3Sisters

@LukeJ Any addiction is so sad! Sometimes it's accidental. Pain pills are prescribed so frequently in the US, it's a norm. I had a step brother who fell into the trap of pills and it was all from getting wisdom teeth pulled and taking the prescribed meds! When you have the instinct to become easily addicted, you have to be so careful. I avoid pain meds at all cost because some of my family members have battled with addiction. Can you imagine something that takes over you so strongly you loose control of yourself? The thought of that just scares me to death. I love that cruise lines are regulated to keep drugs out off of the ships. It keeps the guests in check and provides a get safety framework for everyone onboard. 

@LukeJ That's too funny! Arguments over vacations are no joke. I don't want to sound high maintenance but I require an annual cruise. I like to explore and treat my family to relaxing experiences. In fact, I prefer vacations so much that I stopped asking for birthday gifts and opt for cruises instead. I'm willing to work for my vacations too! My husband may not care about them but I will fund the whole operation and make everyone show up if that's what it takes. My children are spoiled and they know a good cruise vacation. They look forward to cruising just as much as I do. I think that's all my doing though, I hyper it up way too much, but it is so worthy of the hype! Well, opposites surely attract. Both you and I are examples of that! 

@kefthecruiser It's true. My liver is seemingly intolerant. My hangovers are unlike anything most experience. When I ask people if they experience hangover symptoms like mine, they always say no. I try to enjoy my drinks too but my limit is lower than most. I'm not a super big person and not an avid day-to-day drinker so my tolerance is low to top it off. I'm glad you agree. Sometimes I feel bad because those around me want me to participate in drinking with them and at some point, early on in the night, I stop and start drinking water. I feel like those around me get bothered because I'm "boring" but in reality I'm just trying to be able to live the next day. It's more important that I feel good than what others may perceived of me. That's a mindset that has come on and developed with maturity. 

@SteveR I hope you have an awesome time on your first solo NCL cruise. This cruise will be checking a couple of firsts for you! A solo cruise sounds like such an adventure. I love that you don't have to check in with anyone and you just do whatever you want whenever you feel like it! Will you be cruising to any new destinations on this sailing? I noticed this itinerary will go to Great Stirrup Cay and if you haven't been I think you will love it! If you are up for an adventure, you can swim with pigs. I haven't done it before, but it makes for a great photograph!

@LukeJ I think my husband could convince me of any trip honestly. I'm a get up and go type of person. He's actually the complete opposite. He likes slower weekends, sitting on the sofa, doing nothing. I could never. It has alot to do with the way he was raised. He barley took a vacation as a kid and went hardly anywhere. I traveled the US as a child, being homeschooled and moving over 15 different times! Recently my husband asked if I have ever had a "lazy Sunday", and I said absolutely not. Lazy was not in my family's vocabulary. He said every most every Sunday he would watch tv all day and nap, not leaving the house. That blows my mind. I grew up 6am wake ups, washing the cars, fixing the house, volunteering at church, truly nonstop. He asked me if I would have a lazy Sunday with him, and I said yes, if I'm deathly ill.

Cruising is a great vacation option for us. He can do what he likes, being lazy, and I can do what I want, practically everything on the daily activity sheet. 

@Old Cruiser That's true! It really depends on where you are cruising to. This may come as a shock, but I have never boarded a cruise (even a close loop cruise) without my passport. I know I could just show up with my  birth certificate and government ID, but I still use my passport anyways. Maybe after I become more and more seasoned at close loop cruising I would give it a try. I just feel more secure always having it just in case. It's one of those emergency situation ideas I have stuck in my mind. It feels like the best form of identification if there was an emergency. This whole perspective goes to show how I'm not much of a risk taker.

@FJB I do that! I follow the one glass of water per one glass of alcohol rule. It just never works out for me past a couple of drinks. And I can forget about drinking on an empty stomach. If I don't eat while I drink, I'm done for. I truly wish I could keep up with the crowd but I just can't. My husband and those around me can handle so much more than I can. Maybe I'm allergic to it, but aren't we all? I still love to participate in the fun, even though I can't keep up in the alcohol consumption department. 

@LukeJ Unfortunately humans have made choices that do destroy our environment. The motives of these choices have grown organically, like wanting faster transport or accessibility, but other choices like destroying farmlands and reducing cow emissions is something I don't support. When is comes to farming and food, I support access to real food and the farmers that supply us our food. The idea of genetically modified foods and bioengineered meats are not the best for us either. I understand the motivation for reducing emissions and protecting our environment but not at the expense of reducing farms and real food. Those manufactured that are lab growing meat are putting emissions into the air and also doing harm to our environment. It's not a great solution to the emissions of cows. 

@FJB Tell me your ways. How do you avoid a hangover? I can't handle my liquor. That's a guarantee. If I have more than three drinks in one evening, I should be under strict observation. I know my limit and I'm fine with it. It sounds like your tolerance is much better than mine! I also don't like to stay up too late, so I'm like a grandma in my 30s. 

@RoadTravelled Thanks for sharing this information with me! I had no idea that some areas require physical passports and that photo copies won't suffice. I'm glad you shared an alternate perspective. Sometimes I'm so nervous about making it back to the ship in time that I book an excursion through the line just in case, although I would have preferred to just go off and do something on my own.

@euroguy A passport card is a great idea. I guess I just haven't jumped the gun to purchase one, but passport cards are even waterproof I think. Is that correct? I love that analogy, it's better to be proactive than reactive. @FJB I'm glad you agree with me here. 

@LukeJ You could count me as one of those people who wished they were cruising everyday. It's an impractical thought unless I plan to work on a ship, but it's undoubtedly a dream of mine. I wonder if the enamor and excitement of cruising would wear off it I did it everyday. Keeping cruising novelty is really fun! If that enamor wore off, I would be sad. I never want to stop loving cruising! 

Your statistics on cruise emissions are very interesting. It's true that about the LNG ships, and they aren't always using shore power either. The motivation to use alternate fuel methods to reduce emissions is almost a scam. Electric cars and their charging stations are horrid for the environment. If you look up those details, you would find it's no better than a regular gasoline-fueled vehicle. 

@LukeJ I don't get the karaoke hype! I would rather stand up, improv comedy performed by guests. That would be the best. Also, can you imagine stand up comedy done at the bar by a brunch of intoxicated guests? It would be better than listening to drunken Mariah Carey. How about an onboard talent show? I would much prefer a variety show over the same crumby singers singing Adele and Jimmy Buffett over and over. Live music by a musician is great too, but the idea of guest participation could be fun too. Maybe they could throw in a mime. My last cruise itinerary had a few comical jugglers. I loved those acts the best! 

@LukeJ I completely agree with that. I think the decision to cut back on larger ships is a good call for the area. Cruisers have to be understanding too. As much as we would all love to cruise to every area across the globe, we have to understand cutting back on cruise guests isn't personal. There are still so many other ports of us to explore! It isn't necessarily done in an act of being exclusive either. Maybe there is a bigger picture! 

@Old Cruiser Thanks for sharing that comment. It's impressive John Heald was that bold to share his stance on leaving passports behind. I just don't think a copy is good enough in every situation. Particularly when cruising to areas with travel advisories, I don't know if it's safer to bring them along or safer not to in case your personal belongings end up being stolen. If I'm booking an excursion with the cruise line, and just doing that, the idea of bringing a passport photo copy seems like a no brainer. If I end up exploring on my own, keeping my documentation with me is a solid choice. Imagine this, you don't make it back to the ship in time because your rental car breaks down and the cruise ship leaves you behind, taking along with it everything you left in the stateroom. This situation would leave you stranded in a foreign country with no documentation! That's a big risk to take! 

@ChrisP These area all great questions. I have been looking into some cruises that embark from Southampton, but I never got as far as to dig into these travel details. I'm curious to read others responses who have cruised out of this port in the past. The drive isn't too terrible; it looks like an hour and change. I would consider the bus system and then booking an Uber to the hotel of your choice. You could always Uber the entire way from the airport in Heathrow to your hotel in Southhampton. The best idea would probably be to decide when you land. I would check the cost of the Uber for the entire drive but also be ready to hop on the bus with the schedules in mind. Convenience would likely Uber, but I'm sure the bus situation would be more economical. It will be less hassle to just Uber directly and splurge a bit. Based on other's comments, I would not rent a car and drive yourself. Apparently parking and traffic in Southampton is costly and hard to come by. I have also looked into the Moxy hotel and it looks like a good option close to the port.

@Amythest2112 You may be on to something actually! I bet Kroger does private label Turkey Hill ice cream. I wonder which wholesaler my local grocer private labels. I have seen Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Target! I haven't tried it solely due to the price, but now that you are sharing how good it is, I'm going to have to give it a try. Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is a relatively new option I think. I wonder if it would be the next big ice cream wholesaler for this cruise line! I love Haagen Dazs too; it's a classic. I don't think it could ever go out of style.

@Willie It would be cool if you could book an excursion as a singles group! I'm sure it would be difficult to get everyone onboard to book the same excursions for every port, but maybe a few of you could agree on one or two. I am planning a family cruise for early 2026! I just cruised last month and hoping to possibly squeeze another in 2025, just haven't decided when and where yet. In 2025 I have a few on land obligations and celebrations that will take precedence over a cruise next year, but I still have intentions of squeezing one in. Do you have any other cruises planned other than this exciting singles cruise?

@FJB I like you pun, "barring cruise ships." It's not the end of the world. Ideally, every port around the world would be cruiser friendly, but it's alright that that isn't the case. I want to cruise where I'm welcome. There are plenty of other cruise spots out there. @LukeJ To your point, Bar Harbor is still welcoming cruise ships! It's not like they are banned entirely, although that could obviously change. 

@Willie That's very impressive! You are a pretty avid cruiser. I have heard wonderful things about Princess Cruises, but I have yet to cruise with the line. I can't wait to hear about what your experience is like as a first-timer with Princess Cruises. Have you done a singles cruise with another line in the past? You will have a blast in the Eastern Caribbean with many singles ready to have a good time! As long as you are able to avoid hurricanes, this itinerary in June should be a great one. Usually the hurricane season starts off slow, and you will be towards the beginning of the season anyhow. Thanks for explaining how the whole single cruise works. I thought that the entire ship would be filled with singles, which sounds pretty fun! I can only imagine the group will be so lively and adventurous. Will any of the singles group be booking excursions together? 

@Woody14 The Sound of Music sing along just has me cracking up. I'm picturing a cruise crew doing a sing along to these songs and I can't do it without laughing. You surely travel with a wholesome group. Are you a Sound of Music singer? As a person who doesn't participate in the nightly themes, I find it hard to envision you sining "Do, a dear, a female dear." Do you have a cruise group that you sail with annually? I usually cruise with family or random groups, but I don't have a consistent crew to cruise with. Out of everyone we sail with, I always love cruising the most! 

@euroguy That makes so much sense! I didn't even think about the closed loop vs open loop analogy @Old Cruiser. Also, if you are willing to make all of that extra effort to hop on the ship via Bimini and pay all of those extra costs, you might as well just find another cruise itinerary that departs from the same port. Missing out on an entire cruise vacation due to flight issues is just awful. I hope you made the most of it somehow and enjoyed Tampa at least. That's disappointing for sure. After all of this mishap, did you get any sort of reimbursement from the airline? 

@FJB I'm so glad you shared your perspective! The little guys are being pushed to the side and even those necessary occupations like plumbing/electric/automotive/air conditioning aren't accessible as they once were. I don't know how to do any of those occupations, but if my AC breaks, I don't want to wait 72 hours for someone to come out and fix it because that's how long it will take until a technician is available. Our society pushes all of these "upper level" careers, but no one knows how to do anything for themselves anymore. I'm one of those people that actually can't change their oil or a tire, and that's honestly a shame. We should encourage and support all careers, including smaller mom and pop retailers because without them it wouldn't be the same! These are essential occupations.

@FJB I guess Turkey Hill is a northeastern thing! I do think they likely private label this stuff and we have all tried without realizing it at some point. I'm all about quality at an affordable price. I have been impressed with most cruise lines' ice cream if I'm being honest. I'm not much of an ice cream connoisseur but as long as the flavors are tasty and the ice cream is creamy, it's hard to dislike. I may get some slack for this one, but I prefer the ice cream made without tons of preservatives/artificial flavors/artificial colors/artificial sweeteners. The fresher product with higher quality ingredients does make for a better product. 

@Woody14 I would imagine it's fun to travel with others who participate in the themed nights! I guess you could say I don't participate, but I do enjoy the parties. I love the white night too. It's pretty easy to wear white and stay up late for a pool deck party. It's cool to see everyone wearing the same color. I love the ABBA music, but I don't want to sing it. It almost sounds like you cruise with a karaoke crowd! Are you and your crew a karaoke gang? Now I can't get the ABBA songs out of my mind. 

@Jim Lamb That's a great question. Based on the local insecurity, I would hope that cruise lines highly consider rerouting away from Haiti. RCL should put its guests first and Coco Cay would be a really great alternative. I think the chances of RCL rerouting would be pretty high. Since this is all sort of recent news, I would imagine that RCL would reach out to you in the coming weeks to address the issue, potentially with an itinerary update. Keep us posted if/when that happens! 

@kefthecruiser I completely agree with that.