capriccio

But yet the media choose to focus on cruise ships. :mad:

Cruise ships are required to report it when a percentage of the passengers and crew are infected. Hotels, for instance, have so many people coming and going that it is very difficult to determine if they have a problem.

My neice took her high school band (and parent chaperones) on a 5 day trip to Hawaii last month. Kids and chaperones started dropping like flies on day 2 in Hawaii. Were they infected on the flight over, in the hotel or both? I think between 20% and 25% ended up ill but all except 2 (a parent and her child) made the return flights. That probably means some of them were still contagious and potentially infecting others on the flights and in the emergency hotels they ended up in due to weather delays en route home.

My point is that it is all around us, especially in the winter.

DVR has been set - I knew it was a long shot....

Avocado and hence quacamole turns brown after being exposed to the air after a short period of time. It does not totally change the taste but I can taste the difference. BTW including the seed in the guacamole will deter it turning brown quite so fast.

No it was the lighting -- once I took the guacamole to our table the color was 'normal' green. They place the snacks under the disco/nightclub lighting and it changes the color of lots of the food (the carrots really were a lovely pink in that light :D).

We will be on the Ruby Princess on Super Bowl Sunday. I have no interest in the Super Bowl but is there any chance they will show the Puppy Bowl? If not, I'll make sure we set the DVR before we leave home.

I really think they should show it just so they can say "watch the Puppy Bowl on MUTS" :D.

Thank you Pam for your advice.

I am sure 10am would be pushing it. We have to take a 7pm flight, just seems like it will be a long day, especially when my Mom is handicap and being diabetic. The next day flights are really too expensive to fly home. Maybe there is a great excursion we can do in Fort Lauderdale to make the day go fast.

Princess will offer excursions.

Alternatively you can rent a car and explore on your own (check out http://www.sunny.org for Florida attractions, restaurants, etc. - one of the most popular is the water taxi at http://www.watertaxi.com). That gives you freedom of movement plus somewhere to store your luggage during the day.

You will also have the option of using EZ Check (I think that is the name of the program) for a fee if your airline participates (put your luggage out the evening before disembarkation and not see it again until you arrive at your home airport).

If you don't use EZ Check, bags to go (http://www.bagstogo.net) will store your luggage at FLL for $6 (I think) per bag. Then you can take a taxi into Fort Lauderdale or, if you are disembarking on a Saturday or Sunday, take the free Sun Trolley. On Saturdays and Sundays the sun trolley stops at the airport. Check out details (including pick up stops) at http://www.broward.org/Airport/Trans...unTrolley.aspx. According to the website, at the visitors center you can purchase Fort Lauderdale Excursion passes. "The pass includes admission to museums and historic properties, discounts at restaurants and shops, and all-day passage on the free Sun Trolley."

Everything you want to know about water taxi stops: http://www.watertaxi.com/watertaxi/fort-lauderdale/maps-stops-ft-lauderdale-express-hollywood/

The home page is http://www.watertaxi.com.

Market 17 has a delicious tasting menu that varies frequently with or without wine pairings. We've celebrated a number of birthdays there and enjoyed it.

We really enjoyed the Retreat Pool area on the Royal Princess - it is blessedly quiet compared to the MUTS pool! I don't sit out in the sun and was able to find shade each of the 3 mornings we went to the pool on last month's cruise. The first day - which was extremely windy - we were up against the port side railing (to get out of as much of the wind as possible) and had shade for the morning. On the second day (no wind, thank goodness) we were under the pergola on the starboard side forward and were shady enough until about 1 pm. On the final day, we spent the entire morning in the shade in two of the 4 loungers at the deep end of the pool. I think we got to the pool around 10 am each morning. I also noticed that on mornings 2 and 3 (at least) the area on the starboard side just as you enter the Retreat area from the main pool area was in the shade. If we had stayed or returned in the afternoon, we would have had to change seats but I'm pretty sure other areas would have then been shaded.

Note - this was for the 7 day Caribbean sailing; shady areas will be dependent upon the ship's direction if anyone is wondering about shade on another itinerary.

Just posted by another cruiser onboard on

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1981131:

New info. Calmed down by midnight but still 4 foot seas. Not bad. Princess is providing hotel and transfers. Also refunding for one day and 20percent off next cruise. We will dock about 10pm tonight

never had it - knock on wood - so I can't understand how people get sick in the dining room or buffet or theater. Do you not feel uncomfortable a few minutes before the illness strikes. I'm just thinking I would wait in my room til I felt better then go out, or is this a crazy virus that hits you so suddenly?

One minute you're feeling fine and the next you definitely aren't. It can come on that suddenly.

If I am not able to get a lounge chair in the sanctuary on the Royal Princess, is there another area that is not in the full sun with loungers?

Similar question was asked earlier this month: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1964132

We did this excursion in St. Marten last December upon recommendation of lots of folks on cruise critic (I too had asked about it :D). It is fantastic! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

If it makes you worry less, noro is frequently a winter phenomenon -- not to say it doesn't happen in other seasons but there seem to be many more cases everywhere in the winter.

 

 

Why not do a lotto system like the ship's tour.

That sounds 'fairest' to me because right now, gold or blue level passengers may have little chance given that B2B, elites, suites, and platinum passengers have all boarded before them. It should also be advertised in the Patter so those not tuned into cruise critic would be informed. On Princess' part they would have to announce 'the winners' by the time muster is over (assuming that the Sanctuary is open on embarkation day).

We were in a suite and the bed was the most comfortable we have had on Princess - and we've had the 'new' pillow-tops on a number of other ships in both suites and mini-suites.

Wash your hands frequently and keep them away from your face in the interim. I also avoid opening public bathroom doors with you hands when exiting - use a paper towel. Princess will have a trash can right next to the door to throw the towel away in.

In December it was held in Club 6 on the Royal. The set up was very tiny compared to the Crown last week, and the red overhead lighting made it very difficult to see what the food actually was.

The guacamole looked like re-fried beans (brown instead of green) and I've never seen pink carrots :p! Looked unappetizing but tasted delicious.

Folks are taking umbrage at the removal of the dispenser nozzles accusing Princess of 'thinking that we are thieves.' How many of us have taken the 'extra' lotion, shampoo, conditioner, or soap from a cruise or a hotel? I know I'm guilty of that but the thought of lugging home a large dispenser of mediocre product would never occur to me -- and that is probably what they are counting on with the change. They're they're trying to ensure it with the nozzle removal which I think is drastic.

Looking for Mah Jongg players for this cruise

email: dollyspeaks@msn.com

:)

Try posting this on your roll call: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1830733. You'll get the attention of those on your cruise. Good luck!

We were in Talllin Estonia last Spring on a Baltic cruise. I think back on board by 4, sail at 5 was the schedule of the day. At about 4 there were still a few stragglers coming up the pier. By about 4:30 all of the pier side gear had been stowed on the ship. There was one man (must have been the port agent) pacing back and forth at the gangway. At about 4:50 he jumped into his car and headed up toward the end of the pier. Just as he was leaving they started dropping the lines. About 5 min later he comes screaming back in the car with three women. They jump out of the car, shopping bags in hand, just as the ship is about 15 feet from the dock. Yelling and waving of arms didn't help as the ship pulled away from the dock.

 

Some things never change... On the Emerald Princess in June 2009 we had cast off all lines at the dock in Tallinn about 20 minutes late with 4 passengers not on board. I watched from my balcony as a man ran down the pier, spoke to port security, got into a car that careened back down the pier and loaded 3 more passengers - including one in the hatchback - and then careened back to the ship. In the meantime a gangplank had been placed but there were still no lines securing the ship. It was quite a maneuvering feat - and there was no doubt that we were going to leave without them.

I like the idea of tradional dining but is am worry about getting there in time from excursions. Is it considered rude to not show up every night or is it common for people to miss a night or two?

 

Also are there conflicts with show with the traditional dining?

People frequently miss a night or two due to late excursions or deciding to attend one of the specialty restaurants or not wanting to dress up for formal night. It is thoughtful to notify your waiter the evening before if you know you won't be/might not be eating in the MDR the next evening. It is especially important if you have other folks at your table - you don't want to hold up their service.

We are looking to go Deep Sea fishing before our cruise on the Oasis of the Seas this summer. Does anyone have knowledge of a charter that is awesome. My grandchildren want to go shark fishing. On previous cruises we have had lots of disappointing outings. My grandchildren are starting to think there are no fish in the Caribbean.

I don't have a specific recommendation but you can start on the Fort Lauderdale tourism website: http://www.sunny.org/ways-to-play/sports/fising/. It looks like over 20 charter outfits are listed, some of which are TripAdvisor rated.

 

Are the full suites not getting up-graded toiletries anymore?????

On the Royal last month we got all the usual suite bathroom amenities and had individual containers (not the dispensers) but the shampoo/conditioner combo and the lotion no longer have eucalyptus scent.

Lotus Spa.

 

It is heavy on the eucalyptus. If you don't like that scent, you can bring your own.

The new stuff isn't eucalyptus. I didn't detect any odor good or bad.

You can get more info on beaches, restaurants, transportation, etc. on Fort Lauderdale's tourism website: http://www.sunny.org.