Two Delightfully Unfrugal Idiots sail our White Whale (Oasis OP, 9/24 -10/1/23)

[SweetPea]

13 minutes ago, Jax said:

What! Is this new? I don’t like this either. We have never had to put our luggage out the night before. Pretty sure one of us would find ourselves with an underwear problem. LOL It will be interesting to see what happens on HM this December.  My memory about some cruise details isn’t the best but I think last year on HM a porter came with the genie; grabbed our luggage and we collected it in a star class area in the terminal.  Regardless it was definitely not the night before.  

From what i understand, this is by port, and Miami is the same as Cape Liberty. Maybe others can speak for other ports?

[JVPIII]

31 minutes ago, Jax said:

What! Is this new? I don’t like this either. We have never had to put our luggage out the night before. Pretty sure one of us would find ourselves with an underwear problem. LOL It will be interesting to see what happens on HM this December.  My memory about some cruise details isn’t the best but I think last year on HM a porter came with the genie; grabbed our luggage and we collected it in a star class area in the terminal.  Regardless it was definitely not the night before.  

I will let you know at the end of the week. Boarding Harmony in just a few hours and I can tell you I don’t like this change either

[Jax]

23 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Did we buy it, no.  So please enjoy the watermarked, screenshot version via the app. 

Don’t be so hard on yourselves; I love the picture!  It ticks me off that we now have to purchase these pictures even when you have the digital 100 photo plan. It makes it more difficult to reach 100 digital prints. Specialty restaurant pictures were included on Anthem in 2019 and Oasis in 2021 but not on HM last year.   

[JVPIII]

Have safe travels home today! Thank you for bringing us along on your antics this week. It definitely helped the last week before our cruise go by much better

[OCSC Mike]

29 minutes ago, JVPIII said:

Have safe travels home today! Thank you for bringing us along on your antics this week.

+1

[SweetPea]

We're home. 

This is the last time i mention the word underwear, but you've followed along this far so i may as well take you home. 

They were in the laundry basket ....

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

9 hours ago, SweetPea said:

Did we buy it, no.  So please enjoy the watermarked, screenshot version via the app. 

And also, when you're in your 50s and now have jowls that came out of nowhere, you no longer know how to smile without looking like you're trying to minimize them. 

 

 

Great picture….I see no flaws!  

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, SweetPea said:

We're home.

Wow! That was quick! Both the trip home, and the blog this past week!

Thanks for taking us along with you and Batman. As always, a great laugh!

[Neesa]

I'm so happy you found the missing "items" Thanks so much for allowing me to live vicariously through you, so much fun! Was Silas happy to see you, or is he giving you attitude? LOL! When we sailed Oasis out of Miami we were instructed to put our luggage out by 1200 as well, our Genie was Derick.

This is the sailing @Lovetocruise2002 had no luggage, yikes!! What a great blog, lots of smiles and fun. 

[SweetPea]

13 minutes ago, Neesa said:

Was Silas happy to see you, or is she giving you attitude? LOL

The 2 men of my life are sharing a recliner and a nap. I'm exhausted, but can't sleep. I hate both of them right now!

Silas bounced right back. His sister is the one with the 'tude.

[WAAAYTOOO]

I didn't find the need to quote everything...so just a few comments.

1.  SO thankful to your your delightful, funny and personable [even if covert] live blog.  It has been a hoot, and as @Lovetocruise2002 said, passed far too quickly.

2.  The chicken piccatta (sp ??) in Gios has become my very favorite.  I have to tell them to limit my chicken to 1 piece as 2 pieces is just TOO much and I hate to waste.

3.  Glad to hear that the missing undies were finally recovered....even if it was at the last possible minute.

4.  I am outraged (hyperbole ?) at the thought that your luggage can no longer accompany you on or off the ship.  I do NOT buy the apparent explanation for this.  I suspect that it is a task-minimizing move or MAYbe an issue with the longshoremen in NJ.

Glad you made it home safely and had a fun cruise.  You certainly made it fun for us.

[SweetPea]

On 9/19/2023 at 7:55 AM, SweetPea said:

how will Anthem Star Class compare to Oasis Star Class?

Going to recap here

It's a firm toss up.  Take your pick.

On 9/19/2023 at 7:55 AM, SweetPea said:

Will we prefer O Class to Q Class in general?

No, we didn't. Again, for what we do or don't do, we have no preference. We'd happily sail either. I'll say this though to be fair:

When you are in the OP, you don't want to leave the room.  Lety said Shane had the GP, and his folks were the same. All day on the balcony or in the hot tub, just like us. There was so much we didn't experience because of this. So this really isn't fair. 

Also, i know so many of you are huge fans of CP, and i did like it too.  However, my preference is to be connected to the ocean. CP, while beautiful, does not connect you to the ocean at all. You don't even know you're on a ship when you're there. So i know this is sacrilege in these here parts, but give me the Waterfront on Norwegian any day. 

Another wildly unpopular opinion alert:  I'm not certain I'm sold on the Promenade/Esplanade concept. One night, i said to Batman, It's 1983 and I'm on set during the opening scene of a cult classic movie. Where am i? Without missing a beat, he said, should we see if Jennifer Jason Leigh is working at Sorrento's?

Ok, for all you young whippersnappers who've never seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High .... watch it one day, or don't because i have no idea if it aged well. But the point I'm making is that Oasis's Promenade reminded me of the opening mall scene in that movie. 

On 9/19/2023 at 7:55 AM, SweetPea said:

Is this Deck 17 we keep reading about an actual Nirvana?

It was very nice and absolutely convenient to be right around the corner from the suite lounge. 

Service and snacks were awesome. 

But  .... another wildly unpopular opinion, we prefer the Haven to Deck 17. Ouch, i know. You'd think we didn't have a great time this week. We did. You were there for nearly every single part of it, for crying out loud. You know we did!

On 9/19/2023 at 7:55 AM, SweetPea said:

What else has the pandemic stolen from us in pre v post shutdown changes?

Honestly, if there were changes, i didn't notice. This is exactly why we waited so long to get back in the game. 

 

On 9/19/2023 at 7:55 AM, SweetPea said:

Will we ever want to return to Norwegian Haven?

This is a big yes for us. We love the Haven. And i just can't see us chasing status on Royal. We have two more Star Class cruises booked, and we're looking forward to them too. I just don't see us as Sky Class people. I'm a price watcher, and Sky Class and Haven can be pretty close, not to mention that i detest stalking the Cruise Planner for price checks (something else i don't have to do on Norwegian).

Haven over Sky Class for these 2 idiots. No brainer there. (See what i did there?) 

Also, and here was our primary complaint: how does a ship the size of Oasis go dead at 12:30am? I've never seen anything like that. I don't understand how the only place hopping at that time was Sorrento's. That's it. We tried to find something, anything, to no avail. 

And we did find it odd that restaurants close at 9. I know many of you just read that with horror. 

Obviously we're night owls. So this applies to literally no one else here.  Norwegian is just a better fit for us as far as nightlife. 

On 9/19/2023 at 7:55 AM, SweetPea said:

And ultimately, will selling a functioning kidney be worth the experience?

Of course! YOLO!

However, not booking on opening day was a mistake I'd rather not have made and surely won't make again!

Next up for this board: Symphony, May 31. That cruise did not require one of us to resort to selling spare body parts so there's that. And, we're looking forward to being in a different area of the ship so it's likely we'll actually get some time in the Boardwalk that cruise. 

Thank you all for following along on our comedy of errors. Love the camaraderie here! You truly made my clandestine blogging efforts worthwhile!

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, SweetPea said:

And we did find it odd that restaurants close at 9. I know many of you just read that with horror. 

My parents cruise often, but they are not loyal to any particular cruise line. However, when they do sail with Royal, this is their #1 complaint! 

[SweetPea]

Glad we're not alone!

[DDaley]

1 hour ago, SweetPea said:

So i know this is sacrilege in these here parts, but give me the Waterfront on Norwegian any day. 

My next Caribbean cruise is branching out to try Norwegian on the new Viva and I am most excited about the waterfront infinity pools area! I certainly can’t afford the Haven but may try their Vibe Beach Club (I think equivalent of Spice2o?) if it can guarantee me a lounge chair and a spot by a bar! 

[SweetPea]

58 minutes ago, DDaley said:

My next Caribbean cruise is branching out to try Norwegian on the new Viva and I am most excited about the waterfront infinity pools area! I certainly can’t afford the Haven but may try their Vibe Beach Club (I think equivalent of Spice2o?) if it can guarantee me a lounge chair and a spot by a bar! 

We've not been on Prima or Viva yet, but it looks like the food options are crazy there. 

Yes, Vibe Beach Club is the adults only area that you need a pass for. I think it's worth it. Many call that Haven-Lite .

I know Viva will be different as it's their newest, but they bid for upgrades the same as Royal. However, always, always watch prices before you bid! 

[Jax]

We have 2 more star cruises booked too and then we will see what happens.  With our son graduating this year there are so many unknowns, that I have held off on any further bookings.  Hubby wants to go to Egypt so that has necessitated me look at other lines. I am not ready to sacrifice the amenities of a new ship as many send their older ships to that region but interestingly enough NCL has an itinerary on one of their new ships. It’s tempted me enough to look into the Haven perks and how they differ from star class. But not enough to call Mindy. Lol

Great blog! Really enjoyed following along.  

[DDaley]

11 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Yes, Vibe Beach Club is the adults only area that you need a pass for. I think it's worth it. Many call that Haven-Lite .

Haven Lite sounds perrrrfect for my low rung on the Unfrugal ladder! 

[SweetPea]

46 minutes ago, Jax said:

interestingly enough NCL has an itinerary on one of their new ships

Which ship? Viva?

[Jax]

2 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Which ship? Viva?

Yes in 2025 

[SweetPea]

42 minutes ago, DDaley said:

Haven Lite sounds perrrrfect for my low rung on the Unfrugal ladder! 

I think it's a nice compromise.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! There are things Royal does better (production shows). There are things NCL does better (off the top of my head, Cruise Next beats Next Cruise by a mile). There are lots of things i can list. Exactly the same: Park West

[Lovetocruise2002]

If Royal and X ever get crazy enough to merge their loyalty benefits so that you can accumulate the same points with either line, I would high tail to X in a heartbeat. 

[SweetPea]

4 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

If Royal and X ever get crazy enough to merge their loyalty benefits so that you can accumulate the same points with either line, I would high tail to X in a heartbeat. 

They are on my bucket list to try; however, I'm holding out for Edge class to do a stint out of Cape Liberty!

But you know, it would be nice if Royal and Celebrity would at least have the same points policies. Doesn't Celebrity give you extra points for The Retreat? And onboard spend? It's ridiculous that i sold a kidney to sail in Star Class and all i got was a lousy 2 points per night. 

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, DDaley said:

for my low rung on the Unfrugal ladder

Hey, I'm sure you have as much fun down there on that rung of the ladder as I do!

[Lovetocruise2002]

3 hours ago, SweetPea said:

Doesn't Celebrity give you extra points for The Retreat? And onboard spend?

I think so…but I don’t know for sure as I really haven’t looked into X much. But yes, it would be nice if Royal gave extra points for star. I would be a whole lot closer

[SMOKEY0202]

Gotta luv Retreat....once you sail and indulge in the Retreat once you don't look back

As times have changed with Royal and others cutting corners with raising prices, one has to really be open minded and explore options

Lately Celebrity has had better rates with some good OBC so ventured over with status match.  5 last cruises were 4 Celebrity and 1 Royal.  Next 3 are Celebrity.  Price and OBC were better than Royal for same itinerary just minus waterslides and now goes to Perfect Day that's just another win in my book

Each cruise line has their good/bad with their ships, but you just have to decide what's important to you and your family.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion.  Some might like the Big Whale for their price and party vibes while others would cringe to step foot on the Big Whale.  Theory is you have to make your own conclusions and go for it.  YOLO 

For me, i don't want to have to sell plasma or body parts just to sail for enjoyment and relaxation to my standards i desire.  There has to be some compromise.  Can't be in dry dock too long or have serious withdrawals.  

[DDaley]

19 hours ago, SweetPea said:

There are things NCL does better (off the top of my head, Cruise Next beats Next Cruise by a mile).

I can already say I agree with this, I bought a Cruise Next $500 certificate for only $250 and paid my full deposit with that! Amazing!!!  I thought there had to be a catch but turns out my sailing was valid usage!

19 hours ago, SweetPea said:

Doesn't Celebrity give you extra points for The Retreat? And onboard spend? It's ridiculous that i sold a kidney to sail in Star Class and all i got was a lousy 2 points per night. 

I can’t believe they don’t! Holland America does this too so even though I’ve cruised on HAL only twice (and one of those was as a freeloading daughter in ’05) I am already a 2-Star Mariner because we bought our drink package onboard. So that $800 or so dollars translated to me getting like 30+ cruise points on one little 7-night to Cabo. 

[SweetPea]

5 minutes ago, DDaley said:

I can already say I agree with this, I bought a Cruise Next $500 certificate for only $250 and paid my full deposit with that! Amazing!!!  I thought there had to be a catch but turns out my sailing was valid usage!

NCL's CN program is awesome! And buying them onboard is super, super easy. If you only want some certs, you just need to fill out a form at your convenience and drop it in a box. If you want to actually book onboard, i understand you may be able to upgrade for free within a category (does not apply to suite/ Haven). For example, if you booked the lowest inside/outside/balcony room category, you'd get a bump or two up from that within that category. Note: that tidbit was from 2019 while we were on Bliss but check it if it that appeals to you. 

They often run Double Up promos where you can apply 2 CN certs at a time, so i always like to keep two. 

And ... if you have OBC (I think it has to be refundable OBC now, it didn't use to), the certs get charged directly to your onboard account so they're even a better value.  While we were on the Escape one year, i had $750 OBC from my TA. I used that to buy 2, $500 Haven certs. So that TA essentially gave me $1k off my next cruise and i had 4 years to use it. And that $1k counted as a full deposit.... which was REFUNDABLE. 

I hope you do like Norwegian!

I'll share one story. I don't go into a lot detail on this, but our first cruise on Royal was 2008 on Mariner.  To this day in all of our 40 cruises, that is the cruise of which we do not speak. Worst ever, and for so, so many reasons that Royal could've handled better. But hey, we tried it and moved on but were done with Royal until 2019.  

When the Norwegian Breakaway had her inaugural season in NYC, i began researching it and decided, hey, it can't be as bad as Mariner and we don't have to fly. Batman shrugged his shoulders and agreed reluctantly. 

That cruise was a Sunday to Sunday. On Tuesday evening, we were sitting in the pub and Batman turns to look at me with a huge smile across his face and puts his hand on my knee. 

I'm giddy over the thought of him declaring his undying love for me. 

What did he say?

"I KEEP WAITING FOR THIS TO SUCK AND IT DOESN'T!"

 

[DDaley]

2 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

That cruise was a Sunday to Sunday. On Tuesday evening, we were sitting in the pub and Batman turns to look at me with a huge smile across his face and puts his hand on my knee. 

I'm giddy over the thought of him declaring his undying love for me. 

What did he say?

"I KEEP WAITING FOR THIS TO SUCK AND IT DOESN'T!"

I cackled! You both got me! I sooo can’t wait to try for myself. Unfortunately there’s still 524 days to wait 

I AM going to truly live my Unfrugal life next summer though, I apparently will need to sell a kidney of my own for a normal European river cruise balcony cabin, who knew?!?!

[SweetPea]

6 minutes ago, DDaley said:

I cackled! You both got me! I sooo can’t wait to try for myself. Unfortunately there’s still 524 days to wait 

I AM going to truly live my Unfrugal life next summer though, I apparently will need to sell a kidney of my own for a normal European river cruise balcony cabin, who knew?!?!

I truly hope it's worth the wait! 

And hey, you have two kidneys. That's what the spare is for! (i think @SMOKEY0202's plasma idea would take too long. )

[FireFishII]

I have my own personal experience with undies this past weekend.  My hubby and I were traveling to WI (from NH) for the weekend.  He had to do some talks on both Saturday and Sunday.  I got to hang out with my daughter's in-laws.  Since my husband gets up earlier than I do, he usually lays out his clothes.  Then when I get up, I pack the luggage.  I also thought we would be leaving for the airport as soon as he got out of work.  

When I got up, I noticed that my husband only laid out 1 suit, 1 shirt, 1 set of undies, 1 tie, and 1 pair of black socks.  Oh, and a belt.  I was thinking to myself - is he crazy???  Is he turning into Batman with only 1 pair of underwear? What if he spills something on the shirt or tie? What about the time between his talks - doesn't he want to dress down?  It is going to be in the mid 80's.  He is going to roast. 

So, I added the correct number of undies (plus 1), an extra dress shirt and tie, 2 short sleeve shirts, and extra socks. 

When he got home, he announced that he was going to go upstairs to finish packing.  GREAT!  My husband is not turning into Batman with 1 underwear.  He was going to add to his pile. In addition to what I had packed for him, he added an extra pair of shoes. 

Edited October 4, 2023 by FireFishII
Add 1 sentence

[OCSC Mike]

28 minutes ago, FireFishII said:

my own personal experience with undies

I feel like this will now be a permanent topic. Should we ask Matt to create an "Underwear Forum"?

[SweetPea]

If only I'd have been prescient enough to know that half this blog would revolve around undies, I'd have rethought the blog title ...

 

[OCSC Mike]

19 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

If only I'd have been prescient enough to know that half this blog would revolve around undies, I'd have rethought the blog title ...

It gives me some new options if I do another one (which could now be in 3 weeks).

[Debstr66]

Knickers of the Seas 

[Lovetocruise2002]

Ah....if only Batman knew what he started lmao

[asquared17]

13 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Ah....if only Batman knew what he started lmao

it’s maybe for the best that he doesn’t… lest we never see @SweetPea again…

[SweetPea]

5 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

it’s maybe for the best that he doesn’t… lest we never see @SweetPea again…

I'd never be allowed to cruise with my phone again. Which of course would result in me hoodying up all in black and purchasing a burner with cash .... 

[FireFishII]

18 hours ago, SweetPea said:

I'd never be allowed to cruise with my phone again. Which of course would result in me hoodying up all in black and purchasing a burner with cash .... 

Or bring along a friend, who will lend her phone to you.  I volunteer!! 

[ellcee]

On 9/19/2023 at 9:04 AM, SweetPea said:

Ok, that math doesn't check. But stay tuned for packing advice where the # of underpants to pack = 2XN+1, where N is the number of nights .....

I need to know why this is a thing. My mom certainly never taught me this yet i have always packed extra on every trip since I can remember packing. 

 

I call it the "in case I s*** my pants" but I haven't s*** my pants since diapers so I dunno.