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I have spent a number of hours searching for policies that provide only cancellation insurance. I don't need medical coverage and if my luggage is lost, I'll bear the cost.

So far I have found only one source via a broker named Squaremouth. Has anyone found insurance companies providing just this coverage?

Has anyone had experience with Squaremouth or the particular insurer April?

Particularly in light of the latest medical findings [until they are reversed next week! ;)] that fat and cholesterol in your diet have ZERO impact on your blood levels of fat or cholesterol or your heart health. The only bad things now are partially-hydrogenated fat [the previous "miracle" life-saving breakthrough ;)] and refined sugar -- and of course whenever a chef or food preparer removes fat they replace it with ... refined sugar. I've always said "Give me rich French sauces any day -- even if it does kill me, at least I'll die happy!" So how great is it that now I learn it is actually the best thing for me? Life is good! :D

I had asked the question that prompted this chain of responses "What is healthier about Blu's food", and I did it knowing that in my opinion the answer is "Nothing". For example, lamb chops are a staple on Blu's menu and they appear to be prepared as they are in all the other restaurants on board.

I fully agree with your comment about today's advice being contradicted tomorrow by the same medical authorities. And I'm in virtually full agreement with all the posts that followed yours. The ancient Greeks advised a life of "golden mediocrity", that is, doing neither too much nor too little, and that advice seems to apply particularly to eating habits. As others have said, genes play a huge roll, as proven by my aunt of 96 who fried many of her dinners in the bacon fat saved from breakfast. Dinners eaten after a couple of martinis, I should add.

I know it's not for everyone, but a cruise ship is hardly the place to cut back on eating, and having reached a rather advanced age, I see little to be gained in eating carrot sticks and celery stalks in order to extend life by months. Maybe.;)

Agree with Papa's comments and will add this. We really enjoy Blu, especially the breakfasts, and even chose to dine once at Blu for breakfast rather than Luminae. Blu has healthier food and I am less susceptible to overdoing it than at Luminae. I thought the filet the first night at Luminae rivaled or bested Tuscan.

What is healthier about Blu's food?

Remember to consider other factors...

 

 

 

Do you have drinks packages on both cruises? Michael's Club could save you a lot of money if you do not have a package on one of your cruises.

That's a good point but it is very limiting. There are other bar venues that are attractive, and, really, MC can be like a tomb. The worries about its being overcrowded with Sky Suite passengers were unfounded in my experience.

How can anyone really be vigilant? In the Brussels case' date=' three men were pushing luggage wagons, like hundreds of others. Who would recognize the danger?

Sadly, it can happen anywhere.[/quote']

 

There you have it. These guys are not running around holding a bomb with a fuse burning. Be vigilant. How many of us are trained in the subtleties of security? I just heard a security expert on television say he told his kids not to go to Europe. Be vigilant. Thanks for the tip, State Department. Where's James Taylor?

Many will change their plans and yes tourism will be hurt, but the tourist who cancel are not beer drinkers. Gotta love Belgium beer and Chocolate LOL

Fortunately, Belgian beer and chocolate are exported:D

I'm scheduled to fly to Venice next month, and I'm not changing my plans to visit my Italian relatives there. But, I assure you, I'm not doing this to show the terrorists they can't change my way of life. Countries who invited this cancer are simply going to have to pay the price. Ruth has got it right.

Thanks for a great review. I would love this place but DW is no fan of sushi and sashimi has never touched her lips. We just made a decision not to take a Reflection cruise, so this will have to wait. Darn

While I prefer the food in Bu over the MDR, Blu is just so much quieter than the MDR. Blu is more comparable to a restaurant while the MDR reminds me of a noisy banquet hall.

We always thought Blu was quieter than the MDR until our last three BTBs on the Eclipse. Blu was quite noisy. The MDR is a barn, according to my DW, but I don't mind eating in the select area, as long as we're not on an aisle. I see no difference in the quality or quantity of the food between the two.

Karen, the one was called Topper, and the second one on the Eclipse had to do with the manager of a hotel with a bevy of odd clients. Shows of this caliber are why I tell my wife "I'll go, but I have to have a seat on the aisle in the back of the theater". I don't want to disturb people in making my escape. :)

I don't understand the healthy part of Blu. My portions always seem equal to the unhealthy MDR's and I always order a double portion of lamb chops, which I know will be excellent. BTW the soup in Blu is as salty as the MDR, too, so I do tend to skip that.

My wife won't touch it but I kind of like it. Give it a try and see for yourself whether you want it delivered or not.

Yes, while Blu has its plusses and minuses, for us it's the main enticement for booking Aqua. If you're not eating in Blu, you might well reconsider Aqua and save money, as others have suggested

Does it really matter so long as they know how to drive the ship safely :)

Exactly. Keep us off the rocks, keep the crew happy, and you certainly don't have to entertain me or even talk to me other than a quick hello if we bump into each other.

On the face of it I would let sleeping dogs lie. Access to Michael's Club and Luminae are too good to pass up. But I would also call Celebrity

Plus they got a new CEO not long ago, I quess it's not a top priorty item to keep their customers happy.

J

There's the rub. Their customers apparently are happy, or at least happy enough to sign on again and again. Why spend the money to correct a system that's good enough?

Also Tag Heuer, Omega and Invicta. Celebrity is experimenting with selling previously owned Rolex watches. I know Rolex prices very well and what Celebrity displayed on our last cruise was crazy over-priced.

How true. On the Eclipse they had several gold Rolexes listed in the $20K+ range. Madness.

I am something of a watch collector, and I have purchased quite a few in the Caribbean but never one on board a ship. If the OP is interested in a modest watch, Citizen, Weil etc, and has OBCs, a purchase on board probably would be a reasonable deal. But X carries Tags, which are fairly expensive, and Bulgari which are beautiful but very pricey. I can't imagine getting a good deal on a high end watch on any ship even in consideration of OBC.

Authorized dealers are generally limited to discounts of 15% maximum or they could lose their franchise. That discount is probably available in the US, too. Grand Cayman has some wonderful watch shops, Cozumel less so. As others have recommended , know the model you are interested in. I have a bad habit of making unplanned purchases on the spur of the moment. On one notable occasion the price I worked so had to obtain in the Carib was beaten by a shop in my home town, a shop I didn't even know existed until I returned home. Oh, well. Live and learn.

There are online merchants who sell grey market watches at considerable discounts. I have purchased three watches from one of them, two Baume and Mercier as gifts, and a Frederique Constant for myself. All of them were considerably discounted, the two by about 80%, the last by 65%. They're all working fine but there is a bit of risk in it. Bottom line do your homework but don't count on a deal on board.

I had heard so many raving about the fettuccini alfredo and was excitied to try it...WOW..what a disappointment i did not even think it good let alone great. Food wise I did enjoy the chefs table experience. fun and te food was good....and to much to eat...you need to pace yourself

Ha! Fettucini Alfredo isn't very good at Alfredo's either. (I put it in the same category as pasta alla vodka, another overrated dish.) That's not Princess' fault, BTW, FA is just a mediocre dish.:(

I just checked inventory of available Concierge Balcony cabins and all that's showing to be available is C2 Cabins 8050 and 8108. Is there any chance that I would get assigned a cabin other than those cabins?

Yes, cabins do come and go, so there is no guarantee. It's a four day cruise. How bad can the cabin be and how long will you suffer, if it's not the best? Wayneair has it right: if you need the extra points, go for it. That's the only reason I would recommend a Concierge. Once we reached Elite+, DW and I bid farewell to that class.

For the life of me I can't understand why the OP thinks he might be "miserable every day"

on Princess. But since that seed has been planted, perhaps he'd better not give it a try.

Personally, the S class ships are nicer, we think, but everything else seems to be a wash between the two lines. We're Elite+ on Celebrity and Elite on Princess, and itinerary and price are always the deciding factor.

DW and I never went to Qsine, as it seemed kind of klutzy. Finally, for lack of anything better to do, we tried it. Not realizing the size of the portions, we ordered more than we needed and forced ourselves to finish it, as we fall into the group who can't stand to see good food wasted. Since that first visit, we've adjusted our order and we have enjoyed Qsine.

To the OP: ask if half orders can be provided. I can't imagine why they couldn't be, but if it can't be done, go ahead and eat what you feel like and kiss the rest goodbye. You're paying plenty for being on the ship as a single and you shouldn't cheat yourself by avoiding what might be a very pleasant experience. The waiters are very helpful and can advise you. No one hates wasting food more than I, but we're not talking tons :)

The most effective repellant tested last year by Consumer Reports contained picaridin as the active ingredient:

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health/beauty-personal-care/insect-repellent/insect-repellent-ratings/ratings-overview.htm

But the reviews on it are certainly mixed, aren't they? In my case using any repellent depends on the whereabouts of my wife. If she's nearby, I could smear perfume all over me and know that nary an insect would bother me. She, on the other hand, would attract every bug within a mile. :D I feel sorry for her, but some folks are a magnet.

Luminae menu is MUCH different than the MDR and Blu. For one, there are less selections. .

Yes, there are fewer selections and on an earlier cruise in Aqua I stole a look at the Luminae menu with dismay. But once in Luminae I found the selections perfectly fine, to my everlasting surprise. The venue is so much better than Blu. The tables are not on top of each other, the food is better, as is the service. And Luminae serves excellent huevos rancheros at breakfast. That alone is worth thousands of dollars in increased cost. ;)

On some sliding veranda doors, the open position of the handle is at 12 o'clock, and it can happen that for whatever reason the handle will fall and lock the door. If the handle is left in the down position, the door will not accidentally lock, but it will slide open and slam shut depending on sea state. There are ways to prevent this, use of towels in the track, for example, but it is an annoyance exceeded only be being locked out on the veranda.

Thanks for making me feel better about my choice and stop second guessing myself! I agree - I booked a balcony guarantee and got such a great balcony, so I'm happy to stick to that. I also really like the main dining room, so based on those 2 things, I made the decision I did.

Absolutely the right choice. I doubt that the average person could tell the difference between a meal from Aqua and one from the MDR. We have always liked Aqua mainly for the ambiance and service, but on the last two voyages, the room was loud for some reason and the service was below par with certain waiters. Breakfast in Aqua? It's nice, but hardly worth the extra cost; we rarely visit. To each his own, of course, but you did well