LIVE! * EPIC * Oct 6 – 17, 2024 * Greek Isles

[broberts]

3 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

It’s not really over for me yet - hehe. Spending 5 days in Rome then fly to Athens for this:

 

 

 

Will you be live posting this cruise?

[HBCcruiser]

5 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

Will you be live posting this cruise?

 

Would you like me to?

Edited Wednesday at 02:24 PM by HBCcruiser

[broberts]

47 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

Would you like me to?

 

Yes.

[laudergayle]

58 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

 

 

I cannot understand why CC won’t add a sad face emoji.  

😕

[laudergayle]

55 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

It’s not really over for me yet - hehe. Spending 5 days in Rome then fly to Athens for this:

 

 

This sounds soooo fun.  Where are you for a Halloween?  I don’t even need to ask if you packed a costume!🤣

[HBCcruiser]

BTW our Butler was a bit of a dud. In fact, no snacks were delivered yesterday or today. Weird. Not that we need them.  He was basically non- existent. This is a first for us. We have always had good to great butlers who deserved a great tip. What should I tip our dud? 

[HBCcruiser]

9 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

This sounds soooo fun.  Where are you for a Halloween?  I don’t even need to ask if you packed a costume!🤣

Yeees I packed a costume. 😉

[HBCcruiser]

[HBCcruiser]

16 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

Yes.

 

Done. Ill post a link here to the new thread once I start it in Athens. I’ll keep this one going through Rome. 👍🥂

[laudergayle]

2 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Oooh…looking forward to your costume reveal🧙‍♀️👻🎃🐀

[HBCcruiser]

3 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Oooh…looking forward to your costume reveal🧙‍♀️👻🎃🐀

You are a hoot! Can’t wait to meet you in February. It’s going to be EPIC. 😂🥂🎉

[HBCcruiser]

Pure idiocy:

 

A woman at the Haven bar hacking away complains that she has been sick for several days because someone got her sick. She’d love to have it out with that person yet here she sits at the Haven bar. Seriously? You see no irony in your statement. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[HBCcruiser]

A Sumpin-sumpin

Really nice and smooth drink just created.

 

Espresso martini 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

BTW our Butler was a bit of a dud. In fact, no snacks were delivered yesterday or today. Weird. Not that we need them.  He was basically non- existent. This is a first for us. We have always had good to great butlers who deserved a great tip. What should I tip our dud? 

I've sailed the Haven quite a bit.  For the most part, the Butlers have gone out of their way to be helpful.  But, every once in a while I'll find one who seems to be...oh....I dunno...."less enthusiastic".  This has only happened a couple of times.  They weren't bad, per se.  They just weren't what I've been accustomed to.

 

I don't ask much of my Butlers.  Just keep the Nespresso pods full and don't let the obligatory sparkling wine linger in the cabin, as I won't drink it.  That's it.

 

The one "meh" Butler was invisible until the 2nd to last day of the cruise....when he was lingering around my cabin all day wanting to know if I needed anything.

 

What to tip?  That's up to you.  I gave my "meh" Butler $20, and that's only because I DID have a full Nespresso machine the entire cruise.  Aside from that, he didn't warrant much from me.

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

Would you like me to?

YESSSSSS, he said emphatically!! 

 

And I'm glad to hear you'll be letting us know when it's posted. Enjoy your last few hours onboard Epic!! 

[laudergayle]

You should have gotten her address…just in case. 🤣

[HBCcruiser]

Our best meal again was at La Cucina!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HBCcruiser]

I’m pretty buzzed after all the drinks/wines..🤪🤪

[tony s]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I've sailed the Haven quite a bit.  For the most part, the Butlers have gone out of their way to be helpful.  But, every once in a while I'll find one who seems to be...oh....I dunno...."less enthusiastic".  This has only happened a couple of times.  They weren't bad, per se.  They just weren't what I've been accustomed to.

 

I don't ask much of my Butlers.  Just keep the Nespresso pods full and don't let the obligatory sparkling wine linger in the cabin, as I won't drink it.  That's it.

 

The one "meh" Butler was invisible until the 2nd to last day of the cruise....when he was lingering around my cabin all day wanting to know if I needed anything.

 

What to tip?  That's up to you.  I gave my "meh" Butler $20, and that's only because I DID have a full Nespresso machine the entire cruise.  Aside from that, he didn't warrant much from me.

A dud deserves a dud. zero 

[cruiseny4life]

53 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

I’m pretty buzzed after all the drinks/wines..🤪🤪

That's the best way to be!!! Keep it up!

[graphicguy]

I have found my last few La Cucina meals to be exceptional.  That's a good thing.  They used to be "take it or leave it".

 

 

[Seas2mountains]

Thank you for the wonderful review! 😃 I look forward to following along with your adventures in Rome and on the next cruise.

 

We are the worst people to ask what to give to the butler or room steward who are just okay or not great. For some reason, we haven't felt the same about a bad concierge.

 

My husband and I start wondering if they are homesick, had a huge workload, have a family issue going on, or insert another excuse. We tend to reduce the amount but sometimes just give what makes us feel like we can sleep well not knowing the circumstances. On one cruise, we had the same butler months later and we loved that butler. On the second cruise, there were many families with several teenagers who we could see were very high maintenance as these teens left messes in the Haven pool area and seemed to be constantly ordering room service. The butler admitted to being challenged with these families.

 

Then we start thinking of how they are willing to work so hard to support their families but I don't disagree with those who tip lower amounts - we just aren't there yet.  

[Sailing12Away]

13 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Look who’s in port with us! Do the DOS hot tubs work yet?? 🤔

 

 

Ooof.... a year later and I'm still bitter AF about that! 😠

[Sailing12Away]

12 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Yeees I packed a costume. 😉

We'll have to compare Halloween adventures. Looks like I've got a busy day with 2 stops and an island circumnavigation that day. I may pack my sloth costume and have it double as comfy PJs, but suitcase space is limited for our trip so I'll probably just settle for something smaller and simpler.

[HBCcruiser]

Last Haven breakfast this trip: