srlafleur

We, too, prefer to pre-pay gratuities.

There are some who would say the money is better off in your pocket for as long as possible (I'm surprised no one has shown up about that yet), but the 2 cents in interest (or less) is worth it to not have a vacation buzz-kill bill at the end, IMHO. We pre-pay as much as possible.

My late stepfather wouldn't step foot on a cruise ship for fear of getting seasick. He would not/could not be convinced otherwise.

He was in the Coast Guard off the coast of Maine in WWII and had siblings who were lobstermen. :confused:

Then again, he was a cranky old cuss who would have found plenty to b*tch about, anyway, so it's probably just as well.

If we're bringing our own wine into the dining room, we usually just pour our glasses and bring them.

I've had the steward/room service deliver wine glasses to the room. I've also just picked up a couple at any bar I happened to pass on the way to the stateroom.

I don't see any reason you can't bring a bottle, though.

Here is a link to the dining room beverage menu. There are also separate menus for some of the bars.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bar-Menu1-1.pdf

Seriously, I'm printing it out and highlighting all the cocktails I want to try!!!

There's some serious yummy, there!:D

The bottom 3 were definitely deserving to be there!

Erin, IMHO, should have been the one to go. I liked her in the beginning; now she's looking like a one-trick pony, for sure. That dress? Please. Perhaps if the color underneath was...I don't know, not pastel? And the lace should not have showed under the coat in the back. That just emphasized how much the coat didn't go with the dress. At. All. Plus, the coat was just bad - color, cut, predictable design from her, just yuck.

Natalia had no excuse for the outfit to be so over-sized! At first, when she was trying it on herself in the workroom and saying it was maybe too big, I thought perhaps her mother was bigger than her, but then on the runway I saw she was the same size or maybe even smaller! If you're going to have a problem sewing something, being too big when you're working on it is a good problem to have! Taking away is much easier than adding!

I didn't hate Jenni's, and I feel for her because her mother seemed all over the place when they were having the initial consultation, IIRC (that was her, right?) I don't think the ideas were bad, but the outfit didn't suit her mother. That length of sweater isn't flattering on most women. Younger women, models, taller women, maybe...but not generally "moms". The pants were pretty badly fit. Not sure if a softer textile might have made them better, but I didn't mind the overall idea of the outfit. I do think the shirt underneath being the maroon/red they looked at using at one point would have made it better instead of the stark white.

Patience and a positive attitude! There will be lines, things can go awry, everything might not go perfectly.

Also, don't be afraid to ask your room steward for something (ice, extra hangers, more towels, etc.), or for help if something isn't working. We lived with a touchy balcony door for a few days, just because we were lazy and/or didn't want to be a bother. Once we mentioned it, it was fixed in a jiffy.

Try things in the MDR (main dining room) that you wouldn't normally order in a restaurant because if it turns out that you don't like it, you can order something else, gratis. In fact, it's possible the server will offer something else if it looks like you're not enjoying it. (Usually, I'm just too full and want to save room for dessert :))

Pack comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes. There is lots of walking, even just on the ship. NOT the time and place to be breaking in those cute new shoes!

Well, it was definitely a toss-up this week, but I did question the losing team's color choices, though perhaps it looked somewhat different on screen from in person. The color they used wasn't really the color they were given...not in my knowledge of colors. Had they mixed it up a bit with the real color, or an approximation thereof, in accessories or details, it would have been much better. Not that it was horrible or anything. Just too much of a good thing.

We only just purchased a drink package for the first time on our last cruise (Princess) and enjoyed having it. Honestly, I couldn't tell you if it was a good investment financially or not, but it was worth adding the price to the cost of our vacation just for the feeling of being a bit more...pampered? Maybe that's not quite the right term, but it was sure nice to not think about ordering that cappuccino or espresso, or the bottle of water to take for longer excursions. Want a glass of white with the appetizer and a glass of red with the entree? Sure. Fresh squeezed OJ every morning. And that's in addition to the occasional alcoholic beverages. Not even giving it a second thought was nice.

Of course, if you are one who wouldn't give it a thought anyway, more power to you. Unfortunately, I tend to be a penny-pincher at the time of purchase, so having all that paid for pre-cruise and out of sight/out of mind on the cruise made it feel so much more luxe.

We are happy to have the package included on our upcoming 18-night. Quite a few relaxing sea days, so it's going to be super sweet!

Cornelius should have gone home, certainly. Just bad.

Brik's wasn't all that bad. At least it was finished and (mostly) fit.

Whatsherface's (gawd, I stink at names) should have been sewn, then embellished after finishing. What a stupid waste of time! The embroidery could have been much more effective had she actually been able to see what she was doing on a finished garment.

We've stayed in Old San Juan pre-cruise (about a block or so away from the cruise terminal) and never felt ill at ease. I even ventured out on my own to CVS (or maybe it's Walgreens) to pick up a few things while hubby napped, without incident.

We walked to the terminal from our hotel. Being able to do that depends on the location of your hotel, naturally.

Of course, take your common sense with you and use the same precautions you would anywhere regarding your safety.

Yeah, I normally notice when they're trying to shove a pc trend down your throat, but this didn't strike me as anything more than viewing wallpaper in the powder room. I wonder if the men's room was flamingos too?

Oh, yeah, they were looking at the bathroom, not "using" it. OMG, they were in the same room together, looking at wallpaper and decor! How political!:rolleyes:

And then there was the in-your-face political statement of showing (twice) Erin and Dexter using the same bathroom...]

??? Can't say I ever noticed any bathroom use at all, so it mustn't have been as "in your face" as all that. Perhaps there is only one bathroom.

I wasn't thrilled with most of the runway show this week. Really, I don't know why so many designers had so much trouble with it. They were supposed to take inspiration from the venue, but there was so much "stuff" that it really could have been anything (where did the herringbone come from, though?)

But then again, the judges send out so many mixed messages:

too safe, not wearable, too much like what you've made before, I could tell it was yours (as a plus), lacking creativity, too much like a costume. I mean, sheesh, how are they supposed to find a path to progress?

We prefer open seating, and usually request a table for 2. While I'm not anti-social, I'm not a fan of forced socialization. I suspect on our next cruise, which is 18 nights and the longest we've been on, we will occasionally choose to share a table.

As for always having the same server, even with open dining, we've rarely had any issue getting seated in the same area, if not the same table, every night, if we so requested. (we are patient and flexible, so if we have to wait, or if we don't get our requested area, we just go with the flow.)

I disliked the yellow coat and the bland colored short dress. My favorite look was the yellow skirt with the leather jacket. I was OK with the winner.

 

I was impressed by the number of people on the loosing team that offered themselves to go home. Usually it is gang up on one designer and throw him/her under the bus. Not sure I agree with who was sent home.

 

Are they trying to appeal to a younger demographic by having these baby-faced teenagers for guest judges?

 

On the Facebook segment they mentioned that the designers were able to choose the fabric that their designs were printed on last week. I don't think they mentioned that during the show.

I agree with the team that won. I didn't particularly care for the coat, either, but it did go well with the overall collection, and I could see it being worn with the other outfits. I really don't know who should have been sent home; they all worked well together and no one was blatantly bad. I don't think the pieces in the "losing" team were bad at all but they just didn't suit what their goal was. It seems like that's what it came down to for the judges, as well. If they had mixed up the pieces a bit, put a jacket on the strapless (day to evening look), left the "unfortunate" top and pants without a jacket, who knows? I didn't mind the pants in that outfit, didn't really get to see the top all that well. I sort of liked the monochromatic losing collection, and didn't mind the print/color they did use. Probably should have incorporated more of that in the overall collection.

What IS it with the teenybopper guest judges? Guess what, Project Runway: youngsters who are into fashion will watch regardless of who the guest judge is. In fact THEY would probably prefer "real" fashion judges, as well. (my almost-14 yo granddaughter has been watching for years. Seriously, years.)

At 19 and 20, they could very well be fighting for our country overseas, or risking sexual assault on a college campus. And the lure of drugs on the islands vs. at home? Please.

Pretty sure any port in the Caribbean with a tour group is safer. I would have no qualms whatsoever "letting" 2 adults and one near-adult teen go on a ship's excursion. Certainly, if they are relatively sheltered and inexperienced being on their own they should be reminded of the possible dangers of wandering off alone, or of listening to a sales pitch from the depths of a back alley (seriously, there ARE 3 of them, and I doubt they've been living hidden away from the big, bad world).

In my experience, tour guides are pretty good at steering their groups away from trouble areas and shooing away any interlopers. They don't want to lose anyone.

Quite honestly, I don't get why they have guest judges that are only marginally fashion design people.

I mean, yeah, as a model Lucky's in the industry, and I suppose he might get some viewers of a certain demographic (but do they even advertise in advance who the guest judge is??)

He said stuff, but it was a women's swimsuit competition. About the only qualifications he has regarding women's swimwear is that he's got sisters and lives in California.

I think they missed the mark on this challenge is a couple of respects:

Wrong guest judge; I'd rather hear what someone who actually might wear a woman's bathing suit thinks.

Coupling the textile design challenge with the swimwear challenge.

 

I wondered about the fabric those prints were produced on. I have a feeling they weren't knits. Even if they were, the printing would have "changed" them. I know designers have complained about the quality/flexibility/whatever of the custom printed fabrics before. It was really a rotten deal to match the custom prints with the swimsuits.

I thought the same thing about the custom fabric combined with the swimsuit challenge. Does a disservice to both!

As a fabric design "hobbyist", I've made knit shirts for my hubby using my own designs on textiles printed on Spoonflower. The stretch didn't seem to be that affected by the printing. But I agree, it almost looked like the fabric wasn't the best kind for swimwear.

I found Spoonflower years ago on Project Runway, I think the first year they had a fabric design challenge! (I'm here: http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/mammajamma, if you're interested in checking out my designs)

 

Any of the bottom three could have gone home but I was surprised by the first of the bottom three declared safe.

 

I agree with the winner (I think - I'm confused which one it was, now), disagree with the one sent home. I thought it should have been the one of the bottom 3 who was safe. That was a lose, lose, lose, in my opinion! (Though I didn't think the print was all that bad, but it definitely lost something by being cut into such small pieces.

~SMH~

Twist ties to hold the zipper closed. That's it. The luggage itself is worth more than anything I pack into it, anyway.:rolleyes:

I agreed with the winner. I thought it actually hit the mark pretty well as far as transitioning under the black light AND it was well designed, ambitious and well made.

I thought the "hooker" outfit should have gone. Taste level in the toilet and it really didn't "do" anything from day light to black light. Neon to...nope, still neon - big deal. Although the other 2...meh as well.

I won't argue your personal thoughts. However, there is the falacy present that the tickets were "free" aside from the $300. Nope - you were using an alternative currency that you definitely "paid for" through the opportunity cost of other credit card rewards, including cashback. In addition, the $300 was just to move that currency from one account to another - you didn't increase the number of miles you had, only moved from one pocket to the other.

 

One other note that you might want to check on...there are no first class awards available through SkyMiles to Europe. Business, yes. First, no. If you think you are getting first class, perhaps you should check what you did buy.

First off, I have neither the time nor desire to start making spread sheets comparing how many more points I would or would not get from this CC vs that one or how many dollars I could have instead. I'm perfectly satisfied with my "free" hotel stays and/or flights. Yes, I paid $300 just to change points from one place to another. Big deal. Airlines charge nearly that just to change or cancel a flight, at the push of a button on the keyboard. And your point is...?

I'm well aware of what it cost me for those points, and I didn't spend any more than I would have anyway, credit card or no. I pay all of my CC bills in their entirety every month, so, no interest. Yes, I have that particular card because I knew I would want/need the points within a few years. (If we happen to fly Delta domestically, we get free checked bags, too, so...) I'm also using Hilton Honors points (earned via Hilton CC and actual travel) to cover the hotel pre-cruise. Since hubby and I both travel for work, it pays to be enrolled to get points from every place we stay, every airline we fly. (No, we don't have a CC for all of those, only a couple connected to our most frequently used companies)

Well aware they call it "business" class. However, since they have lay-flat seats, and it's an overnight flight, as far as I'm concerned it is first class. I've flown first class on flights on which the first few rows were labeled "First Class", but aside from free drinks and a bit more wiggle room in the seats, I would barely have classified them as such.

Can I just put it our there that I'm NOT a fan of jumpsuits and can't understand why everyone seems so enthralled with them?

Sure, they can look great and can be pretty comfy, assuming one is a twig and the fit is perfect (like that ever happens in real life), and assuming one never sits down (ouchy if they aren't quite roomy enough) or never takes a bathroom break. C'mon, if I've been drinking at all, I'm happy if I can keep my dress out of the toilet or my pants off the damp, potentially yucky floor :rolleyes:

I didn't care for them back in the day (when was it, the '70's, '80's?) when they were "in" and I'm not a fan now.

If I'm drinking mixed drinks, I'm more concerned about how they taste than how buzzed they'll get me, but maybe that's just me...:rolleyes:

I don't know anything about the particulars of the mileage booster. However, I just paid $300 to transfer points from my (hard-earned via credit card use :cool:) SkyMiles account to my hubby's account in order for both of us to get first class tickets to Europe next summer. (He was shy however many miles that $300 bought, and I didn't have enough for 2). Quite honestly, it doesn't make a bit of difference to me what the per mile cost was because $300 is considerably less even than what the cost of 2 tickets in coach would have been, so it's a win for me.