SoonerDog

2 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

Forgot to say . . . I think most people will tell you that any 4 day cruise on an inexpensive line is likely to be a "booze cruise" and may not be representative of the norm.  If you take a longer cruise (especially something more than a week) not during spring break or school vacation you would likely find a very different clientele. 

Thanks for the response.  Your assessment of the 4 night trips makes perfect sense, although I hadn't really thought of that aspect.  Just a long weekend party cruise so to speak.  

Our favorite line thus far has been Celebrity & we've done 2 trips with them-  One Mediterranean, the other Eastern Caribbean.  Both were great.  We've also done 1 Princess cruise (Golden Princess, Transatlantic), but that was several years ago.  We're thinking of taking a 7 nighter out of Galveston within the next 4 to 6 weeks & might take another look at Carnival.  I'll watch for your post-cruise comments on the Mardi Gras!  Hope it's a great trip!  

On 8/22/2022 at 6:10 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

I am a solo cruiser.  I have no children.  My "children" are three Grand-Nephews and Nieces who live in Maryland and Alaska.  How often am I able to celebrate this joyous season with them?  I have good memories of Christmas cruises with children enjoying the season.  To my pleasant surprise, even the Prinsendam had several children.  Their presence helped make that cruise even more special to me.  

 

I respect your desire to avoid these young members of our species.  Please, remember, however, it will be these young members who will become contributing members of our society and whose financial contributions, by the way of taxes--and maybe philanthropic support of a variety organizations--may indirectly assist you as you become more senior and, perhaps, less healthy.  

There are plenty of cruises which allow children; many even cater to them.  For those who prefer an adults-only ship, there are markedly fewer choices.  Personally, I agree with those who prefer NOT having a bunch of children onboard.  I have raised my children, and I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my Grandchildren when it suits me.  However, I am not enthralled by other people's kids and have zero interest in spending my holiday/vacation time with them.  Truthfully, I'd rather be hit in the face with a stick than look at photos of your grandchildren!

My 2 adult sons and I have a Pub/Restaurant business in a mid-sized city.  We'll have been open 21 years in March and have never allowed under 21's, even though we could if we elected to do so.  Yes, there are people who complain and sometimes leave bad reviews online simply because of this policy.  However, our loyal clientele love the fact that we are adults-only and have repeatedly expressed that to us.  There are dozens of other places in town where families can go.  We are the only nicer restaurant where a Teacher can come in for dinner and a few drinks without running into one of their students!

So, for you who are somehow offended by those of us that prefer NOT to spend our leisure time around children, understand it isn't because we hate kids or families-  We've simply paid our dues and prefer the company of like-minded adults....And Dogs!  we like dogs!

23 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

Apparently, I am quite the philanderer.  I'm happy to sail on pretty much any ship that is going to places I want to go.  We currently have one each booked on Celebrity, Carnival, Royal and NCL.  Also looking at Princess for Japan and Alaska but will add land trips to those two.  Got to step up the retirement recovery that was short circuited by the shut down.

Have you been on Carnival recently?  My very first cruise some 20 odd years ago was a 4 day affair on the old Carnival Fantasy and it was not a very pleasant experience.  In fact, that trip has caused me to avoid Carnival ever since.  Am I being unfair?  Have their cruises & ships improved?  I do like some of the itineraries they offer, but have been leery of giving them another chance.  

10 hours ago, karinad said:

Thank you for the detailed response and great information. Two of our stops will surely be the Royal Yacht and the castle.

You are most welcome!  My wife is from Edinburgh and, although we are now in the States, we lived in the City Center for a few years and travel back frequently to see family.

Some things I failed to mention-  Depending upon how much luggage you have, the Trams are a great way to get to the airport and I'd encourage you to use them if at all feasible.  If you are carrying quite a lot, you'll be better off taking a Taxi or Private Car hire.  If going by car/taxi give yourself some extra time, especially if your flight requires you to be at the airport between 7:00 & 9:00 or 4:00 to 6:30 as traffic can be quite heavy along the route during the typical 'rush hours'.

The Britannia is moored at Ocean Terminal which is an indoor shopping center that has a food court and Cinema.  The Trams run there from Princess Street with several stops along the way, including one adjacent to the Conan Doyle Pub & Edinburgh Playhouse I mentioned previously. 

Edinburgh is kind of divided between what's known as "Old Town' & 'New Town'.  Old Town basically sits above the New Town area and that is where you'll find the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle.  The Castle is at the top of the Royal Mile and Holyrood Palace sits at the bottom.  Along the way are many shops, pubs, restaurants and interesting sites.  It's best to find a ride to the castle (Taxi, Hop-on/Hop-off tour bus or City Bus (Lothian Buses) and walk down- much easier as getting to the castle on foot is a pretty good climb.  

Definitely stay in the City Center of Edinburgh.  The hotels there will be a bit more expensive, but well worth it in my opinion.  Anywhere in the 'West End' or York Place/St James Quarter of New Town will be great as the Edinburgh Trams run pretty much everywhere in the City Center, even down to the Leith area (seaport region where the Royal Yacht Britannia is moored).  

There are also a number of nice hotels along the Royal Mile, as well as the Grass Market which is just below the castle; however, Trams do not run in those areas, so you'll have to walk or grab a Taxi or Bus.  One positive thing about the Edinburgh Buses (Red Lothian Buses) is the fact that they all run down Prince's Street at some point-  Just make sure to ask the driver if he is headed to or away from Princes Street. 

 The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle are pretty much a 'must see', they are a pretty tough climb from Prince's Street which is the main shopping street.  The Edinburgh 'Hop-on/Hop-off' buses are a great way to get a general overview of the city and also will eliminate some of the walking/climbing between the main sites.  I would do that, stopping off along the way to see the Castle and walk DOWN the Royal Mile.

Depending upon how much time you have, some of my favorite places are as follows:

The Surgeon's Hall Museum on South Bridge/Nicolson St

Scottish National Gallery on Prince's Street 

National Museum of Scotland (near the University)

The Edinburgh Playhouse (There is usually a good play on)

The Conan Doyle Pub for a meal (named in honor of Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes).  Conan Doyle lived nearby.

Stockbridge area if you have time and check out the 'Charity Shops'- Fun & full of bargains

The basement supermarket at Mark's & Spencer's on Prince's Street.

Primark Clothing Store- Prince's Street

Walk along Rose Street which is like a pedestrian only street right behind Princess Street.

TISO outfitters on Rose Street

Stop at the Gregg's bakery on Rose street for a 'Steak bake'

Also, any of the 'Pret' sandwich shops for a delicious quick snack

Edinburgh is a magnificent city and, in my opinion, one of the World's most beautiful.  It's easy to get around and people are friendly- even if a bit hard to understand at first.  You'll love it!

On 1/27/2024 at 1:40 PM, Travelling2Some said:

We stayed at Luna Simone.  Small rooms but very clean, attractively decorated and well organized, lovely breakfast and a good price.  What really made it stand out is that the No. 24 bus stop is directly in front of the door and that bus cuts right through the heart of London, taking you to pretty much any place you would want to go.  Wonderful to be dropped off at your doorstep after a long day on your feet.  It is a short walk to Westminster, the Tate, river cruises and the Churchill War Rooms.  We also booked it for it's close proximity to Victoria Coach Station as we were planning to travel on to Bath for a few days before going down to Southampton to board our ship.

Although it's been several years, I've stayed at the Luna Simone a couple of times and it was always clean & comfortable.  And, if you aren't opposed to walking, it is within a mile or so to many of the sites around Westminster.  Things may have changed, but when I was last there the closest Tube Station was Victoria Station which is about a half-mile walk and that can get kind of old.  If you're comfortable interpreting the Bus schedule, then there is a Bus Stop very close, but London Buses can be challenging if you aren't familiar with the city.  The other drawback is the lack of Pubs/Restaurants close by, but as I recall there was a supermarket in the area.  No offense intended to 'Travelling2Some' as they are obviously seasoned travelers and likely know the area well, and for those who do, I agree- Luna Simone is a great choice.

If worse comes to worse, get casino chips for your remaining balance-  you cannot 'cash' these in, but you can play a few hands of Blackjack using them and get back regular chips as/if you win.  Those can be cashed in for actual dollars.  I had $120 remaining credit on my last cruise.  Went to casino the last night at 10:00 pm, got playable chips for my credit and was lucky enough to leave with over $300 cash.

Over the past 30 odd years, I've stayed in virtually every part of Central London and, while all have their own advantages/disadvantages, I've come to the conclusion that the more important criteria are selecting a hotel convenient to a Tube Station, as well as Pubs/Restaurants. My wife (who is from Edinburgh) & I live in the States now, but we lived in Scotland for a few years and traveled back & forth to London frequently while we were attempting to obtain a VISA for her to move to the US with me.  

We have come to prefer staying in the area around Tower Hill for a number of reason-  There are a number of newer hotels there which are reasonably priced. The area has some nice Pubs & Eateries, and it's easy to get virtually anywhere in Central London from the Tower Hill Tube Station via the Circle Line.  The other two areas we have enjoyed are Notting Hill & Bloomsbury (Russell Square) both of which have good hotels, although older & more traditional.  Both are good locations with plenty of amenities.

My suggestion would be to shop in one of these areas for a good deal then look up recent reviews for the specific hotel on Trip Advisor.

Have a great time...

Mark

Celebrity (Equinox) has 2 different options for the Dolphin Excursion to Blue Lagoon (Nassau).  One titled, 'Blue Lagoon Island Dolphin Swim And Beach Day' appears to be pretty basic ($179) with just the boat ride over and the Dolphin Swim. The other, titled 'Blue Lagoon Island VIP Dolphin Swim & Beach'  is priced about $120 per person higher.  Has anyone done either of these and/or can anyone tell me if the VIP is worth the extra money.  Does it give you priority boarding or admission or anything?

Many thanks for any help,

Marco

Thanks Everyone for the advice.  I've managed to book a later flight so all good 🙂

Did a search, but unable to locate any info.  Anyone have any idea as to the earliest time one can get off the ship?  Trying to book a flight out of FLL and the best available departs at 9:45, so need to be at the airport around 8;30'ish.  Don't mind handling our own luggage and just walking off if that's an option?

Great info-  Definitely sounds like the Veranda is the way to go.  I'm assuming the Classic Bev Pkg would be for both passengers?  Many thanks for the response 🙂

Preparing to book this itinerary with Balcony Cabin on Deck 7, but wondering if I'd be better off spending a bit more for a different deck?  Any suggestions on cabins would be appreciated.  Also, wondering about the drink packages and how much more the cost is to move up to Aqua Class and what are the benefits?

Any advice along  these lines or regarding shore activities is much appreciated.

Mark

....also (just spotted this since previous post), you may find this interesting:

https://book.princess.com/BookingSystem/goToUrl.do?srcURL=marketing/cu/promotional/promotions/index.jsp

Awesome- Thank You for sharing that!

Fair comments from you and other parents. I do apologize, I did not make myself clear.

 

Yes, of course, we can bring her to the kids club. We are merely trying to slowly test the waters with regards to her independence. And don't get me wrong, we're not considering leaving her alone for a prolonged period of time. She may not like being alone after 5 minutes, and that's perfectly fine. That will be where the experiment stops.

 

And the reason why we're thinking about trying this on a cruise ship is very simple: it is the most controlled environment I can think of. At home she can run out onto the street. In a hotel the same. On a boat not so much: no chances of getting hit by a car or eaten by a coyote.

 

We're definitely not leaving her in a cabin with a walkie-talkie to get drunk at the bar. No effing way. And maybe in the end we may decide to not even try it at all. We're still 5 months out.

 

We lived in a neighborhood (upscale Socal, in a cul de sac) where 7 and 8 year old kids would play outside with each other without problems. Each child is different and has different needs. Ours is craving responsibility, but sometimes takes too much on her plate, which is why we take it one step at a time, and in a controlled environment.

 

But let's not end up in a discussion of how good or bad we are at parenting. I think we're not too shabby, and I'll have no problem explaining myself to any CPS whatsoever.

I'm sure you and your spouse have the safety of your child at the forefront.

I just wanted to make a suggestion that has worked well for me in the past. Since most cruise cabins can accommodate 4, have you considered taking along a responsible older child- perhaps a cousin or other family member or friend who can look after the 7 y.o. to give you some free time? I realize there would be added cost, but thought I'd mention it for what it's worth.

I've got no issue with your game or the time it took to play it. What I have issue with is offering a server money to entertain you by playing the game. I'd bet the servers would have had just as much fun getting high fives for getting the right answer or boos for getting the wrong answer and then a nice tip at the end of the cruise would be the topping on the cake, but we all do things different and think differently about how others might feel, especially those from different cultures, and think how boring it would be if we all thought alike.

Trust me- Those servers would be ecstatic to accept money in this type of situation. Do you know that the average waiter 'salary' on a cruise ship is between $300-$500 (US) PER MONTH, and that most of them work as much as 80-100 hours per week with ZERO days off. They rely primarily on 'tips' in order to make up for the low salary. Most of them would spin on their head if you paid them to do it, and they wouldn't care if it was demeaning or not. The majority are trying to feed families back home in predominantly 3rd-world countries.

And don't misinterpret this as me being insensitive or apathetic to them- I respect the heck out of these people who leave home and family in order to try and make it in the world. If the typical pampered American or Brit worked half as hard as they do, our countries would be in much better shape.

Many Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond- the info and varied opinions are appreciated. I will definitely post a review and/or comparison if we make the crossing.

Just as an aside; My lone Celebrity cruise was several years ago (2006) and was 9 nights Barcelona to Dover. It was absolutely perfect in every way. Interestingly, when the wife and I arrived at the cruise terminal in Barca, there were a bunch of people complaining about having to wait an extra 1/2 hour to start boarding. One of the Celebrity employees (a well-dressed young lady) came up and apologized to us for the delay. We told her we understood things happen, and that we weren't bothered in the least. 3 nights later, we ended up at the 'Captain's Table' and discovered she was responsible for having arranged it. Just goes to show that a little kindness can pay dividends.

Hi Mark,

 

Having cruised the QM2 (twice), Princess (three times), and Celebrity (29 times), I would rate them:

(Mac-O-Meter is on)*

 

MDR Food -- Celebrity 9.1; QM2 8.3 and Princess 7.9

Buffet -- Celebrity 8.8; Princess 7.6 and QM2 6.0

Alternatives -- Celebrity 9.2; QM2 8.6 and Princess 7.7

 

Ship Quality -- QM2 9.3; Celebrity 9.0 and Princess 8.2

Cabins -- Celebrity 9.0; Princess 8.4 and QM2 8.2

Ship Decor -- QM2 9.2; Celebrity 9.0 and Princess 8.1

Deck Spaces -- Princess 8.9; QM2 8.6 and Celebrity 8.3

Promenade Deck - QM2 9.9; Princess 7.5 and Celebrity 6.2

 

Overall Service -- Celebrity 9.6; QM2 9.2 and Princess 8.8

 

Entertainment Venues -- QM2 9.3; Celebrity 9.0 and Princess 7.9

Over-all Entertainment -- Celebrity 8.3; Princess 8.0 and QM2 8.0

Speakers/Educational -- QM2 9.2; Celebrity 8.9 and Princess 8.2

Formality/Dress Code -- QM2 9.6; Celebrity 8.4 and Princess 7.3

 

Itineraries -- QM2 9.4; Princess 8.4 and Celebrity 8.1

 

Overall it's hard to beat Celebrity, but for a TA QM2 wins by a mile as it is truly an Ocean Liner and the experience is second to none. The S-class ships of Celebrity could be the best bang for the buck at sea. I want to like Princess, but it hasn't happened yet -- I will keep trying. *the Mac-O-Meter is a bit silly and only has much meaning to me ;p.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

Kel,

I love your 'Mac-O-Meter'! Many thanks for such an informative and detailed response!

I do agree that Celebrity is hard to beat!

Mark

The pearl clutchers sure are ninny-nannying this thread, aren't they?

 

Cruizer Rick, have fun with your friends. Chat with the staff a bit, but try not to impede them in their duties. Use your good judgement, which I have seen no sign on your posts of you lacking.

 

Pearl clutchers: Order your food, request your ice, and then ignore the staff so that they can move on to the next passenger. Use your good judgement.

 

Sheesh, this thread is uglier than threads on auto-tipping and giving your steward a fun size® candy with their tip.

"Pearl clutchers".... I love it!

Hello Everyone,

 

Family of 4 sailing with friends (family of 4) on Harmony in July. Last time we sailed with these friends we love to play harmless practical jokes on board.

 

I'd love some new material for this cruise coming up. Here is a few of my favorite (that I can share).

 

• Room Service with the worst menu items 30 minutes before actual room service should arrive.
  
• Electrical surcharge invoice for over usage of A/C (invoice slipped under door toward end of cruise) or Water surcharge for using too much water
  
• Vegan dinner menu for 1st night
  
• Birthday Celebration - even if not a Birthday :)
  

These are all done in pure jest, only to be playful on vacation.... Please let me know if you have any fun material that you can share.

 

 

No haters please, this is in spirit of good fun & I'd like to keep this post in the same spirit!

 

 

Help me win this years joker battle!

Great ideas- Too bad a few of the respondents are such killjoys! I've been on (and off) these boards for a number of years and have always found there are many people with nothing better to do than constantly peruse the various posts looking for something of which to be critical.

I would guess they're the same people who always complain about their last cruise because someone made the mistake of not wearing a Tux on formal night or how bad the deserts were after they consumed 4 or 5 portions- lol.

Hello QM2 Cruisers,

Am contemplating a west-bound TA on one of this Summer's QM2 sailings. Have never sailed Cunard before, but have had really great cruises with Celebrity (Mediterranean) and Princess (TA- Southampton to NYC).

Can anyone out there who has sailed on these lines give me an 'objective' opinion on how they compare food wise & with regards to onboard activities, shows, etc?

Many thanks,

Mark

This is assuming you aren't taking a ton of luggage (if you are- the private car is the best idea).

I always take a train- You can depart from either Victoria or Waterloo and travel w/o any changes to Southampton Central and get a Cab from there to the cruise terminal. This would require you to get from Heathrow to Victoria, but that's pretty easy on the Tube

You can get Train info at national rail.co.uk.

Also, if you haven't already booked your flight, I would strongly advise you to arrive in London the day before you sail. Chances are, you'll have no problems, but nothing could be worse than missing your cruise because of a problem with your flight.