shipgeeks

As mentioned above, 17th St., close to the hotel, has a big Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Ross, Winn Dixie, and a bunch of small stores with things like beach hats and sarongs. We usually do a stroll to get sunscreen, mouthwash, and other things we don't want to carry on our flight.

FYI, you are also within walking distance of the bridge which gives a good view of the port. It's fun to see the ships in port the day before, and the day of a cruise.

Thank you for your concern, but my last comment was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. I've just been curious whether the same trend is occurring in other parts of the country/world. I am definitely ok!

A cruise is the most worry-free vacation there is, IMO. No concerns about the car breaking down, no worries about whether you will find a restaurant or hotel.....I could go on and on. A ship is also one of the cleanest places on earth.

I do understand your jitters. After 36 cruises, I still wake up the night before to ask myself if I packed the passports and underwear, and whether that is really a toothache. By the way, underwear, OTC meds, and many other things are available for sale on the ship and in many ports.

Most of us have gone through the same thing....and most of us continue to cruise as often as we can! Check your lists, go, and have a wonderful time.

I agree, shoes must be comfortable if they want to make it into the suitcase. My reference to changing into flats was based on the time I sprained my ankle, leading to a lot of swelling, and a couple of times when the seas were so rough that the captain requested that women not wear high heels. There is no way I want to miss dinner, dancing, and the rest of my evening just because the ship is rolling!

Deck 3 is the open promenade deck. When it rains, the deck gets wet. If it rains hard, it gets very wet, and could seep in. It's not a threat to the seaworthiness of the ship.

On the women on Dancing With the Stars, I expect fake eyelashes.

On female newscasters, I accept them.

Now, in real life, I see high school girls and working women wearing them every day. Is this the new Must Do?

If I'm only using my super-extravagant mascara on my cruise, especially on gala night, will I be a Plain Jane?

I will be taking one long and one short on my next 7-night cruise. I like shorter ones for dancing, but the advantage to me with a long one (besides feeling elegant) is that if for some reason I can't wear heels, I can wear flats and they won't show.

On our following cruise, 12 nights, I will probably take one long and the rest short.

Also, we have found European cruises to be dressier overall than Carib/Alaska, etc.

Sometimes adult men in shorts get turned away from MDR, and sometimes not. IMO, it would be foolish to not at least pack a pair of long pants, knowing that you could be asked to go back to the cabin and change. I have seen that happen a number of times.

t shirts and jeans. You WILL see this, along with a wide range of attire. Sorry but your "show" hopefully is not separate? (just linked because going direct from one to the other? no one dresses up for "shows")

Some cruise lines request that passengers respect the evening's dress code in all public areas of the ship (excluding pool) during the evening....therefore, show, etc. It might not be enforced beyond MDR, but the expectation is there.

Personally, I can't imagine going back to my cabin to change yet again, when I still have show/dancing/casino/music ahead of me.

I'm planning on wearing/packing summer weight dresses with a cardigan in the evenings. Much lighter to pack than Winter outfits. I'm assuming the ship will be heated.

Yes, ship is heated in cold climates.

My observation was that even though some evening outfits might be lightweight (not strictly winter attire), there were not the Caribbean/Hawaiian shirts or dresses that are worn on other cruises. I am more likely to wear dresses with sleeves. DH wears a sportcoat, and a tux on gala nights. Many, but not all, passengers did the same.

We were on a June 1, 2016 cruise. The price of a balcony is worth every penny. They may have gone up, but experiences of a lifetime can not be measured by dollars. Incredible view.

And we felt quite the opposite. We had a balcony (gift, so price was not our concern), and only used it, briefly, once in the 10 day AK cruise. All of our time was spent on the open decks. Next time it will be an oceanview for sure.

We second the advice to use the cruiseline air and transfers. That saved us when our flight was grounded at our home airport. And have all relevant phone numbers (RCI) with you, just in case.

Chances are there will be no problems at all.

Have a wonderful wedding, and a fabulous cruise.

I recommend the Blue Bus, too. But be sure you know when the last bus runs, and are in line for the return trip in plenty of time.

How about a Canada/New England cruise out of Baltimore?

Baltimore also has cruises to Bermuda, Caribbean, Bahamas, and combinations of those.

Good departure and arrival port.

Charity stores! When I was working, I bought most of my suits and other work attire there. Now that I'm semi-retired, and have time, I shop for cocktail dresses and other cruise apparel. Fun! I love that I can see dozens of different brands, some of which I've never heard of or would not have found at a mall or department store, designer labels included. I am experienced enough to recognize good fabrics and construction, and for just a few dollars, I can try styles that I might not have considered my look. I just bought a BCBGMax Azria dress for about $5, perfect condition. Totally asymmetrical design, which is new for me. I love it. If I'm tired of it in a year, I can donate it back to a charity, and everyone wins.

One more reason to only drink tap/dispenser water on a ship.

IMO, it doesn't matter at all. We spent the vast majority of our waking hours on the open decks, taking in the beautiful scenery in all directions. We only used our balcony once in the entire 10 days.

Cabin 3519 on Equinox is not a passenger cabin; probably crew.

The forward-facing oceanview cabins, on deck 7 and 8, have large slanting windows. We loved that for transatlantic, but would still prefer a low deck regular oceanview for Alaska. We have had a balcony on an Alaska cruise, and only used it once, for a couple of hours, during the entire 10 days.

All Deck 3 Oceanview cabins are midship, so there would be no reason to have a small porthole. We've had that category twice, and both had a big window. Our deck plan indicates that all have window, not porthole.

If it were me, I would definitely choose the oceanview over a balcony. We enjoyed watching sea otters and other creatures from our window, and the big views from the open decks.

Our #1 tip: Be one deck above pool deck, midship, for the first hour or more of sailaway. Great views, especially passing under the Bay Bridge. Be prepared to duck your head!

If you walk the Promenade Deck at night, and circle around the back, you can smell the bread baking. During the day, Promenade is a nice place to sit and watch for sea creatures.

Grandeur has a very high loyalty following. The crew are very friendly.

We have done similar TAs three times. Each time, the weather was mild and beautiful but the speed of the ship, with no land masses around, made it quite windy outdoors. I wore long sleeves most of the time. Many people in shorts and bathing suits on pool deck, though. My favorite kind of cruise!

Dulcimergirl, DH (a 17 year survivor) and I wish you a wonderful cruise in your fun outfits, and a long and happy life with the people you love. You sound like the kind of people we like to meet on cruises.

I hope you know that there are more negative words said on CC than aboard ship. I think you are going to make a lot of people smile.

Bon voyage!

Inside cabin.

We've stayed at Extended Stay America, 17th Street, several times, and will do so in the future. Free shuttle from the airport, $4 shuttle to the port. Nice clean hotel, pleasant staff. Lots of shops and restaurants nearby, for last-minute toothpaste and stuff. A short walk to the drawbridge to see the Inland Waterway and the ships in port.