Clueless first-timer needs advice about cruises please

Dillon Pyron wrote:

I finally dropped 35 excess pounds (I had a great diet, "eat less,
exercise more").

Congrats of the weight loss!

My wife said no tux until I got my weight down.

Glad to see I am not the only wife doing this(grin).

So
I dropped 1500 on new suits and such, a tux is on the agenda for the
fall.

Kevin has a closet of suits that don't fit any more, all from when he
was thinner. Our last cruise he was able to wear one of them, so he
didn't need a new one. Since he wears jeans to work, he only needs one
suit that fits.

I'll still rent one on a cruise. Not having to pack it is just so
alluring.

With todays airline limits of luggage, it makes it easier to rent.

sue

"RTCReferee" wrote in message
...
You will have opportunities off the ship to use these articles of
clothing,
especially if you are in Europe for an extended time, trust me. I lived
there,
not just visited, and you will have more options on land, too. You may
have
the opportunity to dine someplace special that may require something more
than
casual clothes.

A few years ago we spent almost three weeks traveling around Italy
before getting on the ship in Venice. We started in a villa outside
Florence and went on to Lake Garda and Venice. For those three
weeks our family of four (three females, including an almost 7 year old)
carried around one small suitcase per person with our traveling clothes,
and one large suitcase for the family with all our
formalwear/jackets/petticoats
(see reference to 7 year old). Despite looking for opportunities, we
didn't end up opening that suitcase until the first formal night on the
ship. And we ate very well in Italy, but did not run across any
restaurants that required jackets.

The year after that my husband and I took a bike tour of
the Lot/Dordogne region of France. The hook on this
trip was we would ride from Michelin starred restaurant to
Michelin starred restaurant. (The tour company took your
bags, and they were in your room when you got there.)
We started and ended the trip with a few nights in Paris.
Again, no jacket required.

Last summer we traveled to Rome, Sorrento, and
London, including going to a show. Again, no jacket
required.

Yes you may run across somewhere that requires a
jacket, but they are pretty rare.

Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:

Do they have complimentary room service?


Yes, the main stream cruise lines have complimentary room service. On
most cruise lines it is only sandwiches, salads, etc not the same menu
as the dining room.

Sue, this is not true. On most (if not all) mass market cruiselines, room
service also includes the same menu items being served in the dining room during
lunch and dinner.

~ Peri

Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:

Do they have complimentary room service?


Yes, the main stream cruise lines have complimentary room service. On
most cruise lines it is only sandwiches, salads, etc not the same menu
as the dining room.

Sue, this is not true. On most (if not all) mass market cruiselines, room
service also includes the same menu items being served in the dining room during
lunch and dinner.

~ Peri

Peri wrote:
Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:

Do they have complimentary room service?



Yes, the main stream cruise lines have complimentary room service. On
most cruise lines it is only sandwiches, salads, etc not the same menu
as the dining room.


Sue, this is not true. On most (if not all) mass market cruiselines,
room service also includes the same menu items being served in the
dining room during lunch and dinner.

My last cruise on the Rhapsody of the Sea, you could order room service
from the dinner menu, but it was not the complete dinner menu that was
in the dining room. On my 12 cruises before the Rhapsody, I was not
aware of being able to order the same thing that was being served in the
dining room.

sue

Peri wrote:
Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:

Do they have complimentary room service?



Yes, the main stream cruise lines have complimentary room service. On
most cruise lines it is only sandwiches, salads, etc not the same menu
as the dining room.


Sue, this is not true. On most (if not all) mass market cruiselines,
room service also includes the same menu items being served in the
dining room during lunch and dinner.

My last cruise on the Rhapsody of the Sea, you could order room service
from the dinner menu, but it was not the complete dinner menu that was
in the dining room. On my 12 cruises before the Rhapsody, I was not
aware of being able to order the same thing that was being served in the
dining room.

sue

Bob Thomas wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 16:29:15 -0400, *bicker*
wrote:


I think you're wrong about linkage between cruising for the
social life and pretentiousness. I think they're
independent variables.

If only they were "independant", but from all the posts here it seems
that they are reluctant to allow independence of choice on this issue.

I know several have mentioned that maybe cruising isn't te right
holiday choice for you, and I just wanted to touch on that once again.

The way I see cruising, is that you're kind of sharing your vacation
with a couple thousand other people, almost like taking a bus tour in
Europe but on a larger scale. Sure, everyone has their own agenda, and
there's lots of time to pursue independent interests, activities, etc.
but you're still sharing the space, so you need to take into account
how your behavior will impact your fellow travellers. A cruise is not
like an independent travel vacation - it's just not transportation
from port to port. To me, it's more like a tour - my schedule is
pretty much the same schedue as so many others. We visit the same
ports on the same day and for the same amount of time. I prefer
traditional dining which means I share my evening meal at the same
time and with the same people every day. It's not as rigidly
structured as a bus tour is, but we're sharing the space, with really
the only private retreat being your cabin. When you travel
independently, you're independent in every way (although I would hope
that you would at least be conscious of local custom so as not to
offend).

With that in mind, being considerate of your fellow cruisers who are
sharing your space is very much like being a good neighbor. If you
don't think of your neighbor at home as a pretentious snob because he
enjoys dressing up, try not to judge your neighbor on a cruise ship in
that way either - they picked their vacation neighborhood just as you
did, and would prefer not to have to put up fences.

That's all I ask for really, the right to travel casually without
being forced into someone else's mold - not a big ask if you ask me.
After all, I've never suggested banning formal clothing.

Cruises are somewhat molded vacations - there's no getting around that
point. If you're really set on travel by boat/ship, I would suggest
looking into the various ferry systems around the world - that's
independent travel. Cruising really isn't. It's a vacation shared by
all, imho. I don't seek out planned activities and I tend to be a more
independent cruiser. But , I can't deny that there are some aspects of
cruising that are very much like participating in a tour. I feel that
way especially on great port days when I have to cut my fun short to
make it back to the ship.

Lee

Bob T.

On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 03:22:11 GMT, "Cathy Kearns"
wrote:


Last summer we traveled to Rome, Sorrento, and
London, including going to a show. Again, no jacket
required.

Yes you may run across somewhere that requires a
jacket, but they are pretty rare.

I'm inclined to agree ... I've travelled through Europe and the UK,
and never had any need for jackets. I think cruising seems to be a
somewhat unique environment in that it has its origins in another time
when crusing was for a particular social group, and where the ship was
an end in itself. The evening meals reflected the era, and obviously
there is still a significant level of support for that type of thing.

However, I am equally convinced that as this (generally) older group
is replaced by a slightly younger group of participants, things will
lean more in the direction of flexibility, choice and less emphasis on
compulsory formality. After all, if dining and formality is so
important then there's no real reason to leave home - you can do that
anywhere.

Bob T.

On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 03:22:11 GMT, "Cathy Kearns"
wrote:


Last summer we traveled to Rome, Sorrento, and
London, including going to a show. Again, no jacket
required.

Yes you may run across somewhere that requires a
jacket, but they are pretty rare.

I'm inclined to agree ... I've travelled through Europe and the UK,
and never had any need for jackets. I think cruising seems to be a
somewhat unique environment in that it has its origins in another time
when crusing was for a particular social group, and where the ship was
an end in itself. The evening meals reflected the era, and obviously
there is still a significant level of support for that type of thing.

However, I am equally convinced that as this (generally) older group
is replaced by a slightly younger group of participants, things will
lean more in the direction of flexibility, choice and less emphasis on
compulsory formality. After all, if dining and formality is so
important then there's no real reason to leave home - you can do that
anywhere.

Bob T.

On 05 Aug 2004 22:36:53 GMT, ando (RTCReferee)
wrote:


This probably won't affect you, though, since as someone else here suggested,
you may just be a troll.

Troll: One who disagrees with RTCReferee (Oxford dictionary)

You must meet a lot of trolls in your life .....

Bob T.