hotdog647

On 9/16/2022 at 8:57 PM, CRUIS4ME said:

Tickets are not needed for Israel ports once the passport has been processed.  Instead of a passport stamp, a paper validation ticket from the Israeli customs folks is given with your passport.   That paper stamp ticket is how one enters into the other ports. One can scan the ticket and come and go.   No paper ticket from passport control…..no getting in. So that is why everyone needs to comply with getting the passport control process is important.  One needs that paper ticket to come and go in Ashdod and Haifa.   

What a great write-up.  Our cruise is Oct 19 and Israel and Jerusalem will be the highlight or our trip.  Thank you for sharing all that info.  I have booked 3 ten passenger minibuses and guides for our group excursions to Jerusalem and will pass some of your tips on to our group.   Knowing about the Israel entry process  and doing paperwork ahead of time will be a great help to everyone cruising to Israel.  Doug.

Any recent recommendations for all inclusive beach day pass?  Any have shaded areas?

We went to Eagle Beach 2 years ago.  Lots of sand not much shade. By cab was about 30$ rt .  I read by bus it is 10$ rt from station by cruise port. Doug

The website seems awkward to me.  About Covid testing, I came away with the sense that everyone would be tested at the terminal before boarding.  If you aren't vaccinated or didn't show your card you would pay for the test,  If you were vaccinated you would still get the test in the terminal, but no charge.  Any other ideas what they meant? 

We are Doug and Kevin and will be looking for friends on this long relaxing cruise.  Say hello here.  We're friendly.

We returned from Merg Western Caribbean last Sunday.  Food in MDR was inconsistent, Buffet unexciting.  More from US than those from foreign countries had food complaints.  Plusses-  For those of us without dietary fat considerations there was a good selection of Salami, proscuito, fruit, bread etc.  You can order off menu with planning.  Shows average but varied.  Don't expect Cirque du Soleil to be a Las Vegas Spectacular.  The violinist had amazing talent.  People who had dinner and show didn't seem too impressed and would have opted just for drinks and show package.  Alcoholic drinks on the weak side, but the beer is cold. Compared to the 3 Divina sailings we felt the food was definitely superior;  not great but bwetter than Merrg.

Hi. We are Doug and Kevin-I posted on the main roll call. We are driving to Ft. Lauderdale Friday before the cruise and are staying at Hyatt Place 17th street near the port. We registered for Meet and Mingle and drop by the LGBT Meet and Greets in the evenings. Hope meet you guys later this week. A photo of us is posted behind my round pic above. Doug & Kevin

Rhapsody of the Seas-Entrance to free steamroom area down hallway to right of spa reception. First door leads into locker room and toilet. Second door leads into room with 3 regular showers, steamroom and sauna.

If the post wasn't made here I would never know there was a list being made. It will save a lot of searching to see what is available on different ships and different lines. Thanks RogerDoger for taking on the work of setting up an info exchange and agreeing to manually enter the info on a spreadsheet.. We don't have a Shriners. or Country and Western board or a straight board on cruise critic, but if any of my friends ask me, I will know where to tell them where they can look. And MarkieMark knows where to tell his friends or other people to look.. I looked at the large number of hits the thread has had

What a great idea. It seems like more of the newer and biggest ships are skipping free spa/sauna/steam facilities and adding pay areas. Imagine that.

We cruise quite a bit and have seen most of the things commented on above. A lot does have to do with the cruise line and the cruise and ship itself. And the itinerary . Some promote LGBT meetings, but have them between dinner services or at heavy traffic times where private spaces aren't available. Others don't promote at all. Much has to do with the cruise director. One thing we have noticed on many cruises that do have LGBT events is that gay people will walk by a small group but do not stop by to say hello. Just like in a gay bar or other event. And there are gays who do not socialize with others, just like with the straight crowd. Do you think 'gaydar' is real? Step up and say hello to someone. You may find you have it. or may find a nice straight friend. Doug

Less than 3 months to go. Kevin and I are really looking forward to this getaway because of the ports and length of this cruise. We are curious whether or not Navigator has LGBTQ meetings posted on the Cruise Compass or bulletin board on sailings from the UK. If they do let's all make a special effort to attend and meet each other. Does anyone know about must see or must do spots in any of the ports? Doug

Hello gents. We are Kevin & Doug from Florida and have booked Navigator Sept 29. We will fly from Amsterdam to Southampton on Flybe and back to Amsterdam after the cruise. Have you ever ended a cruise in Southampton? We are trying to decide whether we should book our return at 920 or 1315, depending on departure from the ship and transfer time to the airport. Looking forward to meeting you both.

I probably responded on another thread, but count me in for the last 4 Legend cruises. Doug

I just returned from B2B Navigator cruises on Dec 4 & 9. I observed most of the negatives people have talked about in this thread. I understand some can be explained away as a sign of the times. But on these two cruises there were a lot more people than usual talking about problems and disappointments with food, customer service, and maintenance on the Navigator. It was more than just pissy top tier people who voiced negative concerns. Complaints ran the gamut from 1st time cruisers through Pinnacles.

I, too, have a long cruise on Navigator booked for next year. Based on my experience this month, I am considering changing to a different ship. I hope improvements are made in a lot of areas on Navigator. If not, being on board can still be a good cruise-with unpleasant annoyances.

A lot of people on our cruise mentioned the same things as NemoCrownie and Firefighterhoop about the dining. SSDD. One person thought they stocked up the same amount of food for the 9 day cruise as the did on the previous 5 day cruise. Other common problems were stuck drawers, malfunctioning room safes, broken closet door hinges, and unknown stains on linen, chairs and sofas. And, as on my 2013 TA cruise, the showers in the sauna/steam room still had inoperative water temperature valves. And the every popular toilet system issues. The clear water to flush the toilets had black solids and greasy film. A printed note provided at the start of each cruise stated it was because a fellow passenger put unapproved items into the system. It seems like that would mess up the sewer side of the vacuum system and not the clear flushing water. But I'm not an engineer.

Look for me on Legend's last 4 cruises as well. I fly to Bangkok for 6 days to recover from the time and date changes, then down to Brisbane the night before the cruise. It will be a unique experience- let's make it a happy ending for the ship as well.;) Doug

In June on Majesty, Hotel Director John Denton set up a pre-lunch cocktail hour for D+ at Coco Cay. Nice snacks, great drinks and a more casual atmosphere. He does an outstanding job!

So, which is better: BOGO= buy one get one half off, or regular price with 25% off per person?

We are frequent and long time Royal cruisers. The past menus were so predictable we could decide which menu would be on what day in the MDR. Last May we cruised Anthem, and were really impressed with the additional menu offerings with Dynamic Dining. We even hoped Royal might even adopt some of the ideas and menus in the MDRs of other ships. Most people ask us about the food after a cruise. Now we will have to say same as usual.

Check with next cruise or hotel director. They have both been good to me in the past. Doug

Hello guys. I will be on the TA from Rome to San Juan Nov 6. Also the cruise before that. I'm sure there will be more who don't follow CruiseCritic. Doug

First of all, congratulations will be in order. I will be on Jewel b2b Oct 27 & Nov 6. Hope to meet you both. Doug

It's worth repeating how much the Hotel Director on a ship influences not only the cruisers, but the staff and crew as well. Leadership comes from the top, and John Denton made Monarch one of the best loved ships in the fleet. Recently on Majesty from Port Canaveral, he showed he is doing it again. When you cruise, take a look at the waiters, room attendants, guest services etc. Watch to see if they are happy, joking with each other, and interacting with the cruisers. I believe the happiness of the crew and staff directly influences passenger satisfaction.

John is seen out and about in various venues. He does things you don't find on the mega ships. Another great hotel director is Sanjay on Vision. Maybe it's easier to do on smaller vessels. What do you think?

Off today for Amsterdam. See you in Barcelona Friday. Doug