Manchester is blue

Well I was just thinking the roving bartender should at least share some of the tip with the officer that supervised the barman pouring the drink. The officer may not be part of the pooled pot from which tips are shared, yet he diligently supervised the pour, ensuring it arrived promptly at my table in order that I may pay the tip/grat/bribe. If, say I tipped the roving bartender, say 5 pounds, would it be reasonable for the roving person to keep 3 quid to himself, and offer up say a quid to the officer and the other pound to the pouring barman. ? …. Hmm. Or should I tip in US $. I guess given the pound has a higher value they’d appreciate 5 quid more than 5 dollars, but that may also depend on charges to convert the currency if they so chose to convert… hmm. What do you think ? To tip or not to tip the roving barman …if such a person exists…

But what if you tip them? And if you were to tip them, how much should they be tipped, or is the tip already covered in the pre paid 20% gratuity, and of course if said “roving bartender” were to receive such a tip/bribe/grat, is he obliged to share it with the barman that pours the drink for him, or any officer that may be present that supervises either the pour or the delivery to my table? 😄 Just asking for a friend

Thanks Nord. Yes I’ve checked out the publicised list but it doesn’t answer my question unfortunately,.. also Irish coffee is of course with Irish whiskey rather than Baileys…

I have “free at sea” within my cruise package for my forthcoming Ncl cruise. As this is the first time I have cruised with NCL I’m a little unsure about what is, and what is not included. One thing I’d like to know is would it be possible to order a pot,/ cup of tea from one of the bars, and also may I order an Irish coffee from the bars under the terms of my free at sea package? Regards to all.

Hi Graphicguy. yes, it’s an Alaskan itinerary. thank you for your response, certainly it would be nice to experience no queues and be able board quickly as we are both excited to discover what the ship has to offer. All the best mate.

My wife and I will be boarding the NCL Sun in Seattle in August . We have no status as this is our first cruise on Norwegian. Can anyone offer advice as to what time we may likely be invited onboard please. Regards to all.

We just booked our first NCL cruise. We are sailing to Alaska from Seattle and really can’t wait. we decided upon an Air B n B in the Belltown area. Apparently the area is within walking distance to the main sites that Seattle has to offer and also a relatively short walk to pier 66 on embarkation day. Perhaps something you may also wish to consider, and an alternative to hotel accommodation. Regards.

It’s a bit inconsistent at bars, if you want to be sure to be allowed two drinks, take yours and your partners card with you, that way you’ll have no issues. 🍺🍺

There is also a nice cool water dispenser in the gym 👍🏼

12 weeks. Got it, that’s helpful Brummijam, thank you 👍🏼

Thanks Brum, we actually have 3 cruises that we are watching, just not so sure which one we fancy, and the final decision may be based upon the best deal we can squeeze out of them…We were simply looking for a ball park date range when final balances are due in as I believe there are occasions when pricing is “restructured “ at those times if numerous passengers fail to cough up the final balance.

Hello fellow cruise people. Is anyone able to advise when the balance of the cruise payment should be paid please. Im being a bit opportunistic, and am hoping to pick up a cheeky bargain when balance payments should be made, but may not be….. Kind regards.

Shower curtains last time I was on Brummijam

Only done a cruise and stay as an “independent “, in which case you leave the ship whenever you are ready. As for Cavtat. Well,… it’s wonderful. Enjoy 👍🏼

Someone has suggested Alaska for Christmas. Are they having a laugh? Having done Alaska numerous times and become bored with its tiresome commercialisation, one would have though Christmas would be a time to escape all of that… I’m confident you’ll find Norway a far more relaxing and in fact prettier environment should you choose a cold weather escape. Happy cruising 😁

Firstly, In my opinion, if it’s a choice between a balcony or premium flights, I’d take a balcony cabin, particularly given the cruise you are considering are in warm weather environments. Premium seats on the Dreamliner are very nice, although they last only for the duration of the flight, wheres as a balcony that you can enjoy for two weeks, to me, is a better way to spend your cash. You should understand that Far East ports are often very far away from the destinations you want to visit and can involve very lengthy coach transfers. This does allow for a spot of sightseeing from your bus windows, but it’s worthy of note as this May feed into your decision making. Just to throw a curve ball in, have you looked at Fred Olsens offerings over Xmas. Up into the arctic, sailing from UK ports? May be of interest?? Which ever you choose, hope you enjoy.

Yes, right up the gunners indeed 😂😂 The itinerary is most certainly one that I and my own boss have been umming and ahhring about for some time. Of course, ultimately,I’ll do as I’m told, however, really do quite fancy this itinerary. Your photos have only served to whet the appetite. Many thanks for your advice and offer of further help.. Most kind indeed. Best wishes for the remainder of the season too. Cheers mate.

I didn’t know that. Thank you

Yes, it really does help inform my decision making. Thanks for taking the time. Appreciated.

What wonderful photos.mThanks for your advice and for sharing the photos.

My wife and I have targeted an Antarctica cruise with Celebrity for 2025. I notice that this itinerary has not yet been advertised, which seems a little late to me. I wonder if anyone knows when the 2025 itinerary may be made available please. I am aware that this year, and 2024 it sails from Buenos Aries. Also has anyone enjoyed this cruise in earlier years and can you offer advice / tips please . Regards

Hi Wacktle, we have a blue light card so more recently use VIATOR as they sometimes give us a discount, but really it doesn’t matter, we have found both sites user friendly. Regards

We have visited Jamaica many times,… well over 20 and fly via Montego Bay airport. It’s absolutely fine, and in in my opinion quite a bitter more user friendly than Manchester, our local airport. Club Mo bay is great. We usually use it exiting Jamaica. We do not find it necessary for arrivals. we book it via the link on Tripadvisor, but have also booked via VIATOR. Enjoy man.

Be cautious if considering a drinks upgrade. We upgraded on our last cruise on Discovery 2. We were seduced by the promise of several IPAs as well as several whiskeys, and nice gins. We were Very disappointed though as there was just one IPA available, one nice whiskey and from recollection, two gins. We felt absolutely cheated, and consider that the upgrade was mis sold to us as the items promised were simply not available. TUI blamed “supply” issues, and that may well be the case, but we should have been informed of supply issues before we parted with our money in order that we might have been given the opportunity to make an informed decision. From my understanding, our experience is not uncommon, and the numerous items listed on the upgrade package are rarely if ever, all available.

I’d strongly advise that you research tours independently offered. I’ve used VIATOR previously, but there are numerous other providers. My own experience of booking tours independently has shown me that I will have a far greater choice of tours, greater flexibility with much much smaller group sizes therefore offering a better time. They are usually a great deal less expensive than ship tours too and they will be available to book now. Give it a try.