robin13

I always bring a couple of bags of trail mix along with popped popcorn and chips.  I like to have these when I'm relaxing in my cabin.  No one has ever said anything about it.

Mine came in very handy this past May when my suitcase was over 50lbs.  I just took out the heaviest packing cube and put it in my carry on so my suitcase now weighed less.  I love my packing cubes and wouldn't travel without them.

13 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Side Effects - why is it always Side Effects !?!

I didn't have any side effects at all.  The patch uses all natural ingredients. 

20 hours ago, imacruiser99 said:

If I recall, there is a whole separate thread on hangover "prevention" patches and one which has been used a lot is Rebound.  I have tried it and it does appear to work.  On my last cruise in March I did an experiment where I put on one on, drank like a fish (could tell since I was sailing our of NOLA and had to pay taxes on each on).  Felt fine the next morning, did a test by not wearing one and I did feel a little out of sorts the next morning.

That is the patch that I used.  I bought it on Amazon and it was pretty cheap.  I will always use this product whenever I know that I will be drinking a lot.

I was on a 15 day TA in May and I have to say that I drank ALOT!  I never really got drunk but I did notice that sitting on a bar stool all day does make your ankles swell.  I have been on 25 cruises and this is the very first time I had an issue with my ankle (as it was only the right one).  NCL doesn't cut you off as Carnival does after 15 drinks so that is a good thing at least for me on a TA.  Also since I knew that I would be drinking more than usual I bought some hangover patches that seemed to work.  You just put the patch on your arm a couple of hours before you drink and no hangover.  I also made sure that I drank water before I went to bed and that I had coffee when I woke up.  Thank goodness for the coffee maker in my mini suite as that thing saved my life. 

16 hours ago, nwcruiselover said:

I was recently booked solo in a sailaway balcony on the Getaway.  After final payment the price of a sailaway balcony went down to $500 less than I paid.  I called NCL and was offered a complimentary upgrade to a mini suite.  They did mention that there would be no further consideration if the price went down more.  I was booked directly with NCL on-line.  

Same thing happened to me on The Epic for my 15 day TA.  I noticed that the mini suite was cheaper than what I paid for my balcony so they upgraded me for free to a gty mini suite.  I didn't like the idea of them assigning the cabin to me but I knew that the mini suites were in good locations on the ship.  Turns out that it was a fantastic location and it was a great cabin.

1 hour ago, perditax said:

 

Not so much a poem, but some people think cruises can be a con ...

I got it!!  Thanks for the hint.

14 minutes ago, CookieShip said:

Congrats, it seems balcony bids are easy to on the Escape because there are so many of those on that ship. 

 

I hadn't considered that upgrade game... It didn't show the option when it was assigned a Studio? Did you get assigned an Inside room or was it still on Inside guarantee?

You can't bid if you are in a studio cabin.  That is another reason not to book one if you think you would want a bigger cabin. 

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 8:10 AM, WickedRed said:

robin13 speak for yourself.  I for one would be happy with a studio if I had booked a sailaway interior.  Chances are I booked the sailaway because it was cheaper than the studio.  A better solution would be to have someone at NCL call or sent an email to the solo traveler and ask if they would be happy with a studio instead of an interior.     

Um, I am speaking for myself WickedRed!!  I'm just stating that if I booked a inside cabin then frigging give me an inside cabin.  If I wanted to book a studio then I would have booked it.  I'm glad that you would be happy with a studio if you had booked an interior but most of the people that were discussing this issue in another forum were not.  And yes someone at NCL should contact the person that they are deceiving but they won't as most people would tell them no thank you I want what I paid for.

Yep, Priscilla was right around 90 minutes long while Burn the Floor was 50 minutes.  Both shows were really good but I really liked Priscilla a lot better.  BTW, try to get a seat close to the front as the costumes were incredible!!

You are the third person I have heard about getting a studio when they booked an inside sail away rate!!  If they did this to me I would have reacted the same way as you as I am not a big fan of the studio cabins.  I have sailed in them twice and to me they are like a big closet.  As for the studio lounge I used it on cruise but not the other. 

I'm glad to hear that they changed your cabin but it makes me mad that they are doing this to their solo guests who booked an inside cabin and getting a studio.  And please don't insult my intelligence and tell me that a studio cabin is an upgrade from an inside cabin.  That is what they were telling the other people and most everyone disagreed with NCL.

I guess it comes down to if I wanted a studio cabin I would have booked a studio cabin.  NCL are you hearing this???

And this is why I didn't do the 250 minutes and paid for the social media package.  It worked out quite well for me as I even got to talk to my friend in Paris France from the middle of the Atlantic ocean for free via the WhatsApp.

On ‎6‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 3:31 PM, CCFC said:

Did Carnival ever go to Cuba?

Yes they did but not anymore.

I have no idea how it works in the UK but here in the US we just buy them through a brokerage company.  And now is a great time to buy as yesterday the stock went down like 4%.  I'm so excited as I get to use my stockholders OBC on P&O.  Unfortunately I will only get £60 where in the US I would have gotten $100 but every little bit helps.

Well this happened to me for the first time in 25 cruises on a 15 day TA.  And the strange thing was it was only my right foot.  I attributed it to sitting on a bar stool and drinking alcohol almost non-stop all day.  This was my first cruise where I really drank a lot as usually most of my cruises I'm off the ship and doing excursions.  I have another cruise coming up in November but that one is just 8 days and in the Caribbean.  I will be interested to see if my feet/foot swell again. 

16 hours ago, Nola26 said:

We have one for our upcoming Epic cruise. Assigned quickly, category BC. Love the location, got the bedding location we wanted and I think it is one of the larger balconies on deck 8. Still sight unseen, but happy enough that we will not bid for an upgrade.

You were very lucky as I did my first and probably only balcony guarantee for my recent 15 day TA cruise on The Epic back in April.  Since this was a very long cruise I decided to splurge and get the balcony and since I was sailing solo it was more economical for me to do the balcony guarantee.  I had read all about this guarantee program and most everybody said they were pleased with the cabin they got.  Well to my dismay I was given an "enclosed" balcony.  I didn't even know that until I read the actual invoice and saw it in small print.  I googled enclosed balcony and when I saw that it looked like a giant picture window surrounded by metal I called my guy at NCL.  Since this was a guarantee cabin the only way to switch was for me to pay more $$ which I did.  I was then put on deck 8 and noticed that right below me were the life boats.  So if you were standing and looking down on your balcony all you could see were life boats.  I then noticed that the mini suites were way cheaper than what I paid for my balcony and NCL agreed to upgrade me for free to a mini suite.  The only caveat was that it was another guarantee cabin but at this point I thought how bad could the location be for a mini suite.  Well third time was the charm and I ended up with a great cabin in a great location. 

I did this for my recent TA on The Epic.  I had a balcony guarantee and they gave me one of those enclosed balconies which I detest.  I paid $200 to upgrade to a cabin that had a normal balcony but then come to find out that it was on deck 8 which meant that the life boats were right below you.  At this point the mini suites were cheaper than what I paid for the balcony so they upgraded me for free to a mini suite.

I guess I'm in the minority as I had this "enclosed" balcony booked when I did a balcony guarantee on The Epic.  To me it is too confining as it looks like a big picture window surrounded by metal.  Definitely not my idea of a balcony!  I had to pay to upgrade to a cabin that had a regular balcony and was so glad that I did it.

50 minutes ago, Micah's Grandad said:

The cost is not really $ 38. It is 38 on top of a particularly good meal in the DR. BTW you can get a much better quality bottle of wine at half price at steakhouse

Sorry but I don't look at it that way.  I look at it eating in a nice restaurant and getting to order pretty much whatever I want for $38. I like the atmosphere of the steak houses so that adds to my enjoyment of eating a good steak and taking my time relaxing.   And for the wine I always have the drink package so I'm not going to spend additional $$ on buying a bottle of wine.   But it is a good deal for those that don't have the drink package.

14 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

 

I believe we live in parallel culinary universes. You must think Outback and Texas Roadhouse have good steak. Sorry, to us the the service is miles above the harried MDR. The steaks are aged USDA Prime in line with Morton's or Ruths Chris, which are about $50 ala carte. Plus, soup, salad, appetizer and dessert, what a bargain. BTW, Lobster Bisque can be made as a puree and has no chunks of lobster, so do. We go at least twice a week, definitely chaotic MDR night one. 

I totally agree with you!  I always eat at the steakhouse as I have never had a bad meal.  And like you said where in the US can you get USDA Prime meat with all the extras for $38?  That meal alone would be at least $100 in Dallas.  And if you go on the first night you also get a free bottle of wine.  I know a lot of people complain about the quality of the wine but to me it was drinkable and hey it was free.

Yes I would try the Martini bar as they seemed to have the best mixologists there.  By the way ask them to make a Pistachio Martini as it was the best drink I had in my 15 day TA.  It's not on the menu but if you ask they will make it for you. 

I had a 10:45am flight out of MIA and was worried as well.  I wound up lining up at 6:45am with my luggage and then walked off the ship at 7am was the 3rd person in line at customs and was in a taxi around 7:15am.  Got to the airport around 7:50am.  All that worrying for nothing and I even saved money by booking this early flight.

5 hours ago, stephen@stoneyard.co.uk said:

You could try googling Single Cabin Inside AIDA Nova. My understanding is that the single insides are the same as the single balconies with a wall rather than a balcony door. Of course who really knows. 

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/cabins/AIDAnova-1854

 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

So from the picture it looks like it is a couch that makes into a bed.  Um, don't know about that.  Might need to see what the price difference is between the single cabin and a regular inside cabin.  Thank you so much for posting this.

8 hours ago, madster66 said:

Hi .. Iona is still being built .. so no one has yet stayed on her. 

Yes, I know that .  That is why I asked what they looked like on a newer P&O ship as I'm thinking it would be similar to what is on one of their newer ships. 

I am trying to find a picture or video of a single inside cabin on a newer P&O ship.  I found some videos of the single balcony cabin and that looked nice but can't find anything on the single inside cabin.  Has anyone stayed in one of these or know anything about them?  I got a quote for the inside on a July 2020 Norway cruise on the Iona but I want to see a picture before I book it.