jocelysue

Thanks for your answer. since HAl & Celebrity bathrobes fit me, then I'll use the one furnished by Norwegian. Less to bring in my luggage.

Are bathrobes included in the cabins on Norwegian?

Thanks.

On 4/11/2023 at 9:24 PM, jocelysue said:

Thank you very much. I found it but cannot seem to find the place where to start a new roll call. the last roll call for the Breakaway in February is for February 2022. Please tell me how to start the correct roll call. once again, your link much appreciated.

Thank you Turtles 6. You are totally correct. I must have been having a VERY SENIOR moment because my cruise is on the Getaway and not on the Breakaway. Sorry.  Thank you for having  taken the time to correct me . I clued in when you said the cruise started from New Orleans whereas the Getaway is leaving from New York. thanks again and friendly seas.

4 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

There is a special place for Roll Calls.  

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/66-norwegian-cruise-line-roll-calls/

Thank you very much. I found it but cannot seem to find the place where to start a new roll call. the last roll call for the Breakaway in February is for February 2022. Please tell me how to start the correct roll call. once again, your link much appreciated.

Am going on a Caribbean Cruise on Feb 5, 2024. Is anyone else coming along ? Let's talk. 

I have cruised quite a bit except for the last few years. First, my husband passed away, then came COVID. All seems fine now so am eager to get back on board (literally for Cruise Critic and also for the Breakaway) (lol).It certainly will be fun to get to know some other passengers.

I've cruised on Princess quite a few times , always in a mini-suite. (Loved them). Unfortunately circumstances have changed; my DH has passed away. A mini-suite is now financially out of the question But I still do want to continue cruising.

Princess is a line we enjoyed (2 Alaska cruises, one China to Vancouver, one around the Horn, etc.) and one to which I should like to return for shorter length cruises out of Florida if possible.

Looking at online photos of outside and balcony cabins, ships on Princess do not seem to have a sitting area (sofa) as do Celebrity, HAL & RCI . It is an amenity I need.

If some ships do have a sofa in their balcony cabin, would appreciate your letting me know.

Thanks .

Thanks so much for this info. theses particular grandkids do NOT play games unless they are on their computer. they come home from school and go down to their "childcave" .

I will have to have a serious discussion with their parents to see if they want to wean them away from their computer and playbook games which is what I hope.

I imagine to play their games aboard they would have to pay wifi charges which would be horribly expensive----thanks for bringing up that point, had not given it the least thought.

Your insights are so helpful. Since it will mostly be my treat, all your answers are extremely helpful and I appreciate the thought and time you're giving to help me out.

Thanks for your great info. Guess the choice will be easy. Royal Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean. Now to firm up the date and choose the ship. (It will have to be during Quebec March break). You have saved me much time. I truly appreciate all of your answers, especially as they all same the same thing.

Planning on a cruise to the Caribbean next March break with daughter, son-in-law, grandson, 16, grandaughter, 13.

Thanks ever so much for replying. Unfortunately I'm one of those persons who, although ,not claustrophobic, gets no pleasure out of an inside cabiné One of my little cruising joys is getting

up in the middle of the night and looking at the sea and its waves.. Also like to see the shoreline as we pass by , look at the moon from my cabin on moonlit nights, watch sunsets or sunrises from either the balcony or the porthole. HAL has large portholes (widows really) that we can sit So the inside route is out for me. I actually enjoy being in the stateroom. Another hindrance; i have an inner ear problem that constantly makes noise in my ear . The only way I can keep mildly sane is to constantly surround myself with noise ;the solution I've found is to keep the TV on with sound day and night so that it covers the ringing. :Luckily my husband didn't mind. He could sleep through anything. But it wouldn't be fair to share an outside or balcony stateroom with another person .So I'm still searching.

Almost any destination would do.

1ST TIME SOLO AFTER CRUISING AS COUPLE

I am an elderly lady whose husband has died recently. We just loved cruising and were very happy doing our own thing. We usually asked for a two top late dining and were pleased with our choice. DH had Parkinson's and it was a social ordeal for him to eat with others as he was very slow and shaky. So eating alone together was the best choice at the time.

However I am quite extroverted and love to meet people and chat, share experiences, etc. Our children encourage me to keep on cruising. I have to remind them that cruising solo is almost as expensive as cruising as a couple and sometimes more. Also my income is now lower as DH'S pension has been cut. Nonetheless I do intend to book a cruise but have no idea which line would be the best bang for my buck. Help please.

Thanks for the info. Gives me much to mull over.

Although we've cruised HAL a number of times ( 3*mariners) we have never needed an accessible cabin nor done a cabin crawl. DH now needs a companion wheelchair to get around so an accessible cabin might be best as he no longer can enter a bath which is one of the reasons reason we so love HAL.

We also love having a sofa for many different reasons. But in looking at various pictures there doesn't seem to be a sofa in accessible cabins on HAL. We would appreciate your informing us and cluing us in.

BTW we travel in an outside cabin on HAL because the bed is set up under the window and we can sit on the window sill to see the water, the sunset, the moon, etc.

Otherwise we cruise in a Junior suite on Princess or on a sweet sixteen on Celebrity. Question of cost. Hal balcony simply too expensive.

Thanks

Although Dh & I have cruised quite extensively on HAL, we've always left the ship on port days. We are now thinking of taking a cruise from Boston to Montréal, but we've already visited all the ports and know them quite well so we simply want to use the 7 days for R&R & stay on board. Also DH has Parkinson's so onshore activities would be rather limited.

Are there any activities on the ship during port days? We know that the shops aren't open but that's no problem. We're wondering whether the main dining room is open, whether ther is still trivia, afternoon movies, etc.?

Thanks for the info.

Do any lines other than HAL have pools that can be covered over in cold weather?

Why not wear a Canadian tuxedo to board and add just a few matching items in your carryon?

Works for us . BTW we ARE OLDSTERS & have cruised extensively.the maître d' on all the various cruise lines we've been on have always laughed when our attire has been noticed negatively and we've shown them the definition of said tuxedo and who has worn it to various events such as Oscars, Golden Globes, etc. All you need is a printout and you've saved hundreds in both luggage fare and clothes costs.

Of course, we don't always do that (sometimes both DH & I love to play dressup on formal nights) but we have always been well received when we choose to travel canadian style. For outer wear we che either Hudson Bay's coats or Canadian Olympic sweaters. That also prevents lots of packing.

Don't sweat it. Most folk s have a sense of humour. Those who haven't really aren't the ones with whom you are most likely to have fun. Wahtever! ENJOY!

I'm a non-smoker who believes in "laissez-faire" i.e. "to each his own".

I have sailed on Celebrity with its non-smoking policy; fine. Couldn't help but notice though that the extremely few places where smoking was allowed seemed to have the most fun people. Maybe a false impression. Who knows? I'm a 3 star Mariner and, DH's health willing, will sail again on HAL, Princess, Celebrity, Cunard depending on price and itinerary.

Smoking policy will not be a factor for me. Although I don't like the smell of smoke, I like the smell of the sea and that's why I sail. I respect other people's opinions. If you want non-smoking, there are options; if you don't mind smoking there are options.

Simply choose what suits you and, please, don't diss those persons or liines who do not share your opinions. Life is too short to be and the world is too big to be its health or smell or whatever policeman.

Here's what we did because DH can no longer wear his tuxedo. He bought a black silk cardigan which he wore with his black trousers, white shirt and bow tie. Sine he can no longer wear formal shoes he wore black velvet slippers.

The Maitre d' actually complimneted him for respecting the dress code in an alternative way that showed a true attempt to follow the dress suggestions inasmuch as he could ;the captain thanked DH on the following day as we were seated in the lounge for his spirit.

We sailed in cabin 6027 on the Infinity on the cross-Panama Canl cruise April 14-29.

The sweet sixteen balcony was huge; that is where we left our suitcases. Plus a lounger was already awaiting us .

I've tried Celebrity and, although it was O.K., am definitely going back to HAL: larger staterooms and bigger bathrooms ( including full bath), afternoon tea, string quartet, full wraparound deck, equally good food,more daytime activities, theme nights in MDR.

Celebrity has more specialty restaurants that come at a higher cost. Night entertainment slightly better.

Both have great service. Both have lots of nooks and crannies for quiet time.

Would travel on X agin with the drinks package if the fare was reasonable, but price for price, without the 123 ,will be happier with HAL.

X has nicer elevators (with windows) but HAL has carpets in the elevators stating the day:D. A Also Hal has a movie theatre (popcorn included) and many more cooking shows. I'm trying hard to find ways in which Celebrity really outdoes HAL but haven't been able to find mant. For example, libraries on HAL have much more choice, computer courses more available. For Apple lovers , Celebrity is the way to go 'cause they have Apple. Photos less expensive on HAL plus the yum yum man.

Please don't think I'm dissing Celebrity. It was fine and I wouls not feel at all askance at returning but all things bein equal I prefer HAL.

I am not a smoker but smoking policy doesn't have any impact on me and I gather that's an importantelement for many cruisers.

You have all been great trying to help me out. Yesterday I did find a pair of black pants, not dressy, but at least not jeans. I followed your suggestions. A dressmaker had told me to buy a pair that fit DH's butt a bit and then have them taken out at all the seams which I did. Far from perfect but acceptable.

I'm saving your suggestions which will come in handy for regular pants. So I'm grateful to your kind and helpful e-mails.

Is Celebrity still a premium line?

Thanks for the tips re Old Navy & Banana Republic. Unfortunately, they are unavailable here.Sears, Costco, Walmart, Target are the stores we have here for men's apparel plus couple of private men's stores which, believe me, I have tried. I found one pair of pants that could od but there were over $300, slighlt out of our budget.

I am in a quandary.

I absolutely love dressing formal and so does DH.However health issues have made it extremely difficult for him to wear his tux anymore. Even a suit jacket has become almost impossible ¸

I have found a black cashmere cardi in which he is comfortable. It is casual, I admit. but with a bow tie , it doesn't look too laid back. HE wants to go to the MDR on formal evenings because he really enjoys seeing the "ladies" in their gowns and the guys in black tie. That's part of the enjoyment of a cruise for him.

So what to do? Go to the MDR (I , in my gown, of course) and he, in his cardi and black velvet slippers or go to the buffet? Other alternative venues, other than Bistro on 5, are not an option. My choice, as of now, is to let him have his enjoyable evening in the MDR. But will he be allowed in ? If not, he would be absolutely mortified. Is this something I should discuss with the Maitre d' the prior evening so as to avoid possible difficulties?

To all posters:

Thanks for all your help. I'm almost sorry I asked because you've taken your time to try and help me find a solution and, as you can see, they haven't worked. The only one I haven't tried is the junior or younger men's department because, in our town, they do not carry dress pants but only jeans. That's where I bought them.

These are the brands of trousers he tried on unsuccessfully: Dockers, Egara, Joseph & Feiss, Arnold Palmer, Pierre Cardin,Haggar, Protocol.He has tried slim fit . Also low waist which doesn't fit at all.

The jeans that fit him are Lois brand.

He usually always wears suspenders but they only serve to keep his pants around his waist.Plus, it's a habit with him. He's like Larry King and loves "braces". Unfortunately,they don't help at all with the droop. Actually he has no "booty", just skin and bones.

Will follow the kind advice about a windbreaker. Believe me, I appreciate your suggestions. I do honestly believe I've tried mostly everything and posted this thread in a fit of discouragement because DH so wants to look nice. It's sad to see a man who was always almost impeccable in demeanor reduced to wearing jeans which, in general, he doesn't like.