Warmer Climes

We will never do assigned dining again. We want to eat where and when and if we feel like it. 

We don’t care what other people wear but we dress up for dinner in what we’d wear to a nice restaurant at home unless we are going to the buffet. 

I don’t care who the captain is. Or the CD or the bartenders. 

We never sit out on the pool deck. 

We have a fun cruise no matter how the food is, how the entertainment is, etc etc. 

We pay good money to have a good time on cruises and therefore we have a good time. I have read reviews of cruises we have been on and can’t believe the criticism of the food, the service and the entire experience. One review of a pre-pandemic cruise that we were on went on at length about how the buffet didn’t offer her grandchildren’s favorite cereal. I’ve been on cruises that I’ve enjoyed more than others but, again, I’m never going to waste money on a vacation by having a negative attitude. 

Great review. Thanks. 

I just want to say that you look fantastic and I love your cruise wardrobe. Your live review is really making me excited for our January cruise!

Our four kids were aged 18, 16,14 and 6 and I was tired of all the work involved in our previous annual ski trips over February break. I booked three cabins on the RCI Navigator in 2004. I didn’t know what to expect but I knew there were activities for all age groups. It was just a six night cruise but I was hooked. Imagine a vacation that didn’t involve me cooking, cleaning and looking for lost ski goggles! I think I had forgotten how to relax. My older daughter hated every about it and would never cruise again but the rest of the family was hooked. We cruised with our younger daughter every February (until she was 16 and sports got in the way) on NCL because she preferred their kids’ activities over RCI. Now that she is out of the nest we are booked on our second Equinox cruise. 

14 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Sounds great!  What a surprise!

 

We have sailed on the Epic 6 times (twice in the Med). It is a great trip. 

 

We we totally agree about Freestyle cruising. We have recently cruised on the Anthem, Allure, Symphony, and Harmony. We always take MyTime dining. Even in the fixed seating, many tables are empty because everyone is off in specialty restaurants. 

Thanks for sharing your experience of the Epic. We sailed it once when it was introduced and I enjoyed most things about it.  I really dislike fixed seating. I understand that many people prefer it but it always makes me feel like I'm expected to be there at a certain time. On our Celebrity TA our tablemates would always say "Oh, where were you guys last night?" To each his own but it's not for me. 

We are back to cruising after taking different kinds of vacations the past few years. Our youngest is graduating from college in May 2020 and we are surprising her with a cruise with mom and dad to mark her achievement (but also ours in putting four through college!). We had decided that we want a few days in Barcelona followed by a week long Western Med cruise. Allure OTS is slightly less expensive than Epic and the cabins are bigger and it's a newer ship and I had decided that we'd give it a go but then...I like NCL better than RCI. I like freestyle dining. I've never had a bad cruise because I'm paying for a fun vacation and I make sure that's what I get but after two RCI cruises, one long Celebrity cruise and too many NCL cruises to think about, I just like the NCL product better. I'm going to book a studio for our daughter, take her to see Pompeii and Florence and Barcelona and my husband and I will move on to the next stage of our lives. So I'm very excited!

I think it's a lovely idea!

 

My parents treated me to a 7 day Caribbean cruise (and pre-cruise week in Florida too) for my University graduation back in the late '90s.

 

I had already been dating my now husband for about a year by that time but both he and my brother stayed behind.

 

The three of us had an absolute blast together and it was nice to have them to myself while starting to navigate our relationship with me as a young woman who would soon be no longer be dependent on them (I lived at home during university). Within 6 months of returning from that trip, my husband proposed and I moved to another city so I really cherish the special trip that I had with them before I "left the nest."

 

We are even more fortunate that we have been able to do three cruises with them and our four children (and another one booked for March 2020).

 

Maybe you'll be starting a tradition!

What a lovely memory for you! I'm calling my travel agent next week. I know our daughter will be ecstatic about this cruise. Thanks to everyone for your input.

If she loves cruising, then that sounds like a great graduation gift! My only hesitation would be assuming she will still be single in May of 2020....

Very good point

I've done lots of cruises- started with RCI and then tried NCL and preferred it. My husband and I did Celebrity transatlantic from Barcelona as our most recent cruise and did not like Celebrity even though the ship was lovely. We felt that possibly we were tired of cruising and we've done a few non-cruising trips to Asia since the TA Cruise. BUT our youngest will graduate from college in May, 2020 and we thought of planning a Mediterranean cruise on Epic from Barcelona with just her, surprising her with the cruise docs slipped in her diploma at graduation. This girl LOVES cruising. We really enjoyed our cruise on Epic and know she would love the singles area of the ship. We love Barcelona and would go a couple of nights early so she can see the city. What do you think?

We switched from primarily RCCL to NCL after our first NCL cruise because our daughter much preferred the NCL program. She started with it when she was 8 and loved it all the way through the teen club. She's VERY excited to be going back on an NCL cruise when she's 19 next January.

I most definitely second the Fury in St.Thomas! We are doing that excursion again when we cruise on the Escape in January,2018. In Tortola we're doing the paddle boarding in the mangroves and in Nassau a walking/eating tour.

Our first cruise was in 2005 with Royal Caribbean. We loved it so much and it hooked us on cruising. When I got home I read a review written by someone who had been on the very same cruise and hated everything about it. After that experience I take reviews as information sources but based on other people's preferences which are not necessarily mine.

We had one cruise with terrible table mates. There were five of us: my husband, teenaged son and his cousin; our young daughter and me. They seated us with a French Canadian family of four who hated everything about the cruise. The lady would watch me put a mouthful of food in my mouth and then say "Do you LIKE that??" with an expression of incredulous disgust. Their children would ask me to say something in my high school French and then mock me. They delighted in denigrating the U.S. Even though we refused to rise to the bait. As far as changing tables, we saw them all the time at the kids club. After three nights my husband said that he refused to have his day ruined by seeing them and we went to other dining venues. I sincerely hope none of you encounter this family on a cruise.

Hi fellow cruisers,

We'll be sailing in January 2018 in a two bedroom Haven suite and my husband and I get the complimentary drink package. The other cruisers in the suite are my son who doesn't drink much alcohol but drinks bottled water like a desperate man reaching an oasis; my 18 y.o. daughter who would love smoothies and fancy coffee drinks and my daughter-in-law who is a typical cruise drinker. I have cruised NCL many many times but not for four years so I'm not familiar with drink costs and the package price for unlimited beverages seems remarkably high, at least compared to what it was on our recent transatlantic Celebrity cruise. I'm not sure what to purchase as I don't want a huge surprise at the end of the cruise so if anyone has any input I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Barb

We tend to be generous tippers but the first time we sailed in a suite we were not impressed with our butler at all. We are very low maintenance but any request we made seemed to irritate him (on the rare occasion we saw him). Our concierge was extremely helpful and seemed to be everywhere on the ship making sure we were enjoying our cruise. So basically I reversed the tipping for those two and added an extra $75 on top of that for the concierge and tipped our excellent room steward $100. I also tip $5-10 cash per meal in the suite dining rooms. ( I told myself that the butler could have had other suite guests who were running him off his feet but he definitely did not deserve the tip that other butlers on other cruises we've done have received from us. )

I've done both lines with my daughter and they were both great. She actually preferred NCL's kids program over RCCL's but, again, they were both a lot of fun for her.

Our first cruise was on RCCL and it was wonderful. Our second was on NCL and it was wonderful. Our third was on RCCL and it was wonderful. Then we went back to NCL and stayed because we started booking suites and the perks were outstanding. I think the two lines are more similar than different. Our youngest preferred the NCL kids club to RCCL's when she was the age to use it. I prefer freestyle dining to set dining times but now RCCL has that option, also. In general I think the entertainment is better on NCL ships and the food is better on RCCL. Epic isn't my favorite NCL ship but the entertainment, cabin and food was very good. Our next cruise is on Celebrity and I know it's going to be wonderful, too. Like you, I come from the Frozen North so I appreciate our good fortune to be able to take vacations to warm places sometimes. Have a great cruise!

Thanks for posting these pictures! DH and I are doing a week in London followed by a TA from Barcelona in Oct 2016 and I am always interested in light packing ideas. The footwear worries me because we walk many miles every day as tourists in NYC, for example. I need footwear that can handle that without being gym shoes. Thanks again for the great pictures!

Thanks everyone- now I know it can be done. I think my husband's wardrobe is a bit more challenging than mine because he wants to bring formal wear and my original thought was a dark suit that he could wear on the plane and then to dinner in London and Barcelona and finally on the ship. Our daughter pointed out that he will not be happy without his tux on the ship so possibly the dark suit can be left home and a sports coat with two pair of slacks replacing it. I'm sure we can work it out. My things don't take up as much space as his various jackets and shoes.

Barb

We will be going from cool, possibly rainy late October weather in London and need to pack for urban sightseeing there to warmer weather in Barcelona and on the cruise. It's the change in climate but also the change in activity that we will need to pack for. I know that the cruise has three formal nights. I don't want to travel overpacked on this vacation but I also don't want to be lacking appropriate clothing.

Thanks,

Barb

My pet peeve is when the reviewer dislikes the ship or the cruise line that he is reviewing, so he then insults everyone who likes that ship or that line. "Only a hick would think this is good food!" "The Wal-Mart of cruise lines!" "People who like this line are so unsophisticated- they should try a REAL cruise line sometime!"

I don't mind reading the reviewer's opinions but I stop reading when the review is gratuitously insulting.

I have plenty of time to plan but I am having a hard time imagining what to pack for our fab vacation. We will go to London for a week in mid-October, take the train to Barcelona, stay a few days there and then cruise Celebrity to Fort Lauderdale. The London part I am fine with but then the climate change and need for formal wear has me baffled. My husband and I have always dressed for dinner on any cruise we've done, but somehow I can't picture how we can fit the variety of clothing in two suitcases to include two climates, casual and formal wear. Has anyone successfully packed for a trip like ours?

Barb

I think it depends what your interests are. We like to go see Mayan ruins and think Belize is a beautiful country (if you do an excursion outside Belize City). We also like the snorkeling in Cozumel. But we also like San Juan for the history and St. Thomas for snorkeling. Not beach people so I can't compare that. We have done both itineraries many times and honestly would like the cruise lines to change things up a bit.

If you are going to Belize you may also be going to Honduras. If I were going to pick a port to stay on the ship it would be Roatan. Both ports offer about the same, but Belize seems a little safer when it comes to the port area for shopping. We went to the Mayan ruins, it was ok but mowed up like a golf course. Would not do again. If you like to snorkel, Belize has they Great Barrier Reef. Check NCLs sight again, the excursions should be there.

In Roatan I would heartily recommend NCL's Maya Key excursion. It's an island just off Roatan and a boat goes back and forth all day between the ship and the island. Nice beach with shade; snorkeling off their pier; rescued animals to see; delicious meal; pool. We have done it twice and would go back again.

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