retired rascal

Check out how many places this gallery is conducting auctions simultaneously. Do you know any REPUTABLE gallery that has an inventory of that many good pieces that they can be showing 100's of items virtually daily in so many different venues. If you buy something, take it to an appraiser recommended by a museum. Buyer beware.

See thread announcing HHS just declared public health emergency. I agree with others. If there is ANY chance you will be pregnant during next 6 or so months, don't go. It's not just San Juan. It's around the Caribbean.

I know I read the policy, but I can't remember or find it again.

If we book in advance on line and later want to cancel, will our payment be refunded???? Is there a minimum number of days or hours for cancellation? Thank you.

You can just do an online reservation up to the point where you have to provide passenger info and pay your deposit. Pick your ship, your dates, your cabin type, you'll get to the screen that shows the deck plan with the list of Unbooked cabins on the left. You can backtrack and do as many cabin types as you want.

We were there in September. The weather varied. We brought lots of layers. We did bring and wear 3-in-1 waterproof Parkas. We could use the outer shell for a light jacket or windbreaker. We used the jacket for cooler times. In Glacier Bay, it was VERY cold. Wore bunches of clothes and the whole 3 layers of the parka. If you take any excursions on water, it will be colder than being on land in the port. Take socks. You can always remove them. Make sure your warm layer has long sleeves. If you get too warm, you can tie it around your waist. We found dress on board generally more casual than the other NCL cruises we'be been on. More like lumberjacks than Miami fashionistas. ENJOY!!!

Haven't sailed NCL for a few years. Are the weekly spa passes still available??? Can they be purchased immediately after embarking or do we have to wait for the "open house?"

4 adults would be really uncomfortable. Would be difficult to even move around each other. Those sofas a really miniature and very uncomfortable. OK for a kid at best. No room for a rollaway.

YES!!! LAYERS. I took hiking undershirt that adds no bulk so I could put it under anything. If you'll be going to Glacier Bay, it can be quite cold. I brought a Goretex parka that I could wear as a windbreaker or rain/spray jacket or over a heavy winter sweater for warmth. Binoculars for sure. Socks and good walking shoes for any glacier walks. Sunscreen. Power strip as there aren't many plugs on Pearl. Nightlight or flashlight. Small denomination bills for tips. There are lots of cruise pack lists online so I won't go on and on.

Alaska cruise was the least dressy one we've been on. Freestyle is so great that if you want to dress up on formal night, you'll have fun. Usually there is an opportunity to have a formal photograph taken which some people want to have as a momento. Many people will be in jeans and will eat in the buffet. I brought a pair of nice slacks and a few frilly tops which were more than dressy enough for the restaurants with a dress code. My husband wore ex officio travel pants and collared shirts and Keene's for shoes.

Transit day is really fascinating. Be sure to go to see the documentary the day before (I think it was shown more than once) about the prior failures, planning, obstacles and actual construction of the canal. Usually all the ships that will be transiting line up well before dawn awaiting their turn to be called. There is no way to predict which of the 2 parallel channels your ship will go through. It is fun to go to the front of the ship to watch how the locks operate and also to each side. On one side you will see the trains. On the other, the ship transiting in the parallel channel. Since it takes all day, you can do other activities off and on. Usually the Captain opens the crew only section at the bow so more people can get a forward facing view of the locks. Enjoy it.

We don't leave for months, but I'd like to have the UPSELL telephone number on hand. Can someone post it??? Thanks.

We are looking at a 14 day on the GEM November, 2016. Round trip from San Juan, Puerto Rica. There is more than 1 port there. Does anyone know where NCL docks? Thanks

Understand suite guests breakfast and lunch are now in Moderno. Are menus similar to the ones in Cagney's in prior years?

I too am looking for info on the Sun...will be sailing Aug 26th...

Going in October...so if you are in the know, please post info for Aug/Sept/Oct.

Thanks, oh boy, I think I will be hiding out from him again. He seems to frequent Cagney's a lot :rolleyes:

We thought he was great and very! helpful with some emergency needs. Being at Cagney's is PERFECT...at B + L, we could always grab him to make requests like dinner reservations.

Have cruised with special needs that have varied including soft. This is my belief. It is totally up to you to make it work. It is not reasonable to expect NCL to 'cater' to thousands of different specific needs. It can ALWAYS work if you're eating for nourishment and to feed your body's fuel needs. If you're eating for entertainment or for a drug or for fun, you may be disappointed. Having said all that there are always soft things like eggs, soups, puddings, jellos, dairy products, juices that will provide all the healthy nutrition anyone could desire. If you just want to purée your food, which I don't like to do, you might want to look into a Magic Bullet to use in your cabin. I've always found at least one thing at every meal. I especially love a.m. omelettes. ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!!!! Food really can be a no focus.

Our first cruise (Pearl) was in mini suite. We were next to a full suite + watched the butler come and go and saw the concierge too. We never saw the passengers; but we peaked in the door while the steward was there. It looked like a whole different experience so for our next cruise (Star Panama Canal), we booked a suite. We LOVED the perks, especially priority embark etc. and Cagney's and the space and the bathrooms. We feel you get what you pay for....and for us, what we get is more than worth the price. We have 11 day in

Sun suite coming up and next year we'll be on 23 day Baltics etc. in a family suite. We wanted a big cabin so we don't get cabin fever with that long a cruise. Like buying a home or a car or any other purchase, it is really a personal choice. Not sure why you'd question it.

I changed my views on tipping when I learned the butlers are NOT part of the tipping pool that comes out of the daily service charge [$12]. That covers a myriad of people you see [like room stewards] and don't see [like all the people who prep all that food we eat or wash all the dishes we use, etc. and the people we see in the dining venues. Our butler was available LONG hours...he brought breakfast before 7 somedays and was making room service deliveries at 11 p.m.....and he was on the run whenever someone needed something or the Lavazza needed servicing etc. That is seven days a week for months on end.....The suite guests are their source of income....and yes, they may make good money, but I sure wouldn't work those hours ever.....

We also thought about it...we are lucky lucky folks. Not only do we get to cruise, but we get to cruise in suites because we choose to. No one is telling us to pay the extra $$. We do it because we love the priority embarkation, Cagney's, the extra room service items, the DVD's. We figure that tipping the butler and the concierge are just part of the cost we commit to when we book a suite.

We do use them though not extensively. The concierge can get reservations when we can not. On our Panama Canal cruise, when it rained, he showed up with an umbrella. On another occasion he loaned my husband an ace bandage until medical opened. Our butler catered to our Lavazza requests and brought us extra things we requested....with breakfast.

It's your choice to book a suite....just know its does cost more.....If you don't want the extra help or priority services, book 2 connecting minisuites and pay a whole lot less for just as much space.

The aft penthouses on Deck 8 are now BAD...noise from Spinnaker, relocated to Deck 7, makes them 'unihabitable.' The NEW cabins forward on Deck 12 are beautiful...new decor....NICE!!!! Many don't have balconies, but there are floor to ceiling windows. The Sushi Bar is fabulous!! There are lots and lots of deck chairs and places to lie in the sun...and shade. Cagney's is great for lunch and breakfast for suite passengers. Crew is wonderful.

going on Star in November to Panama Canal...and possibly on the same cruise you're considering in May. Would the spa be a possibility??????

I think the only "fatal" mistake is to arrive without a 'perfect attitude." Know that somethings may not go exactly as you either would wish or had dreamed; but it can all be totally wonderfully blissfully PERFECT if you decide before you even get on the ship that you WILL enjoy it!!!!! :)