gwsster

I booked the Spirit for the Port of Valdez.  The thing I am most disappointed in is the Thermal Spa.  No spa's.  It looks like a giant room of cement loungers.  There are sauna's but I would like a small therapy spa or pool.  They missed the target on this refurb. I have been on the Jewel, nice ship but this is our 5th trip to Alaska and we need a relaxing vacation.

23 hours ago, buckeye rob said:

Thanks folks.  Looks like some great ideas.  DEXDD,  we booked Owners Suite 12000.  Thought about those same points, although we are on starboard side.  Had heard about the port side advantage though.                                                                                                                                                                           We were in Haven in Joy for our cancelled August Bermuda cruise and with the 25% and 10% additional discounts we didn't have to pay too much difference at all.  For the life of me though, I don't understand cruiseline "math".  My calculations had us about $1,000 ahead.  Oh well.  Regards, Gerry.

I had the Owners Suite 12000 in May of 2016.  This is a very nice cabin and I loved the Jacuzzi on the deck, so easy to use and a nice treat.  I liked the location and it was so easy to go out to the pool deck.  It has sort of a private entrance with an easy to get to elevator that people on the other floors don't really use.  The one think I didn't like was there there was no sink at the bar and no hard liquor with the Owners Suite due to the Hawaiian laws, just bottles of wine.  I think 12502 the mirror image is a tad better for viewing the Napali coast but I have heard that they turn the ship around so everyone can see it.  It was foggy the night we did the sail.  There is one large balcony cabin on deck 12 and that would be the one that I would take. We took the Owners Suite as there were 4 Sisters using the suite and it was a better value than 2 balconies. If I were to do it again, I would do a regular balcony as you spend so much time in port and the ship really is a floating hotel.  If you are on the ship as that is the main focus to relax then splurge on a suite. I think I posted photo's of our cabin somewhere on the CC site.

Just booked an August 2022 Northern European Cruise on Disney.  I did the British Isles in 2019 with my DH and another couple.  It was one of the best cruises ever.  I have done the Magic I think 4 times and the Wonder once or twice.  What I do like is that in off season there are fewer children.  I like the smaller ships and the Disney ships are so well maintained and clean.  The Staff are happy and the cabins are well maintained.  The food is comparable to any of the other good lines but the service is amazing.  The prices are a little higher because Disney doesn't have a Casino and I think they make up for that in the cruise prices.  What I do like are that the prices quoted are for 2 people  and include the port taxes and fees, but not the gratuities.  The other lines quote a per person rate and then add the taxes and fees which raises the per person cost very much.  There are adult themed activities and Comedy clubs and entertainment in the later hours and they are very strict about NO children in these venues, I saw them turn away parents with children.  If you don't like Disney this is NOT the cruise for you. 

Lost a 54 year old friend to Covid....a visiting family member with a "cold" exposed him and he ended up losing his life.  The last 2 weeks of his life in an induced coma.  No family could visit or comfort him  BUT for the fact that 2 shots would have kept him from dying, not from getting the Corona Virus he would be with us today.  I have Sisters that refuse the vaccine and that is their right. I figure that after consulting with a Hematologist, Cardiologist and a Family Practitioner who all have taken the vaccine that their understanding of the science is beyond my understanding and I do a lot of reading.  The Johns Hopkins article on how the RNA vaccines work is a great one to read.  I do understand the fear, I thought long and hard about getting the vaccine. Losing a friend die a horrible death was all it took for me to get the vaccine, most people don't know of anyone close to them that has succumbed to this deadly virus, when you do, it becomes real very fast. 

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines-myth-versus-fact

Great responses and I am glad to see that people are anxious to get on the ships again. I am so ready to go somewhere.  I hope that the prices don't go up so much that it makes going on a cruise unaffordable.  Time will tell.

Great responses to this question.  I am not too concerned about cruising other than I would like to be able to do the self directed excursions.  I hadn't thought about the having children issue and wow, that is a whole other fence to jump over.  I love seeing the kind and thoughtful perspective to the question.

7 hours ago, AtlantaAlly said:

I have young children. I don’t think they’ll be vaccinated any time soon. So I don’t see us able to go with them- and I don’t think I can risk not being home at the end of the cruise due to a required quarantine because that would put a lot of stress on the babysitting grandparents. So will have to wait until it’s 100% normal. 
 

looking forward to learning CDC recommendations for vaccinated persons this week. 

The one restriction that is holding me back, is the have to use Cruise Line excursions only.  The inability to get off the ship and explore independently is one of the perks of sailing that is a biggie for me.  I do get the reasons for....NO need to explain the safety precautions and the mandated risk management issued by the cruise lines and CDC for all Countries.  I am saying this is the one issue that will make me wait to cruise.  What is your "why" to wait to book your next cruise?

On 4/3/2020 at 5:38 AM, EscapeFromConnecticut said:

We had 10 fabulous cruises and would love to do an 11th .... except, ah, NO.

 

If Grand, Diamond, Ruby, Coral, Zaandam and others weren't enough to make people here wake up, then add this morning's news:

 

https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241710696.html

I am sitting in the same boat...It isn't the Cruise companies that concern me as I think once this crisis abates, cruising will be available again.  My concern is how our Government hasn't taken care of her Citizens that are in need of coming home.  I understand this is an act of nature, but letting some Covid-19 people off the ships and then forcing others to remain at sea is a big issue for me.  I will most likely take a cruise again, BUT not for a long time.  I want things to settle down and I don't want to be stuck at sea for potentially months due to no policy or procedure for American Citizens and the Travel Insurance doesn't cover Pandemics.  There was NO amount of planning to get us prepared for a crisis of this magnitude.

I would find the owner of the travel agency and have them make the change.  This can be done.  I wouldn't use this TA again.  Seems to me that once you have the confirmation numbers the TA has control over the booking, he needs to fix this.

On 1/21/2020 at 6:41 PM, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Libraries are disappearing from all mainstream cruise lines. Similar discussions happening on Princess, Celebrity, Royal and Carnival boards. Only NCL seem to be building new ships with Libraries and not removing them from older vessels during drydocks. 

We were on the Breakaway in September....Library closed and there were were no immediate plans to open it.  There was a book exchange in front of Le Bistro at 2:00 every day.  Essentially books and games left on a table....Not impressed.  I loved the quiet libraries on board the ships. 

We just left the Breakaway and ate all meals in the free venues, the Garden Cafe, Savor, Taste and the Manhattan.  We all did the free breakfast Buffet in Moderno.  We have done the specialty dining thing and don't find enough service difference to justify the cost.  We are not foodies so don't cruise for the food.  When the package used to be free without the additional gratuities added we used all the specialty restaurants and even then the difference wasn't that big of a deal for us.  We did try Margaritaville  $15.00 pp upcharge on this cruise. We got  a BBQ bacon cheeseburger...a regurlar burger, no bacon was delivered mediocre at best, and a chicken sandwich; average nothing to write home about.  The french fries we barely warm and had been sitting in the warmer for awhile.  With the automatic gratuity the charge was $36.00. The dessert was either cheesecake or Key Lime Pie.  The key lime pie was really the cheesecake with a little lime zest on it....Left it.   I wouldn't waste my money going back.  I do know that the food is subjective and varies depending on the ship and cruise itinerary so if I got the specialty dinner package for a reasonable fee, I would try them again.  I find doing the sail away rate and saving the $$$ and using the savings to eat in port is a lot more fun.  It all depends on what makes a good cruise for you, whether it be a Caribbean or European cruise just have fun.

We just got home from this same cruise, your review is spot on. We had a lot of time to sit on the balcony and read and read and read. Had a great time and we made our own fun.   We were prepared for the weather but disappointed in missing 2 ports.  They did give us $100.00 in onboard credit and 20% off a future cruise if used in 2 years.

We liked the show Burn the floor but thought Rock of Ages was cheesy.   We used part of the credit to play the last cruise game of Bingo., The bingo cards were sold in packs of 3 for $30, a 6 pack of cards was $40 and we used the credit to buy the $50.00 9 card pack. There were about 40 + playing for the one black game of blackout Bingo, the winner won $153.00, we were glad we used the ships $$ for the game.

The trip was much needed and despite the weather we did have a good time.  Thanks for the laugh about missing your pants...I missed that show : )

I feel for you Coby25, right now your senses are on overdrive. The fear and unknown are overwhelming and I pray that you have a great support system. I hope the cancer was caught early.

I am a 9 years post BC and know that you will get the best treatment and outcomes to get your life back and a better cruise in your future. I would hope that NCL would give you a break, but do check with your credit card company and see if there is a provision for reimbursement.

Thanks everyone for your feedback!! Ironically, I always purchased insurance but didn't do it this time. Believe me, I know where my priorities are and where to direct my energy. I just needed to vent!!! Thanks again!

Last year coming back to LAX with friends, we saw a lady pick up her bag. The lady had the exact luggage so my friend let her go thinking her back would come down the chute in a bit.....A few minutes later the lady came back and said she indeed had picked up the wrong bag and gave it back to my friend.

My solution is to make the bag UGLY. Use fabric paint and stencils to paint a large word or object that lets everyone know it isn't their bag. The ribbons and tassels and belts come off so can't be trusted 100% . I am not out to impress anyone and the ugly bags generally get skipped over by mistaken identity or theft. Nobody wants my ugly bag.

Panic attacks are the worst.....I agree with the others take your meds with you, they generally work quickly. You will have a ships cabin to isolate yourself during the attack until it passes and learn to do square breathing...it helps a lot. Remember the fear of the attack is worse than the attack itself. There is a good article on it in this months Reader's Digest on anxiety. I am not minimizing this....I suffer too, but life isn't a dress rehearsal, if you are going to have a panic attack it will happen whether you are on a ship or at the store. Decide for yourself what your triggers are and if you can cope with a trip, vacations aren't for everyone and it isn't a big deal if you skip this cruise. Blessings to you on your decision.

Another piece of advice is to make sure you lock your phone/password protect it. Today we got a bill from our carrier from our cruise 3 weeks ago that showed 4 calls dialed one after the other and a voice mail sent from my husbands phone while out to sea. We were charged the $5.99 per minute for the Cellular at Sea cost.

We left our phones in the room in airplane mode on the charger while we were out to dinner and shows and someone accessed the phone. We had free international texting and data from our carrier so we communicated that way while in port and KNOW we didn't voice call anyone. We called our carrier and they kindly reversed the charges.

Just switched to the world of smart phones and have a question. Read that the ships have free wifi, is that true and if so how does that work when at sea? Have a limited data plan so want to be careful.

 

 

 

Any help and/or info would be greatly appreciated!

OP hasn't been back on, just a controversial subject to start a discussion. Most cruise lines are more alike than different. I have had good and a little less than good experiences on 4 different cruise lines. Each cruise is unique and you could take the same cruise twice and have totally different experiences. I personally have had mostly good experience with NCL but there have been a few clunkers. I can say there was bad dining experiences on my one Celebrity cruise. Princess was good and Disney the Best. It is all subjective. Go and find out for yourself and make the best of any situation.

Anticipating the cruise, not anticipating the 10+ hour flight in economy. 32 days out from the cruise and for that I am looking forward to a great trip.

Coming back into the US from Vancouver, my friends had GE (we didn't....have it now) and they were asked for the cards. The friends had the cards but had to dig through their carry-on to find them....We made it through customs before them. We will be using the GE card in a few weeks so hopefully it will save some time getting through security. The interview process was quick and fairly painless.

This right here is really interesting. I had stopped carrying my card and now its going right back into my carryon. There are several countries where I have been through immigration before leaving for the US, but had not as yet been asked to show my card to get into the proper line. Thanks for sharing this!

Doing the Disney British Isles this September on the Magic. I can't wait to see this ship again. This will be our 4th Disney Cruise and first to the British Isles. We have done Princess too and they were fine. We actually compared this 7 day cruise with a Princess 7 day cruise to the British Isles and the price was within under $100.00 of each other, so we went with Disney. We booked the first week that the Disney cruise was opened up for booking. The price for the cruise now is almost doubled.

I say go with your heart and make some good memories. I am sure that whatever you do will be fine.

As a child we had one day vacations to the San Diego Zoo and that was it for the family. I did get to go camping with my Aunt and Uncle and Cousins when they took me for a month. When I raised my kids, they got a lot more vacations than I ever had. They in turn have lived overseas, then had children who are well traveled. I think the world is more accessible with television, flying to reduce concerns about travels. I am still not the best traveler, but I go, life is not a dress rehearsal, no do-overs.

An afterthought....have you tried for a Handicapped accessible room? This might be helpful as they have showers that are easier to use. Just a thought.

We use this for my Mom( see below) A combination walker/transport chair with footrests that can be stored in the seat. We used it on a cruise and they can be found cheaper online. The Hugo Navigator is about 25 pounds, folds up into a large square and she can use it as a walker or you can flip the back over and use it as a transport chair when in towns. There are other brands out the there too. I know I paid under $200.00 for it. It takes a few minutes to practice setting it up but once you get it figured out it is a great device. I like that this comes with foot rests which you will need on excursions and when she is using it as a walker to get to the bathroom that will come in handy.

Hugo Navigator Combination Rolling Walker + Transport ...- Hugo Navigator Combination Rolling Walker + Transport Chair, Red |

Your Mom will be 6 weeks post op, she most likely will be fine to travel with her Doctor's approval. The Alaskan cruise you are close to ports if necessary and there are Physician clinics in town if necessary. You will know more as you get closer to the travel date so don't cancel unless it is ill advised by her Physician. We have done the Alaskan cruise 4 times and hopefully you have a balcony and you can ask for room service if she doesn't feel like going to the dining room or you can make a Buffet run for her. It will be fine as long as she is healthy and approved for travel, I would get a letter from her Dr. that she is fit to travel as a precaution.

We use this for my Mom( see below) A combination walker/transport chair with footrests that can be stored in the seat. We used it on a cruise and they can be found cheaper online. The Hugo Navigator is about 25 pounds, folds up into a large square and she can use it as a walker or you can flip the back over and use it as a transport chair when in towns. There are other brands out the there too. I know I paid under $200.00 for it. It takes a few minutes to practice setting it up but once you get it figured out it is a great device. I like that this comes with foot rests which you will need on excursions and when she is using it as a walker to get to the bathroom that will come in handy.

Hugo Navigator Combination Rolling Walker + Transport ...- Hugo Navigator Combination Rolling Walker + Transport Chair, Red |

I agree, there are so many places that we could use a port. I wish they would open up Port Hueneme for ships. It is a deep water port and there is a lot to do and see in Ventura County.

The big thing in my mind is the lack of ports in Mexico and that ports north of San Francisco are to cold in winter . That said , I personally would to see cruises to Hawaii that loops thru LA/SP , SFO , Vancouver ,Seattle , Hawaii and San Diego. This way cruisers in the Pacific Northwest can cruise with little or no fkying.