temple10
January 6th, 2005, 11:56 PM
Hi all, as I sit here eating my macadamian nuts, I wonder how I will get it all down for you. First a little history, this was my very first cruise ever, I am a 39 year old woman and traveled with my 15 year old son. These views are mine and I hope I will be helpful to any other cruiser out there for the first time.
We arrived at San Diego right at 11:00 I could feel the excitment, nervousness, and wonder taking ahold on me. I kissed my hubby goodbye and went through the door to enter the dream of a life time. It went as smooth as butter!! There were people everywhere instructing where to go, which Put me at ease real fast. I went in the line for documents filled out on-line and with-in 5 min. I was checking in. ( Info time for 1st time crusier that is a single mother traveling with your child) I was told to have a letter from his father giving me permission to take my son.) NOWAY!! so I had to notorize letters stateing I was the sole provider. I was also told they usually don't ask for them but have everything just in case your the one they pick to ask. Guess What?? the 3rd question was Is his father here?? So I pulled out all my documentation and moved right along. check in took maybe 5 min. and on the ship 5 min.after that. Wow!!! awsome. We felt our hearts racing and wanted to take it all in so fast. We walked up to the lido to have lunch and couldn't believe all the beauty of the inside of this ship. We sat and ate looking at each other in laughter trying to believe we were really in the midst of all this.
Exsacly as you all said promptly at 1:00 we could go to our state rooms. We had a mini-suite 157 on the veranduh deck. It was roomy enough for the 2 of us, and loved the couch and the balcony. What a treat. We immeditally met our stewart His name was Alus, and he was the bomb!! very friendly, efficent, and took care of my every wish!! We then romed around and explored, All the Christmas decorations were beautiful, along with the art work. We set sail a little after 5:00. oh our luggage arrived to our room within 2 hours and their were plenty of hangers and drawer space, closet space for 2 people Now I had Two Large suitcases and 2 dresscases and all 4 fit under the beds no problem. We had fridge and safe. I feel the safes are toooo small. But O-well, I put the jewerly and cash in and that was it. Now I must admit reading everything written about the mattresses I thought my god a mattress is a mattress, But I was WRONG I woke up for the first time in 15 years with out pain for 2 weeks!! those mattress are a dream. I will be trying to get one just like it no matter the cost.
Now the food- Again my opinion only. All the food I ate was very good, but the portions were small, even in the lido if you asked for sausage they would put 1 on your plate. I learned real quick to quote the amount of everything I wanted. 2-eggs,4 sausage etc. If you have Children that are very picky eaters (as mine) you will have a problem. Even though there is a hamberger- hot dog stand that gets old in a two week period. They do also serve pizza but if your kids like just cheese or pep, It goes so fast it is hard to get it. We didn't eat in the Dinning room to much, again everything was too to fancy. The pinnicle was fabulous. We of course asked for no sauce on our porterhouse and just a plain potato. What ever happen to buffalo wings or mozzeralla sticks for an appatizer. We never had any of those either. The Ice cream bar was to die for. Many different flavors. (Remember) quote how many scoops. Oh and the bread pudding was just as wonderful as you all said it would be. Room service was very good but just not enough selection.
Oh I forgot to mention with-in the first hour of being on ship we were offered a soda card ( after I was told by hal they discontinued them.) I was excited and bought 2. they were 52.50 each for 2 weeks. Way to go Hal!! We looked around the shops which I immeditaly found that ring that is calling you, shinning through the glass, but your kinda afraid to ask how much because you don't want to hear that figure that you know you shoulden't spend. It was a mystical fire topaz in 24k white gold. OMG I stared at it as if I was a child eyeballing the perfect piece of candy in a store window. I told myself to sleep on it. it's only the first day. All of the shops have nice things, I would just prefer bigger shops with a little more selection.
The seas were good through the hole trip. I was nervous about that factor so started the ginger tablets 3 days before departing and the bonine the night before. and had the sea bands in my carry-on never needed those. Didnt get sick at all. Many people were at the front desk asking for pills, I was sailing along (excuse the expression) Now we were at sea for 4 days. and I feel Hal does not have enough activites going on. for 39 year olds and teenagers. They had a club hal for all the age groups but need to work on the 15-18 activites. Their were seminars about many different things throughout everyday, but I am not interested in feeling like I am taking college courses while on vacation. I wanted more active things I guess than movies,seminars,and reading books. I coulden't believe how much reading everyone was doing all the time. Bingo was fun, and the game show games were a blast. The Comedian was a man and his duck, Very good. Also the staff shows were very nice, .glitzy. The slot tournaments and black Jack torunaments were going on all the time, I learned the first slot tourney, to stay away I was a crazed woman at the mercy of a machine that woulden't give me enough points. I kept re-intering thinking this machine will hit something good this time. 160.00 later I didn't even win a lousy tee-shirt. needless to say I only gambled a little more, towards the end of the cruise for something to do. well......... enough for now will continue tomarrow. Christine
We arrived at San Diego right at 11:00 I could feel the excitment, nervousness, and wonder taking ahold on me. I kissed my hubby goodbye and went through the door to enter the dream of a life time. It went as smooth as butter!! There were people everywhere instructing where to go, which Put me at ease real fast. I went in the line for documents filled out on-line and with-in 5 min. I was checking in. ( Info time for 1st time crusier that is a single mother traveling with your child) I was told to have a letter from his father giving me permission to take my son.) NOWAY!! so I had to notorize letters stateing I was the sole provider. I was also told they usually don't ask for them but have everything just in case your the one they pick to ask. Guess What?? the 3rd question was Is his father here?? So I pulled out all my documentation and moved right along. check in took maybe 5 min. and on the ship 5 min.after that. Wow!!! awsome. We felt our hearts racing and wanted to take it all in so fast. We walked up to the lido to have lunch and couldn't believe all the beauty of the inside of this ship. We sat and ate looking at each other in laughter trying to believe we were really in the midst of all this.
Exsacly as you all said promptly at 1:00 we could go to our state rooms. We had a mini-suite 157 on the veranduh deck. It was roomy enough for the 2 of us, and loved the couch and the balcony. What a treat. We immeditally met our stewart His name was Alus, and he was the bomb!! very friendly, efficent, and took care of my every wish!! We then romed around and explored, All the Christmas decorations were beautiful, along with the art work. We set sail a little after 5:00. oh our luggage arrived to our room within 2 hours and their were plenty of hangers and drawer space, closet space for 2 people Now I had Two Large suitcases and 2 dresscases and all 4 fit under the beds no problem. We had fridge and safe. I feel the safes are toooo small. But O-well, I put the jewerly and cash in and that was it. Now I must admit reading everything written about the mattresses I thought my god a mattress is a mattress, But I was WRONG I woke up for the first time in 15 years with out pain for 2 weeks!! those mattress are a dream. I will be trying to get one just like it no matter the cost.
Now the food- Again my opinion only. All the food I ate was very good, but the portions were small, even in the lido if you asked for sausage they would put 1 on your plate. I learned real quick to quote the amount of everything I wanted. 2-eggs,4 sausage etc. If you have Children that are very picky eaters (as mine) you will have a problem. Even though there is a hamberger- hot dog stand that gets old in a two week period. They do also serve pizza but if your kids like just cheese or pep, It goes so fast it is hard to get it. We didn't eat in the Dinning room to much, again everything was too to fancy. The pinnicle was fabulous. We of course asked for no sauce on our porterhouse and just a plain potato. What ever happen to buffalo wings or mozzeralla sticks for an appatizer. We never had any of those either. The Ice cream bar was to die for. Many different flavors. (Remember) quote how many scoops. Oh and the bread pudding was just as wonderful as you all said it would be. Room service was very good but just not enough selection.
Oh I forgot to mention with-in the first hour of being on ship we were offered a soda card ( after I was told by hal they discontinued them.) I was excited and bought 2. they were 52.50 each for 2 weeks. Way to go Hal!! We looked around the shops which I immeditaly found that ring that is calling you, shinning through the glass, but your kinda afraid to ask how much because you don't want to hear that figure that you know you shoulden't spend. It was a mystical fire topaz in 24k white gold. OMG I stared at it as if I was a child eyeballing the perfect piece of candy in a store window. I told myself to sleep on it. it's only the first day. All of the shops have nice things, I would just prefer bigger shops with a little more selection.
The seas were good through the hole trip. I was nervous about that factor so started the ginger tablets 3 days before departing and the bonine the night before. and had the sea bands in my carry-on never needed those. Didnt get sick at all. Many people were at the front desk asking for pills, I was sailing along (excuse the expression) Now we were at sea for 4 days. and I feel Hal does not have enough activites going on. for 39 year olds and teenagers. They had a club hal for all the age groups but need to work on the 15-18 activites. Their were seminars about many different things throughout everyday, but I am not interested in feeling like I am taking college courses while on vacation. I wanted more active things I guess than movies,seminars,and reading books. I coulden't believe how much reading everyone was doing all the time. Bingo was fun, and the game show games were a blast. The Comedian was a man and his duck, Very good. Also the staff shows were very nice, .glitzy. The slot tournaments and black Jack torunaments were going on all the time, I learned the first slot tourney, to stay away I was a crazed woman at the mercy of a machine that woulden't give me enough points. I kept re-intering thinking this machine will hit something good this time. 160.00 later I didn't even win a lousy tee-shirt. needless to say I only gambled a little more, towards the end of the cruise for something to do. well......... enough for now will continue tomarrow. Christine