gadaboutgal

We fall in the high risk category and are not canceling our upcoming b2b2b2b2b2b2b2b2b2b2b's =13 weeks of cruising.  If we stay home we have the same risk just going to the grocery store or anywhere else.  I will not live my last years in fear of what may or may not come and stop doing the things we love to do.  Life is nothing but risks every day so just go live.

I am able to get off my scooter and into a dining chair by myself.  We usually ask for a table close to the door.  When the dining room is not too crowded, I am able to park the scooter near my table-usually in the breakfast hours.   I, also, have a folding cane on my scooter to use when parking distance away from the table is less than 20 ft or so.  

In the buffet, I sometimes just sit on my scooter as the seat does swivel.  

I think your friend will find it comfortable to just sit in her chair at the table.  If she has a regular dining time and table, they will know to remove the chair right away for her.

Theaters are different on every ship.  Seating is usually the size of economy class of flying.  

Most ships with a few exceptions only have hdcp space in the last space in the upper levels.  I don't see as well as I use to, so sitting in the back of the theater is usually a waste of time for me. 

Some ships like Regal and Royal Princess actually have handicap spaces in the forward, lower rows of the theater, and I can park my scooter right in front of my seat.  MSC Seaside also has convenient access to the front lower part of the theater; however, their ships Divina and Meraviglia only have back of second floor seating for hdcp and so I will not cruise on them again.  

1 hour ago, 51st FMS said:

.... Also a 3 wheel is more agile (turning tight corners) than a 4 wheeler but they are more unstable on inclines.  Have a great trip and let us all know how it went.

Keep this in mind when you leave the ship. The 3 wheelers are the best on the ship, but they are very unstable off.  Some sidewalks may have a slight incline toward the street-be very cautious there as it is easy to tip over; and caution when you get to street corners where there are curbcuts-always take them head on-not at an angle.  I learned this the hard way first time out on the street  I am now always  ready to put my foot out on either side of the scooter just in case it leans. 😞

Best suggestion regarding elevators that I can give you is to take whichever elevator comes your way first. It doesn't matter if it is going up or down-just get on.  This is especially important on embarking and disembarking days and at meal times. Otherwise, you will be waiting forever and finally will be crushed in the dash to get into the elevator.  I would say 98.5 people are pleasant and very helpful, but there are a few bad apples as always.

I also don't let anyone else touch my scooter.  Remember those warnings about washing your hands-well some people don't.  I also don't let ship personnel drive it as my scooter cost too much for it to be dented and banged or worse.

You made a wise decision about using a scooter.  As you will see, some of the piers in ports are so long and nowhere to rest.  This will make your cruising so much better.  Have a great time!

Here on the Royal, the Effy store has nothing less than $550.  And yet, just last week I could have purchased a pendant from Effy for less than $250.  

I asked if I could use the certificate next week on my back to back, figuring that there would be more selection after the Vows cruise but the answer was no.  I let them know that it was just another Effy comeon/scam.

We had formal nights on the Empress' 8 night cruises this winter.

In 2016, I used TJ TRAVEL   for our day in St. Petersburg.  At that time I was using a rollator/walker.  TJT had a multi passenger van and was able to put my walker in the back and get it out for me at every stop.  Their tour was very accommodating to my needs. Check their website: https://st-petersburg-tours.ru/ for info.

We've been on Seaside for the last 4 cruises and have gotten to the Cay twice.  Wind has kept us out both times, as BermudaBound20 has said,  it's a very narrow channel in and out so they are not taking any chances.

Don't worry.  There are plenty of free loungers around the pool area.

I always, also, have to consider how long the dock will be.  Sometimes, the walk to the terminal is too long without a mobility scooter.

The $250 gift for a purchase in Effy is just about worthless considering one would be lucky if they found anything under $500 (closer to $1000).

Anyone with a disability needs to be fully informed in what  Federal Regulations require of all airlines serving U.S. cities.  Here they are:

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=de08b805cff877df1356a6470419012d&mc=true&node=pt14.4.382&rgn=div5?#se14.4.382_161

Back to the question of no facial tissue on MSC.  We were on Meraviglia for the month of November and no face tissues provided at all.  In fact I made a note to bring my own for this 4 weeks we are on Seaside and did.  Lo and behold, tissues provided in bathroom!

I do know firsthand that Royal Caribbean has removed facial tissues from their bathrooms due to toilets clogging due to them; but they do supply them in the main portion of the cabin.

You will definitely sail to St. John as it is a totally different island.

Emerald Bay from Crown Bay Port should be about $4 pp one way.

There are Cruiselines like Royal Caribbean whose ships  are only bookable as 7 day cruises;  and if you wish to stay back to back, then you have to attend each muster every 7 days as they are separate cruises.

Some cruises lines like MSC and Princess  have cruises that are  bookable as 14 day cruises but, also, offer  the same sailings as 2 different cruises.  Booked as a 14 day cruise you only attend the first muster drill; if you  have booked   the 2 separate ones you still do not need  to attend the second week.          Crazy, huh!

Just off the Breakaway with a scooter and found that the corridors were wide enough except when the cleaning carts are out.  Usually, if the carts were parked opposite  where two cabins were side by side (most), I could dodge into their little entry way and around the carts.  Otherwise, I would have to call out the cabin attendant to move the cart.

Worst thing on the Breakaway in a regular cabin was that our cabin had a pole right in front of the door which made it impossible to drive into the room though the doors are wide enough.  Had to take the scooter apart to get it in to the cabin😒

To put it another way,  are you all planning to increase your shoreside restaurant gratuities by a similar percentage?

Just now, wpgcycler said:

 Is it a 7% annual raise or is this an increase after a couple of years? And BTW, it's only an increase to a portion of the employee's compensation. Finally, I'm not sure I see the basis for the conspiracy theory of reduced pay. 

I am not putting forth a conspiracy theory, but asking a question. "Also, maybe tips are going up- but is the crew's base pay being reduced at the same time?" If one is to champion a salary increase then shouldn't one also have all the facts?

Agree with you it's only a portion of the comp; however, it one is on Social Security and has personal IRA accounts, than an increase in SS of  7% would be only a minor incidental?

3 hours ago, geoherb said:

I hope they don't go up anytime soon. They just increased last spring. The previous increased occurred in December 2016. It's an effective 12 percent increase since we paid $12.95 per person per day in regular cabins. If the increase had just kept up with inflation, we'd be paying $13.88 per day per person in regular cabins and mini suites and $14.95 per day per person in suites.

And that is the big question-does the increase of 12percent match the increase in inflation?  Does the crew base earnings decline in relation to the increase in guest gratuities rates?   And how does the US rate of inflation have any relationship to the crew's home country inflation.  Just something to think about.

For those who say it is only a minor increase - how many of you received a 7% raise this year.  Also, maybe tips are going up, but is the crew's base pay being reduced at the same time?  Hmm just things to muss about.

13 hours ago, stoneman56 said:

I made a slight mistake in the post, we are on a 2 week cruise not a B2B. 
So most of the Double goodies we’ve received we aren’t really entitled to 

Even for a 14 day cruise, you will still receive all those goodies-  we have in the past.  

How many Diamond Members drink their Voyagers Club gifted Spumante in their cabins only?

We do not care to drink in our cabin; so, where and when are we supposed to drink it. My question comes as a 

result of a difficult situation we experience this week on Meraviglia.  We reserved the Butcher's Cut for one nights dinner and decided to bring our Spumante with us which we have done several times on Seaside.                                                                                                                                                       When we arrived at the restaurant, we were told that it was not permitted to bring it into the restaurant and that they would have to charge us a corkage fee for shoreside alcohol.  No amount of explaining that we did not bring it aboard and that it was a gift of the ship would change their minds.  So we requested to speak with the Manager.  After about half an hour of waiting, we were told that the Manager was in a meeting would not be able to come to the restaurant.   We said we'd wait and we did but finally they relented and dismissed the corkage fee.

No where is anything written about "corkage" fee.  

This experience was unpleasant and really left a  bad impression of MSC Meraviglia for us.

I second the reviews of the onion soup-just terrible gravy and no cheese.  I am very fond of the onion soup on Royal Caribbean and Princess.  MSC needs to go take lessons from them.

An MSC update:   No auto doors on handicap cabins on Divina, Seaside, or Meraviglia.