PATRLR

Not the grocery store, but some of us stock up at the buffet 🙂

Then I'll assume this is the first time you'll have been to Cape Town. If it's anything like it was about 15-18 years ago when I was travelling there, between the airport and Cape Town you should go by an area like that, except those "homes" extend for as far as the eye can see. Many square miles of such homes. Really made me understand just how important Nelson Mandela's call for peaceful transition was.

It doesn't impact my meal or experience. But I do notice it. Why do I notice you may ask? Because I was brought up taught that you do not wear a hat indoors, and you most certainly don't wear a hat at the dinner table. I understand that times have changed and I am glad that they do. But that doesn't remove something that's ingrained in my mind, so, I notice it.

Then you understand the concept of covered entities and you also understand that cruise ship passengers and actually the entire cruise ship are not covered entities. While I most certainly agree with this statement, it really has nothing to do with HIPAA other than HIPAA was established to formalize this otherwise broad idea for a narrow group of certain covered entities.

Wow, if I was in your shoes, I'd be asking this question of the Captain or any other officer who might make themselves available - and when they tried to blow it off, I'd push them with the knowledge you have from this and other threads. It's total BS and I'd call them on it as uncomfortable as that might be.

I will give them credit for communicating the GSC change early, NCL isn't good about communication in my experience. But on further thought they want to sell excursions on Nassau, so that's why they said something ahead of time. Bummer about the Beatles change though. We enjoyed both their shows in the Encore theatre last month and found their shows in Cavern Club to be over filled so we couldn't get in.

@gam888 In summary, your $4663.12 bottom line includes everything for dining and drinking including the gratuities for the drink and dining package. The only time you will pay anything additional is in ports that require collecting tax on the drink or if you order a drink that costs more than $15 (on a $17 drink, you will be charged $2 plus $0.40 gratuity. If you order that $17 drink in a port that requires tax collection, you will be charged tax on $17). You will still need to pay the daily service charge which covers service staff other than the bar servers and specialty dining servers.

Correct, Passengers #1 and #2 in a cabin must both either get the package or decline it.

I agree with @cruiseny4life here. I think of them as similar to time share sales people which is really a shame that I feel I need to avoid any part of the staff on board a cruise. FWIW, I have pretty strong obsession with sunsets over the ocean and have seen and photographed hundreds of clear sky settings over water. My parents had a home on a barrier island on Florida's gulf coast, and we've done plenty of cruising and island vacations. I've never seen the green flash and I tell you, I've tried. I never actually researched it, so, I was pleased to hear from the info you posted that it's rare to see it. My understanding is it should be visible anywhere. Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants if, after all these years I've been looking in the wrong place 😉 (people where my parents lived, Marco Island, claimed to have seen it which is what got me looking for it.)

@mark316I second the post above. When I am considering a new to me ship or class I search the appropriate forum for posts with the ship name in title and I also read reviews of the ship which are easily linked to at the top of the forum. FWIW, we loved the Dawn, but it is smaller and has less activities than the "Away/Away+" ships we've grown more fond of recently.

Thanks for the sanity check on my observation. Much appreciated. I've booked that week. Will @BirdTravelsbe on that week? We know how the Bird seems to enjoy inaugurals.

@crdtrnr This post might be helpful.

They need to decide for themselves so they can't even ask other's opinions? Really? Of course opinions are subjective - that is by definition. An accumulation of opinions typically does present value, hence why people ask for others opinions. Do we really need to explain that to you complawyer? For crying out loud, if you don't want to give your opinion, fine, move on. There is no need to tell OP not to ask. To the OP, we just got off Encore and both shows were top shelf (Kinky Boots and Choir of Man). Jersey Boys on Bliss in 2018 was also extremely good. I suspect the best shows are on the bigger ships and those bigger ships might present their own challenges/differences compared to HAL.

Well, I guess this is a subjective topic. The comment I commented on said "good table" and I admit I don't know what that means in Indulge because I've not experienced Indulge. Buffet, theatre, comedy club, music clubs, we generally think of any seat as "good", we aren't particular about these things. I guess I interpreted the Indulge comment as "any seat" which of course was my error. I agree, if you want a specific seat in any venue on any ship, then, yes you need to be their early. Been a while since we've been on RCCL. I agree, announcements to move on would be unpleasant.

I agree. As someone who hopes to soon be booking cruises like this one, to foreign locales that I know little about, I've taken note about the lack of port talks and enrichment. It will be something I investigate with various lines before booking.

Who said there was anything wrong with Applebees? Not me.

Just curious, which ship, what dates?

Not going to debate this topic as I don't know enough about it. But I read quite a bit and there are definitely very strong arguments supporting that claim. If you really are surprised to hear of that claim, which is what I infer from your comment, you might want to look into a bit yourself, if you care.

Increasing a price by 25% when the rate of inflation is 1/3 of that supports the claim that many make stating inflation is being fueled by corporate greed. If those people are correct (and I have no opinion nor do I care), then actually it is NCLs fault.

Thanks for posting those pictures, Bird. It's looking like we will be on Viva this same week next year, maybe we get lucky and they do something similar. How did you know to be there when they were building this? I don't see other passengers in your photos, I know you try to not include passengers, but, I suspect the building of the gingerbread city was not a public event - was it? How did you manage to get in to see it happening (if I may ask)?

As stated, I don't know how they could quantify the quality of your excuse. Just say something like "dining service, including the buffets, was poor all week" - who's to dispute that?

It's a 25% increase, so, let's not talk about inflation. For me the $56 isn't going to break the bank. The $56 is just one more annoying point where NCL is grabbing more money. I don't even mind the idea of an increase considering the aforementioned rate of inflation. What catches my attention is the 25% increase.

Yeah we all have, I just think its hilarious that I've been called a cheerleader, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.

Awww, what a shame you edited out your original statement which is shown in part below. Trust me DaCruiseBug, I am one of the last people on these boards that most people would consider to be a cheerleader.

I realize your main purpose on these boards is to spew vitriol towards NCL, but in this case there isn't a whole lot of difference between what he said and what you claim. They are cutting back what they are offering - any moron knows why they are doing it, there is no reason to ask "why?", they are doing it to save money. We don't need you and all your vitriol explaining it to us.