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True, but possibly a weak signal can be amplified enough to be more dependable.

 

<SNIP>

If the signal is weak to your wireless device from the ship's wireless access point, so will the signal to the extender. You may only increase signal strength between the PC (or whatever wireless device you are using) and the extender. The signal between the extender and the ship's wireless access point will be the same weak signal and it won't do anything to boost your overall connectivity or throughput. Remember, an extender is just that, an extender, not a signal booster. It's like "extending" your electrical system by using a "extention" cord. Also, an extender (repeater) will actually decrease your throughput by something like 50% unless you are using a dual band extender and even those will decrease throughput. Then too, you may have others jumping on the connection your extender is offering to further slow down throughput unless it and you are able to limit connections using a MAC table (or can choose not to broadcast the SSID).

It might be a fun or frustrating experience overall. If you do try it, let us know how it works for you.

I can only speak for myself. As an older woman, traveling alone, I consider it a matter of personal security.

It's one thing to head out to/back from public areas when there are others also out and about. It's another thing entirely to return to the cabin alone late at night when there are no others around to see what's going on.

There's little likelihood of danger, but there's no reason to take a chance, either.

Ruth, I agree and fully understand. Thanks for the reply. :)

Ditto !

 

Princess had stickers on the mailbox with our names. I promptly removed it and the steward never replaced it. We still got our personal mail.

To this day, Princess still prints a small card with the cabin occupants' names (you can tell their loyalty program level by the color of the card) and places it in the holder outside the door. From my experience, the vast majority of people leave the card in place. There seems to be little cause for concern there on the Princess boards about it. I'm not sure why people here are so concerned about this; can someone explain? I'm not saying we're not entitled to our privacy and anonymity and it's obviously a matter of personal choice, I'm just curious why people seem so concerned.

I've never had an issue with the CC door sign posted on my cabin and use it on each cruise. Mine is printed on 5" x 7" photo paper with a magnet on the back.

You might find that ad blockers will cause the PTZtv webcams (Lou and Dave's) to not go live. If you are using Chrome with an ad blocker, you need to start an "Incognito Mode" window which turns off all add-ins (like ad blockers). I've not had this happen using IE10 yet with "tracking protection" ad blockers, but not all ads are blocked there. Just something to be aware of though. PTZtv depends on revenue from ads to operate.

Is there an area that is open below the Bridge that would be kept dark?

That was my thought and where I was going to check first! :D

Are there any good/dark spots on the Westerdam for stargazing? Some corner where the ship's lights are pretty well kept at bay? One ship we were on (wish i could recall which) had a dedicated area on the highest deck that was sheltered from light but we have not found that to be the case in most situations.

I'll be on her over Thanksgiving week and will try to remember to look for such a place and let you know. :)

Well done review! Thanks for the effort and so glad you had a great time. DD and I will be on a 4 day at the end of June this year. I now feel like I know the ship. :)

My son just returned from a Carnival cruise and gave me the daily sheets to send to a friend. They are $42.95 per person/per day, not including gratuity.

 

Having been reading the Carnival board a lot in the last week, several people on that board feel this is a deal. That's over $600 for 2 people for 7 days. Most likely, more than the cost of their cabin. Ouch!!

Wow! Is their gratuity 15% like HALs?

I did forget to include the cash tips we also gave to our very attentive wine steward and the bar tender in the Explorer Lounge, but that would raise our per day price from $37 to just under $40, or to $20 per person per day, including gratuities of 15% and cash tips.

We last sailed in Jan. 2013 on Ryndam for 7 days so should have recent price data. I've gone through our statement and added up all our beverage purchases. We did bring 1 bottle of wine and our daughter gifted us with 1 bottle of Baileys for our cabin. We bought a bottle of Beam for the cabin as well. Also bought a 3 bottle wine package for dinners around the ship. DW doesn't drink the (free) regular coffee on board so there are daily charges for that. We also enjoy evening drinks at various venues around the ship, this time mostly in the Explorer's Lounge while enjoying Adagio. Totaling up the cost of all purchased beverages comes to just under $260 for the entire cruise for both of us, or roughly $37 a day (for both of us, not per person.) So, $40 per person per day is way out of line for us.

Yes, I expect these are well researched price points done by someone or perhaps they are just copying what appears to be the going rate in the industry. It would make sense that HAL and others would have access to beverage purchases for every cabin for every cruise for years and therefore could come up with a consensus price. Or, maybe they are just saying "What the heck, why not try it?" Either way, so long as HAL doesn't greatly increase per drink, bottle and package prices, it just doesn't make sense for us when we spend less than half that amount ourselves. But others may differ.

Unless HAL intends to greatly increase per drink prices, that is way out of line with our past history of beverage purchases (alcohol and non-alcohol) and our present desires for same on a daily basis. They won't find us purchasing this package without some cause to do so, like increasing prices and serving Princess coffee in the Lido! ;)

Thanks for the article and link, Joanie!

Booked a guarantee cabin on my Panama Canal cruise, leaving in 15 days, and still no cabin assigned. I booked an inside MM category--I'd rather book more cruises than spend a lot on just one cruise (and I'm happy with insides since I'm not claustrophobic and don't spend much time in the cabin).

 

Anyway, I used to check every week for a cabin assignment, then a couple of weeks ago, started checking almost every day. Now I find myself starting to check twice a day. My last cruise on HAL, I didn't get a cabin until 10 days before, so I tell myself to be patient, but the anticipation is building.

 

Booking a guarantee is a lot like Christmas. I feel like a kid waiting to find out what Santa is bringing me. I know what I asked Santa for and will be happy to get what I asked for (but there's always the possibility of getting more :D).

 

I actually like the anticipation (like "shaking" that present under the tree and wondering what's inside).

 

Anyone else waiting for cabin assignments feel this way? (Or am I crazy?) :D

Yes, you are crazy! :D HAL crazy, anyway. We have a similar situation on the Ryndam for New Years, booked an NN guarantee (there's only 1 NN category cabin from what I can see on the deck plans), so have been checking almost daily for an assignment. We'll truly be happy with the NN if that's what we get, but do find ourselves wondering, like you, what Santa will bring. I'm sure I'll soon be checking daily. Crazy is as crazy does!

I plan to decorate my cabin door on my Monarch cruise this coming Monday with photos of my Retired Racing Greyhounds. Why you ask? Two reasons.

 

1) I am taking my visually impaired Mother In Law on this cruise for her birthday. She has no central vision, but has peripheral sight. Instead of struggling to find our cabin, she will no trouble at all now. Best part is that she will not even realize that I have done this for her.

 

2) I promote Greyhound adoption whenever I can!

Amen to both reasons! As someone who has recently become vision impaired, I can very much appreciate how much this will help your MIL.

Decorate away if it pleases you! :D

Someplace I have read that some of the cruise lines keep some of the tips and use it for it to fund a "crew welfare" program of parties and activities on board ship. I seem to remember coming across it on one of the cruise lines websites, but don't remember which.

And thanks for the great information! Rich (wolfmark(at)yahoo.com)