farjar

Just curious.  I've gambled on both Carnival and Holland but never gotten a casino offer that I am aware of.  How do you receive them?  Do they come directly to the email account other cruise advertising goes to or do you have to sign in to your account and fine them there?

33 minutes ago, Laminator said:

The generosity and frequency of the offers have declined dramatically over the past 18 months. As the ships are sailing fuller there is no longer the need to fill up the cabins with casino offers. There is alot of Holland America Casino Players on a site that I am not allowed to mention here. There is much more robust information on casino offers and the tricks needed to obtain better casino offers. 

Any idea how far in advance of a cruise they are accepting proof being submitted?  How far out has anyone done it and been approved?

Am I correct in assuming inside cabins on the Zaandam won't have a mini frig either since it is a sister ship to the Volendam?  What is the daily rental fee and how would we prebook one?

We used the military OBC offer once before and just reverified my husband's eligibility.  I thought I recalled we were then asked for our reservation number and it was applied to our upcoming, already booked cruise. The offer now seems to read for new bookings only.  Can it be added to our existing reservation that is still six months away and how would that be done? 

I noticed the Zaandam returns to Vancouver Sept.18th after a 7 day Alaska cruise.  It seems to have no other sailing until in departs San Diego on Dec. 7th for an 11 day Mexico cruise.  I'm assuming this means it is going into dry dock or having some other upgrades.  Anyone know what is happening?  Thanks.  

Ship - Radiance of the Seas

Deck - 4

Stateroom - 4029

Category - Inside  3V

Starboard or port side - Port

Quiet Stateroom - Yes.  I believe any of the cabins in the surrounding area would be also.

Connecting - No

This cabin is designed for up to 5 people having a king sized bed, two beds that drop from the ceiling and a sofa that makes into a bed. We found it quite roomy for just 2 people and especially liked having the sofa to sit on.  It might be a bit cramped for 4 or more.

The cabin was conveniently located.  There was a short walk to the right to the forward elevators and the Aurora Theater.  A slightly longer walk to the left took you to the Centrum area and the Cascades Dining Room.  The ship is not huge so everything was near by.  We were very pleased.

On 9/2/2023 at 12:13 PM, yogimax said:

The short ribs in the MDR are excellent.

I printed out the new menus for what I believe will be served on our upcoming 8 night cruise, (Welcome Aboard, Royal Night, Mexican Night, Italian Night, French Night, Caribbean Night, Bon Voyage, and British Night).  I see no mention of short ribs, which we love. Have you had them since the new menus came out?  Perhaps it's another item that has been removed.  

If you search Royal Caribbean Honey Stung Chicken there is a recipe on the Royal Caribbean blog.  I understand having someone else prepare it and serve it to you is half the charm!

On 7/21/2023 at 8:31 AM, GORDONCHICK said:

I pack an empty spray bottle, fill it with water and spritz clothing and shake them out.  The wrinkles just fall out.  I also don't pack anything that needs pressing.

I do this too then, if necessary, use the hair dryer in the cabin to get out any stubborn wrinkles.

Besides filling our the laundry slip, if there are items you would really hate to lose (blouse, t shirt, pants) lay them on the bed and take a picture of them with your phone before sending them out just in case something doesn't come back.

Our specialty dining package covers the two adults in our cabin. How does it work for the 11 & 15 year olds traveling with us? Do we book a la carte restaurants and pay for their meals?  

On 2/12/2023 at 8:11 AM, Cruiser1862 said:

Entertainment:  We saw an absolutely amazing pianist/comedian named Tom Franek. He performed 2 nights with 2 different routines. Best entertainment ever on a cruise.

We were on the same cruise and agreed with most of your assessments especially about Tom Franek.  We are platinum on NCL and thought he was the best solo entertainer we've seen on any of our cruises.    

17 hours ago, ontheweb said:

What great training for a real emergency situation. 🤦‍♂️ Everyone just saunter in 20-25 at a time. Do you really think that would work in a real muster situation?

Since we were actually at our designated muster station we knew exactly were to go in case there was an true emergency.  The crew members also asked at the end if there were any questions just in case additional clarification was needed. 

On 1/20/2023 at 9:54 AM, ticketsunlimited said:

Our last two cruises we used Cruise Control.  They were excellent both times.  Dan

We agree.  We used Cruise Control in Dec. and were very pleased.  It cost $25pp each way so a round trip for the 2 of us was $100 for a shared shuttle. Since you are a large group you may wish to inquire about the price for one of their private shuttles.  Email or call Corey at corey@cruisecontroltransportation.com   407-837-0811.  He is great.

On a recent CCL cruise our muster station was in one of the dining rooms.  As we entered our cards were scanned and we sat until there were about 20-25 of us.  The crew then proceeded with the drill.  Anyone arriving after the demonstration began was asked to wait.  Once our presentation was over we left and the new arrivals were then let in for their session.  It was great because you were comfortable plus you could hear and see everything without being crammed to a small area.  Also you didn't have to wait for latecomers.  This continuous revolving door method was so much better than what we have experienced in the past. 

One of my prescriptions needs to be taken with food.  I always bring a croissant or other breakfast pastry down to my room and place it in a ziplock bag.  The next morning I make a cup of coffee, eat my snack and take my medication in the privacy of my cabin.  I find that a much preferable option than trying to take my pills while eating in the buffet.

As platinum cruisers on NCL we have eaten many meals in several venues.  We have had "hits and misses" when it come to food but find NCL generally better than CCL.  NCL's crepes in the buffet are great while the gelato available on some CCL ships is delicious.  HAL, however, had the best free swordfish I've ever had in their MDR and I could eat their portabella mushroom burgers at the Dive-In everyday.  HAL also has a wide assortment of Bigelow tea flavors in the buffet.  As others have said, everyone has different tastes.

3 hours ago, Jodi H said:

We got on the ship this morning. Embarkation from curb to bar was 20 minutes 😊 Access to our room by 1pm but of course the luggage isn't there yet but we don't care. Oh, and absolutely no fog. It's beautiful.

That's all good to hear.  Anything else you can post during the cruise would be sincerely appreciated.  Hope you have an absolutely wonderful time.

We will be on the Dawn sailing 1/28/23 with the same itinerary you are scheduled for. How did embarkation go, any fog in Tampa, any missed ports, how was the food, did you do any excursions, was the entertainment good?  Any information you could pass along would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

I believe I read on CC the embarkation day menu for O'Sheehan's was different than the rest of the cruise and limited.  Is that the case and can anyone post the menu?  Thanks.

57 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

That's too bad.  I totally agree with you -- if NCL already has letters in cabins about an itinerary change, they should be able to tell folks before boarding, maybe even long before boarding.

 

I appreciate your posting this info about the Dawn.  It doesn't seem to bode well for the smaller ships either.  We're on the Gem, scheduled to be in Puerto Plata on Jan. 31, along with the Dawn and the Encore as well as a Carnival ship and a HAL ship.  I've been assuming the Gem and Dawn would make it to Taino Bay, but now who knows.  San Juan is already on our itinerary.

 

 

 

 

We are on the Dawn that day.  Our original itinerary does not include a stop at San Juan so I guess NCL could send us there although that would be extremely disappointing.  We have been to Puerto Rico several times but Puerto Plata was going to be new to us.  Also we are looking forward to the Off Road Buggies and Beach excursion we've booked through the ship.  Cruisemapper is now showing the Encore in Amber Cove on Feb. 3rd but I doubt that helps either of us.  You may end up with an extra day at sea.  😡

2 hours ago, kdnurs said:

THANKS Farjar!...This Wok place has POTENTIAL too...I am getting excited!

I went three times on an 8 day cruise.  You grab your bowl then fill it with whatever you want; 3 different kinds of noodles, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, carrots, spinach, pea pods, cauliflower, peas, corn, celery, spinach, bok choy, zucchini, and bamboo shoots.  You then pick from chicken, beef or a seafood that changed daily (salmon, clams or mussels) and three different sauces (mild, medium and hot.)  They have 2 chefs cooking three woks at a time but it's very popular so don't be in a rush.  The earlier in the cruise you go the better as word spreads and they run out of some items toward the end.  Enjoy.

On 12/9/2022 at 7:44 PM, I M INDIAN said:

Thank You! I will check them out!

We just used Cruise Control transportation two weeks ago and were very pleased with them.  We paid $25 each to go from MCO to Port Canaveral then $25 each for the return trip for a total of $100 for 2.  Our driver, Stephanie, was friendly and we felt very comfortable riding with her.  The van was clean and well maintained.  Your needs are slightly different than ours were but I'm sure Corey will be able to answer your questions.

On 12/18/2022 at 4:40 AM, kdnurs said:

The last time I sailed on a Carnival ship was 2011. I am sorta kinda a newbie since it's been so long. I am curious if there are any other dining options/hidden jewels to have lunch on the Carnival Magic for embarkation day. What are some favorites? 😍

Two weeks ago the embarkation dining options were:

Guy's Pig & Anchor   5 mid     11-2:30

Blue Iguana    10 mid               11-3

Seafood Shack $   10 aft         11-3

Lido Buffet     10 aft                 11-3:30

Mongolian Wok    10 mid        11-3:30

Guy's Burgers   10 mid             11-6

Cucina     11 aft                         11:30-2:30

Carnival Deli    10 aft                11-11

Swirls soft serve     10 aft        11-midnight

Pizza     10 aft                            11-12:30am

We went to the Pig & Anchor the first day which was not crowded then to the Lido for dessert.

The Mongolia Wok is wonderful but you need to get in line early.  It can take 15-20 minutes waiting but it is well worth it if you like "create your own stir-fry."

23 hours ago, mkcurran said:

Yum!!!! 

The gelato is wonderful plus you can add your own toppings like; chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, sprinkles, granola and many more.  You can also go back as many times as you want and it's free!!!