shipgeeks

Me, too! Keeping myself open to any cruise wear I might come across is my all-season activity.

Winnigirl, I think your concerns are unfounded. You are not going to be an unknowing interloper in YC, and you will find your areas of the ship to be just fine. We have sailed Bella, were treated fabulously, and loved the private island. There was no feeling of any class system in anything we did; any more than finding out there is a suite lounge on HAL or X. The recent posts about interlopers reminds me of the occasional discussion about people who find a way to intentionally sneak into the Pinnacle Lounge on RC. Please don't give this issue another thought! We loved Seaside, and I expect you will, too. Do you have a loyalty level with HAL or X? If so, it might be worth applying for status match with MSC; it could give you some nice benefits.

Why? On any other US cruiseline, MDR would serve tap water unless the passenger purchased bottles.

You might find some helpful information in the Ports of Call section of Cruise Critic, further down on the main menu. If you don't find what you want, you could post your question there. Good luck!

I'm planning to take the HOHO bus circuit while in Saint John. It includes Bay of Fundy; if it's interesting at that time, fine, if not, there will be other sights along the way.

I agree with Essiesmom, with one exception: although the women exhibit that effortless chic, it was the men who impressed me with their style. Sport coats or really nice long-sleeve shirts even on casual evenings. Not a single Hard Rock or Greatest Grandpa t-shirt to be seen.

I've read that bottled water is included for Americans on European cruises. We had pitchers in MDR on our Seaside (Miami) cruises; our tablemates had a package that gave them bottles.

Not bottled, but the excellent tap water, from dispensers in the buffet, pitcher in dining room, and bathroom tap in cabin.

For years we have used a giant, online agency. I had browsed several of them, usually via pop-up ads, and found that I really liked their website, so decided to give them our business. They are in another state, but when I find a cruise I want to pursue, I email "our" agent, he calls me back with a potential cabin, and we finalize a booking if we are ready to do so. It has been very easy, and they have been very reliable. No hidden traps or schemes. I have to say, though, that we know what we want when we book, having studied all the TA listings re itinerary, prices, cabins, etc. Others might need more guidance about ports, ships, regulations, etc.

Our dining time preference is not guaranteed on either RC nor MSC, but on both, if we aren't happy with our assignment, we can go to the dining room on boarding day and request a change. We have been successfully accommodated on both, including in Bella. Re extra charges, the shows on Seaside and free. As for other activities, don't you have to pay for some of those on RC? Do you have a loyalty status with RC? If so, you can apply for Status Match with MSC, which could give you some extra benefits. MSC is different from RC, which is what we like about it. Because of the more international passenger makeup, and some different foods and entertainment, we can feel like we are truly travelling, not just spending a week with our neighbors.

As I see it, allowing names just opens up too much possibility of fraud. If I own X Travel, I could pretend to be a very satisfied customer of X Travel, and write rave reviews of the outstanding service I got. Maybe I actually give terrible service, but could generate a lot of business by continually giving fake glowing reviews.

I just ordered "Barometer Rising", $4 on ebay.

Hoodies are mentioned a lot, especially in reference to Alaska and Canada/New England cruises. I'm realizing that different people have different ideas of what a hoodie is. I think of a grey heavy cotton pullover, hugely oversized, with a hood, and perhaps a sports team logo; what we wore over pajama bottoms and scruffy slippers during the lockdown. I might wear one outside to rake the leaves, but not to go to the grocery store. Kristelle, in Australia, has reassured me that a hoodie can be a trim, well-fitting zip-up fleece with a hood, quite suitable for public wear, and practical for less-than-perfect weather. What do you think? Is it a regional thing?

Thank you; that is much nicer than the grey ones I associate with sitting around the house during the pandemic!

We sailed in May-June. We had a balcony, but only used it once, for an hour or two, the entire 10 days. I would absolutely book an OV if we did AK again. We spent all our waking hours, while in transit, on the upper open decks, or in a lounge with all windows. Our cruise had cold weather (but mostly sunny) the entire time. Long pants, long sleeve jersey, wool sweater, down jacket; sometimes a rain jacket over that. Hat, gloves, warm socks, warm shoes.

I was just reminded of a crossword book I enjoyed a few years ago: "O Canada Crosswords" by Gwen Sjogren. If you enjoy crosswords, it is a fun way to learn a few more interesting things about Canada.

Ryan is exactly right. We sail Bella, and I'm not sure we were even given an option of Early or Late in advance. When we boarded, our time and table were on our room card. We were not happy with the time we were given, so we went to the dining room at the time specified, and requested a change, which we got. Not guaranteed, of course, but worth a try if your time is not satisfactory. As you say you have only done anytime dining, please be aware that you cannot just show up at a different time or place, apart from the buffet, or a specialty restaurant. Your time and table will be held for you for the duration of the cruise.

My little purse garnered a lot of attention on my recent cruise. The only downside was its small size. In the evening I use a purse just for menu glasses, seapass card, lipstick and hanky. This time I had to just wrap my glasses in a hanky instead of the glasses case. But it was fun to have, and it only cost $1 at the fund-raiser.

Interesting! Hoodie here is usually grey cotton, pullover as opposed to zip, perhaps with a college logo, and enormously baggy. What you describe sounds perfect.

This is an excellent question, and one for which I hope there will be more replies. When we sailed to the Mediterranean, I always tried to read a book about at least one of the ports. We've done C/NE cruises a number of times, but it never occurred to me to loiok for books about these ports, all of which I like. I second (third?) the recommendation to visit the Maritime Museum while in Halifax, if you can take time out from all the other attractions right there in the city.

Yes, the variety of items on the table is always interesting to see.

If by "hoodie" you mean a cotton sweatshirt, I would say No. Too much bulk for the comfort it provides, and if it gets wet or damp, it's a negative. Instead, I would pack a zip-up fleece as a warm layer, as well as a light rain jacket. Jeans maybe. Long pants for sure, but perhaps something less prone to hold dampness. Yes to layers. Short sleeve, long sleeve. Personally I would take silk, rayon or wool rather than cotton.

If your seapass is not handed to you at checkin, but will be at your cabin, you can use your boarding pass to acquire drinks right after boarding.

That is exactly what we have done for years.

We had several experiences similar to Homosassa's, re conversations with officers, instigated by them rather than us. As a former teacher of adult classes, I was expected to take an interest in all my students, to learn what "worked" for them, and to care about their wellbeing, whether I personally liked them or not. Is that feigning an interest? Does that make it insincere? I suspect the YC butlers have to feign an interest in some of their passengers, too, lol.