scooter6139

By the time I'm done with setting up my coffee, it's not really coffee anymore. 😏

Cagney's and Food Republic for me, my wife would say Cagney's and Ocean Blue.

Love hearing from a new cruiser. Love the different perspective. I hope you find another way to get to Alaska, just avoid the big boats. 😉 We just booked a last-minute Bliss to Alaska next month for my big 5-0. Feel so awkward, as this time we are in an Interior cabin so we could save some moolah as we are also doing a HAL cruise in August. Wish we could to the Haven again but can't do that every cruise, or two or ten. 🤑😏

This is a good thing to consider. It's not about the higher-end alcohols for me, but the non-alcoholic ones like soda. I, unfortunately, drink a lot of those plus bottled water. Can't stand that a soda counts as 1 of the 15 drinks in the Signature package. So the $2.75 (plus 18%) per soda shouldn't be a big issue. I hope. 🤑😏

Those numbers are also based on my 7-day Alaska cruise.

Really? Wow. 🙄

Sorry, I'm just going by the nomenclature on how TA's and other guides (like Fodors) group ships. NCL and RCL are not premium lines, but more of a 'resort' style ship, a nicer mainstream line than Carnival. Princess, HAL, and Celebrity are considered Premium Lines. Premium does not mean luxury, just more upscale than a mainstream line. I have yet to sail on a full luxury line, but Yacht Club and The Haven are considered luxury-esque.

Do you have it as part of the Have it All package (HAI)? My PCC said you can't upgrade before sailing if it's part of the package. "You CANNOT upgrade online if you already have Have It All. You can only upgrade on the ship and the cost will be $17.70 pp/per day extra."

Probably died from 2nd hand smoke. 😆🤣

I find it kind of funny that anyone would compare MSC Yaght Club to anything that HAL offers. It's not even close. HAL doesn't have anything comparable to The Yacht Club. The best it can compare to is the suite experience on Princess Royal class chips. Both have a Suite only lounge and can dine in some special restaurants, but that's about it (Club Orange is the MDR with one or two extra items). Yacht Club best compares to other "Ship within a Ship", like NCL's The Haven or X's The Retreat. Don't get me wrong, Neptune and Pinnacle Suites are very nice and I look forward to trying one out. But let's not kid ourselves and think it is comparable to the very high-end stuff of other Premium Line offerings.

Wow, what? Did you not understand the question? Or do you feel unincluded as a smoker?

And today, like magic, I was able to log in again. 🙄

Our August cruise on Westerdam is with a guaranteed cabin, but after looking at the desk plans, there wasn't a Neptune we would have an issue with. And we are only doing a single 7-day, no B2B for us (wife doesn't like being away that long). Glad they worked their magic and you can stay in your cabin for both!!

Been disappointed with Anthony's in Point Defiance lately. The one in Gig Harbor (across the Narrows Bridge) is a bit better. Next time in the area and want good seafood, give Dukes a try.

Interested in what Seafood restaurant you visited on Sunday, as we are from this area.

As I have never been on a Pinnacle-class ship, how bad does the smoke waft from the smoking section to other areas adjacent to it? Would appreciate non-smokers' experiences/opinions on this, as smokers have already desensitized their sense of smell (not trying to be rude, but smokers likely have already severely damaged their sense of smell, especially to 2nd hand smoke). This all reminds me of the days of smoking sections in restaurants as if the smoke was somehow confined to one area of an open area building. I don't mind people smoking, as that is their right. I just don't want to be anywhere near them, or in a room/building/ship deck that has smokers on it. Some NCL ships have Casinos with a specific room for smokers to gamble in, but it still manages to spread to other areas due to it's central location.

Also having issues with the app. Using iPhone. Uninstalled, reinstalled, restarted, nothing works. Will try rebooting wifi/router/modem to see if that helps.

Lordy, I'm having flashbacks to a large and rather annoying posting on this exact topic in the NCL forum. That thread went on and on and on until I think it was finally closed. Just don't do it, it's not special and rather an odd currency for those not based in the US. Many foreign ports and merchants will not take it.

Sorry, never did Priority with HAL, only NCL and Princess from Vancouver. On each, I had to search for "Priority" signs for check-in, as asking many of the on-site personnel wasn't helpful. At least the Pan Pacific makes luggage super easy. Just call to have a porter come pick it up from your room when you are ready and it "magically" shows up in your cabin.

I'm old enough to recall when "It takes a village" was still a thing for raising children.

I did not see or infer any snark in that response at all. Just simple facts and some simple solutions. Families cruise during their vacation times (my wife is a teacher so we must deal with this all the time). This happens on all lines that allow children, even HAL. Holidays are the worst time to cruise if you don't want to deal with lots of children, which Christine points out. If the OP doesn't want kids on their cruise, cruise with a line that doesn't allow anyone under 18, like Virgin or Viking.

I think this vendor does all mainstream cruises. Confirmed Mandara Spa on NCL is the same company as the Lotus Spa on Princess.

For those who have tried Neptunes on the new vs older ships, did you prefer the changing/makeup room or the separate toilet area?

Perhaps it depends on the ship, but according to the HAL website, Vista Suite and below are all Queen sized beds when pushed together, pretty much the same size as all other mainstream cruise lines. Only Signature Suite and above can have king-sized beds. My wife and I are plus-sized, so the bigger bed is definitely a plus!

As far as I can tell, it's happening to most if not all mainstream cruise lines. At least according to the individual CC Forums.