KKB

Friday night after sitting in the theatre seats I stood up & my back went OUCH. No idea why. But I was IN PAIN that night & next morning. Decided to buck up & book an overpriced massage as I didn't know what else to do. (Long Island Ice Tea DID help...😉) I ended up with a "deal"...not quite sure how...only about $100 more than I would pay at home. Luckily it was a solid massage! Final thoughts on the ship: We didn't find the service we have on other ships...we didn't "connect" with any servers, bartenders, etc. like we have on other ships. On the Getaway in August I had bartenders come out & give me hugs the last day. Uh, when you made the pool space too small for the number of passengers, so you put CHAIRS out all over the lido decks...VERY few loungers. I walked by TWO HUNDRED loungers in stacks strapped up back by the gym. I'm guessing when ship is less full they pull the chairs & put the loungers out. WHO WANTS TO SIT AT A CHAIR BY THE POOL. I have NEVER seen this to such an extent on ANY other ship. DESIGN FLAW Atrium has the same issue...they would bring out folding chairs for various things as the space isn't large enough for what events they are doing there. Again, DESIGN FLAW In many places audio was very loud...one JARRING moment on the deck when they were trying to get the soccer game audio one. It jolted all of us sunning straight up! It was remedied fairly quick, but WOW. And the gaming machines were pretty tightly packed & pretty loud...I quit playing some because the machines behind us were offensively loud. (that's never happened in other casinos where it was grating like that)

Poker: It was nearly as much a cluster as in 2019. One advantage was that the majority of the main event & such were held on one side of the Observation Lounge. They were a bit more organized than the casino but not HUGELY. We played satellites to win a spot in the 2023 Poker challenge both there & in the casino. The casino had very poor organization (I remember that from 2019) & they do some strange things....they start when everyone is signed up, 30-60 min after announced start time...they do slot/blackjack/poker tournaments 30 min apart so doing more than one is nearly impossible...they are poor about balancing tables when players go out (and considering u usually started with 6 players that is a BIG deal)...they dealt to dead dealer buttons (I've played for 20 years, in Vegas, FL, IA & NEVER seen this). All that being said...I WON A CRUISE/SPOT FOR 2023!! WOO HOO! Joy Nov. 2023 DH did not cash in the tourney...got late into day 1 but that was it. Gambling: I did well, Hit a .05 royal flush, 4 deuces several times, did well at a poker cash game one night. Wish DH could say so much...🙃

Ports of Call Great Stirrup Bay--LOVELY private island. Go past the 1st beach area & you will find may open seats on the next beach. Our poker "party" was on the 3rd area...a bit of a trek. Since drinks are included here, not sure the importance of the party. Food was quite good at the food truck & BBQ buffet. It POURED on us the last hour...luckily we had started walking toward the tenders & were under the covering as it began. St. Thomas--I am not a fan of this port area. But we did stop at a neat open air bar, got a good drink & free wifi & chilled after walking around a bit. We have been to St. Thomas many times, so we were fine with this. Tortola--Nice port area. Ended up at a little bar along the water called On the Rox. Sat there several hours, chatted up the owner & his girlfriend & he gave us his number, said give him a call next time we were in Tortola & he would give us a tour of the island. THAT makes for a special stop! VERY cool! Amber Cove--Really a lovely port area, I had been in Aug. The pool area had been VERY crowded that day but wasn't so much that day, wish we had worn our suits. We did walk up to the Hill Top Bar (wanted to in Aug but I had tweaked a knee). FANTASTIC views.

Entertainment: We played trivia a few times...the 30 something couple who have sailed 20x together KINDA made it NOT as fun for the rest of us...I mean, how fun is it to see the same trivia over & over? Movie Sketch Comedy by the Entertainment staff on the last night was HILARIOUS. Princess does a similar Hollywood Hiccups (which I LOVE), but this was a kick up! DO NOT MISS! Choir of Man--HOLY COW! SPECTACULAR! Definitely one of the top 5 Broadway style shows I've ever seen. Loved the premise. The singers were the best male vocalists I have heard at sea--and it's a large cast! GET THERE EARLY! Kinky Boots--very good. The lead is FANTASTIC. I wish I had seen this one 1st. It is good, but Choir of Man was SO good, it was tough competition. Beatles show--good, but a little low energy I REALLY miss Syd Norman's & much prefer it to Club Cavern...to have 5 nights with Syd Norman performers is a vast improvement to a couple nights of Beatles (one more night was in theater) & the lackluster cover band the other nights DH wandered into Q the next to last night...and found a GREAT country band! We wish we had found them earlier! The do all sorts of country from old (not our fav) to new, and they do it WELL. If you like country DO NOT MISS! Was NEVER crowded--only easy place to get a drink! Be SURE to try the smoked peach (I think it was peach) margarita!

Food MDR was good...about the same as Getaway. Specialty dining: LOVED our waterfront views, but these meals were NOT as good as my fantastic meals on the Getaway at the same restaurants. They were included, so..oh, well. Cagneys--overall pretty good Ocean Blue--OK The Local--gosh we loved O'Shehans in 2019 but I was left disappointed in August. The Local is about the same...it was a little better than August but not as good as 2019. It was a better place to get an omelet in a timely manner than the buffet. But seating is bizarre with the bar area...people do not realize those tables are part of the restaurant. Buffet--it was OK. Very very repetative. Bar & drink service--servers were VERY few & far between in all areas of the ship. We tipped as we went along this trip. We usually give $20 to our fav bartenders/servers at the end, but it was clear early that would not be the case. Waits to get a drink at a bar were often long. If we walked by a bar with no one, we usually stopped as we knew it might be our only chance! The Brew pub is a GREAT place with a great selection--that & the Q were usually good places to get a drink easily.

Embarkation...not nearly the cluster as at New Orleans, but I Celebrity & Princess are SO orderly in their embarkation, we are spoiled. But a VAST improvement over New Orleans. And a lovely pier. Room---we upgraded from their TINY interiors to balcony, which cost us less than an Oceanview when we were allowed to use 2 Cruise Next certificates. We like a balcony. WE JUST NEVER USE IT. But NCL may be the only line that an interior is just TOO small for me (135 sq. ft? NOPE) We were on deck 10--a great spot to make going up or down easy & we didn't always have to take elevators. (we take stairs a lot so we don't have to hit the gym!)

Well, better late than never! Since we tacked on a week in Vegas...and hit the ground running with holiday planning & prepping, I finally have a moment to breathe today. DH won this cruise in 2019 on another poker cruise...and thank you, COVID, it took 3 years to finally go! This is my 9th cruise this year (DH's 5th...I'm doing some solo cruising for the 1st time this year, THANK YOU retirement!) Our 2019 cruise was on the Getaway & that is what I sailed for 2 weeks solo in August, loving what I loved before (and still begrudging NCL's shortcomings) I will do a "subject" review...sharing my thoughts on the various aspects of the cruise. We stayed at our local casino & I hit 4 deuces THREE times that day--a nice start to our trip!! We had a bizarre Lyft incident trying to get from MIA to our hotel...I SPECIFICALLY said what door/pick up area we were at (letter & number) & somehow this guy could not find us. Said he was there...I'm texting, no answer & the guy can't find us & WON'T CANCEL THE RIDE. Seriously, it went on for about 30 min. I could NOT find a way to contact Lyft...I finally did Uber, got a guy right away, no issues, then the Lyft guy finally cancelled. Bizarre. We stayed at the EVEN hotel in Miami. I really liked this hotel--it had it's own mini-gym IN the room!! Small bar & restaurant. Food was decent. Sat outside by the pool on a remarkably dry evening.

Apparently AK cruises tend to be MUCH more casual...we sure observed that in Sept.

Good to hear. Our final payment for PC on Emerald is due next week. I have just gotten an email about a pretty good deal for New Zealand on Holland for similar time period...and we are contemplating doing that instead... We love Princess but everything I'm reading here is NOT what we experienced on Caribbean, Discovery or Sapphire this year! @JamieLogical Interesting...I LOVE the closet on Princess as it is so much more space than other lines, don't mind no sofa (ends up being a clothing catcher...) & I have a hanging toiletry bag so the lack of shelves doesn't bother me. Most showers r pretty cozy on a ship...funny, 6'2" DH didn't comment on the shower. Sad to see some shortcomings of the Emerald...it is making me reconsider PC this spring! DO NOT order pork loin...DH's aunt had it in buffet & MDR on Discovery & it was the only bad thing of the week. And it was BAD.

Excited for this--we sail that same ship/itinerary in April! Also staying at Crowne Plaza, as we are next week heading to Hawaii in Carnival (oh, we shall see!) We have cruised Princess more than any other, tho we had not sailed them for 10 years as we took the leap to Celebrity. Luckily we snagged 4 this year & glad we did. As good as we remember. We find them just below Celebrity in service & food but above NCL. But NCL shows r the bomb...and love my Waterfront... I also am trying MSC for the 1st time--Divina for 5+7 nts Caribbean in Feb & Preziosa for 10+11 nights Europe in May. Fantastic solo deals!

We have sailed the Silhouette & Equinox (2x) plus Edge (2x) & Apex. We have loved every sailing but I am OBSESSED with E-class! Why? IMO E-class is a step up for Celebrity (who I feel is a step up from other lines) The shows are FANTASTIC (which are hit & miss on S-class) I LOVE the 4 smaller dining rooms. I LOVE Eden---different experience on both ships. Cool spot during the day. (tho admittedly some very uncomfortable seating in places---did no one TEST the seating b4 buying it??!!) And I am NOT usually a specialty dining person. I AM an IV fan (tho loved our aft on Edge)--I sit more there than I do on a traditional balcony...weird, I know. On S-class always felt the atrium was too small for what they wanted it to be on S-class, and the "Entertainment Court" is a joke--8 seats for game shows? We do like the Sky Lounge for dancing (MUCH better for silent disco than atrium) but the club on E-class is better if there is a lot of movement. Don't get me wrong, sailed Edge & Apex last year & early this year, and Equinox last month & had a blast. But booked Beyond for next year...

Yeah, I had a few issues that put me off in August on the Getaway. 45 min to get a correct key? (I did a B2B) I removed my gluten sensitivity from their dining notes because it was such a pain. And I tried to cancel Vibe for my 2nd week on day 2 of the 1st week. NOPE. COULD NOT BE DONE. Huh? If I was at home & could call, it could be done. But they damn well knew I couldn't do that so they were gonna keep my $. But the connections I made with the bartenders & Syd Norman performers helped offset. Plus for a solo cruiser (DH had golf commitments), I found it easier to start conversations with people that my solo week on Princess. Celebrity is our fav (LOVE E-class!), followed closely by Princess. RCCL is 3rd & NCL after that. (my parents ranked them the same) They each have things they do better than the others. Celebrity: service, food, shows on E-class Princess: service, food, game shows (they do it like no one else) RCCL: shows & "extra" activities NCL: Waterfront, shows & "extra activities. We will still sail them all...So far NCL has been cruises we won (poker) or tremendous solo value. Celebrity, Princess & NCL giving us the "all-inclusive" package (or virtually) typically prices other lines out for us. DCL was great but at 30% pricier, it's not 30% better. Trying Carnival this month & MSC next month...let's see where they fall!

I purchased it before prices went up for our upcoming 14 day Hawaii cruise. That 14 day price tag is a tough pill to swallow (tho we did have some OBC to offset) We ALWAYS get the "all-inclusive" plan on NCL/Princess/Celebrity so not accustomed to paying out of pocket--ouch! It is about $65/day including gratuity, so approx. $52/day cost each. I KNOW DH will get his moneys worth & then some...mostly beer but he will move more towards frozen cocktails as the cruise goes on. He will drink the same whether we have the package or not. I'm more hit & miss. One day I will have several cocktails/glasses of wine, the next one or none. I will have coffee daily (how is that buffet coffee--NOT so good on other lines, but I will drink if OK), an occasional soda. I'm the $ one in the family...so no package would make me a lot more conscious of my drink choices (from sodas to cocktails) 2 long days on Oahu & Maui make it really 12 days... If it's a break even (or even close), it's worth it. Keep it? Cancel & see what happens?

You misspoke. If you are going Oct 2024 or later, it will be the Radiance. Carnival site is showing Miracle to Hawaii for all sailings prior to that. OP's sailing (and ours) is Miracle 2 weeks from tomorrow.

You might like NCL newer ships as well...but book a Club balcony suite or aft balcony. MDR food is pretty good and specialty dining is quite good (you typically get 1-2 included in your booking). Service is not quite up to par with Celebrity or Princess, except bartenders--NCL is the only time I have had bartenders come out from behind the bar to hug me at the end of my 2 weeks when I handed them an extra tip. Don't get me wrong, NCL service is NOT BAD. Celebrity & Princess excel in service, imo. Why do I recommend NCL? 1--FANTASTIC shows 2--WATERFRONT--this is the wrap-around promenade deck you speak of, but EVERYTHING it should be. A bar on each side, waterfront dining at specialty restaurants, LOTS of casual seating around the whole deck. THIS is what sold me on NCL. We sail our 1st Carnival 2 weeks from tomorrow. It was a free casino offer...to Hawaii. Free? Hawaii? Awfully difficult not to have a good time!!

Interesting. We sailed Princess for our 1st cruise 20 years ago when we were in our late 30s & fell in love. Sailed Princess numerous times over 10 years...then took a 10 year break (not on purpose). Have sailed them 3 times this year. AK was definitely a more sedate cruise. But we sure don't find the Caribbean cruises sedate! Princess does game shows like no other--they are not to be missed! We were often at a lounge or the club dancing until late. We are NOT chill cruisers, but tend to go go go from (late) morning until early morning... NCL shows are the best & RCCL is close. Celebrity has upped their production show game since COVID...but Princess REALLY needs to step this game up. They are more often "meh" than not.

OH I MISS THOSE PARM CRUST BOWLS! (no longer 😐) Yeah, there is usually a string duet on Princess ships...but there are also several other musical options. We always find a cover band that plays "dance songs" from 60s or 70s thru today. Princess production shows are very hit & miss...

Yes we are! I haven't worn a patch in many many cruises (tho I did spend NYE 2012 in bed all day due to the rough seas (A LOT of people did; about half of our party of 12...). But Mom had a couple patches so I will toss those in my bags JUST in case! When I booked this I didn't consider the cool weather heading out & back...OH WELL! I'm on a cruise so I will "survive"!🤣 We just returned from a week on NCL & a week in Vegas on Sunday...so it has been a flurry of holiday prepping this week (most shopping was done). Festivities the next 4 days...then square away any household things next week. We are traveling so often (monthly) these days that packing is pretty easy. I refilled things already, noted what we had used up & needed to replace, etc. Happy Holidays!!

We will be on the Miracle heading to Hawaii. DH REALLY wants to know if it will be on!!! (fingers crossed TCU is playing...)

We are on this sailing in 2 weeks, 1st Carnival cruise. I watched a video with a ship tour--interesting theming to be sure! Didn't really notice purple as much as a literary/movie theme (Alice in Wonderland, Frankenstein, etc) which is certainly different from any other ship we have sailed! Our 2 oldest went to TCU so we are big purple fans--fingers crossed we will be watching them on the ship for the National Championship! I've heard numerous comments about the good size:passenger ratio on Spirit class. Can't wait to get out of this frigid weather!!! (wind chill currently -36F)

Certainly an interesting thread... As a seasoned cruiser (20+ over 20 yrs on Celebrity, Princess, RCCL, NCL & DCL) I can attest that cruise lines are indeed more alike than different. Each line has things it does well (Celebrity & Princess: food & service; RCCL & NCL: shows & amusement-type activities) & each has things we wish they did differently (tho we find that to be differences in ship/class more than line). We are cruising Carnival for the 1st time in 2 weeks...free from their Casino Match program. A free 2 week cruise to Hawaii? I'm certain we can have a good time & I've tempered my expectations... I am cruising MSC on a casino match offer in Feb & tacked on cruise the week prior as it was so dang cheap--$500 for a balcony plus $200 OBC for just me. Then I found UK & N. Europe for 10+11 days in May with drinks & internet for $1500 total (interior). I had some European air credits to use so I jumped. (cruising alone on these as DH has golfing commitments) We have stayed interior to balcony (family balcony on DCL). Balconies are great, but we really just don't use them that much (I do more when I cruise solo). As much as I would like to try YC (or Haven, or Retreat...), all I would think about is all that money would buy us another cruise or 2! (being retired young has it's perks!! I admit to an affinity for larger ships (more things to do) & newer ships, tho again, not a deal breaker. But over 20 years I have seen NO significant change overall in our cruising experience. Are they adding newer bigger ships? Of course. But smaller ones still exist. Choices for all. Are there some cutbacks & service issues as of recent--uh, yes, in virtually EVERY industry worldwide. It's simple. If luxury is a priority for you (like my SIL), go YC or choose a luxury line (yes, these are all mass market, 3-4*). If you are on a budget or looking to travel more often, take advantage of those great deals as I have! Happy cruising!

Princess did a PHENOMENAL job w/ my gluten sensitivity...and there was no issue if I choose to have something with gluten. One of our traveling companions was celiac, so no guilt when they prepared things for me. NCL was horrid. They would not allow me to have even a sauce with gluten (which is no issue for me...for me it is items heavy in gluten, and the more I have, the worse my symptoms...so gluten free pastas & breads are helpful). I removed it from my account they were so limiting. They were telling me what I could have...yeah, I already know that. The big advantage on MSC is the pasta offerings...perhaps I will talk to them upon embarkation. There is no need to prepare my food in a gluten free environment. Thanks for your perspective...the crew works hard enough & while it is fantastic they work hard to be gluten free (I know several people with celiac), no need to go to such lengths for me.

Don’t want to get shut out!

Funny, other than Alaska we have r up late on Princess—bands, nightclub, gameshows

We were on Equinox last month. Agree that production shows were subpar...tho Life was very good. Felt the leads were all excellent. (didn't find the women screechy at all; I particularly remember the young blond was exceptional). I haven't seen too many funny comedians on ships in general--not a great trend! We found PLENTY to do during the day (we love to be busy). But if the offerings aren't your thing, certainly I could see. (tho I find them to be typical of past events) I'm not sure what extra activities there are besides Deal or No Deal, wine tastings or spa?' I saw the new Top Gun movie, the last sea day...so pretty darn new!