OBX-Cruisers

For those who will be in Norfolk for this cruise, there are two great opportunities for you if you are not familiar with the area. The Chrysler Museum (free) is an unexpected jewel very close to the port, and if you get there at noon you can see a free hot glass show in their annex building across the street. Within a 30-40 minute drive you can go to Yorktown or Williamsburg, VA for a great history visit.

Not sure where Vision will be in April from searches on Cruise.com, RCL site or other booking sites which list none in April after the 12th from Norfolk. Sailings in May still stay Baltimore departure. I thought I read somewhere that there would be at least 3 departures from Norfolk but don't quote that since I cannot find any site that shows April sailings.

RCL certainly seems to be taking advantage of this port change to Norfolk. I looked at cabin availability and found that there are many unsold/available Veranda class cabins still available for the April 12th cruise and probably the others sched. in April as well. However, the total cost is ridiculous (with "free gratuities") and OVER $300 pp/pd (>$5K for two people on a 7 day cruise??)!!!! We will pass so others can "enjoy" this ship with unspectacular reviews.

I think what several people are saying is that if RCL is changing a port that the least they could do is to call the city manager and ASK where they should recommend their detoured passengers to park. If you are in business you should at a minimum try to minimize the new situation for your inconvenienced customers. Nice to know how some cruisers are so experienced they need no help from anyone. However, others seem to appreciate help after such a major and short term notice of a port change.

Although many of the posts here are faulting NCL (not anywhere near out favorite line) for not waiting for these passengers, few have commented on how long should the ship have waited. The fact that the destination was in a high alert country suggests that maybe these passengers should have put THAT in first consideration about booking an excursion with an independent company not associated with NCL. I too have relied on MANY shore-based companies but typically use the higher cost ship excursions when safety and timing are critical vs. a few hundred dollars.

DON'T go on I95. We have done that trip often from the Outer Banks and NEVER go on I95 around Washington

Excellent point ignored by others it seems. Norfolk has been underused for many years now and it is a logical choice if the Baltimore port is out of service for months vs weeks.

It will take a long time to clear that bridge structural steel out to open the channel to ANY ship. Sorry for those who will miss out but this is a catastrope for commercial ships as well.

You likely did those cruises out of Baltimore where we fell in love with the Grandeur along with many hundreds of people in that area during the years you mentioned. We were on the Grandeur 4 times and loved each voyage. It is very sad to see RCI letting the small ships go without proper maintenance and cleaning. Their focus has now become money it seems from the reviews I have read about the changes in the buffet and dining room menus along with major changes in entertainment. Apparently all their attention has not gone to the massive ships that make tons of that cash they are focused on.

I think "shocked" might be the appropriate word when it comes to copays and other costs with many/most "Advantage" plans. They are cheaper but often you get what you paid for and end up paying the difference when you actually need the care away from the home PPO/HMO docs.

We have always found that even in our favorite restaurants back home, it depends who is cooking............Different chefs on different ships make a great difference in food quality

GIVE US BACK our GRANDEUR in Baltimore.............Love that ship and crew

There is NO such thing as a 10 day cruise for $700 per person for a verandah cabin unless you win the lottery. It is understood to be pp if you have been looking at the ridiculous premium in going from OV to V....often double or more.

We considered Celebrity our top cruise choice but will no longer book at the current prices and loss of many perks. Menus on Royal Caribbean have taken a massive downward change and I read the Princess may have implemented even more drastic cuts than other lines. Hope you write a comparison of the lines when you complete your cruises.

My pet peeve with HAL is their extremely stingy repeat cruiser awards program. With fewer cruises on RCI vs HAL we have reached Diamond class. RCI has a special lounge for Diamond passengers (comparable to 3 star cruise requirement on HAL) , 3 drinks per person per night at any lounge or bar throughout the day and there have been perks for backstage and galley tours as well. Before COVID RCI also had special check in lines for Diamond and above class (e.g., suites) but I read that some of those amenities have changed post covid. Because of many differences in quality of shows and other ship features, we now go on RCI as our main choice and only use HAL for itineraries we want. HAL drove us away.