Gablin

Wow! Thank you! Now, I know it can be done. I'm a vegetarian who occasionally eats seafood, and I have had some difficulties on cruise ships.

It appears that they were very helpful to you.

The original poster may very well have been reading posts all of this time and only now found something to post about. Or, not.

I was gone from HAL for eleven years, and recently cruised again on the Veendam. Tobacco smoke is a big issue for me, as I am missing part of one lung and also have a granddaughter with very serious asthma.

The Veendam was fine in most places, except on the deck with the casino. The upper dining room, at one end, and the upper show room at the other, are most easily reached by walking through the area called "Mix." This area usually had a lot of tobacco smoke from the casino.

The alternative to walking through the smoke was go down two decks or up one deck to get from one end of the ship to the other. The deck that has the lower dining room and the main floor of the show room does not have access all of the way through.

Using the computers was uncomfortable the only time I tried it, as the smoke from the casino "bled" into this area.

Even though I now have 48 days with HAL, I will be looking at Celebrity also. Tobacco smoke is only one issue, but it is as important as itinerary to me.

I stayed in a downmarket motel in Bellingham, Washington, some months ago, and did not encounter any bedbugs. Same thing for a Best Western in Lakewood, Washington last year.

My mother always inspected the mattresses where we stayed when I was growing up, and I often do the same.

In Eastern Europe, ten years ago, I slept in some somewhat sketchy-looking places, as well as two overnight trains, but no bedbugs.

I think they are like flies or mosquitoes - you don't know when you'll encounter them.

I use a rather large lightweight Munro bag, with multiple zipper pockets, for the flights. It can hold water bottle, books, food, etc.

On the ship, I use my pockets, except when I have none. For formal nights or other times when I have no pockets (rare) I bring very small zipped purses - one dressy for formal nights and one black leather for days. I made the magnet mistake a few times, too. I've gotten rid of those bags.

In port (or in any city not my home) I use my pockets again, with a small zipped tote for water, tissues, maps, etc. Inside it I bring a very light bag which folds down very small to use in case my tote becomes too crowded with purchases.

I've met a few rude people on some cruises, but mostly met very nice friendly folks from all over the world and of all different ages.

Other than teens and children playing with the elevators or running through the passageways, the rudest behaviour I've seen came from people about my own age.

1st story:

I sometime cruise with a woman friend who is about my age. On one ship, we two women were seated with a man and woman about our age at a table for four.

We all introduced ourselves and conversed a little before food arrived. The husband indicated that he was surprised not to be seated with another married couple. Then, the couple became very silent.

They ate quickly, declined dessert or after dinner coffee or drinks, and said goodnight. They barely looked at us during that time.

The following evening, they were seated elsewhere and our waiter explained that they were people with a great prejudice against women like us and had asked to be moved. We had a good laugh about it, as they had misunderstood our relationship entirely, and the waiter had also.

I was glad they had requested to be moved, even if it was because they had the wrong impression of us. I imagine they may have had lots of prejudices and conversation with them would probably not have been fun.

2nd story:

A relative through an in-law was on a cruise with our family. I had never met her before. She drank to excess, even in the daytime, showed up late for dinner a few times without apologizing, then complained about all kinds of things. She even complained to me about the tour we were both on. She chose it because I chose it and the rest of the family was going snorkeling, which she didn't want to do. The tour bored her, although I found it very interesting.

The last straw was the last morning, as we waited with our hand luggage to leave the ship. She sat down on the floor of the Windjammer, took off her shoes and socks, and cut her toenails right there in front of everyone. I learned later that her mother had sat at a bank loan officer's desk and trimmed her fingernails while waiting for an answer about a loan.

Opinion:

I don't know whether there is more rudeness from elderly people than from other ages, as that has not been my experience, but I do know that dementia is a disease that strikes many older people. Those with mild dementia can still get around and can make good sense much of the time, but may forget their manners. The best thing to do about them is to be as kind as possible and not take anything personally.

I wear transitions lenses and only take my glasses off to shower, sleep or refresh my makeup.

That said, I do use a small day bag to carry hand sanitizer, sea pass card, lip gloss, sunscreen, book, tissues, etc. If I needed to take off my somewhat expensive glasses, I would put the case in my day bag and use that.

I do remember juggling sunglasses and reading glasses, etc. I left a pair of those clip-on sunglasses in a bar in Aruba many, many years ago. Transitions lenses have made things much simpler.

Sorry. Duplicate post.

I do like to drink their sparkling wine, however. I've never bought art (or home decor) on a ship, but I did buy a hand painted necktie at a port in Bulgaria. :D

They did this game on the Royal Caribbean cruise I was on in September. The three teens from our family (19, 18 and 17) who were there, walked out. Their mother and I and some others from our family, sat there for a while, thinking the humor might improve. It didn't. We finally left and found the teens listening to music in the Viking Crown lounge. The music was great, and the 17 year old was glad to see us, as she could not stay there without a parent.

It's good that there are different activities on the ships so that people can find what suits them.

I find myself very intrigued with the idea of going out of my cabin directly to the promenade deck, yet, wondering if I booked a lanai cabin would I find the faulty door construction and the problem of other passengers blocking my exit too troubling.

I don't sit in the loungers anyway, on the promenade deck, or elsewhere, so, if someone was sitting on one of my chairs, I'd probably ignore them, unless they were blocking my way in or out of my cabin.

I will have to continue to read the Veendam reviews to help me decide whether I would like one of these cabins.

I am grateful to the OP for the detailed report.

I had always loved boats - ferries, row boats, whatever. In 1983, I heard my then favorite radio station advertise a cruise for listeners. It sounded great! I called the number, received part of a brochure in the mail, and booked a cruise on the Carnivale (which had been the Empress of Britain and later became the Topaz.) We left out of Miami and went to Samana in the Dominican Republic, then San Juan, and finally, Charlotte Amalie, where my brother and his family were living. I bought a city tour in Samana, a tour to El Yunque in San Juan, and my brother and sister-in-law took me all around St. Thomas, including snorkeling. They were living on a sail boat in the harbor and had been there for about eight months.

I was in a very low deck inside cabin, under the dining room, with an assigned roommate. I was on my first vacation without my children and she was 18, on her first vacation without her parents. My dining arrangement was second seating with the radio station fans. My roommate was at a large round table of young singles, which had two empty seats. I switched.

My roommate loaned me shoes and I comforted her when she fell in "love" with one of the ship's officers.

I really liked swimming in the pool while in the middle of the Caribbean! I also enjoyed the dining room and the music for dancing in the evening.

On the ship, I bought a paper back book on cruises. I absorbed it and decided that I could not afford yet to cruise the way I wanted to do.

It took me until 1995 to get back on a cruise ship. It was the old Rotterdam, cruising Alaska's Inside Passage. Now, that was a cruise! I had a cabin to myself and no wet t-shirt contests!

I've only been on nine cruises total in my life, but find it a lovely way to vacation. My preference now is land vacations with a cruise component, but I'll happily settle for a cruise vacation with a land component!

I was served a very tasty fish on the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas in Alaska. It was called "butter fish." My college-age granddaughter was familiar with the term, as she had worked for a seafood restaurant chain who served butter fish sometimes instead of grouper or other mild white fish.

There is sometimes a reaction to butter fish, which I experienced in a small way. :mad: It is similar to the reaction to the potato chips with olestra instead of regular vegetable oil, except that the leakage from butter fish is brilliant orange.

Has anyone else experienced unpleasant side effects from butter fish or escolar fish on a cruise ship? Should there be a discreet warning on the menu?:rolleyes: