Pale Gail Sails
-
Posts
1,082 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by Pale Gail Sails
-
-
4 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:
...
I fell and was so tramutized that I did not go on an escalator till age 20.Once again I fell and I have never been on an escalator since.
Sorry to hear that; it sounds like both were quite the unpleasant experience. Going on the tube in London would present quite the challenge as there are some steep escalators leading down to the trains.
-
I miss sitting on the balcony (preferably a sunset veranda), and reading. I miss looking up, and feeling the breeze on my face and seeing the wake of the ship as we sail along. Words cannot describe the sense of calm and relaxation I experience when cruising. I miss seeing the shore action as we dock, or the sunset/city lights as we sail away. I travel for work and so a cruise is a time to pick up a book, or just relax with no need to rush.
My husband tells me that he misses meeting new people and the energy around a ship. Many is the time that I left the balcony to join him for trivia or some other event, only to find him surrounded by new found friends and telling me he signed us up for some activity that struck his fancy.
-
I received a message on my webpage from a couple that started to cruise when they won a free cruise in a charity draw. It was a four day Caribbean cruise in an inside cabin and was so much fun it hooked them on cruising. I also received a message from a couple who went on a cruise as a honeymoon and had a horrible time. They were never going to cruise again but people kept telling them to give it another try. After 12 years, they did give cruising another shot and loved it. They did not elaborate on the differences between the two cruises but their story interests me. I wonder how many people would give cruising a second chance if their first experience was a negative one.
-
My husband and I both love cruising but interestingly enough, we like it for different reasons. I enjoy sitting on our balcony reading in solitude with no interruptions while my husband wanders the ship meeting people. We meet up for trivia and meals.
-
8 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:
...
And of course they had the famous "midnight buffets" in the MDR.
On the first couple of cruises that I took, there were the midnight buffets but I don't know when they were phased out (or have they been?). On the last 10 cruises we have been on I don't recall midnight buffets. If anyone knows if they still exist, LMK.
-
1
-
-
On 3/24/2020 at 8:12 AM, cruisemom42 said:
...
what was unrealistic was the size of the cabins.
LOL, yes, I forgot about the cabin size. On my first cruise, the small cabin and balcony were a bit of a shock and I don't think they ever showed the buffet. It was always the dining room.
-
On 3/23/2020 at 2:57 PM, pacruise804 said:
I was very young when Love Boat aired but do remember it some. Apart from a few ladies that I think were regulars, weren't most of the passengers younger?
I recall a mixture of both. There were some actors that would be described as old school Hollywood such as Lillian Gish, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Albert, Joan Fontaine etc. but there were also younger stars of the day such as Soctt Baio, Courtney Cox, Tom Hanks, Emmanuel Lewis, Kirsty Alley.
-
1
-
-
4 hours ago, CalgaryMac said:
We have only cruised 4 times. On the 3rd and 4th cruises we decided to try a different cruise line because they offered a wider variety of 14 day cruises and we like the longer experience. We didn't have the best experiences on either of these cruises so we will go back to the original line.
Just out of curiosity, was it specific (food, entertainment etc), or just general things you did not like? For example some friends took a cruise where there were a lot of children and they disliked the whole vibe of the cruise. Another couple told me that they felt the cruise line charged for every thing (ie. you could bring a bottle of wine each on board but they charged corkage fee even if you only drank the wine in your cabin and opened it yourself).
-
17 hours ago, Shmoo here said:
When we decided to give cruising a try, we jumped in with both feet - a 15 night Panama Canal cruise. We had a good price offer and we took it.
I started with a 7 day cruise but I have since heard from a number of people that they opted to start with a 14 day cruise. All in!
-
23 minutes ago, Hllb said:
Italy was the 'want' on her list. We have 5 days on land, plus the cruise.
If Italy is her desired destination, let's hope things calm down and she gets her dream vacation. There is a bit of time between now and July for things to improve. Here's wishing you the best.
-
1
-
-
We would still take a vacation, we would simply change the trip. As much as we love cruising, we also have a number of places and trips we want to take that do not involve a ship. For example, Gros Morne National park in Newfoundland offers up stunning scenery and iceberg and whale watching is a treat. I want to go back again and that is an easy substitution. I am sure that there are a host of places people can think of that offer up attractive, fun things to do as an alternative. If a cruise really is the "want" on the birthday list, simply reschedule. Better later than never.
-
15 hours ago, ducklite said:
There is some very good research from the AMA that says Millennials are "brand loyal" but aren't retailer loyal. So they might like Coke over Pepsi, but will buy it wherever they can get the best deal--the grocery store, gas station 7-11, Dollar General, etc. With cruises they will be loyal to a line but not a travel agent, and will purchase from whoever they can get the best deal from.Along that same vein, we select our cruises on where we want to go and what we want to spend. However, if two lines offer almost identical itineraries, for a costing within +/- $250, we start to drill down into what exactly we get as perks, loyalty points, etc. It still comes down to the best deal. You raise an interesting point regarding the travel agent and your observations are bang on. Older members of my family always use the same agent while younger members of my family purchase from the agent offering the best deal.
-
1
-
-
18 hours ago, rkacruiser said:
...
I guess on some things, I am brand loyal.
...
But, I will still be looking for "something different" that is attractive to me.
On the theme of brand loyalty, a couple with whom we occasionally cruise, had only taken cruises with one line. After 15+ cruises with that line, they tried a different line on a cruise with us. Since then, they have only used the "new" cruise line. To their way of thinking, no point in switching again. Brand loyalty is important to them plus they feel uncomfortable with change in the way a ship might operate. However, I like the idea of trying different cruise lines to see what is on offer. How would I know if I did not try? I can ask for the opinion of others but what one person considers great, another might not like.
-
1
-
-
Cabin availability (type and location), are factors in our decision to book a cruise but I wonder how often it influences the decision(s) of others. For example, my husband, a retired firefighter, will not book a cabin that does not have two ways to exit (balcony and door). Assuming that price and itinerary meet your criteria, does anyone else decide to take a cruise based on the availability of the type of cabin or the cabin location?
-
8 hours ago, hawk/hornfan said:
...
a cabin choice I prefer(mid ship balcony),
...
Great comment, cabin availability (type and location), are big factors in our decision to book a cruise but I wonder how often it influences the decision(s) of others. I will have to start a new thread.
-
I am interested in knowing how and why people decided to try different cruise lines. I sailed on one line and then ended up on a different line because of an excellent sale. My third cruise was on a third line because of a specific itinerary. Before I knew it, I had completed five cruises on four different lines. Not the quickest way to accumulate status with any line. What made you decide to try, or switch to a different cruise line?
-
1
-
-
16 hours ago, Lois R said:
WOW....ya think? LOL....awkward? It could have been horrible.
3 weeks for a first trip? That
is pretty daring.
I agree. I had a colleague who went on a two week Mediterranean cruise with a girlfriend. They broke up during the second week. They were unable to get a second cabin and neither wanted to leave the ship. He told me it was a pretty uncomfortable and frosty five days. Unlike the fellow that booked the three week cruise that worked, I don't think my colleague has ever taken another cruise.
-
I have to say that I am enjoying hearing about how and why people started to cruise. I also like to hear about destination choices as well and why people choose a specific location for their first trip.
I met a fellow on a cruise and he told me he booked his first cruise because the lady he had recently started dating told him she always wanted to take one. When they were booking, he chose the longest cruise they each could afford so he could spend more time with her. Luckily it seemed to have worked out because I believe they are still together. If it had not worked out, a three week cruise might have been a bit awkward.
-
1
-
-
14 hours ago, SewMuch said:
...
but it was probably because of that tv show Love Boat. I didn't know anyone who had been on a cruise, and this was pre-internet
...
That was the show that inspired my friend and I to take a cruise as opposed to going on vacation elsewhere. We were in our early 20s and had been watching it and thinking that it looked like cruising was fun. It ended up it was!
-
I am interested in knowing how people chose to take their first cruise. I took my first cruise decades ago when a friend and I decided to take an Alaskan cruise. We had watched a television program that depicted a rather glamorous/romantic side to cruising and we decided it would be a good way to meet guys and vacation at the same time. We did not do any research other than price and destination. Since we lived on the west coast, the Alaskan cruise was the cheapest cruise we could find. Unfortunately we ended up on a cruise geared to seniors so we did not meet anyone our age but we had a great time and the love of cruising was born. We both now cruise with our husbands. What made you take your first cruise and where was it?
-
4
-
-
II I am interested in knowing how people chose to take their first cruise. I took my first cruise decades ago when a friend and I decided to take an Alaskan cruise. We had watched a television program that depicted a rather glamorous/romantic side to cruising and we decided it would be a good way to meet guys and vacation at the same time. We did not do any research other than price and destination. Since we lived on the west coast, the Alaskan cruise was the cheapest cruise we could find. Unfortunately we ended up on a cruise geared to seniors so we did not meet anyone our age but we had a great time and the love of cruising was born. We both now cruise with our husbands. What made you take your first cruise and where was it?
-
1
-
-
On 7/3/2019 at 12:54 PM, Shantilly said:
Hello all,
I'm a 55 year old divorced woman looking to branch out and take a cruise by myself. As scary as it sounds to me, I've been told I need to do it. Anyone ever taken a solo cruise out of Galveston? Tell me about your experience and where you went. 🙂
I am sure you may have seen on the solo cruise thread that there are cruise ships that offer single rooms. Cunard for one and the Celebrity Edge (and soon Apex) have single rooms. Celebrity has single balcony cabins which is a bonus to single travelers. Cunard has special events for single travellers as well for those who might want to join in events with others.
-
On 7/19/2019 at 12:56 PM, rjgdjg said:
...
A fellow steps into the hallway with a bottle of champagne in his hand.
...
Shoot, no one has come out into the hallway and offered us a free bottle of champagne. We will have to walk the halls more often.
We did have a situation one time where we were able to secure a very large two bedroom family room around the time of final payment. We had a reservation for an ordinary balcony cabin but after final payment, there were a number of higher class cabins available and there were two family cabins. The upgrade cost little so we jumped on it and found the cabin was huge with two bedrooms and a living room that was extremely large. We were travelling with a number of firefighters from Ottawa and all of us had been given bottles of wine as a welcome to our cabins. The cruise we were on also had offered complementary beverage packages. We had each bought a bottle of wine onboard but never seemed to get around to drinking them.
On the final sea day before we were arriving at our final port, we decided to host a wine and cheese for our group. We thought we could get rid of the three bottles of wine and with everyone having a beverage package, champagne was also on offer from the ship. We had a large group show up to see the family room cabin and enjoy the wine and cheese. However an unforeseen benefit was that many of the attendees had not drunk their complementary wine and brought their bottles with them to donate to the wine and cheese. When all was said and done, we ended up with 9 bottles of wine left over and we were gifting them to the crew later that evening.
We have never been able to secure another family cabin nor have we had left over wine. LOL
-
1
-
-
8 hours ago, MicCanberra said:
Everyone your age may pee their pants but if it doesn't show it is Depends.
Yes we definitely need a groan button. LOL
3 weeks for a first trip? That
Thoughts on CDC Cruising Approval
in Ask a Cruise Question
Posted
I agree. The CDC decision will not impact on our decision to return to cruising. We will look at the numbers of infections, which currently are surging so the CDC decision is surprising. Yesterday, the US hit its highest infection rate since the pandemic began.
Our love of cruising is strong but there are so many other factors that will direct our decision. I have no desire to get on a ship when the possibility that we might be confined to our cabin due to an outbreak is higher now than it was in March. With all due respect to testing, you can have no symptoms and test negative one day and test positive the next day.
We will return to cruising when we believe it is fairly safe to do so and we will have a certain amount of freedom. If there is a need to quarantine, I will be prepared to do so but I am hoping that the probability of that happening is significantly less than it is now.
We have had cruises cancelled due to covid-19 and we have two booked cruises that are coming up in 2021 so of course I hope that we will get to enjoy them. Consequently, we will watch the numbers, examine the information about the cruises that set sail in the next couple of months and make our decisions based on our comfort level.