Travelling2Some

Here's a weird story from our Carnival Mardi Gras cruise: We went to lunch at the Italian specialty restaurant one afternoon. The place was almost empty. Maybe 8 other people there. We were seated at a two-top that was (I am not kidding) less than 6 inches from the next table. The weird thing is that in the middle of our meal in an empty restaurant they seated a single woman at the table right next to us. She was a nice person, luckily. (Yes, we felt obligated to say hello to someone practically seated in our laps, lol.) The three of us actually discussed how odd it was that they sat her there with all the open space. We were in the middle of our meal so it was kind of "on her" to object to being seated there but I guess the waiter took her by surprise. Very strange though.

Of course. My point was that Celebrity CAN be less expensive than Carnival since you suggested that it would not be possible to get a Celebrity Cruise for less than one on Mardi Gras. We cruise for itinerary, not burgers.

Well, our upcoming cruise on the Constellation (10 nt. Italy/Croatia) cost us $2,182 all in. Mardi Gras was more expensive for 7 days and the one we have booked on the NCL Viva is over twice that. Agree that Guy's Burgers and Big Chicken were great though.

We recently tried the Carnival Mardi Gras and agree with the OP's complaints. We probably will not sail with them again for several reasons, one being that we had to book dining at the last minute on the ap. We like to plan out our evenings in advance and we are not fans of this. I kept thinking about how I already had all my dining reservations set 125 days in advance on NCL as opposed to having to "scramble" every night on Carnival. Just not the way we like to do things.

Blu is smaller and quieter than the MDR. My husband is a "people watcher" type who likes a crowd so he did not find that a plus. I found myself ordering from the MDR menu at least half the time anyway. The service is more attentive in Blu but we don't feel any need for that.

We loved the little Spirit even before the refurb. I always keep an eye on her itineraries but so far the stars have not aligned as far as going where we want to go and when we are able to go.

We're pretty much about itinerary first and foremost. I like any ship as long as the entertainment is good. My husband enjoys the energy of big ships with lots of action. We're doing a European "Side2Side" on the Celebrity Constellation (very old small ship) followed by the Viva next month, so that should be an interesting contrast. We've sailed on the Constellation before and were both fine with it. The Viva cost well over twice as much, which will make the comparison even more interesting.

Like many older people, we can't eat a lot at one time so Moderno just wasn't a good fit for us, especially since meat is heavy. The concerned wait staff repeatedly urged us to eat more with the manager even getting into the act. I know they meant well but it was pushy to the point that they were making us feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Just curious if anybody else had this issue?

I had lunch with someone recently who ordered pasta with pesto sauce and was absolutely horrified that it was GREEN. I was thinking she might need to get out more. . . Like you, I do not find a measurable difference between Veuve and ordinary champagne. Maybe I need to drink more 🙂

Very true. Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Paris . . . Just wanted to add that Magellan's makes a great theft-proof women's pocketbook and Clothingarts.com has men's pickpocket-proof pants that my husband has used for years. We also pare down our wallets before leaving home, taking only those cards/credentials we will use abroad.

Jamaica = Sea day. Same goes for Nassau. We're not big on the Caribbean anyway but actively avoid itineraries with these ports.

Yes. Almost as bad as those Royal Caribbean TV ads. I'm always amazed that so many youtubers make such motion sickness inducing videos too.

When we considered the very high cost of the excursion plus the 6 hour r/t travel time, it made more sense for us to visit Berlin separately after the cruise. Two nights in a Berlin hotel cost less than the excursion.

Have been through Brussels on a land trip and found it skippable, Brugges is much nicer. Loved Amsterdam but it needs several days to see it properly. Can recommend Riga and Hamburg (go to Miniature Wonderland) as enjoyable ports. Berlin is way too far from the port but we did very much like our day Warnemunde. Spend as much time as you can in Stockholm - wonderful city. As others have mentioned, Prima is not a good ship for colder weather. Another vote for the Dawn.

Agree. Ever have well-meaning dinner guests who insist on "helping" you clear away but have no clue where anything goes? I have a system and I really would rather do it myself.

I was staying several nights at a guest house attached to a governmental installation in a third world country. After a couple of mornings an employee implored me to stop making my bed because she was supposed to make it. Being a democratic sort of person I said it did not seem right to me because, after all, I do not make her bed so why should she have to make mine? She said she needed her job and might get in trouble if I kept cleaning up after myself. Whoops! I stopped, of course.

We did this cruise on the Dawn with zero sea days and loved it. One of our best trips ever. The main reason we chose the particular sailing we did though was because it embarked in Copenhagen and ended in Stockholm, enabling us to spend five additional days in each of those cities. I don't know if that would be a factor for you. Which two ports do you give up if you choose the Prima rather than the Dawn?

Second the recommendation for Spain Day Tours. Have gone with them many times and always very good and reliable.

Probably the work of the Anti-Magnet Faction (or some goofy kids). This would be a concern for the Legion of the Over-served!

I always put more stock in the official port websites because they have absolutely no motive to lie. Cruise lines have both "motive and opportunity". Also, a frequent sign that a port will be canceled is a lack of shore excursions offered. They know in advance.

During covid I got in the habit of keeping little pepper packets in my purse since the shakers had been taken away in most places. I was finding that when I would ask for pepper they would often take so long bringing it that my food was cold.

Whenever somebody insults my husband he gives them a big smile and a hearty "Thank You". He says it confuses the heck out of them.

Nothing wrong with calling things what they are but it doesn't make for popularity, lol.

That's the best attitude. Reminds me of the popular saying to "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a battle that you know nothing about." I also tend to thing to myself (a bit less kindly) "Thank you, Lord, that I don't have to live in the same house with that clown!"

Yes, I would have thought that NCL would have made this reservation awhile ago (unless this is another one of their sneaky "we always secretly intended to skip it?" situations? Regardless, we canceled this morning. The ironic twist is that now we will be visiting Bar Harbor by land and avoiding it on a day that cruise ships will be in town.