librarysmile

Thank you Fiona! This was exactly what I needed to know. I don't have a bunch of OBC this cruise so I think I'll skip it and just stick with the facials I enjoy so much.

Has anyone tried the Zero Gravity Massage that Celebrity is now offering? It wasn't available the last time I sailed on the Solstice in November but it is an option now. Does being massaged on the zero gravity table really reduce muscle tension or is it just marketing?

 

Thanks!

Library Smile

Hello! I'm going to be on a Holland America cruise stopping in San Juan on Friday, December 30, 2022. My friend and I would really like to experience a bioluminescent bay. We are larger, older ladies and don't think that we can do a kayak. Does anyone know of another way to see the bioluminescent bay at night? I have only been able to find one small boat tour (Bio Island) and they don't operate on Friday, Saturday, Sunday. We'd even be happy just being able to walk up to it and stick our hands in to see the glowing light trails.

 

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions!

 

Djptcp - thanks so much for the heads up! I do have issues with products sometimes so that's good to know. I saw that they have a facial that they specifically advertise as for sensitive skin so maybe I should do that one if I decided to do it.

 

Has anyone had one of the Elemis Biotec Facials on board? There are several different ones but it is hard to tell from the descriptions what the difference is. I'm wondering if the Biotec machine is worth it and really seems to make a difference to the texture of your skin. Would appreciate opinions from anyone who has had one as well as which one you got. Thanks in advance!

 

I'll be on the Koningsdam on November 7. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us! Gets me excited for my cruise and helps me plan things I want to do.

 

Thank you so much for the responses! It sounds like this won't be a problem for my November cruise.

Has anyone heard anything about the recent oil spill off the coast of California impacting cruises? Has it closed any of the ports? 

On 9/26/2021 at 2:50 PM, ASB&Cruiseluvr said:

I was looking forward to it as well on the same cruise.  Both Monterey and Santa Barbara were high on my list - especially Monterey, as I haven't been in that area for a long time.  And Santa Barbara is such a lovely area.  I live in the Hi Desert of SoCal and have been missing water and beaches.  I am joining my sister from MI for a fun time together - so we will make the best of whatever comes.  I'm curious about the "librarysmile" name.  Care to elaborate?

When I signed up for Cruise Critic my first choices for a screen name were already taken. I'm a college librarian and I think being friendly and approachable is one of the most important traits a college librarian can have hence the "librarysmile". Thanks for asking!

I was really looking forward to this stop on the November 7 Koningsdam cruise. We already lost Monterey and were slotted to spend the night in San Francisco. Hope we hear something official from HAL soon.

I have a cruise booked for May 9 and got 3 cancellation emails this morning. I’ve gotten multiples of other emails in the past so figured it was just something Carnival did. I went in and filled out the cancellation form already. Curious if there will be an email to confirm.

 

I’m scheduled to sail on the Freedom on May 9. Like many others, I’m frustrated about not knowing if my cruise is cancelled. Don’t want to cancel it myself and lose out on the chance of a refund. My boss is also wanting to know if I can work that week because of everything going on with COVID-19. At least we have these boards for information and sympathy. Big thank you to the person posting the screenshots of the Instagram posts!

Thanks so much for your reply. Not what I wanted to hear but I appreciate the information!

Does anyone know of any whale watching or dolphin watching excursions from Nassau or Freeport? I'll be sailing with Carnival in May and haven't been able to find any. The cruise line offers swim with dolphins but we're looking more for something that you are out in the open ocean looking for whales and/or dolphins.

 

Thank you!

Thanks so much for your responses! At least this is a Hawaii cruise so I might get to sing during the ukulele lessons :-)

 

I'm going to be sailing with Princess (Emerald Princess) for the first time in December. Does Princess have a piano bar with sing-a-long sessions the way that Holland America and Carnival do?

Thank You!

I'd like to see more meaningful Mariner rewards. It could be something simple but it would be nice if it was something I would want. I don't particularly want the magazine or a 10% discount on their online shop. I'd like a free fancy coffee or a complimentary 10 minute internet session or a free photo of my choice (just one since I know all 3 would be too much).

HAL is my favorite cruise line and I'll be sailing with them again in a month and a day. As someone else said though, there's always room for improvement. ;)

I highly recommend Rick Steve's Civita Day Pack.

 

http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&id=40

 

I have both the backpack version and the shoulder bag version. They weigh almost nothing and can easily be folded or smooshed into other bags. I use them to carry my sweater, camera, a book, sunscreen, bottle of water, tissue and other necessities. They have almost no structure so they won't stand up on their own unless they are stuffed full. They cost less than $25 so they are a pretty good value too.

From HAL's FAQs: "Beverage Service Charge, taxes, pre-booked shore excursions and all gift items purchased online or through Ship Services count towards bonus cruise day credits."

 

Jemima who would rather be cruising than posting

 

Thank you Jemima! I'm going to send her an email quoting the FAQ and ask again. I normally book my shore excursions way ahead of time but haven't because I wanted the bonus cruise days.

 

Really appreciate the information!

This isn't a dessert but it seems like one when you taste it. I love the creamy fruit soups that HAL serves. I can't actually remember a single specific dessert from any of my meals in the main dining room but I distinctly remember the sweet, creamy goodness of the blueberry soup one night and the mango soup another night.

I asked my PPC about shore excursions booked before the cruise counting towards on board spending Mariner days and she said that they do NOT count. They only count if you purchase them while you are on the ship. This was the relevant part of the email:

 

"Good afternoon!

 

The accrual of Bonus Days are only good for onboard spending. You would have to book the Shore Excursions once you get on the ship for them to count towards the $300."

 

I got this email on October 15 so I'm thinking it reflects the current policy.

This one might not be funny if you are wise in the ways of liquor but it was funny to me. I was sitting near two gentlemen before one of the evening shows and one of them was complaining to his friend that his martini wasn't "dirty" enough. I couldn't imagine what he might mean. Do they actually put dirt in martinis? I tried to get a good look at his drink without being too obvious but I just couldn't see it. Once I got home, I figured out that when one wants a "dirtier" martini, it just means one wants more olives. Now that I know it just cracks me up that I spent the rest of the cruise looking for the dirt in other people's martinis.