TR--Solo cruise 8/13-27 Getaway

[KKB]

OK...So I had $500 SWA credit to use by Sept. (yeah, yeah, they changed to no expiration dates the last week of July. OF COURSE)

DH & I have SWA companion pass so I was looking for somewhere for just ME to to. I asked our kids, friends & no one was available so it was just ME.

I have done Vegas solo several times plus I did the 2nd leg of a Princess B2B (DH was on 1st leg) in July so I knew It would be good.

 

With the late move of the Getaway I heard that there were no solo supplements the week of Aug. 20. So booked it--balcony with all perks under $1K.

(I did put in a Haven bid at a bit over minimum--no success. Although they kept me hanging until embarkation day!)

I considered doing Disney for a couple days but the transfer logistics were driving me crazy. Plus it was going to be about $1K for 2 days/3 nights.

Then someone mentioned there were numerous solo studios open for the 13th cruise...under $900 with perks. SOLD.

Ten days before embarkation a lot of people were saying they were getting upgraded from solo studio to balcony for basically min bids.

As interested as I was stying in a solo studio, it felt like it was going to be a ghost town. So I quick put in a bid, $5 over min. Tues--GOT IT!

 

I booked Avid Hotel in Orlando with points. Shuttle from airport. And a couple hard seltzers counted as my "2 free snacks" I get with my IHG status. NICE.

Its a bare bones hotel & frankly would have been cozy with DH & his luggage as well but was perfect for 1. Typical free hotel breakfast.

 

My big concern was shuttle to Port Canaveral. Overall most shuttles get horrid reviews.

ONE did not. 

CORTRANS

The only negative is that they ONLY run in the mornings from MCO/MCO hotels to Port Canaveral & back.

Let me tell you they were GREAT. 

I changed dates when I added the 2nd week, asked to be on the earliest shuttle if opening occurred & asked my final payment deadline be extended as I was on a cruise & couldn't get the payment window to open. They handled it all.

They are a small business & I like to give those folks business.

HIGHLY recommend.

 

After seeing all the flight horror stories this summer, I evaluated EVERY flight we are taking in the next several months & rebooked some--generally MORNING flights, LONG layovers & multiple flights from connecting city to destination. 

This was a 1:20 flight but it fit the other criteria. So saved me that night before the night before hotel expense.

Needless to say flights were joyously uneventful.

Edited August 28, 2022 by KKB

[KKB]

Rather than a day by breakdown, I will breakdown by category.

I have only done 1 NCL cruise before, with DH, in 2019 after having sailed numerous Princess, RCCL & Celebrity (and one DCL).

We LOVED the Waterfront & Syd Normans.

 

Again--those 2 things did not disappoint!

I was at Syds 5 times each week (every show...tho the Rumors show is shown 2x on the night they do it) I remember the last band being fantastic & this one was even better. They truly enjoyed each other, their job & were very social with the guests. I talked with a couple vocalists. They were simply GREAT.

Hailie even gave me a hug the last night.

 

3 bartenders in particular (tho there were several more servers & bartenders who were great as well, I just didn't interact with them as much)--Ron (Syds/Sunset Waterfront) & Arawan (sp? Bar 21) met me once the first day & knew my name the 2nd time I saw them! Dang (also Syds/Sunset Waterfront) was also fantastic. Ron & Syd both gave me a hug the last night. 

 

We find crew service to be amazing on every line. And we got very close to one of the activity staff on Celebrity Edge. But other than her, this is the first time I had crew initiate full body hugs (not the side hug) in over 20 cruises in 18 years. Some very very special people on that cruise!

[graphicguy]

So looking forward to this……

[KKB]

Ports: (same both weeks--I'm not sure I would do the same itinerary B2B, especially solo, again)

 

Great Stirrup Bay: never got off. Will be there again in Dec & I will.

 

St. Thomas--just wandered around the port. We have done this port numerous times so didn't feel need to do much more

 

San Juan--the first week they were under heat advisory & I swear it was the hottest place on earth! Dew point 82--I've never seen one that high. It is a lovely European styled town but quite hilly. I was drenched in 20 min at 10AM. I thought I was returning the 2nd week to hike the fort so I just wandered a bit then stopped at Walgreens for snacks & a few necessities. UNFORTUNATELY I tweaked my knee getting out of a hot tub & could do stairs at all for about a week, and only was able to go down stairs the last few days of the 2nd week. So walking to the fort was OUT. It is what it is.

 

Amber Cover, DR--I booked an interesting beach break hear but I realized that I am NOT into getting up early on a cruise (never been a morning person...) so I cancelled it.

Walked around the port area--probably the nicest port area I have seen in the Caribbean! Well kept, clean, lush foliage. I had intended to go to the pool area there. but at 10:30 am it was PACKED (we arrived 7:30). They have a cool sky bar that overlooks things, but it appeared to only have steps to access. I tried. Made it 10 steps & realized my knee was not ready for that.

(1st week was in 70s when we arrived. I was up early & saw us dock but a migraine put me back in bed--until THUNDER awoke me. Apparently a lot of people got poured on for a bit!)

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by KKB

[KKB]

Rooms--balconies

 

Rooms are pretty standard--shower a bit bigger than most, area between closet & bed a bit smaller!

 

Week 1--14th floor aft. (upgrade, I had no choice)

Great for getting to buffet (directly above) & pool deck

Nice overhand for when it rained &

 

Week 2--8th floor forward--I chose this as it is 1 min from Syd's/Waterfront

Great for getting to everything on 6-7-8 where a lot of action is.

Less private--Deck 7 juts out here & anyone could easily turn & see us. Anyone looking out from the chess set area can also see. 

 

I actually prefer a room midway between pool deck & "inside action decks"--I take the stairs whenever I can as my workout. But since I tweaked my knee, wasn't so much of an issue! I rather appreciated the locations this time! 

 

On a positive note--I seemed to have only gained a pound...luckily I could walk regularly & a large ship helps with that!

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by KKB

[KKB]

Activities

1st week I hit 3 dance parties at Spice: Dancing thru the decades, 80s & 90s. Good times.

They only did the 80s of those 3 the 2nd week--not sure why, all well attended.

(tho I THINK there were closer to 4K week 1 & 3K week 2. conflicting reports, but it did feel less crowded week 2)

Both weeks they offered Caribbean party, Latin party & Glow Party.

 

I attended various trivias (even won a couple), a couple game shows. Good activities staff.

 

I surprised myself & did a couple crafts--travel journal & tech pouch. 

Both pretty cool (pretty high quality) but mostly involved stitching.

The only craft I do is scrapbooking!

 

I attended the magician the 2nd week--VERY GOOD.

I attended the male comedian both weeks--1st week he was pretty poor. 3rd show of the week & it felt like he was out of material! Tried again week 2 & I realize he really relies on the audience for his schtick. The 1st week lots of kids & I don't think that works well for him. He was OK.

 

We saw Million Dollar Quartet in 2019 & it is great--highly recommend. 
I popped into Burn the Floor for a bit. Very talented just not really my thing.

 

Casino remains horrifically smokey. 

I mostly played at the non-smoking Bar 21. Managed to hit 4 deuces once each week.

 

I did play poker tournaments each week. 4 were offered each week--2 regular & 2 to win a seat on the poker cruise in December. (DH already won us that cruise). 

They only have 1 poker table so they put us at regular gaming tables with 5-6 at each table--not really ideal for a tournament. $80-100 buy in (regular vs. one to win a seat), u start w/ 2K chips & there are unlimited rebuys anytime u are at 2K or less. Luckily there were not a lot of those in any tourney--some to be sure. Then $80-100 gets u $4K addon at break, which almost everyone does.

Out of 4 tourneys of 17-24 players, I got 7th, busted out early w/ a rebuy on the 2nd one; then week 2 I got 6th, then 5th. And they paid 3 places. UGH.

I have played poker for about 20 years. Seems about every 10 years I go thru a 2 year slump where I just don't win often. This one should be about over!!!

 

 

 

[KKB]

Food--the good & the BAD.

 

We typically each buffet for breakfast, burger or pizza by the pool for lunch & MDR for dinner.

 

Breakfast--yep, mostly buffet. Occasional MDR & OSheehans once. 

All solid--tough to screw up breakfast!

(OH--I did have a coffee maker in my room so was able to have my cup each morning as I got ready--LOVE THAT)

 

Lunch--Uh....this was a STRUGGLE.

We LOVED OSheehans in 2019 & it was mediocre at best. And I tried it SEVERAL different times.

(at midnight not many choices!)

Pizza & burgers are there but not fresh like those pool grills (plus...gluten...get to that in a minute)

I tried almost every protein--chewy, dry, tasteless. Except hot dogs🤪

 

SO I regrouped.

I will make a salad everyday for lunch--I will be good!

WELL, by the middle of week 1 this was NOT an option.

Romaine had lots of brown--I couldn't even pick around it there was so much.

Spring mix was completely wilted.

OMG.

Luckily they had a tomato cucumber salad I liked--so it was that, fruit & a hot dog daily.

NOW when I had time (I like to do a lot!), I did eat lunch at MDR. 

It was much better than buffet but lots of gluten options make it tough.

(week 2 the salad was WONDERFUL, and that it what I had daily)

 

Dinner

OK I was BUSY the beginning of week 1 & hit buffet ...and no surprise same issues as lunch.

By the middle of week 1 I was VERY VERY frustrated with food. 
So I added 2 more speciality dining for week 2--a total of 4 the 2nd week.

Once I gave up the buffet things improved GREATLY.

(although week 2 I did grab some nachos on MX night that were vastly better than OSheehans & the shrimp out on seafood night were huge!)

 

MDR was solid the several times I tried it over 2 weeks. 

But I eat almost exclusively seafood for dinner on a cruise & that was a struggle. 
Odd fish choices, little seafood.

I did enjoy the bacon wrapped shrimp on cheese grits both weeks tho!

 

Speciality dining.

OK--this is where things get much better. (but honestly, Celebrity & Princess MDR give these restaurants a run for their $--plus they offer escargots, lobster, filets, etc in the MDR)

 

My favs, in order

1--Ocean Blue. Ate twice. Waterfront. Ordered the EXACT SAME MEAL TWICE it was that good!

Scallops on crisp pork belly

Beet salad (BEAUTIFUL)

Sea bass

Scalloped potatoes

Brussel sprouts 

(those sides were DIVINE)

Chocolate dessert 1st time (too chocolatey for me--no biggie, full anyway) & sorbet 2nd time

 

2--Cagneys, Waterfront. Heard 3 reports of bad meals 1st week so cancelled. Glad I tried 2nd week!

VERY good!

Brought me gluten free cheese bread from Moderna upon my request!

Ahi tuna tartare

Grilled fisherman's platter (calamari is a "steak"--not a fan of it that way)

Scalloped potatoes

Raspberry creme brulee

(yes, it's a steakhouse. But a girl from Nebraska knows ordering a steak on a ship is a risk--plus they are typically grass fed & I prefer corn fed)

 

3--Le Bistro--too bad this isn't on the waterfront. I think it would be a better choice than La Cucina, which never seemed very busy

Escargots

Crab/salmon appy

Dover Sole--uh, found out I do NOT like Dover Sole. It is not flaky tho it looks like a flaky fish. It is more meaty like swordfish or shark--which, guess what, I DON'T LIKE.

Bless the server's heart, she knew I didn't like it after 1 bite. I assured her that it was ME & not their preparation. They brought me Fruits de Mer which was much better.

Orange Bavarian cream dessert--REALLY good.

 

4--Teppenyaki--this is the one I swapped out for Cagneys week 1 

I had not planned to eat there--we have Teppenyaki at home! 

I wish I had kept Cagneys.

It was entertaining.

I had shrimp & scallops. 

Food was solid but nothing to write home about

 

5--Shanghai Noodles.

OK this was when I was still listed as "gluten free" (as was Teppenyaki) which DID NOT HELP.

It was fine.

Ive had better Asian meals at fast food at home.

 

OK--THE BAD.

THE GLUTEN ISSUE.

I had submitted a form saying I was gluten sensitive (NOT celiac, NOT gluten free)

On Princess last month I was treated like a queen.

They made me gluten free stuff ALL THE TIME. And it was GREAT. 

 

The first few days of week 1, they were the "gluten cops"

I am NOT blaming crew--they are doing what they are told. 

But I am an adult, I put in the form & it did NOT say "gluten free"

They would ABSOLUTELY NOT serve me ANYTHING with any gluten at all.

Even when I told them that in sauces & such it doesn't bother me.

 

So Weds week 1 I went to the dining reservations desk & they took my gluten free notice OFF. 

It never came up again (well, once, late 2nd week, oddly but when I said it was taken off he was good)

 

 

 

 

 

[KKB]

I have a couple gripes.  DO NOT get me wrong.

Had a GREAT time. Would sail them again (and will be!)

 

OK. Vibe.

Vibe was nice. But typically HOT HOT HOT.

And NO POOL? (Oh, and btw, WTH thought basically one pool would be enough for 4K passengers?)

Service was great. 
Loungers nice.

But I determined with 4 port days either I was on port or I was at the very uncrowded pool area while everyone else was in port!

Plus once I tweaked my knee (which was in Vibe--handrails not placed well), getting up the 2 flights to Vibe was not fun.

 

So on TUESDAY of week 1 I went to guest services to request Vibe be removed for WEEK 2. 

I had pre-paid both weeks.

They said I would have to cancel the way I booked.

Uh, I called, not possible. 

So they took my info & said they would get back to me.

I even tried Live Chat on the website--they also said I would have to call.

Late on day 7 I get a call saying they had emailed home office about it but had not gotten a reply.

Needless to say I NEVER got a reply.

 

Funny, I can cancel my prebooked shore excursion 48 hours prior simply by putting CANCEL on my ticket & dropping it in a slot but you cannot do this? C'mon.

 

Also, 2nd room key wouldn't work. Took 45 min to correct it!

NO I didn't wait in line 45 min--it took 45 min to correct it! WHAT?

 

I really did get the "nickle & diming" of NCL on this trip.

Celebrity, Princess & RCCL include lobster, filet & escargot in MDR for no extra charge.

They all have adult only areas with pools for no extra charge. 

 

When I've asked to have things done on those lines they bend over backward to make it happen.

I deliberately asked early in the week to cancel Vibe, but no.

 

We will sail NCL again.

But I will say that we are more likely to choose Celebrity or Princess over them when comparing itineraries with similar prices.

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by KKB

[KKB]

FINAL THOUGHTS--the REALLY good ones!

 

Again--I had a GREAT time. 

Met SO SO many people both weeks--both crew & passengers.

I did find chatting with people at bars easier on NCL than Princess.

I WOULD give solid edge to NCL over Princess for solo travelers. 

I am not sure if 2 weeks is too long for me solo or just because it was 2 weeks, same itinerary.

Guess I need to try 2 weeks different itinerary solo to know for sure!

(I've done 2 weeks--one w/ DH, one w/DM & wasn't ready to get off!)

 

A few VERY unusual, very cool things happened on this ship that I want to share.

 

While at Vibe on the 2nd sea day (week 1) a woman walked in with a little BIRD on her shoulder!

She said it had landed on her shoulder on the pool deck & stayed the whole way up!

She walked around for at least 15 min up at Vibe. It wouldn't leave!

I asked her if she had lost someone recently.

She said, yes, her husband.

I believe it was him.😇

 

On turnaround day, the 30 or so of us staying on met in Bliss. (compare that to 600😳last month on Princess)
I met Debbie who lost her husband a month ago (he had been in memory care for some time)

She was doing EIGHT B2B on the Getaway..and has 10 more cruises booked the rest of the year!

She then said she had a Viking cruise booked in January & I mentioned that a Viking cruise is on my bucket list. 

Right then & there she invited me to be her roommate since she had to pay 100% solo supplement.

I did turn her down--pretty sure DH would have an issue with me spending $50K to take a world cruise without him!

 

Lastly, when I got my new key card the officer asked if Ms. Sandra was staying second week with me.

Uh, no, I sailed solo last week & still am. No idea where that came from.

Funny, Sandra is my beloved mother's name, who passed in Feb.

Well, when I dined at Cagneys the server kept calling me Sandra!

I didn't correct him, as it made me feel she was with me (she loved cruising)

When he took my card I could see his confusion.

I assured him it was me & that I didn't correct him & why.

 

I missed Mom a lot on this cruise. 

She & I were able to take a very special cruise on the Edge last summer.

Plus I had a lot of time with my thoughts. 

It's OK--cruising makes me feel closer to her.

 

I met so many great people on this cruise who welcomed me in their conversations, to sit with them at shows, to join their teams. Some we met every night. Others ebbed & flowed. 

(oh, and I swear I encountered the girl that inspired SNL's Cecily Strong's "The Girl You Wish You Never Started a Conversation With" at Bar 21 one night. Hilarious!)

 

Of course, we pretty much do that on every cruise. 
It really is the best part of cruising.

 

I adore travel--the planning, the forums, the actual trip & the sharing after. 

Thank you for letting me share this.

 

I am now in Fort Worth to help our daughter pack & move into her 1st house. 

I may try to download pics later but that is much more time consuming...

The movers come Thursday; if I find I have some time, I will add them. 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by KKB

[smillerholmes]

15 hours ago, KKB said:

Food--the good & the BAD.

 

We typically each buffet for breakfast, burger or pizza by the pool for lunch & MDR for dinner.

 

Breakfast--yep, mostly buffet. Occasional MDR & OSheehans once. 

All solid--tough to screw up breakfast!

(OH--I did have a coffee maker in my room so was able to have my cup each morning as I got ready--LOVE THAT)

 

Lunch--Uh....this was a STRUGGLE.

We LOVED OSheehans in 2019 & it was mediocre at best. And I tried it SEVERAL different times.

(at midnight not many choices!)

Pizza & burgers are there but not fresh like those pool grills (plus...gluten...get to that in a minute)

I tried almost every protein--chewy, dry, tasteless. Except hot dogs🤪

 

SO I regrouped.

I will make a salad everyday for lunch--I will be good!

WELL, by the middle of week 1 this was NOT an option.

Romaine had lots of brown--I couldn't even pick around it there was so much.

Spring mix was completely wilted.

OMG.

Luckily they had a tomato cucumber salad I liked--so it was that, fruit & a hot dog daily.

NOW when I had time (I like to do a lot!), I did eat lunch at MDR. 

It was much better than buffet but lots of gluten options make it tough.

(week 2 the salad was WONDERFUL, and that it what I had daily)

 

Dinner

OK I was BUSY the beginning of week 1 & hit buffet ...and no surprise same issues as lunch.

By the middle of week 1 I was VERY VERY frustrated with food. 
So I added 2 more speciality dining for week 2--a total of 4 the 2nd week.

Once I gave up the buffet things improved GREATLY.

(although week 2 I did grab some nachos on MX night that were vastly better than OSheehans & the shrimp out on seafood night were huge!)

 

MDR was solid the several times I tried it over 2 weeks. 

But I eat almost exclusively seafood for dinner on a cruise & that was a struggle. 
Odd fish choices, little seafood.

I did enjoy the bacon wrapped shrimp on cheese grits both weeks tho!

 

Speciality dining.

OK--this is where things get much better. (but honestly, Celebrity & Princess MDR give these restaurants a run for their $--plus they offer escargots, lobster, filets, etc in the MDR)

 

My favs, in order

1--Ocean Blue. Ate twice. Waterfront. Ordered the EXACT SAME MEAL TWICE it was that good!

Scallops on crisp pork belly

Beet salad (BEAUTIFUL)

Sea bass

Scalloped potatoes

Brussel sprouts 

(those sides were DIVINE)

Chocolate dessert 1st time (too chocolatey for me--no biggie, full anyway) & sorbet 2nd time

 

2--Cagneys, Waterfront. Heard 3 reports of bad meals 1st week so cancelled. Glad I tried 2nd week!

VERY good!

Brought me gluten free cheese bread from Moderna upon my request!

Ahi tuna tartare

Grilled fisherman's platter (calamari is a "steak"--not a fan of it that way)

Scalloped potatoes

Raspberry creme brulee

(yes, it's a steakhouse. But a girl from Nebraska knows ordering a steak on a ship is a risk--plus they are typically grass fed & I prefer corn fed)

 

3--Le Bistro--too bad this isn't on the waterfront. I think it would be a better choice than La Cucina, which never seemed very busy

Escargots

Crab/salmon appy

Dover Sole--uh, found out I do NOT like Dover Sole. It is not flaky tho it looks like a flaky fish. It is more meaty like swordfish or shark--which, guess what, I DON'T LIKE.

Bless the server's heart, she knew I didn't like it after 1 bite. I assured her that it was ME & not their preparation. They brought me Fruits de Mer which was much better.

Orange Bavarian cream dessert--REALLY good.

 

4--Teppenyaki--this is the one I swapped out for Cagneys week 1 

I had not planned to eat there--we have Teppenyaki at home! 

I wish I had kept Cagneys.

It was entertaining.

I had shrimp & scallops. 

Food was solid but nothing to write home about

 

5--Shanghai Noodles.

OK this was when I was still listed as "gluten free" (as was Teppenyaki) which DID NOT HELP.

It was fine.

Ive had better Asian meals at fast food at home.

 

OK--THE BAD.

THE GLUTEN ISSUE.

I had submitted a form saying I was gluten sensitive (NOT celiac, NOT gluten free)

On Princess last month I was treated like a queen.

They made me gluten free stuff ALL THE TIME. And it was GREAT. 

 

The first few days of week 1, they were the "gluten cops"

I am NOT blaming crew--they are doing what they are told. 

But I am an adult, I put in the form & it did NOT say "gluten free"

They would ABSOLUTELY NOT serve me ANYTHING with any gluten at all.

Even when I told them that in sauces & such it doesn't bother me.

 

So Weds week 1 I went to the dining reservations desk & they took my gluten free notice OFF. 

It never came up again (well, once, late 2nd week, oddly but when I said it was taken off he was good)

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting.  I ran into a similar issue.  I am allergic to RAW tomatoes, but anything processed is not a problem (spaghetti sauce, ketchup, etc.) which they have on file, but one night I was waiting what I thought was a loooong time for dinner, finally my server came out and stated that the chef would not allow that to be served to me because it had a tomato based sauce.  I explained that I knew it was confusing confirmed the sauce was not "freshly" made with tomatoes, explained the difference and assured him it was OK - chef still came out with one of the dining room managers before I could get my meal.  I appreciated their diligence, but this is the first I've heard of a similar instance so wanted to let you know you are not alone.   

[KKB]

25 minutes ago, smillerholmes said:

Interesting.  I ran into a similar issue.  I am allergic to RAW tomatoes, but anything processed is not a problem (spaghetti sauce, ketchup, etc.) which they have on file, but one night I was waiting what I thought was a loooong time for dinner, finally my server came out and stated that the chef would not allow that to be served to me because it had a tomato based sauce.  I explained that I knew it was confusing confirmed the sauce was not "freshly" made with tomatoes, explained the difference and assured him it was OK - chef still came out with one of the dining room managers before I could get my meal.  I appreciated their diligence, but this is the first I've heard of a similar instance so wanted to let you know you are not alone.   

I had 2 other passengers tell me to take the gluten flag off my reservation for similar experiences!

Seems they have corporate flags like “gluten free” (or “tomato allergy”) & have been told (again, guessing by corporate) to rigidly adhere to these.

That is great for celiacs or those with life threatening allergies, but it makes for a miserable experience for the many of us who are sensitive to specific items.

Again, Princess seems to be more personalized with it—accommodating my requests for gluten free pasta, bread, desserts but accepting when I say sauces are no issue m

Edited August 29, 2022 by KKB

[smillerholmes]

3 minutes ago, KKB said:

I had 2 other passengers tell me to take the gluten flag off my reservation for similar experiences!

Seems they have corporate flags like “gluten free” (or “tomato allergy”) & have been told (again, guessing by corporate) to rigidly adhere to these.

That is great for celiacs or those with life threatening allergies, but it makes for a miserable experience for the many of us who are sensitive to specific items

I am on the Getaway next month, I expect to have to emphasize the "raw" designation for tomatoes.  Honestly, I think it's a good thing that they err on the side of being more stringent.  For those for whom it is life threatening a double check when they order something can't hurt.  As for me I keep my benadryl and epi pen at the ready....

[Kruizin'Kath]

Thanks for sharing! We are on the Getaway next month and are so looking forward to it!

[graphicguy]

19 hours ago, KKB said:

Activities

1st week I hit 3 dance parties at Spice: Dancing thru the decades, 80s & 90s. Good times.

They only did the 80s of those 3 the 2nd week--not sure why, all well attended.

(tho I THINK there were closer to 4K week 1 & 3K week 2. conflicting reports, but it did feel less crowded week 2)

Both weeks they offered Caribbean party, Latin party & Glow Party.

 

I attended various trivias (even won a couple), a couple game shows. Good activities staff.

 

I surprised myself & did a couple crafts--travel journal & tech pouch. 

Both pretty cool (pretty high quality) but mostly involved stitching.

The only craft I do is scrapbooking!

 

I attended the magician the 2nd week--VERY GOOD.

I attended the male comedian both weeks--1st week he was pretty poor. 3rd show of the week & it felt like he was out of material! Tried again week 2 & I realize he really relies on the audience for his schtick. The 1st week lots of kids & I don't think that works well for him. He was OK.

 

We saw Million Dollar Quartet in 2019 & it is great--highly recommend. 
I popped into Burn the Floor for a bit. Very talented just not really my thing.

 

Casino remains horrifically smokey. 

I mostly played at the non-smoking Bar 21. Managed to hit 4 deuces once each week.

 

I did play poker tournaments each week. 4 were offered each week--2 regular & 2 to win a seat on the poker cruise in December. (DH already won us that cruise). 

They only have 1 poker table so they put us at regular gaming tables with 5-6 at each table--not really ideal for a tournament. $80-100 buy in (regular vs. one to win a seat), u start w/ 2K chips & there are unlimited rebuys anytime u are at 2K or less. Luckily there were not a lot of those in any tourney--some to be sure. Then $80-100 gets u $4K addon at break, which almost everyone does.

Out of 4 tourneys of 17-24 players, I got 7th, busted out early w/ a rebuy on the 2nd one; then week 2 I got 6th, then 5th. And they paid 3 places. UGH.

I have played poker for about 20 years. Seems about every 10 years I go thru a 2 year slump where I just don't win often. This one should be about over!!!

 

 

 

Loving the review.

 

YOu and I have had this discussion about poker tourneys.  NCL’s rebuys allow for luck to play a large roll (yes, luck helps regardless).  But, no rebuys allows for those who are more skilled to rise to the top.  I prefer the latter.

 

Solo cruising isn’t as intimidating as one would think.  I enjoy cruising with the GF and cruising solo (for very different reasons).  Both are great in their own ways.

 

Again, great review!

Edited August 29, 2022 by graphicguy

[KKB]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Loving the review.

 

YOu and I have had this discussion about poker tourneys.  NCL’s rebuys allow for luck to play a large roll (yes, luck helps regardless).  But, no rebuys allows for those who are more skilled to rise to the top.  I prefer the latter.

 

Solo cruising isn’t as intimidating as one would think.  I enjoy cruising with the GF and cruising solo (for very different reasons).  Both are great in their own ways.

 

Again, great review!

Thanks!

 

Yes, I'm not a fan of rebuys, but overall there weren't a lot so didn't affect the game immensely.'

But the 4-6/table was the tough part. The 1st 2 rounds were 30 min blinds, but BB ante started SECOND round & then rounds go to 15 min. You only start with 2K & blinds start at 100/200.

No fan of a game that only starts you with 10BB (OH, BUT YOU CAN BUY 2K MORE!), shorts the tables, starts antes 2nd blind level & 15 min. blinds at any point. NONE of that bodes well for my style of play (as proven). 

I know to chose games that fit my play best...but, alas, a captive audience!

 

Naw, solo cruising wasn't intimidating at all. I enjoyed it. Just trying to find that sweet spot--1 week perhaps? We shall see.