MaisonRose

On 2/2/2024 at 9:10 AM, Bollycats said:

It's usually every sea day in the MDR around 3PM or so. You can get the free Lipton or upgrade to one of their better options. (I had the Cheers package so I got the tea for free, this time I'll bring my own since I won't have the Cheers package) You get your own pot of water and LOTS of food options. 

That looks very nice; thank you.

On 11/18/2023 at 5:59 PM, Number12 said:

I don't get what the benefit is of downloading another app.  I just submitted my request via email and received credit in about 3 days.

The info they ask for is scary: how do we know that Stockperks is secure?

why do they ask our earnings?

On 1/30/2024 at 11:30 AM, firefly333 said:

Hang in there. It's going to come back. Imo. 

 

I think sometime Thursday rcl has earnings and always good. People seem to love these new mega ships. It probably will help the rest of the cruiselines with a bump.

 

I'd buy more ccl if I wasnt already holding so much. I have faith. I've read a few articles which seem like naive non cruisers comparing 5 years? Not a mention of the cruiselines being shut down. Sometimes you just have to have faith those talking heads are just looking at charts and have 0 information like cruisers do. 

I paid over $50 a share, I’ll sell them to you half price 🤓  seriously I’m pleased with the OBC that I’ve gotten but it sure was bad timing. It’s time to buy stock imho.

I didn’t know that a request for OBC could be turned down.

Susan

I’m surprised to hear that Carnival has a Tea time (yea!) I’m really picky & this is my first Carnival cruise: Transatlantic on the Legend, April 15 from Baltimore.

So, tell me more.

What time?
Is it every day?

Or is Tea on every Sea Day?

Are you seated in the MDR?
Is the tea delivered prepared and ready to pour?

(Or do they pass around tea bags to put into not-so-boiling water?)

Has anyone ever requested a tea kettle for their cabin? (In Dec. NCL Prima actually delivered one at my request.)

Several TAs ago we crossed on the Queen Mary and the TEA was the only reason I would sail Cunard again (it was that good).

Thank you for indulging me this one peculiarity of mine.

Cheers,

Susan

On 7/11/2023 at 5:38 PM, ontheweb said:

???????

Cabin  OV   deck 5   cabin 5778   
There were noises (fast rolling carts but not very loud) we were under the Casino.

with the TV going we heard nothing.

On 12/2/2023 at 12:24 PM, Slyfox16 said:

On the Prima in a BB cabin is there a coffee maker, or a Sharps container in the bathroom? Are there pay laundry machines that you can use?

Just off: we asked our steward & got a small drip coffee machine & supplies. There is a sharps container, red, on the shelf below the bathroom counter. The bathroom is really really nice: great glass enclosed shower.

It’s been my experience that catching a cab (especially if you have at least one companion) is not only cost effective but time saving as well. Several times I’ve hired a cab for a day for under €100 and often just to the Placa Cataluna at the far end of Las Ramblas or simply to the seaside end from whence (whence? Really?) we walk up Ramblas to Catalunya, stopping on the left side near Liceo at the Bouqueria market. Wonderful food stalls where indeed the taste of Espana awaits you. Crossing the major circle of Cataluna head for Passia deGracia with its high end shopping and a few blocks up on the left side, the famous Gaudi apartments: really a treat of imaginative architecture (do your homework and Google Gaudi to see if you are interested in Art Nouveau design

And here’s a discovery I made and pass this on to those who just want a leisurely look at something special..or have already visited the major sites.

Back to Placa Catalunya & restart up the Passia de Gracia on the right side & in a block or two you will see on your right a little alley leading to the massive, iron clad 19th C  foodie haven

>el nacional barcelona<  Google it.

You’re Welcome.

Be sure to visit the restrooms.

Also if you are a reader, I recommend SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

 Another site if you love stained glass windows is to tour the Acadamy of Music (Palau de la Musica).

Can you tell that I love this wonderful European city? It’s in a category all to itself.

Bon Voyage,

Susan

About tea: there’s hot water and then there’s HOT WATER and MSC SEASIDE WINS THAT ONE. They have a temperature controlled server and I never saw a steam flower on the top of the cup (indulge me, I realize that it’s picky). A proper cuppa is important to some of us.

…..reply

would much prefer loose leaf tea, especially Lapsang , but alas, I understand that's a pipe dream onboard. Real cream would be nice too. I'll stick to my Tea Forte teas in my stateroom and the occasional tea in the thermal suite. 
 

I think that’s a solid plan. 
And I’ll check out the Thermal Suite, too. Tea brands IMHO really shine depending on the water you’re using and for example at home in Md. Bigelow is my brand while here in France (calcium laden water) I use Lord Nelson. But the water must boil. I’ve never had tea at Starbucks so that…well, the fact is that tea isn’t going to ruin my happiness to be sailing across the sea!

Thank you. I have given GF notice  when booking. I’ll go to the MDR after boarding & check out the situation.

The worst GF help was on the Queen Mary, the best on RCL so far.

i think basically the situation continues to improve (along with the staff’s attitude.) I will definitely write it up in this form.

About tea: there’s hot water and then there’s HOT WATER and MSC SEASIDE WINS THAT ONE. They have a temperature controlled server and I never saw a steam flower on the top of the cup (indulge me, I realize that it’s picky). A proper cuppa is important to some of us.

I’m hoping some erstwhile NCL enthusiast out there can give me a picture of Gluten Free dining on Prima. I’m two weeks from boarding. I’ve had experience on other lines and for example have missed Gluten Free soups and crackers.

Other food questions

Does Sweet n Low  (pink packets) exist?
What brand of tea bags?  Buffet:  Is the hot water for tea hot enough?

…of course it isn’t overwhelming to bring these items if I must.

If you order room service for  just a pot of coffee in the morning, is there the service charge?

Thanks for helping: this is my second NCL CRUISE but the last time GF wasn’t an issue.

2 minutes ago, MaisonRose said:

It just occurred to me to use an Air Tag.

oh boy, then he would need to use an iPhone app to find the Air Tag. He can’t of course….

However Air Tags are great for finding a kid or a husband, I should think.

(I lost my luggage off the Eurostar last July…a hapless passenger took it by mistake & it took 3 weeks to get it back) so Air Tags are my go-to item this year.

On 11/5/2023 at 4:51 AM, complawyer said:

hey, smitheroo. please dont ever, ever put your cabin number  on your key card. (hopefully you were only joking about that) if not, and i dont even know you and we'll probably never meet, but i would personally send you magnets, door decorations or any other type of identifiable items, so you can find your cabin, and keep you safe. if you lose or misplace your card, anyone finding it, now has access to your cabin. 

 

of course, you can always leave a trail of bread crumbs (lol)

It just occurred to me to use an Air Tag.

11 hours ago, breadandbutter said:

Get over it, its just a fun thing to do

Again, visually impaired passenger needs a prompt.

19 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

Perfect thank you so much. I’ll still keep it small and subtle but won’t worry too much then.

We must mark our door..or my visually impaired husband might very well try your door! 

On 6/16/2023 at 10:02 PM, Obobru said:

Sounds like a couple of issues happened like the ports and because you had arrived in a bad mood from your flight issue you found fault with almost everything. The delay boarding was most likely a customs/immigration search on the ship they have been doing more in Southampton. The missed port and delayed port isn't ideal but you just sat in your room stewing away making it worse for yourself. 

 

Unfortunately this is how many humans react including myself, off to a bad start it's hard to get into the mood and have fun. My partner always pulls me back saying we can't change it so let's find what we can do and make the best of it. 

 

I am sure you will find a new cruise line you prefer, we are not loyal to any which I find is the best way as loads of cruise lines do similar itineraries.

 

Could be. I am scheduled for thé Prima TA in two weeks and have jaded expectations. My choices were the GEM from Rome or Prima from BCN and the latter is much simpler for my location. But I am writing to say that on my only NCL TA from NYC a few years ago the Epic cancelled Three of Four ports on the coastline approaching Amsterdam. They gave us a big reduction on a rebooking to use by the end of the year! I don’t do cruises that frequently so the comp was meaningless. I know this is just bitterness but I think NCL is a bit loosely goosey at cancelling ports. Has anyone’s else been victim to such a situation?

Thanks for your posts, together we can get a real picture of how cruise companies operate.

Susan

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

You botched the quote there, but no harm.  I have a totally inflexible attitude.  I'm going to be comfortable on my holiday and nobody is going to make me wear pants, shoes, etc.  Sweats and slippers gets me into any venue on the ship.  That said, NCL meets my needs just fine, so that's why I sail on NCL.😎

I discovered a magic finger at the end of my arm! It was an attempt to move a sentence in my paragraph and it slipped into your comments. I was  wondering how to fix it, so apologies are given.

19 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Isn't "not wearing pants for dinner and not partaking in cruise ritual(?!)" part of enjoying every moment?

well, that really comes to searching information that tells you which cruise line is the right fit for you & your companions.

Sailing on the Queen Mary, for example, won’t work for a “flip flop & bermudas all voyage” kind of person and yet if a passenger brings along a flexible attitude just about every cruise line can cater to their needs.

Thank goodness that CC gives us a chance to ferret out the Vibe on a cruise.

On 2/23/2022 at 9:18 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

I would be more interested in my DD having an enjoyable cruise.  😎

Perhaps there should be a table for teens.  There’s a fun book by Michael Ondatje named THE CATS TABLE  about a voyage in the 30s from Sri Lanka to the UK.

im of grandmother age so I wonder how we should ease our young ins in to dressing appropriately or for the occasion.

On 7/9/2023 at 12:18 AM, graphicguy said:

Interestingly, I am looking to meet family in Italy (Cortona) after the cruise (that's where both my late parents are from).  So, I'm actually looking for a way to get from the Marseille cruise port to Cortona.  Open to suggestions.  Train looks like a bunch of transfers.  Bus?  Maybe!  Flight?  Maybe!

It’s a nightmare by train. Last December we did Avignon to Rome/Civitivecchia by train. It meant connecting to one of two trains running PARIS to Rome very early. One is the Frecciarossa (IT) and the other is a TGV. THE Italian train goes into Rome Termini …and an aside: it stops in Florence where you can transfer to a southbound train stopping in Cortona (they are pretty frequent).

Here’s what we did so as not to leave Avignon at 6am.  We took the TGV to Lyon Part-Dieu the evening before & stayed overnight at a local hotel. The next morning we picked up the Frecciarossa around 9:30am. This route takes you through the Alps which is pretty cool. We changed in Milano to another train which stopped in Florence. YouTube has plenty of vlogs about these trains & trips.

Our journey in Business Class was in the range of $400 for two “senior” tickets. It was stylish and very comfortable. We got excellent help with transfers because I pre booked handicap help. Pre booking that free service was a nightmare but gosh did it work. Grazie to Francesco in the Termini handicap office.

An alternative would be to fly to Florence (or Rome FCO in a pinch, and take the rails from there. Connections & times are not favorable (no non stops) and pp fare $160 up..plus bags!

And YES there are Eurobuses and you might get some hits by downloading Rometorio.

I hope this helps.

*We just booked a TA out of Barcelona because getting to Italy from this part of France is so awkward. You can’t just go east to Nice, Monaco, Ventimiglia, Genoa so easily because there’s no high speed rail yet.

Cheers,

Susan

Maybe your relatives will drive up to Ventimiglia (drive about 4 hours) to collect you.

I was on the MSC SEASIDE during the World Cup last Nov/Dec and they showed every match…it made the trip so exciting (a TA ROME TO NYC).

I realize of course that MSC and NCL shouldn’t be compared.

TRYING to book on line last night. This really got to me.

After going through the category & cabin choice sections…balcony & oceanview, the price came up on the upper right hand corner (2 persons, package inclusions, cabin number, taxes). Then clicked More Details which lead me to a “Price has Increased”  notice that instead of $2006 the new fare would be $500 more.

Please explain that to me.

Note: Prima out of Barcelona on Nov 20.

This pricing trick occurred two days in a row.
 

The same thing happened on the Gem TA out of Civitivecchia Dec 4.

Thanks for observations and yes, despite being 83, I used my iPad mini 5 🤓  Susan

Our MSc cruise just cancelled our trip with stops in Aqaba, Sharm el Sheikh and Luxor. Departs Nov. 9. No Israel ports on the manifest.

This has impacted our Egypt trip. We insured to Nov 30 to cover our Nile Cruise and various independent hotels. We paid close to $1000 for the insurance based on our age.

I called Generali last night and was told that they consider the cruise cancellation as under the War definition. Therefore probably not covered but I could submit a claim if I wanted. (My claim is a deposit on a Nile Cruise, one non refundable hotel and a flight from Aswan to Cairo.)

My thinking is that my travel to Egypt is a transportation issue, that I can’t get to the tour arrangements in Egypt. Like a flight being cancelled.

Any opinions on this particular argument? 
 

Thank you,

Susan

On 10/12/2023 at 7:01 PM, Warm-Water Diver said:

I am just over 30 days out to my first MSC cruise and I have to say I'm completely disgusted with MSC's website.

Many days I can't even get to "view your cruise" (from Manage my booking). Website just sits and spins and occasionally displays the "request failed with status code 500"

 

Is it just me or does MSC need to hire some competent web developers? 

It’s not just you.  But I found that my TA confirmation included a link to my booking on the MSC app & that worked every time.

Sorry: I misstated the food service. There were no food choices on the front of the ship.

That probably is where Yacht Club was located…but wasn’t accessible to regular guests.

We were on her maiden voyage and because of low expectations we were surprised. The ship was classy, their entertainment (especially the movie history) was good.

Now two things caused concern. First (because I love soup for lunch) I was disappointed that there was only one day wherea gluten free soup was served. The second was that it was a LONG walk to all the dining options which all were on the rear of the ship (our cabin was slightly forward but mid ship. They should have some food at the rear of the Seaside IMHO.

one more note: our stop in Bermuda was a disaster because there was no way that the little island  could handle the overwhelming number of passengers: they ran one 40 passenger bus from the port every thirty minutes.