CruisingWalter

I love all the maritime knowledge you share across all these CC forums. Thanks so much, it's really interesting to read your posts, I learn so much!

Thanks for the kind words on the channel. That's interesting about the streaming. Was that turned off during the TA to Miami?

Since this is a true 30 day cruise, and not a bunch of back to backs, they should be working to make the menu more interesting so you're not stuck in a rut for 30 days. In general I would suspect the menu will evolve over the course of the trip, starting out with whatever they were normally doing for the Australia sailings, and then transitioning over to a more "American" menu as you get closer to Seattle. That's the main dining room. I'm not really sure about all the specialty venues because those menus are pretty well set throughout the fleet. But they may offer a few more variety types of offerings. Also watch for 'food events' throughout the cruise like possibly an outdoor BBQ or other things you might not normally see on standard sailings. The number of formal nights should be available in your cruise planner. With 30 days you will probably have 2 or 3 "laundry bag sales" where anything you can fit into the laundry bag is a set price. We've had that on 14 day cruises. Yep, I'm sure they will have plenty more trivia games and things like that, but when you're at sea for that many days, you get the opportunity to try out everything the ship has to offer. Very rare to have many children on any cruise over 7 nights, let alone a trans-pacific repositioning cruise. If anything, you might have some pre-school children, but not many should be on board. No clue on the Casino but yes there will be a repeat in the shows most likely, but they also tend to bring on guest speakers, more comedians and things like that so the entertainment is not entirely repetitive. I've also heard of 'cabaret' style nights where the performers get to simply sing and perform vs. a big set show. You might even see a 'crew show' and those are always fun! But definitely there will be repeats in some of the big set shows. It's definitely a long cruise but a super cool itinerary. I wish we had the time to take that one or the 34 day sail back to Australia after the season. You can definitely expect an older crowd, in general it'll be retirees or self employed folks taking that cruise as they are the ones who have 30 days to get away. 🙂 And for the images of the ship, just Google "Costa Luminosa." It's the same ship, they've just added a few Carnival touches and repainted the hull and funnel. Also the website Cruise Hive did a story recently on the Italian stylings inside the ship that show the amazing indoor solarium pool. Have an awesome cruise!!

I would not pay that upcharge in Gunbae simply because it's thin strips cooked on the grill in front of you. If you want to 'Treat Yourself' to something amazing, pay the $65 for the Tomahawk Steak in The Wake. Both the preparation and presentation are amazing. You can see it on my YouTube channel, "Where's Walter Travel" in the "Scarlet Lady Food Tour" episode. CC won't allow me to post links to my own channel but you can find it easy enough. 🙂

Excellent advice on the Trip Insurance. We never cruise without it, almost 20 years now. Most U.S. based health insurance plans do not offer coverage outside of the United States. And if they do, it's greatly reduced. The poor couple on a Carnival ship recently is the perfect example of why you need trip insurance. The wife developed a bad pneumonia while the ship was in transit to Jamaica. She was evacuated off the ship in Montego Bay to be treated at a local hospital. The medical evacuation flight to the U.S. was $40,000 alone, but they had no trip insurance. So she was required to stay in Jamaica for up to 20 days until her oxygen levels came up for her to be safe to travel. All medical expenses were the responsibility of the couple because they did not have insurance. Another tip, never buy the insurance through the cruise line. It's never as good as what you get through third parties. We get anywhere between $500k and $1M in medical evacuation and $50k to $100k of emergency medical services coverage per person for anywhere from $150 to $400 depending on the overall cost of the cruise and where it's going. In the case of that couple in Jamaica, we would have been able to cover a medical evac flight back to the U.S. if we so chose to do that. Travel Agents are a good resource for independent insurance as is Insure My Trip website. Remember you buy insurance for when you NEED it. Not when you're planning for something to happen. Here's the Carnival / Jamaica story if you have not seen it. https://abc13.com/houston-woman-stuck-in-montego-bay-jamaica-carnival-vista-cruise/12217285/

We saw them on the Scarlet Lady back in July and they are not worth the price for me. We have rented cabanas on Holland America ships and also paid for the Serenity Retreat on Princess ships. Those are much more worth the price than what VV has done. First off, they're just along the edge of the starboard side of the ship on Scarlet facing straight out to the water. There is not a private area, you're literally paying just for the 8x8 space and you get a glorious view of the railing and the ocean beyond. The same view you can get for free most anywhere else on Deck 16. Meanwhile folks are free to walk by as they pass between the pool area and the aft area of the ship. On HAL and Princess, when we pay for a cabana or retreat area, we have access to an entire area with large comfy lounge chairs, constant refreshment service and more. With VV you're paying for the box and you can call in some service as required. But that's it, you pay for the box. On Bimini it's even worse honestly. Do NOT pay $500 for those tiny little cabanas that offer nothing but, again, a box in the same space as everyone else. They're not even good boxes. We've rented beach cabanas with Royal and Princess, they are so much better than what VV is offering. It's weird because VV got so much right with their ships and cruise line, but the cabanas (and that stupid catamaran net) are not the best examples of their cruise line. Spend the money on your Bar Tab instead or get yourself a Tomahawk steak at The Wake. Absolutely worth the $65 added charge. 🙂

Oh man we just found these hooks from Sail Pak that are ridiculous. I swear they could hold 10 pounds each if they didn't slide down the wall from the weight. 🙂 They also have a sweet waterproof backpack that I can't wait to try out in December when we head out on our next cruise. Can I just say I never do karaoke in public, but when we cruised Virgin's Scarlet Lady we did 2 hours of karaoke in one of their private booths. I have not had that much fun in I don't know how long. We laughed so much. So yes, get out there and try something new every single time! 🙂 Especially with dining. A cruise ship is a great place to try out foods you've never had before. If you don't like it, they will swap it out, no problem. It's not like a land-based restaurant where you get 'that look' if you don't like something. On cruise ships, they know folks might be experimenting with food and if you don't like it, they will make sure you get something you do like. So experiment with foods you've always wanted to try but were nervous to do so at home.

And to add for disembarkation day, look to see what the cruise line has for excursions that day. Most folks don't realize the cruise lines do offer excursions to 'kill time' and then they take you directly to the airport. We've done that a few times, super easy and convenient.

Keep these in your cruise Carry-On bags. Passport, ID and any necessary paperwork to board the ship. If you leave them in checked luggage, it could take hours to locate your bags. Necessary Medications. Electronics. Not so much that they might get stolen in checked luggage, but they could get damaged in those massive luggage corrals. Swimsuit. Especially if you're going to be onboard before the cabins are available. Switch to your swimsuit and go enjoy the pool. One change of clothes for dinner. Your luggage SHOULD get to your cabin before dinner time, but in case it doesn't have one fresh change of clothes for dinner. Restaurants always cut you slack on the first night so don't worry about dress code. Fresh, clean clothes always feel good at the end of embarkation day.

It's giving the market what they want. Icon is squarely a family ship and they make no apologies for it. Icon will be AMAZING for families with so much to do onboard. At the same time we have ships like Scarlet Lady, Celebrity Edge series, Princess Royal and Sun class, Holland America ships that are incredible floating resorts primarily for adults There are around 325 cruise ships out there today with 72 more on the way before the end of 2027. Some will appeal to you, some like Icon will not. I find no reason to disparage any ship because if the entire cruise industry built identical ships, that would be boring.

Good call to go with the refundable deposit since it's so far out. Lots of things can change between now and then. Congrats!!! Boy that is going to be a heckuva Cruise Countdown on your phone. 😆

NEVER get the insurance through the Cruise Line. Always go third party, you'll get much better coverage at a better rate than through the cruise line. insure my trip is a great resource to get quotes from multiple companies at once.

EVERY new ship is priced at a premium over older ships. Doesn't matter the cruise line or the ship class. A $10k jump in the same cabin is not unheard of when you're talking about a brand new class of ship. If it was just Utopia of the Seas having a $10k jump over previous Oasis Class ships, then I would be surprised. But Royal Caribbean does plenty of research and they know where to price for the market they expect to cruise on this ship. You'll see Icon prices go down when the second ship is released. Certainly some sales between now and then but don't expect significant price decreases for the first 2 years at least. She will be a VERY hot ship and if you want to cruise on her, you'll have to pony up to get your cabin. Good luck all! 🙂

I really am too. Kind of nice to not have to go to Europe to try out these ships. Though I do plan to fly across the pond at some point to try out P&O. That looks like another fun cruise line!

Here's a better look at the livery. I like how they are using the Carnival blue livery but with Costa yellow stripe. And they added the Carnival name down the side.

We are exactly the same. We enjoy cruising, not any single cruise line. 8 cruise lines so far, we have not had a bad cruise yet. We've certainly enjoyed some more than others, but there are SO MANY cruise ships and experiences to try, limiting one's self to the same cruise line, same ships year after year would drive me a little batty if I'm being honest. 🙂 I really want to start exploring the expedition ships like Hurtigruten or National Geographic Explorer ships. Those look amazing, though my wallet might object. 😆

Actually the Jones Act only applies to non-US registered ships starting their cruises in the U.S. That's why the NCL Pride of America can do round trip Hawaii all year long, she's registered in the U.S. Non US flagged ships must stop at a foreign port if its' a round trip US cruise. And there was a big deal made to override that for the 2021 Alaska season because Canada was still closed to cruising. There was some talk of reconsidering the Act for all cruising, but that was only a short-lived conversation. So far as i know, that Alaska season is the only time non-US flagged ships were allowed to do round trip US without going to a foreign port.

It's so much fun. Officers vs. the Guests. There's not many places where the guest get to compete against the crew any more. That game is one of the highlights on every celebrity cruise. 🙂

We've sailed 8 different cruise lines and they've all been fun. You have to go in with the proper expectations. Celebrity will be a more 'adult' experience than Royal. No waterslides, no big arcade, far fewer children, depending on the ship you might have the lawn club. The one thing I think you'll really like on Celebrity is the Officers vs. Guests volleyball game that's usually on the last sea day, so much fun to watch. The indoor solariums are awesome on Celebrity. We enjoy most of the specialty dining, though we avoid Le Petit Chef, too much of a gimmick. I LOVE World Class Bar, the Martini Bar is a fantastic show, but not great drinks. The spas are amazing on Celebrity. Celebrity ships are quieter in the sense they don't have all the top deck activities. But they are more refined and targeted to an adult experience. Yes there is trivia onboard, might not be as much as Royal, but there is trivia. If you go in expecting a 'Royal Caribbean' cruise you'll be disappointed. If you go in expecting more of an adult resort, you'll have a great time. We don't subscribe to 'being loyal to any cruise line' because the vacation becomes too predictable and similar. We try them all and there are things we absolutely love about all of them.

Yeah the buffet layout on that class of ship is weird. Very tightly designed, I will agree with you there. But Mardi Gras was worse. Even though there was a ton of space for people to move, absolutely no emphasis on cleaning your hands, or wearing shoes, or a shirt.... I'll take the Princess 'intimate' buffet over that anytime. 😆

The Martini Bar is a good show, not good drinks. I've tried the Martini Bar on two of the four Celebrity ships we've sailed and all I do now is watch the show if we happen to be nearby. The World Class Bar is where you get a really good cocktail. That's the only bar where I will spend money on Celebrity, even bringing my cocktails with me from that bar to dinner. And the Sunset Bar on Beyond is supposed to be really good. Looking to book that ship for March and that's one of the bars intend to try.

"Go with the flow" is the best attitude for cruising. We had severe F&B shortages on the Carnival Mardi Gras in March, but the crew that was there was amazing. Always smiling, always doing what they could to keep our vacations amazing. So yes, a little patience on a cruise ship goes a long way and if there is a problem, don't take it out on the crew members. They are trying their best. If there is a long line at the MDR/Restaurant, we have been known to run up to the buffet or Cafe Al Bacio to have a little appetizer/nosh/cookies to tide us over while we wait. I recommend others do the same. It takes the edge off waiting if you at least have a little something, something. 🙂

I agree it would be nice for Celebrity to do a roundtrip Hawaii, but I will say Princess has quite a few 15 day roundtrips from LA, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver BC that all look amazing. They're showing 11 Itineraries including a few longer repositioning cruises. Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and Crown Princess are four of the ship, all of them quite lovely. My personal favorite of the four is the Sapphire which we sailed to Alaska. If you're a Celebrity fan, you'll probably like Princess as well. The decor is a bit more 'classic' with more wood, more earth tones and of course the Italian piazza as the atrium, but I think they match up with Celebrity Solstice and Millennium class ships closer than most people think. And that new Sun Princess, well that is going to be crazy beautiful with shades of the Edge class.

First thing to understand is that there is no rule that you have to leave the ship at port. We have a "Ship Day" at one port every single cruise where we stay onboard while at least 75% of the ship goes off to the port. You have the run of the ship to yourself, especially the big empty pools, and if you fancy a spa treatment, they're always on sale during a port day. So keep that in mind as you become a seasoned cruiser. 🙂 The two big differences to excursions are that if you do a Cruise excursion you're guaranteed the ship will wait for you if you're late or the cruise line has to get you to the next port. If you're independent, the ship will leave without you. In general ships will wait about 30 minutes and I've seen 60 minutes, but they're not under any obligation to wait. And yes, they will and do leave, do a search for "Pier Runners" on YouTube to see some often very funny videos of folks trying to wave the ship back as it pulls away. 🙂 When you do exit the ship terminal area, you will be bombarded with people offering tours, cabs and cars. This is why it's so important to do some research. One option folks love is to simply rent a cab for the day and just go wherever they please and that's a great option. BUT you need to know which cab company you can trust, and you can get that through research. For the most part we do book independently, BUT you have to do your research if you're going to go independent. Especially if your plan is to hire a cab or local tour service on your own. Right here on CC there is a Ports of Call forum where you can go look at suggestions and recommendations for the individual ports you're about to visit. We also use TripAdvisor, Yelp and anything else we can find to verify the quality and responsiveness of a third party tour operator, Dominican Republic we stick with cruise operated tours. Many folks go off on their own, but on this island we prefer the cruise operated tours if we're leaving the ship. San Juan is a great walking city and if we're going to do anything, we book it on our own. We just did San Juan Food Tours in March and they were a fantastic walking/food tour. But San Juan you can easily just walk and discover. You'll find lots of recommendations for bars and restaurants and independent tours in the Ports of Call forum here on CC. The Fort is about a 15-20 minute walk from the ship so you can easily walk to it on your own and just self explore it if you're really into history. It's a beautiful layout. We also discovered kite flying at the fort because of that food tour, they have a massive lawn where you can fly kites purchased from a little red trailer along the road. St. Maarten, the port area is a cute little touristy town. You hop a water ferry and it drops you off right in the middle of the shopping and dining district. If you're a Star Wars fan, That Yoda Guy is a must visit. Nick Maley is a former Industrial Light and Magic artist who worked on the original Yoda for the movies. He has a mini-Star Wars museum that's fun. There are many tours and excursions you can do here with third parties that are reputable. We usually just hang out in the town for a few hours, stopping to get some Guavaberry Run at the Old Man shops. St. Thomas has a lot to offer and another island that's loaded with good third party excursions. We've done snorkeling and golf on the island, both a lot of fun. There is also a food tour run by the same company that we use in San Juan that we will be doing in a few months when we get there. Welcome to the cruise family, you have picked an awesome itinerary that should be a lot of fun!

First off, ensure that your cabin is on the lower decks in the middle of the ship. That is the smoothest ride on the entire ship so having your cabin in that location will be important to ensure you have the best experience. The higher you are on the ship the more you will feel whatever motion there is. That's why most ships have most of their entertainment and dining on decks 5-8, those are the smoothest decks. In general Alaska is a very smooth ride because you're hugging the coast the entire cruise. Especially if you do a cruise that's round trip Alaska, not starting from Seattle. But even from/to Seattle is generally a very smooth ride unless a storm blows through. That did happen this year with a storm chopping up the waters for about a week or so. But when we went it was basically smooth as glass the entire week. A friend who has been on over 100 cruises highly recommends Sea Bands for your wrists. That's the brand name, they come in a variety of colors so she has them color coordinated with her outfits. 🙂Crew members swear by green apples for motion sickness.