xenagurl

Third time posted so far today. :p

Apologies! I don't frequent the NCL boards as much anymore. I took a brief look but didn't notice one.

Mods, feel free to remove. :)

SDMike I'm glad you're one person that didn't notice the other two posts. LOL

Hi xenagurl!

I saw this post come up again & just thought to say 'ciao' 'cause I always find reading about your cruises so inspiring ;)... Dangerously so....

Hope your travels have been treating you well!

You'd be proud of me ... I completed my 3rd cruise on the Jade in September :D

Hope you have more coming soon!

 

All the best!

Sorry so long to reply AquamarineBreeze, I just noticed this post. Wonderful! How was your trip? Did you post a review here? Where did you leave from? Looking forward to hearing about it.

I just came back from the Gem on Friday and will be heading on another soon. I'm so behind with photos and write ups, but I will at least have some photos up by next week. This was one of my least exciting trips, but most relaxing. I read and slept.

Yes. I've never brought soda, but I always bring water and occasionally Carrot juice.

Hubby and I went on the slides in the morning the first day the ship hit Bermuda so there were no lines. I absolutely lovvvvved the slides! (Video link in my signature line) If you're kids like water slides they should enjoy these especially the Free Fall.

I've been nearly all of those places and haven't had any issues with vendors in the recent or distant past. I did have an ATMs not take my card in Spain and Morocco, but I looked for a different bank and was able to pull money out of my account.

$20 - $30 for a 7-9 day and a hero card. We don't ask for extras, but I can leave things in a bit of a "whirlwind" ;) and appreciate them doing such a nice job in making sure that I have a neat room to come back to with fresh towels each time.

Carlos will be there? Cool! I love chatting with him. Such an interesting person.

Best - no particular order

Fat Cats (esp with Slam Allen)

Howl at the Moon (esp with Drew and Kin)

Burn the Floor (Amazing dancers, an energetic fun performance)

I'd skip it - you may like it.

Second City - Never been impressed with them

Rock of Ages - I want my hour and a half back

Thanks for the heads up! We'll be there in a couple of weeks.

Articles for anyone interested:

http://www.kmbz.com/CDC-Warns-of-Mosquito-Borne-Virus-Outbreak-in-St-M/18001549

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/12/18/255216192/trouble-in-paradise-chikungunya-outbreak-grows-in-caribbean

http://www.newser.com/article/daaoc2202/scientists-outbreak-of-chikungunya-virus-in-st-martin-is-1st-local-transmission-in-americas.html

Agree that it's based on what you are looking for and how much time you have. If the ports the Star is visiting are key, go with the Star. We did it on the Epic and had a fabulous time. I felt sorry for those who got on for the 7 day after that as they had little time to enjoy all the shows and we got to see them as many times as we wanted. The ship was about half full that time. There were only a few children onboard when we crossed and I think a number of those were officers' children. I prefer Barcelona to Copenhagen but that is a personal preference. We wanted the seven day which followed the Epic TA and ended up doing the TA, 4 day in between, and the 7 day.

That sounds awesome. I'm adding that to my cruise "to-do"!

Smart move.

I've taken the Epic TA twice and have been on the Star twice but not for a TA. Which you choose should be based on what you're looking for. For me one reason was purely psychological, I felt comfortable on a larger ship crossing the ocean, I also knew that there was tons of entertainment on the Epic and I always meet folks and wind up hanging out in O'Shenanigans (O'Sheehans) in the wee hours of the morning. Yes there is a pub on the Star but it's smaller and I'm not sure if it serves 24 hour food. Besides I love water slides and the Epic has one of my favorites.

You'd probably find more families on the Epic, so if you're trying to avoid children the Star is probably a better choice, though with all of the space on the Epic they're pretty easy to avoid. However if you want to be around a younger demographic I can tell you that the Epic TA has quite a few people between their 20s-40s for the TA. Not the majority but definitely a lot.

You have more days on the Star so depending on the price it's often a better bang for your buck.

If the above doesn't matter to you, I'd choose it based on port city. Barcelona is gorgeous and will be warmer but Copenhagen has a lot to offer too.

What would I choose? The Epic. However that's not because I don't think the Star is worth the trip. I think she's a pretty ship. Whatever you choose enjoy your trip!

Princess have it nailed

 

with a dedicated freestyle room on the bigger ships and a second room that goes freestyle after an extra 5:30 sitting.

 

Celebrity do a great job

 

with section of the dinning room set aside for freestyle

 

Azamara open seating.

 

...

I didn't know that. Thanks for the info! (DH will be interested to know that as well. Dining seating was why he picked NCL.) :)

Freestyle dining is a make or break for me, so until other lines smoothly integrated this into their service, I'd probably just stop cruising and go back to land only vacations.

Thanks, Zenagurl! Just as the vacation was beginning to fade a bit, the thread has come back to life! Look for my review of of the Poesia 9-night western Mediterranean itinerary on the MSC boards (with my niece) next October, and Dave and I just booked the 12-night British Isles aboard the Star for September 2015. Now I just have to sneak in a 4-night NCL cruise to somewhere so I can be Platinum when we're on the Star. ;)

Looking forward to reading (and seeing) them! Happy Friday! :)

I wouldn't do it OP. A year is a LOT of time, even three months out I wouldn't chance it. It would have to be a last minute cruise booked days before for me to attempt that. Many people with mobility issues travel and the chance of being bumped "anywhere" isn't too remote. Whatever you decide enjoy your trip.

Your youngest will be grown up soon, and in that time it allows you to acquire new skills and experience that will make you marketable when you're ready to return to outside work. Money comes and goes, but you only have the time you have now, now. Enjoy your kids and future cruises! :)

Thanks for all of the additions everyone. Lots of folks that I'm now looking forward to seeing! Earlier this year when we finally met Rosie of Fire and Ice, I was able to say "I've heard alllll about you." She looked surprised! :)

JP was on the Jewel as of Oct.

 

I didn't realize he was back on board. That's great to hear!

Phil Tag did great standup on the Gem last year, but this year he has many solid months of bookings on RCCL.

I'm going to look him up on YouTube. :) I wonder if they have any comedy acts on the Gem currently?

We loved Murray the magician and got to see him on the Star in Alaska and then on the Pride in Hawaii. :)

I'll check him out too. I've got to get on PoH. Hawaii sounds like a must see. :)

Any recent additions? I'm sure I'll have something to add from the Gem next month, but until then...

Moving the museum to Giza is a great idea! The more they move stuff out of the city of Cairo where protestors tend to congregate then the better off everyone will be. The museum will be less likely to be a target for destruction as it sometimes becomes when riots break out. Plus with it being by the pyramids gives it a better feel. Good for the people of Egypt to move the museum!

That might stop protests with the security around the pyramids and it might not. There's plenty of security around Cairo Museum too, and Giza still forms greater Cairo, which is hard to forget when you turn your back to the pyramids and look at the busy streets around it.

I remember there being a protest right outside of Biblioteca Alexandrina when I was inside touring. A peaceful student protest, but nonetheless.

If nothing else money that additional North American tourist will bring might be a motivating factor, though I wouldn't count on that. Many Europeans still go there and Egyptians don't really expect a lot of visiting Americans. We'll see...hopefully it'll all work out for them, and soon. :)

Awesome review and photos! Thanks for sharing. :D

Thumbs up!

Oh... You didn't know? And he fell as he zipped across the very first line and tumbled into the forest. He was only hanging by his legs. :D Every since then I care a few clones. :D

 

Btw... There unlike some other ziplines that require you to hand brake yourself (including the one offered by the ShorEx), the Walk-the-Plank zip line that Terry brings you to has someone on every platform to stop you so you can focus on zipping not braking. You can go tandem, upside down, whatever. And Terry give his safety speech on the fine german engineering and several thousand pound capacity... before making you sign the liability release form :eek:.

Sorry Ben and "Handler"...but I laughed at the bold. I'm glad that Ben went doing what he loved. Traveling!

Hmmm ya' know I think I might stick to the beach. LOL