3rdGenCunarder

My first move is to try to switch to the 7:30 tour, but only the 6:30 was available when I booked. On a QE2 cruise MANY years ago, we were in Halifax during the Tattoo. The ship offered a tour, but it left before dinner service. Everyone on the tour was given an early supper in the Caronia restaurant. I don't expect that to happen for people on the early evening tours nowadays.

The Nordlys menu (for Norway cruises) looks a lot like the Frontier menu, but with local substitutions. Duck breast instead of goose. I look forward to trying it this restaurant on QV.

Useful strategy in hotels, too, especially around check-out time. I never noticed that the chimes were different for up and down!

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant the earliest dining time, not booking opportunity. I just looked back at QM2 from last fall, and it looks like my only opportunities will be to stuff myself at afternoon tea or to order room service.

What is the usual first time available to book? I have a 6:30 tour on QV in October (Northern Lights chase), so I won't be able to have dinner in the MDR. I want to try Nordlys and I'm wondering if that would be a good time to do that. Or perhaps better to choose a night when I can relax and savor it?

I don't like the lack of information about the posters who write reviews. I rarely recognize the name of the poster, and I'm on the HAL and Cunard boards a lot. A review posted on this board is likely to come from someone I recognize, so I have some context for the review--are they moaners or are they cheerleaders or are they somewhere in between? I wonder how many people who post a negative review had never looked at the specific boards BEFORE the cruise to ask questions.

I haven't heard of this. But some spa services come with access to the thermal suite for the day of the service.

I was just about to post the same thing. When you do get somewhere to sit, you have to leave a book or something to show that you're coming back or your plate may be cleared and your seat taken.

And they put that protective cover on the bed. I hate seeing that come out.

Some of their time descriptions are misleading. An "overnight" stop will leave "early morning." That could be as "early" as half past midnight. Yes, technically it's morning. But not what people expect when they're planning. I use whatsinport to get more accurate info, or google the specific port authority.

so what version of Android is acceptable to Navigator?

That's good to hear. VOV is a longer cruise, and HAL tends to do more for those. I hope they extend classical music tor the shorter cruises.

I commend you on your restraint. I would have stood up and shouted something very rude at that musician! What incredible arrogance and ignorance. I keep seeing posts from people who were told LCS would return in the rotation on the mainstage. I think that's just something CDs say to mollify people, but I doubt it will happen.

I don't think it would work for the spa because that's run by an outside company, and they may not be willing make the change. When I complained to HAL about the fact that solos paid more per person for the thermal suite spa than couples did, HAL said they didn't set spa prices and gave me contact info for the spa company. I was told that singles weren't paying more. The couples price was twice the solo price, but there was a discount available. How that didn't have me paying more was a mystery, but that was the explanation.

Me either! I find it fascinating. On one of my canal cruises, as I stood on Promenade deck watching the mule move up the tracks, a woman near me sounded disappointed and said "It isn't very pretty." WHAT did she expect? Was she thinking it would be like the canals of Venice?

That sounds like an improvement over the tour I did to see the new locks. My tour included a bus ride through the old US army post. Basically a ride through a housing subdivision, followed by horrible traffic going to Colon. I'm glad I saw the new locks, but experiencing the boring bus ride and having to kill a couple hours in the heat in Colon, waiting for the ship had me staying on board for my past two partials. I love that the ship is uncrowded and quiet. I agree with the suggestions of lunch in the Pinnacle. I had a window table and watched the first return lock process from that viewpoint. For the OP, if there's a tour that really appeals to you, and especially if you don't expect to do the canal again, then do it. Just be aware of the return time. If it's early, you may have to wait for the ship. If it runs late, you might miss your dinner time. Tour times can be "approximate" in Panama. And absolutely read the Path Between the Seas! Also, if the ship offers films about the canal, those are worth watching.

Request assistance in advance. I haven't boarded in SD, but in FLL, it worked very smoothly.

Coming home from Toronto after my Great Lakes cruise, I used the ship's transfer to the airport. The bus I was on stopped at only two places, but after most of the people got off the bus at the first stop, they invited the rest of us to get off if we wanted to make sure our luggage was still on the bus. That was reassuring.

Amen to that! The caterwauling from Billboard on my last cruise was bad enough.

I rarely have lunch in the MDR. I usually do a salad in the Lido. But the MDR lunch on embarkation day is a nice bit of calm after the bustle of security, check-in, boarding, etc.

I think you're safe to wait. Go to the spa right away when you board and buy your pass. During the post-covid start-up they were limiting passes, but they aren't doing that now. Even when they were limiting the passes, I bought mine on the first day of my first post-covid cruise. I wouldn't roll the dice on shore excursions you really want to do, especially with so few sea days (have you used your HIA shorex credits yet?). Desirable excursions are more likely to see out than spa passes are.

Boarding in FLL last winter, as A 4*, I had priority boarding. After check-in, I went to the waiting area and the woman started to hand me a regular boarding number. I had to point out "priority" on the little stop of paper from check-in, and they she gave me a priority pass number 2. So if you aren't offered priority boarding, ask. They had just started boarding, so when I got to the top of the escalator, Group 1 had boarded, and I was waved right on board. I got to the terminal a little after 11:00 and I was onboard before noon. I remember that they said cabins weren't ready, so they herded everyone to the Lido. I had a drink at the Seaview Pool, then despite no announcement that cabins were ready, I went to mine and it was ready. I dropped my carryons and went to MDR lunch (they never announce that, either).

That was my mother's thought when I bought a lobster roll ashore in Portland Maine to have for lunch onboard. She was appalled that I would bring food onboard QE2, as if I was insulting the ship! Since then I have brought food onboard in many ports. McLobster in Halifax (seriously, I had to try it) and better lobster roll in several northeastern ports. I brought croissants onto QE2 in France, as hers were croissant in name only. I found a wonderful patisserie in Quebec City and brought opera cake on board. I pack cookies or buy some in port because ships tend to have the same cookies every day. I bought Oreos in a supermarket in Australia--not because I like them at lot, but because they were a touch of home when I was far away (they were made in China). Liquids may be scrutinized, but food coming on board never has been IME.

With this news, I doubt anyone will want to buy the two AQV ships. I thought AQV would make a go of this because they were an established company, rather than the small companies that bought those ships as start-up vessels and then went bust. Interestingly, my TA was not surprised about the sale. She said that she felt that coastal cruising wasn't in AQV's "wheelhouse." I think ACL is smart to expand US-only cruising. Boomers are getting very old (don't flame me, I'm one!) and many have the time to travel but are leery of leaving the country (I am not of that mindset, however). I was one and done on ACL, the worst cruise I've ever been on. I swore never again, but as they add more many ships doing small-port coastal cruises, they may tempt me to give them another try.

The gala theme nights are only suggestions, so don't feel you need to shop for something specific. It's easy for men. Regular formal wear will do for all of those themes. Regular formal wear will do for women, too, but many do follow the theme to some extent. Masquerade is a regular gala attire, but people wear masks (think mardi gras, not Halloween) in the Queens Room for dancing. And even then, it isn't required. Red and gold can just be wearing something red or gold if you don't have the combination. Roaring 20's is fun. I was surprised at how many women had bought flapper dresses. I have one that I love wearing. I'm always happy when that's one of the themes for my voyage. A fair number of women simply accessorize a gown or cocktail dress with a long rope of pearls, maybe a sparkly headband. On my last cruise, I did see a few men with straw boaters and sleeve garters. They looked more "gay nineties" than "roaring twenties."