mom22frogs

13 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

On a related note- I am cruising with my mom next month, and she can’t swim in deep water (she panics if she thinks it’s over her head).  On our 2 excursions that are boat rides, I’m going to make sure she has a life jacket within easy reach.  

If she can't swim, put it on her and don't be bashful about it! We were doing a small boat tour in the Caribbean this year and the boat hit the bottom of a swell, resulting in a MASSIVE wall of water rushing over us. Everyone was fine, but you don't necessarily always have time or warning. 

44 minutes ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

Are you on the same cruise?

Nope, different ship. Looks like a great cruise though. I'm not sure what the difference is. We're in port an hour earlier than you and have quite a few options for Genoa. It's a bit earlier in the month and some of the options are going down to Portofino, etc. Is it possible they're seasonal and winding down by then? Dunno. And maybe losing one hour makes it tight on doing Milan? 

12 hours ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

 

 

Boarding Rome on the 22nd.  I have 3 listed for Genoa.  None for Santa Cruz or Barcelona.  

The excursions that sell out disappear. There should be a pdf you can download that shows all the options. Is your time in port short? Ours shows Milan and longer options. If they’re in that pdf but not showing you could call the booking agent. They could be sold out.

6 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

The problem was that you couldn't use the stairs and that made it difficult to get to another deck.

Did you take a picture and try to report it anywhere?
 

To me it sounds like a training issue but then you put that in the context of their other recent safety inspection fines. 

6 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I guess it depends on how they block them. They used the kind of ropes they often have on airports.

Both sides or one? Google says the EU has similar laws to the US about obstructing emergency exits.

Gary Bembridge of Tips for Travelers on youtube has some terrific msc videos. He just did an update showing yacht club, etc. on the Virtuosa. I've been pretty much all Carnival up to trying MSC and for me the only thing that was noteworthy in being better (which would vary by the ship obviously) was the SPA. These people are seriously into their spas, oh my. 

MSC seems to excel at disorganization and pain in the butt. Expect their customer service to be even worse than anything you've read online. I like to think I'm a pretty easy customer, but the things they couldn't do, the things that took HOURS to fix on the phone were just astonishing. 

We're booked on MSC for a couple more but only because they're cheap and go to the ports I want to go to. Otherwise, they're not worth the hassle, at least for me. I looked at canceling our upcoming cruise and switching it over to NCL for a similar itinerary, similar dates, but decided to stick with MSC because for that comparison the spa was better. May live to regret that, we'll see, lol.

On 7/22/2023 at 9:18 AM, sverigecruiser said:

 

Not very easy when they have blocked the passage.

Sailing out of the US or Europe? Sounds like a fire hazard honestly. On our Virtuosa cruise they did not block the stairs, but there are definitely things that raised your eyebrows about safety, making you wonder if they'd be allowed when sailing from the US. Blocking the stairs would probably fall in that category.

Yup, obstructing emergency exits is a no no. https://amazingarchitecture.com/articles/7-features-of-an-emergency-fire-exit-staircase

When I sailed on the Virtuosa two months ago some of the options that should have appeared (specialty dining, shows, etc.) never did. I called and got told IT knew and would fix it, but of course nothing happened. Then I called and tried to book and got told the travel agent you booked with has to handle it. Then the travel agent was given some line about how they just weren't available, all while the europeans going on the cruise that I was chatting with through FB were in fact booking those things. So the travel agent pushed harder and got things booked, but it was shall we say a harbinger of the disorganization MSC brings to their process. 
 

8 hours ago, Beachin2 said:

Always have a YC only boarding line at every port.

Some ships already have that. The Virtuosa did for our Southampton sailing.

5 hours ago, Pellaz said:

In fairness regarding our slow service, we asked to sit over in the Heroes Lounge section (picnic tables) instead of the section by the stage to get away from the noise.  

That would explain a lot. I ate there probably 5-6 times the weeks I was onboard and I had some minor errors. They were crazy pushed (due to covid sickness I assume) even when the ship was less booked. As it's going up to 100+%, I'm sure things happen. In my case, it was the wrong desserts, haha, so I suffered and had them bring out the right ones as well. 😄 

It's easy to think a night of slow service was that restaurant, but I think they've centralized food prep, meaning it might have been slow at *every* restaurant you went to. One of the nights I went to Cucina (again out of 6+, I'm not a MDR fan) was astonishingly slow and I thought it was them. Well then a friend I made said her meal at the MDR that same night literally took just as long (like 2 ½ hours to get through a basic meal!!!). Clearly they were shortstaffed that night and I would have thought it was that restaurant if I hadn't had data to realize EVERY restaurant was running slow that night. 

I can't swear they're doing that shared galley but when you watch how they bring the food it sure seems like it. I'm trying to think about Chibang because you can see their kitchen. I don't remember their food coming out with covers. I guess you'd have to tour or find someone in the loop. On some of the restaurants (Cucina, MDR, etc.) they were also rotating table service between restaurants. I'm not sure if that was again a covid thing (trying to keep numbers up) or a new thing for this ship.  

I do think they have some issues with service, because I think the free specialty dining reduces tipping which reduces *motivation* to give that extra special service that makes specialty dining special. I completely agree with that. I saw some workers loafing and not really being motivated, but I saw some really busting their butts to do a good job. I kinda figure it isn't their fault how the system is set up and it isn't their fault when they're short staffed due to covid. So if someone was *loafing*, nonchalant, and generally not trying, I took offense at that. However that wasn't the norm. Mainly it was in the Cucina I saw that, and that's a managerial problem. Some of those people were trying really hard and the way they have it set up now for work flows overworks some and underworks others and doesn't give as pleasant service.

9 hours ago, kennystwin said:

This was definitely a float trip in a raft, not a rafting adventure. For whitewater, head elsewhere.

That's fine. We're being crazy in the morning that day so a quiet afternoon will be a good contrast. 

4 hours ago, Pellaz said:

Guy's Smokehouse for dinner:  our experience was sub-par. 

It may depend on which you've had first. I hadn't eaten P/A for dinner before, so I got used to the menus for it on the Mardi Gras before trying it on the Horizon. I actually preferred the Mardi Gras, streamlined P/A menus and found the recipe differences of the paid version a bit heavy. Also op should note there are recipe differences for the same foods between lunch and dinner service, so you *do* want to try dinner. I definitely prefer the dinner service pulled pork and the greens. The salmon at the dinner service is quite good and the mac will be better.

People slam Chibang, and I agree it's not my favorite food. However the dragon is ADORABLE and they bring out a really nice pot of tea. So if you want to hang out, talk with a friend, and wait for the dragon (we spent 3 hours one night!), it's a lot of fun. They just kept bringing us food and it was a nice time. So Chibang is more what you make of it, as I agree almost nothing was remarkable there. 

The only *excellent* food I ate on the Mardi Gras was at Emeril's, so that's definitely a don't miss. Everything else was fine though I didn't eat Rudi's (not into hard care seafood, haha). With the streamlined menus and centralized galleys, I can see why people are complaining. In the moment, I was kind of uncertain about MG. Only in hindsight (and going on other Carnival ships) do I realize it was so amazing overall that I was just taking it for granted. 

Op should stay on an additional week to try everything for themselves.  😄 

2 hours ago, csoud68 said:

We have anytime dining on mardi gras but are considering changing to a set time because of lackluster reviews about the flamingo.  We were thinking flexibility but also want a nice dining room.

That misses the point that with fixed dining you have to wait until very late (7:45?) to select any of the included specialty dining. Unless you have *zero* interest in specialty dining or *prefer* eating very late, you'd do well to keep your anytime dining.

I doubt the service issues or whatever negatives you're reading are because of fixed vs. any time. I found the waiters for anytime in the MDR all very hard working and as pleasant as they could be considering the circumstances (staff randomly disappearing with covid, etc.). Remember, you can always request to be at the same table and with the same wait staff every night if you want, even with the anytime dining. However with anytime you'll have the flexibility to eat when you want at the WONDERFUL included specialty restaurants, all of which are not to be missed. You can also add to your Hub app friends you meet and then schedule to eat with them at those restaurants. 

The cooking classes are great fun and always had people standing outside watching, wishing they were doing them too.

It's easy to miss the music performers in the Brass Magnolia, etc., so definitely watch in the Hub app for them. 

It's possible to walk out a side door on deck 7 to go where the lifeboats are, but don't do it, especially late at night when the wind is whipping. You might find some of the doors are locked and end up wondering if you'll be texting to be rescued.

The spa on the Mardi Gras is WAY better than what people had described here. I'm sure people can complain about the size, etc., but those steam rooms are AMAZING, just hot, hot, hot. 

ETA: Skip the breakfast biscuits at Shaq's (and the sea day brunch for that butter) as they're completely disgusting. Whoever made that recipe needs to go to biscuit purgatory. Not worth the calories, not decent, not edible, not even really a biscuit. The only truly awful thing I ate on the Mardi Gras. 

1 hour ago, arctickitty said:

option for 3 classes for $39 or unlimited for $99

Just so you know, but the way that works, they're going to hand you a receipt when they run it at the end of the week and they're going to strongly hint (ahem) that you might tip. I noticed that with the free classes people who stayed all week brought little gifts from home or tips or both. With the single class billings ($15), no tip. But with those multi-class, the instructors are giving you more attention, talking to you by name every time, following up, and you tip. It makes for a really fun week, but I guess see the schedule when you get on and see if it's practical and you'll get enough use out of it. 

Are you doing the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion thing or staying on the ship? See that's a day where you could easily be up and do 2-3 classes and still not miss anything. And it's a sea day before that. And there's a sea day on the way to Victoria. So basically you'd have, at most, 3 uninterrupted days to make good use of the unlimited. And I would expect, just from what I saw on other ships, that they'll do a morning stretch and then at least 1, possibly 2 other classes on those days. Those were bigger ships and I don't remember as much on the Legend which is more the size of the Splendor. I'd be surprised if they didn't spin every day or at least every other day.

I know the Horizon guy was saying that he tried to schedule classes to fit around people's return times. Thing is, those are long days in port, no return times. So I don't know what they'll do. Maybe they run classes really early, like 6 am? 

So maybe *budget* for the unlimited but don't splurge till you get there to see the schedule and are sure? Or is it saying that's a discounted price by buying ahead? Massages are discounted buying ahead, but I'm not sure about the fitness passes. 

I've done exercise classes (morning stretch, yoga, pilates, bootcamp) on three different ships since the restart. Usually there is a *free* class of some kind (morning stretch, abs, etc.) at least several days during the cruise as well as paid classes. They're all taught by the same instructor, so the free classes will contain bits of the paid. 

The yoga classes I found varied with the instructor and what they're into. All were enjoyable to me (as a yoga novice) and I don't think anyone was bad/inferior. Just if you get an instructor who's very very into the yoga, obviously it shows. 

Ooo, you spin? I haven't done that and don't plan to try, haha, but they seem popular. 

If you wait till you're on the ship, they'll have these same pricing offers, which will allow you to see the *schedule* of the classes for the week and how they fit with the port days to decide what you want to do. You can do that during the spa tour. 

I've booked a spa room this time and it comes with 2 fitness class passes. My plan beyond that is to see the schedule when I do the spa tour. My *suspicion* is that with the long Alaska port days that there won't be time (or energy, haha) to do classes on top of that. I will plan to do the free and those 2 paid classes on the sea days. I forget how many we have on this trip. 

I've done an unlimited pass, and to my mind that works out best when you have several nice long sea days to take advantage of it. That way you could do 2-3 classes even in a day (they're not really that intense and there are 30 minute breaks), making it pan out. But this AK itinerary is port intensive and I'm just not sure it will pan out that well for this itinerary. You'll know for sure when you see the schedule. 

Just your tip, but the Hub app might not always have *every* fitness class. So you'll see some, but they cap what can be added and the instructor might have sections that he tells you about (or puts on that paper schedule) that won't appear. I definitely recommend doing the spa tour the first day so you can make your plan.

On 3/30/2022 at 9:08 PM, arctickitty said:

thanks.  Looking through recent past fun times for different Carnival ships it seems that CCL doesn’t start breakfast options as early as I remember Princess doing, so I’m glad to know to adjust my expectations a bit.  I’m not opposed to a downtown walk first and then breakfast onboard before a longer day ashore in Skagway or Juneau where there’s such a long stop.

We'll see, but usually there's a section that opens earlier. I can't fathom them waiting till 7 if we dock at 7 most days. But I agree, they seem to think people sleep in, lol. 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=375&pgtype=dining  Aha! This says they start the smaller section at 6:30 and go full by 7:00. And of course you can have room service delivered much much earlier. 

22 hours ago, kennystwin said:

I did the Chilkoot trail hike and raft excursion a couple of years ago and had a great time. I've long been fascinated by the Gold Rush so retracing the steps of the original miners was something of a bucket list thing.

And yes, I wondered if I was making a good choice. Someone told me rafting in AK was "dull" and I figured it probably mattered where and how. This, as you say, has some energy to it, hearing the story of how the miners went up and just the vigor of the hike. I'm glad to know you enjoyed it and am hopeful we will to! 

22 hours ago, kennystwin said:

(Read some Robert Service to set the mood!)

Thank you, that looks perfect!

The gold mine tour. I was told it has changed owners but that they're planning to run tours. https://www.ajgastineauminetour.com/

If you want splurges, there's this glacier view seaplane and dinner at Taku Lodge that I think sounds lovely. Also they say the Misty Fjords seaplane is peaceful. Might be old hat to you. 

https://www.oceanraftalaska.com/

Icy Strait Point has a ziprider that is worthy. 😄 You can see the videos on youtube. You might wait and see if they're offering it for less without the bus tour. They *just* completed the mountain top gondola, which means you should no longer need the bus tour. I would think that means you could buy the gondola to ziprider for less. We'll see. They aren't even selling the gondola passes through Carnival yet even though ISP is saying that's how they'll be sold. 

You want to walk there or watch whales or?? 

Ketchikan we're snorkeling. There's good hiking there btw and totem stuff. The snorkeling is the odd ball thing, in case you've never done it. 😄 

Juneau, you have friends to loan you a car? I would think the glacier is unmissable. You can do almost anything there in Juneau. The whale watching is supposed to be really good, and there's stuff not listed with Carnival like the gold mine tour. (Not the thing at the Creek but an actual mine you tour.) We're doing a paddle/trek to the glacier, but a shuttle to the nature center and hiking to Nugget Falls would be lovely. There is a really cool Gold Flume Creek that I'm lamenting we probably won't get to do. Cost would be a taxi or your hoof power. There's an eccentric pelmeni shop I'm hoping to hit https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31020-d787469-Reviews-Pel_Meni_s-Juneau_Alaska.html There's a salmon stand with salmon burgers also on the walk back toward the ships. 

8 hours ago, arctickitty said:

What I think I want to do most is use the long port hours as a good opportunity to do a really good day hike. 

Ok, fwiw this is my first time there. We did Alaska by RV 11 years ago and only now am I getting back on a cruise. 😄 But since you asked and since I've done some of the things you're saying you want to try (albeit in other places), I'll offer my two cents. 

One, riding a horse when you don't know what you're doing sucks. It's hard, bumpy, not that interesting. If you can do it inexpensively locally, it might be just as good. I just did it in Amber Cove with my ds (he's 13, he wanted to) and I did it on the coast in Oregon years ago. It's fine but it's just not worth blowing your wad.

Ziplines, I'm gonna throw you this link. http://southshorezipline.com/  This is not in Alaska, but you seem like a dreamer. 😄 If you *saved* all that money you'd spend doing 49 different ziplines in AK (all of which are kinda scenic but small), you could go on a cruise in the caribbean and zipline in Roatan or San Juan and blow your mind. 🙂 Think about it. 

You can see videos on youtube of people hiking to Upper Dewey Lake. It's the one you can do for free (saving money for that caribbean trip with your Special Someone) and it's on *my* hitlist. Me, I'm doing the Ocean Rafting ($$) and the Chilkoot Hike/Float (also $$). My ds wanted them so that's what we're doing. But me, I'd be just as happy with the Upper Dewey Lake hike for zero dollars and just a snagged lunch. 

Have you seen the tip about lunches? Someone mentioned this on another group. Take a little lunch bag with you and order your lunch via room service to be delivered before you depart. That's your free picnic lunch for your hike!!!

If you want an amazing splurge and like to hike, the Laughton Glacier hike would get you the train ride and just be amazing. The other middle of the road option would be a bus/rail, but that seems kinda passive for your tastes. If you have time, you could borrow your friend's vehicle again and drive up into the Yukon and do the sled dogs at Tutshi Sled Dogs. That too is on my hit list. 

If you do the Upper Dewey Lake hike, it seems like people are spending 4-6 hours generally (based on Tripadvisor and of course your level of athleticism and whether you walk around the lake, go up to the Punchbowl, etc.). You could eat after that and do a brothel tour (not me with a 13 yo, haha). There's this Thai restaurant that looks to be the most interesting food in town.

For your early morning walk, you could go out to Smuggler's Cove, etc. There's a loop over by the airport. But I would think you'd want to save your energy for Upper Dewey Lake if that's your plan. There's definitely a lot of great stuff to do in Skagway. 🙂

8 hours ago, arctickitty said:

Do you have frogs for pets?  Or are the frog human children or seals?

Human children. 😄 

Your plans sound lovely! You should be able to *move* your hair appointment if you get on the ship and realize it's the wrong day. That way you've locked in a better price. 

9 hours ago, arctickitty said:

the Indian food!

Hi Arctic Kitty. 🙂 The Splendor has Masala Tiger, so that may satisfy your indian food cravings. Also the lunch buffet should have both salads you can make yourself and some nice (if we're lucky) fancy salads too. 

My trick for getting in veges is to eat them at breakfast. It won't be a full salad bar but there's usually at least tomatoes, cucumber, etc. And in the MDR you can order their amazing Mediterranean Salad for sea day brunch. So, so good, way better than the menu makes it sound. And since it's kale+romaine, you're totally powerhousing there!

Yes the spa can do your hair, etc. That sounds like a really fun idea. :)