TXGalAJ

When I cruised the Med on NCL their airfare was much more expensive then booking it myself. NCL said it is because I leave from Austin and they would be cheaper if I was leaving from a major airport. Definitely pays to shop around the airfare!

Our favorites have been Mutzie, Cowboy Bill, & John Wesley Austin.

Don't think I've seen Mutzie but love Cowboy Bill and John Wesley Austin!

Used SAS last time and was not impressed.

If you are going to be back on Glory in the next couple of months you will have Scott Casey. He is my favorite PBE and definitely interacts with the crowd!

Cavetubing.bz. was awesome. I will never do a cruise tour on the excursion.

I've used this company many times and think they are fabulous! I've also done Darknight cave tubing and the nice thing about them is that they take you through a private cave area so it is less crowded. That said, I would go with .bz over any other company.

Just found this thread that had my review and some comments from others. Hope it helps!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2170864

I went to Goff's Caye with Exotic Eco Adventure doing a snorkel trip and the boat was fairly small and very difficult to get into. There were several elderly and overweight people that really struggled. You basically have to be able to climb in and out.

January 23 sailing on NCL Jade out of Houston to Western Caribbean for a total of $777 (includes taxes) for an inside guarantee AND you get TWO promos (UDP, UBP, wifi or shore excursion). You have to call between now and Oct 31 to get the two packages.

I couldn't see the reduced solo price until I went all the way through with the booking. I'm guessing they have other dates with similar reduced solo prices.

I did a similar trip with Gate 1 last month. Did the 14 day that included Xian and we started in Shanghai and ended in Beijing. Absolutely amazing and Gate 1 really exceeded our expectations!

If anyone has questions I would be happy to answer!

When using UBER, do you have to pay to download the app.

 

Is there a contracted lets say monthly service fee.

 

Tip is included correct??

 

Never used it just saw commercial on TV.

 

I guess I could google, but someone with experience tell me more.

 

Thanks

No monthly fee and app is free. You leave a credit card on file on the app and they automatically charge it for your ride. You cannot add a tip to the card so if you do decide to tip you must do it in cash. The app will give you an estimate for the fare.

You will hear different answers on the tipping question. Officially uber says you don't have to but I always find the drivers very pleased when I do tip. They won't ask or imply you need to tip.

Bumping this up hoping someone can answer!

Has anyone been able to use Skype since Magic got the new internet package?

Has anyone tried using Whatsapp on Magic with the new social media plan? Does it work with the new plan? Can we still buy the traditional, old plans on Magic?

If you are on a certain popular social media site look for CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES PIANO BAR-BARIANS and ask this question there and I bet you will get an answer.

Can anyone who recently traveled, or is soon to travel, on the Triumph verify if the ship has the new internet packages? I read they would be up by Aug 29 but haven't read anything about it.

I can confirm they have it but haven't heard how well it is working.

I'm also 38 and solo cruise frequently. I love it! If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

Last year I was on NCL Jewel out of Houston and we stopped in Trujillo, Honduras and loved it. My understanding at the time was that NCL and other lines were trying out this port. NCL isn't offering it this year and I wondered why and if other lines are going there. Anyone know the scoop?

As a frequent, younger solo traveler I also recommend sitting at one of the smaller bars like a martini bar or piano bar. People tend to strike up conversations at the bar. Numerous times I've been asked to join new friends at shows or at the club.

If you want to get on board faster I'd recommend not using the port of Galveston parking and going with one of the smaller, private lots.

I was on board when the ac went out on formal night. It was pretty rough but they had it fixed within a couple of hours and the rest of our cruise was smooth sailing. Hope everything is fixed quickly. I love Triumph!

I was on the same cruise. Don't have time for a full review now but will definitely give some of the highlights!

Favorite Place to Eat: Blue Iguana Taco Bar near the pool (you can customize your taco/burrito with lots of yummy sauces and toppings).

Favorite Bar: Alchemy wins hands down for the quality of the actual drinks. If you like mixed drinks this is the place to go. Each drink was like a work of art and the bartenders were super friendly.

Best Entertainment: Piano bar. The piano player, Scott, was fabulous and had everyone at the bar singing along and having a good time. I've been to lots of piano bars and I've never seen the crowd so enthusiastic and engaged with the piano player.

Ports: Everyone already knows Cozumel. In Progreso you have to take a shuttle bus from port into town so it is a bit of a trek but it is a cute little town. Beaches didn't look like much. But worth going to once.

Stateroom: Triumph may be showing her age a bit here. The water temperature in the shower was never consistent, the buttons on my in-room phone didn't work and it was super cold in my room (there is no thermostat). I would also suggest that ladies bring their own hair dryer because the one in the room is attached to the wall in the bathroom and has a hose. II'd never seen anything like it before.

Overall impression: This was a fabulous cruise. The main dining room food/service was top notch, the entire crew were friendly and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

I don't think that can possibly be true. I was just on Triumph and the a/c went out for most of the ship for a couple of hours and pretty much everything ground to a halt. Meals were delayed. It was a huge problem.

We were on the Triumph August 1 - 6. Scott Casey was our piano bar entertainer and he was great! Very interactive!

 

We stayed till closing on the first night and stayed as long as we could due to excursions the following mornings on the next two nights. Tuesday was his night off and we were playing Apples to Apples with my son in the piano bar, Scott happened to be walking by and joined in for a while.

 

We were so disappointed when he didn't show up Wednesday night!!! We are really hoping everything was ok. There was someone in the bar that replaced him (don't remember his name). The replacement was good, but we were in the mood for Scott so we didn't stay long.

Just got off Triumph and agree Scott Casey is amazing! People were fighting for spots at the bar! Besides being a talented musician he is funny and has great interactions with the crowd. One couple had just gotten engaged and he did a special song for them that was sweet and hilarious. Definitely the highlight of the cruise!

what is self assist? Also do you have to let carnival take your luggage the night before or can you just take it off the next morning on your own?

If you are able to completely carry your own bags off the ship, including going down an escalator with one hand free, you can be on of the first off the boat. It's usually only a small amount of people who do this. On my last Magic cruise from Galveston I was in my car at 8:10am and driving away.

I've loved cruising on NCL out of Houston! I'm in Texas so it is a short drive for me and the Houston port was super easy. You park right in front of the ship and disembarking was always about half the time it usually takes in Galveston.

The liquor rules in Houston were the same in Galveston, you could get drinks immediately but they were only the Texas liquors. I've never found that to be a big deal on any of the Texas cruises. I don't go to the casino so don't know at what point they open.