daisy-mae

Although I agree that the use of packing cubes seems to affect the amount of space available in a suitcase, I like to use them to organize my wardrobe a few weeks ahead of a trip. I set aside the outfits that I am planning to take, and store them in packing cubes as I go along. On the day before departure, I take an inventory of the contents and adjust as needed. On our latest cruise there were no drawers in our cabin, so the cubes helped to keep things tidy in the closet and the overhead cupboards.

I also do a lot of cycle-touring, and the cubes are invaluable for organizing my gear in my saddle-bags; they make it much easier to unpack/pack, as we typically stay in a different location every night.

We enjoyed having the salads made for us by the staff. It didn't occur to me at the time, but in thinking back I have some concerns about their practice of mixing all of the salads with the same set of tongs - without rinsing them between applications. For folks with nut or seafood allergies (ingredients that are available for guests to request), this could be an issue.

I hope they change the smoked glass mirror to clear mirror above the desk area so you can see yourself to put on makeup or do your hair. Been on this ship twice and I absolutely hate the smoked colored mirror. The smoke colored mirror above the bed is ok, just not for the makeup mirror area.

I was on the ship for 10 days recently and honestly did not notice the smoked glass in our VB cabin (maybe only a feature in the higher category cabins?) In any case, the convenient lighted mirror above the desk was more than adequate for hair styling and make-up application.

The one thing that could/should be replaced is the small sofa-bed with the one-piece seat cushion that keeps sliding forward - making it almost impossible to sit comfortably.

As for the people who say rent them, they are definitely not cyclists. They don;t know the joy of riding. How would people get to a bicycle shop from the ship anyway? Probably too far to walk and not your own bike that fits you perfectly.

Exactly!

We planned to rent bikes on a recent stop in Bonaire; the owner of the company had confirmed - via email - that he would have two bikes available for us on arrival. It took us half the day to finally track him down, at which point he admitted that he had totally forgotten about the reservation, he was too busy, and in any case by then it was too late for us to venture away from town.

It may sound like a solution, but renting is rarely an acceptable substitute for one's own bike.

We were allowed to take two folding bikes (in suitcases) on board a Norwegian cruise to Bermuda a few years ago. Since we were docked for two nights we were able to tour the entire island on two wheels, at our leisure. The bikes were stored in our cabin and wheeled on and off the ship each morning, without inconveniencing any of our fellow passengers.

For those who are curious, bikes are allowed as oversize baggage on most airlines - for a fee. We do a lot of cycle-touring (our preferred method of travel) and have thought about taking our bikes to Europe on a re-positioning cruise; it sounds like that option will no longer be available if all cruise lines decide to adopt the same policy.

Any info on amber cove such as beach and pool area how close to pier any charge for admission and chair rental?

There is no charge for a chair rental, however an umbrella that shades two loungers will cost you $20.

The pool area is clean and the chairs are plentiful. There are a number of shops selling the usual fare; at least one of them provides free wi-fi (password posted inside).

Good catch, I'm guessing there was no insurance involved? With insurance it was a moot issue. We were mid cruise when my Mother in Law died. HAL made all the arrangements to get us home, had insurance and everything was covered. We always have insurance!

 

 

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Thanks for the heads-up!

Even with insurance, I would be hesitant to take the highest quote if something more economical is available - specially since in the case of minor expenditures many insurance companies require the policy-holder to pay up front and file a claim later. Also, the flight suggested by HA left at 1:00 am. -- the OP found a more convenient departure time for half the cost.

I'm not a review writer, but if you have any questions I'll be happy to try to answer them. :)

Hi there,

I'm always curious to know about the staterooms. Would you mind telling us what type/category you had, and whether or not you were happy with your accommodations?

Thanks

Why not take along a little extra US cash before leaving home?

You can keep excess amounts in your stateroom safe, and any cash that is left over at the end of your cruise can be applied to your shipboard account.

Got ours yesterday for a 1/14 cruise. 8 days out.

Just curious, 81Zoomie -- is it in the same category or did you get an upgrade?

We sailed on the Explorer two weeks ago and attended a Crown and Anchor reception where Captain MacDonald gave a brief talk explaining some of the refit plans.

There will be about 64 new cabins added to the 12th deck -- I believe he used the term "panoramic". As far as I can tell, the only way to accomplish the addition would be to seriously curtail the walking track -- a pity for those of us who enjoy a little exercise before tucking in to yet another meal.

He also mentioned a flowrider and one or two new dining venues. The work will be done in Spain, and the ship will remain overseas, eventually sailing to Asia and Dubai.

Explorer is in serous need of some major cosmetic work -- the carpets in the dining room are worn and lifting in spots, some of the chairs are worn through, and the toilet in our cabin stopped working twice during the 5 night cruise.

We did a 12 day Med cruise on the Equinox last September.

Although it is a large ship, it never felt crowded or overwhelming; everything seemed to be within easy walking distance. We enjoyed the hot glass show; less so most of the other evening entertainment, though.

"If I make widgets and I can get 20 bucks for a widget consistently, why would I only charge 10 bucks????"

So would you make more widgets than you could sell, and throw out the ones that are left over?

It's not so much the cost of the photos that is irksome, but rather the huge waste of time, effort and materials that goes into chasing those dollars.

When we first started cruising (about 10 years ago) I seem to remember the photo studio offering a package deal on remaining photos; the only problem was that passengers had to paw through piles of pictures in order to locate their own. It was kind of fun for awhile, but most people eventually gave up in frustration.

That said, I'm currently searching for a photographer for my daughter's wedding and I can tell you that they are not cheap anywhere - not on land or at sea!

True enough. But it's a little like comparing apples and oranges.

A wedding photographer often spends many hours following the wedding party from home to church to reception, and then has to process and touch up the photos.

A ship's photographer already has a captive audience....

To call the entire operation "professional" might be a bit of a stretch. If the photographer has the time to pose the subject(s) with proper lighting and an interesting backdrop, then the results will likely be worth the cost.

However, the "snapshots" taken at the dining table or when disembarking at a port of call (with costumed crew members and props) are often hit and miss. Also, some of the employees seem to enjoy the new digital technology just a little too much, with logos, images and ship photos "artistically" superimposed on the photographs to such an extent that the client appears as a secondary consideration.

I would be wiling to overlook some of the quality issues if the price were reasonable; however, it seems a rather poor value to pay top dollar for a photo with subjects that may be out of focus or poorly centered.

As for waste, would it not be simpler to provide a couple of good quality monitors to allow passengers to view the image before placing an order for the print(s)?

And yet on the video that's currently running on MSN, when he was picked up he was completely clothed;)

Seems to me that all they would have seen was the fellow's head and maybe his arms, so how would they know if he was naked?

Happened in the Wave pool. Saw them take the child right out of that pool.

Then perhaps you can clear up some confusion: was the child a boy or a girl?

We Canucks would feel right at home....

Our local dollar store has all kinds -- you can get one to coordinate with just about any outfit.

:)

We had a promenade room on the Freedom a few years ago. It was our fifth cruise and the only time that we had not chosen a balcony cabin.

Although it was interesting to have a bird's eye view of the activities below, I'm not sure that I would repeat the experience. We were sailing with two other couples and from time to time they would join us in our cabin to watch the parades and performances, but the atmosphere was not the same as actually being where the action is.

One thing that I do remember distinctly is that the lights on the promenade remained quite bright until late into the night, and even though the curtains were drawn, some of the light still seeped through along the edges. It was like trying to sleep with a street light outside the bedroom window.

I think it all comes down to personal preference and pricing.

but not what you said in your previous post....:rolleyes:

Well then perhaps you can take what I said with a grain of salt, just as some have suggested.

:)

If the reviews have only served to confirm your decision, your being very naive and foolish IMHO. As was posted earlier two people can be on the same cruise with polar opposites as far as their experience. Have read many reviews on CC and the only answer you can truly come up with is unless you have cruised a particular ship and sailed a particular itinerary your basically guessing. Common sense goes a long way......:D

I have been called worse things than naive and foolish.....

Although I don't use a custom signature, my husband and I have taken enough cruises to know what appeals to us and what we would choose to avoid. Our travel interests are varied and wide-ranging, and are not limited to cruising.

While some aspects may involve guessing, facts like the number of passengers, deck plans showing no outdoor dining, etc. can be used as a comparison to past experiences on other ships when deciding how to spend our limited holiday resources in the most cost-effective way.

I once discovered that a lock had been removed and the zipper tongue damaged on my suitcase when it was delivered to my stateroom.

If you do a google search you will find a number of discussion boards relating to locks and locking luggage. Most posters seem to think that it is a waste of time, since anyone who is determined enough will find a way in. Personally, I think it serves as a deterrent, particularly if luggage is left unattended for any period of time.

I'm curious as to why you take the time to read people's reviews and then take them with "a grain of salt".

I'm not sure about the OP, but I can say that after spending many hours over many years reading reviews here and on other travel-related sites, one often needs more than just a few grains... On a positive note, these boards do provide some great entertainment.

We have not sailed on the Quantum, but even before reading the many and varied opinions that have been shared on these boards, we had determined that the ship was not for us. The reviews have only served to confirm our decision.

I'm not sure if it is a fair comparison, but when the OP mentions working out the kinks, it reminds me of some of the appliances that are on the market today and for which many retailers encourage customers to buy extra coverage to protect against defects. Rather than take the extra time or money to trouble-shoot and inspect a product before it is put on the shelf, the manufacturers are counting on the consumer to find the defects, often at their own expense.

Maybe offering a reduced fare for the first few sailings is not such a crazy idea....

I think people will drink more than usual on a cruise vacation whether they have the package or not. We've not noticed an increase of drunks, violence, crime, or unexpected pregnancies on cruise ships since the packages were implemented so I doubt the consumption has increased to an intolerable level. Until the consumption effects my experience I'm pretty much OK with the packages. ;)

I guess an increase in drunks would be fairly obvious, but how would one detect an unexpected pregnancy on a 7 day cruise?

:)