hallux

I'm not a fan of @Magnelasagne right now.  Rather, my wallet isn't!

I was looking at the MSC Bellissima cruises and see one that looks VERY enticing next year.  I've been intrigued by Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general, now I'm dreaming of something for next year...

2 minutes ago, Newleno said:

those were not dents, they were gashes that were hurriedly repaired.

If I recall - the metal never tore open, they're dents...

@MsSoCalCruiser I'm still trying to figure out when I might do the other specialty dining, if at all.  I think someone said the initial solo cruiser meet was on embarkation day just before dinner, or maybe it was the first full day just before dinner.  Cagney's only allows booking as 2, same with Ocean Blue.

As for the post-cruise excursion - https://vancouvertours.com/tour/sea-to-sky-tour/  I'll have to check my suitcase with CDS at the cruise terminal as my flight isn't until 11 PM so unless I take the SkyTrain back downtown from the airport they won't take my suitcase on the tour bus.  Well, I guess they would but I don't want to be lugging it around all evening.

I have Jersey Boys booked for the same night as I'm doing Q, Q is at 5:30 with the show at 7:30 so I should have plenty of time.

5 hours ago, Bloodgem said:

Thanks for pic. I was trying to figure out what the OP was talking about. I never knew that that pool was called a lazy river.

lol I read the topic and was thinking "where was the lazy river?".  I now realize I spent over an hour sitting near that thing and never realized what it was called!

3 minutes ago, alejorubi said:

Totally true.  Go to MSC boaed, I've sailed rwice with them and hasn't been as bad as I've read but not an experience to repeat

I actually think @dexddd was referring to a collision involving two MSC ships at a pier.  I saw a teaser for it on the national news.

It involved the Orchestra and Poesia...

1 hour ago, MandyMooToo said:

On a RCCL FB page it was posted that this couple was able to catch up to the ship in a boat with some port official (sorry, cannot remember the specifics now) and board shortly after this video was taken.  Anyone know if that's true?  Just curious...

If security (and insurance) allows it, I could see them possibly being able to catch a ride out with the pilot boat when it heads out to pick up the pilot from the ship, if the pilot boat isn't already sitting standby at the point where that would happen.  I think this has happened before but the success with that may vary by port.

1 hour ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Book your specialty dining and your entertainment now

I have Q booked already, as well as Jersey Boys and Havana.

Honestly, I think I'm as excited for the post-cruise "excursion" I'm taking after disembarkation.  It's not through NCL, it's one I'm booking on my own since I have such a late flight (red-eye heading back East).

That appears to be the case.  Looking at the planner for my April cruise, they ARE advertising a $200 unlimited pass, $30 unlimited for one day.

Guess I'll add myself to this "solo roll call".

I'm booked on the Norwegian Bliss for the April 28 to May 4, 2019 trip from LA to Vancouver.

This will be my first true solo trip. I've cruised in cabins by myself but was with my parents, siblings and niece and nephew the first 2 times.  This will be my first NCL trip, previous 2 were Royal Caribbean (Explorer and Anthem).  I've driven a bumper car at sea, time to drive a go-kart!

1 hour ago, nicben said:

Also will the solarium be open to all guests on Quantum

Are you referring to it being adult-only?  I believe the "Solarium" section on all RC ships is the "adult only" section.  Some are more separated than others.  For example - it seems Oasis and Quantum class ships all have it right at the forward end of the pool deck, overlooking the bow, while Voyager class ships (I looked at Explorer as I've been on that one) have the Solarium section between the forward elevators/stairs and the rest of the pool deck.

I drink whatever water comes out of the tap in the bathroom in my cabin.  I used it to fill a quart-size Nalgene bottle.  If you get soda, do you think they're mixing it with bottled water?  Nope, same as from that tap.  If you get a glass of water at dinner?  Same as the tap.  Any ice, same water.

The Chief that's a resident on these boards may be able to chime in on this, some or most modern ships actually make fresh water from sea water using a small plant on board (reverse osmosis or some other purification means).  As someone else said, it's probably MORE pure than bottled water.

2 minutes ago, croix153 said:

Carnival did something similar with the liberty back in 2017. Rather than repair the ship, just repurposed for shorter bahamas cruises. 

Princess has had a ship that's been "limping" along for a while.  I think it's the Caribbean Princess.  MANY trips had itineraries changed as she just couldn't make the speed needed.  The issue was with an engine and could ONLY be repaired while in dry-dock.

5 hours ago, lindalo5032 said:

I need to leave airplane mode OFF so I can access WiFi to use the app.

I don't know what device you're using but usually once airplane mode is on WiFi can then be turned back on, just as @Pratique has explained above.  I've done this when traveling with my last 2 Android devices (Nexus 6P and Pixel 2 XL) including on Anthem last year...

4 hours ago, allyfrizzle said:

 

I thought I read somewhere that OBC cannot be used for gratuity. It was probably on these boards?

 

Can anyone else chime in?

Then I guess I need to eat my way through $100 somehow..

I don't pre-pay my gratuities.  Whatever is left on my account (not much to begin with as a solo cruiser, not much used either) goes towards that.

Just now, RedwingHockeyFan said:

 

Am I the only one who noticed that the card in the slot is not a regular passenger card?

It doesn't matter.  All you need is something to depress the switch so the lights come on, that's not a mag or RFID reader..

@coscab Probably killing time.  Someone mentioned earlier that she was only going to Nassau with today being a sea day.  I looked earlier, there were 5 ships in port in Nassau so there was "no room at the inn".

When I was looking to book my trip for this year, one thing I did see was that Royal Caribbean extended the 60% off second guest or 30% off each guest promotions to also apply to the single supplement so a single on those cruises was only paying 140% on a 2-person cabin.  Those trips were not on ships with solo cabins so I can't compare those rates but they were still higher than I'm paying for a solo cabin on a different line and itinerary (yeah, apples/oranges comparing Caribbean and PNW trips).

1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Be aware that sometimes an interior full size room on the same ship, even at 200%, is just a cheap as the solo cabins.

I think some of that depends on the perks being included in the higher-rate rooms.

As an example - I'm sailing in a solo/studio cabin on the NCL Bliss in April, I get one on-board perk.  Other room categories include as many as 6 perks (drink package for which you still have to pay service fee, free/discounted air, free internet, specialty dining, free additional guests [beyond 2?], $50 OBC per port for excursions taken).  In my case - the air fare was no bargain (I booked my own for less INCLUDING a hotel night), I don't drink, I can live for a day without internet (only 2 at-sea days and my cell service should work in all ports), I'm using the OBC from the excursions to pay for specialty dining and some of the gratuity at the end of the cruise.  Oh yeah, the next 2 state room tiers get the same number of offers as I get (ONE), and the lowest balcony price gets all offers but costs $300 more and I KNOW I won't get $300 worth of value from the higher cabin cost.

While I don't doubt that there may be instances of people paying less for a different class cabin, I think for the most part it's the overall cost/value they're looking at and that just isn't there for me.

3 minutes ago, MikeBTN said:

I do not believe there is any fee for this, outside of the cost of the hotel.  This would definitely be my preference.

Some have reported that you pay PER PERSON for the hotel (costing 2x as much)...

Royal Caribbean's Quantum class (Quantum, Ovation, Anthem) ships offer solo cabins (code 2W for interior studio).  I believe they even have some solo BALCONY cabins (looks like code 2F), but you need to book EARLY to get those.  I'm not seeing any on the Oasis class ships.

I've stayed in a studio interior cabin on Anthem, it was fine for a single cruiser.  I spent much of my time with the rest of the group I was with but even if I wasn't with others there was MORE than enough to occupy time outside the cabin.

If you don't need a balcony, some ships offer single-occupancy cabins.  Royal's Quantum-class ships have interior solo cabins (2 per deck on most "hotel" decks) and apparently also have solo balcony cabins.  I found Royal's solo interior cabin plenty roomy for one person.

Norwegian also has some ships that have solo interior cabins - the Bliss is one of those.  I'll be trying one on the Bliss in April.

Both of those options allow solo cruisers to sail without paying the single supplement, but some of the extras are also reduced.

19 minutes ago, jordanaire said:

I didn't feel sorry at all for them, as they should have paid attention to the time and a little less shopping.

I wouldn't either.  They were already late, the ship was sounding a warning and they STILL made stops along the pier?  Yup, good luck getting to the next port ladies.

3 minutes ago, pritbrit said:

I sailed on the Epic this past week.  Would Travel Insurance cover this since we didn't get to the destinations we were supposed to?

For what?  Isn't NCL giving future cruise credit as compensation?  Aren't they also covering airline change fess (within reason)?  What are you looking to get compensated for?  What does your trip insurance policy say?

lol, seeing people that were on the Feb. 9 sailing sharing articles on that book-like social media site, and saying they're getting no flight-change or hotel compensation.  Weren't others reporting that they WERE going to get that?  Did those people miss some announcement?