island lady

Yup, that's the one I get as well. I thought you were saying it just showed up on your confirmation. Looks like you got lucky! 🙂

That is also what I was thinking. Monetary errors in our favor from RCI...extremely rare. 99.9% of the time.... it is an error in their favor. 😉

How do you know it's from the Stock?

We like to break it up. Some afternoon excursions, some morning, some evening. Then some days...no tour at all. We do tend to get "bus butt" too often with too many extended time bus tours. Then again, our next river cruise is 3 weeks long. Lots of time for mixing it up. 🙂

Yes. You can order off a menu. Not a "bring your own from the buffet" area. Totally different set up from the Freedom. And Chops is not near the WJ on EX like it is on Freedom.

Four cruise lines to avoid. 🤢

Will be nice to see you on board soon then! 🙂 Very much looking forward to the three week adventure. Indeed, in a perfect world....I would love not to have a ship swap. When we cruise on B2B..plus....we won't do it unless we can keep the same cabin. Not a fan of having to pack up and move. 😞 I have all my shore excursions booked...keeping it simple with just the Viking hosted tours. Normally we do a lot of "on our own" tours...but decided to just be lazy on this one. 😉

Totally agree there...same for us.

You will love that "extra toilet" as well. 😄

Indeed...a nice perk! Though for some reason we never eat in our cabin...even to order room service. I guess we like being out and about in the evening. Probably reminds me too much of staying home for dinner or going out to a restaurant. 😉 I used to feel that 5:30 was too early for dining...but since the total fiasco of what has become of MTD...we have totally enjoyed doing first seating. Sooo nice to just walk straight to our table with the same wait staff that knows our likes/dislikes. No waiting in line. Of course time is relative. Just back from six weeks on Maui...6 hour time difference from Florida. Felt like we were having dinner when we had lunch. 🙃 So, we simply adjust our body clock timing on the cruise as well. Keeps us from filling up on munchies at happy hour and finally gives us time to make those early shows should we want to.

We are planning to arrive Sydney 2-3 days prior...stay at a hotel at the port. Following the Aussie cruise, will transfer to Orion for the NZ cruise. Following that...2-3 weeks land based to tour around on our own. Over two months down under. 🙂

Happened to me on Jewel a few months ago. I usually keep cell phone in separate pocket, forgot and stuck it in the same pocket as my key card. Oopss...a trip down to GS desk. 🥺

If it's the January 2025 cruise...indeed will see you there! 🙂 We are Viking Vidar this Sept. Three week European Sojourn. Looking forward to that one...been too many years since we did a river cruise.

Yeah, that just makes no sense to me at all.

You are most welcome. Of course RCI is most happy to have pax book the dining packages....me thinks something is fishy about how they let pax get upset with the new MTD set up....and I don't think it is coming from the sea. 😉

The ship resets it's clocks at 2 am in the morning...each morning. You then go by that time.

Yes. Once again...there is no separate section for MTD any longer. Spent 2 different B2B cruises on Jewel just recently. Long standing lines for MTD (and the one WITH reservations was the longest). MTD is only on the main dining deck...and only when first seating diners leave their tables...table at a time.... then reset, will you be seated. Some (like us) arrive on time, finish our meal (no dessert, no after dinner coffee) and leave within an hour. Some....like to linger after dinner, having coffee, more drinks, dessert....that table will take longer to be reset for you. We used to love MTD...not any longer. IMHO...MTD is now a failed system.

From inside to Owners suite...still no priority with MTD. Do keep in mind the changes to MTD. It is not a separate dedicated dining floor (usually one deck up) any longer. It is now a "fill in" at the whim of diners leaving their tables after first seating on main dining deck. Even with reservations, DO be prepared to wait in line for a table as the dining pax file back out. Earliest MTD reservations usually not until 6:45 (first dining from 5:15 to 5:30). Set up as a guess as to when those first seating pax leave.

Cruise ship terminals in Seattle are limited. So many mega cruise lines wanting to go out of there (versus Vancouver). Lots of competition for space.

You may want to clarify that the water you received as a free D+ perk...was just the 4 comped bottles. Not the 12 pack you have to pay for.

Me too. "Sea" you on board in January? 🙂 Then we transfer over to Orion the next day after we end and disembark in Sydney to board the NZ route.

Problem is Portland and Bar Harbor (especially) have very limited allowance for cruise ship visits. Many Bar Harbor residents would rather see the cruise ships go away. The little town is already flooded with too many summer visitors as it is. We spend the summer up here, and will check ship visit schedules to be sure we don't visit Bar Harbor on a cruise ship day. It's really nuts there with one tendered at port.

Normally it's been Radiance for the past years. But I wouldn't mind her twin sister Brilliance doing that route. 🙂

Yeah, they are a scary bunch for sure. 😉 Pesky Pinnacles!! 😄

Happily your bro and I upped our drink taste buds with the add on package for Connie. hick....🤪🥃