LandlockedCruiser01

7 minutes ago, elklemi said:

I can do without the elegant touches and sides and desserts but the steak, lobster, are they better quality than usual MDR meals?  If quality is better than normal I would not mind paying the $20 for better quality.

Short answer:

Yes.

Long answer:

It's a given that they're prepared differently than regular MDR entrees, so the quality is better.  But on ships that don't have an actual steakhouse, which is the last remaining Fantasy class ships, they're made on the same equipment as the regular MDR foods.  (I don't know if the steakhouse on other ships has its own galley or not.)  Based on what you said, order the selections entrees in the MDR, rather than go to the steakhouse.

35 minutes ago, elklemi said:

How do the steakhouse selections in the MDR that cost extra compare?  Are they worth the extra money as I am not sure I want a large meal like the steakhouse offers.

The steakhouse selections are just main entrees: the steak, the lobster, etc.  A meal in the steakhouse has fancy appetizers, sides, desserts, and other elegant touches accompanying them, along with a cozier dinner setting.  Whether or not it's worth it, that's very individual: How important are those elegant touches to you?

It's never a good idea to wait until you find a romantic partner to partake in an activity.  Or worse, get together with a romantic partner specifically to partake in that activity.  It smacks of a high school mentality, where people often scramble to find a boyfriend/girlfriend before the prom, in order to have a date for it like the alleged social norms dictate.

If you want to do something, you do it.  Otherwise, given the unpredictable life circumstances, you might never get to go at all.  Granted, a cruise solo will be different than a cruise with a boyfriend/girlfriend, but it will still be equally fun, lonely moments nonewithstanding. 

Granted, a prom is rife with peer pressure: that's where you gotta either give in to social norms or face the consequences for doing your own thing.  But a cruise is nothing like a prom.

21 hours ago, famof4togo said:

I do agree there is a lot of tacky on these ships, but I like it...I equate it to Vegas....cheesy, over the top and tacky but in a fun way...would I decorate my house that way, heck no but can I enjoy it for a few days on vacation no problem!

Yes, absolutely!  The piano bar on Inspiration was tacky indeed, and it attracted the crowd to match: Nascar-esque and kind of low-brow, but not trashy to the point of being offputting.  An occasional F-bomb, yeah; overt hostility to others, no way.  But it was the highlight of my cruise.  I (male) met two friendly ladies there the second night of my cruise, who liked my off-the-wall comments to the pianist's songs; I went there every night after like clockwork.

While I do enjoy a classy experience from time to time, I don't think a traditionally classy piano bar would have been as fun.  I cruise for a break from stressful work, not mindful enrichment.

@JamieLogical

Based on your laughter reaction, it looks like you got my joke.  Funny how it was my IT job in 2012 that pushed me into taking up cruising in the first place.  I was working an obnoxiously stressful IT job, where I kept getting calls in the middle of the night multiple times a week.  So I wanted to take a vacation where not a damn soul could reach me.  And here I am today. 😊

23 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

As a web developer, I got a chuckle!

That's not as bad as "Robert'); DROP TABLE Passengers;--". 😁😉😱

10 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

Can you post a link to your source for that?  😄

<A HREF="my_mind">It's just how I like cruise ship atriums to be.</A>

There, I posted it. 😀  And if you thinking "What the heck did this guy post?", it's HTML code used to create links.  Just some geeky humor here.

On 8/17/2020 at 7:50 AM, FreestyleNovice said:

Hello friends! It's been a while.. and eh, 2020 did not start very well for the golden era of cruising.  Hopefully all of you are okay and thoughts and prayers for those who are challenged in these tough times.

 

And as we all quietly or anxiously await any positive news about our shared passion, cruising.. and with almost no news about Leonardo class I still had to start a Live! thread!

 

Because, I present you... the first inside render of Leonardo! (hopefully it's right, it sure looks like an end product and not the artist gone wilde render stuff and plus all the other links containing this photos seems to be poofed away..)

 

My guess is that this is the Atrium, we can see a bar or Guest Relations/Shorex desk, perhaps there's an internet pc there on that table. There's an elevator bank on the lower right corner, etc.

 

 

Ugh! This looks like a bad hybrid of "Star Wars" and a hospital.  It's bland-looking, with too much white and too many curved lines. Or if you saw the 2005 movie "The Island" (Ewan McGregor, Scarlet Johansen), it looks like the clone-breeding facility the characters lived in.  

Cruise ship lobbies need to be a mixture of grand and quirky, like a soaring atrium with a lit-up Avant Garde sculpture.  Not this.  Wise up, NCL!

12 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

There is nothing wrong with preferring balconies.

 

It doesn't change the fact that people will literally still say the reason they want a balcony is because of quarantine fear. 

Don't you even remember the human rights atrocities on Diamond Princess?  The passengers were locked in their cabins 24/7, except for 1 hour of daily exercise/walking time on the deck.  That's as much outdoor time as prisoners get in Florence ADX (a supermax prison).  As irrational as it seems to you, I don't blame people for booking balconies for that reason.  Heck, I myself refuse to cruise at all, until I can fully guarantee for myself that a captain with a pillar up his butt won't quarantine everyone in their cabins just because.

I sailed out Los Angeles/Long Beach in September 2019.  It was incredible!  Although the low humidity, compared to Chicago, was quite a climate shock. Having lived in a high-humidity climate my whole life, and traveling only to other high-humidity places, I had no idea the air temperature could plummet so fast once the sun set.

In Long Beach, it was 80's during the day, and 60's at night.  (In Chicago summers, due to the humidity, temperatures change little between times of day.)  On the ship and in ports, it was about the same, maybe a little bit warmer.  I spent as much time outside as I could, and loved every minute of it.  And on the sea day on my cruise, me and my new cruise friends spent the entire afternoon hanging out in the pool, feeling very comfortable, both with each other and the weather.

All throughout, shorts and a T-shirt sufficed extremely well.  Other than the dressy dinner clothes for the cruise, that was all I packed or wore.  I will admit that it felt fairly chilly dressed that way in Long Beach the night before the cruise.  But two things: (1) I didn't bring any jeans or jackets, and (2) the beer jacket I wore after dinner worked well enough. 😏.

On 2/24/2022 at 9:19 PM, natefish95 said:

What kind of place is giving our handwritten COVID test results? If I write "negative" on a bar napkin will that be accepted? lol.

In that case, if I type out the word "negative" in Microsoft Word, or maybe use some 90's-style WordArt, then print it out from my HP inkjet printer on letter-sized paper, is that legit?  😁 

Hey, it's not handwritten.  So the letter of the law is followed.

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

rka, you just got a smart phone? I am not a technical person but I have to tell you, it is really easy peasy🙂.......If I can do it, anyone can😃Did you get an apple or android? I have a Samsung Android.  It is very easy to use.

Let me say something: I work in IT.  So I'm around technology for 8 hours a day every weekday, plus a sporadic Saturday.  So when I'm on a cruise, I want my phone to sit in the safe until debarkation. I want the REAL cruise experience:  paper menus, paper schedules, and mask-free faces.  The cruise lines that won't give me a paper menu can kiss my hairy, sweaty tuchus, and lose me as a passenger forever.

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

I have cruised 4 times in 2021. July, August, October and December. Yes, there were protocols in place but I had a wonderful time on each and every one.

Cruises with "protocols" are my personal hell!  Which is probably where I'm going 40 years from now, when my handbasket comes to pick me up.  I'd rather wait until after [forbidden political rant] or never cruise again for the rest of my life, than wear a mask, scan QR codes, and twiddle my thumbs all by my lonesome the entire time on the ship.

On 11/19/2020 at 2:13 PM, farmersfight said:

 

2023? Wow, that's a long way off. With the latest good vaccine news, I'm hoping cruising returns to "normal" by the 2nd half of 2021.

I think with the "oh, my kron!" variant sticking its ugly face in, it's a bridge too far to even think about sailing in the summer of 2022.  At least not without the silly masks, social distancing, and vax cards.

On 2/16/2022 at 7:20 AM, JustSomeLady said:

The worst thing about this pandemic has been the blanket term “the science.” People have used it as a cudgel, and it’s often people who have gotten their information from snippets of news (written by people with journalism degrees, not science degrees) rather than take the time to look at any scholarly article on virology or epidemiology. We have reached endemicity in the US for this virus. It’s absolutely time to celebrate and edge back into normal life. 

Forget journalism!  Most Covid articles were written by people with degrees in Underwater Basket Weaving.  "Science" was merely a weapon, like you said.  The overzealous propaganda rubbed many people the wrong way, so they refused to listen, despite even a stopped clock being right twice a day.

You're statement is spot-on.  If not now, then when?  If not here, then where?  If not normalcy, when what?  If not us, then who?

55 minutes ago, mz-s said:

I know it's got to be uncomfortable for them to work their difficult jobs in a KN95 all day, let alone the ones working at say Guy's Burgers over that hot grill all day.

Discomfort is one thing.  But KN95's look like creepy as hell!  They look like a predatory bird's beak.  Hey Carnival, get those workers masks with a friendlier, more human appearance.  Or just let them wear the boring old hospital masks.

4 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

One regret that I have is that I didn't think about trying to keep in touch with favorite crew members whom I got to know during some of my long cruises.  

I'm different from you in this sense.  I refrain from getting too personal with crew members.  Even if they give me their corporate email and not their home/personal email, I'd still wonder if they did it out of obligation, rather than true interest.  After all, you can't overlook the elephant in the room: the power differential between passengers and crew, because gratuities.  It has nothing to do with me viewing them as "the help".  If anything, I don't want push myself past their comfort level.

So while I'm happy to extend human warmth and sincere respect to the crew serving me, I'm equally happy to keep a professional distance.  And before debarkation, I'll shake their hand, sincerely thank them, give them a well-deserved tip and a little extra, and part ways at that.

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I guess the science changed (again).  Imagine my surprise.

I wonder if cruise companies should consider "donating" money to the CDC "to help them improve research". 😉

My favorite moment is that feeling while walking back to my cabin, after meeting and having a blast with my new cruise friends; that is, the people I just met early on during the cruise.  It's comparable to, but not the same as, that pumped-up feeling after a really good first date.  The feeling where you just know it's going to be a really fun cruise, thanks to a combination of your social skills and being at the right place at the right time.

After all, you may go on a cruise for the relaxation and/or the destinations, but it's the people you meet who take your cruise from "good" to "great".

My first solo cruise (or any cruise) was at age 29, and I had concerns very similar to your own.  So take my word for it: if you're willing to put yourself out there, you WILL meet people and have a blast with them.  (Plus, 31 is an age where you can blend equally well with the young post-college crowd and the young-at-heart 45+ crowd; leverage that!)  

It's on you at this point to put yourself in pro-social situations.  Sign up for bar crawl excursions (although in the Mediterranean, I'd do something more cerebral and see the local history).  Join trivia contests.  Get onstage to sing karaoke.  Shout out answers in audience participation shows.  Go wild!  

That said, your first solo cruise will be in the Mediterranean, while mine was in the Caribbean, which means you're going to have fewer young people onboard.  But don't let that deter you.

I wouldn't know anything about the solo lounge, since I've been an exclusive Carnival fan.  Well, until now.  With their draconian newfound mask rules, I'm abandoning their ship (pun intended) for good!

If you're mostly healthy, and can get yourself medical assistance on your own accord if need be, you'll be fine cruising solo at any age. 

I remember someone I met on my solo cruise in 2013 (on Sensation).  He was in early 70's, and was at my assigned dinner table.  He was was more mild-mannered than myself, but far from shy; he kept up conversations pretty well.  While he didn't partake in tearing up the dance floor at Señor Frog's with me and my other tablemates (who were close to me in age), or hang out with us outside of dinner, based on how he talked, he clearly seemed to be enjoying his solo cruise a lot.  

A cruise ship is like a college campus for adults---especially older, smaller ships.  Everyone eats in the same venues and congregates in the same places.  So you easily run into people you've met earlier.  It's an environment that enables social encounters.  Leverage that!

On 2/8/2022 at 3:47 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Just learned today about a Chicago "institution":  the Original Maxwell Street Polish Sausage Sandwich, a Jim's Original.  Technically, I suppose, not a "hot dog", but it certainly sounded (and looks) good enough to eat!  

Those are an inherent Chicago institution too.  Standard toppings are grilled onions and yellow mustard, which is less of a "dragged through the garden" treatment than the Chicago hot dog.  However, many original Maxwell Street Polish sausage stands are in iffy neighborhoods.  (The actual Maxwell Street was rough for a number of decades, but gentrified significantly in the last 10 years.) 

Your best bet for a Maxwell Street Polish sausage in Chicago would be Portillo's.  They know how to make it well.  It's a shame this food isn't widely known outside of Chicago, not even in cities popular with Chicago transplants, like Phoenix.

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

You are probably talking about a pusleoximeter measuring pulse rate and oxygen in the blood. There are items called "finger blood pressure monitors" for sale, but they check O2 levels and not blood pressure.

Very possible.  But I was in a hospital, so the technical aspects of medical devices on my body weren't a priority.  Still, I remember the nurse and other staff saying how my blood pressure was too high, so they couldn't start the procedure until it came down.  I argued back with: "I'm in a hospital!  Do you really expect me to relax like it's a yoga class!?"  (In reality, I hate yoga, but I wanted to get my message across in a way they'd understand.)  They relented, did the procedure, and I was discharged a few hours later.  I felt mostly fine next morning at home.

On 12/7/2021 at 5:08 PM, coffeebean said:

Wrist cuffs may give a higher reading due to smaller arteries in the wrist. I read that online which is why I did not purchase that type.

When I was in the hospital several years ago, I had a blood pressure monitor on my finger.  Consumer versions of such monitors might exist, for all I know.  Do those exaggerate blood pressure readings even more?  

18 hours ago, hexdragon said:

Being a solo traveler for many years, and twice (soon to be third time) on Disney, I understand your concerns. I first have a question. Are you traveling with other people, or totally alone?

Totally alone, hence "solo".  My idea of cruising solo on Disney was 99% hypothetical, especially considering my friend's joke that parents on the ship would keelhaul me for doing that, as many parents simply don't trust single men, it seems.  (It'd be a totally different ballgame if I were cruising with my wife or girlfriend.)  Plus, it has little to offer to an adult like me, whose idea of a fun night on a cruise is to tear up the dance floor with a friendly new lady or sing along off-key in a piano bar.  Its adult venues are geared to long-time parents looking to rekindle their romance.