ohhbother

Thanks for all the info! Planning to do my first VV cruise, and it looks like our DCL tier level will qualify us for a status match.

We just redeemed Chase points for the five-night offer. It will be our first VV cruise. Very much looking forward to it!

I’ve crossed the Drake Passage on a small Hurtigruten expedition vessel and experienced the worst of the “Drake Shake.” Rough seas are a part of cruising. Like turbulence on an airplane, it can be scary and no fun. But it’s part of what you sign up for when you sail into open waters. 

Some photos taken by Dr. Hopland, who is still on board. 
 

https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/photos-life-aboard-the-diamond-princess-cruise-ship-for-remaining-quarantined-passengers/

We did the British Isles in May a few years ago. It was mostly drizzly, cool and overcast. Added to the ambience!

The American doctor on the ship who reached out to his friend, the US Congressman, and helped spur the evacuation of Americans will not be on the flight. His wife tested positive. They were just notified. Here’s the latest:

https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/breaking-elizabethton-couple-not-among-americans-leaving-cruise-ship-after-wife-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/

Interestingly, the Hoplands are from the area where I grew up. All my family still lives there,

so I follow the local news stations

online. It’s been interesting to see how Congressman Roe - who’s also a physician - has played a role in bringing these folks home. You can read the local stories at wjhl.com. Here’s one:

https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/congressman-roe-assisting-tri-cities-couple-on-quarantined-coronavirus-ship/

We’re leaving in two weeks for a cruise on the Hurtigruten Midnatsol. For us, it’s a happy compromise. We get to make landings and experience that wonder, but we also get a larger,

more comfortable ship. The price is right,

too. We’re paying about $7K pp. Yes, that’s more than a drive-by costs. But I think we’re going to be very pleased with the experiences we have. We’re just so excited and ready to go!

5 hours ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

Ohhbrother - Thanks for the American Airlines heads up.  This is a great option and one we will probably end up with.

I love Delta (Aerolineas Argentinas codeshare with Delta), but AA has better equipment for this itinerary.

Happy to help. We were in exactly the same situation. We're loyal to Delta and fly it almost exclusively. But the American flight offers a better business class seat at a much better price - at least for us. We fly out Feb. 20 for our Midnatsol cruise. I'll let you know how the flight goes!

I haven't flown Aerolinas Argentinas. But, like you, I was tempted by the significant price difference between it and Delta. I did a lot of research and read A LOT of reviews. Most of them were not good. Ultimately, we ended up booking on American, which was priced between Aerolinas Argentinas and Delta.  We leave in about seven weeks, and I'm happy with our decision. I ultimately decided to spend a bit more and go with a known quantity. Best of luck to you!

My husband and I are booked on the Feb. 21, 2020, cruise aboard Midnatsol. Can't wait!

We were in the Haven on the Bliss a week ago. We tipped the butler $160 and the room steward $60. We didn't tip the concierge, as we didn't request any special services. We asked the butler for peanut M&Ms, potato chips, bar mix and chocolate covered strawberries. He kept us well stocked all week. We also ordered room service breakfast twice and lunch once.

Leave Sunday on the Bliss - we’re in a Haven spa suite. Bid $1500 pp on a 2-bedroom and $2000 pp on DOS. Both were the max “strong” bid. Both rejected. Not surprised, as the ship has been pretty much sold out for weeks. Oh well - we’re thrilled with the suite we have!

We sail on Sunday on the Bliss. Ship has been showing sold out for awhile now. I’m in a haven spa cabin and have bid on the 2-br family suite and the DOS. 

At two days out, both my bids still say pending. Should i just accept there’s zero chance, or can I continue to hold out hope?

Thanks!

My understanding/experience is it’s not enforced at all. We’ve always shown up early and plan to again on Sunday. 

No question for me - Bliss all the way. Much newer ship. Gorgeous amenities. And the food is a hundred times better on NCL. We find Princess food to be on the edge of inedible.

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated!

Hi all.

I've read that 10 people can race at the same time. We're a party of 12. Can two adults ride together in a two-seater? If so, could we all race together if we did eight single karts and two doubles? Thanks!

We board next week. I'll be following this thread with great excitement!

OP,  take a look at Hurtigruten. For only about $3,000 more total than we would have paid on Princess or Celebrity, we’re doing a small ship sailing to Antarctica in February 2020 and will make landfall multiple times. It’s worth investigating. 

I'll be the lone voice of dissent against the knee scooter. I tried to use one after Achilles reconstruction surgery. It wreaked havoc on my knee and my hips. My physical therapist hated the thing and ordered me to stop using it - told me they cause more problems than they solve. I'd rent a wheelchair or a scooter.

Hi all. Headed to Alaska on the Bliss in two weeks. Just saw a post on Facebook that the go-cart price has increased to $15 per person. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks!

We've been loyal Celebrity cruisers for years - big fans of the Solstice class. We followed the build of the Edge for two years and were on the first preview cruise in December.

We had never sailed NCL until last October - always assumed we'd hate it. But I was speaking at a conference in Seattle last October, and we really wanted to add a Pacific coast cruise to our trip. The only ship with dates that worked for our trip was the Bliss.

So we sailed Bliss in October and Edge in December. Since that time, we've canceled a seven-day in an Edge suite and booked a seven-day in the Haven on the Bliss. In a head-to-head comparison of the two lines' brand new ships, Bliss was our hands-down favorite:

• Buffet on bliss is significantly better with better variety.
• The thermal spa on Bliss is just divine.
• The entertainment on Bliss is head and shoulders above entertainment on Edge.
• The staff on Bliss was more customer service focused.

We still love the Solstice class and are open to cruising Celebrity again at some point. But, for now, we're NCL converts all the way.

1 minute ago, zqvol said:

 

What if they are in the pool or sauna for a few minutes?

In my opinion, you don't get to "hold" a heated lounger when you're in the pool or sauna. If you get up, your turn is over. Use of the lounger is limited to 30 minutes (see the sign). It's not like a chair by the pool where you can hang out all day.

Carnival’s option is interest-free. We’re taking a four-day out of Charleston to Cuba later this year. Been making automatic payments of around $90 a month for awhile now. I never even notice them, but the cruise is now within a couple hundred dollars of being paid off. It’s a painless way to pay for a cruise for sure.