urkidn
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Posts posted by urkidn
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We have been on 2 NCL ships that involved Easter Sunday, nothing special!!!
Really? About 5 years ago we were on one of the Hawaiian ships for Easter Sunday and they had an Easter egg hunt for the kids with a nice treat at every station. At the end, the Easter Bunny was waiting on the grand staircase (with the ship's photographer) and presented each child with a plush bunny. Sad thing was that they lined the staircase with the bunnies in wait for the kids and the adults started grabbing them. You could hear them being told that they were for the children but that didn't stop them. Some took one or two but others were literally leaving with their arms full. I overheard one woman say that she now had a souvenir for each of her grandchildren. If what you say is true, I can understand why they don't do anything special anymore.
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i highly recommend Eagle Creek pack-it folders and cubes. It's amazing what one folder will hold. My husband packs his suit and several shirts in one and they unpack with much less wrinkles because of the lack of movement. They also have a garment sleeve that will hold formal clothes. I haven't tried it yet but plan to get it as it folds up to fit in a carry-on. I also put as many heavy items (like shoes) in my carry on as it frees up weight in my one piece of checked luggage.
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I tried to book with this agency on Friday before they closed. Phoned in the afternoon and got a call back around 5pm (I'm PST). She gave me the quote, I hung up to check with DH on the category we wanted and called her back. She then told me the group price from less than 1/2 hr earlier had gone up by $100/person. I thought it was a bit odd and decided not to book yet when I go online today to see their updated offers, they continue to advertise the original rate that is supposedly not available? Also, they say you can still book online today and get the extra $100 OBC but their system doesn't show the group rates they advertise?
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I am surprised with all the threads on this forum regarding menus and drinks that there isn't more mention of the Food and Beverage Managers. I know last year on Millenium Michael Bramlett, was quite personable and an extremely visible presence on board. When we had a problem in the main dining room, he was very quick to fix it for us and ensured we were happy for the remainder of the voyage. Hopefully I won't have any such issues on my upcoming Eclipse cruise, but if I do, I hope the F&B Manager is as equally approachable and efficient.
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I will go to google, cause I remember being put off by the softness of tanzanite. I am very hard on my jewelry.:o
If it suits your style, try a bezel setting. I find they protect the stone better and are flatter on your finger thus less chance of snags.
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We were in St. Martin three or four years ago with some friends of ours. We went into one of the jewlery stores right in that pier area. Not sure of which store, but it was one of those listed in the cruise ships flyers. My husbands friend was looking for a high end watch, can't recall the name. He knew his price as he had checked back in the States before he left. Prices were the same if not higher he said.
Funny thing was that while he was looking at the watches, us girls were just casually looking through the cases at some of the jewelry when one of the salesmen approached us and commented on my diamond/sapphire ring that my husband had purchased for me from a reputable jeweler back home for our 5th anniversary. I always get comments from people on the ring as it is a very pretty sapphire blue. But, what got me was he asked to see my hand and the ring on my finger and then proceeded to say to me, what a lovely tanzanite ring!!! I politely corrected him and said it was a sapphire. He appeared shocked. What I was thinking was "Buddy, Your a jeweler?? If you can't tell the difference between a sapphire and tanzanite, do you really think i would ever buy jewelry from you???"
We all were laughing about it on the way back to the ship. Like everyone says, educate yourself before you go so you know your prices and what you are looking for. You don't want to be taken, especially on such an expensive purchase.
I wouldn't be so quick to judge. A high quality tanzanite can be very close in colour to a sapphire. Scroll down to the middle of this page and tell me if you can tell the difference?
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The Hampton on Robson is in a good location just east of the downtown business core. They have a free shuttle to the cruise terminals and offer a free hot breakfast. There are lots of restaurants on Robson the closest moderately priced one to the hotel would likely be Rosies on Robson, then just down on Georgia St is Moxie's and just west of there is a White Spot. Both Moxies and White Spot would be just a notch above Applebie's. About 5 blocks to the west of you on Thurlow just north of Robson is Joe Fortes which is a steak, chop and seafood house and across the street is a Keg Steakhouse which is a mid-priced steakhouse.
http://en.kegsteakhouse.com/locations/British_Columbia/Downtown_Vancouver/Thurlow_Keg
I live in this neighbourhood. Joe Fortes is more like 10 blocks away from the Hampton Suites. A good place to go from your location for a great dinner is Yaletown. There are a lot of excellent restaurants with a wide range of choices and some great shopping to boot. If you want something similar to Joes Fortes, try Goldfish Pacific Kitchen. I believe its owned by the same people.
Here's a link:
http://www.foodvancouver.com/restaurants.php?neighborhood=16
I'm not exactly sure of Yaletown's borders but it roughly covers the area south of Smithe and east of Granville, an easy walk or short cab from your location.
What do you tip a tour guide?
in Celebrity Cruises
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Personally I prefer that the driver NOT interact with the passengers. His job is to get us there safely and to concentrate on the driving side of things without distractions. I always tip him, especially after going on some of those hairy, scary Caribbean roads that are little more than a car-width wide with an embankment on one side, a mountain on the other and a truck coming towards you.