albingirl

The lack of MDR, sending us to a buffet more than we want, and the lack of the classical string musicians are deal breakers for us. If I want to go to buffets, I can go to the Golden Corral in Florida. No way do I want to pay top dollar for buffet dining for breakfast and lunch. Ridiculous.

First, love your reviews on NCL. We've been pleased with them, too. Now, relative to Canaletto, there is no consistency really between the ships. Loved it on NS, not so much on other ships. I liked it on NS since they have a dedicated dining room, unlike some other ships. Staffing has alot to do with it, too. They were magnificent on Statendam, and we loved going back for more.

You need to make a change. We've had 3 different PCCs in the past year. They've been laid off, and as I am sure it's difficult for them, it's also difficult for the passengers. Seems I just get accustomed to one, and then poof, they are gone. The one I had for years was wonderful and it was sad to see her go. If I were you, I would request a new PCC.

We really like Canaletto, actually better than Pinnacle Grill. However, there is a price difference between the two which might make your swap difficult in your dining package. Loved their salad, so good.

Another charming post.

This makes no sense.

Since I was challenged by him or her on statements I made, sure. They want to hear the numbers of covid cases, which could be confidential, and I remarked that corporations do this sort of thing all the time and it's naive to expect otherwise. Hardly an insult. Unless you tell people what they want to hear on this board, including the OP, they will be offended and call you hostile. Yep, I get it.

If you think everything is transparent in the corporate world, you are very naive indeed.

Numbers will continue to rise more than likely.

Ask for a new one. It's easy.

It isn't rocket science to see that corporations like to point out good news. Wouldn't you?

Agree. How can you not complain about lousy food if it's presented to you and it's unacceptable. Really, I would always, and I mean always let them know about food that was not good. It's always good to compliment, as well, when the food is excellent.

I'm very happy, too, for the refugees, understanding there is some difficulty for travelers who need to make other arrangements.

It's funny about the dive-in. Always a long line. I don't eat hamburgers or fries at home, so it's not going to happen on a cruise ship. I just never understood the attraction. But, then again, I never eat fast food either. No puritan here; just a matter of taste.

Oh good. You bet.

I don't know about you but I find this funny.

Seriously, great post.

Lobster is seasonal. The very best lobsters, in my opinion, would be from the cold waters of Maine or Canada. Sometimes lobster is stored incorrectly, or for much too long, and that would affect the taste. A very lively lobster from the tank is a good, good thing, but there's no way of assessing that on a cruise ship. Lobsters who are less than lively are not going to taste as good. That is why there is no guarantee of a great lobster dinner on a cruise ship.

Excellent observations. It is sometimes overcooked and if not served with a quality butter, and not some knock-off stupid lookalike, well then, it's not good. I really dislike it all greased up and prefer to abstain from that serving of lobster on ships. Real butter makes a big difference in the taste.

Agree. Lobster is a funny thing. I had it at home last night and it was to die for. On a ship, it varies. Since I am crazy about lobster, this is an important subject lol!

Love this travel blog. Thank you. Speaking of bag envy, one of your postings a while back, I always get bag envy. Is there a cure? Doubt it, according to my husband. This a a great review!

Plus, the cruise consultants are always so busy, so you need to make an appointment. I'm always surprised at the number of people who take a long time at the desk and ask a million questions about each cruise. In the end, can't make up their minds. Easier to just book a cruise when you get home.

I don't think people are "denouncing your inquiry" and I don't think that people are afraid of information. It's a real stretch to think that you would be privy to some confidential information that the cruise lines have. If you are assuming that more than double daily positive cases exist than are being reported, it sounds as though you may be upset at that idea. Might want to hold off cruising until you are in a better frame of mind concerning covid. It's out there; it's possible you could become sick on a cruise. These are risks we all take these days. Good luck in making your decision about cruising.

And the scrambled eggs in Lido don't taste like real eggs. The beat goes on.....

I tend to be very organized. I just keep everything together, after I've checked at least three times that I have everything, and check in goes very smoothly. Never, ever would I pack a passport in my suitcase. Can you imagine if your luggage is lost? There's a fellow on the NCL boards who had his luggage lost on an airline and he went the entire cruise without his luggage. Imagine that. Luckily for him, one stop was in San Juan, and he was able to go to Marshall's there.