Cancun01

I think there is more to this story. Was the passenger certain that the carry-on didn’t make the gate change? It seems very, very odd to me that the ground or gate crew did not ensure that any gate-checked carry-ons were not moved to the new gate. When the gate crew ask for volunteers to check their carry-ons as they often do because the flight is full, the bag is tagged and becomes the responsibility of the airline. Under normal processes the passenger doesn’t collect their carry-on if there is a gate change once it is handed to the gate agent who in turn hands the bags to the ground crew. It was reasonable for the passenger to expect to next see her bag on the jet bridge in Amsterdam as she disembarked.

I have sailed across the transatlantic several times on different lines. A lot of your packing will be determined by the month in which you are traveling and whether your route is North Atlantic or further south. If you are traveling from NYC to Southampton on the QM2 in mid-December your requirements will be very different than if you are traveling from Miami to Lisbon in July. Are you stopping in the Azores or Bermuda? If you would provide more info it would be helpful.

Yes we received this survey yesterday. Looks to me like a decision has not been made.

Further to my previous post, I use Sun Bum face and body when a location such as Hawaii calls for “reef friendly” sun screen. It is indeed a good product but I prefer LaRoche otherwise.

It is not always a question of affordability but rather “willingness to pay”. I support the above comments regarding principle, the expectations of a luxury line which generally already charges an expensive per diem and the already existing cross-subsidization of (as mentioned/implied) fitness equipment, alcohol ( by those who don’t drink), Umi Uma (non-sushi eaters) etc. etc. In order to meet “Crystal’s superlative standards” as described in a brochure I recently received onboard, charging an up -charge for a premium internet package is not reasonable IMO. Is this the beginning of a slippery slope of up-charges?

I also use La Roche-Posay spf 60 anti-shine both alone and under my make-up. The tube says dry-touch gel-crèam for sensitive skin. I buy make-up with SPF. I also use La-Roche Posay spf 60 face and body lotion all-in-one. It depends what is in stock and the best price or if there is a bonus but I always buy La Roche. Once on I do not feel it on my face.

Agree! Not very appetizing and insulting for a 5* line. One of our few complaints was the poor quality and poor selection of the afternoon canapés. The tray in the post was one of the better ones and certainly not like the OC. I eventually told the butler to skip it. It was one of my very few negative comments on the post-cruise survey.

We disembarked the Serenity on Dec. 23. The Bistro did not have self-service during that cruise which pleased us. After seeing some passengers’ habits at the portion of the Trident Grill that is self-serve I was disappointed to read that the Bistro was self-serve on the Holiday Cruise. The good news is with self-serve no will know that I take 2 Portuguese tarts!

Sorry to hear that you encountered slow service in Waterside last week. We found that the service was exemplary in every venue including Waterside all week. Maybe it was timing because we found the service in Waterside to be better than it had ever been. We were there at approximately 7:30 pm except 2 nights

The “pre-owned” hawking was one of 2/3 negative comments that I have from our cruise last week. Last week they were also hawking pre-owned handbags which I found offensive as did several other passengers. If a person wants a “difficult to obtain” used handbag (which most of those showcased last week weren’t), the better known auction/estate houses or even Poshmark offer them (authenticated) at much better value!

We disembark tomorrow. We have absolutely all positive things to say. The new lounge area would not be our first choice but we can live without our nightly $20 casino deposit!!! We were last on board in Dec 2021 and found everything better than ever. Happy holidays and safe travels to you and Anne Marie.

Just back from Dubai/AbuDhabi….enjoy your sandals without socks if you go there. I read a lot of misinformation before I went and I bought long sleeved items and didn’t wear them. Wished I had taken more capris/short sleeved blouses. Bring long sleeves, long pants, socks, head scarf if you visit places of worship.

Thank you for this article Terry. You are always so well-informed. Have you seen anything about Dubai/Abu Dhabi cancellations/bookings?

I called MM this morning. Those in Canada will also receive cheques.

I would guess that the entire Middle East region ( including the UAE) will be impacted in the next year or perhaps longer especially if the situation escalates. Yes, Dubai is some 1300 miles from Israel however it is still the same region and a next door neighbour to Saudi Arabia and across the Persian Gulf from Iran. With all due respect, I agree that it is who the country supports not the distance. The beautiful beaches of Dubai are on the Persian Gulf. The US moved one of their ships to the Persian Gulf this week. Certainly the cruiselines have profit -loss in their planning agendas but they are also not going to risk multi-million dollar ships. Regardless, who wants to spend thousands of dollars on a cruise if you have to be overly cautious and full of angst and be worried about personal safety. Perception is reality. In response to the OP, the cruiselines may adjust itinerary’s if bookings decrease and do not meet profit expectations. The cruise ship insurance companies will no doubt play a big part in the decision-making.