josiemartinez

Got off the Ruby Princess on May 10, 2022 - tested positive for Covid today.  Also, my daughter, niece and nephew.  I strongly suggest wearing a mask on the elevators, when entering the dining room, theater, etc.  Keep using the hand sanitizers and frequent hand washing.  On medication now and quarantined for the next 5 days (we were all vaccinated, etc.); mild symptoms so thus far feeling fine.

It was a great Alaskan cruise; weather was chilly, as expected but we were all prepared for rain, cold, etc.  Victoria, Canada is just beautiful but too short a time was spent there.

Many thanks, fellow cruisers.  I'm going to try to get a full refund from Norwegian.  Will send an email to the NCL booking agent with this request so therein I will have created a "paper trail" for the refund.  I honestly don't think an FCC would work for my friend and I as we are both very senior in age; fortunately we are still in good health but don't want be held hostage by NCL.  Will try to let you know the outcome.  It's a topsy-turvy world, huh???

Am so glad I logged in and am reading the topic re cruise cancellation.  I have a Baltic cruise (the Escape) re-booked for June 2021.  I want to totally cancel this cruise and get a refund - not a cruise credit.  My inner feeling is that there is no way the cruise is doable because of all the countries where the ship will port may still have virus quarantines...vaccine or no vaccine.  I was supposed to make final payment Feb 2021 but received an email from Norwegian just yesterday stating that I can cancel up to 60 days before sailing (~April?) and they would give me future cruise credit.  Did Norwegian give any of you a "hard time" asking for a total refund instead of a future cruise credit?  I was paying for a combination of cruise costs, air fare and lodging in Copenhagen post cruise:  a hefty chunk of change.  I'm on the downhill side of 70 and, of course, life is not guaranteed.  Please advise. 

Plus keep in mind with the current coronavirus situation, even if the cruise ship is not affected, security may be tightened up even more going thru disembarkation and checking in at the airport.  I'm taking a late afternoon flight from LAX to Albuquerque so I'm not rushing to get off the ship.

I'm sailing next Saturday, 02/29 and can't wait to try the BBQ!

I want to thank all of you for the info on the Port to Rome train. My friends and I are taking the Jewel of the Seas May 2019 and I'm researching all the travel options from the airport to Rome AND from Rome to Civitavecchia (and return). The Cruise Critic boards really rock!

I'm also considering going on the Serenade of the Seas but on a 8 day cruise from Copenhagen that stops overnight in St Petersberg; Stockholm, Estonia and Helsinki are addtl ports in August 2019. I've never been to the Scandinavia side of the world. I'm thinking Norway would require a cruise by itself. I love the Serenade of the Seas; it's not "humongous" ship so I didn't get lost on her when I sailed to Nova Scotia last year from Boston.

My friend and I will be on the 13 day Baltic sailing out of Stockholm and ending in Copenhagen on 7/28/2019 on Serenade of the Seas. We picked this itinerary since it gave us the chance to stay in both Stockholm and Copenhagen plus it has 3 days in St. Petersburg.

I'm considering going on the Serenade of the Seas but on a 8 day cruise from Copenhagen that stops overnight in St Petersberg; Stockholm, Estonia and Helsinki are addtl ports in August 2019. I've never been to the Scandinavia side of the world. I'm thinking Norway would require a cruise by itself.

I love the Serenade of the Seas; it's not a "humongous" ship so I didn't get lost on her when I sailed to Nova Scotia last year from Boston.;p

It would be very risky. The ship may arrive in port at 6 AM but then it has to be cleared by the government before anyone can get off the ship which sometimes can take awhile. You will need to carry off your own luggage in the first group to leave so that there is no large lines at immigration. Hopefully you are carrying a passport which will make it easier to get cleared. If all goes well, you could be off and outside the terminal at 8 or so. The taxis are waiting and the drive is usually only 10 minutes or less depending on the traffic. At the airport you will need to give them your luggage, clear security (TSA stamp will be very helpful) and get to your gate. If all goes well, there should not be a problem and you can sink into your seat on the airplane and relax after a very stressful morning.

 

You need to find out how many ships will be in port that day and how many pax they will be debarking. You also need to consider the day you arrive back as weekdays can be heavy traffic for the roads and airport. If you miss your flight, you may not be able to get another one out until the next day or later as the airplanes are flying very full right now.

Very true with number of ships arriving at the port. Had a 1 PM flight out of FLL. We were off the ship and at the airport by 10AM. Early, right? FLL was completely packed. Between checking in with SW and going thru TSA (I have precheck) I finally made it to the gate by 12:30 PM and passengers were already starting to board the plane. No thank you to stress.

Dulce de leche cheesecake? Wow! I'm doing this cruise on 10/15 and I think I'll have dessert first.:hearteyes:

I drink coconut water to get rid of the muscle cramps I get in my legs.The kind I drink comes in cartons (like a milk carton) I don't think they will let me bring this on the ship. Can anyone tell me what they use for leg cramps. Thank you.

I use Hyland's Leg Cramp tablets. It's homeopathic (no drugs) and works wonders. Think both Walmart & Walgreen's carries the product. Also, as mentioned by another CC member, tonic water contains quinine and that also relieves Charley horses. I honestly never heard of coconut water for leg cramps.

Totally agree with you re hard mattress on the Ruby. Sailed on the Ruby a few years ago and it was like sleeping on a plank. If the bed is this hard again on the Caribbean Princess, I'll be asking for an egg crate.

Early February I booked the Serenade of the Seas for NE/Canada cruise sailing in October. After logging in I tried to enter my passenger info but the following message popped up in red: Online Check-in will be available 90 days prior to your sail date. Please try again in 90 days.

That's a first for me. This is my 5th RC cruise and I honestly do not recall having to wait 90 days to enter my info. I also booked a Caribbean Princess cruise in November and was able to enter my info right away. Very strange.:o

I just came across your review w/photos. I'm going on a shorter NE cruise on the Serenade on Oct 15th with a bunch of my friends (8 gals creating mayhem). Reason I picked RC is because it stops at Bar Harbor. Even though I lived in Brunswick ME another lifetime ago, I never went that far north. I sincerely appreciate the comments & photos of the ship. Have to agree with you re the Windjammer. I've been on several RC ships and its hit or miss with the food selection. That said, its hard to go hungry on a cruise ship. Thank you so very much for sharing your adventure and now I have to wait umpteen months 'til my cruise!

Could someone please tell me what this show is about? Hubby and I are disagreeing if we have seen this show in the past. Would just like to have heads up!

Million Dollar Quartet is about 4 early rock n' roll singers recording at a studio in Memphis. The singers are Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

Carl Perkins sang the original Blue Suede Shoes but Elvis made it popular. The music is really great if you like earl rock music, e.g., Walk the Line, Great Balls of Fire, etc.

A road show is now playing at Harrah's in Las Vegas. Tickets are pricey.

In my previous cruises, we have always driven. This time we are flying to Fort Lauderdale to sail on the conquest. I have already decided to fly in the night before. My question is about flights home. I have FTTF and don't want to hang around the airport all day, but also don't want to cut it so close. Would I be able to make it for an 11:30 flight, or should I make it later?

Make sure there are just a few ships in port on the date you are disembarking. I think there's a link somewhere that provides this info. I was off the Conquest in early March by 9:00 AM (self disembark) and at the FLL airport before 9:30 AM. FLL was a total madhouse! There were 4 of us cruising with a flight departure time of 1:30 PM. We finally made it to the gate area at 12:45 PM. It took over 3 hrs to check our baggage and go thru TSA, even with Pre-check. I later found out that there were about 5-6 cruise ships that arrived in Port Everglades that morning, and one of them was the mega beast, the Oasis of the Seas. To be honest, I have made earlier flights out of FLL so this may just have been a fluke, but I try to have a flight home no earlier than 12:30 PM. No problem with leaving the ship or Customs. It was FLL airport. Good luck to you and happy cruising!

I bought 8 12 packs for $2.99 each when they first announced the new policy. Im going on the TA I figured 1/2 pack per day plus.

As mentioned from previous posters, its now $3.99 for a 12 pack of water. Norwegian cruises charges $40.00 for a 12 pack and you are absolutely not allowed to bring any liquid refreshments on board: water, canned sodas, and if you bring wine on board, you are charged $15 on embarkation. Yea for Carnival!

Just as a point of clarification, since this is in the "Everything Vista" section, there is no pool in the serenity area on the Vista. I think there are two hot tubs, but no pool...

True. No pools on the Serenity deck on the Vista. A couple of nice hot tubs. It's a great ship (sailed on June 3rd).

I was wondering for those that have already cruised her, since it is so port intense, did you make it to the dinning room every night? Or where you to worn out to enjoy it? What about shows, to tired? I have never been on a cruise with so many stops and tours before.

Sailed on the Vista 06/03-06/11. Because the port excursions were lengthy, we did not always make it to the MDR by 6 PM. However, this was the norm because most of my table mates also arrived late. The waiter(s) told me this was common on this cruise and to please come no matter how late. No, the ordering of food was not held up and people just ordered when they arrived. It was wonderful as we all shared our experiences of the port we had just visited.

If I had to choose one area that could use improvement it would be the closet space, you do not have enough room for two people to hang your clothes. Don't let the picture fool you below with the mirror reflection.

 

 

 

 

Our Havana wrist bands, heard some rumours that people from the inaugural cruise are actually selling them on ebay...

 

 

Oh, those robes and whatever is at the bottom of the closet would be promptly taken out. Can't hang long dresses with those in it.

I don't know if that's even allowed but if I had to, every day I would remove them.

Absolutely not. Stray stuff that found its way to my room would get turned in immediately.

 

Imagine the poor sap who didn't have the clothes/stuff they packed because some clown decided to hold onto their suitcase...

IMO its either malicious mischief or downright "stealing" a person's vacation. A cabin, even family, suites, whatever, a different/extra suitcase would be noticeable. This was deliberate nastiness.

Every ship I've been on, it's been freezing cold EVERYWHERE on the ship, not just the comedy club.

 

IDK why it's so danged cold but I end up wearing a jacket half the time if I'm indoors and at night, I've sometimes worn the robe they provide IN BED so I don't freeze to death.

You can always request a blanket for your bed. Had to do this for my cabin mate who gets cold if its below 72. Me, esp. in any show room, lounge, even the MDR, I always have a sweater with me.

I was surfing the web on the various ports the Vista was sailing to and came across a web site that shows all kinds of festivals going on in Pisa in June. There will be processions, regattas, etc. so I'm going on the Florence/Pisa excursion. I'm sailing on June 3rd so now I'm really getting excited. That plus received a call from the upgrade fairy so am going from an inside cabin on deck 1 to a balcony on deck 6!

Here's the Pisa web site:

http://www.pisa.location-guides.com/pisa_festivals.html

Couldn't believe I was called by Carnival this evening asking if I wanted to upgrade from my inside cabin on Deck 1 to Balcony on Deck 6. I've been hopefully waiting to get this call. I told myself, get it if its under $500. It was and I did! Honestly, I've never been in an inside cabin but a lot of my friends really like them. However, I'm a bit on the claustrophobic side but I figured it was a heavy port cruise so I'll deal.

I'm trying to tap dance right now but my feet don't move the way they used to....LOL! Oh, Happy Days!

Oh, saw something interesting on a Pisa, Italy web site. Apparently the entire month of June they are celebrating something or other with processions, a regatta, etc. I'm definitely heading to Pisa.... I'm on the June 3rd sailing.

http://www.pisa.location-guides.com/pisa_festivals.html

i think the problem may be is that your friend is not finding the European cruises on whatever booking site they use and are only seeing the US sailings.

That's what I thought, too. But, no, she was adamant that they cruised in late 2015 and early 2016. As my teenage niece says, whatever....LOL!

Vista has never been in North America, period!

I think her friends gave her a crock of lies. She also told me she got some of the info from Cruise Critic! Wrong, wrong, wrong! I hate to argue over a nonissue but I thought I lost a brain/memory cell or two. It's no biggie but, yeah, it irked me somewhat. She's a nice lady so I was surprised that she truly believed this.

I do appreciate your prompt response. Thank you.