Cruising Caribbean

@Jim Lamb That's a really odd circumstance. I didn't think you could get a dog service trained for asthma. Who would have known? I see that this service can have value, but in an instance like this, it's just frustrating. I'm not a dog lover, as so many others are, so I'm not the most supportive here, but I don't agree with lying just to bring your pet onboard a cruise ship. I do believe service animals can be helpful, but it oftentimes becomes a cover-up for pet lovers and it can be pretty agitating. I do prefer a pre-free cruise experience. I would imagine those who have a service dog, and rely on their service dog, probably find these other sorts of cruisers to be a nuisance.

Not only do these Disney anniversary treats look amazing but I'm sure they taste amazing too. I have never been upset with a Disney sweet. Cruising to the Caribbean out of Florida gives me some great advantages, one of them being the proximity to Disney World and all of Orlando's awesome amenities. The Jubilee at Sea cocktail sounds so refreshing, another highlight of Disney Cruise Line's 25th anniversary! Cheers to the cruise line for a very successful year ahead.

Each cruise line has its own protocols and repercussions for breaking the rules. When sneaking drinks onboard you are clearly breaking the rules of most cruise lines, although some cruise lines do allow you to bring one bottle of wine per adult which I love to do when allowed. Alcohol packages are a big money maker for cruise lines so they definitely push them onboard. If you were to bring your own drinks onboard, you will be consuming alcohol in secret which could become a safety hazard for the cruise line and would be taking away from money spent onboard. So consequences usually include confiscation of the non-allowed substance, receiving a fine for breaking the rules, or completely missing your cruise experience by being denied boarding.

@Pukekolive I was also curious how @neil got that information. Wow, that was more than I first realized! How did you notice that all of these itineraries were affected? That is a huge mistake on Celebrity Cruises' end. I hope this sort of overbooking doesn't occur again. Were you affected by this mistake?

Speaking of drinks, some cruise guests try to bring their own and sneak it onboard. This is obviously against the cruise rules but guests will try it now and then. I read a great article on what happened if you get caught sneaking drinks onboard. The overall idea is, it's not worth the risk! The consequences of sneaking drinks, particularly alcohol onboard a cruise ship are certainly not worth it.

@neil Were you included in this group of over-booked cruise guests? If so, what do you think you will end up doing instead of cruising on this Japan itinerary? I noticed that Celebrity Millenium has a few different "Best of Japan" itinerary options around the same time frame that could offer a similar cruise experience! The most difficult part is likely changing flights and rearranging your potentially accounted-for schedule.

This cruise line is one of the oldest cruise lines still standing, alongside the oldest, P&O Cruises. Most recently, the, then, oldest cruise ship, Astoria, was scrapped after 75 years of service. Astoria used to serve as a transatlantic voyage vessel for the German Communist Party. It became the longest-service ship and was truly a long-standing part of history. The ship's journey ended when Cruise & Maritime Voyages went bankrupt in 2020. The cruising industry has been around for quite some time!

MSC Meraviglia has officially docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal after an 11-day itinerary from Port Canaveral, repositioning to its new homeport in New York. Its cruises will range from 6-8 day itineraries departing from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal bringing with it tons of financial benefits as cruise guests come to explore some of the amazing things New York has to offer. About 150 local residents will be hired to support cruise operations and local businesses that will see an influx of foot traffic. After a dreadful past few years for New York, this is a huge positive for the area!

I feel similarly to you. I understand that everyone deserves the opportunity to get loyalty perks and earn them based on their commitment to the cruise line, but I'm so used to entertainment options being available to all cruise passengers. It's really like a normal amenity, and it isn't anything out of the ordinary to be used as a loyalty perk. I don't understand the logic behind it, and I think taking away this opportunity from new cruise guests could be pretty dismaying. Why cruise with NCL if you aren't going to have access to the basic entertainment options that every other cruise line will offer you?

Princess Cruises is known to have some pretty delicious gelato! All of the ingredients used in the line's gelato are made with only Italian-certified ingredients, making their gelato at sea pretty authentic. I personally prefer gelato over ice cream. Princess Cruises also added Tyra Banks' SMiZE Cream fleetwide more recently. It sounds like a pretty awesome treat! Has anyone tried SMiZE Cream before?

It's interesting hearing some of the histories behind this popular landmark. Thanks for sharing all of this historical insight into the area. Since I haven't been to Europe before, all of this culture isn't as tangible as it may be for you! You can't go wrong with visiting local museums at any port of call. Museums are so rich in history and information specific to their native surroundings.

@Pwo Did you end up making it on the cruise? I'm curious how bad the flooding was when you arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport. What an unexpected amount of rainfall!

@LukeJ I agree that all jobs come with their own specific challenges, but dealing with irate personnel can certainly be a struggle. I guess this is more of a mental struggle than a physical struggle, but other jobs are more physically demanding and take a toll on your body over time. I can say that I haven't had a job that was out of the ordinary which made me struggle immensely. I worked 3 jobs through college to pay my way and I appreciated every one of them, even if it was scrubbing the kitchen at my university. Overall, with a positive attitude and a healthy body, you can really turn any experience into a good one. It's all in the mindset.

The Genoa cruise port is actually the second-largest port in the Mediterranean! The city center is about 10-15 minutes from the port if you choose to walk, but there are lots of other ways to get around the area other than by foot. The area also offers funiculars that are cable cars. I have not been in a funicular before but they sound like a very pleasant way to explore Genoa. They apparently offer a great view at a reasonable price.

@Miramar2 That's definitely strange. If it's still showing on the Celebrity Cruises website, then that's pretty good news for now. You also have your excursion reservation still confirmed for Skagway. That's also promising. I would think that the cruise line would just add another port of call rather than cancel completely! Were you able to contact Celebrity Cruises to get any sort of answers?

@FJB I don't like the idea of entertainment reservations onboard a cruise ship either. I love the non-stressed idea of not having to really book anything in advance if I don't want to and have the liberty to choose if I go to an evening show or not based on how I feel at that moment. It's really a nice thing about cruising, not having to stress about rushing to a dinner reservation or feeling pressured to do anything other than what I feel like at the moment. It's a very relaxing vacation that way. Thankfully I think Norwegian Cruise Line is the only line enforcing that as of now. It's probably due to all of the cutbacks.

@LukeJ Personal mask opinions aside, I think keeping it optional is honestly the best. People felt really strongly about this topic, either for or against the idea, and it was pretty divisive. As @FJB I don't think facial masks should be encouraged or forced upon anyone, but rather a personal choice that is respected by all, just like a personal choice to do all other things in life such as the way you style your hair or how you dress.

@Alastair I'm saddened that MSC Cruises is disappointing its guests by shifting around itineraries and canceling them without enough notice. I have had some excellent experiences with the cruise line, so hearing it from this perspective is upsetting. You are really taking advantage of being in such amazing locations by traveling throughout Scotland and then moving to the Canary Islands. I agree that traveling to Milan and Genova via cruise ship would have been so amazing. I haven't visited either of those ports before, but they are dream ports of call for me. Did you receive a full refund from the cruise line?

@FJB It's definitely a catch twenty-two. I agree at some point this facial recognition service could be used against us, but on the other hand, I love the ease and convenience of facial biometrics. What's nice about this system is that you can opt out of it. For those who feel strongly about this being a violation of your personal privacy, you can choose to be screened on the more traditional route. Have you come across facial biometrics before and chosen against it? This system has also been integrated into the security process at the Port of New Orleans.

@kks The good news is that Norwegian Cruise Line switched from Pepsi to Coke beverage products last year! Since I haven't cruised onboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America, I'm not sure if Coke Zero is actively being offered onboard but I would assume the answer is yes! I have noticed some self-service Coke machines available to guests onboard some of NCL's ships. Those machines pretty much have every Coke product under the sun! There is a great chance you will find your drink of choice onboard.

I love the idea of a quicker security process! I'm pretty sure I have used this before in the Port of Miami. I remember disembarkation taking much less time, and it was way less stressful. Now, the Port of Boston is going to use facial biometrics in its security process. Has anyone else used this during their cruise embarkation/disembarkation process and thoroughly enjoyed its convenience?

Another factor to consider here is following the rules! If you follow the cruise line's rules you will be perfectly safe but some guests like to push the envelope. If you are leaning on a balcony or sitting on the edge of it, you aren't properly following the safety protocols onboard. Also, if you are utilizing your drink package to its maximum capacity and your awareness is skewed you probably should remain indoors or away from an area that could be potentially dangerous if you aren't in the right frame of mind. Self-control is pretty important, even on vacation.

@FJB I'm pretty curious how that would be monitored. Everything is already screened coming into the cruise terminal before getting on the cruise ship. I guess most guests carry it on them or somehow sneak it into their bags. It's just like sneaking alcohol onboard in the form of mouthwash I guess. Guests that want to breach any cruise line's code of conduct will go through great measures to sneak it onboard. Another thing to consider is which area you are coming from. Where I live, it's legal and it's everywhere. If you legally purchase and use marijuana, then I'm pretty sure it's legal and normal to bring it along on your cruise journey. I personally don't use recreational marijuana, but it's more commonly used than alcohol in my domain. I bet it's the next big thing onboard some cruise ships, especially those cruise lines that like to stay on trend.

I noticed that Carnival Cruise Line is giving guests a "sour taste" in their mouths as Fun Shop Treats prices become further inflated. Prices for chocolate-covered strawberries, cakes, and cookies have gone up. I feel like CCL keeps raising certain prices and trying to do it under the radar, hoping guests don't notice. This tactic isn't working because everyone is starting to take notice of all of the minute price changes that the cruise line is making to recoup its losses. It's a bummer because CCL has some pretty scrumptious treats.

@Bobh002 Wow, I didn't realize the Norwegian Cruise Line actually allows curling irons, most cruise lines don't! Most cruise lines prohibit them as they are a fire hazard. This is great news for @Kris Smith! The cruise line does, however, prohibit clothing irons. I was also intrigued by NCL's smoking policy, which prohibits smoking on balconies. There are designated areas on the ship for smoking regular and electronic cigarettes, but I didn't realize balcony usage was banned. From the perspective of a nonsmoker, I would rather smoke take place on the balconies than in more public areas on the ship. That would help with isolating the secondhand smoke.