CrabbyHarper

Whew!  that's a relief!  Thanks!

Help!  I am a dinosaur with a dumb phone, not a smart one.  Could I use my Kindle to get the celebrity app?  And then use it?  What do old fogies like us do without all this newer technology.  Not having a 9 year old in our household, we are really behind the times.

Hey! Missy Bird! I know who you are, and can't wait to chat with you on the cruise to wherever. Do you like lemon drop martinis or are you a wine gal? ;)

Count me in, too. A group of 32 family members on a cruise to celebrate my sister and BIL's 50th anniversary. It's been in the planning process for 2 years. BUT everyone I have talked with says the same thing: We don't care where we go, as long as we are together and safe. I'll pack an extra pack of cards and some warm and some cold weather clothes. Look for some happy people in the Alchemy Bar and at trivia! If Canada is a possibility, I hope Halifax is included. It's a wonderful city and there is lots to do, and seafood almost as good as Baltimore.

Just off Grandeur yesterday. Very disappointing. Will cancel our October 2017 cruise. Food just awful. MOST staff wonderful. Severe access problems for folks with mobility difficulties. Review currently in process. Tanya's Progressive Trivia wonderful - best trivia ever! Many questions that even out the playing field. Kudos to Tanya!

DH and I are booked to take the following cruise on Grandeur, Nov 28. We are pretty laid-back folks, but your post is giving me willies. At least we should expect fewer children. How is the Concierge Lounge? We, too, are suite guests and are looking forward to the snacks and drinks in the CL and the private breakfast in Chops. Are these amenities still available and are they pretty good?

Should I bring along some protein bars to sustain us if necessary?;)

Anyone on this cruise who has not been reading our roll calls is missing a lot!

A big bunch of really nice folks plus lots of activities planned.

Don't miss out, check us out!

Hubby and I are sailing on the Grandeur in a few weeks in a grand suite. The suite perks sound great, but some of our friends are Diamond, as are we. My question is, can we go to the diamond lounge with our friends? Will our ship card indicate we are Diamond as well as suite? Can we use the "3 drinks at any bar" perk?

I know these are stupid questions but it has been a while since we've sailed RCL.

Yup. Had to skip Coco Cay because of weather and spent an overnight in Nassau, a few years ago. Not the itinerary we would have chosen, but oh well! We were on a cruise ship and had a lot of fun. Given my druthers I druther be safe than sorry. Last time we were on Grandeur (been on lots of other ships, too) we had to leave Cozumel early because of Hurricane Wilma. Several people missed the ship even tho' notices were given early on.

Oops! That'll teach me to edit my posts. We are sailing on Grandeur on Nov 28, 2016. Less than 2 months to go! And yes, I have joined the Roll Call. :)

Ditto on the recommendation for Pappas. But be very careful about crab cakes. Be sure to ask the server where the crab came from - the crab NOT the packer! From time to time restauranteers cannot get the real blue crab and substitute crab from Thailand or other places. Real blue crab is from Maryland, Virginia, and possibly from Louisiana or Texas.

Real Baltimore crab cakes are to die for! Ersatz crab cakes not so much.:(

just for the record, I HAVE sailed on Grandeur before and found her plenty big enough. Booked for Nov 28, 2019.

A few years we sailed on the (smaller)Holland America Maasdam from Norfolk. The ship was docked at the maritime museum there, which is also home to the US Navy retired battleship Wisconsin. I was stunned that the Maasdam towered over the battleship! Don't know how many other folks would be impressed by this, but I was!

Are there enough h/c parking spaces? Are they close to the terminal? Are there porters who will help someone with an h/c placard on the car? Is entrance to the ship at ground level or does one have to ascend a ramp? Appreciate any helpful info for experienced cruiser who now has to use a Euro-style walker.

I have been on GOS and Pride, as well as Celebrity Summit which sails from Bayonne NJ and might be more convenient for folks coming in from Toronto.

Pride is usually the cheapest, but the itineraries do not suit me. Summit is a beautiful older ship as is GOS and I would prefer either to Pride, except for the cost. BUT you do get what you pay for.;)

Does anyone know if Luggage Direct works if you are flying Air Tran? Seems to me that last Feb when we cruised from FLL we could not use Luggage Direct because we were flying on Air Tran. Does my memory fail me (always possible!)

We fly home Feb 28 so a quick reply would be appreciated.:)

I, too, have trouble standing, and walk with a cane. We are sailing on Noordam Feb 8, (our fifth HAL cruise), and if I experience any considerable pain due to inconsiderate regulations, will vote with my wallet and never sail HAL again. ;)

Thanks Copper, for the info. Will follow your suggestions!

We have sailed on Zenith, Galaxy, Mercury (3 times) and all the M class ships. Never had a problem with storage or getting around in the cabin. On our recent Silhouette cruise we had our worst cabin ever. (AQ) Not enough storage, coffee table was a hazard in trying to get to the bathroom at night, and the narrowness of the cabin was claustrophobic.

We will not sail S class again.

Both comments very helpful.

We cruise on Dec 12 and looking forward to it!

Can any of you recent Mercury cruisers tell me this:

When your private auto arrives at the Port of Baltimore, can the driver drop passengers and luggage off at the ship while he/she parks the car? Is there shuttle transportation from the parking lot to the ship? Are the arrangements easily handled by someone with a cane or walker?

I have not yet embarked from the new terminal in Baltimore and want to get my ducks in a row!

None Of The Above. But hey, if the cruise line is gonna charge us for stuff, how about we get a rebate for things we don't like and don't use.;)

For me the list of rebates is:

1. the spa - I can get massages and pedicures cheaper at home with no sales talk! and from someone who knows my preferences

2. the casino - too cheap to gamble

3. the art auctions - do people really buy this stuff?

4. the shops - ditto! We need more sundries and basic stuff that we forgot to pack

5. Kid programs - I don't have kids, but on second thought, the programs should keep kids out of our hair

6. Photographs that are discarded. Photograhers can be so annoying, and then the photos are so expensive we don't buy them.

I would and do pay extra for reasonably priced bottles of liquor to drink in the cabin. Princess and HAL are reasonable.

I also don't mind paying for laundry service, nor do I mind paying a higher price for a balcony cabin.

Cruising remains a good value, if one is a canny spender.

My first cruise was on Carnival's Carnivale - former Empress of Britain. Baltimore to Bermuda - 7 days. Three ladies in an inside cabin. No electrical outlets in the cabin. Toilet was in the shower. But I was hooked!

15 cruises since then and 5 more booked. Never did Carnival again, despite the fact that this first cruise was wonderful.

Totals:

Carnival - 1

NCL - 1

Princess - 1

Celebrity - 6 including Azamara (3 booked)

RC - 4 - (1 booked)

HAL - 3 - (1 booked)

Cruise line powers that be, please note that I sailed 10 times from East Coast ports I that I could drive or take a bus to, and 2 of the booked cruises are from East Coast ports. That means that more than half of my completed and booked cruises are from East Coast ports.

With my finances waning, I will be most likely in future to book cruises that I can drive to. Cruise vacations are still a good value, but added airfare changes that picture. Not to mention the incredible hassle of flying!

My first cruise was on Carnival's Carnivale - former Empress of Britain. Baltimore to Bermuda - 7 days. Three ladies in an inside cabin. No electrical outlets in the cabin. Toilet was in the shower. But I was hooked!

15 cruises since then and 5 more booked. Never did Carnival again, despite the fact that this first cruise was wonderful.

Totals:

Carnival - 1

NCL - 1

Princess - 1

Celebrity - 6 including Azamara (3 booked)

RC - 4 - (1 booked)

HAL - 3 - (1 booked)

Cruise line powers that be, please note that I sailed 10 times from East Coast ports I that I could drive or take a bus to, and 2 of the booked cruises are from East Coast ports. That means that more than half of my completed and booked cruises are from East Coast ports.

With my finances waning, I will be most likely in future to book cruises that I can drive to. Cruise vacations are still a good value, but added airfare changes that picture. Not to mention the incredible hassle of flying!

Gosh! Im impressed! Here at home we use old Sears catalogs and corn cobs. HAL must really be an upscale line.