jobey

We're on the Epic in three days. Yay!

My wife has to limit her sodium to no more than 2000mg/day to avoid fluid retention. We have already informed NCL of this and they will make the changes for her in the kitchen and point her towards the dishes that are already low in sodium.

Have any of you with a sodium restriction found any particular specialty restaurants that have a wider selection of low/no sodium options? We already plan on doing Cagney's (with salt-free seasoning) but are wondering if Le Bistro, La Cucina, et cetera would be best for this need. We'd like to know what to expect before we make a reservation. Thanks!

...didn't feel the need to channel Nigel Tufnel and crank the amps to 11.

:')

Re: 6/5 Blackjack

Don't take my word for it; see what an expert has to say.

Does the seller transfer the certificates to your lattitudes account somehow, or they just give you the number to use like a gift card?

The certificate is assigned to the original buyer’s Latitudes account by NCL. One phone call to NCL with the new buyer’s Latitudes number and the transfer is done.

But when was the certificate purchased from NCL by the person who resold it to you?

Years prior. I know you're going to say that the certificate must be purchased before booking, but I did call and ask before buying that one and NCL didn't specify that the purchase date would make any difference. If that ever becomes an issue for me, I will let you know. ;)

Can you use the cruise next on a cruise that you've already booked?

Yes, you can.

We booked ours in February, then bought a certificate on eBay in August and they applied it with no issue.

PAID by MASTERCARD on 9-Feb-2017 100.00

PAID by CRUISENEXT Coupon on 16-Aug-2017 250.00

The low minimum table on the Escape (I think it was $5, but it could have been $6) pays only 6/5 on a blackjack. I did not realize this until I hit one and questioned my payout. They pointed out that rule and I immediately collected my chips and left the table. That one change amounts to a huge raise in the house's advantage. If you can't afford anything but a table with that rule, quit blackjack and go play video poker.

The Casino Bar on the Escape has a bandstand and a dance floor. Several different bands played there during our cruise last fall.

The logic of taking a passport it semi moot if you leave it onboard given the concern arises if you fail to get back onboard by the it departs and you are forced to take a flight back to the US. This would be an issue if said passport is....on the ship.

We always leave ours in the stateroom safe. I'm told if you are left behind that the contents of your safe is brought ashore and left with port officials. I hope I never find out if that's true. :D

What evidence exists points to that margarita first being mixed in Juárez, Mexico at Tommy's Place Bar in 1942.

Correct. And the creator's obituary says that his ingredient list did *not* include agave syrup.

http://articles.latimes.com/1997-01-08/local/me-16509_1_francisco-morales

And neither does the International Bartenders Association.

http://iba-world.com/cocktails/margarita/

So if you like that, go with it. But because a sandwich shop in San Francisco started calling that a Margarita does not mean that everyone agrees.

Has that ever happened before?

:')

El Tesoro reposado tequila, fresh lime juice and agave syrup (yes, there's no Cointreau or any other orange type liquor in a real Margarita).

Bull. Even your recommended site (liquor.com) confirms what a classic margarita is and has always been: tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. It's the extra sugar that doesn't belong.

Yes, if you care about the taste, order a real margarita. But be sure to ask for the correct ingredients.

Yum! Like a margarita, but without all the syrupy mixes! I will definitely be drinking that on my next cruise!

That is a margarita (tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice). Anybody who adds sour mix, sugar, or other fillers is doing it wrong. Bars add the extra liquid to make you feel better about paying their inflated price.

My wife uses a rollator, but she is disabled and not a senior yet. We have twice taken her rollator on the ship, but we just tag it and check it in with our luggage and have them take her aboard in a wheelchair. We will likely rent a scooter for her this time as she is coming back from a heart attack and does not yet have the stamina for walking all over the Epic.

...if you book your room through CAS you will be given a drink card even if you're at the bottom tier.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but this does not appear to be the case anymore. Beverage privileges start at the second (Pearl) level and they won't upgrade you levels just because you booked through CAS. We have the UDP, but it would be nice to use the drink card for espresso and bottled water. I guess we'll find out when we sail next month.

I keep posting this but I will do it again...Patron Silver, Cointreau, and Lime Juice is the best drink you can get under the UBP :).

Just made one with El Jimador. Delicious. Thanks.

We had our final payment on our December cruise come due this weekend. We were all set to make the payment, then Irma shifted our way on Saturday and we needed to get out. After the expense of two nights out of the "strike zone", we ran short of what was needed to make that final payment. One call and they understood and granted us a three week extension. We don't want to cancel and now we won't have to!

Thank you, NCL!!

Just put one of these in the casino. With a sign that says:

"Don't tap on the glass. You'll scare the smokers!"

My two cents (+ 18% Service Charge): If water is your preference and you normally drink bottled or filtered water, pick up a reusable bottle with filter. Amazon sells a Brita 23.7 ounce version for $11.55. We have two of these and we love them. They have the filter in the cap, so you can just hand the bottle over to the server and get it filled. I wouldn’t put anything but water in it, though; that could damage the filter.

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On our first cruise on the Star we were in the casino late at night and the bar was about to close. This woman stumbled in and ordered a drink. The bar was still open but the two gentlemen working there declined to serve her due to the fact that she could barely stand. They had to repeatedly refuse service to her because she would not accept "no". She went on and on, calling them every nasty name she could think of and they were just as nice and polite as they could be. It must have taken her a half hour to give up.

And then there was the guy next to me in the Illusionarium on the Getaway. I made several hints to the fact that he was way over into my area, so much that my wife had to move around to the end of the table because there wasn't enough room for both of us. He ignored our requests. Next, he ordered a glass of red wine and proceeded to dump a pile of ice into it and the one belonging to the woman next to him.