5326jan

We did not personally get a bottle on the HC but others have posted the package being offered for sale there. I assume, but can't personally confirm that you can use the package there also.

We tried to get one of our open bottles brought to the HC from traditional dining room one night, but they couldn't find it. Make sure you know your TD table number if you're trying to get an open bottle. They offered to get us a new bottle, so I think it's no different than any other restaurant in that respect. If you have your punch card, they can get you wine or you can buy a package at that time.

I've googled some in the past and they seemed to be doing well.....last time I checked Austin Scarlett was designing wedding gowns and Nick Varreos has his own line of some really nice evening wear.

Didn't Austin Scarlett have a show on one of the cable channels? I seem to remember seeing him in partnership with another previous contestant. :confused:

Yes, here it is:

On the Road with Austin and Santino

That seems to be the point of the show (other than profit) -- to force the designers to experience the types of pressures typical in the "real" world of fashion design, and see if they can survive and thrive. Personalities which seem to require working entirely alone (because they are too sensitive, too temperatmental or too hard-headed -- read "Sandro" ) don't succeed on this show, ultimately, as they probably wouldn't survive or thrive in the business -- beyond possibly having their own one-man hometown dress shop, which is, of course, not what Project Runway is about.

Can you imagine Sandro's reaction if a client told him she didn't like the dress he had made for her!!!:eek: Also, Helen... she'd just cry. The designers definitely need to have a stronger temperament to work with paying customers! :rolleyes:

We also use the Balanzza scale, but it's so bulky, we don't pack it.... coming home is always more difficult for us because of our purchases along the way.

I just found this Travelon micro digital scale at TJMAXX for 12.99 (around $20 on Amazon). It weighs 5 oz, so we can take it with us. :)

Belk IMO is not significantly different from Target, but it is consistently more expensive. It purports to be a department store, and has a similar layout to Macy's or Kohl's. My experience is it is filled with mostly cheap jersey dresses, and the space between the overstuffed racks is so small that maneuvering around the misses clothing department is nearly impossible. Maybe it's just that our local store is smaller than most?

The dressing rooms are always a mess -- there doesn't seem to be enough staff to clean up.

We've had this Belk nearby for at least a decade, but I can't figure out why it's still in business. I think it's because it is the most convenient "department store" in our area -- the other stores (besides Target and Walmart) are all specialty stores like Coldwater Creek. Loft, and Talbot's.

 

Our Belk seems to appeal to the retirement set, in spite of the company's "youthful" ads in InStyle Magazine...

Yep, you could be describing the one in Suffolk! However the Belk in Gainesville, FL (2001-2008) was like a Macy's. Clean, well organized, spacious, etc. I don't understand how they can be so varied. :confused:

I'm really questioning Helen's ability to work under pressure. I agreed with the judges about the previous week's win being based on her teaming with Kate. Her outfits from this week and two weeks ago were poorly constructed and totally uninteresting.

Agree completely! She doesn't seem to have the skills. Maybe her ideas are good, but if you can't follow up with the talent..... buh bye!

She also seems sooooo young.

So long, Sandro~~~ what a mess he was!

I have a Kindle Fire and love taking it with me. The only negative is that in some light it's a little hard to read. We try to sit in the shade as much as possible and it's fine there.

I would like to upgrade to the newest Kindle Fire 2 which has a camera in it. There are just some moments at the pool that you want to take a picture of someone/thing and don't want to be so obvious as to take your camera out! :p

I like Belk (and their prices) but they are definitely not on the level of Lord and Taylor, more like Macy's but mainly in the south.

Where in Virginia are you? The only Belk near us is in Suffolk and it's a lot lower level than Kohls. We lived in Florida for a while and the Belk there was equivalent to Macy's. Guess they're either going down hill or regionally different. I think there's one in Williamsburg that is supposed to be better... I should try.

I'm glad Timothy is gone. He was sweet, but somewhat delusional. :)

It's really hard to do. Everyone has a different priority and no one knows what another is paying for an identical cabin. Did they get a discounted fare? (Princess allows travel agents to discount, not all lines do.) Did they book on a sale or regular price? Did they get OBC (on board credit) from TA or by using FCC (future cruise credits) or "loyalty" discounts?

The most important thing is to know that cruising can be addictive, so these approximate costs are "per cruise".... multiply that number by the huge number of cruises you'll want to do!:D

Here are a few things:

price of cabin- location, itinerary, length of cruise, popularity of cruise, sales, discounts, etc.

approx $12/day in gratuities

about $8/drink- Depends on type of drink and number of drinks. Wine will run $25 and up per bottle, but it can be saved night to night if you don't drink it all. On some lines, you can buy bottles of alcohol for consumption in your cabin/balcony and you can bring on your own mixers.

$25 per person for specialty dining plus tip

casino- ???

Excursions- private or ship tours vary by area and activity. Look on the itinerary you choose and see what the ship charges.

Hotels vary tremendously. We always fly in the day ahead of time, after missing the ship once.

Parking/taxi- if you drive to port, figure approx $10-15/day or find a hotel with a parking plan. Taxi depends on location and distance.

Air Fare- One of the biggest expenses.

Food/drink in ports

Souvenirs

Shopping for stuff before cruise.... new cruise wardrobe is not at all necessary, but many do it.

If either of you are military or past military, you can get on board credits by sending in your discharge papers. If you are a shareholder you can get on board credits. If you use a travel agent, some give on board credit.

There are plenty of things you will be tempted to buy on the ship.

Photos are a big temptation. You will have your picture taken many times on the ship or in port. Usually there is a "scene" as you disembark where a photographer is set up to take your pictures. They will be available to buy within hours. We never even go look at them.

Coffee Cards about $32. DH likes his cappuccino, so he buys. I can drink regular coffee, so I don't need it.

Soda Cards. We bring propel packets to add to tap water, so I don't know how much they are.

I'm sure others can add to this list or elaborate on other line's costs. I'm familiar with Princess. Have a great time!

Where exactly is Nathan's in relationship to the cruise center?

Cross the parking lot and walk out the gate. Nathan or one of his "associates" will be parked outside the gate. For us he was in a little dirt patch on the right side of the road, just as you passed outside the fence.

Now u are scaring me.....

 

while my kids are 11 and 13 i hope it will be safe! Anyone with kids have opinions on how it was?

No, don't be afraid. Just be aware and alert. :)

I'm not a fan of Nathan's carts. My experience is above, but I totally agree with Michael about the "upkeep" of the carts and jeep..... it leaves a lot to be desired. :rolleyes: If I had kids, I'd definitely put one kid up front with an adult and have the other adult with a firm hold on the child in the back. The roads are "weathered" and you've got to dodge donkeys and dogs, so be prepared for quick maneuvering. :)

At the lighthouse, if you walk beyond towards to ocean, watch your kids there too. I remember a steep cliff. I'm afraid of heights, so maybe it was a paranoid delusion, but I do have a "fear" memory of it. :eek::o

THis is a great question, and I've enjoyed reading everyone's responses!

 

Like most people, we choose to Scrimp some places, and splurge others.

 

We are a family of 5, so airfare can be a killer for us. I actually consider flying vs driving a spluge- but a completly neccasary one! Because we are NOT road trippers!

But I do shop around extensivly- to get the cheapest airfare possible. Even if that means driving 3.5hrs to fly out of one of DC's airports. Which we have often done. It's not the most convientant option, but I will go with whatever the cheapest option is, for us. That will often include discount airlines too- such as frontier, Jetblue, Allegiant, Southwest, ect.

 

We cruise primarily out of FL, and live in Va. It is always my goal to not spend more than $850 on airfare- for all 5 of us. And 95% of the time I can do this.

 

Something we never Scrimp on, is the cabin. We always book at least 1 balcony. THat's just really important to my family- to be able to sit out there when coming into port, or relax at night with a drink and some quiet time. We also always get 2 cabins. I know that there are some ships that have "family" cabins that will fit 5. But that would just add stress to our vacation, and it's something I chose not to scrimp on. I will add, that my kids are 16, 7, 4

 

We have no problems scrimping on specialty resturants, and never book them- instead dine in the free venues.

 

We rarely buy many photos, but we always buy at least 1-2.

 

We never book excursions through the ship, but I don't really consider this scrimping- just smart shopping.

 

We don't scrimp on drinks on the ship. Niether my husband or I are heavy drinkers, but if I feel like having 3-4-5-6 drinks one day, I certainly will! Somedays, I'll have none. Just depending on what I feel like.

Same for the kids- we always let them buy smoothies or milkshakes and we'll buy specialty coffee's if we're in the mood too.

Hi Neighbor!

Now you can take Amtrak for around $50 per person from Norfolk to DC. The downside is getting to the station at 4am! :eek: We considered it for a Canadian cruise out of NYC, but haven't decided yet. If you consider gas and cost of parking for 1-2 weeks, it's a good deal!

I think they're calling them crinkle skirts now. I'm in the broomstick generation too, but have never worn one myself. They look great for travel because the start wrinkled. (I'm just not a skirt wearer.) Travelsmith has a couple styles:

I remember my Mom wearing them and she'd put a rubber band at the top and the bottom and one in the middle before putting it in the suitcase. I guess it kept it tightly bound to keep the crinkles right.

And Nina wins! She totally did not like Patricia one little bit. Well, may be an iota.

 

I LOVED Michelle's collection If I had the bod, I would want pretty much everything she showed. Even with my bad bod, I want a lot of it. However, I get a bad vibe from her as a human being. But that's besides the point.

 

The dress I disliked the most in Stanley's collection was the white one all the judges liked. It really looked old fashioned to me -- like something Jackie O would have worn to a state dinner. In good taste obviously, but really dated. Otherwise, it was just all glitz. I was really surprised. I thought he would bring the winning collection. And I sure thought he would be buttoned down and ready.

 

Patricia. Bless her heart. I hope she sees where she goes wrong, because there is a lot to love about her work. I was happy to hear Michael say such good things about her. Of course, my favs were her hippy looks. haha

 

Boy, it sounds like the knives will come out at the reunion show. I think I'll pass.

You know I have to give Michelle credit for letting Stanley use 4 of her 6 seamstresses and unless I dozed off and missed it, she never threw that in his face to the judges and I think many people would have. He was an organizational mess! :eek:

I also liked Michelle's clothes from a design point of view, but if I wore a sweater with a bleeding heart on it my kids would ask me if I had something to tell them about my health! :D:rolleyes:

Finally had a chance to catch up, must be that time change you are battling with doing me in:p:D

I wonder why the ship is changing time back and forth so much when it's sea days?

 

Sounds like a good relaxing trip.

Just did this trip in reverse and the time changed a lot! When you cross into a different time zone, you have to change the clock. We changed time zones for one day, losing one hour because we went into Atlantic time zone, even though we weren't going to be at port for three days. I guess you can't just ignore them.

I agree with Scrapnana about Heidi's make up. :confused: I thought it would be hard to make her look less than gorgeous.

I think it's interesting that they spent more time on Patricia's loss than anyone else's. Her clothes, up until the end, were horrible. I do think her final collection was a bit better, but overall still really unwearable and not at all cohesive.

I liked Stanley's better than Michelle's, but I'm 60 and they were complaining about his clothes looking to old. :rolleyes: I guess they're supposed to be designing for rich, young hipsters, not us old fogies.

Have you ever shopped Chicos? They have a line of clothing called Travelers that is made to mix and match and pack easily and rinse out in the sink. Get a basic cami with matching pants - then mix up with two or 3 great tops. Get a dress and/or skirt and you're done. Plus accessories, of course!

Chicos travelers are great for mix and match and they don't wrinkle. I have a set that I use for formal nights. The big problem with them is that they are very heavy! If you like that style though, Belk has a similar line called Choices and JJill has Wearever. I'm sure there are others. If you are going to a hot climate, this fabric doesn't breathe very well, so can be really hot to wear.

Yep, all those things and more, although I can't remember them all at this point. Ours also goes on the outside of the bathroom door:

These things come to mind right now: sunscreen, small first aid kit, small sewing kit, small flashilight, rain ponchos, bocca clips, treats for stewards & DH, note pad, markers, reading book, sunglasses, camera, extra batteries, sani-wipes & bottles, clorox wipes, 1$ bills for room service, sea passes which go in a pocket as we come in the door and need to grab on way out door, anything we need when we leave the room goes in a pocket -saves time searching for stuff. Playing cards, small games, any little extra things. Take it and hang it the next time. You'd be suprised what you'll put in those pockets and how neat your cabin is with these things. Nothing is left on the vanity, or open surfaces other than paper. I was hesitant at first and now won't leave home without it!

For paper we take a couple of strong magnetics to hang on the wall. They clip the Princess Patter of the day and excursion information/tickets. We put past patters into a manila envelope in a desk drawer for reviewing later.

You're right about never leaving it behind. The more we cruise the more streamlined we get.

I bought mine at the Dollar Tree, too. I bought it based on the suggestions here, but I've never used one and now that I think about it.....I'm not sure what to put in it! Make up and hair stuff go on the stateroom desk since I'm doing that while DH is in the bathroom taking a shower. I can't think of what else I'd need to use it for. Can some of you give me examples of what you keep in it?

As I said in previous post, I cut mine in half so I only have about 12 pockets. I hang it on the outside of the bathroom door b/c there's enough room in the bathroom for everything we need.

Here's what I keep in the slots:

dollar bills for room service tips, playing cards, sunscreen, sunglasses, first aid kit, rain ponchos (we stick them in our day pack for excursions just in case... about the size of a deck of cards...haven't needed yet), boca clips (for keeping towels from blowing off chairs), charging cords when not in use, crystal light/propel single use packets, wine opener, extra ziplock bags, ziplock with a couple of sheets of detergent. I put the things on the top row that I'll use the least, like the rain ponchos, detergent and first aid kit.

I'm sure everyone has their own system and stuff, but this works for us. Little stuff that would get messy if put in a drawer. I don't like clutter. :)

So I have been looking for an Over the Door Hanger. I found some at the dollar tree, but wasn't sure if the hooks would hold up. Where has everyone else bought theirs?

Target for about $8, but I cut the bottom half of it off. I found that we don't need that many pockets.

As you walk down the hallways to cabins, the name tags used to be blue, silver or black. Now Princess has the new level and I'm just curious what color the new "medallion" level emblems are.

Looking forward to the adventure! Thanks for taking us along. :)

Ugh! I was so disappointed in the show! I just watched it this morning and was shocked that Patricia got to stay. :( I like Layana's personality and thought her clothes were much nicer than Patricia's mess. Certainly more marketable.

Gaudi would have been the logical influence for Barcelona, Anything in Paris.... but graffiti? What the heck???

I thought Michelle's was better than some, but it looked a little Mary Poppins to me with the sooty hem. Stanley's looked like the undertaker's bride and Daniel's was a little too disco-esque.

Would Layana's have survived without the pink sleeves?