terracool

You failed to read what I posted. The vast majority of the junk sold by PWG is not art, it is not original anything. It is merely high end (at best) ink jet printer copies of art (gilcee). They are printed off at a cost of pennies a piece and peddled as art. True original oils, water colors, lithos or any other medium are one thing. Knock of dime store copies peddled as "original" are quite another. PWG is (at the very best) slightly dishonest with the description of what they peddle.

 

You are indeed right that it is important for people to be educated. This is why many people provide truthful input on threads about PWG such as this one.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. This does not match my experience at all.

I went to one of the lectures where they gave some tips on buying and collecting art. It was right in line with advice given routinely for collectibles - buy what you like, don't try to invest unless you are fairly experienced, try to start small and hold larger purchases for when you have more experience, etc. He also described the processes and differences between lithographs, serigraphs, giclee, and "novelty posters". It was a good basic framework. While I am far far from an expert on these things now, at the time I boarded the ship I wouldn't have known a serigraph from an airport tourist postcard.

And as they auctioned (or discussed in the gallery) various pieces, they were very clear on what each piece was, exactly. They were pretty rigorous about emphasizing that litho, seri, giclee, etc are better-than-posters reproduction techniques and NOT original art. There was no way that I could see someone thinking they bought original art for $300 unless they just completely didn't listen or ignored what they heard.

My piece is described as a serigraph. I am not expert enough to really know if it is or it isn't, but it certainly doesn't look like a cheap inkjet copy. It is on wood, as described, and that makes it hard for me to conclude that it was from a cheap inkjet printer.

In the end, I suspect it's possible I could have gotten it for X% cheaper on land. Or maybe I couldn't have gotten on land it at all. I do know that if I saw this hanging on the wall pretty much anywhere with a $650 price tag on it, I would not fall over laughing at the ridiculous price. I think it would be comparable to others of similar size and framing within whatever shop or neighborhood it was in.

Still working on getting a photo. I have to take one plus have never posted a photo here.

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I am glad you enjoyed your experience and your purchase. We have only bought art from them once, and it was back when they used to have these "slightly dented and scratched" closeout sales on the last night of the cruise.

 

I have mixed feelings about the art auctions. I enjoy seeing the pieces, but honestly, I'm there only to look and to get the free small lithograph they give away at the end. I find the auctioneers to be very pushy, especially the assistants that walk around and whisper things to you like "come on, it's only $2,000, that's a steal!" I find it amusing when the auctioneer talks about how lucky we are to be viewing an "original Rembrandt" and that it is a bargain at $25,000. If by "original", he means printed from a copy of a copy of copy of a plate that Rembrandt etched hundreds of years ago, well, then... yeah. Some people at those auctions seem to be made of money. Unfortunately I am not one of them!

 

Also, I don't feel the pricing is comparable to on land. If there is a particular artist of theirs (and they seem to mostly auction art that is only produced by their stable of captive artists), then do some research online and on eBay to see what is a fair price. You can usually get the pieces you want for far less on land.

 

In sum, as long as you go into it and look at it as part of the cruise experience, and as long as you truly love what you buy from them, then no problems. I still look at the piece we bought from them that has been a fixture in our family room, and I fondly remember that cruise. Just don't go into these auctions expecting to get a "steal" or a great bargain.

I completely agree with some of this - I don't think that a cruise auction is the place for a "steal". And while I found the auctioneer pleasant, I thought the assistants going through the crowd trying to urge people to buy was intrusive. I'm sure they are directed to do that.

As to land-price comparisons, I don't look at it that way - at least not for a given artist. As you say, some of these artists are pretty clearly connected to Park West and, therefore, pricing on ebay or elsewhere can be difficult or impossible to find. I actually checked for several of the artists that I liked in the days before I bought this piece. I don't think the value is in the artist or exact work, necessarily.

However, I do think that the value of the art itself is about right for the price. I'm not sure I could get it for "far less" on land because I'm not entirely sure I could even find it on land. Maybe a print? But for the size, it being on wood, the 3D/depth from the artist's hand additions, the really nice frame and framing/matting, I don't think I could get something comparable to this for a lot less on land. Maybe a little less? Maybe. Probably. But not so much that it would have me feeling foolish. I'm fairly confident of that.

Plus I loved that it just showed up at my door. I didn't really have to shop or go to galleries or arrange framing, just sat and drank champagne and enjoyed the cruise and waited - albeit with trepidation - for it to arrive. The next one, I'll be waiting with endless excitement.

I recently went on my fourth cruise, all NCL. On my first cruise, I discovered the art auctions and art lectures. I find them interesting and engaging, although I do have to say that the auctions were not a bed of artwork commerce - few bids, fewer sales. Certainly I was never about to buy anything, between the prices and the rather shady aura around cruise ship art.

So this recent cruise was different. The lecturer/auctioneer (Divan) was great. There was more action in the auctions than I'd seen on the other three cruises combined, including purchases well into five digits. I got all caught up in the moment and bought a modest piece for $650. It was a serigraph on wood with artist hand embellishments, framed with LOA.

My buyer's remorse started almost immediately. Sure, it all looks good on the ship, but would it look like a diner place-mat once it was in my home, not surrounded by other artworks? Would it serve as a constant reminder of my impulsiveness, naivete and general folly? I fretted for the rest of the cruise - went back to look at it a million times, etc. By the time I got off the ship, I was resigned to just learning a lesson from it. It would be, by far, the most expensive piece of art in my house, but I had zero excitement and anticipation waiting for it to be delivered - more like trepidation.

The art arrived last weekend, much sooner than I expected. The first thing I noticed was that the box and packaging were really, really nice - well thought out and easily sturdy enough to seriously protect the contents. When I finally opened the box and removed the piece ...

it was beautiful. It was so much more gorgeous in my home than it was on the ship. It was so much more dramatic when not surrounded by hundreds of larger and, sometimes, more colorful pieces. The frame was perfect - heavy, quality, extremely well done. The picture itself was bright and vibrant and bolder than I remembered. It was heavy, extremely well-framed, and beautiful. It looked and felt quality. It looked and felt rich. I was so giddy that I actually got goosebumps looking at it.

I don't know a lot about art and certainly not about appraisals and value, but just from casual shopping around small galleries and stores, I know that $650 was reasonable for this. I really don't know if it is $50 or $75 too much or too little, and I honestly couldn't care less. It's ballpark. It's no cheap rip-off, that's for sure. And the price included shipping this heavy, bulky piece from Florida.

It may be the most expensive thing hanging on my walls, but it is also the nicest by a long shot. It will hang prominently in my living room where I can see it constantly and where it will look so much more dramatic on its own, separated from all the other artwork on board. Best yet, I smile when I look at it because it is so beautiful and also reminds me of the wonderful wonderful cruise I was on.

So my view of cruise ship art has changed completely from the second I opened that box. I will attend future auctions with a whole new point of view and, likely, a view to buy.

Thanks for listening!

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I'd def call and try to get both the flight info and also the record locator number for that airline. You need the record locator number so you can look up your reservation on that airline's website and start picking seats. The closer you get to flight time, the more likely you'll be stuck in a middle seat on a long haul flight. 47 days may already be pushing it.

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On my TA last month, we got that offer around 4 times. Maybe even more. It seemed like the announcement was frequently in the daily deliveries. IIRC, there were more the second week than the first.

I'd ask your room steward for an extra bag. If you have a good relationship with him or her, you might be able to get both bags even if it's a little outside of policy. Our announcement usually gave a 2-3 day delivery time for the specials, but my steward was checking on ours frequently so that I almost always had next day or 36-hour turnaround.

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That's a good question. I wonder if they'd allow it with multiple people from the same address. I can see how related parties could turn a no-single-supplement offer into a buy-one-cabin-get-one-cabin-free offer. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some restrictions on the offer for same address or same credit card. They are trying to draw solos to book, not give free double space to people who would have booked anyways.

Good question. Let us know how it turns out if you pursue it. And is there a way you could see there is a solo discount before actually starting the selection/booking process?

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Thanks maryo. I wasn't sure if you would appreciate my crashing your thread, but this was such a small note that it wasn't worth starting a thread. I liked yours because it was perfectly titled!

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I myself, luckily, don't get seasick at all. But on my cruise in April, I saw lots and lots of patches and wrist bands. This told me that there are a lot of people who get seasick and yet successfully cruise anyways. We did have huge seas one night - 35' waves out in the middle of the Atlantic - that overcame a lot of the remedies, from what I heard, but other than that most people were fine, even in rough seas, except for that one night.

So it can be done! People are doing it all the time. I would get the bands, the patches, some Bomine, and some candied ginger (Amazon.com) and see what works best for you. Come armed with all.

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I had a fabulous experience in Copenhagen that I'll share here as it is not enough for a full thread.

I had little time and only wanted to do one thing - have smorrebrod (smorgasbord). I went to a place called Told and Snaps. You can find their website by googling that name plus Copenhagen. It is a few buildings off the picturesque Nyhavn canal row of restaurants - maybe a little less hectic, but I'd make a reservation. It was not crowded at 11:30 on a Sunday, but I overheard the hostess tell someone that they were full up with bookings starting at 1:00. You can make a reservation on their website.

This place was a delight - friendly and so picturesque. They recommended two sandwiches as a serving per person, so I got two. One was a herring with chives, the most thinly sliced radishes ever, and egg yolk. The other was salmon and cream cheese. These were exactly what I had hoped for - extremely good and extremely Danish. Nothing that I was going to find anywhere back home, that's for sure.

They infuse their own aquavit, and the infusions are kept in tagged jars on the counter. I didn't know what to order, so my waitress offered to pair an aquavit with each of my smorrebrod orders (they came out sequentially, not at the same time). I had a horseradish aquavit with the herring and a dill aquavit with the salmon. Both were very good, even though I do not drink a lot of liquor.

I was only going to (able) to do one thing while in Copenhagen for a partial day. I will never regret picking a visit to Told and Snaps as that one thing. It was wonderful. I left, walked the canal and took pictures a bit, found a great ice cream spot up near the Kongens Nytorv Metro stop (Orange Ricotta ice cream with caramel chunks!). Perfect day, and mainly because of my experience at Told and Snaps.

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I took a cab from port to airport and asked the driver to take a slightly scenic route through town. The charge just hit my cc statement - $47 USD. Best money I ever spent. After spending thousands of dollars on a cruise and feeling great upon disembarkation, it was glorious to just get into a cab, not trudge my luggage up to a public bus stop or deal with ship transfer, and get dropped off at the curb.

I understand that some people would rather save the money (our ship transfer was $30 USD, so the cab was only $17 extra), but I'd rather preserve the glow of the cruise with an easy trip - just my way of looking at it, I guess. Even with the short scenic detour, I was still pleasantly surprised to be under $50 USD. I did tip the driver but don't recall the amount. Modest, like Europe not like US.

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What exactly makes you think this is somehow limited to Americans? Cruise lines need to do this to keep many of Generation X (and at least pretty much all of Generation Y) customers, no matter their nationality.

 

The reasons (requirements) you listed only apply to small group of people (majority of jobs don't utilize internet for personal emails etc, even in the workplace), a lot more people (and especially their Gen Y kids) have their personal expectations of having internet access just like at home for social media, streaming,

 

What exactly makes you think I thought this is somehow limited to Americans? My experience is as an American surrounded by Americans. I don't have the first idea how it works in other countries. I focused my comment on what I directly know. I didn't include other countries because I don't know about other countries. That's not the same as an assumption that the issue is confined to one country.

And I'm not talking about jobs that use internet for personal emails or people streaming Netflix at home, if you read my post. I'm talking about the fact that many Americans (extrapolate to other countries as you see fit) are electronically connected to their workplaces while at home or anywhere else, and there is an always increasing expectation that they will check in on email or manage some items even while on vacation.

Also, I'm now an attorney in a two-person partnership. I know many who are similarly situated or even solo, and that also includes financial advisers, insurance agents, accountants and other professional services. These folks simply can't take a vacation that has no internet or contact. Period.

I wasn't talking about millennials checking email or social media nor any personal use. It was about internet access being a professional necessity for many Americans - or whatever other nationality may apply.

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Cruise ships now go into the new port at Oceankaj. Our disembarkation last weekend was a breeze.

http://cruiseportwiki.com/Copenhagen is a very helpful site for this.

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They had to do this to keep American customers. The reality is that it is increasingly becoming an expectation that Americans have decent access to email and other internet capability, even while on vacation. It would get to the point, sometime, that US workers wouldn't be able to take a vacation without decent internet.

And the increasingly cloud-based, entrepreneurial economy will also steer people to vacations where reliable internet that doesn't take forever is a must-have, not an amenity. Someone on our recent TA said that his wife, who owns a solo CPA firm, simply can't go on a cruise if she can't work while on board - and this is not unusual for the new economy in which there are so many solo practitioners and contractors. She had gotten up at 4:00 that morning because it was a payroll processing day and that was the only time she would be able to download the data packets for processing.

There was only so long that people were going to be okay with that. Very nice that NCL is joining the times! I'll love having "real" internet access.

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I'm not sure how much this will help, but here goes. I just got back from a TA that started in Florida, included Azores, and ended in northern Europe (Copenhagen). The weather in Florida was tropical - 80's maybe, breezy. It stayed warm-ish and humid until the Azores. By the time we got about halfway to Azores, it was mid to high 60's but felt warmer because of the humidity. Even a shopkeeper in Ponta D commented that it was almost uncomfortably humid.

It didn't feel like the temperature really started taking on a nice chill until we left Azores and started more seriously heading north. The one constant almost the whole way across the ocean was wind. The pools and outside bars were often closed because of high winds.

This was mid-April until the end of April, so maybe add a few degrees and, of course, account for the fact that weather can change daily.

For myself, I packed a mix of clothes and ended up wishing I'd had more warm weather clothes than cold weather. I'm more comfortable inside with lighter clothes, and even when it was colder outside, I was inside. A light jacket was enough for outside (although I did see some people pretty bundled up!)

I loved Ponta Delgada. I just walked around the town for a brief time, but it was charming and clean, and the whole view of the island from the port was very nice. Seaside town with green green hills as a backdrop. Enjoy!

In seven years I've never - not even once - have found it "literally impossible" to find seating in the buffet. Yes, it can take one or two rounds around the seating area at worst peak times, but never has it been "literally impossible".

Well then I guess we've had different experiences. I'm quite aware of the meaning of the word "literally", which is why I chose to use it to describe how impossible I've found it to get seating at times. Literally impossible. Yes.

I suppose one could make laps around the area carrying a tray of food and drink and whatever, waiting to come across someone leaving a table much in the same way we drive around parking lots stalking departing shoppers so we can get a parking spot. Suit yourself. But I won't make more than one circuit of the entire area before heading to my room. I literally go through the entire area before concluding that there are literally no available tables. So ... yep. I meant exactly what I said. Literally.

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I can't imagine how they could hold to a "no buffet foods to rooms" when it is literally impossible to find seating in the buffet so often - including when they annex LaCucina for buffet seating at lunch. I've taken buffet food to my room many times - sometimes because I want to but also sometimes because it's either that or not sit.

I leave the dishes in my room, but almost always the first day I do that the room steward asks me to put them in the hall for the rest of the trip - I thought it was because they could be collected and returned to the kitchen immediately instead of sitting in a stateroom all day or all night. They never seem to stay there very long.

I'm flummoxed that they would make a no-food-to-rooms rule because of plates in the hallway, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Hmmm. We could either tell pax they can no longer take food to their rooms or tell stewards or kitchen staff to make sure they pick up dishes in the hallways. Which which which? What a dilemma that must have been.

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I'm packing for a 14-day TA and am planning on two of the laundry specials - the "as much as you can fit in the bag" specials. Is that right for a 14-day cruise? They wouldn't just have one, would they?

Also, is there a pattern to which day(s) they pick - 5th, 10th, etc - or is it more random?

TIA.

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Call me a sucker, but I bought the water too. I really wanted an 18-pack, but the price did make me take a 12.

I could bring that much on board, but I have zero ability to haul a freaking case of water to the port and up to my room if they won't check it. Zero. My understanding is that Tampa won't check water, which would be a problem if I were able to get it to the port in the first place. Water is hugely heavy.

I drink about five gallons a week at home. I buy the refillable gallons at the grocery store and then pour them into the regular empty water or pop bottles. I have anywhere from six to nine filled bottles in the refrigerator at all times, and they are all cold cold cold.

I am spoiled on having cold fresh water instantly, at hand, whenever I want it. It's outrageously expensive, but worth it for me over lugging two or three water bottles and Brita filters or whatever around the ship. I don't want to have to go up to the buffet for a refill if I'm settled in.

So, yes, I was really shocked and dismayed at myself for paying that much for water. But when I consider what I am paying for this cruise and how much I like having cold refrigerated water right there at all times, I just bit the bullet. I'll surely have to do a lot of refilling at the buffet, but hopefully the water will be good and I won't have to mess with lines too much.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to give a little bit of the other side of it. Expensive water is an indulgence, just like nearly everything else I will have on this trip.

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I've booked 3x within final payment, and two of those were less than a month out. Maybe three weeks.

I've always got good cabins (balcony or mini-suite with balcony), but the reason I booked those cruises was because they had good cabins available. I generically know what area I want to cruise - Med, TA, etc - and then keep a half an eye on NCL cruises until I see a good deal.

It really comes down to this: the more specific your cruise parameters are (date, ship, port etc) the more it's a crap shoot to book for last-minute deals. You might get a really bad cabin or you might get shut out altogether. If you have flexibility and are in a position to go on a moment's notice, you can wait until a deal emerges with good cabins. (Although there are some prime-season itineraries for which this will never happen.)

I book early all the time, but if I am on a family cruise that is on Ship X sailing out of Port Y on Date Z, I am booking way early and not leaving cabin to chance.

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Take the late flight. The last thing you need after a nice vacation is to immediately wipe out the relaxing effect by taking on traffic and airport stress from the second you step off the boat - and probably even sooner.

It's less than three hours' difference. Relax. Linger on the ship. Have a nice lunch at the airport and a glass of wine and think back on your cruise and smile. That's a much better ending.

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I'd grab it. I'm not familiar with the Dawn exactly, but I'm not aware of any obstructed balconies on any ship. There are the cove, or hull balconies that are set into the hull and have the rim around them. Some people like them because they are more private and more sheltered, but a lot of people think they are less expansive.

But I'd take a cove/hull balcony any day over an oceanview for $250. There's no comparison when it comes to morning coffee or evening wine. And you will have perfect weather for warm evenings on your balcony. Think of it as your own private, exclusive slice of open deck.

And there is a very good chance that you wouldn't get a cove/hull balcony. There aren't all that many on a ship.

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Depending on your ports and whether you're with a group, a mugger's wallet. I travel through ports on my own frequently, so I always save my last expired drivers license, expired or replaced credit cards, etc. I put them in a wallet with about ten $1 bills with a $20 on the outside and carry that in my bag or pocket and keep my real money, cc's and ID somewhere else like a money belt.

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Thanks PNN. That helps. I'll be trying my card first in all cases just to preserve my cash in case I do run into a place that can't take the cc and needs cash. I used my chip card with no problem last fall in Europe. When I started reading about the differences in US cards, I thought about that trip and realized that all my transactions were attended - just coincidence.

I thought 600 DKK would be fine to get me to the hotel with room to spare and then cc's and ATM's would cover the rest. That's still the likely outcome, but I'll be more attuned to cc'ing where I can to conserve cash.

Who knows? I'll probably be so unnecessarily cautious that I show up to the airport with all 600 DKK intact and looking to spend it before I get on the plane. :cool:

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Be careful about planning on buying tickets from kiosks with a US credit card. US cards are not true chip and PIN cards. They are chip and sign cards. They should - should! - work fine where there is a person to get a signature, but not necessarily for unattended purchases like ticket kiosks or gas stations.

I'm getting my metro tickets at the airport where there is an attended window, but I'll try my debit card (which has a chip and a PIN) first to see if that works. I might also ask the hotel to change notes for coins because the kiosks only take coins.

I am bringing 600 DKK (~$100 USD) for an overnight stay and am worried that it might not be enough given that I'll spend around 300+ DKK in cab fare to the hotel. I'm worried that I'll get the check in a restaurant and have trouble with the chip-and-sign American credit card. Now I wish I'd gotten more cash before leaving. :eek:

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I've definitely seen prices fall within the last 30 days and even within the last week before a cruise. I booked my TA about two weeks ago (leaves this Sunday) for an incredibly low price and it just went down another 20% over the weekend. So they are out there.

You could pick a general destination and time of year and then keep an eye on prices for those sailings from your departure port. You could use the Price Drop feature on this site to watch for anything with good value going wherever and whenever. It's a great tool with a good filtering function. I find cruises by being on the email lists, but you never know if they are going to emphasize freebies and incentives and not mention last-minute hot deals.

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