shipgeeks

We have done the spring TA three times. We always find it quite cool out on deck, due to the wind. I almost always wore two or three light layers on sea days if I was going to be on an upper deck.

Vision was RC's Ship of the Year, 2023. She had the highest passenger reviews in the fleet. One of the things we like is the views of the sea from all over the ship, including a real Promenade Deck (as opposed to a Royal Promenade, aka inward-facing shopping mall).

One more Amazon "must buy for a cruise" thing?

Toothbrush and hairbrush. Not much else.

Vision of the Seas, from Baltimore, does a nice 9-night C/NE cruise several times each season.

Ours clearly says "based on double occupancy" (which is our default), includes our loyalty status, and states that it includes port fees but not airfare nor taxes. Any time I log on, the responses are automatically personalized for us. Yes, it was a great group (or non-group) of passengers. We've probably gotten group rates on other cruises, but never had any reason to sense that we were part of a group.

Years ago, we used to browse different online agent sites. We found some to be very confusing and hard to navigate (does this price include port fees or not??), and eventually found one that was very clear and straightforward, and easy to navigate. We used that one for a long time for doing research (same as I used the Sears catalog as a wish book when I was a kid). We decided to give them a try, and the rest is history. First time, we call, and are connected with an agent, who becomes our usual agent. When we choose a cruise, we email him, he calls with a cabin and price, we book, he sends us an email confirmation. For us, it works well every time. Funny story: This agency has a group bookings department, which our agent has used to get us a better price. On one cruise, we found that our MDR table seated 11 people, all of whom came to dinner each night. The AHW asked us how we all knew each other. We didn't; we were from all over the country. Apparently we had been booked as a group, and the cruise line had taken that literally. (It was a great table.)

We have never bought a drink package; not tee-totalers, but would never find it worthwhile for our few evening drinks. We do enjoy many of the free drinks, coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, Arnold Palmers, juices, and most importantly, the ship's water, from bathroom tap and from dispensers. Much nicer than any bottled water. I have to agree with the point about being off the ship many days, and not being able to sit around the pool with Pina Coladas all day.

Thanks! Yes, sunscreen is the only thing I could think of that would make the use of two appropriate. But I've looked at mine, and it doesn't seem to contain any sunscreen. I'm using the one I have, and my face has not fallen off or anything. And I'm telling myself it is fresher if I use just one til it runs out.

We are both definitely Ship people. We want to be on a smaller ship, with a promenade deck and other outdoor spaces, and views of the sea while we sail. Seeing the sea and sky (and maybe flying fish) and feeling the movement of the ship. We have cruised to many destinations, and many are now repeats. Our favorite cruises have been the long stretches of sea days, on a TA or Hawaii. The only ports at which we now usually get off the ship are on a C/NE itinerary.

GeezerCouple, You have confirmed for me what I always thought. So many people seem to think that having travel insurance is the perfect solution for anything that could go wrong, whereas we just make sure our credit cards/funds will cover emergencies.

Most of the products I use/see are named one or the other: Day or Night. What's the difference? Any disadvantage to using just one for both applications?

I know that many non-US hospitals require payment upfront, often $$$. I always wonder if having evidence of travel insurance is sufficient in that position. Doesn't insurance always require that we pay for a service and then submit claims for reimbursement?

Yes, gloves, and a ski-type headband to keep ears warm.

When we did our AK cruise, all we could justify was an inside cabin. Due to circumstances, we were moved to a balcony, our first. We did not enjoy it. We do like being able to look out, but the balcony obstructed our view of the water and scenery. We spent virtually all our waking hours up on the top deck, watching the scenery in all directions, getting sunshine if it was a sunny day. During the 10-night cruise, we only spent a couple of hours, one afternoon, out on the balcony, and we were not at all comfortable. Have a wonderful cruise!

Yes.

On any ship, an odor while in port can frequently be traced to the fact that fuel is being taken on. Gas station aroma.

OP, I took your title to mean "give up entirely/forever, kicking the habit". Could I do that? Maybe, as I'm sure there are things I could give up if my doctor said I absolutely had to, for example. But why would I? It seems that many posters base their answers on cost. For us, cruising is one of the few things we spend money on, and actually, it is not a lot. We have no interest in booking the newest, biggest ship, nor in a suite or balcony. We love the older ships, and an OV cabin. When I compare the prices of rail trips, hotels. resorts, beach condos, we always come out ahead. We scrimped and saved all our working years; we are now enjoying the benefits of those efforts. So we will keep cruising as long as we enjoy it as much as we do now.

I believe Pax existed long before CC, MDR, OP, and all the other shortcuts were created.

Could she be moved to the Philadelphia Navy Yard?

Yes, in many countries outside of the US, requiring payment upfront is usual. I assume that would normally require a credit card. I sometimes wonder if having evidence of travel insurance would even be accepted by a hospital, or cash or credit card only.

Would a hot water bottle work? Plenty of hot water in the bathroom to fill it up.

Posts get deleted all the time; definitely not just re MSC.

One of the things we liked The Most was the passenger makeup, with Americans in the minority; it just felt more like being away on vacation rather than close to home with people just like us. So much easier than having to fly to Italy. And we are probably older than you; both of us sometimes use canes....and we would still book Bella and cruise with the masses.

We loved ours, walking distances notwithstanding. I agree about not being able to use the area under the slant, and I had to put postits on the window to keep from bumping my head all the time. But we loved the views. Re keeping the curtains securely closed all night, I heard that is required even after we turn the lights off, as there is still interference from the door peephole, little light on the tv, etc.