Teechur

7 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

Not disputing the accuracy of that statistic, but it surprises me. I could see most men very rarely wear a suit, but I'd have thought you need to own one for weddings and funerals.

Last year I had to buy jeans for my Iceland cruise. Otherwise, I hadn't worn long pants since 2016 when we visited Our Lady of Fatima Sanctuary in Portugal (Gate 1 Tour).

Coat and tie? Not in nearly 2 decades. I wear solid-color Tommy Bahama shirts and a pair of black slacks that slip over my shorts for the dining room. I also wear solid black Nikes instead of carrying dress shoes.

These items are also perfectly acceptable for weddings and funerals where I live. 🤙

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

I wonder what percent of passengers remove the auto-gratuities.  Back in the good old envelope days, the number of empty dinner seats on the last night was pretty significant.   

The "envelope days" kept me away from cruising for decades. I like to know what a trip will cost me upfront. I would never remove gratuities and also tip generously on top of it. If the cruise lines included the gratuities as part of the fare, it would be an improvement. 👍

The stabbing rumor is sounding more and more unlikely as time passes.

Someone would have likely spilled the story by now if there was a stabbing.

3 minutes ago, mahasamatman said:

 

You do not have to book Plus.

from June 6 – 8. Book ANY sailing at Princess Plus® fares and access up to $1,200

It looks to me like you do have to book Plus fares to utilize this 3-day sale.

29 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

There are two .. one is a tourist one put up nearer to the port and one is the original. Be sure to go to the original one that is called the Bull and Finch Pub, or something like that and is past the Beacon Hill neighborhood.  It is still walkable and will be well worth your while.  

The Bull and Finch Pub in Beacon Hill must have been renamed "Cheers". It is on Beacon Street in Beacon Hill and stop #7 on the Boston Trolley route.

I looked up Bull and Finch on Trip Advisor and they don't have a listing in Boston, although there are some in other cities.

1 minute ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Was this on the 787?  I've been watching a lot of youtube videos of both planes.  Thanks for your review.

Both flights were on 787s. The United first-class flight was more like a coffin. The Virgin flight was more open.

1 minute ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I am flying in Virgin Upper Class.  There was more space in the Airbus 350 than the "coffin" layout in the 787 Dreamliner.  Also not a huge fan of Boeing.  No problem....I will be able to compare the two since my return flight is on the Airbus.

 

Why do you prefer the 787?  Thanks

The 787 composite hull allows for higher humidity, which prevents dry sinuses and eyes. I also like the ambient lighting, and the quieter ride.

On Virgin, I was unimpressed with the Upper Class on our flight from Heathrow to LAX. It was like a row of chaise lounges with little privacy. United had better food as well.

When we flew Premium Economy, we were more impressed with United than Virgin. I was disappointed because I expected Virgin to outshine United. It didn't.

On 5/8/2024 at 5:46 AM, cr8tiv1 said:

 

 

I received no notice that the plane equipment was changed from an Airbus 350 to the dreaded Boeing 787.  

 

Just curious why you call the 787 "dreaded"? It's my first choice.

4 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

One would hope that they'd be banned from all CCL brands.

If they don't already, I think all lines should share their lists of banned passengers with each other.

I feel the same towards brawlers at airports and on planes. Banish them for 10 years or life, whichever comes first, and share the lists.

52 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

All kidding aside, I hope the victim recovers, and everyone involved gets a lifetime ban from cruising.

Or banished to Carnival.

3 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Yep, we like Raymond as well. And quite often we'll watch some Cheers.

We are hoping to have lunch at Cheers during our port in Boston next month. 🤞

3 hours ago, Gail & Dan said:

Try holding ctrl key when you click on it 

 

Holding the ctrl key got me to the excursions for the city, but I still can't get to the details of the excursions. Until Princess fixes this problem, people will likely book independent excursions instead.

7 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

Here is the definitive answer from the Princess website:

 

This should have been the definitive answer but clearly, we are not done whipping this dead horse yet. 😂

3 minutes ago, BamaVol said:

With Argentina headed in that direction.  That would make 12.

Along with the eleven, many other countries use it along with their national currency.

Quasi-Use of the US Dollar

The U.S. dollar is also widely used throughout the world as a quasi-currency of exchange. The U.S. dollar is not only widely accepted for commerce in both Canada and Mexico, but also in a host of tourist destinations including the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Sint Maarten, St Kitts and Nevis, the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and the BES Islands including Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, collectively known as the Caribbean Netherlands.

Countries Using the US Dollar (investopedia.com)

10 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

When I was in Argentina in early 2023,(before Milei was elected), they wanted dollars as well, new bills, much preferred.

Eleven countries now use the U.S. dollar as their primary currency.

Countries Using the US Dollar (investopedia.com)

Which countries use the US dollar? | Stripe

3 hours ago, DCThunder said:

Using USD to purchase goods and services on the black market is a time-honored tradition in Communist countries.

During my visits to the Soviet Union, East Germany, China, etc. people there very much wanted U.S. dollars. In the USSR, they had Beriozka (birch tree) stores which had the finest goods available, and they ONLY accepted hard currency.

12 hours ago, Teechur said:

I can't imagine watching a movie while onboard a cruise ship. There are too many other things to do.

I don't watch movies at home either unless one of my grandsons has a movie on and it catches my attention. When they aren't home, I rarely turn the TV on. I prefer my ocean view, the Internet, or reading.

On ships, I enjoy people-watching, various events, the passing scenery, and I never choose a cruise that has more than two consecutive sea days.

YMMV and I'm thankful that we all have choices! 😉

I can't imagine watching a movie while onboard a cruise ship. There are too many other things to do.

9 hours ago, d9704011 said:

  Why on earth would somebody take $2 bills on a cruise and expect anybody, other than an American or (maybe) a Canadian to take them?

Quite a few American cruisers take them to give as tips because they are unique.

7 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

I had to Google that and it still doesn't make sense.  Care to elaborate?  Way before my time.

Animal House with John Belushi. Gotta watch it!

Animal House - Wikipedia

6 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

And that's the other double standard for cruise ships; they can fail inspections, but not have to stop operations completely, rectify the violations, and get a re-inspection to re-open, like restaurants on land do.  The repercussion is just a slap on the wrist.  I understand why, but it's a double standard nonetheless.  After getting an inspection score of 68 last year, the MSC Seascape still sailed.

Double-secret probation! 🙀 Does Dean Wormer know about this? 😲

Just tried. Still down. 🤪

The ONLY time I've been to the claim room was when my cruise companion brought a 3-litre wine bag (out of a box) onboard in checked luggage. When the suitcase was opened, the Princess rep. examined the wine bag, then said "okay, thanks" and didn't confiscate it. 👌

4 minutes ago, 555 said:

Not if you sit at a large table. Butter dish, basket of rolls, salt & pepper shakers. 

We sit at a table for the four of us, but at a large table presumably 8-9 other people could touch the salt and pepper, as opposed to 1,000s touching utensils in the buffet. Everything in life has risk.

Ex: Typhoid Mary could be working in the kitchen. 🙀 😉

16 minutes ago, 555 said:

What about the DR? Did they install sinks as you enter?

Presumably you will be the only one handling your utensils in the MDR, unlike the buffet.