Crusin Karen

56 minutes ago, Barb Nahoumi said:

Yes, the Ho Ho bus is a good option.  If you will have the time, go to North Station and take the commuter rail to Rockport.  It is a beautiful seaside town on the North Shore, and a beautiful train ride, once you pass Salem.  

Went to college in Beverly (Endicott) and yes, it’s a gorgeous area. 

Ok, I’m sure TMI and no one will be interested but I’m throwing this out here! I’m very interested in touring Newport and seeing the mansions. I am a widow cruising solo and I’m deaf tho I have a cochlear implant. I hate tenders. Given all that I’m hesitant to go to Newport (just stay on ship) but this is my opportunity. So I feel “safer” booking an excursion with princess so everything is predetermined/preplanned  and I just go with the crowd lol. I have been wanting to book best of Newport. (Princess excursion) bit pricey but worth it. In the meantime “other stuff” got in the way and I finally sat down to book and its  BOGO 50% off 2nd ticket. In actuality you have to buy 2 tickets and it’s 25% off each ticket. Obviously I don’t need 2 tickets. So now I have to pay more for one ticket and ill have a ticket using up space for someone else. This should be I can purchase one ticket at the original price or 2 tickets at the advertised price. I have “live chatted” with 3 agents 3 different times and they can’t seem to understand this. Again you CANNOT purchase one ticket! So I figured I’d wait until sale was over. Well they’ve extended it. I’m afraid it will be sold out so at this point I’m just going to suck it up and pay for 2 tickets. I’m upset about this, 3 agents 3 different times didn’t or wouldn’t understand. I could almost see them shrugging their shoulders saying oh well, that’s the way it is. One actually wrote that! So FYI there’s is BOGO on the website. I guess I’ll also have an extra ticket if anyone wants to buy it! Sorry for the long post but this has been really aggravating. I’ve come to realize it’s not worth the gray hair and I’m going to say to myself: well, that’s the way it is! Peace! 😵‍💫✌️

Been checking every day for this! Enjoyed first 2 pages and you have had me laughing already. I was on this cruise-I live in NE NJ and had 10-10:30 arrival time and left at 9:15.  Sounds like you had a great tourist day! 👏

Thank you 

Thank you! 

Bar Harbor is back on our itinerary. What I see on most excursions are Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain. Are they “you don’t want to miss that”? This is for mid-September. I don’t like tenders so if I go ashore I want it to be worthwhile lol! TIA 

6 minutes ago, willdra said:

We cruise again in Oct! 😉

What ship? I’m going on Enchanted Princess in September. Don’t tell anyone at Carnival. I feel like a traitor! 😈

Where do I get the HOHO bus? And tickets? I’m coming in on Enchsnted Princess mid September. TIA

18 hours ago, CARIBPRINCESS said:

Hi Willdra,

It was a pleasure meeting you on the Venezia!!! Im the lady who walked up to you in the Lido Marketplace and asked if you were Willdra.  Since we got back home I have been on this site everyday looking for your review😀.  Cant wait! And again it was really nice meeting you.

Allison

That’s TWO cruise critic people I didn’t meet. ☹️ I demand a re-do!!! 

42 minutes ago, LaRue1975 said:

Deck 4 suites have a spacious dressing room with an awesome make up mirror and vanity. I felt like a celebrity getting ready for Elegant Night! 😊 I saw videos like this one so just had to book one.

 

Oh I know your jaw drops to the floor when you walk into that cabin. DH “discovered” them years ago our first time on the spirit. In those “good old days” it was same fare as regular balcony. Then like all good things, people started talking about them and requesting them and of course the fare sky rocketed. Worth every penny! 👏👍

1 hour ago, LaRue1975 said:

No, deck 4 has the largest cabins and a fully covered deck. We had a Deck 4 aft wrap on the Miracle in November and have been on the Spirit and Legend in aft wrap cabins on the 7th deck. We like the 4th deck one best but they are all great. Except the 5th deck, those are small and not true suites.  

Friends had deck 4 on miracle. If I remember correctly 🙄😵‍💫 it was a really big cabin but it was all one room(??) the one we were in on deck 8 had the separate  rooms. 

Or deck 4. 🤷‍♀️

35 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

While I cannot remember exactly, I believe only the 5th floor does not have a separate room, but if I am wrong I am sure one of my friends will correct me. 

Yes it was one deck that just had one big room, I thought it was deck 6 lol! We always stayed in 8268. One deck up  to lido. Some people complained sbout soot and garbage on the balcony but in all our cruises we never had one problem. 

Ok thanks. I’m actually thinking of booking the ship excursion so I go where they go but the Breakers is on the list. I’m sure that excursion is $$ but I cruise solo and I’m NOT a fan of tenders! 😵‍💫 so I’d much rather pay more and know they’ll get me off the ship with the group I’m supposed to be with! 

11 hours ago, mommacap said:

Hi, is there any chance you still have the photos and/or video?  We're sailing in 6506 in September. 

I see you’re sailing the pride next year. If ever there’s a time to book an aft wrap it’s on spirit class. We cruised in aft wrap 8268 on all 4 spirit ships (spirit, pride, miracle and legend) WOW! They are amazing with the living room, bedroom, dressing area and walk in closet. 👏

2 hours ago, Nitemare said:

We've gone a few times, so we think so.

 

Others don't go because they don't think so.

 

If I knew you REALLY well I could tell you if it would be "worth it" for you.  But I don't so I can't.

We lived 90 minutes away so Newport was a regular destination for us.  We did and saw just about everything that gorgeous place has to offer over the years.

 

Do you have something else that appeals to you more?

Lol no truth be told I’m just a very impatient person and the excursion says you COULD have a wait of 30 minutes or more to enter. I’d go nuts!!! So I’d love to know IF there’s a long wait-is it worth it? This is mid September. 

13 minutes ago, Nitemare said:

I've done the mansions a few times, most recently in 2022.  Never had to wait more than 2-3 minutes to get inside.

Thanks! Are they really worth it??? 

1 hour ago, mitsugirly said:

So....I see that people are still following this thread. For those of you still following...we have picked our next "land" destination. WE ARE GOING TO ST CROIX!! 😁

One of the few places I’ve never been. CONGRATS!!! 

Thanks for all the GREAT advice. I’m usually very frugal but being a recent widow and sailing solo,  having not flown to a cruise in probably 20 years, and I’m deaf. I have a cochlear implant but I still have to rely on lip reading. So I’m goung to spend some $ to make this as safe and stress free as possible. Vancouver inside passage RT is on Caribbean princess which we actually cruised years ago. I’d love to go on a newer ship but I’m pretty easy to please! I’d also like to do one way cruise but given my circumstances I think RT is better for me. 

I’m still researching….remember im

an east coast Caribbean solo cruiser who cruises from my home port 20 minutes away so this is ALL mind boggling! 🙄😵‍💫 in order to narrow it down somewhat, which port is easiest to fly to-travel to cruise port from: SF, Seattle, Vancouver? (All RT) 

Kim-a question. I’ve been researching AK cruises. I always book cruises on my own but I live by port of Manhattan and don’t have to figure flights and hotels. AK obviously different. Wonder if I can do this on my own or I should find a TA 

^^^interested in this also. My “TA” works for AAA she’s a personal friend. She’s been on ONE cruise. I remember once I said well I can carry on a bottle of wine (on CCL) she said oh really? Hmmmm….with this AK cruise I’m researching she said just set your mind to it and do it. Let me know what you want me to book. I really wanted her to take the reins and help especially with pre/post cruise and traveling. I’m on east coast and a solo cruiser. Almost makes me think I should just book on my own (???) 🤷‍♀️

34 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

Hi Wildra-

Sending up a 🙏 that you will soon get to writing about your latest cruise.

Wishing you and W a pleasant Sunday!

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

 

Sending up a 🙏 you’re a speed reader and you are at this instant reading the last chapter on the last page of your book! 😁

I am considering the easy Newport highlights scenic drive excursion. This takes you to points of interest but no mansion tours. I’m really not interested in waiting for 1/2 hour or so to get inside. Any thoughts? 

Edinburgher-thank you. Guess I should have done a search! I’m a “CCL cruiser” as you can see in my sig! The few times I’ve had an OV on one of their ships the window is at a distance from bed so you can stand in front of window to look out. I was researching Princess and saw the window in OV’s is at the head of the bed and thought: how does that work? Lol. 🤷‍♀️