shipgeeks

When we did a Christmas cruise on another line, years ago, Christmas Eve was formal, as was Christmas Day. Both nights were very festive.

OP, Is there a particular beach/restaurant/shop you are hoping to locate? Or just an idea of the lay of the land?

I'm so happy to hear that! Wish we were there.....but we have to wait for a couple more months.

Before you leave your ship, go to an upper deck and have a look towards the bay and town. You will see everything: the water taxi, the beach, the town, the pier where the water taxi goes. I know it's hard now to picture it, but once there, everything is within sight from the ship. The town (shopping, cafes, etc.) is one street (walkway) along the bay, and one parallel street behind it.

I've had it; it's good.

I'm not certain about Cunard, but typically the crew in a buffet also work in MDR. So it annoys me when people say they remove their gratuities because they only eat in the buffet "where I serve myself".

We once shared a dinner table with two men who were quite entertaining, but apparently "rascals" in their ploys to get around some of the rules. One evening they told us about the galley tour they had done, during which they slipped away from the group and entered a crew area. There, on the wall, were their pictures. They thought that was hilarious; I would be mortified.

Sure, every time we cruise, or at least in Baltimore. (Or is it Immigration? Somebody does.)

It is very quick and easy to do, onboard, with kiosks around the ship. We have never used an ATM or a smartphone, and it wasn't the least bit daunting.

While in a ship medical center, I overheard a patient being told to keep his receipt, and submit it to his health insurance provider at home. I've never needed to do so, but I'm curious whether anyone has done this, and what the outcome was. Most posts only mention claiming it on the travel insurance they bought for that cruise.

I have one of those hats, too. I wore it onboard a few months ago, and a cabin steward down the hall commented on it, saying he thought it was from about 25 years ago! I guess he has been on the job for a while.

Any chance people in balcony cabins are leaving their balcony doors open, even a little bit? That will disrupt the temperature system of all the surrounding cabins.

Are you set on having a balcony? How about an OV?

OP, Now you've got me thinking more and more. Have your friends sailed with both Cunard and RC? I might add that Enchantment is more classic, less amusement park, so in that respect is more like a Cunard ship. We have done April TAs three times, and overall the seas were not particularly rough. There might have been one or two occasions when the Captain announced "I request that the ladies do not wear the high heels this evening". Other than that, coolish but fine. I learned my lesson a few years ago, re recommending a cruiseline. A friend had done a Celebrity (or was it Cunard?) cruise, and I recommended the other. She went, she hated it. "There were no announcements; we never knew what activities there were". IMO, she should have read her planner, and that seems insignificant anyway, but it put me off thinking I knew what someone else might enjoy.

Re OV cabins: On decks 2, 3, and 4, the higher the deck, the bigger the window. And on decks 7 and 8, a small number of midship cabins have floor to ceiling windows, and are slightly larger.

I'm happy to read your response. We like Enchantment a lot. She has a promenade deck and an upper walking deck. In the evening, music-wise, there is a band in Centrum (loud, popular music), Bolero's for Latin music, and pianist in Schooner Bar. Much less formal than Cunard, as you know. No afternoon tea. Passengers are typically friendly and open. Crew are outstanding. If it weren't for having to fly back, we would probably be on that crossing.

We have enjoyed what we can walk to in Halifax so much that we've never been tempted to go further. Citadel, a very old cemetery close to the pier, Maritime Museum, boardwalk. Immigration Museum and other attractions are in our future, all nearby.

Yeah, I'm always amazed when this happens to us, too. How do they do it? I sometimes fail to recognize my every-week students if we cross paths in a different setting. Two years after being our cabin steward, we were stopped in the passageway of a different ship by the same man, just pausing there to say hello to us, with recollections of that cruise. Same with some of the MDR servers. As to fellow passengers, yes, we do see a few of the same people from time to time. Small world.

Again, it depends on how far your cruise is going. If to Halifax/Saint John, perhaps not too cold. If to Quebec or Montreal, it could be very cold. I'm always surprised to hear Floridians say they don't own any warm clothing. We've been there when I needed my wool sweater topped with my wool jacket, and friends on vacation have reported having to find a thrift shop with jackets so they could get through the week.

Is Sails at the Opera House?

My vote would be for Armonia to be based in Baltimore!

There has always been at least one veg item in each category on the main menu. I almost always order them. They have been fine.

Lois, I have to agree on the white bread idea. Except for BLTs, I guess! Maybe because after several decades of not even considering a BLT, when I have one now it is a revisit to my childhood. The restaurant where we stopped on the return from our last cruise served them on brioche bread.

On Celebrity we had to pay $35 to join the loyalty program, back in the 90s.

If not white, then what?