Cruising Caribbean

@ombud I'm bummed for you! I also don't enjoy soda so this wouldn't be the optimal package for me either. I guess pay-as-you-go will be the best solution until the cruise line notifies you otherwise. Royal Princess will be a great cruise regardless. Have you cruised on this ship before? You still have a couple of weeks left before your upcoming Princess Cruises sailing, so try and remain hopeful!

@Sheri J That seems so frustrating! I too love a good coffee, one of the reasons I occasionally pay extra for the drink package. I hope in a couple of weeks you try again and they allow you get to add it to your upcoming cruise to Japan! Will this be your first time visiting Japan?

@Mark Morel I also love San Juan in the Caribbean! I agree that it's better than Nassau, but Nassau keeps gaining popularity. I prefer the less populated Caribbean ports of call. The staffing shortage in November was truly impacting the guest experience. Before it was due to the lack of people to work, and now it's due to all sorts of financial cutbacks. @riseagain30At least Carnival Cruise Line brought back the Fun Times newsletter! That's a start!

@LukeJ It's so true! Yes, when you encounter someone working so hard you can see sweat beads on their face in the AC, I would say that's overworking. The housekeeping crew works so rigorously, and I also think they get treated the poorest out of all of the cruise crew. I have seen cruise guests so upset that a bathroom is closed for cleaning. The funny part about this is that no one wants the bathroom to be dirty, but they are appalled at the fact that they have to walk up a flight of stairs to use another bathroom. It doesn't make sense to me. I love this article, "How to Help Put Your Stateroom Steward." Every cruise guest should consider being helpful to your stateroom attendant.

@LukeJ Is it because of the moisture in your breath penetrating the mask barrier? I guess the humidity could alter the condition and effectiveness of a mask. Changing masks per patient sounds like the best practice, to be extra cautious, especially when dealing with medically fragile patients.

@LukeJ That's very true, and some places are struggling more than others. It can sometimes be so frustrating when cruise guests feel so entitled and lack appreciation for the cruise crew. Some of the staff has to work more hours and/or labor to make up for the loss. Don't forget to show grace to your cruise crew! They deserve to be treated with kindness. It's risky business working on a cruise ship. Actually, an MSC Cruises' crew member ended up having to be rescued after going overboard last year! https://www.cruisehive.com/msc-cruises-crew-member-rescued-after-going-overboard/81689

I second what @Millie said! Next time you cruise, ask for a paper menu. Carnival Cruise Line will offer its Behind the Fun Tour again. I would love to get a behind the scenes tour of a cruise ship. Has anyone done this in the past? It's only offered once per cruise, so I expect it fills up pretty quickly.

Do you have an upcoming cruise to Malta? I think you can seriously make any location romantic! There are tons of cruise lines that visit Malta from MSC Cruises to Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises. The Valletta Waterfront seems romantic enough. I would look into the Upper Barrakka Gardens too. It's ridden with history and culture, and gardens are always a romantic place to explore!

@LukeJ Masking was only effective for 15 minutes? I was unaware of this. I think the key is "proper" masking. When half of everybody onboard is wearing it improperly, it didn't serve much of a purpose. Also, many of the more casual cruise lines seemed to have guests with a generally more relaxed stance on masking. With or without a "facial diaper" cruising was still a great experience for me, even if it took more pre-boarding work.

@ombud It's interesting not all Princess Cruises' ships are accepting this new package. Were you recently on a Princess Cruises itinerary that denied this package option? I'm curious if you contact the cruise line, if it could be added to your cruise experience. If you choose to add it to your booking, make sure you do it at least 4 days prior to embarkation. It can also be purchased onboard.

@kefthecruiser It seems @Martins was impacted in some way by this Balmoral incident. From an avid cruiser's perspective, it's quite alarming that this sort of situation occurred because there was potential for it to have been avoided! I agree that the cruise line is surely still recovering from this incident, and we would hope Fred Olsen is handling it appropriately. Mistakes do occur, but this should be a learning lesson for the cruise line. In other news, Fred Olsen recently removed basically all of its pandemic-related cruising requirements.

@Traveler7 You can't do too much about safety and weather patterns, but Buenos Aires must be an amazing port of embarkation! Was that your first time embarking from Buenos Aires? That's a super intriguing thought. Was the weather actually windy? It's bizarre that the cruise line would not disclose that Punta Arenas, Chile was a tendered port. Like you stated, it doesn't seem like an exclusively tendered port of call. I haven't experienced this before, but if the other ship was able to get on land, I think your ship likely deserved the equal opportunity if it was safe! MSC Cruises ship, MSC Musica, recently embarked on January 31, 2023 from Buenos Aires and ended up breaking loose due to significantly high winds in Brazil! https://www.cruisehive.com/msc-cruises-ship-breaks-free-of-moorings/93856

So many different cruise lines visit Greenland too. Holland America Line will be cruising to Iceland and Greenland next year! The Nuuk Fjord would be a great place to explore when cruising to Greenland. Have you heard of this destination before? It's the second largest fjord in the world.

@FJB Enjoy your cruise! Those poolside drinks look delicious. You are on Celebrity Flora right now? I hope you get to explore some amazing places. Please share your cruise review afterwards. I'm interested to hear all about your time.

You can't go wrong with Vancouver! Anyone who has been will tell you it's amazing. Here are some reliable tips to know before you visit the Vancouver cruise terminal. It's pretty eco-friendly. The port actually offers environmentally-friendly ships lower harbor dues, and cruising off season for Alaska cruises may save you some money while booking. The port tends to be higher trafficked during peak Alaska cruise season. https://www.cruisehive.com/must-know-things-about-the-vancouver-cruise-terminal/39111

@Erindaly143 I appreciate you sharing your experience from New York to Dominican Republic. Sometimes guests make a big deal when itineraries shift, but if its for the safety of guests, it's not that big of a deal. This is especially true if the cruise line is able to take guests to another amazing cruise destination as a surprise instead. I have heard so many negative comments about Norwegian Cruise Line so this review is especially refreshing! Was this you first 12-day cruise? I have only cruised for a maximum of eight days, and I love longer cruises! Was that your first time in St. Lucia? It's a great trade off for Dominica!

MSC Seascape is an epic new ship! Drink packages are only worth it if you will drink enough; otherwise buying glass by glass is more realistic.

@FJB Celebrity Cruises should be so very proud of this achievement! Forbes Travel Guide knows what it's talking about, and this Forbes Five Star award achievement is most definitely one for the books. I didn't know that the cruise line's ship, Celebrity Flora, cruised to the Galapagos. I have wanted to visit this area in the past, but I have always found lodging way too expensive. Cruising to the Galapagos with Celebrity Flora could be perfect. Have you done this cruise before? Also, that's amazing you have cruised with Celebrity Cruises since 1996. I can't imagine how things have evolved since.

Disney Cruise Line will be introducing new loyalty member benefits for its Perl tier guests to begin on May 1, 2023. I guess in order to be a Pearl level cruise guest you must have completed at least 25 Disney Cruise Line sailings. Is anyone a loyal Disney Cruise Line guest?

@Martins That is such a crazy experience! I can't believe many were injured due to this Balmoral incident. What exactly happened on this Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines sailing? Is this the instance you are referring to? https://www.cruisehive.com/cabins-damaged-after-cruise-ship-experiences-severe-storm/88287 In this report, it seems like the crew tired their very best to ensure the safety of everyone, but I guess it was impossible to do that during this awful Balmoral storm incident.

@bombarc I just saw this in another thread! I'm following for answers.

@bombarc It's so bizarre both Norwegian Cruise Line ships are dodging Bermuda. I wonder what actually is going on. Are other cruise lines avoiding the area as well? It could be weather related.

Royal Caribbean has released some new 2024-2025 winter itineraries. Grandeur of the Seas will be cruising from Boston in Fall 2024. I'm super intrigued about the 15-night sailing to Greenland. Has anyone every visited Greenland before? I think it would be an amazing destination to cruise to!

@Stephanie C You aren't the only one excited for the Fun Times newsletter comeback! I'm seeing tons of commentary about it. It's so much better to have the option of a physical newsletter to hold and flip through. I agree that Carnival Cruise Line is most definitely listening to guest comments and slowly integrating favorites back into the mix. I'm glad all of the messages cruisers send don't go by the wayside. It's absolutely the little things that make the cruise experience that much more enjoyable! What is something else you think Carnival Cruise Line could integrate back into the cruising experience? I am seeing several posts about loyalty level restructuring.

@susie That would be amazing! Chocolate and peanut butter is a match made in heaven. I would have never thought to order a side of peanut butter with my chocolate lava cake. How go you add the peanut butter to it? Do you just blob it on the top? It would probably be easier if the peanut butter was melted.