jeh10641

Hi, seoma, It is purely irrational on my part. I am afraid that I will screw it up more than once. My wife self-tests every week in order to visit her sister in senior housing. But it is not supervised. That is my irrational thought process. I have several YouTube videos showing how easy it is. Another part of me says (for our next cruise) we will be in New York City, then Amsterdam, then london and finally Southampton for our cruise. Will it be two days or three? Will I have an Internet connection? Will my phone or tablet work "over there"? Jim

Great news for some, not me. I never cruise for less than ten days. I like the idea of testing but HATE the thought of having to do it myself. We always arrive at or near our port of departure days in advance. In Europe so we can explore places. In Florida so we can visit friends and family. So far, those have been our most recent departure points (since 1989). Trying to find a testing site is hard to do. In December, we booked a test through a site recommended by HAL and we never got the test results before the cruise (more than 48 hours in advance for the testing).

I am a "researcher" before I travel. I check a lot of websites before I settle on a cruise or vacation. In terms of cruises, I always ask my travel agent if he or she can match the lowest cruise price I find. They usually can and do. I say he or she because I use a local agency but my agents may change from trip to trip because of job changes. As to Onboard Credits or Perks, it varies from trip to trip depending on what the cruise line offers my Agent. I always use an agent to book my cruises. I may book hotels and airfare separately/directly but link them through my agent. Hotels and airlines do not always give travel agents commissions so rather than ask my agent to work for free, I book myself. Jim

I cannot speak to CCL Sunshine but I drink a lot of water as well. With ice. From the ship's supply. See my signature for a list of ships I have tried. I am on a KETO based food lifestyle and in December I followed my routine of protein, low carb foods on the Rotterdam (HAL). My nutritionist (working for three years with her) said cruises are for "cheating" in moderation. I consumed NO BREAD for 11 nights with an occasional dessert. My bread and related carb consumption is down about 94% since 2019. I really do not miss it any more. Jim

I get excited the moment I book my cruise. I immediately create a spreadsheet and start to research sights and sites including hotels and dining before, during and after the cruise. Jim

I understand the economics but to me it is illogical. Do only smokers like to gamble? I am not currently a smoker (not for over 40 years) but I like to gamble in a nonsmoking setting. Woe is me! Jim

jaycue, You are a long way from Tipperary. Enjoy your cruises. Jim

Hi, Dog, For my cruise on Rotterdam 12/21, I was travelling with cousins from N.C. We each had booked with our own travel agents (N.C. and WA). I called HAL directly and booked our four specialty dining options after getting my cousins' booking code. I did this about a month before our trip. Perfect! We had the flexible MDR seating and that worked out great as well. Jim

Hi, dog, If you used a travel agent to book your trip, ask him/her to arrange what type of dining you want in the MDR, set or variable times. If you booked directly with HAL, call them. If you can, try the specialty dining (extra fees). They are worth it. Jim

We have done only one Royal cruise in 2008 on Navigator (transatlantic from Barcelona). We are doing our second in October 2023 on Anthem (transatlantic) so all of the entertainment will be new to us. Not only do we like "big" shows but we like the small venues as well. Our primary cruise line has been HAL with its Music Walk concept. I have been watching a cruise blogger on YouTube who is a break-dancer. He had signed a contract for Virgin's new build only to find out after weeks of rehearsal the ship had been delayed by nearly a year. So, he left the cast. Just another example of what affects entertainment on ships. Jim

suamom, Enjoy your trip. While never having cruised exclusively in Europe, I have done two transatlantics with several ports in Europe before crossing the Atlantic. There will be more nonAmericans than when cruising in the U.S/Caribbean. Learn a few greetings such as Bonjour, Guten Tag, Arrivederci, etc. Do not be the "Ugly American". Strike up conversations with Europeans. Learn in advance a little about the history/culture of the places you will visit. If you have never been to Rome or Italy, try to go a week in advance. We visited Venice, Florence and Rome in a week before our cruise. We had been to Italy before so we looked for things we had NOT done before. We used a car service to get from Rome to the Port on the day of our cruise. It took about 90 minutes and we were the only passengers (about $150 including tip for the two of us). Very pleasant drive. In 2016, we were in Venice, Florence and Rome at the end of October/beginning of November and it was HOT! In the 80s at least. Jim

Personal choice as to shorts in the MDR. Personally, I would not even consider it to be an option. I love to wear shorts.

Six years ago, I booked a three night stay in Rome using Trip Advisor to find a hotel. Then I had to get to Civitavecchia for my cruise. I again turned to Trip Advisor for suggested modes of transportation and found a private car service for about $150 total for the two of us. Very nice.

Here are my updated thoughts: 1. Masks - my wife and I wear masks whenever we are out in public today and for the foreseeable future. We have noticed that the number of family/friends who have started testing positive (trending upward) comes from their NOT wearing masks any more. I, too, have noticed a decline in common colds, the flu and Norovirus when masking was required. A coincidence? I think not. 2. Testing - If more tests are administered to a larger portion of the population, I think it follows that more people will test positive. The question remains - is that a higher percent of the total population testing positive or is it the same rate, just a larger pool? 3. Coughing/Sneezing - I have allergies that cause me to cough and sneeze all year round and have done so since my teens (I am 80 now). Masking does not help that but being away from trees, flowers, grass (the kind that grows in your yard!) eases the problem (like being at sea or in air-conditioned spaces). 4. Buffets - Do not handle the food unless you plan to eat it. I loved the buffet on our last cruise when the food was served to us. That should be the new norm. 5. Vaccinations - I get my flu shot every year, my pneumonia shot when required, my shingles injection and other vaccinations as needed. To those I will now add a Covid jab as often as it is recommended (currently, double boosted). To this I will add my standard STAY WELL!