FamilyCruiseDiva

Thank you to everyone on this thread!  For the past few days, our family members, friends and coworkers have all been acting like we're crazy for not canceling. 

We'd started wondering if perhaps we WERE being foolhardy.   But many of the comments here echo our own thoughts regarding managing fears and using common sense rather than freaking out and changing plans at the last minute, which would cost us quite a bit.  Thanks again! 

15 minutes ago, c breeze said:

I don't know if this will help you, but here is a post with a picture of the the soda machine, and the options that you will have at that machine.  It is an older post, but I don't think the choices have changed. https://www.*****.com/2015/07/20/coca-cola-freestyle-machines-royal-caribbean

That is VERY helpful, thank you so much!!! 

As long as you aren't going to feel so self-conscious it'll detract from your enjoyment of the evening, I say GO FOR IT!  Wear it with flair!!

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Yes, they should be in your cabin. 

Perfect, thank you!! 

16 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

No, RCI itineraries are released till late April ‘21 in the current 2020-21 thread. For anything past that, you will need to wait till someone creates the following year thread. The itineraries you are looking for will be out in about a year. 

15 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

The 20-21 sailings include sailings though April 2021.  You have to wait for 21-22 sailings to be released for May 2021.

Great!  Thank you both so very much for the information!  

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

It doesn’t exist yet, there are still 20-21 itineraries to come out. 

So it wouldn't be in the 20-21 itineraries thread?  We're thinking of a May '21 sailing.  

Or do all the Alaska itineraries come out at once?  Sorry for all the questions, I'm completely clueless. 

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

Neither, follow the 2021-22 deployment thread here on CC. 

I'm sorry but I didn't come across that thread... could you please tell me where I might find it?  Thank you! 

I'm also planning an Alaska cruise in 2021.  Would it help to ask my TA to notify me as soon as they're available or should I just keep checking the RCI website? 

Thanks! 

On 1/20/2018 at 10:36 PM, Host Clarea said:

 

With a beverage package, you will only have access to fountain soda choices, usually Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Soda Water, and Tonic Water.

 

If you are willing to purchase cans (not included with any package), they you will have many more choices.

Hi!  First, I apologize if I'm posting this question in the wrong spot.

From what I am reading on RCI's website, the Deluxe Beverage package currently includes the Coca Cola souvenir cup and access to the Freestyle machines.   Is that correct? 

We're sailing on Allure in less than 2 weeks so I just want to be sure I know what's included and what's not.

Thanks in advance! 

I do hope that Celebrity changes their "24/7 Room Service, free of charge" line in they marketing.

On my most recent postcard/mailing from Celebrity, it just reads "24 hour in-stateroom dining" with no mention of it being complimentary.

At the bottom of the card, of course, there's all the fine print which probably mentions that there may be incidental charges, blah blah blah.... I can't find my reading glasses, though, so I'm just guessing about that lol. :D

May all your culinary experiments be interesting:confused:, at least, if not all wonderful. You can always learn from a mistake, and, sometimes, mistakes can be better than you originally planned. Try keeping detailed notes on the spicing and techniques, and if they worked well :) or not :eek:. I once reverse-engineered a recipe of hummus that my DW makes "by the nose" by starting with a baseline recipe and adding small amounts of various ingredients, mixing them in, having her taste the result and comment, and jotting down the extra tablespoonfuls and teaspoonfuls and eighth-teaspoonfuls it took to bring it to her liking.

And be sure to invite your neighbors, friends, kids' friends and others to share your new food-vistas!

Thank you!!

Yes, I learned to write down any and all adjustments I made to the recipes.... even a tiny change can make a big difference! Lots of fun to experiment with new recipes and flavors! :D

To be honest, up to a few years ago, I'd only tried Indian food a couple of times and it was too hot/spicy for me.

But then I was at a an Indian/Something Fusion restaurant and our waitress suggested Indian Butter Chicken..... omg it was amazing!! I loved it so much I immediately searched online for a recipe and made it a couple of weeks later.

It's now one of our family's favorites, and we try new Indian recipes from time to time; some are winners, some are not... but we definitely love the blending of all the spices, and the velvety richness that's just unlike anything else!!:D

I'm honestly considering getting a cute pair of cotton gloves to use while going down stairs (I always use to handrails so I don't meet take a nose dive), traveling through airports, etc. I'm not a germaphobic but I do hate to get sick.

Me too! I will be shopping for some gloves and will wear them while walking around the ship, then remove them & use sanitizing wipes prior to eating. I'll still wash my hands very regularly and use the sanitizer too, now that I know it really is effective. :D

I'm guessing fabric gloves are nowhere near as effective as latex or similar surgical type gloves, but it's got to be better than touching things with bare skin and then eating.

Now I just have to start training myself not to touch my hair or face! :eek:

Absolutely right! Not all hand sanitizers are created equal. The VF-481, marketed as "Purell Advanced" has been shown to be effective. For those who think the hand sanitizer is not helpful at all, it has been shown that handwashing with antibacterial soap along with VF-481 is more effective than either method alone.

 

I don't see what the fuss is about. There's nothing humiliating about being required to wash your hands before you go into an area where unclean hands can cause 100s of people to get sick, and potentially ruin everyone's vacation.

 

If you're asked to use hand sanitizer and/or wash your hands, just do it. It is happening for a reason!

Well I definitely learned something new! And I'll be looking for the VF-481 to purchase and carry with me, not just on cruises, but whenever I'll be eating in public.

:cool:

Here is the link to my thread with the photos - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2250455&page=5

Thank you, your photos are great! I now have a new travel blog to follow! :cool:

Enjoying reading your review, as I am thinking of booking the Splendor for my little family. Like you, it would be our first time with Carnival and have heard the same negative comments.

Thank you for all the detail you put into each and every post!

:-)

Not sure why, but the upgrade fairy visited us a few weeks ago. We were booked in a Aqua2. When I went to look at edoc's & order luggage tags our cabin had been changed to a Sky Suite. We have doing the happy 💃💃🏾dance ever since. A true upgrade!

 

This will be our 10th cruise on Celebrity & first time in a suite.

Do you know if they'll still give you the same access to the spa that you would have as an Aqua passenger?

I'm booked in A2 for our January Connie cruise and they've already tried twice to upgrade us to A1, which we don't want. I'd be hesitant to accept a SS upgrade for fear of losing my spa access, which I'm really looking forward to enjoying. :D

Relatives had booked a SkySuite on the Constellation (not their first X cruise) and when they arrived, were told they'd been upgraded to a Celebrity Suite.

Knowing that it didn't have a balcony, they turned it down... which seemed to annoy and surprise the check-in agent. They were then directed to sit and wait for things to be sorted out, as they were insisting on the exact cabin they'd selected. Instead, they were offered another Sky Suite that had a larger-than-normal balcony and some OBC.... which they accepted and enjoyed.

No explanation was given as to why they couldn't have "their" SS cabin.

:D

I can see young people out late at night, drinking, and wanting a late night something. I guess they'll just have to pay. :rolleyes:

There are other reasons someone might be very glad that there IS late-night room service.... for me personally, I once needed it around 2am when I woke up with a migraine. I have to eat something prior to taking my medication, so I ordered.

The girl who brought my sandwich was very nice; as soon as she saw I wasn't doing well she asked if I needed anything else.... and she brought me a glass of juice without charging me extra for that trip. :)

She must have passed on the message that I wasn't feeling well to our room steward, because he inquired the following morning and was obviously relieved when I explained it was a headache. He actually provided some very helpful/useful information... areas of the ship that people have found trigger migraines, a few suggestions of home remedies, etc.

Ok... got a little off-topic, sorry! :o

I never did book this, as DH cannot go and I couldn't find another travel partner.

So if any other women are looking to share a cabin, please let me know! :D

Wow, I did not know Carnival had spa cabins!

From just doing a little quick looking, it appears these are not just on Dream but also Breeze, Magic and Splendor. And in every category too! :cool:

As someone who is considering travelling solo for the first time, I'd love to have access to the Studio Lounge but at the same time don't want to give up my balcony cabin to get it... heck, a balcony view of the ocean is one of the main reasons I cruise! But as a solo cruiser, I'd really like to be granted admittance to the Studio Lounge.

However, I totally get it that it's NOT a "Solo Lounge" but rather an exclusive amenity for those who booked Studio Cabins. I'm not complaining about that, just as I wouldn't complain about not having access to Haven amenities when I won't book those cabins due to their location. Studio Lounge access is for Studio guests just as Haven access is for Haven occupants. I get it.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't there Spa cabins which entitle the occupants to certain access/perks which can also be purchased as a Spa Pass by those not in Spa cabins?

Couldn't NCL do something similar here?

That is, offer a Studio Lounge Pass to occupants of other cabin types? Or include it free-of-charge to those who got bumped?

IDK, but it seems like a good compromise to me. :cool:

It just seems, with all the extra for-fee options on cruises that this is something that could/should/might be added in the future.

And I would happily pay extra to have access to the Studio Lounge while still getting to enjoy my balcony cabin. :D

Do any cruise lines host events for solo cruisers? I thought I read that NCL had ships with designated "solo" cabins and gatherings for those passengers.... anything like that on any other lines? Thanks!

I believe that correcting grammer is against cc rules. It's considered impolite and a form of bullying from what I understand.

I didn't know that, but that is a good idea. :)

It's not something I would likely do in a public forum (although those in my personal life can testify that they are not exempt for my oh-so-gentle reminders lol), but it's probably difficult for some to resist teasing even perfect strangers about spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.

Please forgive the run-on sentence. :p

As repeatedly mentioned by many others, I too am often annoyed by poor grammar. However, it is so common these days that trying to make those offenders aware of it seems pointless.

Several months ago, Weird Al Yankovic released a new song & video, "Word Crimes." When I find my head is about to explode after reading a wall of all lower-case, misspelled text, watching this video helps me to lighten up and laugh it off.

Please do an internet search for it and have a laugh!! :D