Honolulu Blue

Reading through this thread has been a learning experience for me in several ways: I didn't know that so many people knew about and cared about the military OBC (MOBC) I didn't know that so many people combine the MOBC with the shareholder credit (SOBC) in the past I didn't know that so many people based their choice of cruise line on whether and how much Princess gives in MOBC I didn't know that so many people base their investment decisions on whether MOBC and SOBC are combinable Live and learn. Thanks for the feedback. Please continue.

The earliest I booked was about 2 1/2 years out - in July 2021 for a January 2024 cruise. This isn't on Celebrity. The latest I booked was six days out. That one WAS a Celebrity cruise. I'm all over the map on how early or late I book. When I see a deal on a cruise that I like, I'll book it quickly. But sometimes the deal comes relatively late - my other two non-charter Celebrity cruises I booked with about 4 and 6 months to go. With charters, I'm more likely to book ASAP - more often as not within a few days of bookings being opened. They tend to open about 12 to 13 months before the cruise.

Several things to comment on: Welcome to Cruise Critic! I've never seen signs like this at any buffet table I've dined at on Celebrity, Carnival, or any other cruise line I've used I rarely dine at the buffet for lunch I have seen the buffet so busy that it was difficult to find a seat. This was mostly on port days for breakfast. Sometimes it takes a couple of trips around the trough, but thankfully I've always been able to find a seat. Depending on the ship, Celebrity may have other options for lunch I hope this hiccup doesn't dissuade you from cruising in the future

This is a very quick post to report what I've seen around the Net: Rock & Romance just announced that they're SOLD OUT. Good for them! Of StarVista Live's offerings for 2023-24, only Sandy Beaches and The Big Easy aren't sold out. The 80s Cruise 2024 is saying they're at 97% sold. That translates to under 50 cabins available. I'm pretty sure they'll sell out soon.

I agree that Mr. Van Fleet and his tweets are a good resource. But he no longer works for Royal.

To answer this narrow portion of your question, I don't think Princess has gone bare bones in the buffet. They do other irritating things around the buffet, but I've always thought the food itself there was good. But not as good as Celebrity, which I was last on in March. Just my opinion, worth about as much as you paid for it.

Brand Ambassador John Heald posted the kiddie menu that's current for all ships. No word on if Emeril is reviewing this.

The answer immediately above is correct, but let me list the options Carnival and the Liberty's captain have: Do nothing/FAFO Delay embarkation and leave late Speed up embarkation and leave early Cancel ports and sail to different ones Cancel ports and add sea days Reroute cruise and go to different ports Delay return to port, possibly with the addition of sea day(s) Change the disembarkation port Cancel the cruise Some of these are most costly and/or disruptive than others, which is why some are rarely used. Chances are very good that your cruise will go off without a hitch. Have a good one! 👍

The UDC 34 released their highlight reel. It's about 4 minutes. I didn't see myself, but I did see all the bands that were highlighted.

@DarrenM, thank you for sharing your story. The closest I've come is one cruise where we had a cruiser that needed medical assistance off the ship ASAP. A medevac was tried, but it didn't happen - too windy where we were. So we went to plan B - make haste to our final disembarkation port (I think it was Miami or Ft. Lauderdale).

I've done a few Caribbean cruises in December and January. For the most part, the high temperatures are ideal - upper 70s to low 80s, mid-80s for places south of St. Lucia. Lows will mostly be in the 70s. No hurricanes, of course, but there can be the occasional stiff breeze or two that can cause minor problems. I have heard The Bahamas can be cooler, but I haven't been there. Miami and Port Everglades will be a bit cooler. Galveston can be a lot cooler - and foggy.

Thanks for sharing. The author of the Crew Center article gets an A+ from me for sarcasm.

Thanks for sharing. The changes sound good, but as always, the devil is in the details. We'll see if it's good enough to tempt me back in the MDR. P.S. I'm joining @firefly333 on the Dream in January.

Thanks for the heads up. 👍 I know they've been other music themed cruises.

I forgot to mention that this ticket cost about $84. I'll make up the rest of my plans for this later.

This morning, I bought a ticket to see Styx. It's at the same Native megacasino as my Pat Benatar concert. It's two weeks later. 11th row, center section, on the aisle - looks good to me.

I just want to note here (mostly for me) that travel was never a priority in my family. Travel was mostly local or trips to visit relatives. I've always had an urge to travel and visit different places. My parents and sister? Not so much. I didn't take my first plane flight until my 20s and I didn't take my first cruise until two decades later. I feel privileged to be able to now go, as one of my favorite philosophers once said, "most anywhere, anytime".

I would be surprised if CCL pays a dividend this decade.

Noted. Thanks. Good to know. I'm thinking about visiting both French Polynesia and Australia next year on a cruise, though I've obviously never been there before.

It seems a little weird to me. Roulette betting chips are generic chips that are keyed by color to each bettor. The dealer/casino can sell them for whatever amount they like - $1, $2, $5, etc. With a $2 chip minimum, it would make sense that there would be a $10 bet per spin minimum. That seems a little steep, but maybe there's a lot of demand for roulette in Europe.

I know Carnival has a recommendation for a 50 lb limit per bag, but that's just a recommendation and wasn't (and isn't) binding. I haven't looked too hard at the other cruise lines, but I don't think any have hard and fast limits on bag weights.

My experience has been the opposite for cruises I've been on. I've NEVER had my passport stamped while on a cruise or in port.

I hadn't heard of Rock's before you pointed it out. Thanks for the note. It sounds like they've done some interesting cruises in the past and are ramping up for another one next year. I did the Ultimate Disco Cruise the last two years. That was a great music charter for people who wanted to dance, IMHO. Not so much in the main theaters, but there was some wiggling by the pool to live music, the usual nightclub at night, and they even turned the MDR into a big dance floor every night. Alas, there are no current plans to bring it back. 🙁 On full charter music cruises, I'm sure there are are at least some facilities set up for dancing. There's a nice list at https://www.cruisetimetables.com/full-cruise-ship-charters.html . I hope this helps. Have fun with whatever you choose! 😀

After reading this, it's a bit of a surprise that you made it to cruises #3 and beyond without either being a hopeless optimist or being dragged kicking and screaming onboard. All I can say is I'm glad you did, and I'm glad you're here. 🙂

Welcome to Cruise Critic! Most of us are nice and helpful here. You're just going to have to ignore the rest. 🙂 As a solo cruiser who's done a couple dozen of these things, I can relate. What I can't relate to is being a 3rd wheel for two other couples or going to Alaska at all. I do know that balcony cabins specifically for solo cruisers are rare and highly sought after. And not all lines have them. You'll probably have to purchase a cabin all your own that will cost you almost as much as that of your married friends. Yes, it's quite a bummer. ☹️ I hope others who have more relevant experience will chime in. In the meantime, be sure to take a look at our dedicated Solo Cruiser forum at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/279-solo-cruisers/ . Good luck and have fun!