wendychloecruiser

Years ago we were on a ship that was about 60% capacity due to an airline strike.  Before boarding I thought it was going to be great...no lines, easy to get a drink or a seat but it actually turned out to be really dull.  The atmosphere was missing.  I don’t like crazy busy big ships but this had a very strange feeling about it.  

I saved my mom from diamonds international....to make a long story short...she wanted to upgrade her 5ct tennis bracelet for a 8 or 10ct.  The amount they quoted her and almost “got”her was absurd for what the quality of stones were etc AND she was to give them  her bracelet.  They were visibly and verbally angry that I walked in just in time.  

7 hours ago, jsf said:

How does the cruise line even know you bought something?

  
In addition to Ocean Boy...when you purchase something, the shop always asks what ship you’re on.  Furthermore have you ever been on a ship and when you get back to the ship there’s a “recommendation” that you “register” your purchases on the premise of getting future insurance?   Nope... the cruise line wants to know the take from the shops.  

I hope she isn’t on CC!🤫😳

6 minutes ago, spookwife said:

thats because DI pays them for advertising.  any/all of the 'recommended' jewelers from the  inserts and port call sheets have paid for the privilege of having their name  be prominently listed on cruise  provided brochures.  

The cruise lines also get a kick back percentage of purchases.  

Fluctuations in humidity is a nightmare for pianos.  I bet those pianos are rarely in tune. 

6 hours ago, mchell810 said:

 

For the record: A Quinceanera is a celebration of the 15th birthday so I don't see how the teens would be served alcohol (or able to bring it on board).  Perhaps you we trapped with a bachelorette party.

For your record...Having lived in South Florida for 20+ years, I am well familiar with what a quinceanera is and what it represents.   If you think that teens can’t get alcohol I suggest you think twice.   

I was two separate horrendous cruises with a group booking.   The first had a LARGE number of entitled teenage girls celebrating a quinceanera.   THE most obnoxious bunch of drunk teenagers ruining shows, throwing up all over and worse.    The second was with a huge group from one of those cult selling groups that kept pushing their vitamins on people everywhere they went.  You couldn’t sit down without someone coming up to you.  
 

Another vote for OVERLORD.  Worth every penny.   Small personalised group with about 8 people.  

8 minutes ago, fragilek said:

I am down to 3 months testing now - but don't like to go away for more than a few weeks in case I start to have symptoms of relapse (this fear is something I am working on ).  I get tested the week before I go anywhere and only travel with docs and insurance buy in.  But I am too frightened to travel away for longer than 2 weeks (self imposed not doctors orders lol).  However, I would like to do longer adventures but would be happier knowing that there is a stand by of a blood test if I feel I need one.

Having to act on the test results would be an issue - however, I plan carefully where I am going (docs do put restraints on places) and the standard of treatment I can obtain if the worst was to happen.

There is obviously a risk in being away from my hospital team but I fought pretty hard to be here and intend to enjoy my 2nd chance and for me travel is a big part of that.

I sincerely hope that one day soon that you can leave all your cares behind and have a true vacation that you don’t have to worry about anything at all.  Cruising is good for that...just sitting on a balcony watching the waves...

3 hours ago, fragilek said:

I never knew they could do blood tests on the ship.  Does anyone know if they do blood cell counts (% red, white neuclophiles  etc).  If so I could rethink how long I am willing to cruise for.

It’s not a matter of whether they can do a CBC/diff(neutrophils etc)  on a ship...it’s what are you going to do about the results?

On 9/12/2019 at 11:16 AM, Monk86 said:

An injection into the muscle is simple...surely you can do it for her...stick needle in, pull back syringe to ensure no blood (i.e. not in a vein) and continue the injection...unless I'm missing something...?

Yes, an IM injection is technically easy though you must know a little about anatomy to get the location correct.  You can do a lot of damage if you get it wrong.  

28 minutes ago, hulamoon said:

I am looking forward to the comparisons. Is there smoking indoors or in the Yacht Club?

There is smoking permitted on one side of the pool deck and in the casino on Preziosa.  I don’t know about YC.  

My preziosa review is on the RCI forum.

Oops...PREZIOSA 

BACKGROUND:  seven day cruise out of Southampton, to Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Hamburg and LeHavre.  Mother, 88yrs, and daughter 50’s, active and love to participate in activities like trivia.  Mom uses a scooter on cruises due to severe arthritis which makes walking long distances challenging.  

SHIP:  I liked the ship.  It isn’t particularly easy to navigate as there are multiple bars and rooms but that’s why there is a readily available map and guide.  It was very easy to find a hideaway to escape the crowds.  The Swarovski Crystal staircase is beautiful. It was clean. 

DINING:  I found the dining room horrible for me, my mom generally enjoyed it.  I don’t eat meat and the options were abhorrent.   Everything was cold and tasteless.   The buffet in both our opinions was disgusting although my mother didn’t have to navigate the bun fights as I usually chose for her knowing very well her likes and dislikes.  It was truly chaotic.  The buffet did not have a natural flow and was always an incredibly unpleasant dining experience.  The food was very cold.  The only way to get a hot cup of tea for my mom was to go to the barista and get boiling water from the bar.  The urns of “hot water” were either cold or empty.  I have read that people eat food colder in Europe...I call BS to that.  This food was inedible except for the wonderful fruit available at breakfast.   We tried one specialty restaurant (Butcher’s Cut) as it was gratis having been granted a “Black Card” in MSC’s reciprocity offer as I am Elite Plus with Celebrity and Diamond Plus with RCI.  (The other specialty restaurant was was Asian fusion that I could have enjoyed but definitely not mom’s thing).  Mom’s veal chops were like hockey pucks and my salmon was again cold and over cooked.  It would have been an incredibly expensive meal (+++€120) and I would have had a hard time not seriously challenging paying for a meal as it was THAT bad.  One good caveat was that I lost weight...a fairly big feat on a cruise. 

CABIN:  We were in our first accessible cabin.  I am a firm believer that accessible cabins should be for wheelchair dependent people, not for someone like us that can manage, albeit sometimes challenging, to be able to fit a scooter inside a cabin.  As we only booked two months before the cruise it was actually the only balcony available.  I must admit the space was wonderful...the cabin steward...not so much.  I actually wrote IN THE DUST on the table “please clean me” to no avail.   Mom used the little milk cups for one cup of tea on the first day and despite daily requests, it was never restocked nor were the tissues or tea bags.  One morning he told me that “he was too busy to clean our room.”    I just chuckled to myself and took fresh towels off his cart. 

ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVITIES:   The shows were OK, some better than others.  What I did find rather amusing was that two of the shows were VERY similar just different music and costumes.  The cirque-like performer with a big ring did the same routine.  The aerialist..same..different colour silk.  Trio of acrobats...exactly the same tumbling etc.  It was a really weird dejavu.    There are multiple performers in the many bars around the ship that was wonderful.  The multicultural influences were also fabulous. As for activities, the staff didn’t show up for one of the trivias...no response when I queried this with guest services.  When they did show up it was OK though.  The staff were very nice and personable.  What was annoying was that as people can embark and disembark at all the ports, Hamburg was considered a big turnaround day and there were no activities at all until 3pm and that was “hair analysis” in the spa. No trivia/nothing.  Furthermore, Hamburg was on a Sunday and there is notoriously nothing open except for the Zoo and a “Miniature” Park. The trip actually felt like several,  but very short back to back cruises in relation to the activities offered during the day.  A caveat is to say that I do not expect nor desire an “adult day care” atmosphere of a ship but it is nice to have a few things going on during the day.  

BOTTOM LINE...  would I go on MSC again?   I highly doubt it though never say never.  I now know what to expect from MSC which was one of the goals of this trip.  Despite all the banter about how the service, activities and food on CELEBRITY and RCI have dropped a bit it’s still FAR superior than MSC...IN MY OPINION.  

On 8/30/2019 at 3:33 PM, nathanb2 said:

Self-injection is not allowed for her condition in our jurisdiction (it's not diabetes), plus she is too squeamish to do it.

Your jurisdiction must have a lot of money to pay for everyone who needs frequent injections.  Or it something she needs some further teaching to get more comfortable with the the procedure?

34 minutes ago, RazorbackIslandGirl said:

I would ask on your roll call & see if there is possibly a nurse on your sailing that might be willing to do it for a couple of drinks or maybe a specialty dinner. I'm sure they will have to share the condition, medication & maybe even a Dr's note with explanation. But this might be a cheaper option. Just a thought.

For the potential risk of losing her/his license?   Personally, I would never do it for someone you don’t know.  

When I am looking for flights, I double my OCD meds and check at least daily, usually 2-3 times a day on choiceair’s website.   It’s amazing the variability and fluctuations of rates.

Try air2sea or choiceair.  They are usually very good at one way overseas rates.   Please be careful of Norwegian....just search for Norwegian airlines from hell on another site.  

Don’t depend on the onboard ATM’s.  On our recent TA, both ATM’s were out of order for the entirety of the cruise.  I enquired at guest services and the purser told me that the ATM’s are independently owned/operated and on our particular cruise the machines were not serviced.   She does have access though as she said she wanted to fill them with “her” money for us guests but was turned down.  

Does anyone know what time the “Amsterdam on your Own” bus trip from Rotterdam would leave from the port?  We are scheduled to arrive at 0800hrs.   I’m trying to determine what time I should get Anne Frank tickets.  

At least twice as much as you’d pay at home and they obviously don’t know you or your  hair.  Probably better to have it done before you go.  

On 6/25/2019 at 12:25 PM, mugtech said:

Best news I heard all day.

   I second that motion.  

Yes...disembark.   Thank you.

Does anyone know what time we are likely to disembark from Preziosa in Southampton please?  Black card.