shipgeeks

I've had sand fly attacks twice, in the Carib. Very itchy and spotty. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to lie on the beach.

I never watch videos myself; I just find them annoying and at the wrong pace. However, I come across many questions from potential cruisers which are answered by "there are lots of youtube videos on the subject; check them out", rather than answering the question. Especially for someone just beginning to explore what cruises are like, I suspect this sort of reply leads to a lot of watching.... and some misinformation.

A recent post on another site, about bed bugs, concluded that the problem was sand flies, picked up at a beach in a port. And another post noted that a cruiser left his balcony door open all night, and in the morning he found his cabin walls covered with hundreds of little bugs from outside.

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Wasn't there a fairly recent l-o-n-g post about a son who bought an expensive watch while on a cruise, and then was pulled aside at Customs for not declaring it? An earlier poster in this thread mentioned that no form required if under a certain $$ limit. If over that limit, one might be wise to track down a form and fill it in. It was stated that the onboard shops, and many port stores, report large purchases made by passengers.

We've eaten all our dinners in MDR on all 49 of our cruises, and have never ordered any of the "classic"(?) items. We've enjoyed the variety on the main daily menus, and always found things we liked. Our first cruise with the new menus is in three weeks. I don't see any problems with what I've seen of those options.

That kind of negates the safety factor of people knowing where to go in an emergency.....

A question: Our Diamond status expires in February, 2024. Do we have to sail by then to retain our benefits (yes, please!) or just finalize a booking by then?

MSC, You have a unique product, currently, in the American market: the opportunity to experience a bit of the style of European cruising. Please do not dilute it in an attempt to become another RoyalNorwegianCarnival line. There are already plenty of those. There are many of us who appreciate the onboard European experience: the shows, the food, the style of more reserved service, as well as the international passenger makeup that allows us to feel that we are "away" rather than with hundreds of our hometown neighbors. Unfortunately, all of your advertising seems to emphasize only the low prices, not the uniqueness of the product. If you shift to showing what the onboard experience is like, you will attract the people who will appreciate it, rather than those who go only for the price and feel they were mis-informed because it wasn't royalnorwegiancarnival.

Please do not ever take away the option of traditional dining.

Will you consider the Port of Baltimore as a departure port for year-round cruises? RC and Carnival currently sail from there, almost always fully booked. A third ship, around the size of Armonia, would be an excellent addition to the northeast corridor passenger base. Baltimore is well-known as a business-friendly port, and is close to BWI, a major international airport.

By the timing, I'm guessing that the Enchantment cruise was the first one with the new menus. Do you know when Anthem switched? I suspect there is a learning curve involved in changing over.

Agreed. The only problem I've come across is the line between suggestions and requirements. I recently came across a post in which the young lady was led to believe she had to purchase specialty dining packages in order to be able to eat on her cruise. I think it is important for us to be clear on what is required (documents, etc.) and what can be useful.

We both like being able to sit at the window, with the sea, sky, and occasionally creatures, right there. If there is a balcony in the way, the view is cut off by that "tunnel". OV cabins are on lower decks, closer to the sea. With a balcony, we have to draw back two layers of drapes, unlock, step out, latch balcony door, sit in uncomfortable chairs, open door, step in, lock door....... So much nicer to be able to just sit in comfort and enjoy the view. More recently, it seems that there are more passengers who refuse to close their balcony doors, thus affecting the AC in the surrounding cabins. I'm fine with unavoidable things such as a port being cancelled due to weather, but I'm not okay with other passengers lessening our cruise experience in this way. The two times we had balcony cabins, we did not pay balcony prices, so it's not price that leads me to prefer OV. Both times, after spending very little time out on the balcony, we said we wished we had done otherwise.

And short cruises tend to be more party/booze cruises, which might or might not suit your family.

Paging Chief Engineer Cheng! Care to set the matter straight?

Well, now we will get into disagreeing..... Post 4 says pack bathing suit, etc. This assumes one cares about being at the pool on boarding. Post 6 says travel insurance and seasick meds. We do neither, and have never regretted it.

Assuming Liberty is similar to Enchantment, you will be asked to vacate your cabin no later than 8am. Whether you are okay with staying longer, while lugging around at least your carryons, is up to you. But then you will most likely be expected to leave the ship around 9 or so, at the latest, if I recall.

I think the other consideration is whether NCL, and the ship and itinerary you end up on, is the best choice for you. Even if the cost is low, a poor match can lead to a disappointment. As well as posting further on the NCL board, I would also recommend browsing the Alaska section on the Ports of Call part of CC. The ports you would be visiting can be a deciding factor, too.

We were upgraded to a balcony on our AK cruise, and we only used it one short time in our 10 days aboard. We would never book a balcony again, even at Inside prices. We spent all our waking hours up on the top decks, or promenade deck, watching the beautiful scenery and the sky and sea. In our cabin, our view was diminished by the framework of the balcony.

We are not permitted to give travel agency names here on CC, so I can't say more in that respect. I'm kind of shocked at $599 for port fees for a 7-night cruise, though! If, however, that also includes taxes, which are not included in my TA's price, that would make a difference. Still seems high, though.

Never leave your balcony door open;, or even slightly ajar. It will disrupt the AC in not only your cabin, but the other cabins around you. Find the little drain in the floor of your cabin bathroom (not the one in the shower), and pour a glass or two of water into it. That will take care of any odors in the bathroom. Do not put wipes or other non-toilet-paper items into your toilet. Don't believe that there are "50 essential items", apart from clothes, meds, etc., that you "must pack" to have an enjoyable cruise.

How would flights to Baltimore (BWI) work for you? Royal Caribbean has cruises from there year-round, with a different itinerary and different length each time. You mention 4-5 days, which they occasionally do, but if you are going to the trouble and expense of flying in, I would recommend at least 7 nights. The ship, Enchantment, to be followed by Vision of the Seas, is smaller and has fewer "bells and whistles" than the mega-ships sailing out of Florida, but has excellent service, nice music, entertainment, and activities. Not mentioned by you, but are you set on a certain time of year, destination, beaches, ports, hot weather, etc.?

I might also mention that our TA's site does not indicate that any category of cabin is close to being sold out, and they usually do if this is the case. I just get a sense that you are being pushed to a quick decision, and it makes me concerned that they are also going to push you to, perhaps, upgrade to a balcony cabin (definitely not needed for Alaska, as views from the open decks are so much better) for an outrageous fee, etc. And I wonder why you are limited to one ship and two dates, out of all the ships and dates that will be doing AK. Perhaps asking on the NCL board, as well, would be useful, re whether this is a desirable ship for the itinerary, etc.

I'm aware that Alaska cruises have always been expensive, but I'm sorry to say this does not look like a good deal. All those fees are, IMO, totally out of line. Sort of like a restaurant saying you will have a three-course meal for $1....but your glass of water (required) is $45. Admin fee? If you were to book through a TA, or the cruiseline, there would be no admin fee. For comparison, our TA shows the same cruise, OV cabin, for a very similar price, but that price includes port fees (not an additional $599!). I hope others, maybe some who are more familiar with comped cruises, will also weigh in. To me, it just makes me distrustful.