Highlander1

We like to tip in cash, and the staff like to be tipped in cash, its the only way you know the person giving you the service gets the reward. Tipping by writing it in or charging on a room key means the tip gets pooled amongst a bunch of staff that you might choose not to tip for specific services. The room steward shouldn't be rewarded for serving drinks all day, they get their tip for keeping a nice room. The dishwasher and laundry workers get a piece of the daily tips, unfortunately, its not a personal service they provide, hopefully, they are entry level staff that can work their way up to a better paying position. 

 We go along with the ships arrangements that they have set up with their staff, we always pay the daily tip fee and then tip in cash to those we choose, mostly barkeeps, wait staff, room and pool folks. Folks that do not pay the daily fee and elect to tip as they wish are doing a disservice to many of the staff that rely on their share as the majority of their income. Pull that and they don't get paid. So, if you do not wish to tip extra at least tip the suggested daily rate to make sure the souls cleaning the decks at 4am are getting a piece of pie too. 

Niew Amsterdam scheduled to return to Ft. Lauderdale at 7:00am. Have 2 choices for a flight home, 11:15 am or 12:15 pm, do you think the 11:15 is practical. Hoping to be off the ship by 9 and in the airport by 9:30am, am I hoping too much? 

We are experienced cruisers (approx. 20) but first timers coming up with HAL, most of our prior cruises were with NCL. We are sailing the Niew Amsterdam out of Ft. Lauderdale in December 23', 7 day Caribbean. We loved the Vibe atmosphere on NCL and from pictures and sales brochures we think the "Retreat" will be an improved version of other lines attempt at providing comfort, privacy and peace and quiet. My brother and SIL are long time HAL fans and have me convinced us to give them a try. We sail mostly out of NYC and vicinity and HAL doesn't do much business there, but Boston is not far and they are serving well there. We try and avoid flying for stress reasons, we go on a cruise to relax, not needing to get off an airplane and out of the airport ready for a shot of whiskey, and we don't even like whiskey, wine and beer are usually enough to take an edge off. Last years December cruise out on NJ on RC we had bad weather, only 1 warm day so we decided to start and end in Florida this time around, hoping the Gods don't strand us in an airport for any long periods. 

So, we tried to make a choice of "Retreat" cabins and felt the cabins on the side of the ship, Niew Amsterdam, Malaga Cabin,  may be a better choice for both view and wind, except when in port, it may get hot. The downside to the tents on the sides are that the front is the plexi-glass wall that is at least 8 feet tall and may prevent air from circulating in the tent. The downside (for us) on the tents facing the pool deck is the view and the wind when the ship is moving, it will blow right through from the front of the ship to the back. Also, are there restrooms near the tents or chaises? Bar nearby or bar service? Hours of operation? 

Any suggestions are welcomed about the ship, we are Balcony Deck 8 I think, entertainment, bars, dining, breakfast locations, after hours food,  open to all you can offer, much appreciated, looking forward to our first sail with HAL.

Have cruised numerous times out of NYC in February and the first week of March. Whwn you wake up on Day 2, your usually between Norfolk and Outer Bancks. 

They must head offshore enough to grab some of the Gulfstream effect because its sweatshirt and shorts weather,  seems mostly in the 50's or 60's, a big difference from the day before in NYC.

Of course the crew have their parkas, ski caps and gloves on, they take them off when it hits about 80.

Only isue with December cruises is the days are short, 8 hours of daylight so get outside while you can, nights can be chilly.

Its scheduled twice in 2022, June 12 begins in Vancouver, 6 days sailing Alaska, 5 days at sea and 5 days in Hawaii ending in Honolulu.

On October 3 it leaves Honolulu, sails 5 days in Hawaii, 5 days at sea and 6 in Alaska ending up in Vancouver.

Not sure but Alaska could be cold in October, has anyone sailed these waters at different times? Looking for the sail days to be warm, which trip would be better for warmth, probably June? 

7 hours ago, mdsgu said:

I don't recommend it, but you are allowed to adjust (up or down) the gratuities simply by visiting the Guest Services desk.  No explanation is necessary.

 True, but I'd bet a hundred dollars to a donut that most folks adjusting gratuities aren't adding additional funds and I wouldn't bet 2 big dogs could whip one little one. Those looking to reward services additionally should tip individuals in cash, otherwise the money is pooled and the individual sees little of the extra you gave. I leave the auto grat in place and take care of those that take care of me and my family, thats how I believe tipping should be practiced.

Now, there are folks that don't understand tipping, they should be provided a guide on what is recommended for specific services rendered. If you have the ignorance to adjust your gratuity down, you deserve a special place in hello for eternity.

If you can afford to pay for a cruise and I realize many folks save for years just for a single trip, then you are able to compensate the workers by at least giving them a wage for their efforts. Many positions receive very small wages from the cruiselines, a lot lower than you expect, like a pool server may make $100 a week from the line, (food and lodging also) but they depend on the gratuity to make a living wage (skype and internet fees are outrageous for the workers also). If the average cruise costs $1K PP, surely you can afford a tip to all of your service folks approximately $100 for working everyday 12-14 hours without a day off for 8 month contracts. 

They earn every dime they make and although the increases come often, the amount for daily service is still a great value. I'm not a person of wealth but I respect the folks providing me a vacation by working hard and consistently and I don't begrudge them anything,  they deserve so much more so I give them what I can and I treat them with the respect they give and receive.

Romeo at the pool bar and Jay (Mr P. for patience) at the Great Outdoors, best of day and night.

The $2300 upgrade sounds high, save the money and buy the wife a nice gift. If and when my wife wins in a ship casino, I always encourage her to spend it in one of the ships shops or in a port. Its vacation, not a time to be too thrifty, however, $2300 is a cruise fare for 2 on a balcony, with a UBP, I wouldn't do it .

We enjoy the size of the ship, not too large and plenty of space to not feel crowded. Only negatives for us was the slide on the pool deck, takes up half the deck and wastes valuable deck space, although the kids probably disagree.

And couldn't find brown mustard anywhere, yellow was the only available, syrup for pancakes or waffles is awful, and charging $3 for a bottle of water after paying a small fortune for a drink package almost sounds corrupt. I can see folks taking bottles off ship, maybe a limit of 2 or 3 a day per person is reasonable. La Cucina had the worst Italian food since the last time I was on the Breakaway, it was just as bad again. Maybe being from the NY area we have pretty good Italian food, not sure how they keep the same menu and bad food on a long term basis. You know when you get to things like mustard and syrup, your nitpicking.

Best parts, the pool bar, Romeo is a great barkeep and Parash a young man from Nepal is a pool server, he will make sure your taken care of and is as nice a young guy as you'd ever want to meet. For a comfortable and beautiful setting for a drink, The Great Outdoors is at the rear of the ship behind the buffet, a large area partially closed by a tent, great place for a drink night or day and Mr. Patience (Jay) is the barkeep, another GEM if you will. Parash helps him keep the bar stocked and they along with staff do a great job. MDR's are very good and well organized, Cagneys offers a great steak, and the wings and smacks at O'Shehans are worth the visits.

Rooms are nice, well maintained and clean. TV is awful, not a thing to watch but we don't vacation on a cruise ship to watch TV, however, they could do a bit better.

We have cruised the Dawn twice, GEM once and Breakaway once, we will choose the older smaller ships every time.

If they are at sea they probably won't be contacting anyone. Even if they have an Internet Package, its satellite and very spotty. Also depending when they finally arrive at islands of their cell phone coverage will work ( mine did I have sprint world).

 

No news is good news. Because of it were bad news it's $5 a minute for them to call you from the ship.

Last year we had a family emergency sat home, our children called 3 times directly to the ship because the cell phones weren't working. Cost us $261 for 3 phone calls, thievery.

And, folks on cruises aren't thinking about contacting home, they are poolside having a good time. Unless, its important why bother them. Texting is best and cheapest way. .50 for each message in or out, you just never know when it will be received, sometimes minutes, sometimes many hours later.

We enjoy Princess the most of any of the major lines, however, both NCL and Celebrity offer beverage and dining packages on most of their cruises. Surely, Princess, RC and Carnival will need to make some changes to their current policies to stay competitive. Just off an NCL Caribbean trip and the drink package was fantastic.

Buying the package for my wife and myself would have cost around $1600 for a 10 day, way more than we would ever consider paying, and if we ran the tab, our bar bill probably would have been around $500-700. Loved the idea of not concerning ourselves with the cost of an after drink Baileys or two, or the before dinner Martini's that we usually wouldn't have if we were paying.

Has Princess offered drink packages with little or no increase to their current rates? Seems the other lines have figured out that they can increase their fares slightly, include dining and beverage packages and still maintain the profit margin they need to stay afloat. Afterall, how much does the average person drink, at the ships cost, $20 a day would seem excessive. Its a way of getting tips from 80% of passengers to their staff automatically, and keeps the specialty restaurants busy, and everyone wins. And, I only saw one person in 10 days that drank too much, he was wacked a few times so I place the blame on him and not the booze package, everyone seemed to love it. If the drinking or dining packages aren't for you, perhaps OBC would be your choice of reward.

Princess needs to get on board before they get passed up.

what specialty drinks are not covered? I thought anything below $15 is covered.

Some wines and champagne and top shelf booze, although Grey Goose or Kettle One Vodka or Hendricks Gin are considered standard. You can drink almost anything on the UBP, however a bottle of water will cost you. I guess too many folks take the H20 offship, or they want to encourage drinking house water which is wonderful and always available.

We used Valet Anywhere in NYC for a 10 day on March 2. Worked perfectly, they met us on the corner across from the terminal and took the car. Upon return, we disembarked walked across the street, alerted the White Suited Valet Anywhere guy and in 15 minutes, my car showed up. Tipped them $10 each way, and the cost was under $20 a day for parking fees. And only 4 miles on the car upon the return so they kept it close to the terminal. Wouldn't hesitate to use them again, unless crossing the street is an issue for you. Literally a 50 yard walk to the terminal from the corner.

This may seem like a drastic measure, but you could get your DNA tested to see if you are immune to the norovirus. I am, but my wife and child are not.

There are many different strains of Noro, you can be immune to one that you were recently infected by, immunity only lasts a few months at most. Its more likely , you'll get another strain. But, immunity, sorry.

As for the cleaning process, they clean thoroughly and frequently but its not 100%. And wipes like Lysol and Purell Sanitizer are about useless, frequent washing the hands is the best hope. Stay away from handrails, elevator controls, buffets, menus, public restrooms and shaking hands, all can be poisoned.

Do your best, 13 cruises and my wife and I and BIL/SIL have never been sick a day, thats luck and being aware.

Ships are confined to groups,the Waldorf Astoria probably has more Noro, but those folks check in and out on a daily basis so most aren't aware Noro is around, late February and March seem to be the peak in the NYC area.

Folks do need to wash frequently, hard to think why some ignore that simple task.

what kind of cabin do you have? Do you know how 4 people sleep in a ocean view?

 

Hope your enjoying your cruise. We love the Gem !

4 adults in an OV Room will be tight quarters. The bathroom will be a nightmare. I'd rather spend a week in a tent.:eek:

Just off the gem , Alvin Oliva was CD, did a good job. Good staff as well.

I have always noticed other ships in the area while sailing and have read that cruise lines like to keep other ships within an hour or two of each other in case of emergency.

I haven't heard any reports of any other ships, cruise line or other, being in the area that Anthem got rocked. Does anyone know if there was another vessel nearby?

And if there was, why didn't they experience the same conditions that Anthem did? I'm not being critical, but if its possible and practical, I like the idea of another cruise ship being nearby.

We've been on 3 or 4 and love them. Our experience has been when you wake up the first time, its shorts and sweatshirt weather, usually between 60 and 70. Nice enough to sit outside and get some sun, read a book, have a drink or four, take a snooze, have a roast beast sandy, have another drink, take another snooze.

The 2nd day your south of Miami, usually warm enough for anything, you don't feel a chill until the last day back. We always do 10-12 days so we get plenty of warm weather, the 7 day cruise may be tough because you only get a day or two of heat.

Anyway, other than some night wind the first and last night, the temps have always been way warmer than you would expect. Don't forget, they head right for the Gulfstream, water temps and air temps are drastically better than inshore.

Nothing larger than the Grandeur can fit under the bridge.

A perfect reason to build a port on the other side of the bridge, then you won't have to go under the bridge. There are rumblings.

Just off the Grandeur, we drank morning specials from 9-12, Bloody's, Screwdrivers, and Mimosas, $3.95 each. Martini special at night from 5-9, $5.95 at most inside bars. For a 10 day a premium drink package would have been over $1200 for my wife and myself, we like to drink but not at those consequences. Four of us, SIL, BIL and us with the same opinion, and we were always good for a $500 bar bill at then end of the cruise, this time just over $200 for a 10 day. I mean almost $50 for a round of 4 bloodys poolside with a tip is getting costly, and the drinks are weak.:o

The staff will be the biggest losers, many people won't drink, I always tip an extra $2.00 per round, I won't be drinking so no more tips. Just can't drink heavily for a 10 day period everyday. And many people can't drink there moneys worth, some will and more, but its a big nut to pay.

I'll still cruise and drink, but I'll be aware of the cost and we will cut back. It won't matter, we are 55+, they don't care about us, the money is in the 21-45 crowd, they like to pay top dollar and they easily justify the drink package cost, if I were 25 I'd be going for it too.

We've never cruised in March before (leaving the 3rd). I'm hoping the island waters are warm. PLEASE!

Water temps are usually mid to high 70's, air temps 78-83 this time of year. Warm enough.:)

supply and demand. i find those prices to be pretty reasonable myself for a cruise that long

It may be a lot of things, reasonable is not one of them, its $500 a night per person which is sky high.

Been on Celebrity, RCCL, NCL, and Princess and wouldn't hesitate to book any one again. Small differences, not anything enough to be a showstopper for us. Princess if we had to choose. We might even try Carnival!!

Lets remember, all these companies are in the cruise business, their livelihood depends on your vacation.

You can't pick an choose the days. If you want it for less days, you'll have to wait and purchase on board the ship and its no longer available on board if there are 3 days or less left in the cruise.

Bullseye!!!

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I was really hoping the captain could marry us at sea in the little chapel with our family present. I'd gladly pay $1000 but not $5000 for that to happen.

 

Also, I have to look at the ramifications of us getting remarried. I'm 71, he's 77. How would that affect our social security and tax returns? It's a lot to consider.

Really, other than "officially" being married, you may lose benefits, and what do you gain? I don't want to say bad move, but financially its a loser, spiritually it may have its benefits, the importance is up to you. Personally, I don't see the difference if your married or not, and 50 years from now nobody will care.

Play the game, keep your assets separate to protect them, you really need a financial planner or lawyer to offer advice.

My advice= Stay the way it is, you both have made a commitment, thats enough.