line, that is, until we went on another Celebrity cruise this past month. We traveled on the Celebrity Silhouette on a 10 day Southern Caribbean. This sailing was quite disappointing, especially in the food and entertainment areas. The menus were blah, and so was much of the food. The fellow passengers, while all polite and nice, were more like HAL (on the much older side). There were about 12 scooters/chairs parked by each dining room. The ship pretty much closed down after 10 PM. The ship itself is not attractive in any way. I had never seen such boring, strange artwork. The Lawn Club's lawn has seen better days (I hope) and was rarely used.

You tend to miss about 24-33% of the time.

We just got off the Silhouette and I was surprised how much older the passengers were. Sort of what I suspect HAL would be like. The people were pleasant but the number of canes, walkers and scooters was higher than I ever experienced. I suspect the majority either went to bed around 9PM or perhaps sat in a lounge for a night time drink.

We were on a Transatlantic that sailed out of Houston. Everyone at our table was from Texas, and it was right before the 2016 presidential election. We were from a critical "swing" state. Finally, someone figured out that our political views aligned with theirs, and then they revealed that they had been tentative and wondering about us. I have never even held a gun, which they thought was bizarre. Once we acknowledged our political alliances, the whole atmosphere opened up. I usually don't talk politics, but this time it worked out.

I much prefer the time changes on the eastbound route. You arrive in Europe with sufficient energy. A few captains change the time at noon rather than overnight. They do that for the benefit of the crew.

I have been in about seven TAs and the ocean, fall or spring, was always like glass. I have experienced seasickness on three cruises but had no problems with the worst storm we have ever experienced...a medicane, which are hurricane winds in the Mediterranean. The schools were closed in ports . It was wild! The outside decks, dining and buffets and the elevators were closed. We did just fine. You just never know. I was seasick yesterday with storms near the Bahamas. Side to side, aft to bow and then a stir in the middle. Was better as soon as the storm waves ceased. Btw, don't ever say you never get seasick. I didn't until after my 15th. It just depends. Also, the ships give out seasickness pills like candy. They like clean carpets.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but people at the corporate office make most of the entertainment decisions. They contract the entertainers and orchestrate their movement between ships. The CD is given the entertainers (and likely has little input) and then fits them into the appropriate venues onboard the ship. This is more noticeable on longer cruises like TAs, where an entertainer or group that is well-received is asked to perform at a matinee or special evening performance. A good CD enhances a cruise. Unfortunately, I have mostly seen blah, mediocre ones.

The first is the Hippodrome in Istanbul. The second is in Caesarea Maritima. My point is that if you are on a cruise, there may be more outstanding things to see, considering the limited time.

I was in both Kusadasi and Istanbul last Nov-Dec. Personally, I consider going to Kusadasi as relatively safe and easy to navigate. Istanbul, on the other hand, was quite the disaster. We had never been there, so we arranged for a private guide with a small group from the ship in a van. The Blue Mosque was being renovated, and we were told it wasn't worth the wait. Others who visited that day agreed- it wasn't worth it. Hagia Sophia had very long lines, and people paid to cut in or just did. I have to say that visiting it was worth the wait and irritation. The Grand Bazaar may be worth it if you really want to buy something, but it really is a confusing maze of shops. Glad I went so that I could say I was there. The Topaki Palace was also worth it but very controlled. The Hippodrome was really just a park with a few pillars. If you've ever been to the one in Caesarea Maritima in Israel, you would be disappointed. The biggest problem was the traffic back to the port. It was an absolute gridlock. The crew later told us it is like that all the time (confirmed by locals), and they all use the tram to visit. After sitting in the van with no movement anywhere, our group decided to leave the van and just walk to the ship. It was a struggle for some who were not used to the required fast pace that was necessary. Ultimately, we had plenty of time, but of course weren't confident that the ship would indeed leave late. The buses from the ship excursions sat in that traffic for hours, and of course, the ship ended up leaving quite late. Istanbul really is quite lovely but not without danger. One of our ladies was assaulted by some young men who thought she would be easy prey. She fought them off, and they scattered- they just wanted her purse, which they didn't get. This happened when the guide allowed people to walk to Hagia Sophia on their own after lunch. So, I'm not a big fan of Istanbul. If you ever get to go there, do your homework and know what you are getting into. Take the tram! It goes right to the main sites, which are close to one another. There are some tours where the guide meets you at the ship, and you go with them on the tram. Kusadasi, on the other hand, is fabulous only because you can go to Ephesus.

That's about what I paid for my medical center visit for my UTI. A little more detail...I had my first UTI onboard a ship and went to the medical center, was given an antibiotic and another med. About $160. Things were going fine until I reached a small village in Poland where I was staying with my husband's cousin, who is "the rich man in town." I told him I needed to go to the doctor, and he said, "That clinic is run by a horrible old Russian doctor who often doesn't show up... I'll see what I can do." An hour later, we met a nurse on a bicycle who gave me a strip of antibiotics. Never had another UTI since that time. Sometimes, when you travel, things get a bit desperate.

I had my first UTI ever onboard a ship. The doctor was very good and prescribed an antibiotic. It worked for about 10 days when the UTI surfaced again, but I was safely in Europe. Different ships work their medical center differently. Sometimes, you can just show up. I agree with those who arrive early. Our travel insurance paid for everything. All the recommendations for what to drink or eat are really for prevention, not when you have a full-blown infection. Get the antibiotics.