Catlover54

17 minutes ago, drron29 said:

Another who definitely prefers a tub. With very little balance showers can be dangerous.

Depending on the health problem or injury (I have had/have several in each category), tubs can be *more dangerous* than showers.  But I'm not ready to give them up yet, so over the years I have developed various techniques for slowly and safely getting in and out even if I'm on a solo cruise. (SS advertises that butlers supposedly will "draw a bath" for guests, which I do not need because it is easy and I can time it better, but there is understandably no comparable offer to help clumsy guests get out) 🙂

I also sometimes bring special supplies like suction grab bars if I am not certain the hotel or ship has properly placed supports (available on Amazon) -- but you need a smooth shower or tub wall for those to adhere.  Fortunately I no longer have to bring a rubber shower/bath mat which I needed for a while after a bad foot injury, but I still cannot cruise  just with a carry-on.

Thank you so much for your detailed posts.

This "bread board" offering description looks wonderful (and hopefully tasted equally wonderful).

"BREAD BOARD NORTH SEA SHRIMPS WITH EUROPEAN COCKTAIL SAUCE, SMOKED SALMON WITH CAPERS, COLD POACHED SALMON WITH DILL YOGURT, ROLL MOP HERRINGS, SALMON GRAVLAX, SHRIMP AND CRAB SALAD, RUSSIAN SALAD, TROUT SALAD, MARINATED CUCUMBER AND ROCKET, SWEDISH AND
HORSERADISH SALAD, BEET AND TOMATO SALAD FRIED CAPERS"

2 minutes ago, fdnycruiser said:

We didn’t know about the veranda suite with shower and tub, and are stuck with one for our 33 day sailing in October. We tried to change it, but couldn’t. However, we were informed that as the floor plan shows, the shower and tub are separated.

Your "stuck" is my joy -- I love tubs!  I searched for a certain cruise on Nova with a tub and didn't care if it was separate or a combination.  There are not that many, and I snagged  the last one that didn't have a connecting room.  

I probably would still have sailed with just a shower, however.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a way of having someone who is "stuck" with a tub/shower who wants just a shower be able to trade with someone who is "stuck" with just a shower but who wants a tub?

I have seen a description elsewhere  as follows, which describes a separate shower and tub (though it could be wrong), and on the SS deck plan the little tear drop on suite numbers states a definition that those cabins include a bath and shower.

Perhaps there are some with a combo and some without?  

"Veranda Suite's amenities include a step-out balcony (with premium patio furniture, floor-ceiling glass doors), bathroom (double vanity faucets,  separate shower, whirlpool bathtub), bedroom (Queen-sized bed or two twin beds, custom-made mattress, walk-in wardrobe), sitting area (sofabed for a 3rd person), mirrored vanity table, writing desk, TV."

And this is the plan shown:

8 hours ago, gregma60 said:

Well, the train ride was sure interesting! Lol.  We entered between the first and second coach cars.  The first they had connected backwards, so all seats faced the rear.  I don't do well traveling backwards, so on to the second car.  Looked like there was a large group.  Every one had a single rider sitting be the window and a bag on the aisle seat.  Requests to sit together or at least move the bag went unnoticed, or ignored. The third car was mainly doubles with a few singles of young riders with headphones and phones or games.  They wouldn't acknowledge anyone's request to sit.  The fourth and last coach car was set half the seats facing the rear of the train and half facing forward.  I wad able to find a very nice young man who not only acknowledged me, but helped me with my bag.  Wife was finally able to to get someone to move their backpack so she could've sit at least in the same car.  

There were many requests over the speakers requesting singles to double up and let others sit. We were delayed 15 minutes trying to get everyone seated.  I guess even on the business class car most of the double seats were filled with singles who didn't want to move for couples. 

 

Train was delayed another 45 minutes due to a break in the line in Canada.  We had to creep through being watched to make sure we would make it.  Overall was a nice relaxing ride!

 

Customs when we got to Vancouver was a breeze!  We were a total of 2 hours late once it was all done with and we were in our taxi. 

 

-gregma

Sad. As someone who sometimes travels solo, even though I really don't like having large men spilling into my already tight seat when I travel as a group, I know I am not entitled to block seats next to me, be it on a bus, boat or train, and even more so if the vehicle is full. Staff know that too.  Were there any around to enlist their help to get seated where pax rudely refused to move their bags so humans could sit?  

 I don't think staff are required to make sure couples sit together, so they likely wouldn't be willing to cause commotion and force a solo to move to a new seat.  But they  would almost certainly have made a solo give up her second seat  -- after all, she only paid for one (unless she was saving it for someone she was traveling with who had also paid, who was delayed, getting a drink, in the toilet, or whatever). 

When I was young I spent quite a few years living in a country where we had no car and took streetcars, trains and buses everywhere. It would have been unheard of and the height of incivility for people to refuse to move their bag so that someone could sit.  It was also an era where younger healthy looking people would get up from their seats and give them to ladies of any age, children, and men who looked old or weak.  

34 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

Officially, HAL charges $20 corkage fee on every bottle. Unofficially, they sometimes forget to do it. You are supposed to carry the wine or champagne in your carry on luggage, not checked bag.

This is true and is important  (as a newbie, I only recently learned this).  But  the OP is asking, in his title and text, about taking wine to his room he already *purchased* at Rudi's.

I did what the OP wants to do several times a few months ago when I was on board so I could be sure and properly get the air out to save the wine.  My packing list includes a champagne stopper and an air removal pump with several rubber stoppers to go with the pump.  On other lines I have had bad experiences with staff not saving wine or  champagne properly, so I do it myself to get it right on special wines. 🙂

Welcome to CC, Pbranson!

Recently on a luxury line, a passenger reported on CC that there was a woman who repeatedly sat in the main lounge/coffee area and worked on a jigsaw puzzle, while wearing her ship robe and slippers.  My initial impulse was to think that this is inappropriate, but when I think about it, since robes are kind of like coats, some people (myself included) look better in full coverage high quality ship robes that hide everything, than they do wearing official 'cover-ups' or shorts. 

We humans are funny with our customs and practices, however, so I personally still toss on some clothes when I walk around even if it is short distances. But I have no problem with other people wearing robes to and from the spa or pool, I don't think most pax care one way or the other, and there aren't any prohibitory rules.  Plus, based on your picture, you'll probably look fabulous anyway. 🙂

1 hour ago, urqu3 said:

Many of you have asked how many times this happened. Or was it an ongoing problem? 

We had raw sewage filling our toilet multiple times a day every day! I also want to reiterate this was not a backed up toilet , This was raw sewage filling our toilet from some other cabins. The excrement in the pictures was not ours!!!

Thank you for clarifying various issues since my questions in post #2. I frankly don't think the issue would have been any better if the excrement *had* been yours.  You paid for a luxury cabin, and your experience was not only not luxury, it was substandard and degrading and substantially and materially interfered with your ability to enjoy your cruise.  As someone who enjoys soaking in the bath tub a couple times a day on a cruise, and who otherwise has to frequently visit the bathroom at night, I would have been livid about this.  Though I'm used to 'making do' with minor failings when I travel without expecting ( much less demanding) FCC, or refunds, HAL's FCC offers of $600 or $1000 are inadequate.  If this was going on the whole cruise, multiple times a day, a reasonable cruiser could conclude that you should have been refunded your entire cruise fare along with a letter of apology.  It is disappointing to hear that HAL blew you off.

Your experience reinforces concerns I have about sailing on old ships.  Though  sewage problem events can happen even on new ships, reports about them seem to be more common from pax sailing on older ships. But perhaps frequent maintenance and preventive care would help avoid such messes.  My favorite cruise ship (on a German line) was built in 1999, but it is consistently in tip top functional shape. 

I understand if you don't want to ever return to HAL, though you were very unlucky that your first experience was unusually toxic. From what you described, HAL customer service managers did not handle this well, though as stated above, I don't think they read this forum (some lines read their CC forums).  Hopefully you will find other cruise lines you will be happy with, perhaps on newer ships. 

Thank you for your report!  I have yet to make it to Greenland.  I have read mixed reviews from pax on other lines, either full of praise about the striking scenery, or bad luck with  terrible  fog or storms their whole trip where they saw very little at a not so little price. 

Other than going to the crowded and sometimes foggy Acadia Park (best visited on a land tour, I think), one relaxing activity some cruisers might enjoy on a reasonably decent weather day is DIY walking the 1.5 mile Bar Harbor shore path in and out and/or spending some time on the benches along the way, and gazing at the historic homes.

I loved it on a solo HAL cruise four years ago, but I'm not looking for super active excursions anymore .  First I feasted on lobster rolls at a sit down 50's style restaurant in town, then worked off some of my calories with a stroll on that scenic  path (link below).  I bought  my dessert in town and ate it on one of the benches on the way while soaking up the sun and maritime scenery and snapping photos, then walked back.  It makes for a nice half-day excursion. 

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/maine/walk-ride-shore-path-me/

However, this port  may become moot for HAL pax because last fall Bar Harbor citizens voted to ban allowing cruise ships to disgorge more than 1000 passengers.  Local businesses sued and  the case went to trial in federal court in July but I'm not sure what happened after that (if anyone does know the outcome, please advise). 

8 hours ago, jeter55 said:

Thanks for your wonderful detailed review.

 

In another video posted I heard pumped in music in I think in the dusk bar. I hope that is not the norm as I appreciate live music or no music.

 

 

I hope the same -- I'll just have to get on board to find out for sure, and am looking forward to doing the intense and difficult research. 🙂

It's not just the idea of pumped in music that is the problem, it is that the pumped in music on too many lines (even lines where the bulk of guests are seniors), is either pounding or wailing on deck, in spas,  or in dining areas, sadly to the point of interfering with what would otherwise be the inspiring sound of the sea.  And on top of that the pumped stuff tends to be too loud, at least  for my taste.  I know some guests (and the young staff you set it up) like it, so it feels like the ship is a cool and 'happening' place as opposed to a "mausoleum", as some SS cruises in the past have been described. 

From your posted 'signature menu' it looks like there are also prices listed for each special wine *per course.*  I assume that means there is an option to get only one or two of the selections (e.g., depending on the size of the pairing pours, some of us lower BMI/slow liver metabolizer/older people may want to avoid intoxication).  If the pours are 3 ounzes each that would mean well over a bottle of wine per person -- a bit much if you only sit there 2 hours, more doable if you could sit until midnight, but then the staff might not be too happy 🙂

19 hours ago, Lookingtocruise42 said:

That is a wonderful link!

The bottom of that page also links to restaurants. Unfortunately, the super long images of menus seem to be compressed and unreadable 😞 

I can read them clearly on my iPAD if I do an extra click on each menu.  Or maybe they were meanwhile fixed?

I'm confused.  Are you still on the ship?  If so, and they won't move you, are they expecting you to go use public toilets several times a day and at night the rest of the cruise because you cannot use/flush the one in your suite?  If that is the case, $600 is not fair compensation at all and is unreasonable and unacceptable.

I would think the hotel manager or whoever is at the top of the management chain could get creative and find a place to move you to, even if it is into his personal suite, so you can flush!  And then secure Neptune-related compensation, and I would expect more than $600.

If they cannot do that, an alternative may be to get off the cruise at the next port but with assurance you will get a refund for days when you could not flush.

The balcony is ugly and not fitting to a luxury suite, and should have been checked and fixed before allowing boarding, but it is at least still functional (you can sit outside) , unlike the toilet.  One could  move the chairs or lounger to hide it and avert one's eyes 😞

BTW, I know you are new here and are frustrated.  But maybe just 1-2 pictures of the toilet would have been enough to make your point (and no caps, even if you're justifiably very angry -- you are yelling at us with the caps, and we have not harmed you in any way).  Just my opinion.

I hope you are able to secure appropriate compensation, and am sorry your vacation was soiled.

1. There is a live thread from Tucson Guy on Silver Nova, so you can get an idea if the ship is going to live up to the billing. 

2. I definitely hear you on frustrations relating to British Airways and flight and seat planning, as well as problems with accessing agents pre-cruise.  Sadly, too many "luxury" lines behave this way for various reasons.   They only get away with it 'because everyone else is doing it' and apparently there are enough willing travelers who don't care what airline or seat they are in, how tight connections are, and don't get anxious.   For years now we see the  same mess with many airlines, hotel chains, etc.  Too often we get  bad customer service overall, which does not match the steep prices. Once the post-Covid pent up demand for travel many have passes, it will be interesting to see if people continue to put up with it. 

3. I assume this is the cruise and itinerary on SS you are talking about:

https://www.silversea.com/destinations/mediterranean-cruise/lisbon-to-lisbon-sn230929017.html

Though I see many potentially decent options on the excursions, even out of Sete (not even counting DIY, though of course that would be for extra money) I would not be at all happy if I specifically wanted to go to the Azores and Cape Verde and were given this itinerary instead, even if the line has the legal right to change ports.  Have you been able to reach SS and ask for cancellation and FCC on a different cruise, to replace this, given the substantial and material itinerary change?

4. On longer cruises and/or if itinerary is critical, I tend to prepare with  "cancel for any reason" insurance, just in case a line won't be flexible and allow cancellation with FCC (among other reasons).    It is more expensive insurance , of course, but allows just what it says, even after final payment (of course there would be a lot of paperwork headache).  

I am not sure if it would have paid for missing a  cruise due to absence of flights as a result of volcanic activity .

I sincerely hope you can salvage some joy from this cruise, if you take it, and will report back to us about your decision and experience.  

3 hours ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

Ah, the challenges of a publicly owned company...

 

 

Two thoughts:

1) Egads! Don't let the bean-counters start adding larger markups to the Connoisseur's List wines.

2) Let's hope that they don't start taking the approach used by the mass market lines of reducing the quality levels of the included food and wines to encourage more "upsells" to specialty restaurants and the Connoisseur's List.

#2 has already happened to some degree on SB.  Though YMMV, depending on who you are and what cruise you are on, how booked the cruise is etc., on a popular and full routing roughly 3 months out the "free" specialty Thomas Keller Grill has no booking availability on any day or any time  I am happy enough with most though not all SB food, but often not with the service in the MDR and buffet, whereas in TK it was consistently excellent as was the food. So I'll just have to start jockeying for position with everyone else who is pushing and pulling through various means not just with those who seek a booking once on board, but with those who also seek  a second and third booking, the latter being more common when the ship is full and there are staffing problems (still often blamed on Covid, post-Covid, son of Covid, etc.).  

My guess is that if there were an upcharge, starting with the first booking, there would be more availability, both pre-cruise and intracruise, and I doubt people would refuse to sail just because of one extra charge for upscale dining  (add more things  up -- e.g., wine degradation, and other cumulative cutbacks, then yes). I've already resigned myself to bringing much of my own wine on board at select ports, but I can't do the same with waiters.

3 minutes ago, vjt said:

Jim_Iain,

Thank you so much! I'm glad you managed your way through all the verbiage!

 

I very much like your extensive verbiage, accompanied by photos -- the best combination. I look forward to seeing more trip reports from you.

When DH and I cruised New Zealand (and little Australia) with SS a few years ago, when we were fitter than now, we were pleased with the excursions offered for moderately strenuous hiking, though the average age and health on the ship seemed to be 80 with various kinds assistance needed. You can look at the offerings right now for your ports, to get a sense of whether or not you will be challenged enough.  Look for excursions labeled "strenuous." 

If not satisfied, since you speak English, research and book on your own online but confirm with your guide a few times as you get closer to sailing, well in advance at the less populated ports.  Make sure you can cancel short notice and not have to pay penalty up to 100%   (on that and other cruises in the area, we experienced several short notice  port cancellations due to weather, or undersubscription).

Depending on your budget and desire for company, you may also want to post on a roll call, in advance,  to look for some company.

4 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

Look to see if there is an overflow drain somewhere in the bathroom floor. If so, the odor may be coming from there. If so, pour a glass of water in it to fill the trap.

 

The traps in these overflow drains can dry out, because hopefully you're not flooding the bathroom floor on a regular basis. When they dry out, unpleasant smells can come through. 

 

Might not be the case in your suite but worth a look.

 

ETA I learned this from a poster on another forum who I think must have a background is shipbuilding. His knowledge of how the innards of ships are put together is astonishing. I think his avatar is kpcheng75 but I must have remembered it imperfectly because I can't tag that name to give him proper credit.

I think he is chengkp75, and is on Viking forum a lot.  I believe he had been (or maybe still is ) an engineering Chief on various ships for many years, and supervised mechanical issues.  

13 hours ago, PAllinson said:

Due to starting from Ilaquit because of ice at pond inlet, we lost all but one of our Greenland stops.Due to fog as we worked our way north we lost several excisions and have only been off the ship 3 times since boarding. On a clear day they did not launch the zodiacs due to a couple of polar bears over a mile away from the ship. Today we did not launch zodiacs because the seas were too rough, they seem to be overly cautious.  No Greenland ports due to starting in Ilaquit, they cleared customs offshore in Greenland at cape York but we were not allowed to get off the ship, entire itinerary was FUBR. Most of the passengers asking for a refund.  

I am so sorry you are having bad luck with the foggy weather and rough seas, and are frustrated.  Cruise lines specifically protect themselves against having to give refunds when weather is bad, but if there are factors they *can* control, (e.g., in logistics, or response to bad weather) they may give some future cruise credit. 

DH and I were on the Endeavour back when it was the Endeavor and owned by Crystal, in 2021.  We had also thought the ship was beautiful (though unfinished at the time and with some teething problems ), and had terrific food and service.  

I would be interested in hearing your opinions about the food and service on this cruise now under SS (and in the context of whether or not the ship is at capacity, which can influence both).

Has the on-board experience been good, bad, or so-so, especially when compared with other expedition cruise ships?

Do you know if any of the dining room staff that had been on Crystal had stayed on when the ship was bought by SS? 

Thanks in advance.

I am enjoying your blog.  A few comments: 

As usual, I am envious of European cruisers who have such short (not to mention low cost) flights to so many great ports.  One could even fly coach, if bz is sold out or non-existent,  and endure the contortions,  as it is just a couple of hours. 

We loved Iceland!  We had flown bz class to Iceland from the U.S. a couple years ago, and even though the seats did not go flat, we enjoyed the friendly service, the food, and the gin. It is the airport in Iceland that we greatly disliked (especially coming back -- long lines, bz lounge pre-security, etc., but that is another story). 

Another concern is the shortage of WC access for tourists (the supply has not kept up with the demand over the years), as you experienced.

I would not have been pleased to have been assigned that motel in Keflavik on a "luxury" cruise  instead of a proper hotel in Reykjavik (even though the latter would also likely not have had AC and required window propping to get air).  

I really like the SALT restaurant on the Moon, and your pictures bring back fond memories.

". . . .

We then did our safety film, unpacked, met our room steward and butler and settled in. The only downside of our cabin being a bit of a urine pong from the bathroom which has yet to be rectified. . ."

What is a "urine pong"?  Is it an ongoing urine smell, a smell with flushing, or something else?

Thanks in advance for your blog, I know it is a lot of work.

7 hours ago, avalon1025 said:

Looks like a new Celebrity ship.  Is there no separate tub and shower in the standard cabins?

There are a few suites that have a separate tub and shower.

On this deck plan of the Nova shown below, (though blurred -- right side, 4th from the bottom under "specifications"), the suites with a little water droplet icon are supposed to have both.  I know most people want a bigger shower and have no interest in a tub, because that usually means their shower is smaller, and/or for safety.  But I am in the admittedly diminishing minority of cruisers who still really like to take long, luxurious bubble baths after a busy day of walking 🙂

9 hours ago, steamboats said:

And here are the good photos (those from DH) 😉. Sorry, I´m way behind. I haven´t started to sort my photos yet but I´ve been busy in DOJ since we´ve returned. Hopefully I get my first entry online by tomorrow.

 

steamboats

Lovely.  Some of the Nova features remind me of Hapag Lloyd ships (also related to Royal Caribbean ownership) , my favorite. Some Nova loungers face *out* to the sea, which I prefer to looking *in* to the pool. 

The thermal pool pictures look beautiful, but what is the temperature, if you know (in C is fine)?  I was disappointed on Celebrity when I tried the advertised  thermal pool that it was not warm, it was just a regular indoor pool.  

The jacuzzis on HL are disappointing in that they are only at 28 C, *not* a "hot" tub.  Hopefully the hot tubs on Nova are truly hot, i.e., above body temperature?

Mermen, I am just curious:  did you get your name from the band Mermen (DH and I have all their albums) , or was it otherwise inspired? 🙂

43 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Awww, thanks🙂beautiful photos and it all looks delicious! 

Indeed.   This could turn me into a new big breakfast eater on cruises (though of course the portions I would consume and the resultant weight gain would  defeat any  "healthy" features) 🙂

22 minutes ago, cjbx said:

I am also booked on the Nova's Christmas cruise. The only thing that upsets me about the change is that I had already bought a suit just because of the old dress code. Now I find out that my old sports coat would have sufficed.

You can of course still wear the suit if you want to look even sharper than with just an "old sports coat" 🙂 , and keep Mr. Luxury et al company. But unless  you might use the suit for other activities (Cunard sailing, a rare land restaurant with a suit requirement, bar mitzvah, wedding, funeral, etc.), if you're  in a high tax bracket, you could donate your new suit to an appropriate charity and take the IRS-approved deduction.  Or sell it on ebay!