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I carry ginger tea. That helps a lot. You could also consider asking the sushi restaurant on board for some raw ginger if it gets bad. 
I always carry tamarind candies. They are amazing for nausea. But I get them in Ecuador and don’t know if they are in the US. If you are traveling abroad, go to a local pharmacy. They have many otc remedies we don’t. 
Another remedy is bitters and soda. Any good bartender knows this cure. 

We found a repositioning cruise on NCL that starts in NY. It spends 2 days in Iceland but I can’t remember where it ends. We never took the cruise due to Covid. But hope to one day. 
Repositioning cruises happen at the beginning and end of the various seasons. They can be a great value. This one was 14 days, started in NY to Halifax, to Iceland. Then went on to Ireland, Wales and Belgium. 
Hopefully the wedding date falls when a cruise like this is doable. 

We took an Adriatic cruise on NCL last year and there was a member of the staff that was a history buff. She gave great talks on the history and politics of the different ports. I don’t know if this is the norm or we just got lucky. 
 

Maybe, those of us who enjoy that, should make our voices heard to the cruise lines. Money talks. If enough people let them know this may tip the scales toward one line or another, they will add more talks like this to stay competitive. Or maybe we truly are the minority. I do hope cruise lines read these posts. 

I live by the adage “hope for the best, prepare for the worst”. It sounds like you do too. 
We also follow the plan of splitting our things between bags  I also make sure the things I MUST have, like meds, are in my carry-on or tote. The safest option is don’t check any bags. I’d rather have to do some laundry, than risk lost or delayed luggage. On rare occasions they have asked me to check my carry on when I got to the gate, usually on those little puddle jumpers that have small luggage compartments. I don’t mind this since I know the luggage is getting on and off the plane with me. My most important things, like meds, jewelry (I usually don't bring things I couldn’t bear to loose) passport, etc, stay with me in a bag or backpack that goes under the seat. 
 

FYI- you don’t say where in SA you are going. We often travel to Quito Ecuador. There, and many other places in SA (or the world) it’s not safe to wear expensive jewelry. I have a travel wedding ring I wear that is very simple. I leave my diamond at home. 
Be safe, have fun!!

Just finished our first Celebrity cruise. We got concierge for same reason as OP. 
The lunch was ok. We do not mind the buffet, so not a big deal. 
The canapés were tasty. But we are not used to eating three big meals a day so more food was overkill. 
The sparkling wine was good. We are not wine snobs and wouldn’t know good champagne from bad. We asked our room steward when we first saw him. He brought it right away. We don’t drink much so we had a little glass 1x/ day until it was flat and tossed the rest.
We used the app to make dinner reservations but could have used the concierge.
The best perk was priority disembarkation. With tendered ports it was nice to have a shorter line. 

In Puerto Plata-we didn’t pre book anything. Just as you exit the pier area there are drivers lined up to take you where you want to go. You give them an idea of what interests you and how long you have. I can’t remember the cost, but it was a fraction of the ship excursions. We told them we can’t do a lot of walking but we wanted to see scenic spots and local culture. Driver took us to some “hidden” spots to see pineapple and mangos growing, he showed us how Larimar is made, gave us a little time in the town center to explore, even took us to a friend’s farm. Then he took us to an awesome restaurant for local delicacies- soooo good. Through it all he gave us some history and political and social insight. 
One caveat/ they only take cash. Depending on your group size, you may need a van. 
Enjoy! 

5 hours ago, the penguins said:

Only on M class  - S class the cabins are the same   Solstice is S.

For us, unless you want the points, Concierge is a waste of money use the $ to treat yourself to something nice. No right or wrong just choices.

I didn’t even know we were getting concierge until it was booked. I just chose the least expensive balcony/ veranda room. I don’t think I would have paid extra for it. But it will feel extra special to have it. 

On 11/3/2023 at 5:40 PM, lydnsyd said:

We have recently returned from Sailing on the Silhouette in Concierge. The sparkling wine was waiting for us in the cabin but on our previous cruise on the same ship we had to request it.

Yes there are binoculars but I would suggest you  bring your own.

Re Stir fry - there is an oriental food station which has a small amount of stir fry but the choice was limited and not very exciting. I have had better on previous cruises.

In Concierge they deliver canape's in the afternoon - we weren't keen on them so asked for some fruit instead which was nice it came as slices of melon & pineapple

So the canapés are not an extra charge? Is there anything special about the concierge lunch?

Can anyone tell me how to find when the destination seminar is?

Is there still a lounge for concierge at the embarkation port? We couldn’t get an early check-in but may try to go early anyway. 
Lastly, how do you find what class or series your ship is? Descriptions reference Solstice or Edge. What is the Eclipse?

We always used to ask the room attendant to remove the barrier between balconies. That way we could go back and forth easily. Mom didn’t hear well so we couldn’t rely on her opening the front door. But the last cruise we took together the steward said it was a fire hazard to remove the balcony separators. So we got the access key card for her room. They gave us a hard time about this but we made it clear it was for mom’s safety. She was 91 on our last cruise. Sadly, she passed away in Jan. This will be our first cruise without her. Enjoy cruising with your parents. And be grateful for every moment with them. 

Our experience cruising with my elderly mom was it is significantly less to book two cabins that a suite. Suites are easily 2-3x per person what a balcony cabin is. With two cabins you essentially paying the base cruise price for 4 people. But only pay the taxes and gratuities for those traveling. Be sure to ask for an entry only room key for your parent’s room.  

You really wouldn’t want to be in Israel right now. I have friends in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and they tell me they hear bombs dropping around them almost constantly. 
Choose a more peaceful Christmas vacation and say a prayer for all those innocents ( on both sides) impacted by hate. 

We have almost always done the category guarantee and never had a bad experience at all. We always do balconies and do enjoy spending time in our room. Our concern has been obstructed view. But we figure it’s never that bad. The only time we choose our specific room is when we are traveling with others and wanted our cabins to be close. 
The first time we did the guarantee we were traveling with my mom. When checking in we realized we were not close to each other. We explained that my mom needed us in case she fell or something. They did accommodate us. They even let us take down the balcony wall so it was more like connecting rooms. That was NCL. 
 

22 hours ago, LuckyDuckCanuck said:

I am 65 and also have POTS.  After some scary moments I now use a scooter for all things cruising and airports. Lines pose no problem now.  Long pier, port shopping, excursions?  No problem. I have a nice folding travel one that I can fold in less than a minute so that I can still enjoy all the ports, whether tendered or not.  I snorkel, and even zipline if there is an elevator to get to the launch. Can I do everything? No.  You have to know your limitations. I am sure that some people are confused when they see me be able to get off and walk around, looking perfectly fine, but I don't let that bother me.  I'm glad I can do that - but I still need it to prevent a seriously high heart rate leading to collapse. Time and distance is my enemy - oh, heat too. POTS is no joke - and it's totally invisible to others.  Same with so many other invisible challenges/illnesses people face.  

Mine is also triggered by pain. Unfortunately I also have a very bad back and often get sudden unexpected spasms. So I never really feel safe. 

You are all right in every point. Including the book early part. Both Murano and Tuscan are booked solid. 😢 Guess I hesitated too long. 

We live in a small town between two tourist hubs. Between crowds, traffic and high prices people are starting to look further out and are beginning to “discover” us. The locals are split. Many would be grateful for the money tourism would bring to our economically challenged little town. But others want the town to stay quiet, peaceful with no traffic or crime. Being a realtor, I’m in the former camp of wanting to be “discovered”. 

11 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

 

Who would that be??

 

By the way, that pass against the Seahawks will forever be known as the Fail Mary.

Thank you, replacement refs. (And yes, I know that there is actually only one ref in a football game. For some reason, all of the zebras are now called "refs".)

 

UPDATE: I saw a later post where you referred to the 2015 game. I believe that was the one with the bungled onside kick. Where they had their "hands team" on the field to grab the kick...but one infamous player had the ball go right through his "hands". I don't recall his name at the moment, since it's a game I'd like to forget.

 

Too bad I wasn't on an NCL cruise when that game was played...I wouldn't have had to witness it live.

 

Don’t know to whom you are referring as the Packer fan. But I have been a Packer fan since the days of Bart Starr. 1967 is the first game I have memories of. I remember that pass with the Seahawks. We were robbed! 

2 hours ago, bikerunner said:

Menus will be on the app for your cruise.  

I find descriptions but not menus. 

11 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm a good multi-tasker. I tend to wash out a piece or two while I'm showering. Roll in a towel, squeeze and hang to dry. Honestly faster than stuffing a laundry bag. 🤣

I like to do the same. But my hubby says it makes us look like Beverly Hillbillies. 

9 hours ago, mrgabriel said:

Which ship are you on? If you’re on an S class ship, go to Tuscan Grille for an excellent steak. The filet is excellent. Murano has nice lamb and lobster. 

We are on the Eclipse. Not sure what category that is. 

7 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

I was being facetious.

 

Mega ships kill the planet. Small, wealthier, ships are green and responsible.

Better yet we should all sail on private sailing yachts. I hear it’s only a couple hundred thousand for 3 days. 

7 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

We lobe the chateaubriand in Murano that is prepared tableside as well as the lobster Murano and the Dober sole.  TheCrepesBalon Rouge (another tableside prep) Is a favorite dessert as is the grand marnier souffle.

Omg! My mouth is watering. Do you know if they have sample menus I can see? 

To be fair, if I were on a transatlantic cruise, with many sea days, watching tv might be more important than on a 7 day where we were in port almost every day. 
It’s a legit beef for you if it bothers you. As someone else said, put it on a comment card. I’m sure if they get enough requests they willl consider adding more American sports. For me, I don’t watch much tv on cruises. But if it matters to you, it’s legit. 

I would choose NCL over CCL any day. But if you’ve been on both and are good with either, it sounds like CCL would be preferable just because of price. 
I will share- the cruise next credits can be extended  At least that’s what we were told. As long as you have a reservation using them before they expire. For example: they expire 03/25.  You book your next cruise for 03/26 in 03/25. Your cruise next certs are your downpayment. But in 01/26 you decide to cruise on another line. So you don’t cancel, you change your NCL booking to a different NCL cruise for 2027. The certs are shifted to that reservation. As long as you have the certs attached to a reservation you can use them for cruises well past the deadline. 
Hope that helps. 

We are embarking on our first Celebrity cruise in a couple weeks. It’s a surprise for my hubby for our 10 yr anniversary. I am trying to decide if I should book a specialty restaurant the night of our anniversary. 
We have done some specialty dining in NCL before and honestly didn’t find the food to be any better than the MDR, except the one that had a hibachi table. But I don’t think the ship we will be on has one. 
My husband loves things like lamb, seafood or a really good steak. We like Italian but that’s one of the few kinds of cuisine we can often make at home. We now live in a tiny town where the only food we can get are burgers, pizza and a Friday fish fry. So I’m sure anything else will seem like a treat. So is it worth spending $100 for the two of us or is the food in the MDR really just as good?