IrieBajan54

Share price is certainly going to keep edging up. According the to the CEO, passengers haven't changed spending habits even though fares have gone up. They're spending like crazy onboard. Headlines about pain from inflation doesn't seem to effect leisure spending. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/16/royal-caribbean-leans-into-shorter-cruises-more-experiences.html

Since the restart, I haven't seen it in the buffet. I eat lox every morning so I've had no choice but to go to MDR for breakfast. Like you, my next cruise is on Princess for the first time since 2013. However, my sail date is 4 weeks out. Looking forward to having a choice for lox: Buffet or MDR.

Thanks JB! I do have a biometric passport so hopefully it will be a walk thru. I read that most coffee shops in England don't usually sell drip/filtered coffee which is all I drink. Maybe, I'll get lucky.

Arriving LHR at 7:20 a.m. on a Wednesday in November at Terminal 3. Have a choice of 10:00 or 11:50 a.m. for transfer to Southampton on National Express. Thinking of buying 10:00 a.m. no changes-ticket as it seems two hours should be enough to get through immigration/customs. Is this doable and is it a short walk to the bus station? And if I get through even faster, where could I hangout (coffee) before going to bus station?

The latest I have booked was on a Saturday for embarkation the following Tuesday on the Gem out of New York City about a year or two before Covid-19. I'm Latitudes Diamond and the majority of my bookings have been after final payment and I would say 98% have been guarantees. I've had no issues with staterooms assigned to me.

This is why I don't apply for the shareholder's OBC until after final payment. Don't have to worry about fare adjustments and thereby any glitches! Anyway on the first of my upcoming cruises, I made a request to Stockperks. Next day, I got any email that the OBC was denied because I already have OBC ... and that if I had further questions to call Princess. Before calling, I did some research on CC finding out to click on PAYMENTS and there is where I saw my shareholders credit. I have no idea why they said it was denied.

Wow! I was under the impression that the current EZ booking would have to be cancelled and then rebooked. But you were able to "re-fare" and keep everything else as is. 👍

Has anyone ever had outside food confiscated when carried in their beach bag or similar?

Island Princess -- 11-Day Canada New England including Newport, Norfolk and Charleston June 14 - 25, 2024 *** Round trip New York City Zero Single Supplement Solo Inside cabin $572 plus $410 port/taxes --- Total $982 Solo Balcony cabin $1082 plus $410 port/taxes --- Total $1492

Might have happened because it was obvious to security. I love local pastries and always walk with a string backpack which I put my purchases in. My bag always go through screening no questions asked.

Couldn't agree more! However, last month I booked Enchanted Princess for later this summer. It will be my first time on Princess in eleven years. Not really new to Princess as I am four cruises from Elite status. NCL had my business exclusively since 2014 but not anymore.

Was on the cruise before yours. I had booked the same excursion which was listed as 5 hours. Decided the night before to be a no show for several reasons. Instead, I spent a few hours walking Cadiz with two other solos which turned out to be quite enjoyable. We also had beverages and tapas at a restaurant sitting at an outdoor table. Glad to know I didn't miss anything.

Do you really believe that NCL dropped Tortola due to missing passengers? There is a plethora of recent history of NCL dropping ports for what they call environmental reasons and passengers' convenience.

This reminds me of the bottle of sparkling wine that used to be a perk before the pandemic. For a period of time, they allowed cruisers to exchange it at a bar for a bottle of house wine. Seemed reasonable to me because I don't drink sparkling or white wine. Then they discontinued the swap. Bottles most likely stayed in the cabins, collected by the stewards and recycled to Latitude members on the next cruise.

As a Diamond, the plate of chocolate covered strawberries is a useless perk for me personally. I love fresh strawberries but don't want chocolate on them. So, I make it a point to tell the cabin steward to take them on the first afternoon. If he forgets, I just sit the plate next to the trash can so he can dump them the next day.

Talking to another solo cruiser, she called the general manager's number and asked where were the cookies? She was told that the cookie monster ate them. Really! Executive Management on the ship leaves a lot to be desired. Anyway, enjoyed yesterday and today in Cape Verde, first visit here!

No cookies today ... four trays of pound cake available. Oh well, I am tired asking ... it's unsatisfactory service.

Those certainly look like Chips Ahoy! Left in the oven too long (dried out) or several days stale. NCL is playing footsie with the cookies on the Viva. There was a whole lot of pound cake as usual. So I was in the Studio Lounge about 2 hours ago when the waiter came in to freshen things up. ... so I asked where are the cookies? She said she would have to go ask her boss. She came back with a tray (chocolate chip, oatmeal & raisin, and macadamia nut). Soft and fresh!

I normally eat regular chocolate chip and sometimes white chocolate chip. On rear situations where the cookie 🍪 is not soft, I simply sit it on top of a cup of hot tea and about 30 to 45 seconds it's nice and gooey. In reference to your comparison, there is no "better" because it's a whole lot of sugar, period. Both will give the body a sugar rush.

Currently on the Viva transatlantic. No cookies available anywhere on the ship and only starting today (Day 6) in the Studio Lounge. It is obvious that executive management relented after many, many complaints from Solos (and rightfully so because it's an expected amenity). However, based on both the restaurant manager and the assistant restaurant manager, cookies have been discontinued in the Studio Lounge. (That's from the horse's mouth at least on this ship) So it is death by pound cake everyday 👎 for those who are willing to eat it (Not me!). NCL knows Solos will eat cookies but providing pound cake is better for costs reduction.

Maybe more debt is better. Plus all of the cutbacks must be working for NCL. Currently on the Viva 19 day transatlantic and as of Day 3 there have been no cookies in the Studio Lounge. So a normal amenity for the premium paid to be in the Studios is gone. All for our convenience of course.🤔 Maybe NCL has this Nanny idea that pound cake (from about 11:30 a.m. until evening) is less fattening than cookies. 😂

Ditto! Never let a stranger on the Internet tell you how to spend or giveaway your money. Bleeding hearts can do whatever they want with theirs.

Agree! Another good thing about European service is that there is no need to bribe (advanced Euros) for doing the job they were hired to do.

Cell phone! Washed hands and then grabbing phone from sink counter or pocket pretty much negates sanitation too.

I'm a solo going on Enchanted. Plan to show up nightly around 6:40p for a shared table. Do I just show up at any of the 3 MDRs and is it likely I won't have to wait long?