Out to sea!

My wife and I definitely wouldn't be offended or upset if we could see each other's silhouettes through a restroom wall in our private stateroom. Hell, at home we're often getting ready for work at the same time and both of us utilize the bathroom at the same time.

 

We have sex together, so I don't mind seeing my significant other use a restroom or shower. That said, I probably wouldn't just sit on the bed and watch her just because I could, but making that the reason I wouldn't cruise a certain ship? Never. Wouldn't ever cross my mind it was an issue.

I certainly have no idea how your sex life goes but my wife and I do nothing on the toilet that could be included in our sex life so that comparison is completely immaterial. We also use the bathroom at different times in the morning when getting ready for work. As I said, if seeing the silhouette and hearing the noises of your significant other while they are on the toilet bothers you (as it does us), stay away from the Epic. If it's no problem then go ahead and sail her. It's a personal choice for each of us.

If that was true you would be warned to get everything off your balcony. After many cruises can't recall ever being told that ship would be washed at night. It would never happen if the ship was underway regardless

Actually there is no need to warn people to get everything off your balcony because they warn you not to put anything on your balcony to begin with.

Excellent! But you're dealing with a bunch of goody-two-shoes uptight judgmental types around here who live to whine and complain...:cool:

Actually, it's many of us who are dealing with law/rule breakers who don't give a tinker's damn about anyone but themselves. :rolleyes:

Harmony would be available in 2016 when I would be sailing in sept.

 

Any pros and cons you can give me? Or possibly any tips.

 

Please and thank you!

This is just my opinion but I would NEVER sail the NCL Epic again. Opaque shower and toilet walls in the cabin. Sit on the bed and watch the silhouette of your new wife do "her business". Never again for me.

On the Carnival Pride in March, they had eggs benedict on the breakfast buffet. They were already made and sitting in a warming tray like the other breakfast options.

Then I guess DW needs to sail the Pride because as I stated, on every other Carnival ship we've been on DW HAD to go to the MDR for her eggs benedict.

Well then, based on the way people DO complain about every little thing that can happen around here... And considering that no one has come on here and reported that their room was too warm because someone else's balcony door was open... I have no reason to believe that it has any measurable affect on other staterooms at all.

Well, at least on the Carnival boards, your assumption has been proven incorrect by a Carnival engineer. Also, I have seen plenty of complaints on CC about warm cabins. I don't expect a cruise line to tell a customer what the corrective action was, only that it has been corrected. You may believe what you wish but your belief is based on a false assumption.

The cruise we are looking at is NCL, leaving from Vancouver, ending in Vancouver. It can be booked as a 14 day, even though it is 2 7 day cruises. The webpage says:

 

"PLEASE NOTE: This sailing is a "Combined Itinerary," meaning that this cruise consists of multiple consecutive cruise segments sailed as one combined itinerary. Some entertainment and dining options may be duplicated during the other segments. All guests returning to a U.S. port after the first segment of their cruise will be required to leave the ship and check in with U.S. Customs. Your stateroom assignment may change. Check your stateroom confirmation for details."

 

So, when the cruise gets to Seward, we can just get off and do an excursion? We don't have to pack up our luggage and take it off the boat? That would be great!

 

(BTW, this is really for my parents, I am just doing the research for them!)

 

Michiele

You will NOT have to take your luggage off the ship. I assume by what you posted you are sailing the Sun, same as I did. Two options. If you are in the same cabin northbound/southbound, everything stays in your room. go off the ship, do an excursion (or walk around town as we did), come back on just as if it were any other port. Also, no lifeboat drill on the southbound run. Option two, change cabins between the 2 runs. In Seward, pack everything, your cabin steward will take everything to your new cabin (you will have to unpack yourself). You will also have to attend the lifeboat drill again as your lifeboat station will most likely have changed. With either option all of your stuff stays on ship. I did the first option so I wouldn't have to pack/unpack again. I know someone who did the second option because they had an inside northbound and a balcony southbound (personally I wouldn't waste the money on a balcony......you can see everything from deck for thousands less).

The OP is actually trying to delete this entire thread. She came here for information and ended up with a boxing match.

The problem is this isn't the OP's first rodeo and the answer has been in front of her all along even though she's ignored it in the past (based on her OP).

Don't get nervous

You might want to refer back to the pictures in post 13. Sounds like more of a suggestion for your comfort than any steadfast rule

Funny, I don't see the words "if you want" on any of the signs. :rolleyes:

March 2014

FYI, lobster (free) is gone on NCL cruises as well. :(

On Carnival, Celebrity, HAL, and Princess they serve eggs benedict in the buffet.

Incorrect. Carnival does not have eggs benedict on their buffet (at least not on the 7 different Carnival ships I've sailed). Only in the MDR.

Don't see why if opening the door shuts it off. You would be the only cabin affected. The other cabins might work even better.

On other lines where the AC still works with the door open, I could see this affecting other cabins

The engineering behind the reason and whether we understand it or not is truly immaterial. To leave the balcony door open except for transiting is a violation of RCCL rules. Leave the door closed!

Sorry for not responding sooner.....just got back from vacation. Thank you for all of the input.

Karen,

 

I would like to hear more about your experience of the back to back Alaska tour. I read that you have to get off the ship and go through customs in Alaska. Is this a huge pain?

I just came off a back to back in Alaska. the custom question depends on where the ship starts. If you start in Seattle and have a port stop in Vancouver, yes you will go through customs in either Whittier or Seward. I actually started in Vancouver, went through US Customs there just before boarding the ship and did not go through customs on the return from Seward. Also, try to get the same cabin for both directions. You get to miss the second lifeboat drill if you do because you won't change lifeboat stations (at least this is what happened on NCL).

Jack and Coke is included in the Premium and Ultimate packages.

 

There is no package called the "Royal Package".

Sorry. Yes, I meant Ultimate package. Thank you for the info on the Jack and Cokes.

So, what extra do you get with the Ultimate Package?

Can anyone specifically state what the difference between the Royal Package and the Premium Package is? Also, are Jack and Cokes included in the Premium Package? Thank for any info y'all can provide.

Wouldnt like a cruise on a ship operating on half power no matter which one it was.

Didn't say I would like it. I would just like it better than an NCL ship. ;)

Pretty sure that $80 bottle comes from the ship's store. Otherwise, the price would be cheaper (unless they like really high-end booze).

Considering alcohol bought on board at the store cannot be taken back to the cabin and I've never heard of anyone call Bon Voyage "the store", I have to disagree.

I count 2: Splendor & Triumph. Not to mention another tragic incident that happened under the CCL umbrella...

CCL (Carnival Cruise Line) doesn't have an umbrella. Carnival Corporation (CC) does.

Still not much compared to NCL's day to day issues. I'd take 5 night on the Triumph at half power than 5 nights on a fully operational NCL ship any day of the week.

I to have assume you forgot about the Breakaway getting towed back into port as well, huh?

Actually, from Sept 2009 to May 2010, Royal did give OBC for price drops after final payment.

Ah, for a whole 9 month period they gave OBC. I stand corrected.

You'll notice my last RCCL cruise was in 2008 but I'm taking one this November.

I agree that a handicapped person is fully capable (usually, there are some who can't) of waiting in lines like everyone else. The ADA is not meant to give a disabled person "more", just equal access to things like an able bodied person is able to have.

 

When people are complaining about how awful that Carnival has to remake some cabin into handicapped accessible cabins, I laugh. Do you really know about how many cabins of the whole ship they are talking about when they say 3% have to be accessible? We are talking about only about 35 cabins of approximately 1000 cabins on a ship. They are just a drop in the bucket as to what is needed.

 

For my next cruise, I wanted to book an Ocean View on the Conquest. I could not get one. I couldn't get one, not because I didn't plan ahead and they were all booked, it was because there isn't any accessible cabins in the Ocean View category. I had to either book a 4j or a balcony in order to get a room with a window. I booked the 4j, but instead of getting a room where I could watch the ocean from, I got one where I will only be able to see a rail when I look out. This cabin also costs more than the lowest class Ocean View for the able bodied. I don't need much in the room except for the wider doorways and no threshold in the bathroom, but because of this I had to pay more than someone in a higher class cabin. If you were the one in this situation, wouldn't you be wondering to how this can be right?

The question is, who's forcing you to sail Carnival if you can't get the cabin you want?

I'm bumping this because I am curious when the policy changed so that after final payment you are no longer entitled to receiving any price drop as OBC. I understand that since its after final payment, there are no refunds.. but why can't we get the difference as OBC? I noticed a price drop for my booking and specific stateroom (promenade) but when I called RCCL they said they could only provide me with an upgrade.. for an additional $335. I assume the upgrade price is what it is because the other categories haven't had a price drop but I remember before that it was so easy to call and get the price difference as additional OBC.

 

Has anyone recently been able to get the price drop as OBC after final payment?

The only cruise line that has a policy about receiving OBC for a price drop AFTER final payment date is Carnival. Therefore, there has been no policy change on RCCL. Not saying someone hasn't gotten one but if they have, it's been because RCCl tried to grease a squeaky wheel and not because of policy.

If you're going to remove it, at least have the guts to do it at the beginning of the cruise so everyone assigned knows who you are. Or, were you planning to take it off the last day?

Actually, I tried on the Sun to adjust mine (due to the removal of the specialty restaurant servers from the DSC) and Guest Services told me I COULD NOT changed the DSC until the last day of the cruise (note: I went back on the last day and had no problem adjusting them).

5. NCL's DSC is lower than a lot of other lines, and is quite small when compared to the entire cost of the cruise. Even with the small increase, we are still getting a bargain.

So just which of the major cruise lines have a higher DSC/Auto-tip that NCL?

Contract also says you agree to terms and conditions. In terms and conditions it says the DSC is a "prepaid gratuity" that is referred as a service charge.

 

So what one is it?????? Don't say it's the same! A gratuity and service charge are completely different!!!

Yes, terms and conditions of the contract. :rolleyes: