YourWorldWithBill

From what I've read on various boards here, Premium is enough for those things. I asked my PCC and she said that it should work for YouTube or other videos like that, just not for streaming, such as watching a show on Netflix or Amazon Prime. I'm sticking with Premium for out May cruise and will find out!

For example, the price of the specialty dining option(s) you get with the HIA are definitely included as part of daily spending. I seem to remember that there have been postings about other expenses included in the HIA counting.

It seems it's the savings on excursions that makes the pricing comparable; is that correct? When we've compared such lines, the cost of Neptune suites are sometimes comparable with the luxury lines that don't include excursions.

Thanks for the fleet report, the maps, and to all for your posts. @puppycanducruise, we have the same problem! Over a year ago I cancelled a cruise for early April because the path of the eclipse is through Dallas, and now they're predicting clouds/rain. @JazzyVand @57redbird, before I had back surgery about four years ago I took both Gabapentin and Tramadol. For me, each worked for a couple of days, than I found them not much better than acetaminophen (Tylenol). But that's just me. Tramadol is pretty strong stuff, and for an extreme pain it was great for two or there days. Anyway, I hope something helps! On another note, at one point on a doctor's advice I took a strong dose of ibuprofen for too long, and had some bleeding stomach, so not a good idea.

Ditto. For the sake of communication, the current process is ridiculous. We use WhatsApp when messaging another passenger, as it's hard to remember to check Navigator constantly. And I agree with @POA1; but I think the point is that the passengers should not read the text. 😄

Yes, I'm aware of all that, as we were in suites on our last couple of cruises. But others have posted that the HIA counts toward that daily expenditure.

Our next cruise is 13 day. We have HIA, so I assume we'll get 26 points. We're 1 point short of 3 stars! Jacqui, do you have any suggestions for that extra star? I spend a little time at the craps table each night, so I wonder if that will do it. Thanks.

Just watched it here: https://spaceflightnow.com/2024/03/28/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-22-starlink-satellites-on-a-falcon-9-flight-from-vandenberg-space-force-base/

I went through the same thing with a different result. As I was booking a cruise I asked my PCC about the new policy. She knew about it and told me the company line, that it can happen, they'd give you an equal (?) or better cabin, but it wasn't too likely. So maybe your PCC just hadn't heard yet. That's why I said they weren't ready for opening night (as seems to happen a lot). I feel guilty telling you! But I'm just hoping that the odds of getting bumped are low.

After picking our puppy up wearing a cone after her spay surgery, my daughter happened to call. When I mentioned the cone she told me to get a "doughnut", which is an inflatable round thing that is easier on the puppy than the cone. I suspect that any of our cats would also succeed in getting it off quickly, as Tigger did; but maybe it's worth trying. The pain is blowing it up. Sorry that it's been such a hard start to April! Too bad that's not an April Fool's joke.

Thanks for the reports, and to all for the posts and pictures. Bruce, my wife is from southern Thailand, and I've been with her several times. The heat and humidity are amazing: she thinks it's cooler than the intense, dry Texas heat; but for me... well, I feel like I need a shower as soon as I step outside in Bangkok. And I think this is the hottest time of year.

But on a booking I made after this started, some quads suddenly were not available, while some others were still available! I don't think they were ready for opening night; maybe some more rehearsals.

Since we're on the NS for 13 days in May, I'm glad that I can prepare myself by reading your email. The CO room on the Rotterdam was very nice and not over crowded, so - again - at least I won't hope for too much. We always find the buffets crowded. And I order breakfast in the room, so..... Thanks for the note.

Hello all. I'm still trying to process that there is a Bunsen burner day. Thank you @kazu and @rafinmd for the Fleet Report and Daily and the fleet location maps, and thanks to @JazzyVfor the care list. 77 degrees here: maybe AC weather from now on. Peter, dreaming of his next cruise, asked me to say hello on his behalf:

We really enjoyed the Rocky Mountaineer; the one thing not to miss is a stop in Lake Louise. It is one of the most (maybe the most) beautiful views in the world; I could have stood for much longer than I did just looking. And I agree with @Alberta Quilterabout booking the gold leaf. We did not, but wish we had, and will definitely go back and do that. It's worth the extra. Alaska is amazing whenever you're there, and very different from Norway and the fjords. Every month is good for a different reason. There will be kids in August, but maybe less if you can go late in the month. There is a chance you could see the Aurora if you spend two or three nights in Fairbanks. We were there in early September and got lucky.

Bon voyage!

This is always so tragic. I'm sure it was more helpful than you realize for him to have someone willing to listen to him and the details. It sounds as if the point is coming when he will have no choice, but that may also be unbearable. So sorry.

Most people feel that paying per bag is cheaper, unless you're on a long cruise.

Hello all. Thanks for the fleet report and maps. Lots of grocery shopping here today. Happy Birthday @Suslor and @cruzn single! Happy Anniversary @USN59-79! Parker (cat) gently telling Coco (dog) to play with someone else: Parker Coco.mp4

Bon voyage! Hope it's a memorable cruise.

Just a note to agree about all that. I was in Angor Wat about 12 years ago, and the heat and humidity is hard to explain! By the time the tour was finished I felt like a used washrag. But it was worth it.

Thanks for the fleet report, maps, care list, and everyone's posts. Today I turned on my AC; we'll see how that goes. Coco, who weighs about four or five pounds and won't get too much bigger, is recovering well from her spay operation. In time for anyone's dinner onboard:

Bon voyage all! I hope the cruises are beyond your wildest expectations.

We've cruised Viking and Oceania, and have now settled on HAL, mainly for the itineraries and the staff (and price). Viking has the best enrichment talks, and Oceania has great food, different restaurants and we liked the daily trivia; but for us the additional cost wasn't justified. We also noticed a discernable difference in staff between Oceania and HAL: the HAL staff just seemed to be genuinely happier. We loved the staff on Viking, but HAL has such a variety of itineraries, and I like the casinos (none on Viking). Another point: a Neptune suite on HAL is about the same price, or maybe cheaper, than a regular stateroom on Viking or Oceania, and you get much more personalized attention by the concierge in the Neptune Lounge. We were in a concierge cabin on Oceania and wished we had just paid for a regular cabin. I've heard from others that the food on HAL is noticeably better than NCL. I hope you try HAL first, because the food, thought sometimes really excellent, might not be quite like Viking or Oceania (although my wife preferred the food on our HAL cruises). For some other subtle, hard to identify reason, in addition to what I've said, we just like HAL!

We found the same thing on the Rotterdam: entire staff was great, and the manager went above and beyond several times. This is the most sensible answer and solves the worry: we just need to ask if they pool tips, unless we want to make a point by handing tips to any particular staff person.