satchiesmom

Thank you so much for going to all of the trouble to post these. Now I'm really excited about our first NCL cruise!

What a wonderful review and photos, thank you!

Booked directly with HAL in February for our May 2014 Alaska cruise. Called this morning and got Explore 4 added with no problem.

Our first cruise was on the Century, we love her!

What a fun read, can't wait for more!

We are looking at Nikon 8x40 binoculars for Alaska. Would these be appropriate? They are waterproof and fogproof.

Just popping in to say Thank you so much for the wonderful review and photos, what a joy to read! We are planning our first Alaska cruise for May of 2014 and will be booking with HAL as soon as the itineraries come out. I'm already ordering gear (waterproof lightweight raincoat and waterproof hiking shoes so far) and am so excited. Your review has really upped the excitement level and the photos are exquisite.

Susan

I didn't realize you have never sailed an M class ship before! I love

them:) and I am sure you have read enough things to know some

people are VERY, VERY picky and don't like them:eek:......I enjoy both,

M and S class.

Hope you have a good time:)

Thanks, I know we'll have a great time and love the ship. Enjoy the Silhouette, we loved her.

Lois,

Yep, we booked Summit, it will be our first M Class cruise, do you believe that? So looking forward to experiencing all she has to offer. You must really love her if you're thinking of booking her for the 6th time! We couldn't wait another year for our next cruise so had to squeeze another X cruise in there somewhere!

Thanks for the info about the area around the Country Inn, Bayonne will be another new experience for us along with the Summit and Bermuda. I love this thread, there is so much good information here for us port newbies.

Yes, one day we will cruise together, I'm sure of it.

Susan

There's nothing unsafe about that particular area...it's just not very pretty. It's a popular hotel for people cruising from Cape Liberty.

Thanks njhorseman, that puts my mind at ease. We aren't necessarily looking for pretty, just clean, comfortable and hopefully safe. And we liked the parking deal.

If you are not planning to go into Manhattan, and then driving to the port and parking, consider stay south of Elizabeth....perhaps Woodbridge/Edison area. That is a much nicer area and safer. You may even getter a better hotel rate in that area.

If some do want to go into Manhattan, MetroPark train station is in Menlo Park (area of Edison/Woodbridge).

We will be staying at the Country Inn & Suites in Elizabeth for one night pre-cruise, is there something unsafe or not particularly nice about the area?

We just did a Concierge cabin a couple of weeks ago strictly for the extra point to get us to Elite, other than that we found no real value in the CC cabin.

Ashley,

Don't let one negative post get to you, I'm loving your review along with many other people and I think the anticipation of the next installment is part of the fun. Keep up the excellent work! And I agree with lovestx, both yours and your Mom's dresses are beautiful.

Your review and photos have helped us decide which Med cruise to take!:D

Thanks so much for taking all of the time out of your busy schedule to do this.

Whichever perfume you choose, just remember to spray it on LIGHTLY. It is your choice, and your favourite, but that does not mean that everyone around you wants to smell it. If your perfume can be smelt a metre away, or even a foot away, it's too strong.

 

Why does that matter? Well, according to some research, 1 in 500 of us is allergic to perfume. In my case, it can cause my blood pressure to drop drastically so that I'll be ill for up to 3 days.

 

So enjoy your perfume, but keep it for those who are close to you. Don't wear it as armour; wear it to enhance your beauty.

Excellent point. Usually I just spray a bit in the air and walk through it. Your fragrance should whisper not shout. I love perfume but it can make me nauseous when someone near me has overloaded themselves with it.

Blanq,

Oh, I just love Clean's Fresh Laundry, I had forgotten all about it. Maybe I'll have to pick some up for our cruise! Thanks for reminding me, and welcome to Cruise Critic.

how many days til we get to the engagement? I leave for my cruise on 10.9 and i need to know lol :-) :-)

lol!!!!

This is such a fun read! The suspense of waiting for the engagement is killing me!

I have 5 Travalos and I love them! Keep one in my handbag at all times and will take a couple on my next cruise.

Pleasures always reminds me of past cruises, but this year I am taking O de l'Oragerie by Lancome. I just discovered it a couple of months ago and love it.

What a joy to read! I love your excitement and enthusiasm and eagerly look forward to the next chapter.

Thank you so much for the wonderful review and gorgeous photos. I'm off now to check out Alaska cruises!

Thank you so much for your wonderful review and the beautiful pictures. Although we won't be on our first NCL cruise for quite a while, the Chef's Table is definitely on the agenda.

Susan

What a wonderful, detailed review of your food experiences. All of the work you put into it is greatly appreciated.

I was skeptical about paying so much for a pair of shoes. I wear a size 12N, so it is next to impossible to find a pair of flat shoes in my size. These are definitely the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. I wear them all the time. I am planning on bringing them on my cruise and am considering purchasing a second pair in a different color just for my cruise. I did have to wear them 2-3 times to break them in. I wouldn't wear them hiking, but walking around would be fine.

I just got my first pair of Tieks this week and love them. I've been wearing them constantly and find them very comfortable, will be ordering more! And they don't look like bedroom slippers at all when you put them on - they are a classic flat.