DocLightning wrote:

OA260 wrote:

She is former Splendour of the Seas, a Vision-class ship.

The Better Half & I took the Splendor of the Seas on an Eastern Med cruise and I really appreciated that ship. We only had an ocean view cabin but were very happy with it. Best part of the ship was the Windjammer on the front of the ship so we could relax and watch where we were going instead of where we had been.

Ken777 wrote:

The Better Half & I took the Splendor of the Seas on an Eastern Med cruise and I really appreciated that ship. We only had an ocean view cabin but were very happy with it. Best part of the ship was the Windjammer on the front of the ship so we could relax and watch where we were going instead of where we had been.

Aboard Legend the Windjammer was a fantastic place to watch the Panama Canal transit while having ready access to snacks. Given that I was 19 at the time, I had an enormous capacity for snacks.

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_explorer/

Regent Seven Seas just welcomed in the newest member of their fleet, the Seven Seas Explorer. It looks like a nice refresh over the Voyager and Mariner. Hope to catch a ride on her one day.

flynhi808 wrote:

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_explorer/

Regent Seven Seas just welcomed in the newest member of their fleet, the Seven Seas Explorer. It looks like a nice refresh over the Voyager and Mariner. Hope to catch a ride on her one day.

I am puzzled. The ship looks as if they took a Carnival ship, put a Princess funnel on her, and then branded her as RSSC. What's even stranger is RSSC isn't even a Carnival subsidiary (while Princess is), but rather a Norwegian subsidiary. She is somewhat smaller than any recent Carnival ship, though.

Looks like she's all-suite, which is RSSC's model and otherwise looks like a lovely ship. Congrats to Fincantieri and RSSC!

DocLightning wrote:

flynhi808 wrote:

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_explorer/

Regent Seven Seas just welcomed in the newest member of their fleet, the Seven Seas Explorer. It looks like a nice refresh over the Voyager and Mariner. Hope to catch a ride on her one day.

I am puzzled. The ship looks as if they took a Carnival ship, put a Princess funnel on her, and then branded her as RSSC. What's even stranger is RSSC isn't even a Carnival subsidiary (while Princess is), but rather a Norwegian subsidiary. She is somewhat smaller than any recent Carnival ship, though.

Looks like she's all-suite, which is RSSC's model and otherwise looks like a lovely ship. Congrats to Fincantieri and RSSC!

Well she does have the "Epic" hump above her bridge which shows her heritage, but to be fair, from the outside I have never thought that any of Regents ships were attractive.

Some may remember back in February the Anthem of the Sea was caught in a huge storm resulting in some damage to the ship, well I just came across this :

http://www.vesselzone.com/2016/07/14/vi ... mph-winds/

Skip to 1:15 of the video

jetwet1 wrote:

Some may remember back in February the Anthem of the Sea was caught in a huge storm resulting in some damage to the ship, well I just came across this :

http://www.vesselzone.com/2016/07/14/vi ... mph-winds/

Skip to 1:15 of the video

Deck 12/13/14 for me

OA260 wrote:

jetwet1 wrote:

Some may remember back in February the Anthem of the Sea was caught in a huge storm resulting in some damage to the ship, well I just came across this :

http://www.vesselzone.com/2016/07/14/vi ... mph-winds/

Skip to 1:15 of the video

Deck 12/13/14 for me

Heck no, i'm one of those people that enjoys a good storm, I would have been right where those guys were.

OA260 wrote:

Deck 12/13/14 for me

Sure about that? You would feel that ship rocking in the waves more on those levels compared to the bottom of the ship. But maybe that is what you want?

jetwet1 wrote:

from the outside I have never thought that any of Regents ships were attractive.

Well at least they don't have an AIDA paint scheme going on. And of course the inside is a different story.

AirPacific747 wrote:

OA260 wrote:

Deck 12/13/14 for me

Sure about that? You would feel that ship rocking in the waves more on those levels compared to the bottom of the ship. But maybe that is what you want?

I always go for higher deck. I do not get seasick I have been in pretty rough seas up near the Arctic Circle in Winter and TATL crossings.

OA260 wrote:

jetwet1 wrote:

Some may remember back in February the Anthem of the Sea was caught in a huge storm resulting in some damage to the ship, well I just came across this :

http://www.vesselzone.com/2016/07/14/vi ... mph-winds/

Skip to 1:15 of the video

Deck 12/13/14 for me

The OP mentions that he's a performer, so he was probably given a courtesy cabin in a lower class down near the waterline. If performers are not cruise ship staff, they do not usually get crew quarters

It would still be fun, we were on the Zuiderdam playing hide and seek with hurricane Ivan, even though the ship stayed well away from the hurricane the wave action was still significant, you could feel every wave hitting the bow. Sitting in our spa at night the spray being illuminated by the ships lights was very pretty.


On a different subject, going back to another thread there was a discussion about transportation Pacific cruises, the wife and i are looking at taking one now, as the south pacific is an area we really have not been to, is there any must visit islands, most of the voyages hit Fiji which the wife wants visit.

Cuba cruises on hold at Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean International is all prepared to go to Cuba, having spent $50 million refurbishing the 1,840-passenger Empress of the Seas for the itinerary.

But lacking permission from the Cuban government, Royal Caribbean has put the ship into a holding pattern itinerary, sailing four- and five-night cruises from Miami to familiar stops such as Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

This week, the company extended its schedule of such cruises available for booking through Oct. 29, signaling it will be at least November before Cuba cruises can start.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cr ... /87724166/

Only 6 days left until I set sail on Norwegian Escape this Saturday!

This is the craniofacial group cruise I started planning last summer, and is the first of what I hope to be a recurring tradition. I want to keep offering this cruise (Fabulous Faces at Sea) in future years to the craniofacial community.

After I get back from this cruise, I will probably post a cruise trip report.

My next cruise, Star Trek: The Cruise (on NCL Pearl) is coming up in January 2017.

SmithAir747

Cruise ship adrift with up to 4,500 aboard hit by engine failure

‘Grand class’ type vessel 17 decks tall shelves visit after power failure 40km off Dublin
A large cruise ship with almost 4,500 people on board was adrift for nine hours in the Irish Sea due to engine failure.
The 290m-long (950ft-long) Caribbean Princess was forced to abandon a scheduled visit to Dublin Port this week, due to the seriousness of the incident which occurred 25 miles southeast of the city off the Wicklow coast on Wednesday.
The 17-deck-tall “grand class” ship eventually regained power in the evening and made its way to Belfast port, where it berthed early on yesterday morning.
Holyhead Coast Guard despatched a tug and helicopter to the ship, which had 3,306 passengers and 1,158 crew on board when it lost power in British waters.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/ ... -1.2745555

It was the Caribbean Princess, we've been on here a couple of times, nice ship, except the beds are lousy LOL

Funnily enough, on one of the cruises my wife had just finished showering for dinner and plugged in her blow dryer, the ship went dead at that moment, it was probably 20 minutes until they restored power, it was a very strange moment, though I had a hard time not laughing as this damn hairdryer that I had carted around the world looked like a GE90 and sounded like it as well, she of course was not amused.

jetwet1 wrote:

It was the Caribbean Princess, we've been on here a couple of times, nice ship, except the beds are lousy LOL

Funnily enough, on one of the cruises my wife had just finished showering for dinner and plugged in her blow dryer, the ship went dead at that moment, it was probably 20 minutes until they restored power, it was a very strange moment, though I had a hard time not laughing as this damn hairdryer that I had carted around the world looked like a GE90 and sounded like it as well, she of course was not amused.

I was onboard when it came to Belfast but escaped the beds as it was only a tour

You were lucky, for some reason Princess picked beds right out of the Spanish inquisition catalog, though with the Regal Princess they witched to something that was actually comfortable.

Dang...only 3 months left until Norwegian Epic. That should be a fun, relaxing week. Gonna buy the shore excursions next month.

I just got back yesterday from my 8-night cruise aboard Norwegian Escape, where I hosted my mom and 16 other people as a group for my first Fabulous Faces at Sea Craniofacial Cruise. It was an opportunity for me to share my experiences living with the rare craniofacial syndrome Treacher Collins syndrome, and for my mother to share her experiences raising me as her son and the challenges that came with raising me. Our group consisted of the family and friends who have had the experience of raising a child with Treacher Collins syndrome. We spent 8 days (August 6-14) aboard NCL Escape, which departed Miami and visited St. Maarten, St. Thomas (USVI), Tortola (British Virgin Islands), and Nassau (Bahamas).

I plan to continue hosting Fabulous Faces at Sea Craniofacial Cruises in the coming years for those with craniofacial conditions as a way to gather, have fun, and share our experiences in the setting of a cruise.

Look for my cruise trip report (and photos) soon! (I will most likely post it as a thread of its own.)

SmithAir747

Kiwirob wrote:

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 52):
QUEEN MARY 2 REFIT- THE LOWDOWN
But of a self gloss, I sold all the new LED lighting that they will install in the crew accommodation and crew dining room.

Nice!

OA260 wrote:

I always go for higher deck. I do not get seasick I have been in pretty rough seas up near the Arctic Circle in Winter and TATL crossings.

So do I. I usually don't get seasick, but even if I did, it'd be worth it as I prefer being on the upper floor

Crystal Cruises are currently sailing through the Northwest Passage with the ship Crystal Serenity. A cruise itinerary that has been heavily criticised because of the dangerous route which includes unpredictable weather and possible ice bergs which the ship is not built to handle. Guests have paid up to €100,000 for a ticket and the cruise was sold out in three weeks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruis ... t-passage/

Ship tracker:

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/de ... 20SERENITY

Edit: this tracker seems more up to date:

https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=70. ... 08/-129.11

For those of us who want to sail solo on a cruise, here is my list of cruise ships that offer single-occupancy cabins (designed and priced for one), current to the best of my knowledge:

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE (NCL has specially designed Studio cabins--inside cabins for solos--in an access-controlled area with Studio Lounge.):

*Epic (120 Studios)
*Escape (82 Studios)
*Breakaway (59 Studios)
*Getaway (59 Studios)
*Pride of America (4 Studios--but this ship has no dedicated Studio Lounge)

I highly recommend NCL for solo travellers, based on my recent cruise experience on Escape, where my mom and I had adjoining Studio cabins, and all the amenities they have for solos aboard ship.

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE:

*Prisendam (3 singles)
*Koningsdam (12 oceanview singles)

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL:

*Quantum of the Seas (28 inside and balcony studios)
*Ovation of the Seas (28 inside and balcony studios)
*Anthem of the Seas (28 inside and balcony studios)
*Harmony of the Seas (15 inside and balcony studios)

COSTA CRUISES:

*Costa Favolosa (17 inside and outside singles)
*Costa Fascinosa (17 inside and outside singles)

CUNARD LINE:

*Queen Elizabeth (8 oceanview singles, 1 inside single)
*Queen Victoria (9 singles)
*Queen Mary 2 (15 oceanview singles, after recent refit)

P&O CRUISES:

*Azura (18 inside and outside singles)
*Britannia (27 inside and balcony singles)
*Ventura (18 inside singles)
*Oriana (2 inside singles)
*Arcadia (6 inside and balcony singles)
*Aurora (4 outside singles)

FRED. OLSEN CRUISE LINE (all ships in fleet have singles):

*Balmoral (64 inside, oceanview, and balcony singles)
*Boudicca (43 inside, oceanview, and balcony singles)
*Braemar (40 inside, oceanview, and balcony singles)
*Black Watch (43 inside and oceanview singles)

CRUISE & MARITIME VOYAGES (CMV):

*Magellan (150 superior interior and oceanview twin cabins set aside for singles with a 25% supplement on superior category 3 and 9 twin prices. Plus, there are dedicated interior and oceanview singles, but number of these is unknown.)
*Marco Polo (15 inside and oceanview singles)
*Astor (8 inside and oceanview singles)
*Astoria (10 inside and oceanview singles)
*Columbus (Multiple categories of inside and oceanview singles, number unknown)

Again, this list is current to the best of my knowledge of what lines and ships have single-occupancy cabins, but if you know of any more, let me know.

SmithAir747

SmithAir747 wrote:

For those of us who want to sail solo on a cruise, here is my list of cruise ships that offer single-occupancy cabins (designed and priced for one), current to the best of my knowledge:

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE (NCL has specially designed Studio cabins--inside cabins for solos--in an access-controlled area with Studio Lounge.):

*Escape (82 Studios)
*Breakaway (59 Studios)
*Getaway (59 Studios)
*Pride of America (4 Studios)

Don't forget Norwegian Epic which has, from memory, around 120 studios. Pride of America does not have a dedicated Studio Lounge although they will still offer solo-traveller events, as do all ships.

Great list. Thanks.

Mark

jetwet1 wrote:

DocLightning wrote:

flynhi808 wrote:

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_explorer/

Regent Seven Seas just welcomed in the newest member of their fleet, the Seven Seas Explorer. It looks like a nice refresh over the Voyager and Mariner. Hope to catch a ride on her one day.

I am puzzled. The ship looks as if they took a Carnival ship, put a Princess funnel on her, and then branded her as RSSC. What's even stranger is RSSC isn't even a Carnival subsidiary (while Princess is), but rather a Norwegian subsidiary. She is somewhat smaller than any recent Carnival ship, though.

Looks like she's all-suite, which is RSSC's model and otherwise looks like a lovely ship. Congrats to Fincantieri and RSSC!

Well she does have the "Epic" hump above her bridge which shows her heritage, but to be fair, from the outside I have never thought that any of Regents ships were attractive.

She was ordered in July 2013 which was well before Norwegian Cruise Line had any relationship with Prestige Cruise Holdings, so there's no "heritage" link.

Mark

bananaboy wrote:

jetwet1 wrote:

DocLightning wrote:

I am puzzled. The ship looks as if they took a Carnival ship, put a Princess funnel on her, and then branded her as RSSC. What's even stranger is RSSC isn't even a Carnival subsidiary (while Princess is), but rather a Norwegian subsidiary. She is somewhat smaller than any recent Carnival ship, though.

Looks like she's all-suite, which is RSSC's model and otherwise looks like a lovely ship. Congrats to Fincantieri and RSSC!

Well she does have the "Epic" hump above her bridge which shows her heritage, but to be fair, from the outside I have never thought that any of Regents ships were attractive.

She was ordered in July 2013 which was well before Norwegian Cruise Line had any relationship with Prestige Cruise Holdings, so there's no "heritage" link.

Mark

Ahh okay, thanks for the info, so no heritage, just two ugly designs lol

bananaboy wrote:

SmithAir747 wrote:

For those of us who want to sail solo on a cruise, here is my list of cruise ships that offer single-occupancy cabins (designed and priced for one), current to the best of my knowledge:

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE (NCL has specially designed Studio cabins--inside cabins for solos--in an access-controlled area with Studio Lounge.):

*Escape (82 Studios)
*Breakaway (59 Studios)
*Getaway (59 Studios)
*Pride of America (4 Studios)

Don't forget Norwegian Epic which has, from memory, around 120 studios. Pride of America does not have a dedicated Studio Lounge although they will still offer solo-traveller events, as do all ships.

Great list. Thanks.

Mark

Thanks for your comment; I just updated my list with the addition of Epic with 120 studios and also the addition of the comment on Pride of America having no Studio Lounge.

SmithAir747

Updates from TUI about their cruise program for 2017 .



.

OA260 wrote:

Updates from TUI about their cruise program for 2017 .

MS TUI Discovery 2 is formerly MS Legend of the Seas. I sailed aboard her in December 1996.

The good ship Anthem of the Seas seems to have had another encounter with a storm, although this time with much less intensity.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/cruise-ship-an ... d=41871393

Carnival Corp. (CCL) Enters Agreement to Purchase Three, LNG-Powered Cruise Ships

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL)(NYSE: CUK) signed a memorandum of agreement with leading German and Finnish shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku to deliver three additional next-generation cruise ships that will be fully powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the cleanest burning fossil fuel in the world. The shipbuilding agreements are subject to several conditions, including satisfactory financing.

Carnival Corporation said two of the new LNG-powered ships are designated for the world's most popular cruise brand, Carnival Cruise Line, and will be built by Meyer Turku at its shipyard in Turku, Finland, with delivery dates expected in 2020 and 2022. The new ship for P&O Cruises UK will be built by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with an expected delivery date in 2020. In conjunction with the order, the delivery dates for the new builds for Germany-based AIDA Cruises and Italy-based Costa Cruises for 2020 will shift to 2021 to allow the company to more effectively allocate measured capacity growth across its 10 global cruise brands in more markets throughout the world.

http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+ ... Corp.+(CCL)+Enters+Agreement+to+Purchase+Three,+LNG-Powered+Cruise+Ships/12002280.html

OA260 wrote:

Carnival Corp. (CCL) Enters Agreement to Purchase Three, LNG-Powered Cruise Ships

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL)(NYSE: CUK) signed a memorandum of agreement with leading German and Finnish shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku to deliver three additional next-generation cruise ships that will be fully powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the cleanest burning fossil fuel in the world. The shipbuilding agreements are subject to several conditions, including satisfactory financing.

Carnival Corporation said two of the new LNG-powered ships are designated for the world's most popular cruise brand, Carnival Cruise Line, and will be built by Meyer Turku at its shipyard in Turku, Finland, with delivery dates expected in 2020 and 2022. The new ship for P&O Cruises UK will be built by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with an expected delivery date in 2020. In conjunction with the order, the delivery dates for the new builds for Germany-based AIDA Cruises and Italy-based Costa Cruises for 2020 will shift to 2021 to allow the company to more effectively allocate measured capacity growth across its 10 global cruise brands in more markets throughout the world.

http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+ ... Corp.+(CCL)+Enters+Agreement+to+Purchase+Three,+LNG-Powered+Cruise+Ships/12002280.html

What the Carnival LNG ships may look like. The Oasis is wider and bigger and holds 6,000 people.
6,000 people in a ship that does not look much bigger than the new Vista Class.

Two Killed After German Cruise Ship Rams Into Bridge

A cruise ship collides with a rail bridge in southern Germany, killing the 49-year-old driver and a 33-year-old sailor.
Two crew members have been killed after a cruise ship rammed into a bridge in southern Germany.

Police said the driver's cabin was crushed under the rail bridge, killing the 49-year-old at the wheel and a 33-year-old sailor.

The other 47 crew members and 181 passengers were unhurt.

http://news.sky.com/story/two-killed-af ... e-10574294

OA260 wrote:

Two Killed After German Cruise Ship Rams Into Bridge

A cruise ship collides with a rail bridge in southern Germany, killing the 49-year-old driver and a 33-year-old sailor.
Two crew members have been killed after a cruise ship rammed into a bridge in southern Germany.

Police said the driver's cabin was crushed under the rail bridge, killing the 49-year-old at the wheel and a 33-year-old sailor.

The other 47 crew members and 181 passengers were unhurt.

http://news.sky.com/story/two-killed-af ... e-10574294

The boat (wouldn't call this a ship) is a Viking River Cruises river boat. These vessels feature retractible wheelhouses, but for whatever reason they failed to retract prior to passing beneath the bridge.

Finished buying offshore excursions for my upcoming trip. Anyone who's traveled on NCL, would you recommend the spa pass? They're currently selling a Thermal Suite pass that's unlimited. If I opt to use it every day of the trip (which I may end up doing), it actually comes to a decent price.

Also (this is for everyone), what clothing would you suggest I bring? Tank tops and shorts are a must, but for dining I feel a polo, jeans, and tennis shoes may be just too casual. I'll be dining one or two nights in a fancy restaurant so I know a long sleeved shirt or dockers will do (maybe with a blazer), but for the main dining room...I don't know.

einsteinboricua wrote:

Finished buying offshore excursions for my upcoming trip. Anyone who's traveled on NCL, would you recommend the spa pass? They're currently selling a Thermal Suite pass that's unlimited. If I opt to use it every day of the trip (which I may end up doing), it actually comes to a decent price.

Also (this is for everyone), what clothing would you suggest I bring? Tank tops and shorts are a must, but for dining I feel a polo, jeans, and tennis shoes may be just too casual. I'll be dining one or two nights in a fancy restaurant so I know a long sleeved shirt or dockers will do (maybe with a blazer), but for the main dining room...I don't know.

I was just on a NCL cruise (NCL Escape, August 6-14). For the main dining rooms, you don't need to be as fancy as for the specialty restaurants, just nice and clean cut (eg, casual, no swimwear). NCL are known for their Freestyle dining and no real strict dress codes. I'm going on NCL again in January 2017, and probably in January 2018 and April 2018.

I didn't use any spa or salon facilities, so I cannot speak for those.

SmithAir747

einsteinboricua wrote:

Finished buying offshore excursions for my upcoming trip. Anyone who's traveled on NCL, would you recommend the spa pass? They're currently selling a Thermal Suite pass that's unlimited. If I opt to use it every day of the trip (which I may end up doing), it actually comes to a decent price.

Also (this is for everyone), what clothing would you suggest I bring? Tank tops and shorts are a must, but for dining I feel a polo, jeans, and tennis shoes may be just too casual. I'll be dining one or two nights in a fancy restaurant so I know a long sleeved shirt or dockers will do (maybe with a blazer), but for the main dining room...I don't know.

The spa on Norwegian Escape is excellent, one of the largest afloat and you'll save a bit of money pre-purchasing.

Regarding what to pack, jeans are fine in many restaurants except Le Bistro and generally one of the main dining rooms on board. You'll be fine for most restaurants otherwise and for the "Norwegian Night Out" which is the version of a formal night, a jacket would be appropriate if you want to take part.

Pack what would for a resort-style holiday and when you're onboard, you'll be able to see the restaurants first hand and gauge what is appropriate, just as you would on land.

She is a great ship.

Mark

Yeah I have read up on Carnival Cruise Lines interest in the 180,000 ton ship. It would be interesting to see it with the distinctive Carnival funnel and red stripe. Until now I did not think that Carnival was interested in ships any larger than the Dream and Vista class.

I plan on taking a cruise in December (NCL Getaway to W. Caribbean.) Price wise, are all cruise booking sites pretty much the same? I'm torn between getting a balcony room or splurging for a suite. Any comments on NCL's "The Haven?"

william wrote:

What the Carnival LNG ships may look like. The Oasis is wider and bigger and holds 6,000 people.
6,000 people in a ship that does not look much bigger than the new Vista Class.

Interesting that they are going with a straight stem, similar to the Aida ships. I wonder whether the engines will be turbines or recips.

drew777 wrote:

I plan on taking a cruise in December (NCL Getaway to W. Caribbean.) Price wise, are all cruise booking sites pretty much the same? I'm torn between getting a balcony room or splurging for a suite. Any comments on NCL's "The Haven?"

My parents booked into the owners suite on their last cruise in July. They loved it.

Booked 3 more cruises for this year in the "Owners Suite" and currently looking at next years itineraries with NCL.

They usually mix up cruises with Royal Carribean, P&O and Cunard. So I guess NCL did something right.

drew777 wrote:

I plan on taking a cruise in December (NCL Getaway to W. Caribbean.) Price wise, are all cruise booking sites pretty much the same? I'm torn between getting a balcony room or splurging for a suite. Any comments on NCL's "The Haven?"

They are all going to be in the same ballpark, there was a time when agencies were using part of their commission to discount the cruise even more, but the lines pretty much stamped that out. What you will see however is agencies offering freebies, normally this allows you to select one from a list of maybe 6-7 things they will throw in for free, so it is worth doing a little shopping around.

We looked at booking a Haven family suite a while back for a family vacation, I personally like the idea of a quiet area away from the crowds, it's again a personal preference, but the suites in the Haven are going to be a lot nicer than any standard balcony room, but again, it's down to you and your priorities, if you are not going to be spending much time in your cabin or you are going to be spending more time out partying in the main areas of the ship, I would save the $$ and book a regular cabin.

drew777 wrote:

I plan on taking a cruise in December (NCL Getaway to W. Caribbean.) Price wise, are all cruise booking sites pretty much the same? I'm torn between getting a balcony room or splurging for a suite. Any comments on NCL's "The Haven?"

Do shop around though as some have their own promotions where NCL will offer that company a booking incentive like extra OBC or one Cat upgrade etc.. Also NCL have their own promos offering things like free drinks/Wifi etc.. I would say try 5-6 different well known sites just to check. The Haven is a lovely place to be and I have experienced it on a few NCL ships. I have noticed that NCL prices have gone up quite a bit over the last few years but that was always going to happen as they got more popular especially in the UK market. They are growing in the Irish market also as previously even though Ireland uses the Euro they had to book in UK pounds. Seems NCL finally realised they were snubbing an important market and now offer Euro pricing in Ireland. They are the same or more than RCI these days. I was recently pricing a cruise for myself and quickly crossed NCL off as other higher grade lines had better deals. I am looking forward to the Jade coming back to the UK next year though and will certainly be booking a trip on it. Love that ship more so then the bigger ones.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Carnival Vista induced tsunami in Italy. Her azipods showed sheer power after the ship came within feet of striking a Marina. She pulled away safely but the water motion flooded the Marina and eventually made it break, with the smaller boats crashing into each other.

Video from ship
Video from the marina

bananaboy wrote:

The spa on Norwegian Escape is excellent, one of the largest afloat and you'll save a bit of money pre-purchasing.

Regarding what to pack, jeans are fine in many restaurants except Le Bistro and generally one of the main dining rooms on board. You'll be fine for most restaurants otherwise and for the "Norwegian Night Out" which is the version of a formal night, a jacket would be appropriate if you want to take part.

Pack what would for a resort-style holiday and when you're onboard, you'll be able to see the restaurants first hand and gauge what is appropriate, just as you would on land.

She is a great ship.

Mark

I bit the bullet and bought the pass. Came to $179, which if I use at least 6 times, comes to almost $30/visit.

As for what to pack...looks like I'll need to do some shopping. I have a couple of nights for Moderno (the churrascaria) and I may book one in Teppanyaki. Part of my cruise deal was passes to the specialty restaurants so I'd definitely want to dress a bit more formal for those nights.

Well I have gone and done it, booked on the QM 2, Dec 15th crossing from Southampton.

I booked a Princcess Grill cabin, though honestly, if trends of the last few years keeps up I will switch to a Queens Grill (around Sept each year for the last 3 years the prices have halved for that Dec) so it will bring the Queens Grill suites into a more palatable range.

jetwet1 wrote:

Well I have gone and done it, booked on the QM 2, Dec 15th crossing from Southampton.

I booked a Princcess Grill cabin, though honestly, if trends of the last few years keeps up I will switch to a Queens Grill (around Sept each year for the last 3 years the prices have halved for that Dec) so it will bring the Queens Grill suites into a more palatable range.

Let us know how it goes. I've been meaning to do a crossing myself, and now with the studio cabins, I'm thinking about doing it next year.

jetwet1 wrote:

Well I have gone and done it, booked on the QM 2, Dec 15th crossing from Southampton.

Congrats I know you have been wanting to take that trip. I am also going to book my second QM2 TATL crossing for next year all being well.

----

I got invited onboard Regal Princess in Belfast. It was one of her final ports of call before heading over to Boston. I had been on the Royal Princess so knew I would love Regal. Really had a great day and wonderful crew. Cant wait to see Majestic next year .

A few pics I took. It was eventually a lovely sunny day and 21c/70F after the morning fog cleared so they were lucky.




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