jsn55

The first few answers are incorrect. It will probably not be easy, nor pleasant. Several things to try. Contact the cruiseline first for instruction, ask to talk to someone in charge. If no help there, find a new travel agent and ask them for guidance. Transferring the res back to your control might be easier, then you can transfer to the new agent. I surmise you're in a small town or whatever, but you certainly don't have to 'accuse the existing agent' of anything specific. Just state that you're dissatisfied with their service. Last suggestion is to just ride it out and affiliate with a new agent after your cruise is over. Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out. We need to know these things!

What a great idea about the fruit & cheese from the buffet! I always have a bottle of wine in my cabin as well ... instant bliss out on the balcony!

I've had some conversations with a ship's Guest Services that were less than satisfactory. So a friendly reminder ... when you talk with them in person, be sure they understand that you would be taking your rollator folded down on the tender. That you will use it only when you get to the port. Make a note of the date, time and crew member's name.

I'd rent a wheelchair at home and arrive with Mom in it. It's a big trip, made even bigger by your Mom's age and how many opportunities you'll have left to travel together. In your mind, just add the expense on to your total cruise budget. Be sure it's collapsible and you know how to do that.

It's inconvenient but true. If you can't independently transfer from a ship to a tender, you should spend your day on the ship. That does not count ambulatory people who may need a steadying hand by a crew member to step in/off the tender. If you fold up your rollator so that you can use it in port, that's no problem.

I just looked, upper right corner ... clicked on either my name or my photo and got a drop-down list. Under 'Profile' I was offered the opportunity to change my photo.

As far as "how this happened", in my experience these days, nobody knows nothin'. So there's no point in trying to get a real answer on "how" such a dumb thing happened. With very few exceptions, I never let a cruiseline book air, hotel nights or extensions. I would call the air desk, have them rebook you both on the same flight ... know exactly what's available and exactly what you want. Have them do it while you're on the phone. Get the confirmation numbers so you can ride herd on your res directly with the airline. .

I belong to the group that doesn't want to waste a minute of my travel time diddling with this stuff. I agree about the credit cards, that's why most of my Euros come home. I recommend them for an emergency. Facing that bunch outside the Croatian bar while trying to explain that I had to find an ATM was a non-starter.

You can get the weather averages online. People wear almost anything getting off the ship. I like to look a bit more put-together, but almost anything goes. Layers, of course. It might be overcast and dreary at 8am but hot and sunny by 1030 or 11. I always take 500 Euros. Bring most of them home. But there are some instances when you want a wad of cash ... like when your husband bangs into someone's brand new car in a Croatian parking lot. Just outside a bar on a Sunday afternoon, I shrieked and they all came roaring out. The owner was happy with several hundred euro and saved us a couple of wasted days. I find that having low expectations for an NCL cruise rewards me with a very enjoyable trip. Have a supreme cruise, early April and late October are my favorite months to visit southern Europe.

I agree ... if I were a jogger and not a smoker, I'd pitch a fit about this. People should not have to be around smokers if they don't want to, that's just nuts. But I found a lot about Princess that's just nuts.

I'm with you ... let me chose my cabin or I'll move on with my research.

Cruiselines don't like booking solo travellers. I go looking as 2 pax. When I find what I want, my travel agent has no trouble booking he exact cabin I choose. But I pay double fare, or close to it, to get that.

It helps that I'm not a 'breakfast eater'. Pastries, milk, coffee, juice, fruit and I'm all set. Not really hungry until later in the morning, so it's all there waiting for me when I'm ready.

I'm in San Francisco. Our morning coastal fog clears about 11am and can return in the evenings, sometimes as early as 330 or 4pm. That's 'our winter'. Rain is possible any time, and this year we're have a LOT of it ... very grateful for that. I'd do the PCC in May or October.

Well, I don't know if other people do this or not. I pick my cabin very carefully because I spend a lot of time there. I cruise to relax as well as 'see the sights'. My idea of a perfect day is to order breakfast the night before, sleep until I wake up, have my coffee out on the balcony (I make it myself) and think great thoughts until breakfast arrives. Maybe I'll read for an hour, or putz around on my laptop. Get out the door for a nice long walk around the ship, then get cleaned up and take a shore excursion somewhere. When I get hungry, I head off to a bar for some champagne and conversation, then make a nice little dinner in the buffet. Occasionally the MDR or another restaurant. If there's entertainment I like, that's great, otherwise back to my cabin for more reading and relaxing with more champagne. Pretty dull, eh? I love it!

Nobody told the kids they should make a fuss about people smoking, so they probably don't even notice.

Usually just one forward and one aft I think. When we were on NCL Epic last October in the Med, they established a second smoking area on D15 by the main pool, it was quickly mobbed, and they expanded it at least three times to keep everybody happy. The coughers/arm wavers had plenty of room to pass by on the other side of the pool.

Oh my, yes, I hate 'sitting around' in real clothes. I use pants and a 3/4 sleeve top made out of black Tshirt fabric so I can throw on a scarf and run down for a coffee or whatever. Very handy at breakfast as well.

Unless you're only dealing with a few people, I would definitely find a good cruise-expert travel agent who can answer some questions but, more importantly, take the bookings and do the customer service so you don't lose your mind putting the group together. I organized a Caribbean cruise for 100 clients many years ago ... we did morning seminars and some special cocktail parties. We all got together at dinner as well. Managing the dinners was a lot of work, we had some special guests and I wanted to move them around from table to table so everyone could meet them. The DR Manager and I became very good friends; I remember he was very worried about his guys getting tipped properly but couldn't bring himself to actually tell me that. After about 20 minutes of round and round, I finally figured it out. I handled all the tips, so everybody was happy. I suggest you find a couple of Lieutenants to help with all the details ... there are far more details than you think possible. Everyone wants your attention, so dividing up the responsibilities would be a great help. Good luck, I look back on that cruise proudly; it was a great success.

Every time this topic appears, I think of the people who post about how they bring their stewards little things from their home state and personal cards with their thanks. They see this as a tip and rave about how much the crew loves the personal touch. And I think "You are delusional, dear, ship crew members are trained to be polite, friendly, sweet, they'll toss the junky stuff at the next port." By all means give them some little momento if you must, but tip in cold hard cash.

What do you object to with this silly little game? I've never participated, just curious.

You want your Roll Call. Scroll thru the CC home page to find the section for NCL Joy and you can join the group. Great means of communicating and getting to know people before you start your cruise.

After you've decided on which cruise would suit your family, I strongly urge you to work with a travel advisor who is a cruise expert. Not any kind of online TA, nothing with 'cheap' in the name, but a real TA. Doesn't matter if s/he's local or across the country. I have a lot of experience arranging events, so here's what I would do: Pick 3 to 5 cruises, send out a list with links for research. Have everyone vote. This will spread the accountability equally and nobody will be able to 'blame you' for any issues. When it comes to booking cabins, you can set everything up and have each group book and pay for their own accommodations. A cruise like this will be an unforgettable experience for your whole family. But it could become a nightmare for you if some family members are picky and whiney. Your time can be much better spent arranging all the fun stuff. Once the decision is made, you can find invaluable info on the ship's boards here on CC, as well as asking specific questions. You may want to recruit some trusted family members to pitch in on the overall planning. It's a wonderful thing you are doing; be ready for a great deal of effort to create a great experience for everyone!

Sometimes, depends on the weather.

When I grow up, I'm going to have a person who carts my luggage around ... then I'll take a dozen pair of shoes!