81Cruise31

If you want to decorate your door, just do it. As long as you don't damage it and the cruise line doesn't have a rule against it. People are never going to agree on anything.

The cruise line that has a lot of decorated doors is Disney. I used to be a member on a fb page for images for the doors, shirts, etc. Pretty neat stuff. After their cruise, people would post pictures of their doors , other people's doors. People really go all out on Disney cruises.

I will say it again. Do what u want. As long as it doesn't damage the door. And don't worry about what anybody else thinks. Its just their opinion. People will never agree on any issue.

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Just uploaded the new version, still can't see other posts

 

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I'm referring to the Cruise Critic app. It looks like your using Tapatalk.

If u want to stay with Tapatalk, maybe try to delete the app completely and then download it. Hopefully that works.

If not, try using the Cruise Critic App.

I hope one of these suggestions work for you. :)

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How do I get the new version? I still can't see posts on my Kindle Fire.

 

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Maybe try to delete the app on the Kindle and then download the app to the Kindle.

Other then that I have no clue. Im sorry I cannot help more. :(

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So I update the cruise critic app. That did the job! The app works. Thank goodness.

So everyone who is having difficulty, try updating the app.

I didnt know there was an update available. I dont let a lot of my apps update automatically. I dont want to be away from WiFi and then all of a sudden a lot of my apps are updating on my data! A waste of data. Lol

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So I just tapped on my own post and cannot see what I wrote. This is very strange.

I see all the posts, but when I tap on it on my phone, it will not show the content of the post.

I tried to undownload the app and reload it onto my phone.

Still have the problem. Just wondering if anyone else is too?

If you can read all I wrote, your not having any issues with the phone app. Guess I'm just going to have to use my computer to view cruisecritic until this stops.

You also said you were looking at a 14 day cruise. Typically most NZ cruises are 12-14 days. Australia is huge so seeing a lot of Australia on a cruise isn't really feasible. The best way is to start in one country and do some land-based sightseeing, then cruise one way (Auckland to Sydney or vice versa) then do more land-based sightseeing on arrival.

 

For example - fly in to Christchurch NZ, get a rental car and drive through the middle of the South Island taking in Mount Cook, Queenstown and, if time, driving over the Haast Pass and up the West Coast so you can see the glaciers etc. Fly from Christchurch (or Queenstown) to Auckland. If your cruise doesn't include the Bay of Island you might like to get another rental car and go up there for a couple of days. If you are Lord of the Rings fans then do a day trip down to Matamata - then you can do Rotorua on your Tauranga port stop. Cruise to Sydney. Celebrity cruises often stop at Hobart in Tasmania. To get to the major highlights of Australia you will need to fly from one to the other, and I'd suggest a few days in Sydney itself.

 

Balcony cabins on Celebrity Solstice are lovely but for the best views sailing out of the harbours go to the Sky Observation Lounge. Also If you are sailing Auckland to Sydney try to get a cabin on the starboard side (book early), or the port side if starting from Australia.

Thank you! I have gotten so much advice here on Cruise Critic.

Plus, you have answered a question I would have eventually have asked. Which side of the ship to get a cabin. :)

And pardon my errors in my last comment. I am using my cellphone. :)

OzKiwiJJ,

We are hoping to see both Australia/New Zealand. I hope I didn't confuse anyone by only saying only New Zealand?

As for the flow-riders and rock climbing, no. We arent into those kond of activities. Although I have done the rock climbing when I was in high school. Not anymore. :)

Pushka,

I have looked at cruises for years but have never been on one yet because of unexpected expenses (husband had surgery, needed a new used car, the list goes on). So this will be our first cruise. In fact it will be the first time out of the country. :D

Anyway, maybe it was the brochures or what people have told me. I have always thought that Celebrity was for older people. To learn that its not and Princess is. I'm shocked. Lol

I am reading the newer comments and I think Celebrity will win. My husband wants lots of room as he is a tall guy. :)

Oh and I forgot to give one tiny detail. We plan on at least getting a balcony. We are going all that way and dont want to miss a thing.

You have given me lots to consider. Thank you very much. :)

Thanks for all the wonderful replies. I have just one question at the moment.

If everything works out and there are no major life surprises, we will be going when we will be in our early 40's(just a few years from now). Will we fit in with all the other cruisers on Celebrity? I have done some research and it seems they cater to the older crowd while Princess has older people on it too, but there are also younger couples and some kids(a mix of ages). At least what I have seen.

Or maybe it just doesn't matter. I don't know. I just don't want to stick out. I hope I am making sense. Lol

It's all about a once in a lifetime trip right? All about the itinerary? Does it really matter what the ages are of the other clientele onboard?

Which company would you use on this once in a lifetime trip? They both look fantastic. Having a hard time deciding. I am leaning toward Princess but my husband is leaning toward RCCL.

We are looking to do a 14 day cruise and plan on seeing both Australia and New Zealand. Though have not picked an itinerary yet.

How did you decide which company to use?

Thank you for any insight. :)

I would have to agree with you there. On our 4 flights in 2012 we saw some big pieces of carryon luggage. And all the people who came on the plane last, never had room for their luggage. It had to be checked. On each of the 4 flights, there was always a few people who had to check their stuff because by the time they got on the plane, there was no more room in the bins.

Which Im not surprised. U should have seen the size of a lot of the peoples carryon luggage!

After seeing this happen on all those flights, I like to make sure we are one of the first ones to get on a plane after they let the 1st class people on.

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Love this thread.

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I found out that there is a website for the people in the pharmacy profession to put their frustrations down. Wow, it's crazy what people see and how they are treated by their customers!

There are probably all kinds of websites for various professions.

Honestly it would be interesting to read what kind of things the crew see and go through.

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Wow, now that is funny.

Never even thought of this small detail.:)

Hi everybody, I am yet another one of the JoCo group that will be on board. If anyone is still scared or concerned, maybe hearing from one more person will ease some fears.

 

I was on the "same" cruise last year, JCCC2. We were on HAL's Westerdam, and our group was roughly the same percentage of the total passengers as we will be this year. There's a few more of us this year, but we're on a bigger ship. JCCC2 was my first cruise.

 

So who are we? If you really want to stereotype us, you can call us nerds or geeks. But you might be surprised at how much variety you will see. We're a pretty even mix of men and women, from all over the US and other countries. There's probably a few more computer programmers than average, but there are a wide variety of other professions represented as well - last year I met an accountant, several musicians, game designers, authors, a sculptor, 2 NASA scientists, school teachers, retired folks, and a high school student there with her father. Some of us are super duper 5 gold star cruisers who got free upgrades to the fanciest suite on the Westerdam, while others (like me) were sharing a porthole room with 3 strangers to make the trip affordable.

 

Last year, on HAL, our group felt "younger" than the other passengers. (People who know more about the cruise industry told me that HAL tends to have a slightly older, slightly more conservative crowd.) I have to believe them, because the Westerdam didn't have a rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, or surfing simulator :eek: This year I think our mix of ages will be closer to the rest of the passengers - mostly middle age, good amount of 20 somethings, some older folks, and some families with small kids. I know there was at least one family with 3 generations represented last time.

 

Now the real question is how will we be screwing up your vacation right? ;)

 

Here's some idea of what venues we'll be using:

 

• We will be hogging the conference center 24/7. Hopefully no big deal for anyone.
  

• 
  We will be hogging the main theater for the shows included in the entertainment package we paid for. most of these are in the afternoon before dinner, which for us is at 5:30. Last year they were very strict about ending the shows on time to make way for the normal shipboard shows. This made me sad, as it meant no encores, but it means you don't have to worry about missing out on the shows you would normally get to see, because we'll all be eating or doing something else.
  

• 
  Last year we were all in the same seating for dinner, but we didn't have the *entire* dining room -there were tables for other folks as well. I don't know about this year. If you are in our seating, you can expect loud applause and cheering when the performers who played their set that afternoon arrive. (We also cheered the heck out of the waiters when they did their parade thing. Not sure if that's typical cruise behavior or not.) On the formal nights, you will see a wider range of formal wear than you typically would - there will be at least a few formal kilts, a Victorian style ball gown, a corset or two, top hats, and yes, one or two Star Trek uniforms. Feel free to compliment people if you like their outfit - a lot of the items are probably hand made. On the first formal night, you will see a lot of fake mustaches and fezzes. If you enjoy people watching, try to get in this seating with us. Or bring your own mustache and join in the fun. However, if you like your formal nights more conservative, I would suggest another seating ;)
  

• We will take over a venue like Studio B or the On Air Club at certain times. Based on last year's experience, we'll be packed in that particular venue like sardines, leaving everything else relatively empty.
  

• 
  Someone earlier in the thread was worried about WiFi. Some of us will definitely be on their gadgets the whole time trying to keep their businesses afloat. But plenty more of us stare at a computer too much at work as it is, and are there to relax, tune out, and enjoy a week away from screens, keyboards, and stress. Plus internet is expensive on a boat - I'd rather save my money for frosty adult beverages!
  

I would LOVE to see these formal dinners. Love the top hats idea. :)

Thanks for this list. I have not been on a cruise yet and this sure helped. Like the drink they offer you when u first get onboard. I didnt know they charge u for that. Thanks for the heads up. :)