Miscellaneous Tell Us About Your Cruise

[MarkSax]

Wasn’t just one. Holland America/Windstar Cruises, P&O, Caravan.

It’s a while ago, I think the rats are mostly a thing of the past now.

Uh? Hantavirus?

 

[mrblackbat]

That’s why I said mostly.

 

[PigSquealer]

is that a Moto Guzzi?

Yes, a 1973 850 El Dorado. I’m the second owner. My kind of cruise ship.

 

[Woodpad]

Wasn’t just one. Holland America/Windstar Cruises, P&O, Caravan.

It’s a while ago, I think the rats are mostly a thing of the past now.

Are they caught by snakes?

 

[jonf]

Anyone been on a river cruise in Europe? I'm pondering going on a Rhine or Danube cruise.

 

[Grumps]

But for a Disney cruise I took with my family at the turn of the century, I've only been on Carnival since. It's true. With Carnival you're on the Walmart at Sea... of if you're on one of the giant boats that hold about five thousand... that would be the Super Walmart at Sea, which was our last such voyage. That one, though the boat was enormous and had multiple guest options as if in a small city, just was polarizing otherwise when dealing with the people. To give you an example... on the second to last day of the cruise, your account is hit with the suggested gratuities charge. If you didn't pay them in advance, that's when they show up on your bill. Now you can have them removed, if you go to the customer service desk... which people do. In droves. In fact, if you have anything to do anywhere near the customer service desk on that second to last day... you had better do it another time. The line will reach midship from the far back end; and it was a really, really big boat. But I get it. If you tell folks that tipping is optional, they just may not do it. I know it's different for Europeans, but here in the States it's a really silly game, and even here not all cultures abide. But there they are, those folks who spend that second to last day in line avoiding about eighty bucks in charges... because you know... they're going to give their own tips... wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

But Carnival focuses on FUN, and they can be if you're in the right frame of mind. There's a port within thirty miles of my town and we can just get on one of their smaller boats to Bermuda or the Caribbean, pretty much on a whim. No airfare required, we park about a hundred feet away from the terminal and it's easy on and easy out. Now I do like to dress up and always bring my tux for elegant night. But that's dead these days. Before covid even Carnival enforced dress codes. Now you see guys in baseball caps and t-shirts in the main dining room. It just ruins the experience, and probably why if I ever go on another one, it's going to be on something like Seabourn where people respect each other enough to realize what they're paying for. And yeah, I get it. The guy in the baseball cap and t-shirt paid for his cruise too. That's why there are NUMEROUS dining options. I remember one cruise we're on the boat early trying to catch a football game in the sports bar. I meet a guy in there from Philly who's in his puffy pants and t-shirt and that's how he's going to be for the entire cruise. He knows this and he's not even going to eat in the dining room at all. He's good with the buffet and twenty-four hour pizza. Sure, he's a slob, but he knows the rules and he's not going to ruin it for those who find great pleasure dressing up for a night in the dining room aboard a modern marvel of entertainment.

I like to think of a cruise ship as a sort of mobile hotel. Just on that last boat out of Miami I was able to see Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and the Dominican Republic all in the same week. Heck, we even explored Miami and Little Havana. And then got sick when we got home...

 

[MikeMorrell]

I've only ever been have been on one-day 'cruises' to a Dutch national park. Once on a (small) cruise-boat on a company outing. The 2nd time with a group of friends,

 

[lig]

How about a 2 hour harbor cruise in Seoul? 😀

Big bowl of beer cans.

Not exactly Crystal or Seabourn but scenic and fun.

 

[Jeanette]

Anyone been on a river cruise in Europe? I'm pondering going on a Rhine or Danube cruise.

Friends of ours have, loved it that much they have 2 more booked

Jx

 

[Jeanette]

European River Cruises | Riviera Travel European River Cruises

Think the above is who they use.

Jx

 

[Grumps]

We have local cruises that run out of our town's dock. One such monstrosity is a fake steamboat dubbed "the Harbor Queen" that runs from town up along a river where I grew up; and it's been a familiar site since I was a child watching it go by from our porch on the Severn. Then growing up in a sailing town, my Summer camp was basically a sailboat racing school. We'd have to navigate around it in the harbor on small craft and we had a different name for it; the Harbor Hog.

Anyhow, as an adult I played all sorts of gigs on the boat with my father's band and others over several decades. It's basically a floating barge with a bar. You bring the fun:

(from an old band flyer)

 

[Grumps]

Okay. Found some pics that might make for a seaworthy tale... though I'm too cheap to contribute enough to be able to post more than two at a time. And being too cheap of course, is gonna be the theme here as well. So let me tell you about my Bermuda wedding. Sounds expensive right? Well... it could have been. If we hadn't had a cruise booked to Bermuda from our home port. Found out how to get it done in their government office while we were there and we were set. Well... the boat had to leave in time... which it did. We had to test negative for covid... which we did. We had to wait two weeks after publishing our notice of intent to get married in the Bermuda Gazette... which we did to no objection. Then we had to dodge hurricanes in hurricane season... which we did. Then the Queen has the nerve to die and maybe mess up our timing with the government office... which it didn't. So yeah. We were set.

On our last morning in Bermuda we caught a cab to the government office... and it was a most fortunate, random selection. This guy heard about what we were doing and took great care of us. Getting us our flowers. Getting us to the government office. Waiting for us. Then getting us in the Custom House where they stamped our passports on our wedding day... then it was off for pictures at the fanciest hotel on the islands... and just for a small bribe. Everybody there thought we'd had just gotten married at the venue and we were cheered accordingly.

Heading back to the boat on the dock, practically half the ship saw us in our getup as we made our way along the port side back to the main lobby bar. And that's my favorite spot on the Carnival smaller ships; their Atrium Bar. You can take a glass elevator ride down with the huge ceiling above, elegantly decorated midship. And everyone... I mean EVERYONE... was buying us drinks. Even the security guy who'd been seemingly tailing me for most of our trip. Yeah, he got us champagne. Then we got some sushi for back at the cabin with a bottle of Dom Perignon we brought with us (you can bring a bottle of wine or champagne for each cruiser).

You think it ended there, right? No. It was elegant night and I booked a spot at the Chef's Table. Basically a multi-course, gourmet meal that starts with a tour of the kitchen and ends up at the Chef's table. And no longer in our wedding getups, we rocked it full formal... and of course I let everyone know it was OUR party... as the new Mrs. Grumps knocked over no less than two glasses of wine on the ... Chef's table. And yeah, they hated us. Absolutely hated us. Best wedding ever though.

Now for the pictures. Here at the fancy hotel's "moongate"... which is something they have in Bermuda, apparently:

Then back onboard to the Atrium Bar feeling happy!

 

[Targa]

Okay. Found some pics that might make for a seaworthy tale... though I'm too cheap to contribute enough to be able to post more than two at a time. And being too cheap of course, is gonna be the theme here as well. So let me tell you about my Bermuda wedding. Sounds expensive right? Well... it could have been. If we hadn't had a cruise booked to Bermuda from our home port. Found out how to get it done in their government office while we were there and we were set. Well... the boat had to leave in time... which it did. We had to test negative for covid... which we did. We had to wait two weeks after publishing our notice of intent to get married in the Bermuda Gazette... which we did to no objection. Then we had to dodge hurricanes in hurricane season... which we did. Then the Queen has the nerve to die and maybe mess up our timing with the government office... which it didn't. So yeah. We were set.

On our last morning in Bermuda we caught a cab to the government office... and it was a most fortunate, random selection. This guy heard about what we were doing and took great care of us. Getting us our flowers. Getting us to the government office. Waiting for us. Then getting us in the Custom House where they stamped our passports on our wedding day... then it was off for pictures at the fanciest hotel on the islands... and just for a small bribe. Everybody there thought we'd had just gotten married at the venue and we were cheered accordingly.

Heading back to the boat on the dock, practically half the ship saw us in our getup as we made our way along the port side back to the main lobby bar. And that's my favorite spot on the Carnival smaller ships; their Atrium Bar. You can take a glass elevator ride down with the huge ceiling above, elegantly decorated midship. And everyone... I mean EVERYONE... was buying us drinks. Even the security guy who'd been seemingly tailing me for most of our trip. Yeah, he got us champagne. Then we got some sushi for back at the cabin with a bottle of Dom Perignon we brought with us (you can bring a bottle of wine or champagne for each cruiser).

You think it ended there, right? No. It was elegant night and I booked a spot at the Chef's Table. Basically a multi-course, gourmet meal that starts with a tour of the kitchen and ends up at the Chef's table. And no longer in our wedding getups, we rocked it full formal... and of course I let everyone know it was OUR party... as the new Mrs. Grumps knocked over no less than two glasses of wine on the ... Chef's table. And yeah, they hated us. Absolutely hated us. Best wedding ever though.

Now for the pictures. Here at the fancy hotel's "moongate"... which is something they have in Bermuda, apparently:

View attachment 34986

Then back onboard to the Atrium Bar feeling happy!

View attachment 34987

All that and no-one mentioned you’d forgotten to put your kecks on?

 

[Grumps]

The best part about dressing up on a cruise, is that they'll take some nice pictures for you. Well, they take all sorts of pictures of you from the minute you go through the terminal... but at least you can leaf through them and find something you like:

All that and no-one mentioned you’d forgotten to put your kecks on?

It's a Bermuda thing. You know... when in Rome.

Anyhow, the best part of dressing up on a cruise is getting "professional" pictures done on the way to dinner:

And you can get a crappy picture too... with all the other people on the boat that hated you:

 

[jazzdoh]

I have been on about 20 cruise's and have loved every one, absolutely had no issues on any of them, usually do 2/3 a year various companies MSC, P&O and Celebrity mostly.
Used to to go to Hotels in the med before cruising and had plenty of issue's with wild life and cleanliness.

 

[iantaylor2uk]

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