katgio50

We recently sailed on the Ascent and only ate one lunch and one dinner in Luminae and several breakfasts.  We much preferred the menu in Blu as well as some days in MDR.  I would never book a suite solely for the dining.  We did enjoy the Retreat deck and lounge, but were disappointed in Luminae.

We were recently on the Summit and were very disappointed in the Tuscan.  The tables were very close together, there was very little "ambiance", I didn't really like the placemats instead of a linen tablecloth and the service wasn't great.  Our filet was delicious.  However, like a previous poster we didn't find a pasta dish that appealed to us.  All in all I would not return anytime soon.

1 hour ago, Steelers0854 said:

Carlos was the CD and to be honest I wasn’t overly impressed. He seemed kind of scattered all week. Granted it was his second week on board so maybe that contributed to it. Also I felt there weren’t enough activities and performances on board. They need more live music IMO. 

We were on the same sailing and I have to agree.  I thought Carlos was very repetitive and out of his element.

Do they only offer discounts on a day to day basis? I would like to dine later in the cruise so I presume I need to wait until that day for a discount.

We just returned from our cruise on the NA (Dec. 30) sailing. We had a very good cruise and great weather. Holland America was our favorite line for many years, but we left for Celebrity due to the smoking issues at the time. We decided to give Holland a try again.

1. We upgraded and had a lovely Neptune Suite. It is by far the nicest cabin we have ever had and was a nice splurge. The Neptune Lounge was a nice stop for a cappuccino or a quick breakfast on a port day. The concierges were very helpful. 2. The entertainment was OK, not great. We enjoyed the one production show and the comedian. The juggler was horrible. We also enjoyed the Billboard piano duo and always caught one of their shows. There literally is nothing much to do on sea days, but as I recall this is true on other lines as well.

3. We ate 2 dinners in the Pinnacle Grill and they were both excellent. With the Mariner discount, they were well worth the uncharge. As much as we wanted to like the Pinnacle breakfast, it was still somewhat disappointing. Waffles, pancakes, etc. were all very dry and not great. It was still super not to have to go to the Lido for breakfast though. Food in the MDR was good, not great. New Years Eve was disappointing in menu choices and service. They seemed unprepared for so many people. We liked the pizzeria and the Dive In--again avoiding the Lido.

4. We liked having four port days and only two sea days . We think HA does a better job with itineraries .

5. The ship was very cold in many areas and by the end of the week, many passengers were sneezing, coughing, etc. I don't understand why it has to be so cold.

6. Both Celebrity and HA have good points. We prefer the Lido and the MDR on Celebrity as they seem more open and not as claustrophobic. We would give a slight nod to the food on Celebrity also, but it is very close. I prefer the itineraries on HA as Celebrity always has more sea days. Not a lot of difference in entertainment. We wish there was a place to dance on both lines.

We would not hesitate to cruise with either line in the future.

So the first two bottles that are free of corkage fees MUST be consumed in the cabin and cannot be taken to the MDR???? I had assumed that all of the bottles would be somehow tagged and we could take them to the MDR.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I was referring to the gel pack, but I am sure the ziplock will work fine.

I recently broke my ankle and need to ice it several times a day. I was wondering where I could keep my reusable ice pack to get it cold again. Will be in a Neptune Suite. Do they have a freezer in the Neptune Lounge?

We have a fair amount of OBC and would like to book the 3 dinner specialty package once on board. Is this possible or does it have to be booked prior to boarding?

This might be a silly question, but are you allowed to put a few bottle of water in luggage.? On my last cruise, my luggage was sent to the bad room because of it and I was never sure why. I don't really want to bring a whole case.

I just booked the August 21 Millennium cruise. It will be my second cruise as a solo . The first was just a short 4 day Caribbean and I did fine. This will be a little different, but I am excited. The price was extremely good for 1 person.

I am a solo traveler now and I am not sure how the new Go Better etc. works with one person. It offers tips for 2, beverage package for 2, and internet for 2. What happens if there is only one traveler?

My husband is also receiving treatment and we would love to take a cruise in Nov. which we have done several times. He is not getting heavy dose chemo, only shots. However, they cause his blood counts to drop and therefore we cannot chance the risk of infections. We certainly wish you both the very best and hope it works out for you.

Thanks for all of the thoughts and opinions. I used to be a tour director and took groups on tours and cruises. I did have a couple of medical emergencies on land tours, but fortunately never had any serious emergencies on the cruises. Now I am more aware of the possibility and indeed the probability of these occurring.

Whenever we get the green light to cruise again, I think we will forego a TA.

I used to not worry about health emergencies, but due to recent issues, I do. I have never done a TA, but wondered what happens when someone needs urgent medical attention. Do they have more medical staff on a TA? I would assume that evacuations are out of the question for several days. Just wondering.

The cabins themselves are all the same size and basic layout. We have sailed all three categories and honestly do not think we would necessarily book CC or AQ unless the price was amazing. We enjoyed Blu especially breakfast, but we also enjoy Select Dining in the MDR. I enjoyed Persian Gardens on a sea day, but wouldn't miss it if I didn't have it. I did not particularly enjoy the afternoon canapés or the iced tea, but certainly did like the bottled water with AQ.

We had no trouble at all last year. We had a leisurely breakfast, went to the cabin and retrieved our luggage, and walked off the ship around 8. Our private transfer was waiting and it was a very quick trip to the airport. We flew Delta and were some of the first in line. No problem whatsoever.

I don't think it is always a set rate. I was checking a short cruise on the Constellation as a solo rate, and it wasn't too bad--but of course the regular rate was low too. I think it was about 50% more than the DO rate.

I am thinking of booking this cruise as a quick getaway. What elite benefits are available on the shorter cruises? Also do they still have a formal night?

Sometimes the TV in the bar next to the casino carries games that you cannot pick up in your cabin. I wouldn't count on catching too many games as they are carried by TNT and Tru TV etc which won't be accessible on the ship.

My husband and I just got off of the Silhouette and commented about the lack of announcements being such a good thing. Last year on the Solstice, the captain followed his daily announcements with a long tirade about washing your hands. This was very annoying for 12 days. Also all announcements on that cruise were given in several languages.

CruiseMom

Thank you in advance for your kind offer. Would love to have the notes as planning is almost as fun as the actual travel.

katgio50@aol.com

My husband and I both thought Paul was an excellent CD. He didn't seem phony at all to us and was succinct and to the point with a minimum of BS. Great voice.

What do most men do? Not carry a wallet at all? My husband usually puts it in his front pocket when in Rome, Paris etc. but I can see from this thread that is not safe either. I usually carry my bag in front and actually "hug " it to me. It usually contains our water, umbrella, jackets, camera etc. for the day and the little money in there is zippered inside. I saw a pouch that you wear on your lower leg--wonder about that.

Many years ago, we were on a cruise where our luggage was left sitting in the terminal and items were stolen. My husband actually walked off and retrieved the one missing bag himself. We had driven to the terminal and I didn't realize that we would have to give up our luggage to a porter outside the terminal. We tipped him , only to realize later that he went through our luggage and took anything of value. Since that time we have always breathed a sigh of relief when all of our bags were delivered to our cabin. Recently, we went on a 5day sailing on the Millenium and took our own luggage on/off the ship. Our cabin was ready when we got on and we went directly to it and unpacked. So easy. On disembarkation day, we had a leisurely breakfast and returned to our cabin and retrieved our luggage and walked off. We never relenquished control of our luggage . This would be harder on a longer cruise, but I think we could do it.