I'm here

Oh, I didn't know that you can purchase the card before you go. We just asked a waiter in the coffee shop. Didn't have to wait.

We purchased a coffee card on the Crown last year and hot chocolate was included. We are on the Ruby next week and hope to buy a coffee card as soon as we board, it is really good value.

It certainly goes on easier than it comes off

 

I am on a wheat free diet now so hopefully I will not put on so much, I will miss the pizza and pasta when I am on Azura though

I love the Azura, enjoy your cruise, 7 weeks for us on the Ruby Princess to the Med, can't wait !!!!

I AM retired so can afford to do this but it suits me, wouldn't suit everyone ;

I don't have breakfast, for lunch 3 Ryvita crackers with cottage cheese! cucumber and tomato, then eat normally at night , my husband has breakfast! no lunch and same at night ! I also walk to town twice a week (3mls) I have this diet all year around as I LIKE TO , not because I have to , that's the important thing . I was on a cruise first week in June and only put on 3 lbs, never exercise on board, and ate like a pig !!!!

Im so glad someone else does this...I used to think this was sad but it works for me both the organisation and the putting on weight which is inevitable :)

I just diet before the trip, then pig out slightly, can't refuse all that lovely food, can we ? Always only put on about 3-4lbs for a 12 night trip so not too bad !

:confused:I've realized today that I've bought 4 NEW LONG FORMAL DRESSES for my upcoming Princess cruise , trouble is they have only 2 formal nights ! Doh, only been with them once before so thought as it was 12 days , then it would be same as P&O ! Oh well, just have to book somewhere else to wear the others !

Always pack my shoes in my flight bag, with Easyjet it matters not what weight but size so my little wheeled flight case fits NEARLY all shoes rest OH has in his case ( with or without his permission ! )

If luggage allowance allows I pack as much as I can on hangers, makes packing and unpacking really quick and forces me to be a bit tidier.

I used to do that, good idea but traveling with Easyjet this time and last year, only 20 kls. ( Princess cruises)

I tissue and ROLL my dresses, and they come out of case fine, I don't mind the wire hangers, as long as I can ask for them early.

What I do is;

Write down what I am wearing on each evening inc underwear, jewelry, shoes etc, that way, I don't forget to pack them. Once, I put on too much weight so on the last evening couldn't wear a lovely dress that I had bought SO now I NUMBER in which order that I am going to be wearing my clothes, a slimmer dress I will wear sooner rather than later ! Sad, isn't I BUT it works !

My secret to share about Azura

 

If you go to E Deck and walk towards the front of the ship - you come to the end of the corridor theres a door that leads to the bow area of the ship and its open to passengers ( depending on the weather )

 

Its great as not many people know about it and when you have an inside or outside cabin without a balcony its like a private balcony !!!

They do NOW !

When we have dined at speciality restaurants aboard ships, we haven't enjoyed the experience on our own as much as being on the table for 8 for the duration of the cruise. So, we don't tend to go to them unless we have company with us. We shall probably do it this cruise as we have another couple coming with us who are our cruise friends. Much better to dine with another couple. Don't mind paying the surcharge though to get better service and food.

Definitely not - more like a scatter cash cruiser!

Seriously though, I can't get the great prices on cruises you lucky Americans get, the cruise companies charge us so much more. I do however get my discount (now on Gold status) and sometimes go for the repositioning voyages too. They are great value but my main reason is that I love the long ocean voyages and because they are so cheap, can afford the top category cabin,

 

However when it comes to my cruise card bill at the end 0 it's always huge, The only thing I don't buy are shore excursions but I like to have several 9sometimes many) spa treatments, get my hair done and photos taken on the gala evenings. Whilst I'll often try the cocktails of the day, i don't buy any drinks packages I just choose whichever wine I want that day from the list. I work very hard all year and have very little spare time, so when I'm on a cruise, I refuse to count pennies and like to pamper myself.

However the way the Credit crunch is biting (not just media talk although they are making it worse), it will be a while before I can afford to sell shares when I return to pay off my cruise card bill, so may have to start taking tips from you on how to be a tightwad!

Yes, that sounds like us, except that I only used the hair salon the once....never again ! We were celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary aboard P&O Ventura and we were having our vows done aboard. So, as a treat, I had my make-up and hair done. I asked if they used waterproof mascara, was told " No" !!!! And to put it into my husbands words" Your hair looks like the Queen Mother"!!!!! I was horrified as to how they had done it, never said anything to her ( that's an English trait, I'm afraid ! ) and went back to my cabin and did it myself !!!!! Wasn't going to tell OH how much it was , then realized that it would be on our TV for him to see !

As for the tips, I agree with some people that we do pay the daily tips as there are other people that we don't see that are working just as hard in making our cruise great.

We do buy the coffee card as we get lots of use out of it.

We are both retired now so of course have to watch our pennies, but I invigilate several times a year for our University, and recruit for my last company to get my cruises.

Try Park On My Drive site;

http://www.parkonmydrive.com/