First Time Cruiser on Holiday

[livin4him]

:) Hello everyone...this is my first time on this board..

My husband and I are cruising for the first time ever on the Holiday.25th .It sails out of Mobile and that is so close for us...

 

We both know that it isn't the " nicest" ship , but it is very affordable....and close...

 

Can you help me with a few questions??

 

Is the ship nice? Has it really been refurbished since the hurricane?? Is the food good? Are the beds really as comfortable as we have heard?

Will we get seasick?? :confused: ??spend the money for patches, or buy dramamine?

 

Very simple questions, but I am clueless...any help would be appreciated...

 

Thanks...

[CYBERPILOT]

:) Hello everyone...this is my first time on this board..

My husband and I are cruising for the first time ever on the Holiday.25th .It sails out of Mobile and that is so close for us...

 

We both know that it isn't the " nicest" ship , but it is very affordable....and close...

 

Can you help me with a few questions??

 

Is the ship nice? Has it really been refurbished since the hurricane?? Is the food good? Are the beds really as comfortable as we have heard?

Will we get seasick?? :confused: ??spend the money for patches, or buy dramamine?

 

Very simple questions, but I am clueless...any help would be appreciated...

 

Thanks...

 

Was on the Holiday in April...gong again Sept 30.....

 

the ship is clean, functional, and very friendly. The food was excellent....service was exceptional, and yes the beds were comfortable...especially when you are dog tired from having all the fun we had.

 

Seasick is relative....I saw people sick in port before we left:D ...none of our group had the slightest sickness and used no patches. drugs, etc.

 

Just have a good time and all the other stuff will fall in place. If you go looking for problems you will find them..on the Holiday or any other ship.

 

Don

[pigfishinn]

livin4him

 

Try this link. From previous boards this has lots of good info on the Holiday.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=384268

[LisaL]

Ginger is supposed to be good for seasickness. On a previous cruise my aunt took this and it helped her. I think she had some kind of tablets from health food store.

[Cotton]

We both know that it isn't the " nicest" ship , but it is very affordable....and close...

 

Well, why would you say that? You really don't know that she isn't the nicest ship if you haven't sailed on her, do you?:D That's all in one's perspective anyway. I think the Holiday is the ship with the friendliest crew and a tad bit better dining room food than other ships I've been on. She may be the oldest and smallest, and not have all the 'bells and whistles' as the new ships, but she's still a grand old dame. Kinda like a comfy old shoe to me.;)

 

Can you help me with a few questions??

 

Is the ship nice? Yes.

Has it really been refurbished since the hurricane??Yes.

Is the food good?Wonderful.

Are the beds really as comfortable as we have heard?Yes.

Will we get seasick?? Doubtful.

??spend the money for patches, or buy dramamine?I take Dramamine a coupla hours before boarding the ship, and one every night just before going to sleep. Never had a problem.

 

The patches:

1) expensive

2) require a doctor visit for Rx

3) may cause hallucinations

 

Enjoy the Holiday.

[silentbob007]

Make sure to buy ginger or Bonine and take it with you just in case. You might even try taking it early just to see how you react to it. Cruise ships are not like smaller boats where motion is a huge issue, however, better safe than sorry.

[livin4him]

thanks...we have never cruised before...this info is really appreciated......

[tet1968]

She is like a quaint little village where everyone knows everyone. Great food..If you don't like the Holiday, you don't like cruisin'........:D

[Cotton]

You got it, Tet.

 

I must be losing my mind. I haven't taken Dramamine in 15 years. I take BONINE. Duh me.

[seashell36]

Don't do the patches! Like Cotton said, they have some side effects that will make your cruise not so pleasant if they happen to you. A friend of mine used them and they affected her sense of taste. :eek: Can't imagine not being able to enjoy all that wonderful food!:cool:

Last year we took Bonine, didn't feel one moment of nausea!:D Of course, we didn't have any bad weather and very little rough seas.

[livin4him]

She is like a quaint little village where everyone knows everyone. Great food..If you don't like the Holiday, you don't like cruisin'........:D

 

 

thank you, thank you...this is our first time ever to cruise, and like I said..Mobile is so close ..and my brother lives there..so....we park at his house, he drives us, and picks us up!! too convenient..we are from Louisiana , do the drive is only 5 hours...

[livin4him]

You got it, Tet.

 

I must be losing my mind. I haven't taken Dramamine in 15 years. I take BONINE. Duh me.

 

 

so bonine is the best..is it over the counter??

 

and I would have thought you were from Louisiana with the" Laissez les bon temps rouler"

[Cotton]

Bonine is non-drowsy, and works like a charm for me. Yep, it's OTC. You can also ask your pharmacist for meclazine (same formula, but more for less $).

 

Yep, I'm a born and bred cajun gal from N.O., raised in the Garden District. I live on the coast now, but back 'home' very often!:)

[livin4him]

livin4him

 

Try this link. From previous boards this has lots of good info on the Holiday.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=384268

 

 

thank you, thank you..I just tried the link ..It really helped...

:)

[livin4him]

Bonine is non-drowsy, and works like a charm for me. Yep, it's OTC. You can also ask your pharmacist for meclazine (same formula, but more for less $).

 

Yep, I'm a born and bred cajun gal from N.O., raised in the Garden District. I live on the coast now, but back 'home' very often!:)

 

thank you...will try the bonine non drowsy..i was afraid of being to sleepy with the dramamine...

[rcknrbn]

It looks like your questions have already been answered but we just got off the Holiday today so I'll add my $.02......

 

Ship is nice. We are first time cruisers as well and found the ship to be comfortable. It does show some age to it but is well maintained and very clean.

 

The food is very good, some in our group found the menu selection in the dining room somewhat extravagant (filet wrapped in goose liver, stuffed quail, etc.). There are several options for appetizers, salads, entrees, etc. with each dinner menu. Menus are different each night.

 

Beds are new and excellent! I just had shoulder surgery 3 weeks ago and was worried about the quality of the mattresses. Found them to be very comfortable.

 

Seasickness - I normally get queasy riding a roller coaster or riding in a car while reading. Took Bonine the morning before the cruise and every morning thereafter, had no problems. A member in our group wore the patch and had a side effect of blurred vision, she couldn't even read the menu.

 

The only other thing I would add is that we were in cabin E188, very last cabin towards the rear of the ship. Engine noise / vibration was very bad two of the five nights. I found it to be worse when they were turning or maneuvering or fighting rough seas (port call to Costa Maya was cancelled due to wind/waves). Was so bad last night that everything sitting loose on the desk vibrated to the floor! We talked to people just a little further up the aisle and they felt nothing.

 

Hope this helps. Was overall a great trip.

[WellDeserved]

My DW and I were on the Holiday the first of July. 1st cruise and we loved it. Can't wait to go again. No sea sickness. Great time!

 

When are you going?

[momsoftwins]

well the holiday was my "1st". and it was jan of 2005 and i am goin on my 4th in sept. i have a special place in my heart for the "holiday". it made me a cruise junky. just go with an open mind and enjoy all you can

[walorie2000]

I just got off of her yesterday. As another poster mentioned she does show some age, but don't we all.:D

 

The food was really good cause I gained 3 lbs on a 5 night cruise.:rolleyes:

 

Go to Wal Mart and buy a bottle of Ginger capsules and start taking them a few days before you board and take them all through the trip. My daughter is prone to motion sickness and used those plus took dramamine before she went to bed at night and had no problems. And we had a rocky ride for a day or so around Costa Maya. However, the tenders into Cozumel were pretty rocky, but that may just have been that day and they might not always be that bad. But she didn't even get sick on those taking the ginger.

 

The really interesting thing for me is that I had zero problems with motion sickness on the ship or on the tenders. However, last night when I got home I was rocking side to side and started feeling a little nauseated. I took a dramamine and went to bed and feel better this morning.

 

Go and have a great time. You will enjoy it!!

[Cotton]

.......The food is very good, some in our group found the menu selection in the dining room somewhat extravagant (filet wrapped in goose liver, stuffed quail, etc.).

 

Extravagant? Ahhh, they're simply offering gourmet cuisine, and many aren't accustomed to these type items on a menu.:)

 

Beef Wellington is an entree that often turns folks off due to the liver pate`. If prepared correctly, you hardly notice it's there. It's one of my favorite dishes, on land or sea.

 

I love quail, but I did not particularly care for the strong herb stuffing. It overpowered the taste of the quail, but then, the Marsala wine sauce made up for it.;)

[futaba951]

My mom is a health food nut and to her credit is 82 and probably the healthiest person I know. She had a book when I was growing up on health foods that she absoulutely tormented me with and I had to laugh (at the irony, not that she died) when a few years ago I read that the author had died of cancer. (She was evidently a closet smoker all her life). You are a chef, so a question for you. Why is it that all the great tasting foods are supposed full of stuff that will give you cancer or kill you and all the foods that are good for you taste like.... well you know where I'm heading here?

[DING-DING]

I Will Second That On The Dramamine. Took Some On My Eastern Cruise And Cant Really Remember Walking Around Nassau. Western Cruise No Problem With Seasickness At All. Maybe More Waves In The Atlantic. Cotton May I Please Say That I Really Enjoy Your Posts. I Am New To This And Have Learned So Much Great Info. I Am Addicted To Reading Now:)

[Cotton]

You are a chef, so a question for you. Why is it that all the great tasting foods are supposed full of stuff that will give you cancer or kill you and all the foods that are good for you taste like.... well you know where I'm heading here?

 

:D I know, only too well! It can be quite a challenge to come up with really good tasting food that is also good for you. The problem usually lies not only in the type of fats/calories, say in beef, but the preparation. Many cuts of beef, pork, game, etc. are made edible and more taste-worthy, only by adding marinades or sauces. Therein lies the major problem. Everyone can't afford the choicest cuts of meat; therefore, these 'helpers' are incorporated in the prep stage.

 

Without getting too technical, there are some oils that are good for you, and some that can kill you over a period of time if used frequently. I'm very particular about the oils I use. I also often cut back on the heavy cream in my recipes, opting for either half-and-half or 2% milk. With the correct seasoning, a sauce can be just as good - and far more healthy - by making this little change. One thing I don't and won't substitute is butter. It can either make or break a recipe. But butter is not a bad thing (I use unsalted) unless overused. Seasonings - KEY. Salt can also be a killer. I rarely use straight salt. I mix lite salt with other seasonings like cayenne, lemon pepper, and that's what I use as my basic seasoning blend, in the place of regular salt.

 

I wish I had THE answer to healthy AND delicious food. I could make a million!:D In the meantime, while I'm awaiting my miracle idea on how to do this, I cut back to lower cholesterol, limit the bad fats and oils, and experiment with different seasonings for better taste!:)

[Cotton]

........Cotton May I Please Say That I Really Enjoy Your Posts. I Am New To This And Have Learned So Much Great Info. I Am Addicted To Reading Now:)

 

Hey, thanks! That's what these boards are for....to share and ask questions so everybody has the best information available in order to have the greatest vacation ever!:)

[Rodeomomof2]

Hey Livin4him...when are you cruising on the Holiday? We are leaving on the 24th of August, less than 4 weeks and we are counting down the days......:)