shipgeeks

Domenica is being added to St. Lucia and Barbados on Vision next year.

The clamshell is what allows us to slide our luggage under the bed! When we had soft, with a top opening, it took a lot of flattening to do so. And the open case means I can leave some "maybe" items in the case, and just pull it out if I decide I want something.

I don't think I've ever received a final payment reminder for any cruise on any line.

And then again, there are those of us who have no complaints at all about our MSC cruises.

We've been sailing RC a lot in the past couple of years, and yes, standards have dropped. The only person we've seen turned away from the dining room was a young man in a tank top/undershirt. There is a dress code noted in the daily planner each day - Formal or Dress Your Best, White, Tropical, or Casual. Some comply, some are casual every day. DH, and some of the other men, do wear a sportcoat and/or dress shirt every night, and many of the women still wear a dress or nice pants, but sadly (IMO), the numbers are falling.

Cooler/refrigerator only in certain levels of cabins.

And it is now in the main cabin drawer, not the bathroom slot, due, I believe, to people using it for toilet paper and clogging the toilet system.

I've heard that lobster is not usually offered on Med cruises; it's not readily available, and it's not something that appeals to European passengers. There might be other differences, based on availability and preferences.

We've been there with another, large, ship, and had no problem getting loungers and umbrella, even after taking our time getting off the ship. We never spend anything there.

RC has chartered 55 buses to carry pax back to Baltimore on Thursday.

Thank you for mentioning this. I regularly see posts about buying cruise insurance, with 90% saying "It's a must", with the inference that if ANYTHING should go wrong, the insurance will take care of it without question. Definitely not the case.

There is a blow dryer. It appears that they are being upgraded as needed, and the new one is great. Bar soap at the bathroom sink, multi-use gel in the shower.

Port of Norfolk is reporting that RC has chartered 55 buses to take pax to Baltimore tomorrow. Arrival information for those arriving for April 4 cruise is listed as well.

I do feel morally obliged to keep the photos in good condition, as they are from The Wedding....so still wondering about a save. No hurry, I guess, although I do have a recipient for all the frames lined up.

There was an earlier post about removing framed photos from their frames, packing them in nice envelopes by family or subject, and giving away the bulky frames. Excellent idea, and I have finally started doing so. Well. I found one in which the photo was glued securely to a thick piece of wood, cut to fit into the fancy frame. That block of wood will have to stay as is, within that envelope. Now I'm finding some in which the donor apparently put dabs of clear glue onto each piece of glass before putting the frame together. The photos are stuck to the glass, and if I try to gently peel them off, a piece of the photo comes off and stays with the glass. Aargh. Not a good way to keep a photo, and not a good way to donate frames. Any ideas on how I could safely separate glass from photo?

Some of the questions above, about the NCL situation, are covered on the NCL board.

GoHuskies, I found your post quite interesting. Your mention of being a brass musician reminded me of the times I had concert seating behind a band or orchestra, and noticing the posture of the musicians, particularly the brass, who usually leaned back rather awkwardly; not what a posture specialist would ever recommend! I know our local hospital network has a department specifically for musicians. I've seen evidence of work they do with violinists who develop neck and shoulder issues. I'm wondering if your positions while doing cabinetry are contributing to your balance issues. If you are constantly in an awkward position, and using your muscles, it can be an extra strain. On the positive side, I'm glad you mentioned the great lung capacity you and your colleagues have. That's a wonderful health asset! Finally, I highly recommend PT for balance concerns. A year or so ago my balance deteriorated greatly, and my neurologist recommended PT as well as meds prescribed by a rheumatologist. I will never know for sure, but I believe the PT, which I continue to do every day, has played a greater part in my return to near-normalcy than the meds.

The posts here on CC, under RC, Carnival, East Coast Departures, roll calls, etc. have information that might be helpful for those affected.

The current RC cruise (Vision) passengers are being offered their choice of shuttle to Norfolk airport, BWI airport, or Baltimore cruise port, all complementary, at the end of the cruise.

Care to share any helpful information, or questions?

I've learned, over the years, that I need local currency (and enough knowledge of the language to ask for a restroom location) even on Caribbean cruises sometimes, as well as overseas. And I just read several posts, elsewhere, about the number of squat toilets people found on their overseas travels, when they were expecting sit-down types. Sometimes I remind myself how grateful I am for my reliable indoor plumbing at home.

I'm not sure if you are referring to each of the ports during the cruise, or at the end, for disembarcation, but in either case, much would depend on whether you are entitled to "priority" status, i.e., you have booked a RC excursion that leaves at an early time, or RC shuttle to the airport at the end, etc. In many cases, those without priority must wait til all the others have been cleared. I would hesitate to say you can assume you'd be able to step off the ship shortly after she docks.

Here's something I just saw on the Carnival board, re a parking option at Norfolk: "Asphalt Lots" in Chesapeake, VA is a veteran-run parking garage, with shuttle service to the port on cruise days, and reportedly cheaper than Carnival's parking option.

CD on Vision of the Seas did the same, except on the upper deck. I believe it was pretty well attended. Much as I love a promenade deck, and choose it during the day, an early morning walk on the upper deck, before the sun is overwhelming, is fabulous, too.

Royal IS providing free bus service from Norfolk next Thursday, to Norfolk airport, BWI airport, or Baltimore cruise port, as each passenger chooses. I haven't seen news yet about the two following cruises, but I expect there will be something offered.