Oceansaway17

14 hours ago, monorail81 said:

Thank you!  I’m not a fan of the newer classes of ships and have been very hesitant to try the Quantum class. This continues to solidify me not wanting to sail on one unless it’s a bucket list itinerary with not alternatives. 

But do try Ovation in Alaska as it was a nice ship. Northstar still working unlike the other ship Quantum.

19 hours ago, wolfcathorse said:

I left May 10 for a B2B on Anthem, I just got home May 29. I was too tired to remember. Sorry, I'll get it corrected.

no problem

I love Anthem but I do agree with a couple of your comments.  I liked the swing mosaic bench in the front of solarium, and I love the Giraffe mascot.

I did not like the show in 270 but I enjoyed the area in 270.  Of course now, the upstairs balcony is for STAR class and Suites which is a bummer.

21 hours ago, 3yorkies said:

I enjoy my 490 dollars worth of free drinks on each 7 day cruise!!!   Would not go on Celebrity again unless I get to Pinnacle (only 386 points right now) as their drink program from 5 to 7 with limited alcohols sucks IMHO.

sorry that drinking is the best part for you.   But you got to that status by cruising a lot and recovering those dollars with free drinks will take a long time

I would rather the status give me better pricing for specialty dining or % off shore excursions. 

20 hours ago, Stockjock said:

I am probably nitpicking, but I don't see this as a "harder to please" issue, but rather, "different strokes for different folks."  There are obvious reason why some might not care for this type of cabin and choose to avoid it.

they offer both kinds of rooms still.  So pick traditional balcony or NOT.

but more and more folks are growing to like the infinite balcony for the extra room inside, and the clean chairs and not hearing banging doors.

Just now, broberts said:

 

Other than cost, why not every day? Cruise ships are, after all just large hotels that move.

you have got to be kidding.  changing thousands of sheets everyday.  They have enough work to do and even hotels do not change sheets.  Just not needed.

19 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

"Kids these days"...Half the time aren't even aware they're breaking the rules, they just do what they want without thinking and the trend will continue in this direction.  I hate to put it like this, it just means I'm getting old... 😆

I see more adults mis behaving than kids.

14 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Let's make a distinction here.  A large portion of the population are very infrequent travelers.  They generally aren't the folks posting on a travel forum.  I believe that a large portion of frequent travelers are very focused on routing and connection times.  I certainly am, and I doubt that I'm alone here.

yes I agree with you.  Shen selecting those with stops, there are choices and they show you the connection times.  Folks who pay attention to details have less issues INHO

4 hours ago, scottnkim said:

Haven't seen it in effect at Coco Cay, but MANY years ago, while in Jamaica, I was at a swim up bar and the lady next to me dropped a strawberry daquiri in the water.  It was astonishing how quickly the red was eliminated- disappeared / vanished right before our eyes.  I can only assume the chlorine level is damn near skin melting in those places!   🙂

oh my wow. Too much chlorine can be too bad too.

2 hours ago, broberts said:

 

So they don't change all the sheets on turnaround day? Yuk! 🤮 

yes on that day they have to.  but NOT every day and that is not the case

22 hours ago, mrgabriel said:

 

Those of us who don't like the IV aren't hard to please - we want a different experience. I like the wind in my hair when the ship is moving, and being able to sit outside and read or listen to nothing but the sound of the sea while my husband watches TV. He likes to sleep in with the room darkened, while I get up early and want to get that first good hour of natural light. 

 

Different strokes ... neither group is hard to please. 

 

 

well you can go out and go up on deck for an hour.

19 hours ago, wolfcathorse said:

Home again. Loved Norway, Anthem not so much

 

Adventure (10 weeks) - Capt Jaret Barry (started 5-4-24)
Adventure - Capt Erik Standahl
Allure (10 weeks) - Capt Shawn McDuff (started 4-28-24)
Allure - Capt Tobias Oster
Anthem (10 weeks) - Capt Toni Calne (started rotation 5-10-24)
Anthem - Capt Srecko Ban
Brilliance (10 weeks) - Capt Pero Sutalo (started rotation 4-17-24)
Brilliance - Capt Juan Luis Caranti
Enchantment (10 weeks) - Capt Daniel Budzelewski (started rotation 4-14-24)
Enchantment - Capt Kenneth Moeller
Explorer (10 weeks) - Capt Toni Tomljanovic (started rotation 5-25-24)
Explorer - Capt Frank Martinsen
Freedom (10 weeks) - Capt tbd (started rotation 5-27-24)
Freedom - Capt Ivo Paskvalin
Grandeur (10 weeks) - Capt Antun Regjo (started rotation 4-5-24)
Grandeur - Capt Pehr Pehrsson
Harmony (10 weeks) - Capt staff captain (started rotation 6-30-24)
Harmony - Capt James McDonald
Icon (10 weeks) - Capt Teo Strazicic (started rotation 4-6-24)
Icon - Capt Henrik Loy
Independence (10 weeks) - Capt tbd (started rotation 3-24-24)
Independence - Capt Gus Andersson
Jewel (10 weeks) - Capt Michael Lindberg (started rotation 3-30-24)
Jewel - Capt Trond Holm
Liberty (10 weeks) - Capt Dustin Catelsky (started rotation 3-31-24)
Liberty - Capt Malvin Bardnes
Mariner (10 weeks) - Capt Tor Isak Olsen (started rotation 4-27-24)
Mariner - Capt Panos Panagopoulos 
Navigator (10 weeks) - Capt James Nazar (started rotation 4-19-24)
Navigator - Capt Johan Hill
Oasis (10 weeks) - Capt Göran Peterson (started rotation 5-12-24)
Oasis - Capt Ante Cavala
Odyssey (10 weeks) - Capt Per Kristopherson (started rotation 5-5-24)
Odyssey - Capt Marek Slaby
Ovation (10 weeks) - Capt Sverre Ryan (started rotation 3-31-24)
Ovation - Capt Espen Been
Quantum (10 weeks) - Capt Arild Hansen (started rotation 4-14-24)
Quantum - Capt Krzyszthof Szymkarczuk
Radiance (10 weeks) - Capt Rumen Yovchev (started rotation 5-3-24)
Radiance - Capt Marek Slaby
Rhapsody (10 weeks) - Capt tbd (started rotation 4-27-24)
Rhapsody - Capt Filip Norberg
Serenade (10 weeks) - Capt Stig Nilsen (started rotation 4-18-24)
Serenade - Capt Kjell Nordmo
Spectrum (10 weeks) - Capt Huimin Wu (started rotation 3-30-24)
Spectrum - Capt Flemming Nielsen
Star (10 weeks) - Capt Inaugural3 (started rotation 6-1-25)
Star - Capt Yard Captain 3
Symphony (10 weeks) - Capt Angel Oviol Ruiz (started rotation 4-6-24)
Symphony - Capt Rick Sullivan
Utopia (10 weeks) - Capt Gus Andersson (started rotation 7-22-24)
Utopia - Capt Yard Captain 2
Vision (10 weeks) - Capt Ole-Johan Gronhaug (started rotation 5-25-24)
Vision - Capt Mise Tevsic
Voyager (10 weeks) - Capt Carl Graucob (started rotation 5-26-24)
Voyager - Capt Ervin Pajic
Wonder (10 weeks) - Capt Trym Selvag (started rotation 5-5-24)
Wonder - Capt Rob Hempstead
 

i had told you that for ICON Capt Loy returned May 11.

On 5/26/2024 at 10:29 PM, PTC DAWG said:

I don’t think I have ever had sheets changed daily on any cruise..20+ cruises.. 

No if they changed sheets daily wow would that be laundry overload and so much extra work.

22 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I think my invite got lost in the mail 😂!

 

On a serious note, would it sound like sour grapes if I said it seems an extravagant, and perhaps frivolous use of environmental resources for just 600 people?

very well said.  I mean they must have thrown a lot of money at Celebrity.

It is like reserving a whole bus for two people.  More than money should be concerned like the environment.  I agree with you.

On 5/27/2024 at 6:29 AM, Ergates The Ant said:

We have always booked balcony cabins in the past, but a last minute booking to Norway meant only Infinite Bacony available. 
We loved it! I’d nearly go so far as to say that it could be a deal breaker for us, we found it so much to our taste. 
This is why it appealed so much to us, as your personal requirements will be different. 
We love to hear the sea, and it was lovely to be able to sleep with the window at least partly open without the AC playing up. Loved the privacy of being able to sit right by the edge of the open window, without balcony neighbours being obvious. Hardly knew there was anyone next to us on either side. If I hadn’t seen them going into their rooms, I might have guessed that both were unoccupied. 
The extra space made a huge difference in the cabin too. It would probably have been too cold to sit out for too long in Northern Europe, but we had the window open for hours at a time. Wonderful to see straight down to the sea, too. 
We often leave our curtains open at night anyway, and we only closed the blind once to test how it worked! Perfect for cruising the fjords, when  we passed mountain ranges in the small hours by the light of the moon.
We would book this type of cabin again without hesitation, but appreciate that the climate in the Caribbean would present different challenges. I’ve never visited there, and have no plans to do so, but for cooler climates and scenic cruises, it exceeded my expectations.

thank you and you just agreed to my thoughts that I have had all along.  I think the room style would be enjoyable and less wind, cleaner chairs, more room in the room.  A total win.

some folks are hard to please but I think the infinity balcony is a winner and a gem.  agree with you very much.  One day I will book this style of room gladly

1 hour ago, Crazy planning mom said:

My point wasnt to attack NCL's excursions.  My point is that if you went with a private company would you have had better luck getting inside of the Vatican.  They wouldnt have necessarily known you were on a cruise if you took an excursion with a regular tour provider.  If Rome is purposely trying to limit cruise guests at its major attractions.

at this point I would not know.  I never buy private excursion and it is 4 hours r/t driving and I would feel better with an excursion full of other passengers.

I did not think you were attacking NCL excursions. but for me it helped make up my mind..

2 hours ago, asctony said:

We were on a Celebrity ship last year. A couple had their bare feet on a table while they were sleeping. An officer walked by. I stopped the officer and said to look at those two people sleeping with their bare feet on the table. The office said 'I can't do anything as I would get in trouble.'

Sooooooooooo.........

 

and so it goes on - bad behavior because no one is enforcing the rules.   just a shame but then again society is changing a log.  More and more I think ships are full of self absorbed people who know they can get their way for exactly what you just said.  The mindset is "What are they going to do to me - nothing".   oh well

1 minute ago, Crazy planning mom said:

That's unfortunate.  I wonder if you had booked with a private company if it had gone differently.

well I for one have had very good luck with ship excursions, but Rome if playing games and I also never thought the Cinque Terre would go so fast either.  

Glad I am not going next week.  I will go next year with RCI.

But I have Viva and Prima next year to Iceland and Greece so not totally down on NCL.

2 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Status may not matter to you, but a LOT of people like free drinks, free WiFi, free speciality restaurant meals, free laundry, free water, free bottle of wine, etc. every cruise. These perks save me over $1,000 every cruise, so definitely not overrated in my book. 

and is it really free afterall in the end.

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

I generally agree with you, but it's a bit of a misnomer to say "I like to control my flights." You don't, you only control the reservation. What happens to the flights is beyond your control. If a plane is delayed, there's a crew shortage, or bad weather, you have 0 control. The only difference here is that NCL did the reserving. What happens after that isn't on them.

you do control the SELECTION of your flights and the connection flights at the time of booking.

NCL will assign more flights that are not non stop or that have shortest connections.

What I am saying is NCL might not have the best choices.  Of course things can come up and I am not stupid I know this.  But plan for flights with better connections to absorb things that could go wrong.   

4 minutes ago, Roz said:

@Oceansaway17, Princess and Carnival both charge solos double, so I'm not sure that's better treatment. 

 

With HAL's new emphasis on families and cramming 3-4 passengers into as many cabins as possible, I assume solo pricing will deteriorate. 

I have gotten rates lower than double quite a few times.  And I like Princess policies on changes and refunds much better than HAL.  HAL is slick.

Yes I was supposed to go on Escape next week.   Back in March I saw lots of availability for a few shorex and then suddenly for both days from Livorno, NO more Cinque Terre excursions and I am talking for two days.

Then came notice that getting inside the Vatican is being reduced.  Rome wants to reduce availability to ships as they want more tourist to actually stay in Rome at hotels and eat in their restaurants.  So, the deadline for tickets to see insides of Vatican was added and I am glad I had mine in. Or so I thought.

Then came a notice that no longer will my tour get to go into the Coliseum.  I mean what gives with Rome anyways.  And the wording for Vatican tour changed online to exclude any inside visits. So that had me wondering if I was okay or not.  A 10 hour day r/t to Rome and not see inside of Vatican or Coliseum well no thanks.

I gave up and since I had insurance I cancelled and took the 10% penalty. Getting 90% Future credit and money back for shorex and Airline will give a future credit as well.

I just felt NCL and Europe not in the cards for me this year.  

On 5/29/2024 at 6:38 AM, Acruzaholic said:

I would never never never let NCL handle the air flights.Did it once-learned lesson you will get the worst departure/connections times, and cheapest flights they can find.

yes yes YES agree.

Soo many folks look for convenience and less price.  I for one like to control my flights and pay attention to connection times is most important.

Cruise lines want to sell you a room and offer air as a plus but it is not really doing one any favors.  And they do not always help with things go wrong. 

6 minutes ago, asctony said:

People sleeping is all over the ships. Pool deck, atriums, sky lounge, etc. 

Crew member should carry squirt guns to wake up those who are sleeping. 😆 

oh you gave me an idea too.

I think laying down to sleep in rude. One thing to nod head while sitting but to lay down for over an hour and snore is just darn rude.

I am amazed at the hands off attitude of a lot of crew members who are more worried about any ratings they get instead of enforcing rules or keeping the ship experience nice for everyone.

5 minutes ago, twangster said:

Young love…

 

nice I will have to look for this from the ship and photo myself in August.

have a nice trip to Norway.  My favorite region to cruise in.

6 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

Hey @twangster! I’m in the waiting room waiting to board as you’re posting. It’s packed down here. Looks like Key, Pn’s etc just starting to move now.

 

Thx for all your updates. I caught up on this thread last night and this morning. Are you ok with me joining this thread to add photos etc like we did on the Ovation-Alaska thread a few years back? I not interested in posting my own reviews anymore as you know. I understand if you wish to keep this thread yours alone. 

oh goodie the two   STER's are on board.  I too was on the famous Ovation Aug 2019 cruise.

Enjoy this cruise.  I am doing an August 12 day Artic on Jewel, but some of my ports are different