Winnigirl

The Norway. 1996. I can still remember waking up in our hotel suite in Miami and opening the curtains to see her. And she was beautiful. Everything you imagine an oceanliner to be. It was still the days of formal dinners and afternoon tea. I can remember how hot the teak decks would get. You had to wear sandals or flipflops or you'd burn the soles of your feet. I loved that my two teenage daughters had to "dress" for dinner and I loved it even more that they thought it was great! Waiters wearing white gloves; "cheese course", "fish course". They learned a lot of etiquette on that trip and it served them well. It breaks my heart to think of what became of her.

This is the first time we will be taking a cruise over Christmas. My husband isn't a great fan of leaving home over Christmas- he loves all the decorations, the special Christmas events and mostly the food. Can anyone tell me if the Epic is decorated at Christmas - do they have a special Christmas dinner - any special entertainment, etc.? I'd like to be able to assure him that he'll still get "that Christmas feeling".

I took shorts and rarely wore them - instead wore summery skirts most the time.

Hubby also took too many shorts and slacks.

 

We never planned to pack the duct tape, bungee cords, storage cubbies, whistle, all that stuff....

 

I agree with the skirts (and sundresses). So much nicer and more comfortable than shorts. I do bring the over-the-door-storage. In fact, I pack it before I leave with toiletries, make-up etc. and fold it over on itself on the bottom of my suitcase. Lift it out and hang it up - it's invaluable. I did have the opportunity to use duct tape once when a zipper on a suitcase broke.

Don't even consider buying a tuxedo and renting one is a pain - especially if it doesn't fit right. Besides tuxedos are going the way of the dodo bird. I'd say go with the nice black pants and dress shirt. Buy or borrow a tie - that will be totally fine. Or as others have said - buy a "cruising" sports coat - if you plan on more cruises it's a good investment. Princess is certainly a nice cruise line, but it isn't formal like Cunard. If you don't want to do that, then try one of the specialty restaurants where the black pants and a golf shirt will be just fine. Then, like the majority of the rest of us, head back to your cabin after dinner and change into something comfortable! Relax and enjoy!:D

I suppose I'm fickle.. I just don't get this "loyalty" to one cruise line. Cruise lines are in the business of making money - fortunately the majority of them offer a pretty good product. I choose the cruise and line I want depending on the circumstances. I read so many posts of people "shocked" that because they are "gold", "platinum" "extra special super cruiser" the company doesn't know you by name, send you Christmas cards and make sure you get a cheaper price than any one else in the world. We've cruised on most the major lines, and other than one, we have always found an enjoyable product at a price we feel is reasonable. If you're not happy with the service (personally we rarely ever deal directly with the cruise lines), then go to another, "loyalty" be darned - but threats of "finding a new cruise line" are just silly.

Can't wait till we have your socialized medical care system in full operation here.:rolleyes:

 

You should be so lucky!:D No matter what kind of system you have, there are always going to be glitches - ours is no different. But on the whole, it works well. I think if you polled most Canadians they'd agree.

In Ontario, where this woman lives, there is an extreme doctor shortage. It can take *months* to get a doctor's appointment for a medical issue. I would be very surprised if any doctor's office would make an appointment for a non-medical issue such as a "fitness to travel" note for a cruise.

 

Cruises are supposed to be relaxing and fun. What would it cost RCI to have a list of walk-in clinics near the port? Wouldn't this story have played out much better if it was something like: the woman was surprised that they needed a note, but the RCI staffer reassured her that, while the note is a legal requirement, RCI would help her get it in time for departure. They called a nearby walk-in clinic and made an arrangement for the woman to be seen right away. The woman went for the appointment and walked out with the note. She boarded in plenty of time. How hard would that be?

 

I don't know about Ontario, but in Manitoba, if you call your own doctor (and I'm assuming that having 2 children already, she had a doctor) and explain, they would have squeezed her in for a quick look and a note. Or she could have gone to a walk-in clinic before she left. Perhaps she is to blame in this situation. However, she was very early in the pregnancy and most likely did not show at all. She should have lied, but was taken aback when asked. What I would like to know is why was she asked? This really isn't an appropriate question to ask unless she was obviously pregnant. I guess she could have been having morning sickness and looking ghastly... I can understand RCL's policy, but they surely could have been more helpful.

[quote name='rbrugler']I dont worry about bad reviews. Most of the posters have an ax to grind. There is a very good thread on the Epic by a woman who included lots of pics. Her reviews seem balanced and fair. We are on the Epic in Feb for a B2B.[/QUOTE]

Do you mean LittleMissMagic? Victoria's reviews are amazing - I have "known" her for years and would trust any review she wrote. We're booked on the Epic for Christmas week, based partly on her review. If you want an unbiased review with wonderful photography check it out.

I am shocked at the number of people who allow complete strangers affect their decisions on which cruise to take.

 

I use my own mind to make decisions and do not read reviews.

 

Well said! If I had listened to every review concerning every cruise we've taken - I'd still be sitting at home.

I have just one word - Yay!

We're cruising the Epic this year, and last year we were on the Oasis. I loved the Oasis - everything about it, but I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the food in the main dining room. The restaurants were much better. While many say the food on NCL is not to RCCL level, I disagree. I have never been disappointed in the food on any of the four NCL cruises we've been on. We do prefer the free-style dining. Entertainment has been good on both. I think that both lines are comparable. Like you, I have to admit that we don't "fit in" with the Carnival crowd. I feel comfortable on both RCCL and NCL.

I would definitely choose the Dawn and I would definitely go to Bermuda.

I have such fond memories of the Norway - our first taste of cruising and that was still in the days of formal dining and afternoon tea. What a beautiful ship that was. As for a Port - I'd have to say Nice and Venice. I can't choose between the two - both were amazing.

What small strange thing do you remember about your very first cruise that sticks in your memory above other things, yet may seem odd if you had to describe to your friends about your experience.

 

When I went on the Norwegian Sea in 1997 I was fascinated that when you had dinner in the MDR every night, as well as getting half a dozen courses, was that the waiter had a tray of sauces for the salad - thousand island, blue cheese etc etc. there must have been 5 or 6 and in a weird way it was something I looked forward to every night (and I'm by no means a salad man :eek: ).

 

Odd but that's my weird memory :D

 

 

Ours was something similar. Our first cruise was on The Norway in 1996. I loved the formality of the MDR. The servers wore gloves and we were offered a cheese course every evening - and afternoon tea everyday. I remember the salad dressings, as well! It was a wonderful way to introduce our teenage daughters to formal dining. They, surprisingly loved it too, and never complained about "dressing up" for dinner. That and the beautiful gleaming teak decks - they became so hot in the Caribbean sun that you couldn't walk on them in bare feet. I loved The Norway. It makes me sad to think what became of her.

The only one that bothers me a little is the alcohol policy. Other cruise lines allow one bottle of wine per person to enjoy in your cabin. It's my understanding that NCL will charge you a corkage fee, even if it's solely for use in your cabin. If I'm understanding this incorrectly, I'd appreciate an explanation.

Happy Canada Day to all!

Food is so subjective. No one can guarantee that anyone else will love or hate the food - unless it is so terrible that everyone agrees. Everyone's idea of "fine dining" differs. Some say a great steak is fine dining, some say "fusion" is fine dining, some say international cuisine is fine dining, etc. It's not realistic to ask people to "guarantee" that the food will be delicious and "5 star". If you're serious "foodies" then order the Ultimate Dining Package. Personally, I've always enjoyed the food on Norwegian cruises.

 

The Hawaiian décor is still all over the ship, but it is toned down a bit from our first sailing in 2011. The main dining room still has the King Kamehameha statue. Le Bistro is a very nice setting with Hawaiian art throughout.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

I'm surprised they still have the Hawaiian décor! We were told on our cruise that they would be changing that - I guess they still haven't got around to it. I liked it - it was kind of quirky seeing surfing Hawaiians while sailing past the Bridge of Sighs.

It's been several years since we were on the Jade. It was it's first Med cruise after coming from Hawaii, so at the time it was kind of wacky seeing King Kamahmaha sailing around the Mediterranean - I'm sure they've changed the décor since then. It was no big deal but I can remember one really miserable woman (we always seemed to run into her) that complained non-stop about it. I'm sure if you read any review of hers it would be full of complaints. Other than that I remember it fondly as one of our favourite cruises. The food was particularly good and our cabin was clean and comfortable. I particularly remember a lovely girl from Jamaica who gave me one of the best pedicures I ever had. If you start reading too many reviews you'll drive yourself crazy - and you'll find a pattern. Those with negative reviews are usually basing it on something personal that happened to them. I honestly cannot remember one bad thing about our cruise on the Jade. Stop reading negative reviews and start thinking about all the fantastic things you are going to see. Sailing into Venice is a never-to-be-forgotten experience!

There is something really fun about booking a last minute vacation - some of our best have been arranged in a week or two. Don't worry about hurricanes - we've cruised many times during hurricane season and it's never been an issue. Ships can change their course if unsettled weather is indicated. Have a great time!

I feel like due to the sheer size of the Oasis, leaving the boat while in port doesn't make sense. How on earth would you even get to see the whole thing! If we are not doing any excursion off the boat, is there really much point in disembarking? I've checked out the St Thomas, St. Maarten stuff and it looks kinda boring.

 

My only cruise our ports were CoCoCay, Nassau (we went to Atlantis for the day) and Key West, which was a fun day.

 

We felt the same before sailing on the Oasis last year, but the exact opposite was true. Over and over again my husband kept remarking on the fantastic layout, the easy maneuverability around the ship and the fastest elevators (and there are plenty of them) on the high seas. I've never figured out and navigated a ship as easily as the Oasis. We loved the "neighbourhood" design, especially Central Park - a park in the middle of a ship - who knew! Personally, unless you are going to some far southern Caribbean ports, most of them are pretty much the same. One nice thing about staying on board in port is that you have the ship pretty much to yourselves. It's a good time to book a spa day or use an uncrowded hot tub.

It's the parents' responsibility to see that their children behave. We were in a suite on the Jade several years ago and we had the family from H***. The parents, as well as the children, behaved so badly, that it got to be a daily event to see Norwegian officers at their door. One night their young teens threw all the lounge and chair cushions into the ocean! The father then threw a fit when he was told that either his children behaved or they would be put off at the next Port. He threw a bigger fit when they told him he would have to pay for all the long-gone cushions. His general rant was "I can afford to do what I like...I'm paying for you to serve me....blah, blah, blah. His children had the same attitude. Unfortunately, some people - not all, of course - that can afford the best suite on the ship also have an "entitled" attitude, which is passed on to their kids. Of course we were angry - we worked long and hard for our vacation and it was absolutely ruined by this family. On the other hand, well-behaved children are a joy and a credit to their parents and I don't mind a bit if they are laughing and having fun. That's what vacations are about.

While having a balcony Is always nice, there is still plenty of opportunity to be in the great outdoors in the public areas. You can't find a second shower to use, however. I think you are wise to keep the 2 insides - especially if it is a port-intensive cruise and you will be busy through the days, touring, etc.

For me, two bathrooms would trump a balcony every time.

I guess I am in the minority here. I am glad that ship is just a memory now. Yes the ship was classic and had beauty in certain aspects such as the grandball room, but things change. Do we like to drive new cars,have new house 'and new clothes? Just like we have new ships with new options. Restaurants on board, more eating options, more entertainment options.

 

The sad part is they kept trying to keep her afloat and it resulted in death of some crew members.

 

I don't know....I think there's a place for both. I lived in a 100 year old house for 30 years (well, it was 130 by the time we left), and I loved every crazy, out-of-date inch of it; but now I'm happy in a new condo. I'd love to have the option of traditional cruising, along with more casual, depending on your mood. Traditional cruising is still out there - but usually at a price I can't afford.