Beav1279

38 minutes ago, maluhia87 said:

Ribeyes have more connective tissue that breaks down better when steaks are cooked to medium.  We usually do medium rare for everything but have started taking our ribeyes a bit higher with success. 

I have also found this to be true - a ribeye cooked to medium is much more tender. All that marbling needs time on the heat to melt.

What an awesome embarkation experience! I'm doing the same cruise next summer - I hope you have a wonderful time! 

The Panorama is a great ship, You're 7 y.o. will love all the activities. The Fun Squad host a lot of family activities, too. I was just on in June and the last sea day was a bit chilly to swim but great for the hot tubs! 

1 hour ago, Hogladyrider said:

Anyone cruised Mexican Riviera?  Last time we never left the ship.  This time considering some excursions, snorkeling, beach etc.

 

We have plenty of time to plan as the cruise is not until 12/28/24.

 

I just don't find a lot of info on the CC port boards.

Just did the Mex. Riviera in June. In Puerto Vallarta, we took a cab to the Malecon and just walked around and had some lunch, then a cab back to the ship.

In Mazatlan, we took the Salsa and Salsa tour. It was great! Nice A/C bus to a beach-front resort, learned to make 6 different salsas with unlimited margs and juice, then a cute salsa-dancing class! We had about an hour of free time afterward and went out and perused the shops and art galleries nearby.

In Cabo San Lucas, we took the all-inclusive luxury sail and snorkel. Another awesome excursion! They fed us a snack on the way out; had about an hour of swimming in a beautiful cove, fed a delicious lunch, and did some sailing on the way back. One note - there is a private photographer on the boat with you - $60 for all the digital files and they were really good!

Let me know if you want more details!

3 hours ago, Hogladyrider said:

Going to research some ship reviews of Noordam and pretty sure I would book just and inside cabin as knowing me we will not spend much time in the cabin at all so I'd rather upgrade and get the Have It All pkg with drinks, gratuities, specialty dining etc.

 

Open to any and all suggestions for sure. 

I know y'all travel with an RV. What about crossing the border and finding a camping spot in Vancouver? That gives you a place to stay pre- and post-cruise and then you'll just need a cab to the port!

4 hours ago, pebbles1102 said:

We had to put our 7 year old lab to sleep this afternoon. He had a tumor on his spleen that burst sometime overnight and he deteriorated quickly. Such a hard decision but he is no longer in pain.

I'm so, so sorry for your loss. ❤️ 

1 hour ago, csm5986142 said:

We may have been on the same sailing - the soot was unbelievable.  It's the first time I've seen them close several aft decks of the ship due to the mess (multiple times) especially when it rained.  It looked like someone had poured chocolate syrup all over the track.

I couldn't believe how bad it was when we first boarded... then on day 3, they cleaned it all and I thought we'd be good! But no, it was all back by the next day. I've heard others have had similar issues - it's likely due to the angle of the funnel and the wind.. but don't accidentally sit down out there! You'll have awful black marks on your shorts.

Last month, I was on the Panorama (same class) in a Havana aft balcony on deck 8. We had a really awful problem with soot from the rear funnel. It was unfortunate - we couldn't sit out there without covering everything in towels.

I believe deck 5 balconies are the Havana Cabanas with the hammock swings and a direct path to the Havana area - no stairs! I would definitely choose one of those over an aft balcony higher up.

On 7/24/2023 at 9:11 AM, MistyRo76 said:

The reason her hair is so difficult is because she has several larger pieces of hair that are very frizzy. My hair stylist says its like a birthmark. If you know Stacy London from What Not to Wear who had that grey streak in her hair...it's kind of like that. The hair in these spots is a different texture than the rest of her hair. If I let her hair air dry, especially in a more humid climate, these spots get super puffy and frizzy. She can be self-conscious about her hair so I try to take the time to dry it and run the flat iron over those spots when we can. At home, I try to only do this a few times a week. But being on a cruise, she'll be swimming alot and so she'll have to wash her hair every night before dinner. 

Another fun option, depending on your ports, would be to have her hair braided. Those would last for a week or more - even with swimming every day.

Another vote for MG Family Harbor. The extra perk of the family harbor lounge with coffee, drinks, breakfast, snacks, etc.. will be a blessing with a little one! No waiting in line or long walks to get food and/or drinks when someone is getting "hangry"! 🙂 

53 minutes ago, Bronston said:

Does anyone have a number from Princess where I can talk to staff about my FCC. I leave callbacks….nothing or if I do get a callback princess staff tells me it is outside their job duties. 
 

Do you receive cruise offer emails from Princess? I found the name, number, and email of a PVP in an email and he's been great. I wish I could share contact info with you here.. but that's the rule!

While the Mardi Gras has more amazing food options, I'd go for a Havana cabin on the Vista over anything! LOVE the Havana area on Vista-class.

The Havana area is awesome! There is a "secret" stairway on the starboard side in the back corner of the ship that drops you right on deck 5 next to the bar. It's much easier to get up and down without waiting for elevators.

If you don't have the Cheers package, then take advantage of the daily drink special - all of the Havana specialty drinks are delicious! If you need a shot of energy in the morning or mid-day, try a Cuban cafecito. 

Enjoy the relaxed pool area as much as you can! It was totally worth paying the extra $ for a Havana cabin.

I was just there last month, so let me know if you have more questions.

2 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

you know, I just checked my

photos and you’re exactly right. It was June ‘17, a Havana/Key West 5 day from Tampa. 
 

 

I did that exact cruise June 2017 - Havana is still the best port I've ever been to. The people were so amazing! We took a private tour and spent 8 hours seeing as much as we possibly could. I hope to be able to return one day... 

16 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Navy pier. Docked here once on Empress OTS in 2015. Gotta take shuttles in

 

 

 

I also had to dock at Navy pier once on Empress OTS - I'm thinking 2017? - anyways, It was a nice open-air shuttle that took you all the way out of the restricted area but I think just walking into town is much easier from the Carnival dock.

Covid will always be around.. just like the flu and the common cold. It can be mild or severe but everyone is going to have the chance to get it. I'm glad to hear y'all are feeling better now!

1 hour ago, SenatorsFan said:

Hope everyone is having a good Sunday! Today is our 35th wedding anniversary.🥰  We were married on a beautiful, hot July day in Montreal at McGill University's chapel (my alma mater), with a great party after. 

Happy Anniversary!

14 hours ago, edspec said:

Fried baloney sandwiches, yum. Have any of you read the Mitford books?
On another note, the TxTeach luggage situation…can I say stressful? Made a batch of bread and butter pickles, went through DS’s closet and filled four bags for Goodwill in an effort to keep my mind off of the review.

My dad really enjoyed the Mitford series books.. reminded him of the small town he grew up in the Midwest. Easy reads for summer, for sure!

After your baggage plight in Europe, I made my DH buy AirTags for our luggage for our Panorama trip. We had to change planes in San Jose and you made me so worried! Well, it was good that we had them! 1 of our 4 checked bags got left behind. We were able to give the LAX agent the location, he was able to confirm that and schedule it to come in a few hours later. Of course, they said, "We'll call you when it arrives". We watched it like a hawk, saw it arrive, and had to call them to ensure it was getting delivered to us that evening. Everything worked out great but I totally think it's because we knew where it was! So, @TxTeach79 - thank you for saving our luggage!

Date "day" for DH and I. We saw the Mission Impossible movie on the XD screen - worth the extra $3 to watch it on the big-big screen. I'm always up for a good action movie and this was on par with previous M.I. movies. Beware it's part 1, so the storyline is "to be continued"...
Picked up poke bowls for dinner at a new spot in town - the spicy mayo was hot! but yummy 🙂

Hope y'all are having a good weekend!

25 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

JinxyB is scouting for crazy stuff on board the NCL Joy, and just sent me a picture probably not appropriate for Cruise Critic... For those of you who follow the Sid's Ay Tee El FB page, you can find it over there...

How have I been around for over a year here and didn't know about the FB page? Just clicked join... 

26 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

In other news: we're having Chili's for Free Lunch Friday... C'mon, sing that song! "Chili's baby back ribs, Chili's baby back ribs"...

I hope you ordered chips and salsa! Low key the best... and I live in S. Texas... just don't tell anyone I said that!

You need to make a sign that says "dejar de orinar en el suelo" (stop peeing on the floor).

8 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

still working on it after that. I had Norwegian Escape out of PC booked for this thanksgiving, but out of nowhere I get this insane casino offer on Regal P out of Galveston that was too good to pass up. Pretty stoked about it, I’m platinum over there but haven’t sailed with the Sea Witch since ‘16.

DH and I went on the Ruby this past Spring Break - our 1st on Princess - because of the good deals.. Then we get a casino offer we couldn't refuse.. so we'll be on the Regal for next Spring Break. We don't like Princess as much as Carnival but cheap is cheap!

On 7/11/2023 at 12:21 PM, jannray said:

Thank you everybody.  we changed our parking to lot B.  problem solved!

Be patient when you return... we waited almost an hour to get onto a shuttle to parking lot B in March. 

28 minutes ago, Scottygirl1 said:

It pays to keep an eye on your account while travelling.  I think you can check everyday?  It's sad that someone would do this unless it was a genuine mistake.

Yes! My DH and I check out the account every evening just to make sure everything is good. Most cruise lines now give you that ability on your stateroom TV or on the app.