KmomChicago

Whelp enjoy living like they do on the other side in that case. I have been in a couple of much smaller suites on a couple of my cruises (Grand Suite on Carnival Legend, Junior Suite on Adventure of the Seas) but never in a multi-room suite, never a ship-within-a-ship experience, and literally for every single cruise my first instinct still is to figure out how cheap I can get an interior room. Which is why CC trip reviews are so important to me, so I can stow away for exactly the fare I like to pay best! Having fun tagging along so far, thank you!

Holy crap! What kind of rich people are you?

All righty then, thanks for the snide attack. You win, congratulations! Happy theatre viewing and have a lovely day.

By the way it seemed earlier there was discussion about whether the villa and cabana prices were different for Holland American sailings but looks like they are at the same point. https://cruiseradio.net/included-half-moon-cay-cabanas-villas/

I like the handbag perspective as it is really similar, the notion that people need certain fancy things and experiences, when they really simply do not actually need them at all. Like cruises. Cruises are luxury experiences and we are incredibly fortunate to ever take them. My husband gave me a nice large tan Michael Kors bag which I would never have bought for myself because he decided I should have one good looking purse, and my other 2 purses are a small black leather Aigner and a medium black leather Stone Mountain, both of which have a slightly broken in look and both of which my stepmom brought to my last garage sale priced at $5!! Major win as new leather bags are a lot more than they used to be and now "visibly used" purses have become a trend. Happy happy trend for me.

We are lucky cruise base prices have not risen more yet. I have read articles in the past several months discussing just this, that the cruise lines are not just looking at their cost per sailing to set pricing, but rather looking at comparable products like all-inclusive resorts and finding they have underpriced the cruise vacations. We all know that some sailings do not fill up, so underpriced takes on a different meaning if demand is not there. But it seems like instead of raising the fares drastically across the board, they are indeed looking at the discretionary add-ons to determine where they can increase revenue in a way that makes sense. I agree with you that the villas are luxury items and entirely unnecessary add-ons so the internet whining is irrelevant. Simply don't buy the add-on if you don't want to, and BTW there is a guy over here who will. And we don't have enough of them for everyone anyway so it doesn't matter what 95% of the people would pay, because they won't get one at any price anyhow. The cruise line is doing nothing wrong by adjusting to the price point where they equalize supply and demand. All the port stop gets you is a completely free day on a beautiful tropical beach with use of a free beach chair and use of your free ship beach towel. They never promised anything more than that and that has not changed in decades.

Yes, and I think they are evaluating what regular features from the rest of the fleet to add to these ships. The full store may appear at some point.

WOW. I am very glad we rented one for $399 in December 2021, and even then it felt like a splurge / bucket list experience; greatly enjoyed but as a one and done at that price. And that was the CHRISTMAS cruise, and NOT very long ago.

All right I thought I was open to this Fun Italian Style concept but we're shuttin' it down right now!

Right! They also do it for the "Jr." version of Broadway shows when they license them to schools and community theatre and I don't remember ever once feeling like the show was missing anything as a result. I like Broadway shows plenty but many of them at some point drag a bit and start to repeat themselves - often literally with the reprise performances of various numbers. It's a rare show that won't benefit from a little editing.

It was the same on Mardi Gras when we sailed a couple years ago, and I think but am not sure it still is. I agree that's an odd miss. They could even charge for it - i.e. Keep Java Blue or whatever the equivalent is on Luminosa open late night because people with drunchies will pay. Is 24 hour soft serve available? Not that it's my favorite dessert but just curious now you mention it.

Agreed. If we don't love the MDR meal we run up to the buffet and somehow secure swallowable and digestible (and tasty IMHO) sustenance. Even that is rare, though, because I have such an aversion to food waste I will usually just eat what I get even if I'm not crazy about it. But obviously the inedible people would not do such a thing and might be mortified to even hear that such a practice exists.

Not a bad idea. Modern audiences have a shorter attention span in general, and when on a cruise there are so many interesting things to do it may well be that audiences don't want to commit the full time to one activity. Certainly when we saw Cats on Oasis of the Seas, a lot of people didn't return after intermission and I believe when they updated the ship they cut the show similarly.

And because it's a show about DEATH! Nothing to worry about people, you all went to muster on time, safety first. It was fabulous on Broadway and we saw it the night before boarding a cruise in Bayonne / Port Liberty so the connection totally works for me. It is very funny and should appeal to a wide audience. Much better than, oh, say, CATS.

I’m neither of those extremes but more the (nearly) any meal I don’t have to prep, cook, and clean up is a treat.

I feel that way about reports of a whole cruise with "inedible" food. I suppose it's possible but I have taken some cheapo cruises and even the worst food has always been "edible."

@EngIceDave not even sure where the comment came from about complaints. I am not picking up that at all. I appreciate your complete and balanced comments about each step of your epic voyage. Also glad to see the deets on essentially the last of the Farcas Spirit class ships come home to the Mother brand. Lotta grumbling over the years about the wildness but new ships, while beautiful and sleek, have no character or chutzpah. Even more than the food pics I am loving the mdr menus, because CCL 7 day trips have nearly identical menus for every ship (minor additions and subtractions per vessel). That’s fine but seeing the extra completely new and different menus for the longer sailing is truly a rare treat. I’m sure the comment was well intended but you are giving me a positive vibe and both you and wife seem to be holding up remarkably well over a very very long journey away from home.

It is not possible to just accidentally fall of a cruise ship. You have to do something reckless, something deliberate, or be pushed/thrown/murdered. News reports make it seem like everyone on a cruise is in danger of randomly falling off the ship.

Didn't "fall." Went overboard, but a fall is an accident and what he did was a choice.

Your view is much better!

The flag, the dogs, and the cool dude all tell me your host fled the lake effect snow of the Windy City solely to shelter you in comfort in your hour of need.

Okay I am obviously wrong as you are docked now at Pier 11! Enjoy!

Quantum of the Seas and you, Carnival Luminosa are the two ships on the schedule for tomorrow for Honolulu. And I think there are only two terminals, Pier 2, and Pier 11. Remember you are arriving a day ahead of schedule. Regatta is scheduled for Hilo tomorrow. So I am guessing you are waiting for Oceania Regatta to leave at 6pm so that you can have Pier 2 and they are probably keeping Pier 11 open for Quantum tomorrow morning. Hence your current pokiness.

This might be why you can't port yet. Somebody hasn't shipped out for the evening yet perhaps?

Another view from a port tracker.