ExpatBride

When I was little, it was after the war, and I remember my mother would always smell and if it smelt "off" it was disposed of, if not we ate it. Anyone else remember these days?

Those days were before my time, but I grew up quite poor and I still do this. I can't ever remember anything being "off" a day after the expiration date. My husband is skeptical, but I tell him those dates are more of a guideline than a rule. He's still alive :')

This is why I always carry my own luggage on and off the ship. I hope they're able to catch and prosecute them.

I'm sorry to hear this. I've lived abroad for over 7 years and if I've learned anything, it's to check, double-check, and triple-check everything related to immigration and traveling, even when I don't think or can't foresee any issues. It's common knowledge amongst expats here that less that 6 months remaining on a passport can cause a lot of grief when traveling. We all know exactly when our passports expire. The expat life isn't an easy one.

If you truly love HAL you may not enjoy NCL.

I agree with this. I love HAL, but they're not sailing the itinerary I wanted this summer, so I'm back on NCL, but a smallish ship, the Jade. I sailed the Epic in the Western Med. last year and could not stand it! To the point that we looked into how much it would've cost to fly back from one of the ports just to get off that awful ship. I think people are either big ship people or they're not. I'm not.

I think NCL can be an outstanding value for money, especially on their smaller ships. But the experience is nothing like HAL and it's the tradition of HAL that endears me to it. This is such a subjective question that I don't think anyone can really answer it for you.

We're probably not going to get past this impasse. You're one of several European based posters who keep warning US cruisers about the difficulty we'll encounter. And US cruisers keep posting that with some very limited exceptions they've had no difficulty using their PIN-less credit cards.

I'm not warning anyone, just sharing my experience trying to use my card in a port city. As I said, on the beaten track will be fine, off the beaten track not so much.

6 :d

Oh please. It ain't brain surgery. The cashier makes no decisions on this. You insert your card and if it's from the USA, even if it has pin capabilities, the message will flash "signature required" and a signature slip will be printed.

This is not necessarily true. I live in Denmark and I can't use my US card in most places because it keeps prompting for a PIN and if the cashier doesn't know how to override it, then there's no way around it. Some places on the beaten track in Aarhus, which is a cruise ship port, can handle it, but off the beaten track (even in Aarhus) is a different story.

Why would you say anything good about a "ship within a ship"???? To laugh at the people who spend less money?

Or to laugh at people who spend more :D I'd never pay Haven prices to sail on NCL.

I've never found anything in my cabin. But, when DH and I went to Gibraltar to get married, the hotel had been recently renovated and part of the renovation included a super bright exit sign in our room. It was keeping us awake, so DH covered it with a pair of his (clean) boxer shorts and we didn't realize until we were almost to Malaga that we'd forgotten to take his shorts with us when we left. We still laugh about it and wonder if housekeeping noticed or if it stayed that way until the next guests checked in.

Shrimp. I've been a vegetarian for 27 years and I never cheat on land, but on cruise ships where "vegetarian" translates into mostly pasta and cheese, I eat shrimp.

The only "Europeans" who drive on the left are us British. Everyone else drives on the right

Yep! I drove from Denmark to Germany and back this weekend... on the right :')

 

This is the second dress, which just really captured me. There's something about it I just love. If this is the winner, heels seems silly. This would be ballet flats or kitten heels. Probably nude again so I could reuse them for other outfits. Maybe a pretty pink.

 

 

 

 

I can see why this one captured you... it's ethereal :hearteyes:

Never saw the grilled portobellos though.

Neither have I on NCL. Like I said, that was on HAL.

I book online through an online agency after the final payment date, generally less than 60 days out.

You won't have any trouble finding vegetarian options on any NCL vessel.

Finding balanced dishes with enough protein and that aren't carb and cheese heavy is a whole other story. I personally find that HAL is better for vegetarians because they have a dedicated vegetarian/vegan menu that you can order from one day in advance. They also have a burger grill that serves grilled portabellas vs. the processed veggie burgers on NCL.

OP, you won't starve, but if you pay attention to your diet at home, you might not like what's on offer.

It's a 3 miles walk through the center of Aarhus

Actually, I just looked and they'll dock near DOKK1, so it's about 1.5 miles. It'll probably take longer to find and take the bus than to walk. It's about a 45-minute walk and a great way to see our beautiful city :)

I live in Aarhus. You can definitely walk it.

I'd be looking at NCL if I were you. If not, then as others have said, most (all?) ships have alternative dining venues like the buffet (or room service) where the dress code isn't an issue.

The dilemma was more about being comfortable than an argument on respect for the Vatican. My DD has been in private Catholic school since she was five, She graduated last year from 8th grade (side note...she was valedictorian of her class-not that it matters here but just to show how serious she is) and her school dress code was strict. She's used to that and respects it.

The reason I asked is because we'll be on a 9 hour tour of Rome all day, in the summer. It would be nice to be able to wear comfortable clothes. Like I said in my original post, she does not like short dresses nor short-shorts (comes from her Catholic education) but she does like to be in a tshirt and just-above-the-knee shorts while trekking around.

I think we'll do capris that day. :)

Now, I assume the same applies in Pisa and Florence if one wants to visit the Basilica and Duomo, right?

Thanks for the diatribe :')

Sounds like you have it under control. Have a great trip!

:rolleyes:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2504130

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Gerainger is a MUST in my opinion.

I'm about to sail the Fjords for the third time next week and you took the words right out of my mouth!

Gerainger is spectacular, the rest were much of a muchness for me. The benefit of the longer itinerary is that you cross the Arctic Circle, which is a bucket list item for some people... it was for me. Personally, I'd take the longer itinerary because I don't think 7 days is long enough for any cruise, but that's easy for me to say because I live in Denmark and I'm self-employed so cost and PTO aren't an issue.

The only time I wear leggings is to work out.

He'll need to follow the immigration requirements of the countries you're planning to visit.

I have permanent residency in an EU country, but I travel on a US passport and have to follow the local rules for US citizens when I travel. My residence permit only gets me back into the EU, it means nothing outside of the EU.

Now would be a good time to teach your DD about dressing properly for the occasion... she won't be let it otherwise. I can confirm that they are very strict and that if she does manage to sneak by, she'll stick out like a sore thumb. This is a pilgrimage for some, not a tourist destination.