Catlover54

I am delighted you had a great time! I'm also glad to hear that a Crystal team member accompanied you on excursions, and refunded money where the excursion was not good. Have you ever sailed on any other luxury line before this, for an equivalent comparison? If so, which one? Or, if not, when you were on X and HAL, were you in a "suite", or just in regular cabins? The " suite" service experience on premium or high mainstream lines (depending on how you classify X and HAL), would be closer to a luxury line experience than just a regular cabin on those lines, especially on X where suites have their own dining room access and where you can mostly avoid the rude "people who pile food" problem. But of course when you leave your suite area, you still have to mingle with the masses. I see you have another luxury line, Regent, scheduled next year, so you are branching out. Generally (though not always), the more you pay per square foot of public space, and private space, the better your experience. The thing I like most about luxury lines is that there are, with rare exceptions, almost never lines (for dining, for tenders, and for entertainment venues), and generally fellow pax are more polite (again, with exceptions). I wish you further happy sailing.

On the Nova in November, in a base veranda suite, there was no tote.

Is there at least a *box* that one can step down unto when boarding the zodiac (like some lines have for zodiacs) , before then stopping unto the zodiac's floor, or is it straight from the ship exit down unto the floor of the zodiac (the latter requires more sense of balance and puts more pressure on sick knees, which is my concern)?

Thank you for your report. Some odds and ends questions: 1. Were you required to provide a letter from your doctor before SB agreed to allow you on this cruise (some lines that go to Antarctica require this)? If so, what requirements had to be met? 2. I heard a rumor that during landings on some lines, if you have a pack with you , you are not allowed to rest your pack on the ground due to some concern about "contaminating" the area. Is it true you are not allowed to set your pack down at any time? 3. I know it is quite clear that there are no outhouse or toilet or bush options of any kind during landings. What is the longest period of time you had from ship to shore and back, i.e., the longest period of time one would be without toilet access of any kind? 4. Were the people who had "colds" on board (and hopefully also sequentially tested for Covid) then restricted to their cabins until cleared by the doctor, or did they mingle with others? 5. Was there a face mask requirement at any time on your trip (airline, airport, lounges, boarding, on board), and if so, when, and was there a requirement it be a certain type? Thank you in advance!

I assume you are aware that the Med is usually * very hot* in August and September, and tends to be crowded. Hot weather makes having a less full pool and good AC, and/or shorter lines, more important for a sense of luxury and to minimize frustration. Only Seabourn (SB), and possibly Cunard, are "luxury" lines, the rest are premium/upper premium, with some nickel and diming and some lines/crowds. Cunard is very sedate, and a bigger ship, with a stricter dress code. I think SB would be a good fit: lots of space, good AC, fewer kids so pools are emptier, few if any lines, as close to "quiet luxury" as you can get, though a short cruise of just 7 days might have TA or corporate events, and they can be rowdy. Food/beverage are about as good as you can get on all but one other (more expensive, and foreign) line. Most staff are very nice, even if some are still training and not perfect. Be sure and have your TA alert SB that you are on an anniversary cruise, and confirm that when you board (there may be a special checkin desk to confirm). They will decorate your room and make it even more special. SB poolside tends to fill up early with hot weather, but there is a "retreat" area where you can pay extra for more space and more pampering. Be sure and book spa treatments in advance, and also specialty restaurant (currently Thomas Keller, this is changing) they are popular and fill up.

I'm a little late to this thread (was busy booking cruises :)), and appreciate most of your questions were answered. I mix and match various lines (mostly but not exclusively luxury lines), and see you have previously sailed on Celebrity, and with that in mind, I will add these comments: 1. The crowd on SS tends to be older than on Celebrity (where many middle-aged pax are seen), unless it's a beach-oriented holiday time trip. If you're "young and hipster 40's", unless you're unusual, quite a bit of entertainment may at times seem dated to you, almost comically dated (e.g., with an emphasis on sappy old Broadway songs, melodramatic crooners, and lounge lizard music), but it is getting more modern (the last SS cruise I was on even had an aged rocker as a guest performer and about 70 pax were really into the show!). There are also typically a few regular dancers of varying skill who move around a lot, and regular singers who belt out some older and previously popular tunes, sometimes in synch with the dancers, YMMV. I experiment and try almost all! If you're "older and maturer 40's" the 45 minute small group production shows will be ok but not as flashy or suggestive as they may be on Celebrity. You might see a guest classical music performer. Compared with on X, even with a full cruise, you can find a seat within 5 minutes of showtime, so no need to come early. Other entertainment options include swimming in heated pools, ballroom dancing lessons, trivia, bridge, a small casino, and other things like there are on big ships, just with smaller groups and older pax (sometimes young at heart, sometimes not). Of note, SS is also not a good place for young children (no organized kids' activities), so it is usually sedate. "Enrichment" lectures about the region or random subjects (history, flora, fauna, chats by semi-celebrities) also are typically well-done on SS (a few exceptions), I thought they are better than on X, and are worth checking out as "entertainment." After 10PM, it is generally very, very quiet on SS ships (so have a plan) -- this is a great time for romantic strolls on empty decks with your spouse/s.o. Early mornings are also great times for quiet walking or a trip to the gym as entertainment. 2. Other than in the French specialty restaurant on SS , I thought the food in Luminae (as you know, this is the suite-pax restaurant on Celebrity), was on average better than in the no-added-cost dining rooms on SS (whereas the other restaurants and buffet were worse on Celebrity ). Selection, however, is much larger on SS, and *you can, with 24 hour advance notice, and no extra cost*, order a special meal prepared just for you* on SS (you don't even have to have a special event). You can also get caviar and champagne on demand (no upcharge). There is almost no nickel and diming like there is on X. Decent hard liquor and mixed drinks are all-inclusive, as are beers and wines ranging from $10-$20 retail value +/- (with a specialty list of better wines that have reasonable markups). You can also *bring on as many bottles of your own alcohol as you want*, there is no corkage fee, and you can drink them anywhere you want. 3. The SS excursions are usually well-done, and the buses are not as crowded as on X (where every seat would be booked). If you don't like them, you get little resistance if you try and get a partial refund. If you can, pay for the ones that have a charge if they sound good to you, fellow pax will often be more interested in the trip if they are paying extra. 4. SS has *a lot* of public space per passenger, and lines are rare for anything that SS controls. Other "luxury" English language lines like Seabourn, new Crystal, and Regent (which you may also wish to consider since you're upscaling) have similar benefits in space and lack of lines , and have more "business casual" days than SS (note the new SS ship Nova is so far unique in that it always has an elegant casual dress code, but people like to go beyond at dinner and there are formal optional nights). 5. You are not required to tip anyone, neither crew fund nor individual and will not get ugly looks from staff if you don't. Crew fund of course is a form of tip, which will unfortunately include any rude waiter or hostile receptionist you may encounter as well as the terrific helpful (and more typical) crew you really want to tip, but who are entitled to only a tiny fraction of what you donate. My preference is to personally tip the "butler" (basically a room service attendant in a tuxedo, but he can be more ) and his assistant (who mostly cleans) individually, if I like them and the work they do, even if they perform as expected on a "luxury" line. But that is not required. I do this one day before the cruise ends, in person (so I can be sure and find them), with thanks and a nice note. I almost never have a 'regular" waiter, so other than in a specialty restaurant, I don't tip food people, but other pax develop an "in" with a special waiter they seek out most of the cruise, and do tip. Also be aware that some non-American and/or older school pax on SS find it distasteful when fellow pax (especially Americans) talk about tipping and cost saving issues at all (even on Cruise Critic). Also note that "pre-tipping" is frowned upon by many (other than the crew), for various reasons, and the topic of tipping often leads to threads being shut down. I wish you and your s.o wonderful cruises on SS and/or other luxury lines! They will not likely be perfect but can be very good (*all* lines, at varying levels, have experienced deterioration in service from baseline in recent years, per inflation-adjusted dollar spent)

I was told I had to do the transfer within 30 days and it would be fine to transfer to a TA. However, the SS "cruise consultant" (who consulted on nothing) failed to mentioned that you cannot do a transfer after final payment, even if within the 30 day period (so if you do a "short notice" booking, i.e., 90 or less days before sailing, or online on your own or with a "cruise consultant at a time when full payment is due), even if you try and transfer to your TA within 30 days it will be no-go.

Thank you for your detailed review. 1. Did you use the whirlpool tub on the balcony? If so, were you able to get and keep it hot enough to sit in for more than a few minutes? We were in that suite earlier this year and even though outdoor weather was warm, we had trouble getting faucet water hot enough to keep the tub water hot (there was no separate heater, i.e., I understand it is not a real hot tub, but I wondered if the hot water flow itself was defective and perhaps meanwhile they fixed it to make it have a hotter option, especially since it takes a long time to fill the tub). 2. Could you, or perhaps even people in the regular Neptune suites, order food off menus for service in your suite (with or without an extra charge)? If yes, was it only for food from the MDR, or could you also order from other venues? And what kind of notice did you have to give? 3. Did you try and have guests visit you in your suite? If so, were you able to plan in advance (perhaps for extra cost?) to have canapes and drinks available to treat them? 4. How did the espresso machine work? I had a few headaches with it last year, though staff tried to be responsive. 5. When you ate in the MDR, did you just randomly appear, or had you been able to select a table of your choice in advance? 6. If you could have changed or improved one aspect of the ship and suite experience you had, what would it have been? If anyone else has answers to these questions about the Pinnacle Suite experience on Rotterdam, please advise! Thank you and any others for your time and help.

I see you did an SS cruise in 2022, so you know what the boarding buffet lunch is likely to consist of. You are likely to be able to board around 1PM (sometimes earlier), but do you want to? If you like the buffet lunches on SS, go ahead and show up early (I would shoot for shortly before 1) and plan for a late lunch on board, but have an e-book with you in case you need to sit around. If not, enjoy one more FLL lunch (there are so many choices, unlike on the ships), and just keep your 2PM time. Despite so many cruises I have lost count, I tend to be a nervous Nellie and have no peace until I am actually *on* the ship, regardless of how good or poor the on-board lunch is, so I like to get on board as early as it is allowed, and at least have a celebratory glass of boarding champagne and walk the decks before more people come, even if suite access won't come until later.

Very recently on a non-expedition SB ship, sailing as a solo, in addition to announced pre-dinner cocktail options for solos, I received an advance written invitation to dine with different members of the staff in the main dining room (Restaurant) every night of my cruise. I could then call to RSVP or decline. I didn't accept most of them but it was a nice gesture, since I know some solos don't like dining alone and/or don't like relying on timely meeting people to dine with. Then at the table (with 4-6 guests) there would be other solos (including widows and widowers) and/or solos plus couples. You do not have to be "single" per se BTW (quite a few people are married but sometimes or even always sail separately from their spouses), i.e., the effort is not about finding people romantic dates the way "singles" gatherings may or may not be on some mainstream lines.

I am not autistic, but I hate random loud noises, including port equipment thumping, drilling, too many people loudly talking and hooting and hollaring all at once, etc. Definitely bring headphones. If you have an iphone and normal ears that fit wireless ear buds, get ear buds (don't weigh much and are tidy ), and play soothing music through them if you are waiting around a lot in noise (not just at ports but also at airports). Wirless Apple ear buds unfortunately don't fit one of my ears (fall out) , so I have an old-fashioned cable that connects lower quality ear buds to my iphone for the soothing music. I can still hear announcements if needed. Ear plugs/buds can also be handy if you get a loud neighbor (drunk, crying baby, etc.)

Have a wonderful time! From a few years ago when we were on the Spirit. Staff made a cool ice sculpture:

I just finished going through your thread. I appreciate all the work and frank commentary, about both the good and the not so good -- all very informative. Also thank you for your careful photo *selections* and videos, i.e., for not posting every single image you took (tempting as it can be when one excitedly sails). This helps make the ones you do post extra special. And I don't think I've ever seen a live 'X-rated' penguin video before :). Your kids are very lucky to have had such an experience while so young. I look forward to more trip reports from you in the future!

4-5 ounzes, as I recall (120-150 cc)

I had heard good things about this company on CC, so booked them. They stood me up, and didn't give me my money back either. I had to pursue AMEX refund for services not rendered. Maybe I just had bad luck (Monsieur Murphy does tend to follow me around on international travel, as it does LesW, but I have learned to be ready for him!) I always confirm and reconfirm private tours, up to the night before docking.

It is crazy that two years out excursions are booked up. This is likely due to the new policy of being able to book them as soon as you place a deposit, rather than a few months before the cruise. They will likely add extra buses and capacity by then (or some people will drop out). But for those ports, a private excursion (with late cancellation rights of course) would likely be more enjoyable than going with a big group. Or, you could start a roll call to set up a much smaller group to help share expenses (as on Tours by Locals, my favorite, but where the price for just going as a couple can be relatively pricey), and to customize what you are interested in.

It is way too big an offering for a ship full of mostly seniors with lower caloric needs. But young and/or well-muscled men who spend a lot of time on sports or in the gym likely appreciate it, especially if service is slow. Those antipasti can be a nice source of midnight snacks for the suite after the show. We/I sometimes picked a few things out for a small plate (especially the charcuterie options ) to send back to the suite to nibble on on the balcony, with a special midnight wine. But back to Port Power and others who are doing a much appreciated trip report. Thank you!

We did the SS F1 standard package (a VIP package like you describe was not offered then, don't know about now), a few years ago. DH and I had been F1 fans for many years (and we had been recording and watching all races), and one of engineer DH's hobbies for years had been tracking his own cars for fun, so he is a serious gearhead. But we were busy then, so we just signed up for the package instead of spending time exploring private VIP options, which we later learned were cheaper for value offered, and better. We had hard grandstand seats with no backrests in a decent but not prime location (i.e., nowhere near the checkered flag). We got a little waistpack kit including a cute but thin SS F1 cushion (which I still have , as it is handy to have in my handbag for excursions with hard seats). At the venue big screens showed key scenes but we could hear very little that was announced and the "live" experience included some very drunk Australians (not from SS) behind us who were a bit sloppy. The toilet experience (especially for ladies) was horrendous, so I avoided drinking to avoid a repeat, even though it was hot and we were in the sun. We looked longingly at people not far away who were on small boats and in hotels with more comfortable seating, drinks, snacks, and facilities (some of which were available for online purchase at prices that are reasonable for SS cruisers). The best part was that there was a special dinner for fans on the ship, (with a special menu) with a not very well known former racer guest speaker who was entertaining. It was great fun sitting at a table with a bunch of other car fans for several hours. We have no regrets about having done the tour package, but we would not repeat it as we are not into the "scene" on Monaco and one gets better race views and analysis on a TV. IF we were to go again we would get private VIP seating. Back then the tender schedule would have worked out for private seating.

It sounds like you are trying to be considerate by planning ahead of time, instead of canceling and making alternative plans, and your concern is appreciated. But as many of us know, babies that young cannot always be controlled, so there is only so much you can do. They will sometimes cry and fuss and there often isn't much you can do about it, and many (most?) senior Americans and Brits on luxury cruises like SB pay a lot of money in part to avoid the noises of young children that are so common on mainstream lines (though there are never guarantees other than on Viking, where pax have to be over 18). Others simply won't cruise during summers and holidays like Christmas because children are likely to be on board, even if they were once parents themselves, and are now grandparents -- the attitude is 'been there, done that, don't want to hear it anymore'. So some people won't "hate" you but they will be surprised and unhappy there is an infant on board because there is a realistic risk of noise. They may question your judgment (e.g., they may wonder why you didn't leave the baby with the grandparents or other family for a week or two while you enjoy your luxury cruise, especially since the baby is not likely to get much out of the cruise at that age. Such people will be resentful, and will avoid letting themselves get seated near you, even if you are doing your best. There will be others who will smile at you even if the baby screams. In addition to what others have already suggested, I will add: 1. Be sure your suite is not one that directly adjoins another one (the deck map and/or TA can help you find out, if you don't know). Sounds (and not just sound from babies) transmit quite easily under an adjoining door, and could make your neighbors' cruise very annoying -- or ruin it -- if your baby cries a good part of the day or -- worse-- at night. 2. If you're planning on excursions, make them private. Very few want to be stuck on a tour bus for hours with a baby having a bad day. The same goes for ship organized group "hikes". My husband and I, each working 60+ hours per week at the time, were not pleased when we had signed up for a non-refundable "peaceful walk in the mountains" on a luxury ship's excursion, only to discover that the smiling young and very fit couple in the group was piggy-backing an infant with them. The baby, quiet at first, after 20 minutes started expressing his displeasure for well over three hours (either due to the cold, the bumps, the altitude change, or its inability to do what it really wanted to do, which was definitely not to stiffly ride on mom's or dad's back or belly for that period of time). Congratulations on your new baby (sadly, so few are bothering to have any babies at all these days), in any event, and I hope things go well for you, and for the pax on your ship.

And here is a truncated view of the tub: FullSizeRender.MOV

I was on the TA on Nova early November for 11 nights, solo, and received no table invitations from officers/staff etc at all the entire cruise. However, they did reportedly have 93 solos on board! I could have been proactive -- if I really wanted to be sure and have opportunities to join officers I would have informed reception and/or the MD to keep me in mind for joining tables to help avoid odd numbers. But for various reasons on that cruise (including health problems) , I wanted to have flexibility to leave the table early, order my own special wines without potential awkwardness, and/or dine with pax I met short notice before dinner. On Seabourn, in contrast, just before, I received a daily invitation. But I only went to a few. As you said often it is nice to dine on one's own and focus on the food, observing people and the environment, and not worrying about small talk or having concerns about drinking too much to remain polite, etc. But they didn't have almost 20% solos to accomodate.

My post #15 shows the shower in a tub + shower room, in case you missed it. The tub was to the left of the sink but is not shown. I don't know if there's a 3rd type of veranda that has only a tub/shower combination in one space, as opposed to two separate spaces where one is shower and one tub. The most common (given demand) is just the big shower with built-in seat like I think Lois had, but no tub.

When she is good she is very very good, but when she is bad, she is horrid.

1. If you're leaving from Centennial, CO, you're only 40-45 minutes from Denver International. So in anticipation of a driver no-showing (not typical, but it has happened), either have a plan to have pick-up an hour early, or a plan to jump in your car and then park at the airport for duration of the trip, or have someone on standby to give you a lift. After many, many air flights over the years, DH and I just prefer being at the airport an hour earlier than most people would be there, i.e., earlier than recommended. We use either Uber or a private driver , with lots of time to spare, and prefer doing our own arrangements You can then slug out getting refunds either from SS (which is responsible) or your insurance after the fact. 2. "Going in a day early" may usually work, but we learned the hard way (a very hard way -- like missing a cruise and having to catch the ship at the next port) that even going in two days early may not be enough (especially if it is holiday time and flights are jammed), especially since Covid and jammed flights. It is especially not enough for a distant and expensive trip if you want peace of mind, and/or don't have really terrific insurance. We allow at least three nights, which also allows jet lag accomodation and sight-seeing time (easier to do now that we're both retired, not so easy previously). There is *a lot* to see and do in and around Reykjavik, so you would have no trouble filling 3 nights (or more). 4. "Phone number to call if there are issues enroute" may or may not work (usually does). For example, if it is a holiday evening, no one may answer (another thing we learned the hard way with SS), made worse if the TA is also on holiday! We have many stories to tell . . . You do the best you can to avoid problems, assess your risk and loss tolerance, and then (as Americans) sometimes you just have to suck up some losses. Cruise lines have a lot of leeway these days and the contracts favor them legally, even if for good will they may accomodate or refund (or FCC) you on unusual situations.

1. OBSERVER: I haven't had very recent Dawn experiences and options, but when I was on Nova, menus shown in the dining room for La Terrazza were abbreviated 2 of the 4 times I went (the TV still showed the full menus which was misleading if one tried to plan ahead). Once, with 24 hours notice, I ordered a special but simple dish (basically liver and onions) for service at dinner in LT the next evening, and everything went smoothly (also delicious). Another time I ordered a special dish with 24+ notice for lunch in Atlantide (MDR) and I timely received it (though it wasn't great). The MD in Atlantide told me is that their usual policy is to only do special orders for Atlantide, not LT but she agreed to accomodate me for LT anyway (maybe because they weren't super busy?) where I already had a table reserved the next night and preferred sitting -- I don't like jockeying for a table as a solo at dinner in walk-in dining rooms like Atlantide). With extra effort, (maybe through the butler, or in person) you could likely find out ahead of time when/if they will have abbreviated menus so you can properly plan for special orders, if not in LT then in Atlantide. 2. PORT POWER: (and others with special dietary needs, e.g., celiac disease). SS should be notified well before boarding if you have special dietary needs. Then they should be reminded after you board in the venues you think you will eat. They do their best to accomodate you (and typically do an excellent job, from what I have heard) but of course it is common sense to check, and remind, and check and remind again just in case when there are different staff , especially if you have a severe problem (e.g., like a shellfish allergy that can cause anaphylactic shock, and then you should also be carrying an epi pen etc.).