Bankshot

Begin by treating all shipboard personnel as your friends, not your servants. The cabin steward, waiter, asst. waiter and bar staff will make your trip very enjoyable. Show an interest in them, ask where they're from etc. and you'll meet some very interesting people. Chill, relax and have a wonderful experience.

During lunch in the MDR we were seated at a table with two other couples who were engaged in conversation when we arrived. We sat down and said hello. They looked our way and went back to their discussion. They never acknowledged we were at the table and never said one word to us throughout lunch. After lunch when we were leaving the table I told them "It's been nice not meeting you".

If they would pour a decent drink and charge a reasonable price their bar business would vastly improve. There's a local restaurant/bar near me charging $2 for mixed drinks. I know that is rare and unique but somehow they're making money and are not pouring "Duty Free" stuff like the cruise lines. I'm Diamond but I still enhance their free drinks from my stash because I don't think it's right to ask for a free double. Happy Trails.

I also take booze aboard not because I'm cheap but because I want a decent drink without having to buy a double. I always buy their weak drinks and supplement them from my own stash. I consider it a win-win situation.

I would suggest combining your cruise with a 2 or 3 day stay in New Orleans. you will both love N/O and the 6 hour trip down the Mississippi to the Gulf at night can be very romantic. The view from a balcony cabin is terrific. I suggest a balcony cabin on the Starboard side. There are navigation lights in the river, the massive refineries are lit up like Christmas and the lights from the small Cajun villages complete the picture. There are several ships sailing from this port and most travel the western Caribbean.. Don't miss the music and food in N/O. Outdoor music and breakfast at the French Market Cafe', lunch at Mother's and dinner at Deanies or Bon Ton will set the tone for a wonderful experience. Have fun and make memories. Seeya

48 so far and have two more scheduled. With careful planning it's the most economical way to see the world. Best deal was a 14 day TA from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale @ $41/night each for an outside room. Airfare can be as low as $450 one way through Choice Air Program offered by RCI and Celebrity. Have fun now so you can enjoy all the memories later.

George & Judy

Englewood, FL

There is another consideration when planning a TA. We've done one going East to Europe and three going West to the U.S. It you head East you lose one hour a day for the first six or so days. That means by he sixth day you are having dinner at about one p.m. body time. That is a bummer. Go West and you can add an hour a day to happy hour. Cheers.....

There is another consideration when planning a TA. We've done one going East to Europe and three going West to the U.S. It you head East you lose one hour a day for the first six or so days. That means by he sixth day you are having dinner at about 1:oopm body time. That is a bummer. Go West and you can add an hour a day to happy hour. Cheers.....

Both venues are located about three blocks from the dock. This tour is a "Must Do" for this very interesting port. We also enjoyed Mel Fisher's Treasure Museum which is also near to the dock.

Response #6 is good advice. HAL's 14 day trip out of Seattle is a great way to see parts of Alaska not visited by other ships. We loved it and we're 70 & 74. We are from Atlanta and live in SW Florida now.

Legitimate complaints are rare but if you have one speak up. I've found most crew members go far out of their way to correct an issue or eliminate a problem. As for the food, where else can you get 30 to 40 items offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner? One of my rare complaints occurred on an NCL cruise that had opted to use "Canned Music" instead of employing a live house band for the shows. It was a disaster and I not experienced it since.

Many area hotels have a shuttle service. Be sure to check. We recently paid $19 + tip from the cruise port to Fairfield Inn on Griffin Road. I think that is about seven miles. Area rates are reasonable.

Absolutely go to St. John. Take the bus or taxi to Trunk Bay and snorkel the only underwater trail in any National Park. Trunk Bay is the most beautiful and most photographed beach in this area. You will not be disappointed. St. Thomas is ideal for shopping.....I wish I was going with you. Cheers

You'll save money, time and you will be able to ask direct questions if you go local. Try to book a van with a group of 4 to 6 depending on space available. Vendors will sometimes "Make up" a group or you can look for some of the many off your ship and suggest going together. You can meet some nice people this way and not have to deal with boarding and off-loading a bus with 125 people on board.

We refer to the buffet as the "Feeding Trough" and some of the extra large people are called "Plumpkins".

Since we've both reached our 70's, trip insurance rates have rapidly escalated. Do any of you book insurance with a company with reasonably acceptable rates? Thanks

Since we've both reached our 70's trip insurance has really increased in price. Do any of you book insurance with a company that has reasonably acceptable rates?

Depending on number of passengers you can get a limo for as little as $15 p/p. $25 to $30 is standard for just two people.

We've never lost a thing to theft and that includes 44 cruises. Our stuff was even safe on the Windjammer cruises where the cabins don't have locks.

We had been on a few cruises over the years and always enjoyed them. In 2009 we both had cancer and after recovering decided we needed to grab life by the tail and hang on tight. We just completed our 44th cruise in May and can't wait for our transatlantic, Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale, in Oct. We now get many discounts and perks that lower the cost significantly. Anchors Aweigh!!!!!

Last Fall we sailed on RCI in an outside room, 14 days from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale for $574. We try to do a T/A each year because the rates are the best. Airfare was just $445 booked through Choice Air which is offered through RCI and Celebrity.

We've done four T/A's all on the Southern route and never had bad weather or angry seas. Our most recent one, last Sept. from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale, was the most calm ever. The sea was calm like glass, something we had not seen before. The Temp. is always moderate to warm and we have not encountered any surprises. The direction you take is more important than the weather. If you unfortunately choose an Eastern route in the Spring you will encounter six days in a row, at sea, where you must advance your clock one hour. You will end up going to dinner with your "Body Clock" set on one o'clock in the afternoon. Try going West in the Fall and you have an extra hour to drink each day before dinner. Bon App!

Transatlantics are the way to go. Our fourth one is booked on RCI for this Sept. from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale. We have an outside room for $574 each. We get great obc from CruCon plus a $250 credit for owning 100 shares of RCI stock. The stock credit applies, in various amounts, to all future cruises booked on RCI or Celebrity. The stock is now selling for less than $24 and pays a dividend of 1.4%. A great deal!!!

We've booked several transatlantic or other repositioning cruises for a little over $50/day-pp for an outside cabin. Repositioning cruises are the way to go. Plus, the crew is always in a good mood because they're changing ports.

Boarding a 10 day NCL cruise out of Miami in November we encountered a man with 15, twenty-five pound canisters of oxygen. They were contained in a large wire basket with wheels. The luggage stewart didn't blink an eye and rolled them into a building prior to placing them on board.