Crown & Anchor Diamond Plus cutbacks continue!

[HBE4]

15 minutes ago, island lady said:

Not to mention the land yacht takes us all over the country, since cruising is only 1/4 or less of our travels.  

 

We were home a totally of less than 3 months last year.  Probably will less this year.  

 

 

Ditch the home and use the $$$ to fund the travels for the other 2 1/2 months of the year. 😉

 

You are living the life I want. Color me envious.

Edited March 11, 2019 by HBE4

[island lady]

Just now, HBE4 said:

 

Ditch the home and use the $$$ to find the travels for the other 2 1/2 months of the year. 😉

 

You are living the life I want. Color me envious.

 

Aww...come on down!  Be our neighbor!  My little house is needed for storing our "precious stuff"  (AKA too much junk 😄 ).   It is also our home base for washing clothes between cruises.  Like John...we like living close to the cruise ports for winter cruising time.  🙂 

[rimmit]

10 minutes ago, island lady said:

I have flights booked for Hawaii, Alaska, the wine country in Washington, to PR (twice) and to NE for first time on Grandeur.  

 

The Grandeur is great.  A little tired in some areas,  but imo it has the most consistent service.  Likely from it being one of the smaller ships in the fleet. 

 

It’s not the best for the kids but we don’t care b/c it’s convenientl, cheap, and consistent.  We know exactly what we are getting into on that ship and it’s consistent every time.  Plus the DL is super convenient for trivia at Schooner and the overflow space is monstrous for a ship that size as the it’s the whole rear lounge on Deck 6.   

 

Have be a great time!  We’ll be on her in 11 days.   

[HBE4]

8 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Aww...come on down!  Be our neighbor!  My little house is needed for storing our "precious stuff"  (AKA too much junk 😄 ).   It is also our home base for washing clothes between cruises.  Like John...we like living close to the cruise ports for winter cruising time.  🙂 

 

Love to but I have another 10 years of work...maybe 5-7 if my financial advisor makes some good choices for me.   By then, I should have enough points to join the D+ club (and maybe the DS club 😉 )

[John&LaLa]

53 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Of course  they are not the same. Assisted living is $200 pd/pp in the New York metro area, Nursing home is about $400 pd/pp.

 

I can cruise for $125-$150 pp/pd.

 

 

Heck, I can opt for travel insurance & the drink package and maybe an occasion excursion and it's still cheaper than living on land. ...sorta...barely

 

People needing assisted living should not be on a cruise ship on a regular basis.  Really no one is there to assist you.

 

We live quite well, on the ocean 😎, for around $750 per week.  We cruise because we want to, not to save money.🤔

Edited March 11, 2019 by John&LaLa

[Ocean Boy]

10 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

People needing assisted living should not be on a cruise ship on a regular basis.  Really no one is there to assist you.

 

We live quite well, on the ocean 😎, for around $750 per week.  We cruise because we want to, not to save money.🤔

Considering the list you previously posted of last year's travels, all I have to say is..... Poor Bella....

[HBE4]

23 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

People needing assisted living should not be on a cruise ship on a regular basis.  Really no one is there to assist you.

 

We live quite well, on the ocean 😎, for around $750 per week.  We cruise because we want to, not to save money.🤔

 

Of course.

 

Just trying to keep my sparring skills sharp 😉

[John&LaLa]

24 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Considering the list you previously posted of last year's travels, all I have to say is..... Poor Bella....

 

Don't pity poor Bella, she lives better with the neighbors than with us. 

 

[Ocean Boy]

3 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Don't pity poor Bella, she lives better with the neighbors than with us. 

 

You know this is not the first time that I have questioned your parenting skills.😏😊

[island lady]

2 hours ago, rimmit said:

The Grandeur is great.  A little tired in some areas,  but imo it has the most consistent service.  Likely from it being one of the smaller ships in the fleet. 

 

It’s not the best for the kids but we don’t care b/c it’s convenientl, cheap, and consistent.  We know exactly what we are getting into on that ship and it’s consistent every time.  Plus the DL is super convenient for trivia at Schooner and the overflow space is monstrous for a ship that size as the it’s the whole rear lounge on Deck 6.   

 

Have be a great time!  We’ll be on her in 11 days.   

 

Thanks!!  Have heard many good things about the little lady.  We miss and adored the Monarch, then fell in love with replacement Enchantment (and she is leaving us again 😞 ) Really adore all the Vision class ships.  I never had the chance to  sail with Splendour before she left the fleet, and still miss the Legend.  Have been on Rhapsody many times, and have her booked again.  Looking forward to Grandeur indeed.  🙂  Have a fantabulous cruise!  

Edited March 11, 2019 by island lady

[island lady]

2 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

Love to but I have another 10 years of work...maybe 5-7 if my financial advisor makes some good choices for me.   By then, I should have enough points to join the D+ club (and maybe the DS club 😉 )

 

Ah yes....retirement is indeed fine.  All good things in time, and congrats on your upcoming retirement.   🙂 

 

And would also love to have you join the DS club....it's the best! 😉 

[rimmit]

12 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks!!  Have heard many good things about the little lady.  We miss and adored the Monarch, then fell in love with replacement Enchantment (and she is leaving us again 😞 ) Really adore all the Vision class ships.  I never had the chance to  sail with Splendour before she left the fleet, and still miss the Legend.  Have been on Rhapsody many times, and have her booked again.  Looking forward to Grandeur indeed.  🙂  Have a fantabulous cruise!  

 

The Grandeur definitely has a passionate fan club.

 

Sadly we never made it to Legend before it left and have never gotten to sail on the Rhapsody yet.  We have enjoyed all the other vision class ships tremendously.

[island lady]

6 minutes ago, rimmit said:

 

The Grandeur definitely has a passionate fan club.

 

Sadly we never made it to Legend before it left and have never gotten to sail on the Rhapsody yet.  We have enjoyed all the other vision class ships tremendously.

 

Will be happy indeed to join the Grandeur fan club!  🙂   Agree...love the small ships.  Radiance class is our favorite, with Vision class right in there also as a close second.  

[rimmit]

38 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Will be happy indeed to join the Grandeur fan club!  🙂   Agree...love the small ships.  Radiance class is our favorite, with Vision class right in there also as a close second.  

If it wasn’t for the kids we would try to stick to the vision and brilliance class as much as possible.  We just love being able to leave our cabin with only 3 to 4 minutes to get to an activity and be there on time.

[John&LaLa]

I never sailed Splendor,  but Legend was quite similar 

 

[John&LaLa]

13 minutes ago, rimmit said:

If it wasn’t for the kids we would try to stick to the vision and brilliance class as much as possible.  We just love being able to leave our cabin with only 3 to 4 minutes to get to an activity and be there on time.

 

On time generally means no available seating in most cases these days. 😉

[rimmit]

5 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

On time generally means no available seating in most cases these days. 😉

 

On the bigger ships....

 

That’s why I love the Grandeur.  Can’t remember the last time I couldn’t find a seat. Maybe on the rare occasion for music trivia if you show up right at 5:00 you may not find a seat for the more popular music like 70s, 80s or classic rock music trivia.  

 

Likely the Grandeur has lots of repeat cruisers, so many skip the shows so there are typically ample seats.  Maybe off to the side but we can always find a seat somewhere.

 

We even show up right at 6:10 at the dining room with two adults and two kids and they seat us right away on my time dining with no  reservation.

 

One of the reasons we don’t like the oasis class, too much pre-planning involved. The Grandeur is very free-flowing and you kind of do what you want when you want without worrying about reservations or showing up 30 min prior for a standby line.

[island lady]

49 minutes ago, rimmit said:

If it wasn’t for the kids we would try to stick to the vision and brilliance class as much as possible.  We just love being able to leave our cabin with only 3 to 4 minutes to get to an activity and be there on time.

 

Yeah, the kids do like the fancy new big ships.  Lot for them to do.  Though we still enjoy, and indeed do book, the bigger ships also.  Mixing it up a bit.  

 

With us, being the old farts we are, the small ships still bring to mind the more elegant days of cruising.  🙂 

[island lady]

39 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

I never sailed Splendor,  but Legend was quite similar 

 

 

Been there...got the block.  😉  From what I remember the DL and CL were right across the hallway from each other.  Kind of like Radiance class, but different deck.  Makes it much easier to transfer when the coffee machine is broke in one or the other.  🙂 

[xpcdoojk]

39 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

On time generally means no available seating in most cases these days. 😉

 

I know on the Radiance, the theater was full if you arrived on time last September. We stood at the back of the theater a couple of nights on the Radiance.  I was actually ok with this, as leaving was easy if the show was not great or at the end whichever came first.

 

jc

[island lady]

33 minutes ago, rimmit said:

 

On the bigger ships....

 

That’s why I love the Grandeur.  Can’t remember the last time I couldn’t find a seat. Maybe on the rare occasion for music trivia if you show up right at 5:00 you may not find a seat for the more popular music like 70s, 80s or classic rock music trivia.  

 

Likely the Grandeur has lots of repeat cruisers, so many skip the shows so there are typically ample seats.  Maybe off to the side but we can always find a seat somewhere.

 

We even show up right at 6:10 at the dining room with two adults and two kids and they seat us right away on my time dining with no  reservation.

 

One of the reasons we don’t like the oasis class, too much pre-planning involved. The Grandeur is very free-flowing and you kind of do what you want when you want without worrying about reservations or showing up 30 min prior for a standby line.

 

Sounds like my type of ship, looking forward to it.  Thanks for all the helpful information.  🙂 

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

I know on the Radiance, the theater was full if you arrived on time last September. We stood at the back of the theater a couple of nights on the Radiance.  I was actually ok with this, as leaving was easy if the show was not great or at the end whichever came first.

 

jc

 

Have done that myself many times.  Just kind of wondered in and sat in the back.  Could also leave when we wanted to, without disturbing anyone.  

[John&LaLa]

23 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Been there...got the block.  😉  From what I remember the DL and CL were right across the hallway from each other.  Kind of like Radiance class, but different deck.  Makes it much easier to transfer when the coffee machine is broke in one or the other.  🙂 

 

Yep, back by the Solarium.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks!!  Have heard many good things about the little lady.  We miss and adored the Monarch, then fell in love with replacement Enchantment (and she is leaving us again 😞 ) Really adore all the Vision class ships.  I never had the chance to  sail with Splendour before she left the fleet, and still miss the Legend.  Have been on Rhapsody many times, and have her booked again.  Looking forward to Grandeur indeed.  🙂  Have a fantabulous cruise!  

Splendour was one of our favourite ships.

We sailed on her 3 times from Venice in 2012,2013 and 2014.

She had 3 decks of balconies and I was surprised they sold her to Marella but kept the smaller Enchantment and Vision.

Splendour now Marella Discovery home ported 15 miles from us last year at North Shields ( Newcastle) and we watched her sailing out of port on a couple of occasions.

[rimmit]

31 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Sounds like my type of ship, looking forward to it.  Thanks for all the helpful information.  🙂 

 

As with any ship YMMV,  but we could always find A SEAT, albeit it might not be right by the piano in schooner or front and center in the theater,  but unlike schooner on the Oasis, we did not have to camp a seat 30 minutes prior to trivia starting to find ANY seat.  

 

We also never ever had to wait 1.5 hours for a seat at the MDR.  Longest wait ever was maybe 5 min for us arriving between 6:00-6:15 typically.  

 

That was just our experience, several times we have cruises her.  I hope you have a similar experience.  The windjammer can get a little busy right at noon,  but it was never awful finding a seat, and Park Cafe in the Solarium always had a seat we found for a change of pace.

 

The specialty dining stalkers are out in full force unfortunately.   Endless deals if you enjoy specialty dining.