iTownPrincess

I understand your question about water so well! Back in the day (early 2000s) I would fly into FLL (living dangerously, flying in same day) and spend 10 minutes at the Coke vending machines in the airport filling a nylon duffel bag with bottles of Dasani. I threw on a luggage tag and handed the duffel to a porter along with the rest of my luggage. The now-damp bag (condensation from the bottles) might have received a side-eye from the porter but that’s all. I confess I’m a horrible water snob and just hated the taste of the ship’s water. Can’t recall if they were Carnival or RC cruises.

Thank you for this post, excellent information. I admire your commitment and the work you put into keeping it clean.

Speaking strictly for myself I find occasional 2-5 day breaks from Keto work best for me roughly every 3-4 months. Regaining ketosis after a break is not a hardship and I actually find it comforting to return to a set eating routine after a break. I admit to occasional “dirty” Keto when a Wendy’s double cheeseburger hits the spot but in general I keep it inside the lines. You are an inspiration!

On 4/23/2023 at 1:17 PM, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

The problem is if one is selfish they don't think being selfish is a negative...The narcissist test is surprisingly simply and only has one question which is..."Are you a narcissist?"  An actual narcissist would not be embarrassed to admit they are one...Wear I live you encounter a lot of them

 Overheard: “… but enough about me! What do YOU think of my dress?”

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

 We will be back on her in June with our granddaughter. 

DH and I will be on the same cruise. I’m a Celebrity n00b and he is an ex-U.S. Navy guy I’m dragging along scowling all the way. I’m hoping when we get on board he will realize how great cruising is. I love this thread - great information!

I waited to start reading this thread until I had an uninterrupted hour or so to catch up with the posts. Note to Self:There is no “catching up” on a Jim_Iain thread. When I started reading there were 15 pages of comments. Now there are 18 and counting. I better wrap this up or I’ll be reading for a long time …

Thank you for this review! We will be on the CB this fall. Recent reviews have been varied, with the age of the ship and its last update seeming to be near the top of the list. It was so helpful to me to read your practical, cheerful, and optimistic opinion about everything. Now I feel the same way! 😀

Thanks for this! We sail on the Equinox on June - DH’s first cruise and my first in almost seven years. I found your video very helpful, especially finding out the Indian selections are available daily! 😋

On 3/5/2023 at 12:54 AM, Moochi said:

We are staying at Renaissance Ft Lauderdale West for the night. It is a 15-20 minutes ride away from the pier or airport, but $150 cheaper than a hotel on Las Olas Blvd. The hotel was recently remodeled, and looks clean and stylish. I like the brass accents in the bedroom, and matte black hardware in the bathroom. I uploaded a picture of the shower. Cute fixture, great bath amenities, and someone did a very nice job installing the tiles on the wall. Best part of the room is, there are power outlets and USB posts everywhere! Very convenient to charge electronics or doing some work. 

 

We sail on the Equinox June 4th and I’ve been having a terrible time choosing a hotel for the night before near the port. The recent reviews are brutal. I think I may follow your lead and book this hotel - maybe a bit of distance from the port is better. We plan to park & sail so I need to check with the hotel to find out if they offer this. I appreciate your post!

My most memorable cruise was my first one - NYC to Bermuda aboard the Nordic Prince in November 1992. I was blown away by it mostly because it was a new experience for me, but also because it was hurricane season (hence the incredibly cheap fare) and the ship was rockin’ and rollin’. I loved being rocked to sleep each night. (Learning to take a shower one-handed while the other hand clung to the grab rails was a challenge!)

The one lipstick that worked for me in all lights is now so long discontinued that it's not even available on ebay. I've bought, so far, six others, none of which have turned out to be flattering.

How do you go about finding the right color when this happens?

High-end cosmetics counters (Dior, Chanel, MAC, Clinique, etc.) will often put a sample in a small container for you to take home and try. Maybe you could paint a small swipe of your old favorite on an index card, take it to Ulta or Sephora (or department stores) and swatch other colors next to it to see what comes close. This won't help you see it on your skin, but it will help with a color match.

If it helps, Clinique Chubby Stick in Whole Lotta Honey is a nice brownish neutral, and Smashbox Audition is a very nice subtle pink.

FWIW, I'm not a LipSense fan -- way too fiddly to apply, and have to keep applying gloss over it all day. But I'm in the distinct minority.

ALWAYS have my iPad mini with the Kindle app on the ship. One of my favorite ways to relax is to find a quiet corner and read for a while, either with a glass of wine or a special coffee drink.

Have you read David Baldacci's new series featuring Amos Decker? There are two so far, Memory Man and The Last Mile. Also, how about Faye Kellerman? Although quite a few years old now, her Rina Lazarus and Peter Decker series is fantastic. My latest favorite is "Robert Galbraith's" (J.K. Rowling) series - it starts with Cuckoo's Calling, then The Silkworm; the latest is Career of Evil. Each book is better than the last. I hope (s)he continues it!

My sister sailed the Island Princess for a full transit about a year ago and had nothing bad to say about the ship. She and her husband are experienced cruisers (especially on X and Cunard) and enjoyed the ship thoroughly. IMO, those who sailed the Island before the changes may be a bit more critical than those whose first experience of the ship is post-change.

Also, as other posters have noted, read David McCullough's excellent book The Path Between the Seas about the construction of the canal -- fascinating stuff.

Check out the shore excursions for your cruise on Princess' website -- there is a blue "wheelchair" icon for excursions that are suitable. They appear in the same place as the "E," "M," and "S" designations that tell you how strenuous the excursion is.

Hope you & your mom have an excellent cruise -- a Baltic cruise aboard a Princess ship is on my "must do" list!

You don't say what your itinerary is. Some cruises (such as 7-day and shorter Caribbean) attract lots of families with kids. Others (say, a 10 or 15-day Panama Canal transit), not so much. This may help you make a decision.

On several cruises we have seen "service dogs" that help their owners in different medical ways. I think there is a place where they can "toilet". They are permitted everywhere their owner goes, for those that need them they are a very important part of their lives.

There is a world of difference between "service animal" and "emotional support animal." The former is protected under the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act, and the latter is not. Unfortunately in today's climate no one wants to be the one to pose the question. The description of a true "service animal" is very narrow, and "emotional support" is not within the limit of the ADA. However, even a small dog may be trained as a "service animal" for the reasons pointed out by another poster.

I use a TA that knows the cruise industry inside & out and has been on many ships, especially Princess. I listen to her opinions and advice and make decisions based on her very intelligent input. She scored us a very inexpensive upsell from inside to balcony cabin on our last cruise (NYC to Canada in Oct) and always sends a beautiful flower arrangement. Just booked a Panama Canal partial transit for April 2018 with her, with $1 deposit.

Whatever you do, sail on the Coral, not the Island!

Glad I picked the Coral -- didn't know this about the Island. Just booked Coral for partial transit in March 2018. Got in on the $1 deposit promo. Very excited.

My itinerary says Gatun locks -- these are new?

I would like to pass on the name of a fantastic blog that someone here on CC was kind enough to share.

www.theviviennefiles.com

Incredibly valuable for putting together travel wardrobes for different weather, seasons, lengths, etc., coordinating colors and accessories.

The best thing is that she always tells you her source for the garments she shows and frequently includes links.

I travel everywhere with a 22" rolling bag, plus a tote/knapsack (depending on the level of dressiness of the trip).

Do yourself a favor and learn how to pack efficiently (Solo Traveler blog is a good one); also composing a "travel capsule wardrobe" is very valuable (http://www.theviviennefiles.com is fantastic). Also look up poster Cruise Kitty on this site -- she has some great suggestions for packing for different types of weather.

Don't go crazy on buying the most expensive luggage out there (a previous poster mentioned TravelPro -- great suggestion), especially if you check your bags. Tumi and other high-end luggage is to baggage handlers as a red cape is to a bull.

Have a great trip!

The earplugs you describe sound like Mac's.

I have a problem finding ear plugs that are comfortable for my smallish ear canals. Traditional foam earplugs re-expand too quickly before I get them settled in my ears.

I discovered Howard Leight's earplugs and they are perfect. Slightly stiffer than foam so they stay compressed long enough for me to get them seated properly. I think the "underwater" sound is unavoidable once your ear canals are completely occluded.

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Women-Earplugs-Pink/dp/B003C7OQ7G/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1486130266&sr=8-5&keywords=leight+ear+plugs

On the Regal out of NY last October, the bottled water we pre-ordered was Aquafina -- one of my favorites!

Crystal Geyser is also good bottled water (as mentioned by previous poster).

I'm in my early 60's and wear dresses and shirts with no sleeves. I have several friends that think when your arms start to wrinkle you need to wear sleeves. My arms are in good shape but they are really starting to wrinkle. Would love to hear from other women my age about what they think?

 

 

Thanks so much

I am with the majority of replies that say, "wear what you want!"

1. Based on the combinations of people and wardrobes I have seen on cruise ships, there is no way your arms/clothing are going to make the Top 500 of gawk-worthy outfits.

2. What other people think of you is none of your business.

3. When you are comfortable and feel good in your clothing, you look good no matter what. Attitude, not the clothes, makes the girl.

Thanks for this review! I love reading all reviews whether I agree with them or not. Often, reviewers have visited parts of a ship I did not, and I'm always interested in what they have to say.

Like one or two other posters on this thread, I was on the Regal for the last cruise to Canada in October 2016. I am an experienced cruiser, but this was my first time on Princess. I loved the ship, the crew/staff, the entertainment, our balcony cabin on Aloha deck, and the food. I know there was a major turnover in crew once the ship headed to Ft. Lauderdale, and I'm sorry Amelia had an unhappy experience. We ate only two meals in the MDR (formal & one other night) but enjoyed the food and DR staff.

I plan to cruise Princess again this year (possibly the same itinerary) and in the meantime, thank you, Amelia, for taking the time to share your review.

My son-in-law and I both like espresso and coffee drinks so we jointly bought a coffee card for our 1 week cruise on the Ruby. Should we both sign the card or should neither of us sign it ? He and my daughter will be next door to us so sharing the card shouldn't be an issue and plenty of holes on the card for sharing. Thank you.

My sister and I shared a card on a cruise last month. No problem. As RocketMan275 stated above, I had no idea there was a signature involved! I don't think any barista even looked at the card beyond punching it.

Tell us about your dining experienceset. Sailing in just under three weeks. Looking forward to some awesome diners.

Our group of four (a girls' cruise!) had the early seating in the Allegro DR. We only ate there two nights -- the formal night and the last night. Very nice menus, great food & wine selection by the glass. Wonderful service, waiter Rolly and assistant Ivan. The only drawback for us was that we always wanted to make the 8:00pm show, and even if we arrived in the Princess Theater at 7:30pm, the best seats were already taken!

We also ate at Sabatini's, Alfredo's, and one dinner in the Horizon Court. All food was excellent.

Not sure if you were asking about specific dishes served; if so, let me know & I will gladly tell you.