Russ Lomas

On 2/5/2024 at 7:36 PM, taglovestocruise said:

I just watched a few YouTube video reviews of Icon. All three reviewers said Icon was the most Uncrowded ship they have ever been on. Easy to find a empty lounger by the pool at noon.. True or untrue.  

We said the same thing when we sailed Odyssey in July 2022 after the Covid restart when ships were not sailing at peak capacity (like Icon was not).  We were packed on Odyssey in March, and it was the most crowded ship I have ever been on (spring break).  Let's see how Icon does if they are sailing at full capacity for March Break this year, then we will know for sure.  Back to the Serenade, which we have never been on yet, I keep seeing all these posts about how the ship is about 70% full.  It would be nice when we join in Southampton, but being summer, I will expect it to be close to sold out.

On 1/17/2024 at 9:35 PM, SPacificbound said:

Since Spirit changed the flight would you qualify for a refund to give you more choices of other airline flight times?

 

Galveston to IAH is 70 miles. 

 

If everything clicks in to place with no problems, you could make it, but there are just so many pieces that have to go just right, personally, I wouldn't chance it.

 

I'm local, there are just too many things that can go wrong. Fog in Galveston, Houston's infamous freeway traffic congestion, IAH having flight backups, etc. There have been thousands of flights cancelled this week due to the freeze. We just aren't set up for inclement weather.

Well, making the 11:33 am flight will not be an issue any longer.  Spirit just cancelled our 11:33 am flight and moved us to a flight at 8:20 am.  Thanks, Spirit.  We are price watching other airlines to see what flights they offer that are doable and reasonably priced.  There are 4 or 5 flights we are watching but the price is about 3 to 4 times what we paid for the Spirit flights.  For now, we are holding onto our Spirit flights because they will likely change things 5 or 6 more times before we fly with them in 6 weeks.

They may even come up with a decent flight.  If we see a fair price on a different airline (Delta, AA, or United) that is more reliable in terms of not switching things every few days, we will book that and get a refund from Spirit.

Question to all those out there who read this and have an answer for us based on personal experience.

We booked a 3:24 pm direct flight out of IAH to fly home.  Spirit just changed it and added a layover and booked us on our first flight at 11:33 am from IAH.  Is this doable at all, or will I need to call and get them to move us to a later flight?  Problem is the only later flight due to layover added will not get us into Detroit til after 11 pm and we still have a 3 hour drive home after that, making work and school the next day tough.

3 minutes ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

I am very sorry to hear that.   I am booked on Oasis for a TA in October and will be disappointed to not have MDR lunch. We have many sea days. [which I enjoy]  DH has some mobility issues and WJ can be problematic for him.  I know there are other venues.  However, most are very casual.  

We asked why they were doing the brunches instead of offering lunches.  They said that the MDR staff were having to put in too many hours and this would reduce hours.  Alternatively, could be like housekeeping services...cut back the number of housekeepers and give them more cabins but only clean cabins once per day...cut back number of staff for food services and reduce the hours that food is served.

WE did the Oasis in March and July and yes, no more lunch in the MDR was offered, only Brunch and it closed early (noonish)  Sad.  You had to go to Windjammer, El Loco Fresh, or one of the other venues.  Used to enjoy lunch in the MDR once or twice per cruise but it was not an option this past year on the Oasis.

2 hours ago, RFerrington said:

This really sucks !  I'll bet you could find a friendly full WC bubba to smuggle one onboard for you !

Especially if you sit them at dinner and share the bottle with them.

On 1/7/2024 at 11:17 PM, CSHS1979 said:

Picked up our first $69 photo pkg covering leg 1. Hard to get 100 pics in, but we tried

 

 

Loosen up a little and have some fun!  Stop looking so serious all the time.  You are on a World Cruise remember.  Love the photos.

12 hours ago, island lady said:

Passed the MSC cruise ship going back out.  Hmmm...wonder where the cocktail lounges are located on that ship?  😉  😁

🤣🤣🤣  Laughed so hard, I could barely contain(er) myself.

12 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Was another Alpha Alpha Alpha call this morning again.  Deck 9 cabin this time.  Hope that person is OK as well.  

Hope they were OK.  There seems to be a lot more medical calls on cruises like these, where the average passenger age is higher.  I worked for Princess Cruises many years ago.  I remember we had 3 deaths on the ship on one single sailing transit of the Panama Canal (ships back then only held 2ooo passengers, so 3 deaths were a lot - especially since the ship morgue only had room for 2, and we were not allowed to "disembark" the bodies until they docked in the USA again.)

11 hours ago, island lady said:

 

I see you captured a photo of the Uruguayan tender coming out to take passengers ashore.

20 hours ago, Coral said:

Waffles, crepes and French toast daily. When I was on HAL they had banana bread French toast. They could be more creative and have variety of pancakes as a choice (chocolate chip, banana, blueberry, strawberry, etc...).

One thing I have read on these boards several times is to request James' Beard French Toast for breakfast in the MDR on Princess (not on the menu, but you can get it).

14 hours ago, happiness is cruising said:

BIGGEST SECRET on Princess...noon to 1:30... in one of the MDR'S.....just check your patter as soon as you are onboard!!! So RELAXING...the buffet is always so PACKED!!!  

This is one thing that I was shocked they did not offer on RCCL when we 1st started sailing with them.  It is one thing we really enjoy on NCL cruises and will definitely be doing this embarkation day on Princess this March.

On 1/1/2024 at 12:12 AM, xpcdoojk said:

Russ, are you good with trading for a ship without a FlowRider?  I could do the WC, but I don’t know what I would do to not go crazy when not in port?????  

 

JC

I sure hope I do not miss the Flowrider too much on the 15-day Serenade cruise next summer.  We only have 2 sea days, so I am doing this cruise for the ports more than the flow.  We are taking a 7-day cruise on the Regal Princess in March, so this will be a test to see how I am without a flowrider on the ship.  My rotator cuff still has a tear in it from my flowriding last March, so maybe by the time I do my next flow cruise (December), it will have healed fully.

7 hours ago, Mike07 said:

Usually at about 2 weeks on a ship, I'm tired of breakfast and most lunches. 

At home, I rotate between 4 different types of dry cereal with milk and a slice of multigrain toast with a glass of orange juice.  Cruise breakfasts are like I died and went to heaven - smoked salmon, made to order omelettes, muesli, fresh fruit, waffles, hash browns.  I will be happy to trade in my breakfast rotation when I finally join for part of the world cruise.

22 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

12/31/2021 - 9 night Anthem of the Seas - 4D OV Balcony SOLO = $946

Booked on Dec. 27, 2024 on the Adventure for $650 Canadian per person, 3 people in cabin) for an aft balcony.  Deals still show time to time if your travel agent has a good eye for deals.  No way we will be paying any extra for a table to sit at for the New Year celebration next year.

9 hours ago, island lady said:

Just finished one of the enrichment lectures...this one hosted by Captain Stig.  Was a lot of pictures of his Norwegian home land, including his boat and his home.  Pretty cool!  A lot of good information about Norway and beautiful pictures.  He is quite the adventurer!   

 

And of course information about Antarctica.  Really looking forward to the cruise through there and hoping for good weather.  He is going to try to cross the Antarctic circle...if conditions allow. 

 

 

We have been enjoying the posts about the ship and the Caribbean, but I think it is some of those parts of the cruise, like Antarctica, that all of us are anticipating the most in your reports.

On 12/19/2023 at 5:21 PM, andreasfcb said:

Royal has updated the "unique sailings" document today.

 

I am not sure what they have changed, but there are more sailings now in the document than before.

 

Link: https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Deployment/2025_2026/2025_Unique_Sailings

Love that last one in the list.  Alas, I am a teacher and will be back at work by then.  If only they had started that voyage 2 weeks earlier.

Put the prices back to what they were (1/3 of what they are asking now) a couple of years ago. (and better food if we can go back in time as well)

8 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Oddly when we were just on Odyssey for 27 nights, we got bored with drinking 🤪 I just couldn’t do 5 drinks every night anymore……I would get to schooner and say, what do I want tonight. 🤣

I feel the same way on a 7-day cruise sometimes, never mind a 27-day one.  We have Princess Plus on an upcoming Princess cruise.  15 drinks per day limit.  Some people you read about say it is just too limiting.  The only time I purchased a beverage package with RCCL for the week, I was tapping out by day 4.  To each their own.

5 minutes ago, cruisin from florida said:

No, before.... Arrives in Lisbon on 11/6, departs Barcelona 11/24. We're on both sailings soI may do a before and after thread. 😁

Thanks.  I just looked that up.  Looks like just a 2 1/2 week span, she is out of commission.  Nothing major likely will be done in that time.  Hopefully, she will be refreshed a little then and ensure the engines are in good shape for our December 27, 2024 cruise on her.  I know they have to take dry dock space where they can find it and when they can get it, but looking at the price of those 2 transatlantic crossings in consecutive sailings, you figure that they would have kept the ship in Europe for a while after heading across the pond, before returning right back to Florida.

On 11/30/2023 at 6:00 PM, cruisin from florida said:

We leave on Tuesday for a 4 night. Hoping for comfy beds. It will be interesting to see what final touches they work on next week. 

Speaking of dry docks, we're doing the two TAs on Adventure next fall, with a dry dock in-between. I hope the drydock disruptions (before and after) will be interesting, but not in the curse sense if the word.

Do you know when the drydock is scheduled for the Adventure?  Just curious because we have it booked for December 2024 and was wondering if it was before or after that date.  My guess is after 😔

We have not booked guaranteed cabins before.  I am always apprehensive we will receive a cabin in a location of the ship that is now what we would like (loud - banging doors, above a bar, below a public deck, etc.)

The last few days even raised the issue that RCCL may deny you boarding if they have oversold the ship, and the guaranteed passengers are the ones who get the boot.  Similar to airlines, I guess.  Those who paid extra to reserve their seats ahead of time get seats, those who do not get bumped.

  https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2023/11/30/royal-caribbean-passengers-denied-boarding/71749345007/

On 8/7/2023 at 3:57 PM, taglovestocruise said:

As of today it is still the best DL in the fleet.  Sat upstairs on the balcony many mornings with Espressos and toasted bagels. Great view. Hate to see it relocated to the dungeon.

Cabins make extra $$$.  The Diamond lounge does not generate revenue.  Jason Liberty is all about the bucks.  Pretty sure I can guess that the current Crown Lounge will become something that generates revenue and be relocated to a less desirable location (like it was on the Oasis)

On 11/16/2023 at 10:01 PM, Saint Greg said:

I’m definitely the only person under 60 at chefs table. Maybe very close to the only person under 70. 
 

It may be the last meal for some of them.  You better be extra nice.  You are young enough to be their child.

On 11/14/2023 at 5:09 PM, Saint Greg said:

You see a lot of concerts on the schedule. I think this is Sanford and sons.

 

You were trying to be funny right?  Mumford, not Sanford.

On 11/16/2023 at 2:03 PM, Saint Greg said:

 

Does Princess let you use your Plus drink package while at Mahogony Bay, like RCCL does at their private beaches, or do you have to pay for them?  If you have to pay for them, could you take a cooler bag with you from your cabin with all those Coronas you have been stockpiling and take them to the beach with you?

On 11/16/2023 at 2:50 PM, Saint Greg said:

 

 

I read different opinions on the following.  If my wife and I went to Alfredo's (we both have the Plus package), and I ordered the prix fixe offering we get twice per cruise along with a drink or two and she just orders a drink, can she share my pizza with me?  Some had said no a couple of months ago and that she would have to use one of her 2 visits if she just had some of my pizza.  Also, can you get leftover pizza to go from Alfredo's or the entire meal to go?

On 11/12/2023 at 1:59 PM, Saint Greg said:

A Mission Impossible movie lasting only 1 hour 15 minutes.  THAT is an impossible mission.  Must be a misprint.

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Did you consider the Jewel on May 30th,(Flaam & Geiranger) has a better itinerary then Serenade's 

It is actually the 15-day Northern Europe (England, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, Germany) cruise we are booked on.  We also had the 9-day Norway cruise on the Serenade booked (the cruise right after our 15-day one) for a total of 24 days, but thought that too long to leave the kids alone at home for (plus the Serenade Norway leg did not have the best Norwegian ports as you mentioned).

I am a school teacher, so unfortunately my vacation dates are decided by my school board, and the cheaper months like May are never a choice for us til we retire.

7 hours ago, danv3 said:

Disappointing to see the seeming abandonment of northern Europe.  Does someone maintain a thread like this for Celebrity?  

So happy that our travel agent put a hold on the Serenade's 15-day portion of the WC for us for next summer in Northern Europe the minute it was released.  Got a great price and it appears that if we had waited for 2025, that itinerary would not exist.