clo

36 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

We travel both ways and they are equally enjoyable to us. We have cruised with several couples at once as well as well as with one or two couples together.  But we have one couple that we cruise with rather frequently (in fact we met them on a cruise a number of years ago and became good friends on land as well). When we occasionally have different interests in port they do their thing and we do ours.  But we always get together for dinner and our evening activities. The rest of the time we cruise by ourselves. We have four cruises planned (three booked) between now and October '25, two with them and two alone.

Four cruises in six months????? When you're at home are you more solitary?

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

We have cruised as a couple, but we most often cruise with others.  We have a couple that we have cruised with many times, and we also have cruised with family and friends.  Of the 4 future booked cruises we have, all of them are with others.

 

We have very clear "rules" that we set out and we set them out boldly when we cruise with others.

 

First is we don't coordinate the same excursions.  We research and book our own excursions.  Sometimes they cross and most often they do not.  Sometimes we are on the same excursion but on a different bus.  We don't even try to get together on the same bus.

 

The days are our own, and if we cross we cross.  The only thing we do is commit to having dinner together, going to the show, or not, and then perhaps to the lounge after dinner.

 

Evenings are for catching up and sharing our stories of the day.  Often we don't see the ones we are cruising with any day until dinner.

 

This works for us because I never want to feel that I have to conform to someone else's plan.

This sounds perfect and I'd like to know if anyone disagrees and why.

4 minutes ago, DoulaAnn said:

Only time that isn't applicable is a 6:30 reservation, since the restaurants don't open until 6:30. We've found going around 6:40 or so makes the line shorter (not necessarily short).

I don't think being late for ANYTHING is okay 🙂

14 hours ago, Vallesan said:

It is!

I recently saw a post that wrote "waiter/waitress." How about "server"? I've even gotten pretty good with "they/them." LOL

16 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

I kind of hope they don’t turn those used shoes into water bottles.

Thought you might like a peek 🙂
 

10 hours ago, ldubs said:

15 hours ago, clo said:

And there are people who "offend" too easily IMO

 

And those who get offended too easily I suppose. 

I actually meant what you wrote. So it could have been "who get offended too easily."

4 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

 

 

I'm surprised by the disagreement here. I had to check to see if I was at the right site.

 

I happen to agree with the principle that cruising isn't for everyone all the time. But for me, at this phase in my life, cruising sucks up most of my vacation time.

I don't find this unpleasant but all I wrote was "agreed."

27 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

A dozen - just counting those made from plastic water bottles?   How many pairs overall?

Oh, and I forgot to mention that when you've worn them out or tired of them you can return for a $20 and then they recycle the shoes. So the water bottle become shoe and then the shoes become shoes again.

23 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

My DW is not keen with the water on board and prefers bottled water.

 

We get bottled water for the restaurant which of the bottle is not finished will be held to the following day with no problems.

 

I have no opinion on the water and use it as if it was what is used at home.

Glass or plastic bottles? I have about a dozen pairs of shoes made from recycled plastic water bottles. From the ocean nowadays.

16 minutes ago, the more ports the better said:

In Feb on Riveria, we were a few minutes late for a sharing table.  When we sat down I asked the husband how his day was.  He said it was good until he had to wait for us.  I looked at my watch and it was 6:33.  The doors opened at 6:30 and they had to check in and walk to the table at the rear of Toscana.  I figured the most they had to wait was 90 seconds.  
 

Later in the meal, we learned he was a retired mathematician, maybe a bit on the spectrum.  He told us of his terrible divorce and how he made sure that did not happen again by purchasing his current wife of 20 plus years from China.  He said he knew she was of “good stock” as he had worked on a project with her cousin, mind you, she was sitting right next to him during the entire conversation.  

 

We almost always meet wonderful people with sharing tables.  That time, it was an adventure……

Speechless. I'm afraid I would have left the table at that point. Whew.

18 minutes ago, mb777 said:

What is an OH?

Maybe "other half" I like that.

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Actually, it appears that YOU wanted the last word.😉

Oh, hell, why don't *I* have the last word?!?!? Here's a man in Hue, Vietnam. A group of them were taking us to dinner at a local's home. You betcha we tipped him in dongs.

1 minute ago, daydreamer62 said:

You could have spent 2 minutes at an ATM getting NZD or pay by CC as most of us do. 

And the odds are we make more money than they do. Maybe no cars, inadequate public transpo, etc. I've been doing this for decades and, as I've written, it's a real button issue for me. I don't always have to put MYSELF first.

2 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

 I would hope most of us would not intend to offend.

And there are people who "offend" too easily IMO

5 hours ago, daydreamer62 said:

Did you even read my reply? When was your last experience tipping in USD in New Zealand???????. Banks in New Zealand do NOT handle foreign exchange ( since at least 2019). A few dollars in foreign currency isn't worth anything. Nothing at all because the fees to exchange are higher than the value of the money.  If you truly value good service perhaps some respect for the person you are supposedly tipping might be more appreciated than your money in foreign currency . 

I don't see a reply down thread. Too bad.

3 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

You can’t really apologize for an opinion😉

I am always cognizant that it is that - an opinion or at best an anecdote.  Certainly some may have a personal experience more closely suitable to the question asked but that experience is always shaded by that person’s perspective. 

But you can apologize for upsetting the other person. 

15 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

FB can prove useful with the private groups. With public groups it is a matter of using  common sense.

Idiots and WUM's will post on FB and some people will believe without question😄

I would also suggest that there are some very VERY vociferous people on CC who will defend their beloved cruise line to the death  😏 and accept no criticism whatsoever.

 

And won't admit they're wrong and apologize 🙂

14 minutes ago, K32682 said:

It isn't.

Agreed 

40 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

We actually had an amazing time in Sarasota several years ago but that was a place we did ‘pick’!

OT but that put a smile on my face. Sarasota is where I learned to swim. 🙂 

10 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

“Seems to be” (Americans) is your unsubstantiated claim and nothing more. 

In any case, the fact remains that all money is money and, personally, I’ve never seen any service person refuse a gratuity consisting of US $.

 

In fact, I remember one experience many years ago in Athens, Greece where I asked a cab driver how he preferred to be paid during a time when the Greek economy was having a difficult time. His answer? “US $ if you’ve got them.”

I've given this more thought and perhaps you're most talking about ship staff and I'm not at all. Plus having thought about this I realize that our recent travel - and not so recent - has been in Central and South America and SE Asia. I'm dropping this now. It's something I feel quite strongly about and won't be changing my mind.

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

See response #23. All over the world, service personnel (particularly on cruise ships) gratefully accept all sorts of money and exchange it amongst themselves or at banks/exchange bureaus.

 

As for me: As a young man, I worked in the ski industry and I can tell you that I always preferred even foreign currency to yet another knitted cap. 😎

Of course one would prefer any currency to none. Sorry. My point is that Americans (that seems to be who do this) don't want to go to the process of going to an ATM and getting a small amount of local currency. The cost is minimal and can't we possibly afford it more than the person 'serving' us?

5 hours ago, Techno123 said:

in the UK, US dollars aren't much use unless the person being tipped is planning to visit the US at some point. We can change them to pounds but it's a rubbish exchange rate.

Which is another topic entirely. I ask people who want to use dollars to tip, how would they like it if they got tips in pounds. They don't seem to reply to that 🙂

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Facebook is and always was an echo chamber.  It is self congratulatory and a cheerleading squad.  Remember that should you ever be tempted to become informed on more important topics 

Not for me. I've had HUGE differences of opinion with lots and lots of folks.

7 hours ago, mnocket said:

I feel the need for a minor rant😡

 

I recently branched out and joined several luxury/premium cruise line related FB groups.  It didn't take long to realize that those groups were dominated by moderators and members alike that were ardent fanboys (and girls).  They are extremely intolerant of any views that didn't reflect their fanboy mentality. In fact, they even forbid mentioning any other cruise line.  For example, posts saying "I love Windstar, but they don't sail to Japan.  Do you think I would enjoy sailing on Oceania?" are removed.  Forbidden.  How dare you ask about another cruise line.  They are essentially forums for extolling the virtues of their favorite cruise line. Period.  I just don't understand why so many people these days want to live their lives with blinders on - never hearing or seeing anything that deviates from, or challenges, their perspective. It has made me appreciate Cruise Critic even more.  Sure, there are fanboys and loyalists here, but they don't dominate the forums shutting down dissenting opinions. The good, the bad and the ugly are discussed freely. Comparisons to other cruise lines are always welcome. My foray into FB has been eye-opening.  Kudos to Cruise Critic for welcoming a diversity of thought.  Something that is becoming rarer these days.

 

End of rant.

I've long thought that we learn nothing when everybody agrees with every body.

And your post that mentioned Windstar just blew my mind.

8 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

Julia Child has a recipe for Duxelles in her Vol. 1 (Along with the recipe for Beef Wellington).  Finely chopped mushrooms, onions and then sautéed - and yes - some foie gras added.  But not much.

She really remains a she-gawd.