Now for something completely different

[MMDown Under]

When are you planning to visit Australia/NZ, Lyle?  Prices are cheap at present.  Have you cruised with Carnival?  They are offering great deals to cruisers who have cruised with them previously.  

[Blackduck59]

6 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

When are you planning to visit Australia/NZ, Lyle?  Prices are cheap at present.  Have you cruised with Carnival?  They are offering great deals to cruisers who have cruised with them previously.  

 

I think that our down under adventure may have to wait until after I retire in 2024. I don't think Carnival is for us. We shy away from the "party boat" lines. Our preferred line is Celebrity (not that we have cruised enough to have a solid handle on any cruise line). Unfortunately Celebrity seems to be putting an "Edge" class ship down under and I don't like them (to be fair we haven't sailed on one) but they are ugly. And the "Infinite Veranda" is just an ocean view cabin with a large window that opens (unless it's turned off by the Captain)

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

I think that our down under adventure may have to wait until after I retire in 2024. I don't think Carnival is for us. We shy away from the "party boat" lines. Our preferred line is Celebrity (not that we have cruised enough to have a solid handle on any cruise line). Unfortunately Celebrity seems to be putting an "Edge" class ship down under and I don't like them (to be fair we haven't sailed on one) but they are ugly. And the "Infinite Veranda" is just an ocean view cabin with a large window that opens (unless it's turned off by the Captain)

Your Aussie adventure in 2024 will be something nice to look forward to.  Agree it is best to cruise with lines you enjoy.  After an experience on a 3,000 passenger ship, I decided to cruise less frequently on small ships.

i hadn't heard of an "infinite verandah".

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Your Aussie adventure in 2024 will be something nice to look forward to.  Agree it is best to cruise with lines you enjoy.  After an experience on a 3,000 passenger ship, I decided to cruise less frequently on small ships.

i hadn't heard of an "infinite verandah".

 

On the Celebrity "Edge" class ships the port and starboard cabins that on an "S" class ship would be traditional veranda cabins with various sizes of outdoor space, have been replaced with a space that is separated from the cabin by doors. The "Veranda" part comes from a large horizontally sliding window.

Hence my characterization of an ocean view cabin with an opening window.

[MMDown Under]

56 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

On the Celebrity "Edge" class ships the port and starboard cabins that on an "S" class ship would be traditional veranda cabins with various sizes of outdoor space, have been replaced with a space that is separated from the cabin by doors. The "Veranda" part comes from a large horizontally sliding window.

Hence my characterization of an ocean view cabin with an opening window.

 

Ships used to be a thing of beauty.  I attend the bi-nnual wooden boat festival in Hobart,  Now some ships have gotten so huge they look like container ships with tiny cages.  Can you hear people talking on their balconies on either side or above and below?  I have only had experience on a big balcony upgrade, with room for lilows, chairs and table.  

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

 

Ships used to be a thing of beauty.  I attend the bi-nnual wooden boat festival in Hobart,  Now some ships have gotten so huge they look like container ships with tiny cages.  Can you hear people talking on their balconies on either side or above and below?  I have only had experience on a big balcony upgrade, with room for lilows, chairs and table.  

You certainly can hear people talking and even their tv from adjoining balconies.

Not so much from above and below.

[MMDown Under]

27 minutes ago, NSWP said:

You certainly can hear people talking and even their tv from adjoining balconies.

Not so much from above and below.

Which cruiselines allow smoking on balcony.  That would be worse than hearing talking. 

[lyndarra]

5 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Which cruiselines allow smoking on balcony.  That would be worse than hearing talking. 

None in Oz.

[buchhalm]

6 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Which cruiselines allow smoking on balcony.  That would be worse than hearing talking. 

I think the smoking section should be on a life raft, towed 600 meters behind the ship.

[Mareblu]

58 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Which cruiselines allow smoking on balcony.  That would be worse than hearing talking. 

From experience over recent years, all cruise lines forbid smoking on balconies or elsewhere on their ships, not before time, with some designating a small corner on an exterior deck for this purpose.  

[Mareblu]

Lyle, I meant to add that we did a "leaf peepers' cruise" a few years ago on NCL,  (NY-NY) which sailed to Quebec and then returned to NY.  The scenery was stunning, with autumn foliage coating the landscape like glowing jewels.  The weather was actually lovely.  One rainy day, from memory.  During that same trip, we also did a wonderful Tauck land tour through New England (Vermont, etc.).  I would return to either in a heartbeat.

[lyndarra]

8 minutes ago, Mareblu said:

From experience over recent years, all cruise lines forbid smoking on balconies or elsewhere on their ships, not before time, with some designating a small corner on an exterior deck for this purpose.  

Many still allow smoking in casinos - but not in Oz.

[Mareblu]

1 minute ago, lyndarra said:

Many still allow smoking in casinos - but not in Oz.

Gosh, that's surprising in this day and age.  We certainly haven't come across that little loophole, which obviously should be closed pronto.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Mareblu said:

Gosh, that's surprising in this day and age.  We certainly haven't come across that little loophole, which obviously should be closed pronto.

Other parts of the world have different laws and a different attitude to smoking compared with Australia's. 🙂

[lyndarra]

4 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Other parts of the world have different laws and a different attitude to smoking compared with Australia's. 🙂

On MSC Divina smoking is allowed in the casino. Above the casino is an atrium up to the next deck right where there was a popular bar with an excellent duo playong and singing every night. I would have loved to have spent time in that bar but could not due to the smoke.

On some US cruises smoking is allowed in the casino with a proviso that you are using the tables or slots but it is not always enforced.

[OzKiwiJJ]

6 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

I think that our down under adventure may have to wait until after I retire in 2024. I don't think Carnival is for us. We shy away from the "party boat" lines. Our preferred line is Celebrity (not that we have cruised enough to have a solid handle on any cruise line). Unfortunately Celebrity seems to be putting an "Edge" class ship down under and I don't like them (to be fair we haven't sailed on one) but they are ugly. And the "Infinite Veranda" is just an ocean view cabin with a large window that opens (unless it's turned off by the Captain)

I've just discovered that the older demographic "partiers" can be almost as bad! A large group has taken over our favourite small bar on Coral Princess. Around 10-12 people who spread out right across the bar. The men shout at each other from one end of their group to the other, and the women are constantly shrieking with laughter. I think we're going to have to find somewhere else for our pre and post dinner drinks. My ears hurt!

[Mareblu]

42 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Other parts of the world have different laws and a different attitude to smoking compared with Australia's. 🙂

That’s certainly true, but the cruises we’ve done in recent years are rather strict in relation to smoking.  I remember many years ago NCL allowing smoking in its casinos, which was terrible because the open corridor used to move from one end of the ship to the other reeked of stale smoke as you walked past.  On our last NCL cruise, about four years ago, I couldn’t detect any indoor smoking at all.  

[MMDown Under]

52 minutes ago, Mareblu said:

Lyle, I meant to add that we did a "leaf peepers' cruise" a few years ago on NCL,  (NY-NY) which sailed to Quebec and then returned to NY.  The scenery was stunning, with autumn foliage coating the landscape like glowing jewels.  The weather was actually lovely.  One rainy day, from memory.  During that same trip, we also did a wonderful Tauck land tour through New England (Vermont, etc.).  I would return to either in a heartbeat.

You were lucky your leaf peepers cruise was at Fall's Peak.  Oh I love the fall in New England and Canada.  My girlfriend in Upstate NY sent me photos of colourful foliage on the trees in her yard.  It is hard to pick best date for viewing.  We have driven through New England to Canada - one glorious village after another.  Bethlehem rings a bell!  Tauck land tour must have been superb,  Were did they go in New England?

[Blackduck59]

1 hour ago, lyndarra said:

Many still allow smoking in casinos - but not in Oz.

 

Yes as a matter of fact the Zaandam does allow smoking in the Casino and that is a major detraction for us. One of the many things Celebrity does right is there is no smoking anywhere indoors on the ship including the casino. And no smoking on verandas either (although some "entitled" cruisers still do).

I think most cruise lines prohibit smoking in cabins and on verandas.

One of the positives of the Oceana product is that there is no smoking indoors on their ships.

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, Mareblu said:

From experience over recent years, all cruise lines forbid smoking on balconies or elsewhere on their ships, not before time, with some designating a small corner on an exterior deck for this purpose.  

 

On Aranui 3 they had whole deck for smokers, unfortunately for me it was also a deck with really good views 😆. Coincidentally I was just reading another thread where a lot of people were wishing smoking lounges on cruise ships were brought back. 

[Mareblu]

1 hour ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

On Aranui 3 they had whole deck for smokers, unfortunately for me it was also a deck with really good views 😆. Coincidentally I was just reading another thread where a lot of people were wishing smoking lounges on cruise ships were brought back. 

Yikes!!!!!

[Mareblu]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

You were lucky your leaf peepers cruise was at Fall's Peak.  Oh I love the fall in New England and Canada.  My girlfriend in Upstate NY sent me photos of colourful foliage on the trees in her yard.  It is hard to pick best date for viewing.  We have driven through New England to Canada - one glorious village after another.  Bethlehem rings a bell!  Tauck land tour must have been superb,  Were did they go in New England?

The first week of October is acknowledged as the safest bet for peak foliage.  The Tauck tour was indeed superb, as Tauck tours usually are.  We've done several, and their efficiency, friendliness and guaranteed best hotels available are a magnet for us.  I'm feeling really nostalgic now, Marion, because your question inspired me to open my travel diary for that trip.  I always keep a travel diary, because names, places and experiences can fade over time.  We meandered through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, etc., beginning and ending in Boston.  We stayed in or visited Lexington, Salem, Portsmouth, Portland, North Conway, Plymouth, Woodstock, Weston, Williamstown and Stockbridge, to name a few.  The history and natural beauty inspirational.  I imagined that wonderful experience was only a few years ago, but I'm shocked to realise that my diary is dated 2008.  Time to return🙂

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, Mareblu said:

The first week of October is acknowledged as the safest bet for peak foliage.  The Tauck tour was indeed superb, as Tauck tours usually are.  We've done several, and their efficiency, friendliness and guaranteed best hotels available are a magnet for us.  I'm feeling really nostalgic now, Marion, because your question inspired me to open my travel diary for that trip.  I always keep a travel diary, because names, places and experiences can fade over time.  We meandered through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, etc., beginning and ending in Boston.  We stayed in or visited Lexington, Salem, Portsmouth, Portland, North Conway, Plymouth, Woodstock, Weston, Williamstown and Stockbridge, to name a few.  The history and natural beauty inspirational.  I imagined that wonderful experience was only a few years ago, but I'm shocked to realise that my diary is dated 2008.  Time to return🙂

When you go back for another Tauck Land Tour, combine it with that fabulous French cruise from Quebec.  I keep a travel diary also.

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

When you go back for another Tauck Land Tour, combine it with that fabulous French cruise from Quebec.  I keep a travel diary also.

CTMA VACANCIER - Montreal to Magdalen Islands return.  This was one of the best cruises I've ever been on and I would love to repeat it.  Of the three themes, We chose food for obvious reasons.  The music was food for the soul - Arcadian and French  The cruise itself was very scenic.  

[Mareblu]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

CTMA VACANCIER - Montreal to Magdalen Islands return.  This was one of the best cruises I've ever been on and I would love to repeat it.  Of the three themes, We chose food for obvious reasons.  The music was food for the soul - Arcadian and French  The cruise itself was very scenic.  

How absolutely beautiful