slidemaster5

Since our preferences are the opposite, I will share my points: 1. We go on trips to relax so we are spending time in the room regardless of itinerary so it will never be a small room and will have a balcony. Again, personal preference. 2. This one I would agree with unless we go wanted to host the group and go large. 3. I like watching the ocean, so the views are worth it. If I didn't like the ocean I would fly. 4. Outside of the gym and dining, just a few shows. No to the casino, whirlpool, bars. We would never meet on a cruise lol. 5. When we had our honeymoon the ships probably still had sails. 6. Not sure what recharge aspect means. I don't want crowds because I don't want lines. I am circumventing this by whatever means necessary. 7. I ask wife what she wants. The reply will never be inside cabin.

Interesting, now we are going down the interchange fee rabbit hole. Anyway, if you want the NCL 5.25% discount you need to get the card and have qualifying balances with Bank of America - the balances can be in the Bank and/or in Merrill. Although you don't need a Merrill account you would not want to put cash in the Bank and earn virtually nothing. FYI - merchants do not pay interchange fee but instead the fee reduces the amount they receive in the credit card process. May be semantics but I have learned that folks on this site strive for accuracy. Businesses (as least knowledgeable ones) include the interchange fee as part of their business costs. That is why I always advise people to pay with a credit card since you pay the inflated price whether you pay cash or credit. The exception being establishments that offer reduced pricing for cash such as some gas stations.

Agreed. I will add that the "desire effect" needs to be considered. We have done a whopping 1 cruise in our life and now that we are retired, we plan on doing 2 a year. Initially we are planning on nicer rooms but as we take cruises our perspective may change. One may yearn for the Haven or Princess sky suite but once then they are able to get this room it may lose its appeal. "Having is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting".

Our return to cruising happened last fall when we were planning to go to Bermuda for our 40th anniversary. After looking at flight and hotel options we discovered (as many of you know) that we can cruise in a suite cheaper than flying and staying in a nice hotel. For us it is balcony v suite (or mini) price point option. Inflation has made all vacationing pricey, but the cruise advantages are still there, and you make it to port in all stateroom types. I'll throw in one last financial planning comment: you Bogleheads know what you are doing.

Guilty as charged on the PSA on getting a good financial advisor. When OP posed the question, I found it interesting since it all depends on your point of view and where you are in life: (1) We are in our 60s and plan on doing 2 cruises a year. For us life is now more of a sprint than a marathon, so we don't need to pace our spending per se. Our priorities are to gain experiences on cruises and spend time with family the other 50 weeks of the year. In our 30s we had a fantastic family cruise while in an inside cabin. However, the vacation budget now is higher than net worth back then so now price is less of an issue. (2) We enjoy the journey as much as the destination. We view the room as part of the trip. Having meals served in the room, spending time just sitting on the balcony. (3) Interesting that OP mentions that they only cruise Caribbean. Again, personal preference - I don't need to see a half dozen Diamond Internationals or Six Flags (Coco Cay). (4) I would throw money overboard before spending it on the spa or casino. Like I mentioned in the car analogy, spend where and when you want if you have the means.

Thank you for your service. My son is wrapping up his 20 years so he will start his pension at 38 and continue Tricare benefits as he starts the next phase of his work life. Yes, draw SS at 70, 4% rule, monte carlo simulations. Everyone went to the Acme school of financial planning.

A friend of mine bought a place in Spain and spends the summers there so good luck with Italy. One thing I do agree with the planners on is the so called go-go, slow-go, no-go spending habits so you want to tailor your plan as needed.

Unfortunately, social security as a primary source of retirement is too common as we have transitioned from defined benefit to defined contribution plans (pensions to 401k). The advisor you cite sounds refreshing. Also, the scare tactics annoy me. If I had a nickel for every article that quoted the Fidelity "a 65-year-old couple needs $315,000 for healthcare" our staterooms would easily be paid for.

That's good. Actually, the key thing you said is that you have been using him for decades. By now you would have enough history to understand his investment strategy and he would understand your retirement goals and your risk profile. My biggest beef is that many planners solely stress maximizing the financial aspects and not the entire retirement experience. In a down market it is easy to tell the client "you get the better answer by delaying social security until 70" while the client gets stressed by watching their portfolio shrink because they need to drain it until 70. The client then doesn't spend and loses experiences over the prime years of their retirement. When people retire, they may not be looking for the best mathematical plan but something they can live with so there needs to be a balancing act with a retirement plan. As the great sage Mike Tyson stated, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth".

Wearing your glasses will improve your focus and reduce eye fatigue. For nature viewing you can try it without glasses (I use them for stargazing and for that you want to keep your glasses on for sharper focus). You want to keep the eyecups extended if you do not use glasses and fold them down if you wear glasses. For nature 8x42 would be good. The first number (8) represents the magnification, the second (42) represents the diameter of the objective lens. Note that the higher the magnification the smaller your field of vision is. The bigger the objective lens the more light that is gathered and the better the focus. As the lenses get bigger the binocular weight will increase. Roof prism binoculars will have the eyepieces and objective lens aligned and have that H shape. Porro prism binoculars are the older classic ones that have wide barrels in the front and don't line up with the eyepieces. Roof prism may be more expensive but will weigh less. For stargazing I use 8x56 porro prism which takes in more light than say 8x42. However, the larger lenses result in a total weight of 38 ounces, so I need a tripod for stargazing. I can still use them in Alaska since a little hand movement for nature viewing is not critical. As others suggested you may want to ask someone to show you some in a store. Binoculars are often waterproofed / fog proofed which is good for Alaska climate.

Hopefully you have a sound planner. As a CPA I cringe when I see YouTube or online articles from "financial experts". Heck, even articles from Fidelity are often garbage. Since I can do my own planning at least I don't take a leap of faith there. My leap of faith comes into play when I see the auto mechanic ......

I failed to mention that our strategy as newly minted retirees is to take 2 cruises a year versus say 3 or 4 so we are going quality v quantity. We have one son so whatever is left goes to him and DIL. (Hopefully more than FCCs). We scrimped through our middle years and finally got a bit ahead. Here is my definition of middle class: If you are generally living paycheck to paycheck, you are middle class. If you don't realize you got paid until you look at your online banking, you are no longer middle class.

Agreed. Another way of saying this is that if I don't spend my money, it is just more first-class flights my children or grandchildren will be taking. If you are concerned about money book the lowest level cabin that doesn't give you angst. In other words, book the lower of whichever level you are comparing (inside v ocean view, ocean view v balcony etc.). As discussed, it is what you personally value. Some people only book suites and drive cheap cars and some only book inside cabins and drive expensive cars.

I think going 10/9 when summer tourist season is over gives you a good chance. (Columbus Day is the following weekend so that saves you.) The Cadillac Summit Road reservations are required from May 22-October 27 this year, so you are at the tail end of busy season. I will be in Bar Harbor in early June via the Gem but will not be going to Acadia since I have a land trip there in August. If I get feedback on excursions I will post it.

The spend from cruise visitors is not moving the needle much compared to the land visitors. The land visitors have to pay the high hotel rates and eat all their meals there while the cruise visitors may only do some eating. Bar Harbors biggest plus is that they are adjacent to the National Park.

Princess cruises to Canada from Boston too. Their schedule is limited compared to NCL and is a usually 1-3 sailings a month from June - October. They are just posting 2025 now and nothing yet for 2026.

FYI - I posted these comments this week for a Princess roll call for September 2024. I currently live in RI. Replace the below weather comment with: October - High will be in the 60s early part of the month dropping to high 50s by month end. Nights 10-15 degrees cooler. In the fall the weather changes often and gets influenced by the wind direction - warmer if the wind blows from the land, cooler if the wind is blowing from the sea. Newport In General Climate/crowds: Labor Day weekend expect 75-80 degrees weather. Don't be surprised if it is humid since we do have hot humid summers here but usually cooler on the water. Expect crowds if the weather is nice since this is the traditional end of tourist season so the streets will be crowded by late morning. (Locals often avoid this weekend since parking gets difficult - obviously not a cruiser issue.) Newport is probably the OG of seaside towns and has a feel similar to Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA. Downtown Most of the shops and restaurants are clustered in the downtown area which consist of America's Cup Avenue and Thames Street which run parallel along the Bay. America's Cup is along the Bay and Thames Street is just east of it a block away. My understanding is that tenders drop off at Perrotti Park which is on America's Cup Avenue. Shops and restaurants start at Perrotti Park on America's Cup and go about a half mile or so southward. Thames Street shops and restaurants start about a 1/4-mile further north. Restaurants For the locals (Rhode Islanders) Newport is very popular year-round. The wife and I have two favorites we take people to: Brick Alley Pub on Thames Street which has the pub and tavern feel and The Mooring which is seafood (has meat options). The Mooring has great views if you get an outside table since it overlooks the Bay, and you are in the midst of a wharf / boat slips. Brick Alley is a 5-minute walk (.2 mile) east from Perrotti Park and The Mooring is a 7-minute walk (.3 mile) south down America's Cup. There are plenty good restaurants around. I strongly suggest making reservations no matter where you plan on going. Make them at least a few weeks out. As a point of reference, I tried to walk into Brick Alley on a weekday in the summer and there was a 1 hour wait for lunch. Excursions One word - yikes! The last excursion listed (Newport Scenic Schooner Cruise) is a great example. I took family last June on the same schooner and it is $45 a ticket. They want $129. You can actually book the same time they are showing and save yourself $84 per person and still have the safe return guarantee, LOL. Mansion tickets run $25, $38, $46 for one, two, or three mansions respectively if you want to compare. Now, you would have to uber/taxi to avoid the walk (about 45 minutes) but you get the point. Points of Interest Various boat rides (as discussed above) are generally from Bowens Wharf is about 5-minute walk from Perrotti Park down America's Cup. Mansions - if you do one, I suggest the biggest and most famous - The Breakers. Marble House or Rosecliff are also good options. (I haven't been to Rosecliff and may go this summer. This mansion is the most "filmed" - True Lies/The Great Gatsby(1974)/Heaven's Gate/Amistad.) If you are into cultural or are of the Jewish faith, Touro Synagogue is the oldest surviving synagogue in the country. (5-10 minute walk from drop off). If you like sports - the International Tennis Hall of Fame is there. (20-minute walk from drop off point) The Cliff Walk which runs a total of 3.5 miles is scenic. The easier (flat sidewalk part) is the first mile or so and wraps around the Breakers. Some points literally require rock hopping so that is not for the casual walker. If you want to walk the flat part have them take you to the end of Narragansett Avenue which dead ends at the ocean. Uber/taxi since it is a 45 minute walk from Perrotti Park.

FYI - I posted these comments this week for a Princess roll call for September 2024. I currently live in RI. Newport In General Climate/crowds: Labor Day weekend expect 75-80 degrees weather. Don't be surprised if it is humid since we do have hot humid summers here but usually cooler on the water. Expect crowds if the weather is nice since this is the traditional end of tourist season so the streets will be crowded by late morning. (Locals often avoid this weekend since parking gets difficult - obviously not a cruiser issue.) Newport is probably the OG of seaside towns and has a feel similar to Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA. Downtown Most of the shops and restaurants are clustered in the downtown area which consist of America's Cup Avenue and Thames Street which run parallel along the Bay. America's Cup is along the Bay and Thames Street is just east of it a block away. My understanding is that tenders drop off at Perrotti Park which is on America's Cup Avenue. Shops and restaurants start at Perrotti Park on America's Cup and go about a half mile or so southward. Thames Street shops and restaurants start about a 1/4-mile further north. Restaurants For the locals (Rhode Islanders) Newport is very popular year-round. The wife and I have two favorites we take people to: Brick Alley Pub on Thames Street which has the pub and tavern feel and The Mooring which is seafood (has meat options). The Mooring has great views if you get an outside table since it overlooks the Bay, and you are in the midst of a wharf / boat slips. Brick Alley is a 5-minute walk (.2 mile) east from Perrotti Park and The Mooring is a 7-minute walk (.3 mile) south down America's Cup. There are plenty good restaurants around. I strongly suggest making reservations no matter where you plan on going. Make them at least a few weeks out. As a point of reference, I tried to walk into Brick Alley on a weekday in the summer and there was a 1 hour wait for lunch. Excursions One word - yikes! The last excursion listed (Newport Scenic Schooner Cruise) is a great example. I took family last June on the same schooner and it is $45 a ticket. They want $129. You can actually book the same time they are showing and save yourself $84 per person and still have the safe return guarantee, LOL. Mansion tickets run $25, $38, $46 for one, two, or three mansions respectively if you want to compare. Now, you would have to uber/taxi to avoid the walk (about 45 minutes) but you get the point. Points of Interest Various boat rides (as discussed above) are generally from Bowens Wharf is about 5-minute walk from Perrotti Park down America's Cup. Mansions - if you do one, I suggest the biggest and most famous - The Breakers. Marble House or Rosecliff are also good options. (I haven't been to Rosecliff and may go this summer. This mansion is the most "filmed" - True Lies/The Great Gatsby(1974)/Heaven's Gate/Amistad.) If you are into cultural or are of the Jewish faith, Touro Synagogue is the oldest surviving synagogue in the country. (5-10 minute walk from drop off). If you like sports - the International Tennis Hall of Fame is there. (20-minute walk from drop off point) The Cliff Walk which runs a total of 3.5 miles is scenic. The easier (flat sidewalk part) is the first mile or so and wraps around the Breakers. Some points literally require rock hopping so that is not for the casual walker. If you want to walk the flat part have them take you to the end of Narragansett Avenue which dead ends at the ocean. Uber/taxi since it is a 45 minute walk from Perrotti Park.

FYI - I posted these comments this week for a Princess roll call for September 2024. I currently live in RI. Newport In General Climate/crowds: Labor Day weekend expect 75-80 degrees weather. Don't be surprised if it is humid since we do have hot humid summers here but usually cooler on the water. Expect crowds if the weather is nice since this is the traditional end of tourist season so the streets will be crowded by late morning. (Locals often avoid this weekend since parking gets difficult - obviously not a cruiser issue.) Newport is probably the OG of seaside towns and has a feel similar to Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA. Downtown Most of the shops and restaurants are clustered in the downtown area which consist of America's Cup Avenue and Thames Street which run parallel along the Bay. America's Cup is along the Bay and Thames Street is just east of it a block away. My understanding is that tenders drop off at Perrotti Park which is on America's Cup Avenue. Shops and restaurants start at Perrotti Park on America's Cup and go about a half mile or so southward. Thames Street shops and restaurants start about a 1/4-mile further north. Restaurants For the locals (Rhode Islanders) Newport is very popular year-round. The wife and I have two favorites we take people to: Brick Alley Pub on Thames Street which has the pub and tavern feel and The Mooring which is seafood (has meat options). The Mooring has great views if you get an outside table since it overlooks the Bay, and you are in the midst of a wharf / boat slips. Brick Alley is a 5-minute walk (.2 mile) east from Perrotti Park and The Mooring is a 7-minute walk (.3 mile) south down America's Cup. There are plenty good restaurants around. I strongly suggest making reservations no matter where you plan on going. Make them at least a few weeks out. As a point of reference, I tried to walk into Brick Alley on a weekday in the summer and there was a 1 hour wait for lunch. Excursions One word - yikes! The last excursion listed (Newport Scenic Schooner Cruise) is a great example. I took family last June on the same schooner and it is $45 a ticket. They want $129. You can actually book the same time they are showing and save yourself $84 per person and still have the safe return guarantee, LOL. Mansion tickets run $25, $38, $46 for one, two, or three mansions respectively if you want to compare. Now, you would have to uber/taxi to avoid the walk (about 45 minutes) but you get the point. Points of Interest Various boat rides (as discussed above) are generally from Bowens Wharf is about 5-minute walk from Perrotti Park down America's Cup. Mansions - if you do one, I suggest the biggest and most famous - The Breakers. Marble House or Rosecliff are also good options. (I haven't been to Rosecliff and may go this summer. This mansion is the most "filmed" - True Lies/The Great Gatsby(1974)/Heaven's Gate/Amistad.) If you are into cultural or are of the Jewish faith, Touro Synagogue is the oldest surviving synagogue in the country. (5-10 minute walk from drop off). If you like sports - the International Tennis Hall of Fame is there. (20-minute walk from drop off point) The Cliff Walk which runs a total of 3.5 miles is scenic. The easier (flat sidewalk part) is the first mile or so and wraps around the Breakers. Some points literally require rock hopping so that is not for the casual walker. If you want to walk the flat part have them take you to the end of Narragansett Avenue which dead ends at the ocean. Uber/taxi since it is a 45 minute walk from Perrotti Park.

I would be curious if this 80-year-old had received an OK from her doctor to travel alone for 3 weeks. My mother who is independent at 84 is restricted from her cardiologist from flying long flights (over 2 hours) because of the blood clot issue due to her age. While this 80-year-old passenger supposedly had 30 hours of flights to return from Africa to the west coast.

It is like that for everything. I have worked in Taxes for 40 years and the media makes ridiculous comments on that subject too. Never mind the politicians on both sides who have no idea what they are talking about.

Great! Perhaps there should be pinned medication thread, lol. I am going on a NCL Bermuda trip next month and I will always carry a few days' worth of meds off the ship. Not looking for a CVS in Hamilton.

What I find most interesting is the fact that so many on this thread are on the Campbells side in some form (compare that to the 96 comments on the yahoo site cited which are almost unanimous for the ship). I have been on a whopping 1 cruise and a member here for a short time and the all-aboard rule is mentioned constantly (as it is on virtually every YouTube channel). It is a rule not a guideline. If you want to take the risk of an independent tour off the coast of Africa, that is your right and I do not wish ill will, but if you suffer the risk of missing the ship I am not sympathetic. I also have to comment on the medication issue. There is less information here but if one is taking medication that is health critical (chance you can die or get critically ill) you must take it with you whenever you leave the ship.

As reference I received my FCC today for a May 2024 cruise. I have learned from this site that around 60 days is probably the point that it starts getting "iffy" not to pull the trigger. I learned to monitor after final payment. The FCC at just over 60 days was twice the price drop at 90 days. Also, when I check prices I phantom book to make sure that there is more than 1 of my room type available. If there is only one room left it may warrant asking for the FCC earlier. You also want to make sure that you received the FCC email from the "pricedrop@ncl.com" sending address.

As reference I just got a FCC today for a cruise in May 2024. No flight with NCL.