Leaderboard

I saw an article online where Viking Ocean Cruises offers a cruise sailing for 245 days, visiting 113 ports, in 59 countries. Too much? Would you consider it if time and money was not an obstacle? I would. My wife says she wouldn't want to be away from family that long. Might have to try my first solo cruise!

Would consider length! We did 54 days/17 countries including some countries that one would now not dare to go to. It is easy to keep in touch, and electronic bill pay helps. The biggie is your home/apartment. If apartment dweller, perhaps could put furniture in storage and have about 3/4 of a year with no rent, insurance, utilities to help offset cost. Did meet someone who said living on ship competitive with high-end assisted living facility.

34 days... But hey, who's counting? 😆

I heard that cabin was a....wait for it....wait for it a dump! Thank you! Goodnight! Try the veal and don't forget to tip your servers.

What ever ship I'm on... she is my favorite. Not always Mrs. Right, but always Mrs. Right Now.

I'm less worried about seeing someone in sandals than I am about seeing someone in "Nope, I don't own a mirror" skimpy pajamas. The only cruise that we have been on was another cruise line(Carni---) and there was a verrry large and confident woman rocking her extra small Winnie the pooh shorts and crop top jammies walking through the buffet.

I don’t disagree with your sentiment about hotel bath tubs, but don’t think it has to do with being a women. A gross tub is gross no matter the gender.

48 days! Passports are in, set sail passes are printed, now I just need the luggage tags to become available!

I agree - 245 days is too long for me. the 80 days thing is intriguing. I did plan out a "cruise" i would love to do.... Its actually a few cruises that were interspersed with long stretches ashore. so it would be around 180 days in total... with about 70 of them cruising.

You're using the app to view? If so, try the webpage instead. If you're on the webpage, there should be a button that says "Plan My Cruise" under the listing for the trip. That will take you to the Cruise Planner and you'll be able to see if any entertainment is available for prebooking. Good luck!

Hi, I was just curious to know how many weeks annual leave people receive for their holidays each year. In New Zealand we get 4 weeks (20 days) per year with another 2 weeks (11 days) for public holidays such as Christmas and Easter. I also get long service leave which entitles me to another 5 weeks which I can use anytime over the next 10 years. We normally do one cruise a year of between 7-14 days and then do a land based holiday for the other weeks left over.

Watched? You gotta crash in! Or is that something that just Brandon & I do? 😀

This gives me some hope. Your sailing is a month before mine, so maybe I’ll see the DBP go to $49 in another month / around Labor Day.

I think you'll enjoy the Centrum as a place to hang out. Also, take advantage of Deck 5 to look at land and sea. When we were on the Rhapsody two years ago, it had the reputation of being the "friendliest" ship in the fleet. It is older and smaller than some ships, but I found it familiar to me (from trips on the Grandeur) and just the right size -- harder to get lost. You will likely learn some nautical jargon - port is left (each have 4 letters), etc. Have fun!

I think long voyages need to have a purpose. For some it is writing, for others enhancing relationships, or learning specific cultures. I couldn't go that long without a purpose, which what I find challenging about retirement. Maybe it's just me... Another thought - around the world in 80 days as in Jules Verne but blending cruising with flying?

I don't know... Probably what was said about paid dining as well. Jane

Great live blog @Lovetocruise2002. It was fun to read all 18 pages of this live blog post being on this cruise. Not meaning to hijack, but a few of my random thoughts. It was fantastic meeting everyone on the Group Cruise. One of my favorite cruises so far...by far having 80+ other groupies to hang with was fun. As has been mentioned about eating in the Two70 Cafe is a hidden gem...the Solarium Bistro is another great place to avoid big crowds. One funny moment was on day 2 or 3 I was eating dinner up there, and I get a notification on my phone of @Matt doing a live periscope, and I look around the small room, and two other tables were listening in. Where ever I would go, I would usually see a friendly face, or a red MEI lanyard (thanks @AnnetteJackson .) As mentioned, the flow of people is not very good, especially around the Royal Theater. What made it worse, there were major shows/events scheduled when a major show ended, and another event started in 10 or 15 minutes afterwards. People trying to get in (and blocking the hallways) while the theater was letting out. Also noticed a few shows/events that started 10-15 (one was 20 or 25) late. I don't remember this happening so often on my previous cruises. Being on three Voyager class ships in the past, Anthem my new largest ship...I did miss the openness of a promenade. Looking forward to joining more group cruises in the future.

5 days! Eek! I can't wait 😎

OK, I know I made the most recent posting on this thread, and I certainly wasn't thinking about the family when I wrote it last night. I don't regret anything snarky I say about the attorney, but I just got a huge reminder about what this family is going through. The family is from a town literally 10 minutes south of where I live (I've known that since the event happened), but I just read the obituary. The memorial service took place this afternoon with visitation until this evening. Apparently Chloe was a preemie, given her low birth weight and early medical scares, which I can relate to as the mother of 32-week preemie who, thank God, is now a healthy 16-year old. For her to die the way she did, in such happy circumstances (family vacation) after overcoming problems at birth just takes my breath away. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kpcnews/obituary.aspx?n=chloe-wiegand&pid=193383989&fhid=8595

I would be curious to know what the average threshold for when it stops feeling less like a vacation and more like everyday life.

Happy birthday!!!!!!!!!

Nice. Keep in mind that these sales often roll in slowly so check back tomorrow if you aren't seeing any deals today. You never know.

Man am I old and not tech savvy! When I first read this thread title, I thought it was a new term for a travel agent! I'm serious! 😂

Happy Birthday, Bob !

I thought cubes were a complete waste of money but bought some recently and have to confess was pretty stunned with how well they worked. I went on a trip without cubes and it took one large suitcase for my daughter and I together. I got cubes and managed to fit the SAME amount of clothes for the same number of days into the next size down suitcase for our recent trip. It's magic. I used to use plastic Ziploc bags and "smoosh" the air out so I could put my dirty clothes back inside them and not "taint" my clean stuff. I have been trying to be more environmentally aware though so the cubes allow me to do the same thing but then I can wash and re-use them if they get funky (I train for triathlons so "funk" is often a friend). I did try to pack like I'd seen folks back online with all similar items in the same cube but that doesn't work for me. I have a cube for each day and once I am done, the dirty clothes go back into that cube and the new cube is on deck (no pun intended) for the next morning. It works for me and I admit I thought cubes were a stupid waste of money until.... I used them for the first time. I'm definitely a convert. One other thing I do recommend is a wet bag. Container Store sells a nice one but I have also seen them at the baby stores. I like to take one of these so if I wear a bathing suit on the last night and it doesn't dry by morning, I can pop it in the wet bag and not worry about a wet suit in my luggage. They also work well if you have really sweaty or dirty clothes (like if you run a mudder or something similar).

Empress?

Top shelf liquors and a fine bottle of wine are worth the overage.

No love for me. Deluxe bev pkg is still only $52 with BOGO50 / 25% off. C’mon Royal!! Where’s that intern with another $18 sale for all 2019 sailings?!?

Dec 5, 2019 Independence of the seas. 1st cruise.

Overkill is one of my favorite songs, ever. Had no idea he was born in Scotland though, I had to look it up! Glad you had a good cruise, Joe!

St Thomas is America. It's also a small island much like a small town and somebody always knows somebody else that can get an article pulled.

Got me!!!!. As my kids would say, don't I feel sheepish?!!!!

They have a really pricey option out there already that includes everything..it's called Star Class 😆

As @Mljstr pointed out, there is a comma missing. I believe the point is that they don't want folks in their swimsuits and bare feet running around the restaurant. I have never seen a "shoe inspection" on any Royal Caribbean ship. But my toes are so ugly, they belong in fully covered shoes.....

We do this too frequently! Jane

Yes...I think for the most part a chops on vision will offer the same menu as a chops on Oasis. The space and atmosphere might be different, but I have seen mostly consistency over the fleet in terms of restaurants. Jane

@KristiZ Sadly we’re taking United home. I will see if we can get a later flight but I’m not sure if that’s a possibility. Thank you everyone for the help!

I agree with your list 100%, I would just ad that I would also get off at all the southern Caribbean ports as to me they are all fantastic and top anything on the list above.

Yes. If she doesn't come on the cruise they will make the guest pay for the cruise. I have had personal experience with this.. Don't chance it.

I usually establish a relationship with key bartenders early in the cruise by offering a single with my SeaPass card when ordering drinks with DX. Pool bars for example. They get to know you and remember your drink orders. At busy times this can work in your advantage. I was on Navigator in December. Shortly after the ship went into dry dock and months later I was back on in March. Bartenders not only remembered my name but also my drink preferences. The very moment I walked up on boarding they they welcomed me by name with a smile on their face months later. A extra tip, a smile and patience when they are slammed goes a long way. You don't have to tip above the 18% you have already paid. PS - I still remember his name too - Edgardo, a great bartender. Then there was Zoltan in the Bamboo Room, then...

I always tip extra. People have differing opinions on this of course. I don't know if it improves service, since I always do it, I have no point of reference. I think even though tips are distributed equally, if you feel that a server or anyone for that matter is providing you above average service, you should show your appreciation with a little extra $. Thank you's and compliments are nice, but they don't pay the bills.

First time I sailed on Grandeur sailing in Royal Suite which is probably about equal to Owner Suite....the 'regular' concierge was on vacation I never got an email or even knew to expect anything. Second time I sailed on Grandeur also in Royal Suite...the 'regular' concierge was there, he emailed me prior to sailing, called me to arrange somethings, called me on the way to the port, met me in the parking lot in the port.... So.....it's hit or miss 😉 in my experience when sailing on ships that don't do 'star class' with a strongly documented "this is what we do" list 😉

We did a LyftXL for three of us with 5 suitcases and it was $27 total.

Uber or Lyft if you can. Roughly $20 total unless you need a large vehicle for more than 2 passengers.

I think a 9 year old would enjoy many of the 3-4 hour excursions, and you would return in time for a lunch on the ship. Our son at that age enjoyed excursions. It boils down to why you booked the cruise -- was it to travel or just unwind?

I have 4 weeks, plus 11 Federal Holidays (whenever US Gov market is closed, better than the NYSE :P) I honestly don't know any sick/personal leave details but I've never had problems when I had to use it We also are mandated to take 10 business days off in a row so no frowning at 2 weeks here! Sadly, my husband can't do this so its typically a 1 week and change actual vacation and 5 business days of "relaxing" at home

Maxed out at my company for 4 weeks. 10 sick days. 10 holidays. 2 personal days. 1 volunteer day. A lot of Mondays off because I work a bunch of Sunday nights.

I think most US companies start with 2 weeks and you typically earn more with years service to the company that tops out at around 4 weeks with an option to carry over a week from one year to the next. Add another 5-10 days for various paid holidays, usually Christmas, Easter, .Labor day, Memorial day, 4th of July, New Years. Depending on what day the holiday falls on you might get a extra Monday or Friday thrown in and occasionally an extra two days if for instance Christmas falls on a Wednesday. Its nice to get those 3, 4 and sometimes 5 day weekends. Its not uncommon for people to take a vacation day or two in conjunction with those 'long weekends' and get a week off for the cost of a couple of vacation days. Add to that, inclement weather days or snow days. Depending on the part of the country, its not terribly uncommon to get a few of those each each year. I have been an advocate for years for a clement weather day holiday. Here in the south where summer temperature and humidity can be miserable, occasionally you get a day between 65 and 75 with low humidity that should give you holiday to be outside and enjoy it 🙂 I have also advocated for getting one week vacation for each year of service. That way, by the time you put 30-40 years in a company, you are there so little you just retire. Neither one of my ideas have garnered much support from employers for some reason. 🙄🙄

Just remember...food will be cold by the time you eat it....at best its "warm" even when you east it right away in the WJ....by the time you get it back to your room and eat it on your balcony it will be cold.....whether you cover it with a plate or napkin or not... Cold eggs and bacon isn't for me.....its a nice idea, but bringing any food back to the room from the WJ or any place really isn't ideal or practical imho...or at least anything that's supposed to be hot or warm. Worth a try sure...but I think you'll be disappointed....unless you enjoy your hot breakfast cold...

For just my soulmate and I: 1 - Roller-ed Suit Bag: Good for all formal wear and all dresses. 1 - Roller-ed Large (25") Bag: Good for virtually everything else. 1 - Roller-ed Carry0n (22") Bag: Good for all the first day essentials (Something for dinner, pool, medications ... just in case luggage is late) + Wine. We used to pack a lot more, but we have optimized our packing list over the years. Each cruise we try to take a little less and see if that works. Our next challenge is a 14 day Antarctic Cruise. We did Alaska once (and ended up having to buy some clothes en route). If anyone has Antarctic experience, we would love to get any hints.