JanineM

We were supposed to board on Sunday. And yes, I think cruising will be different but so will everything else!

My husband and I talked about it the other night. We're prepared to book a cruise for the fall. 

Right now people need to continue to dream and plan. That's how my mom and her family of prairie dirt farmers got through the Depression. They always knew things would get better ... they did then and they will now. 

We were in an elevator on one of the S-class ships with Adam West - the original Batman a few years ago. And Amy Winehouse's father, Mitch was on the same cruise. Adam West was very low key. Mitch Winehouse thought he was a big deal.

Appetiser:  Goat Cheese Souffle 

Dessert: I dream about the Valhrona Cocoa Croquant

After dinner they also bring you a tray of sweets - things like homemade Turkish Delight.

We sailed with friends several years ago and their liquor tab was over $1,400. He ordered bottles of Bailey's for the room to have with their coffee first thing in the morning, then that led to Bloodies for breakfast, beer at 11 am, martinis at 4, wine with dinner and if anyone was still standing, a nightcap after dinner. She also bought rounds for groups of people. They were a LOT of fun - but he didn't always make it to dessert.

On the other hand, our largest bar bill has been about $600 for a 12-night TA. If we don't have a drinks package I'll pre-order wine for the room and we sail on Celebrity so tend to take advantage of the Captain's Club lounge ... 

Apologies if these questions have been asked before. I searched the forums and couldn't find any similar questions.

We have a Guarantee Suite for a cruise in about 6 weeks.

• Is there a chance our suite will change? There are plenty of higher-level suites available on the ship.
• The lowest acceptable move up offers are ridiculous. Will they drop closer to sail date?

Thanks in advance!

We sailed Silhouette to Norway last August (2019) and of our 25+ cruises it was probably our favourite. The ship was lovely, the scenery was fantastic and the weather was perfect (a rarity). We normally sail in Aqua Class but had a concierge class cabin for this cruise. 

We walked into town in Stavanger and Flam ... very walkable and easy to get around.

If any of you are on Instagram, one of the DWTS costume designers/sewists is very active there. Her account is @lynnwardrobesews  I believe she's also on Facebook. Yesterday she posted a picture of the some the fabric that they're working with.

We were on the previous week and have just gotten back to the States. Our experience was quite similar to yours - very smooth seas with unbelievably good weather! 

The other benefit of Aqua Class is access to some of the spa services and relaxation areas (depending on the ship). We've taken a couple of late winter/early spring TAs and the quiet, warm space to relax was a great benefit.

Rain gear! We were in Alaska in early September and on at least a couple of days we were drenched ... It wasn't 'cold' to someone from a cold climate, but it was damp. My shoes were soaked ... 

Yes, there will be wind - just like on sea days in the Caribbean. Whether it's hot or cold really depends on the the weather that particular week. September could be really chilly or quite warm. If it's chilly they'll put lap robes (blankets) on the pool deck so you can always sit in the sun. And there are lots of spaces on the pool deck that are protected from the wind. The sun will still be warm in September. 

But I'd definitely have something that breaks the wind, something that covers the ears and gloves. Nothing is worse than cold ears and hands.

On 8/16/2019 at 12:19 PM, clo said:

Well, I guess you have to be on the lookout for lines that actually carry an international crowd.  We were on Hurtigruten in March.  We were the only "Americans" and there were plenty of people who didn't speak English.

When cruiselines used to assign seating one of the key considerations was languages spoken. I don't know if they still do this because we haven't had an assigned table in probably 7 or 8 years.

I've got an insurance rider for jewellery and other valuable possessions and it would take about 2 minutes for my insurance company to provide proof. 

26 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

The other thing I would find odd on a large table would be how people order drinks.

 

Does someone, you know the type, try to decide what type of wine the table should all share? And give incredibly boring reasons as to why?

 

I only drink beer, and if its a lager type, will happily drink from the bottle. This I am led to believe upsets some folk, as its not dinner time etiquette.

 

And I want another bottle when the firts is empty. Are you expected to wait till everyone needs a top up?

 

Doesnt seem very enjoyable if thats the case.

But this is how it always was in the past. You were seated at a big table with strangers and all got to know each other over the course of the sailing. There would always be some oddball at the table and you'd find yourself talking about them 10 years later. There were no issues ordering drinks - sometimes people would ask if you wanted to share a bottle of wine but it wasn't required and we never did. Only once were we moved to another table and that was because our waiter thought we would be more comfortable away from a rowdy group. 

I've never seen anyone look askance at someone drinking beer from a bottle. What's annoying is people talking another language at a shared table or helping themselves to someone else's food or bringing up a topic that is bound to get people riled up (like asking what everyone paid for their cabin, politics or religion).

We generally prefer to eat just the two of us but if we're seated with others (as happens at lunch in the dining room) then we just meet some new people and have something to talk about later.

Walk off the ship and the chances are very good you won't have any issues. More than once we've been at gate before 8 am.  Having TSA Precheck helps.  

I love your review! I’ll be in Paris for the first time in a couple of months so appreciate your tips. 

We're taking National Express from Southampton to London after a cruise. The expected arrival is 6 am, and we've cruised enough to know that could change.

Could we expect to be off the ship and at the train station in time for a 10 am train? Earlier or later? I don't want to hang around the train station all morning, but then we don't want to ruin the last morning of the trip feeling like we're really rushed. 

We've done it twice - once early (end of March) via the Azores then Spain and France. The seas were extremely rough - like most of the crew were sick - for 3 days. The second time was a bit later, departing Florida in late April and arriving Southampton the first weekend of May. The crossing was much smoother but once we hit the Bay of Biscay it was very rough and cold. None of us can predict the weather! 

Last year I had pink toes with Christmas trees painted on the big toe. Just a bit of fun :) Plain pink on my hands because I knew the trees would be pretty tiresome by January 2nd when I could have the polish re-done.

I agree with the OP, which is why I basically quit coming to Cruise Critic. Too many cranky "get off my lawn" cranksters.

Then my husband reminded me that the name of the site is "Cruise CRITIC" ... :')

Glad to see that kind folks were able to help them meet her goal!

And another reminder of how trip insurance can help, even for the young ... my 3 nieces (all grown women with young children) were to fly together for a trip to visit me the first weekend of February. The week before they were to travel their father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Because they had insurance they were able to cancel their plane tickets. Would a few hundred dollars have made a big difference in their life? Probably not - but during a stressful time it was one less weight on their minds.

Yes, you can use your beverage package - everywhere. What they're saying here is that your restaurant cover charge doesn't include beverages. So if you don't have a beverage package your cocktails, wine, soft drinks are extra.

We were on Equinox in June and the entertainment was the best we have seen on a ship in many years (RCCI or Celebrity). This was the regular shows - not the guest performers. Much more current - like music written and performed after 1990!

I use Benefit "They're Real" mascara and have people ask me if I am wearing lash extensions. Stupid expensive, but good.

We were on Equinox a couple of weeks ago and were the only ship in port. A friend lives in GC and they have an app that tells them how many ships are in port. If there are 6, it tells them to avoid town!