Despegue

Pasta ALWAYS needs to be mixed with the sauce in the pan before serving. Not doing so is a complete faux-pas and makes the dish tasteless.

They SHOULD have to be honest. 😉😜 we use proper eating etiquette in Europe, because we are not pigs, except my son, he is still the champion of messy dining, especially during spaghetti night 🤪🥳🤗 ( he is 2n by the way)

Onboard the Disney Fantasy, It seems that most of the lounges, especially those with live music , are adults only. we travel with our 2,5 year old son, who loves to dance and we can not get why on Earth he would not be allowed to have a drink and good time with us in the evening, or better said, If we book a VERY expensive ( read overpriced) cruise on Disney, we expect it to he a child friendly experience, and not one where in nearly all lounges and bars, we are banned from entering if he is with us. That is total nonsense. can someone please explain the “adult exclusive “ rules and where CAN we have a drink and enjoy some music with our child? ps. No, he will NOT go to the kids club in the evening, a vacation is family time. ps. We are European, so maybe we have a completely different idea of a family vacation, but here we vacation together, also in the evenings, and involve our kids in the evening entertainment, including bars.

At 16:45, I sometimes am still doing lunch! Were we live, on the Spanish Costa Blanca, people have dinner around 21h. Or later. Early seating on HAL would never work for us...

Regarding the tax: the solution is to only process the sale when outside the Territorial Sea ( mostly 12nm.).

All of them are within say 2 km. And are easily reached on foot

Lasagna, as prepared in The North of Italy and Bologna area is traditionally with a Bechamel, and we in Europe most often include bechamel in the recipe. to say that Bechamel does not belong in a Lasagna is simply incorrect. The Bechamel makes a lasagna have a somewhat softer, but rich taste, and pairs wonderfully well with ragù and Tomato sauce. that being said, Bechamel can be be excellent or horrible, making the whole dish a success or epic fail.

And pigs can fly.

Unfortunately, this has not so much to do with the age of the vessel, as with who BUILT the vessel... Fincantieri is the cheaper but quality wise, the worst cruise ship yard, with unfortunately extremely good connections with the Carnival group. The same issues will happen onboard the Royal class vessels soon. I promise. A question as I am not a Princess follower: do Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess have the same issues? Both were constructed by Mitsubishi in Japan ( Nagasaki if I recall correctly)

Walk from the Cruise pier towards the centre, and then go visit the Roman Theatre and museum. After this ( approx. 1 hour) go and explore the city centre, with its beautiful art deco facades, shadowy squares ( don’t forget to have a coffee on a terrace), and stroll towards the covered market mercado de Santa Florentina, for an AUTHENTIC market feel ( and not like in Barcelona on the Ramblas) . Market of Santa Florentina +34 968 12 33 76 https://goo.gl/maps/E5DUymKZzr3XFwR9A after a look around, head back South, and visit the Artisanal shop sponsored by the Region of Murcia ( Cartagena is a city situated in Murcia) Centro de Artesanía de Cartagena https://goo.gl/maps/JWwLKofKBpzjJvLy8 closeby, you also find the ruins of the Forum Romana, which are great if you are into Roman Antiquities and history. there is also a nice boatride from near the cruise pier towards the old defense cannons and fortifications around Cartagena. Barco Turístico +34 968 50 00 93 https://maps.google.com?q=Barco Turístico, P.º Alfonso XII, 30201 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain&ftid=0xd6342295f6c0fc3:0xa3785146f1b76e84&hl=en-BE&gl=be&entry=gps Cartagena is a Naval base for the Spanish Navy, and a very famous shipyard, specialised in Submarines. As a matter of fact, the newest class of Subs for the Spanish Navy are being constructed here. ( and designed also). They are the World’s most advanced Non-nuclear subs by the way. The Natural harbour is extremely deep, and can be compared with Pearl Harbour. For lunch, you have a plethora of options really. let me give you my personal favourites, from simple to more elaborate... La Uva Jumillana +34 868 04 73 22 https://goo.gl/maps/JwMDZrYnounPPVPRA a simple bar with very cheap tapas and great Vermut on tap. ( a must to try when visiting Spain. ). On the other side of the small street, you have another bar, called Bodega la Fuente, owned by the same people. This one specializes in Boquerones tapas ( anchoa). El Viejo Almacen +34 968 50 63 00 https://goo.gl/maps/qoigCg5BbcRtd7zX7 good tapas. Restaurante Techos Bajos +34 968 50 50 20 https://goo.gl/maps/B7aqwagGZWPGB3GE9 the best place for cheap fish and seafood, very busy with locals for lunch. Very simple, but finger-licking good if you like seafood/fish . Be aware that a lot of the offers are fried, but all is coming right from the boats on the other side of the roundabout. La alacena de María +34 642 45 11 70 https://goo.gl/maps/AEs5a1hpjnzJfti9A My absolute recommendation for a menu del dia ( Menu of the day). 15 Euro for a great, and actually quite refined 3 course meal, with a glass of wine or other drink included!. The restaurant is small and family-run, so reservations are a must. Restaurante Magoga +34 629 98 02 57 https://goo.gl/maps/RUeeMe1kraToLeSw5 the absolute ( Michelin) Star of Cartagena. Chef Maria’s Institution has a Michelin star since 2020 and is poised to get a second one soon. Obviously not cheap, but the food at Magoga is sublime and all sourced locally, showcasing the quality of the local produce ( Murcia is known as the orchard of Europe). If you like cheese, the cheese trolley has Spain’s biggest selection of Cheeses, a dream. Beware that a lunch will take several hours ( we don’t rush food in Europe) and keep your ship’s departure time in mind.

Hello, We live 30 minutes from Cartagena ( at the famous Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, which is a must to visit if you are an avid golfer) Cartagena centre does not have a beach. your closes option is Cala Cortina . Cala Cortina https://goo.gl/maps/SCQWTiatq723ou1F9 this small sand beach has crystal clear water and next to it a great restaurant for lunch. To get there, you can walk, but it is very far, so I suggest a quick taxi ride of 10 minutes. be aware however, that in August, and especially during the weekend, this beach is absolutely swamped with people. for some of the most unspoilt beaches in the Mediterranean, the Playa Calblanque beaches , which are situated in a Natural protected area, are 20min. Away by car. Some beaches don’t require any swimsuit either, so you can skinny dip if you want to try it... Personally, I would not really bother with visiting a beach in Amazing Cartagena. There is so much to see and experience.

Cheers! We have at home sugar straws, but they change the taste of your drink, and paper straws are just disgusting indeed. I really do not mean any offence, we Europeans are more direct in our writing tone. I travel the World for a living, and it is disconcerting to see the massive amount of plastic garbage everywhere, also on deserted islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean ( spent 5 hours cleaning a beach off the coast of Indonesia recently, instead of relaxing like the others). Always included in the pile of junk are straws, which sea creatures try to eat, and consecutively die from doing so... wishing you all the best.

Hello Hank, any suggestions ? We refuse to sail on NCL due to the Class Concept, (same for Celebrity, although we are Elite plus). RCCL is nice, but they are charging extra for even a burger at Johnny Rockets (10 bucks!) and the food is marginal...I do get discounts with them though, as I used to do audits on their ships for the Royal Caribbean group. ( Safety/evacuation related and Bridge Resource Management as some know)

Oh please, don’t be so easily “offended”, and do not call me unrespectful for mentioning the truth. It is a fact that most people and drinks do not require a straw. Full stop. It beggars belief that in the US, you get a straw with any softdrink, as an adult. Same in the ME and Asia, as they like to mirror the USA . If you do need one for medical reasons, there are, as I mentioned, ecological responsable options.

Also looking at Disney indeed, but their prices?!?! Complete madness!

Plastic straws are no longer allowed in the EU and various other countries. Using a straw is not necessary anyhow. Drink like an adult from the glass or use biodegradeable/ reuseable ones.

Hello all, after a very challenging 3 years, due to personal reasons, Covid and me being quarantined and locked in hotel rooms Worldwide for the last 27 months, We ( at least I am) are in a HUGE need to cruise again. However, our family situation has changed, and we now are the proud parents of a 29 month old son, who is very active and loves to swim, dance, sing, play etc etc... We prefer the sophisticated atmosphere of HAL (Veterans of this forum might remember me), and were regulars on HAL, but I wonder if HAL would be a good fit for our son...? He is now potty trained, so he can swim in the pools. Does the MDR/ Lido Marketplace provide Highchairs/ booster seats? from which age is the Kids Club open nowadays? I am also looking into Carnival, as that would definitely a child friendly cruise, but am afraid of the boisterous atmosphere. The food does look actually much better nowadays on Carnival than on HAL, after examining the latest menus and feeling extremely disappointed with the HAL MDR menus in 2022... (almost no choices!, abysmal choices really) Any advice would be really appreciated... thanks!

Absolute Bull. And the USA is in many aspects more “ Third World” than the counties of which most crewmembers belong to.

This Sunday Brunch is harder to encounter than a Sasquatch.

all following items are/were included in your fare: Gone but not forgotten: * Poffertjes at Grand Dutch * Veal sweetbreads on (second) Elegant night in the MDR * bitterballen at Grand Dutch * sole meuniere in the MDR, deboned by your waiter * hot Snacks at Oceanview Bar hopefully still there: * surprisingly tasty and free sushi for Lunch at Lido Marketplace * Fresh tuna at the salad bar (wife favourite) * Anything asian in the Lido Marketplace We always found the food at the Pinnacle very good. Crabcakes, Candied bacon, the lobster bisque , Fillet with lobster dumplings and the Baked Alaska are standouts for us. ( we are European but do love well prepared quality American cuisine)

Please do NOT bring nor use pool toys in the various pools onboard. The pools are NOT suited for diving, which is forbidden by the way, are too small and crowded for free play. For Water Fun, you have the Waterworks onboard , which is a safe and fun-designed water area specifically designed for small and large kids. best regards Capt. Despegue

Why would we, men, mind if a woman uses the “mensroom”?! Come on, the prudeness is getting to much. I seriously think that unisex bathrooms are the way forward, and yes, with urinals. as for the dress code, I no longer bring a suit with me. Our son needs lots of clothing and I am not prepared to be the mule, carrying 3 large bags plus hand luggage...

Enjoy your bubble life. If you are vaccinated and boostered, you should enjoy your life instead of withering in paranoia and scaremongering. Your mention of 50 percent of the population going to die/ disabled is completely out of order and ridiculous, Risk of Covid onboard is actually lower onboard compared to on land-based restaurants/ bars, and even if you get it, if not immune compromised , a properly vaccinated person will not get very ill. The flu is more dangerous.