DingoMom

@kiwichick62, no matter your casino status, you will be able to charge an amount (not exactly sure how much) to your room account per day WITHOUT any service charge. Enjoy!

We very much enjoy Fine Cuts on the Ascent. However, I dislike their lobster preparation…the seasoning is not right for me and I Really disliked the lobster ‘ravioli’ in that dish. Thus, I have been able to substitute two lobster tails with drawn butter. Then my husband gets a slightly bigger steak, we share that, and we each have a lobster tail. Very delish!

@MMMCruiser, welcome to Cruise Critic. I value your opinion, and you are very well-spoken! I can feel your love for Hawaii in your words.

@critterchick, thank you for your comments (and photos!). I highly respect your DH’s point of view, and I thank both of you for his / your dedicated service to our country.

@chengkp75, I Always love it when you weigh in, because I learn so much! Thank you for your ongoing input!

This thread is very interesting to me on so many fronts. The ecological impact is very, Very sad. With respect to Capt Matt, his post-incident behavior is indeed concerning. But i don’t believe ship captains wake up and look in the mirror and think “how can I mess up today?” I do know the Captain is responsible for everything that happens on his watch. It will be very interesting to see what the investigation(s) uncover. 
 

There is room on this thread for multiple opinions, and even speculation. But I, for one, appreciate the respectful comments that are not berating other posters or injecting snarkiness just because they can.

Cruise safely and happily!

@kwokpotis definitely correct on all points (as usual). I have ‘won’ (or’earned’) a comp Aqua class with an upgrade to a Sky Suite on select sailings. We are soon doing a B2B in a Sky suite cabin for 14 nights by combining 2 of my certificates. I lost my shirt on one, and on the other, I hit a couple of times and put it All back in. 🙄

@jelayne and @yogini06, thank you! Jim and Iain are indeed on the Solstice. @Jim_Iain, never mind! 
 

Always appreciate your input, @jelayne!

@Jim_Iain is on this cruise. Jim, can you slide over here and tell us what you know? Thanks in advance!

@NorthStarStateCruiser, Thank you!

I am skeptical, too. The couple on the Spain trip said they had never been late getting back to a ship before.

Whatever dress (or outfit) your wife loves and feels fantastic in is the way for her to go!!

@kwokpot, just a data point. When the casino switched over from offers for comped cruises to ‘earn a comped cruise in the future if you play a lot this cruise and earn an actual certificate’, I have been able to get the shareholder benefit on all of the new-style comped cruises. 

@KarenRB, good for you!

What ports?

I concur with @George C. Our suite stateroom attendants have always been superb, and we have always wanted to recognize that. Our last one provided service to our room immediately after we left for breakfast and dinner, so we never had to ‘stay away’ so he could work in our room. Very much appreciated!

A different perspective…we lived in Germany when I was in elementary school and my sisters were young teens. My parents did the best they could with the school schedule, but there was MUCH to see and do in Europe. My parents prioritized school, but to this day I remember my father saying, “I will never let school interfere with your education.” So…if school is in session, is there something your kids could learn about our planet?

29 minutes ago, Trailcon said:

Did people actually miss the ship? 

Yes.

3 hours ago, sandebeach said:

Was Icon’s gangway still open, and they were denied boarding, or had the ship already left?

The ship was still there. All the gangways had been pulled up, and the safety barriers taken down. The final gangway had the door about three-fourths closed. Two of the ropes from the ship to the pier had been thrown in. The ship had blown its horn several times. 
Our ship had an all-aboard time of 2:30 (I think), and there did not appear to be any more folks coming back to our ship, so the port area must have been pretty empty.

IMO, to have their trip ruined is sad, regardless of the reason or ‘fault.’

I am on Apex now, and watched this unfold. All Aboard time was 1:30. They arrived at the gangway at 2:15. It appeared that they were walking over from the port side (rather than the taxi side). They did not appear to be in a hurry. To add insult to injury, for the Icon, tomorrow is supposed to be a sea day, followed by CoCo Cay, and then into Miami. I may be wrong, but I don’t believe Coco Cay has an airport.

I guess they will retrieve all of their stuff in Miami in 3 days time.

Am on Apex now, and my Elite + benefit on the sheet in the cabin says ‘up to 2 complimentary pressed items, one complimentary dry clean item, and 2 complimentary laundry bags of 30 items (wash, dry, fold.)’

So did we!

6 hours ago, billc23 said:

You may want to remove your name and location...

@billc23, or anyone else: Great point; thanks. Can someone please tell me how to remove the second image?

@Georgia_Peaches, from what @calicakes and others have described, I am presuming a tri-malleolar fracture, which is what I had. This means a break off of the malleolus of the tibia, a fracture of the posterior tibia, and a break off of the malleolus of the fibula. Since those are, in fact, the bones that comprise the ankle joint, you MUST have surgery and you are non-weight bearing for AT LEAST 6 - 8 weeks. @calicakes is much younger than I am, and I don’t know how she sustained her injury. I am 62, and I stepped on a small pile of acorns while walking my dog downhill, and all of my weight landed on my right ankle. It broke in the three places described above, and was dislocated in two planes. S L O W process for recovery. 
 

@calicakes, I am sorry you are missing this trip! I broke the same bones in October just days before we were going to Barcelona for several days. The Barcelona trip was the precursor for a 14-night Transatlantic. I was so bummed we couldn’t go and was frustrated to have to rely on DH for Every. Little. Thing. So, I know how you feel and I am sending you hugs and well-wishes across the miles. 
I, too, feel fortunate and grateful for DH’s care, a Rock Star surgeon, great medical care, and medical (as well as trip) insurance. But it still sucked! 
I am now 5 months post-op and walk like nothing ever happened. No pain. No limitations. It didn’t take five months for that, but it was a process. 
One question about Allianz insurance, which is what we have: I know the limit for you was $5K, but wouldn’t that be $5K for you and $5K for DW?

in January, the Evening Chic nights were #2 and #6. The lobster night was #6. I always check out the cruise menu before making specialty reservations. Enjoy!

@Monthend, in Fine Cut Steakhouse, they have a Lobster dish which includes a lobster tail in some kind of a lemon sauce over a lobster ravioli. I didn’t care at all for the ravioli, and wasn’t too keen on the sauce over the lobster tail. That was on Ascent. When we went to Fine Cuts on the Beyond, and I explained to my server what I just related here, he said I could get 2 lobster tails with drawn butter instead! 
So:  surf-n-turf is on the menu for you and your bf!

The view from Tuscan Grille on an S-class ship is spectacular…especially if you can go early and snag a window seat. Most of our experiences have been outstanding. We have had a (very) few where the food was only ‘par’, but the service has always been excellent. For us, the food ranges from very good to exceptional. Go for it!! 😁