JoeyandDavid

To charge for tours... hmm let me think about that..

When we sailed the Mercury in Alaska they began serving eggs benedict not only in the breakfast buffet but also when they tried to do a grand buffet brunch in the dining room ( I wrote about it in our review as well..) We were told at that time the line was trying the concept out on just one or two ships "Just to see how it worked"...I just wondered are they still serving the eggs benedict in the buffet line and brunch on your sailing?

anyone into high tea?

you know sometimes the cruise-lines force us to sail other ships..

I hear sometime 5 minutes can seem like ten!.. I also hear those five minutes can be priceless

well i dunno ....did you think it was special(ty) dining!?

ALWAYS! well since your packing yours thats one thing less for everyone else to pack.... Hey guys the Corkscrew is in Deb and Andreas stateroom!!

I bring me a bottle of Chardonnay and David a Chianti.. when i want the chard I tell the cabin steward the morning of and he has an ice bucket withe the wine chilling for me ..

The only thing would happen it would be confiscated until the last night of the cruise..It's no biggie

I wasn't going to say anything.. people tend to think that I don't bend as it is..I am also one of those that won't sneak liquor on board.. The celebrity website states that we are allowed two bottles of wine per stateroom upon embarkation .. I always bring them on in my carry on..now with that being said it also says no irons and or steamers allowed.. we do bring a steamer.. for formal night...that i will say is the only rule we consciously break..well that and going to the staterooms before they are ready.. I am really bad about that one ..but that's it.. i think ...

Aren't they so fun to look at and fantasize!

Judges?...... ding ding ding... That too is a correct answer... I tell you what the only fair thing to do is invite you all back to play another round!

I do too...Rose I knew you would be prepared....

we enjoy it if they have a harpist we request a table close by

Wow that bear had some face time... great pictures thanks debbie

I tend to want to rate all the mass chains, carnival, princess, hal, celebrity, rcl, on a scale (of 1 to 5) between a 3.01-3.99 thats just me personally... they all want to promote them-self much higher rated in service... which in MHO is crap but hey the masses win...the true 4 stars that come to mind for me are: possibly cunard, azamara, and regent.. and then your 5's Oceania, Seabourn, Crystal. Like I say this is my perception... what is yours?

that is so true Jim.. I feel you shouldn't call yourself a 4 or 5 star line if your not capable of performing to those standards..

If you have not cruised before, then you may not be aware of specialty dining. If you have, then you know that the Specialty Restaurant Concept has taken the cruise industry by storm. This exclusive restaurant which is known for serving entrées not available elsewhere on board ship, is much more than an alternative place to dine, it is a money making entity that is growing in popularity. It has almost has become "required" as part of that cruises "experience". The $30 per person cover charge, is just for the meal itself, wine if you so choose is extra of course, and a good sommelier will try to suggest a different wine with every course. Of course you may decline the entire wine service. We have! It's totally up to you.. But I wondered... How do you feel about paying to eat at an "Exclusive Restaurant" while on your cruise?

Down to the last ten days at these wonderful prices...... after the 20th they are gone for good..

the answer was the Monarch of the Seas....Johnny tell our contestants what they have won....

speaking of which isn't it about time for all good hurricane survival kits to be reviewed and updated? have enough plywood?

sorry Rose...... but then again.. no apology... better to be fore warned .. then to be saying I wish i would have known.....

And you wonder why I bring my own Rum....... oh i never wondered......

The 2009 hurricane season will be less active than last year's flurry of storms, and there's less than a 50 percent chance that a hurricane will hit the southeastern U.S., a researcher said Thursday.On the Gulf Coast, however, there is a 70 percent chance a hurricane will make landfall. The N.C. State University team's forecast of 11-14 named storms for the Atlantic season, including six to eight hurricanes, was generally in line with predictions from Colorado State University researchers. They called for an average season with 12 named storms, including six hurricanes — two of them major. Last year was one of the most active hurricane season's on record, with 16 named storms, including eight hurricanes, forming in the Atlantic. Five of the eight hurricanes were at least Category 3 strength. The forecast from the N.C. State team led by Professor Lian Xie said there was a 45 percent chance a hurricane would hit the southeast coast and a 40 percent chance a major hurricane would hit the Gulf Coast. "We anticipate the overall activity of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season to be close to that of an average season seen in the past 20 years," said Xie, whose team evaluated 100 years of hurricane positions and intensities along with weather patterns and sea surface temperatures. Last year's forecast was for a slightly more active season than average with 13 to 15 named storms, he said. "I would also like to emphasize that long-range hurricane predictions, although they have shown some skill in the past, are still not a precise science," he said. The federal government will release its forecast May 21. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.