shipgeeks

Shouldn't the title be Good On Ya, Royal?

In the past, our cat has gone to my friend's house while we are away. He apparently appreciates his home so much now that he fights being taken away from his routine. We are very private people; I can't see having a pet service come into our house every day, and the friend who boards him lives too far away to stop in daily. Ideas?

While I was in the med center on a RC ship recently, four separate crew members, some with shirts from a different cruiseline, walked in and asked about a dentist. All were asked to return at 4pm or 4:30. So there must have been a dentist coming aboard for that purpose.

I've tried watching youtube re ships/cruising a couple of times, and I've learned I just do not have the patience to do so, no matter how well done. The printed word is my only acceptable source. We were in the Solarium a few years ago, and noticed a woman in one of the hot tubs, holding up a selfie stick and talking non-stop. She continued for well over an hour; at that point we couldn't take it anymore and left. IMO, she qualified as intrusive.

We have always used the hotel shuttle to get to the port, and a taxi at the curb to go to the airport. Both have always been uncrowded, comfortable, reasonably priced, and reliable.

MSC's Ocean Cay is, in our opinion, far above all the others, in that it is not an amusement park, but rather a beautiful small island with beautiful aqua water all around it, and just enough amenities to make for a comfortable day.

You probably will not be allowed to take it back onto your ship. Daily planners typically warn against taking any shells, sand, etc., for hygiene reasons.

ruru, I'm with you (to a point): two cocktail dresses, and since you have five sundresses you like, take the five sundresses. For me, the only difference is that since I don't have AC at home, and I rarely go to stores or other public spaces, when I do encounter AC I freeze, especially on ships with the new enhanced ventilation. For that reason, I now pack only clothing with sleeves. I refuse to put on a nice dress and then have to cover it with a cardigan or a hoodie. I dress for the evening every evening (formal or casual), but I am more likely to wear a dress with 3/4 sleeves, or palazzo pants with a long-sleeve tunic or jersey.

I never expected a reply to my (RC) request, and I never got one. But the request was fulfilled.

Sea days, with all that beautiful sky and sea, and sea day evenings, with everyone in a festive state of mind, lots of music, dancing, and conversation.

On a ship: MSC. Go to buffet, watch the pizza maker pull the fresh pizza out of the oven, immediately claim a slice or two.

The ship, any ship, preferably far out at sea, though departing from a port can be wonderful. Looking at the vastness of the sea and the sky in the daytime, and zillions of stars at night, is more magical than anyplace on land, IMO. We've been to ports we loved (yes, agree about Naples), but after 50 cruises, we are still more thrilled with our time on the ship than in any city or island.

I would be interested to hear from Cheng what the policy/practice is re sanitation in hot tubs.

I don't ever rush to Amazon because someone on CC says I must have magnetic hooks/power strips/luggage tags/lanyards/door decorations/ducks/personalized tags for ducks/mattress toppers/etc.

We got our Canadian money at Guest Services, and just didn't worry about the exchange rate. It was quick and easy, and we now have the $$ we will need for the occasional beaver tail or beer while ashore on our annual CNE cruises.

One other issue you might come across: There will be a note saying you MUST add the app, (read further for "If you choose not to.......) and then that you must complete the health questionnaire the day before the cruise. Neither is required. They will ask the health questions at the port, quick and easy.

Are you a walker? It's pretty easy to walk to lots of places, straight from the tender dropoff. Check out some maps, or get one at the port.

One further thought: When we did a cruise that was to end at Montreal, our small ship (Veendam) was unable to go all the way to Montreal, due to high river level, so we ended at an industrial area downstream. If that should happen, you, and anyone else arriving in Montreal to board, would need to get transportation to that area.

We did exactly that, a couple of times, not because there was nothing else appealing, but because we felt like eating light. Not a problem at all. To answer the original question, we were quite pleased with everything we had in both WJ and MDR on our recent Enchantment cruise. Not a single disappointment, and lots of variety.

OP, you mention the question of pressing wrinkled garments. We have always been able to avoid that, by packing our larger garments (tux, suits, dresses) as follows: Open suitcase, place half of one garment into the case, with other half draped over the side. Place next garment on top, similarly draped in a different direction. Continue until half full. Then start folding the outside halves in, stacking them up until all are inside. This will avoid all the creases of sharp folding. I might mention that we also leave the hangers in the garments when packing, as well. It adds a bit of weight, but it means we can hang things in the closets as soon as we care to. I agree that while admirable, DH might not need as many suits/jackets as you mention. Blue blazer with different slacks and shirts is always sharp, for example. We, too, love dressing up in different nice outfits every night, but they don't all need to be entirely unique. Wishing you a wonderful cruise!

Salad.

We just returned from the Enchantment cruise following yours. We had many MDR items different from yours, and all were quite good to excellent. No complaints at all, either with the new menus, nor with the quality.

Don't you know that if you leave your balcony door open it affects your AC plus the AC in the cabins around you? That's why the little plaque near the door says to always keep it closed.

We drink it from the cabin tap; no pitcher needed.

Well. I see we have a terminology misunderstanding! I am referring to the little bags of potato chips such as Lays/Utz/Pringles, that are now being rationed. French fries (British chips) are still made and served on the ships.