HappyTexan44

Oooh, they have eggs benedict? I've never seen a menu for breakfast. That is probably my favorite breakfast food, period. Drowning in sauce. We have chickens and I'll occasionally make it. I'd been planning on using the MDR whenever it was open, but it is now a must-do for breakfast.

Plus that photo was supplied. So, she's maybe 60 there and half plastic.

I'd given MTD dining a thought, but we are already booked for early dining. So, we are good there. Getting the right dining table from the beginning seems important since we'll be stuck with it unless we move to an empty table, which is one someone else didn't want. I've read that they can change tables after you board. But, doesn't everyone get something that has their table#? Wouldn't they be annoyed that you are sitting in their table. .

Do y'll think it would be possible to put in that request with my booking? Like how we requested the beds to be put together? 6pm would be an awesome time for early dining. Just from the outside looking in and doing lots of reading, MTD seems to be really "Medium Dining, we'll seat you when we can," I really don't think we'll have a problem being at the MDR on time. My family knows I become an ugly person when we are late. But theoretically, say someone arrives 30 minutes late for early dining, could they just skip the app. course?

On BBQ in Texas, you can't go too wrong. The absolute worst I've had in Texas is an 8.5 on a 10 scale. A huge chain is likelier to be in 8.5 range and an independent in the 9.5 range. But awesome regardless. I recommend ordering Moist Brisket with burnt ends if it is an option.

Mardi Gras celebration. I used the anglicized version of Carnevale.

"Away from main entrance (don't like constant flow of guests past our table)" That makes sense. When I used to travel as a semiconductor engineer and I'd eat at an upscale restaurant, I'd often get a primo table in the center where no one walked by the table. The reason is that those were saved for the VIP customers. If they once gave one of those to a non-VIP local, then that local would start to expect a primo table. But, they knew that I wouldn't because I wasn't local. I wore the unofficial uniform of a female semi. engineer. It was really nice that no one walked by my chair. I'll add what you said to my notes.

Venice doesn't even want land tourists, or the Carnival.

I just read this in the recent MTD thread "My experience with Early Traditional seating times on all cruises since May 2022 has been if your assigned Deck 3 where they will be doing MTD after early traditional, the have been scheduling you 15 to 30 minutes earlier that those on decks 4&5." So, I made a note that I don't want Deck 3 and why. I have a document where I paste the random bits of cruise advice knowledge that I come across. Early dining is a tish early for us, but better than 6:45+ MTD or late. So, I'd rather be on decks 4&5. But that got me thinking. Are there other areas of the MDR that are better or worse? What do experienced cruisers think? There will be 4 of us, two adults and two teenage girls. I was planning on asking for a table for 4 so that we can connect during meals. The videos of the MDR show a lot of 4 tops. We will be on the Voyageur.

I've never cruised, but I have traveled to most of the popular cruise ports in the Caribbean . It is annoying when the cruise arrives. I'm not saying that cruises should stop visiting ports. But it is like when you regularly drive near a NFL stadium. You learn to pay attention to when the NFL crowds will be on the road, and you plan accordingly. I would always plan a boat scuba dive and then take a nap. My dad told me about something the US military used to do when the locals around a military base would start really grumbling about getting rid of the base. They'd start paying the people at that base in $2 bills and only $2 bills. Next thing you know, the place would be flooded in $2 bills, even people/businesses that thought they had no benefit from the base. This was back in the dark ages when they paid in cash. Maybe that isn't true for Bar Harbor. Maybe the cruise people just walk around and look at stuff. But I've thought of the $2 story several times while reading this.

We saw that too. I was even looking at Interior Guaranteed in both cases. The cheapest option was two connecting interior promenade view rooms for us. But when I was trying to put all of us in the same room we were getting a room that held 4 and it wasn't the same room code for when it was two. Husband was very happy to have a door between us and the girls. As a pale redhead I think I'll like the interior non-sunburn view.

I wonder why they even want to know the vaccination status now. Inertia, maybe?

And really, if they don't want tourists, as a tourist I don't want to spend money there. The world is a large place.

I hope cruise ships stop using that port.

That 6:45 start time for MTD was why I switched to early dining. I understand the logic of the late start time since they can fill the dining room with early diners. I'd been attracted to MTD to give us some wiggle room if we want to unwind before dinner when we return from port. But, worst case we will just eat at WJ those evenings.

How did you hang the hammock?

Or more importantly they realize they are giving away more free drinks than before. Like the one where the server said, "Nah, it will be okay this time"

I can't speak for OP, but in port we will be one group that is always together. So, we can do the really old-fashioned method of talking face-to-face. It would only be when the ship is sailing that we'd need some other method.

The internet prices add up even if I only figured two devices. DH will likely be asleep when I get up, so connecting with him would be nice so then you have three devices. This is a starter cruise for us and I'm trying to be as frugal as possible.

I've been pondering the same thing. We'll have our 13-year-old girl and her friend. The plan is for them to have freedom, but stay together. The options seem to be. Walkie-talkies which we'd have to buy. Buy the $2/day messaging plan. Buy the lower internet plan so we can call. At the moment I'm leaning toward the messaging plan. Maybe every time they change locations, they text first.

Some people don't have a problem lugging stuff. I sometimes jokingly call my husband Sherpa. But since most of our luggage will be checked when we park the car, carrying on some soda/water and wine doesn't seem like a big deal. I think I still have one of those luggage carriers from before luggage had wheels and we might use that to make it even less of a bother. For us it is about having the things we like.

What was in place to stop someone from giving someone else's cabin# with that system? When I was in college, my boyfriend went on a family cruise. He drank a lot with his sister. The system was that you wrote your cabin number on the drink bill. After the first day they started to sometimes write a random cabin number on the bill because they saw that there was no verification of the cabin#. This was ... 30-ish years ago. Their dad said that he was pleasantly surprised by the reasonableness of the drink bill.

It is truly amazing the difference having your own pillows and comforter makes when away from home. Unless the bed is truly horrible or a double (instead of our King) in that first moment of awake I think I'm home. In fact, after I started to bring my own bedding I also had to bring a nightlight because without one I'd walk to the bathroom as I would at home and run into something in the dark. We used to look like the Beverly Hillbillies moving in with the luggage cart. We are getting enough duffels now for the pillows and comforter, so we wouldn't look quite as bad. But we like to travel with lots of stuff. I've traveled for weeks in Europe with just a school backpack. But, I'd rather have everything I need for comfort.

Thank you for posting the dinner menus! I can vicariously follow along and plan out what I'd order. I'd read about the 70's dance party. Are people supposed to dress like that? Or is it just 70's music?

I know some tech people that highly prize the extremely early Kindles for the emergency internet connection for basic stuff. They came with a free data connection, although I think I saw news that they just recently cancelled that.