SusieKIslandGirl

If you find that after all your shopping and finding the perfect bag it still tips over, try glueing on a small piece of wood or solid plastic on the bottom, front of the carry-on. My husband did this for me and it never tips over now. A friend gave me the suggestion to take a photo of all bags before checking them. If one gets lost you have something to give the airlines and they know what to search for just in case the tag comes off.

Hi SusieKay,

Now I see why I couldn't use that name for my account:). Had to go with my 2nd choice. Happy Cruising!

And if your cruise is after the first of next year, there will be no more smoking on the verandah cabins' balconies.

We often look for a ship's tour that ends up at the airport. Then we just go to our hotel rather than boarding a plane.

I have found many different magnet clips, hooks and containers at The Container Store. There are retail stores and an on-line presence. I even won a $50 gift card for my suggestions of using various magnetic products in our cruise cabin!

Hi Sherita-You certainly are one for extremes. From Antarctica to the South Pacific to Alaska-great choices. I wish I was going to be home when you return to Seattle-I'd give you a ride to the airport! Being on the Westerdam together was great fun. We had a fantastic group. Thanks for the wonderful cruise reports. --Susie

Thanks Betty. I will set a reminder on my calendar for October. Have a great trip. Susie

Just what I needed to know-thanks for the quick reply. I think it was on a Celebrity cruise that the shower had a door-that was very nice-but this will work just fine.

Does anyone have photos or know if the shower-only cabins have a shower curtain or a shower door? If it's a curtain, is the threshold into the shower very high to keep the curtain in the shower? Thanks so much!

One slight correction...we missed Rarotonga, not Moorea. Because of that missed port we found a great package vacation from that large warehouse company so we're off to the Cook Islands in October. On a plane, not a ship but still should be great.:)

After going through the security scanner the liquor check-in desk was straight ahead. They took our cabin number from our boarding papers and wrote up an invoice. They counted the bottles, subtracted one for each of us and gave us stickers for the rest of the bottles. Quite easy.

We arrived a day ahead of our departure from San Diego for a 35 day cruise. We rented a car and went to Costco. We found a box with dividers in the wine section which we then filled up with our choices. We had packed a length of cord so were able to tie the box on top of a roller carry-on bag. It was a little heavy but managed without a disaster-all bottles intact. We made sure the cord went both lengthwise and crosswise around the bag a couple of times. We had many offers of help - to consume the wine, not to carry it - while we waited in line!!!

My DH and I were on the cruise with Scrapnana and she said it perfectly. Our Cruise Critic roll call was amazing with information before the cruise and friendships on board. The negative I experienced was the time you had to spend waiting for a show in the main show lounge because there is never enough seating. For most shows you had to arrive so early in order to have a seat that wasn't behind a pillar. But the rest was wonderful. I felt HAL went above and beyond with their compensation for a weather problem over which they had no control.

We collect refrigerator magnets and they have stuck on the Amsterdam, NA, Eurodam, Zaandam, Ryndam, Statendam, Koningsdam, Oosterdam, and Prinsendam. I also stick a magnetic emergency light on the wall as well.

 

 

Tim in Burien, WA

Hi Tim-we're neighbors. I was in Burien yesterday-and it was way too hot!

Will that work on a Holland ship .Metal walls ?????

Yes' date=' that's where I've used them. Last cruise was on the Westerdam for 35 days in April. They stayed attached the entire voyage.[/size']

How soon do you leave? You can buy the cards and have them sent to your home if you have enough time for shipping.

Thanks for the detailed information on the various electronics.

Some of my new favorite cabin organizers are from the Container Store. They carry a brand of organizers that have magnets on the back and adhere to cabin walls beautifully. The Urbio magnetic modular system has small and large components for all sorts of essential items. I loved that I could put them on the wall near the vanity and keep that surface open for chargers and the computer. I even have one that I put cut flowers in! The Container Store also has ABS plastic magnetic hooks and wall clips that work well. Lastly, they have large suction cup hooks that I use on the window. Great place to put damp clothes to dry when the sun is out.

Thanks again for taking us along on your cruise.

Loved the tray photo. The tray looks like one I bought at IKEA-minus the tiles, of course! I might have to borrow your idea. Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the great tips and information. I appreciate your comments!

Another vote for Patrick. Our Cruise Critic roll call reserved 3 of his 4 canoes last month and it was absolutely the best!

Our last cruise out of San Diego we had a box with 11 bottles of wine tied to the top of our rolling carry-on sized bag. They looked at one bottle, wrote out the corkage fee slip and gave us the stickers.

I would appreciate some information--Does anyone have an approximate length of time it takes to get off a ship in St. Petersburg if not on a ship's excursion? Since the ship is not tendered I'm thinking there shouldn't be any hold-ups but with the visa requirements, I'm just not sure. Once the ship has cleared is it reasonable to assume you could be off in 1/2 hour or less? Thanks so much!

I think everyone has already said most of what we've been thinking but have to say this was an amazing cruise despite the weather. Having been involved with such a large and active roll call certainly helped to make the cruise memorable.

It was interesting to see how the "vibe" of the ship changed with so many getting off in San Diego and the birders, with their assorted equipment, getting on. They all had to get off in Vancouver and then the party people arrived. I saw more buckets of beer being delivered that day in Vancouver than I did the other 33 days combined! It was a crazy couple of days. Thanks to Ann and Pat for having Victoria give us such a glorious day!

I hope Loren and I have the opportunity to sail with all of you again. --Susie

Thanks to everyone for the hopes of calm seas and sunny skies. Less than a week now---a dream is coming true.

Riesling is usually less dry than the rest of the white wines. It's generally the only one I can drink-everything else is too "sour or bitter(?). Once in awhile a zinfandel isn't too bad.