rbelshaw

I was told over cigars and many drinks on the Seashore that at the time MSC acquired the Achille Lauro, the memory of the PLO hijacking of that ship was still very fresh. Sr. Aponte instructed his minions to take any steps necessary to insure that such an incident could not re-occur under his family's stewardship. I was also told that evening that for every security officer you see on an MSC ship, there are three that you don't.

Shhhhh..... BTW - I have found my fellow Pax to be notably gracious and courteous in sharing rail space during glacier viewings - even offering to give me a turn at the prime spots, or scrunching over to make room.

There is a Texas-sized canal in the works....

I have recently been twice on the left coast version - Long beach to Catalina. That's about 30 miles. Took the Miracle 15 hours; the ferry does it in 1-2. On an aft facing cabin, its apparent the props, when running at all, are not churning up a wake at night. I only figured it out on my second voyage: For those extra hours, the bars are pouring and the slots are spinning. That's fine with me- I like my nights at sea. I am told that QM2 can make NY from Southampton in 4.5 - 5 days, rather than the scheduled 7. But nobody wants that.

You might try to get him interested in the history - specifically the Norsemen/Vikings. I loved that stuff when I was a (fluffy) kid.

Shhhh...CCL is my secret backstreet belle de nuit. I don't mention YC to disgruntled X refugees, so to avoid fare inflation, let's keep the "fun ships" our little secret, no?

Bring the marshmallows.

Having lived in Chinatown, I can testify that one can hear a mahjong parlor on the third floor of a building four blocks away - unless you're in law enforcement.

OTOH, Carnival is building a new terminal in Frisco, Texas.

Thanks- sounds like the plan.

I'm on the Crown mid- June. Yesterday I tried to select a traditional, fixed dining time - as I have done on all the other lines. Based on what I've read here, seems that Princess no longer offers fixed seatings, but plans to resume the tradition in September. Am I right? Would it be fruitful to speak to a MD once on board and try to arrange a fixed table/time/ and server through the reservation system?

I was in the 'Shore just before Xmas. That was the voyage which departed about eight hours late into a "tropical depression", so torrential rain and 45Kt winds for much of the trip. Even under those conditions, I loved the balcony. The windscreen is effective. The couch location is a bit odd, but I found the room spacious. But then, I am a solo and only occupy half the space. The sofa is where it is because there is an air lock vestibule you pass through to get outside. I booked the same cabin on the 'Scape for this September.

My recollection is that the abomination known as the Americano was first crafted in Italy to accommodate occupying U.S. troops who could not handle espresso. It was available in the '70s here at the cafes in North Beach. Always served with a sneer.

That's easy - meatballs.

I don't think there are any bad view Signatures on the Euro'. There are some balconies that are somewhat exposed to the glass "outside" elevators midships. However, I use those elevators a lot and never saw anything the least bit interesting. I would move quickly and have a deck plan handy.