Cruises

[Cigary43]

25 cruises under my belt says ALL cruise lines tend to be different in regards to their specialties:

If you do eat at the buffet for breakfast...get the cooked to order items..waffles, eggs, etc. or be the first one there to minimize the dirtbags who use the serving spoons and then throw them back onto the food with their grimy germy bacteria laden chit...watch them on an off day as they serve themselves at the buffet...you'll want to beat the dog$hit outta of some of these idiots who pick their noses...cough all over the food...and actually use their GD fingers to pick food from the food trays...esp. their kids who follow them and are so gross with their runny little noses..can you spell..NORO VIRUS!!
1. Cunard...size and food
2. Celebrity...food and quality
3. HAL..food and quality clean..good cigar lounges
4. Princess...good food in MDR...buffet is $hit..larger ships have the International Food Court..highly recommended for fresh pizza and Sammie's
5. Carnival...food is good in MDR...don't partake the buffet...nasty!!..book their Ocean and Balcony cabins as their inside cabins are dungeons
6. RCCL...decent and food is good in MDR..buffet sucks as the food is repetitive every day
7. Norwegian...food is among the worst of any cruise line...bring a lot of peptic
8. P&O....really good but pricey
9. MSC...newer ships are really nice but the food is mediocre

Tips....eat at the Specialty Restaurants... Have never had a bad meal on any of these Cruise Lines.
Tip #2...give your Cabin Steward half of his tip on the first day ( I take a $50 bill and tear it in half..give him one half while I keep the other...the steward will work their ass off to earn the half I keep for ransom and it has never failed to get the best service.
TIP #3...book your cabin from midship to Aft...closer to the food areas where you're not constantly walking back and forth on the ship.
TIP #4...when you eat in the MDR...check the daily menu and esp. Steak & Lobster night...you can make multiple orders as I order 4 lobster tails minimum...also I oder 2 shrimp cocktails every dinner as well..and 3 different desserts.
TIP #5...BYOB...bubble wrap the bottle.. I transfer it to plastic so there isn't chance of breakage and put it inside a cheap boot with socks/undies/etc. that covers the booze...always works!!

 

[ChuckMejia]

Damn y’all got the cruise critic going

 

[bostoneo]

Very good info, ty ty

 

[ChuckMejia]

Very good info, ty ty

you're welcome bro!

We are headed to the DR next week, you can smoke anywhere outdoors all you want.

Hop on a flight bro.

 

[Cigary43]

Damn y’all got the cruise critic going

Wanna help those who might want to cruise so they don't have a bad time. These tips work and instead of coming back from a cruise disappointed one can cruise with any Line and still have a good time. Every cruise line will have the MDR open for all meals...I strongly advise eating in there to limit exposure to the NoroVirus. If you do get it and report to SickBay..they WILL quarantine you to your cabin which is why it spreads..people realized that the rest of their cruise was over so instead of reporting that they're sick....that's right....they walk amongst the rest of the passengers with the Virus.
Even though I did say that a few Lines had mediocre food...the Specialty Restaurants are really good and worth the charge. You can price Carnival as they and Norwegian are the cheapest...so the money you saved can go to eating great dinners...and you can order more than 1 entree and side dishes as well. They serve such big meals you can barely get through the regular meal.

The best pricing for cruises is from Sept.12 and the week before and after Thanksgiving...week before Christmas.

 

[bostoneo]

Wanna help those who might want to cruise so they don't have a bad time. These tips work and instead of coming back from a cruise disappointed one can cruise with any Line and still have a good time. Every cruise line will have the MDR open for all meals...I strongly advise eating in there to limit exposure to the NoroVirus. If you do get it and report to SickBay..they WILL quarantine you to your cabin which is why it spreads..people realized that the rest of their cruise was over so instead of reporting that they're sick....that's right....they walk amongst the rest of the passengers with the Virus.
Even though I did say that a few Lines had mediocre food...the Specialty Restaurants are really good and worth the charge. You can price Carnival as they and Norwegian are the cheapest...so the money you saved can go to eating great dinners...and you can order more than 1 entree and side dishes as well. They serve such big meals you can barely get through the regular meal.

The best pricing for cruises is from Sept.12 and the week before and after Thanksgiving...week before Christmas.

all and all you'd say HAL is the best probably for smoking cigars then? They have some reasonable rates for 6/7day cruises.

 

[bwhite220]

So, are we doing the BOTL Yacht in 2028 or......

 

[bostoneo]

So, are we doing the BOTL Yacht in 2028 or......

sure, send me 8k

 

[ChuckMejia]

sure, send me 8k

With all the splits you’ve done I’m sure you got 8k easily

 

[bostoneo]

With all the splits you’ve done I’m sure you got 8k easily

I could pay for the whole damn thing with all the rare pipe tobacco I have lol

 

[ChuckMejia]

I could pay for the whole damn thing with all the rare pipe tobacco I have lol

If you decide to go on a cruise... check out one that stops in PR. I think you'll love the cigar house there. Along with the great prices on food and drinks.

All inclusive resorts are cool too, but you can't be cheap. Nothing worse than an all inclusive that uses well liquor for all their drinks. Grossssss.

Pay top dollar and get the fancy baller spots with good booze and great food.

 

[GreekElite]

@Cigary43

Not all heroes wear capes

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[ChuckMejia]

@Cigary43

Not all heroes wear capes

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

you're right, @Cigary43 wears crocs

 

[Cigary43]

all and all you'd say HAL is the best probably for smoking cigars then? They have some reasonable rates for 6/7day cruises.

I'd say HAL does have some of the best lounges...the bigger ships absolutely do. The drawback is that they have more 55 and over crowd which makes up 40%...the rest is mixed. For me I don't really care because we usually will get a balcony or mini-suite and that my friend...is how you guaranty a cruise. If you would google HAL they have photos of each ship...keyword cigar lounge and look at the lounges. Bring your cigars...the ones they sell are limited and pricey. I averaged 2 cigars a day so do the math...ohhhh...if you forget to bring your own booze...tip your waitress a 5r under herfador....she won't pick it up til you're done as that is her incentive to come back quicker to serve you. This tip works at the Specialty Restaurants that you'll use for the week...spy out the regular Maitre de and give him a $20...it will be the guy who will take you to your table and if you get a regular waiter then tip him as well. The dinner charge includes the tip so that you know you're not tipping twice. If you tip with your cruise card the whole staff will get a percentage so when you tip cash ( I strongly suggest you do ) do it discreetly with a handshake so his cohorts won't see it. They have been directed to rat each other out if they see this so the handshake provides cover and if they still want to share with each other then that's their choice. Every time I've done this we always get the better table..appetizers... they come personally to the table and mix your salad..get you the best steak, etc. The personal touch always make the best cruise experience and we've amassed enough points with 3 cruise lines to get free Internet, laundry, champagne or wine and access to private lounges before leaving port and in the concierge on the boat with a lot of privelages So register with whatever line you sail on as a member ... the points add up and are great.

Chuck is right..PR is a great place but not sure the area is near normal from the storms.

 

[bostoneo]

not really concerned about the age of the crowd lol. I usually hang around with old geezers at the cigar lounge anyways lol. ty for the pointers.

on HAL looks like balcony = veranda

 

[ChuckMejia]

The drawback is that they have more 55 and over crowd which makes up 40%....

you old man you!!!




Ive got a buddy that landed a reconstruction contract in old san juan. Flies in weekly to check on his workers. He told me old san juan is back up ... rest of the area isn't tho

 

[Cigary43]

Bostoneo....Balcony=Verandah...just don't get one that says it's obstructed. Best cabin I ever for was at the aft end of the ship...what a view!!

you old man you!!!




Ive got a buddy that landed a reconstruction contract in old san juan. Flies in weekly to check on his workers. He told me old san juan is back up ... rest of the area isn't tho

Glad to hear at least ole SJ is good to go...we usually stay on the other side of the island... Vieques, Culebra and Isla Verde.

 

[Champagne InHand]

My wife loves cruises. I tend to hate them. She works long hard hours and wants to completely wash the outside world away. I like guesthouse and staying long periods to actually get a feel for any particular island or destination.

That said, while in Keon, Nicaragua, I was known as El Gringo Alto y El Fumador de Pudos, we still enjoyed Royal Caribbean. The OM2 is fine unless you are on transatlantic crossings then you are left up to the swells of the ocean.

Enjoy your cruise, but bring your own cigars in a box with a ziplock freezer bag.

Enjoy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[irratebass]

I'd say HAL does have some of the best lounges...the bigger ships absolutely do. The drawback is that they have more 55 and over crowd which makes up 40%...the rest is mixed. For me I don't really care because we usually will get a balcony or mini-suite and that my friend...is how you guaranty a cruise. If you would google HAL they have photos of each ship...keyword cigar lounge and look at the lounges. Bring your cigars...the ones they sell are limited and pricey. I averaged 2 cigars a day so do the math...ohhhh...if you forget to bring your own booze...tip your waitress a 5r under herfador....she won't pick it up til you're done as that is her incentive to come back quicker to serve you. This tip works at the Specialty Restaurants that you'll use for the week...spy out the regular Maitre de and give him a $20...it will be the guy who will take you to your table and if you get a regular waiter then tip him as well. The dinner charge includes the tip so that you know you're not tipping twice. If you tip with your cruise card the whole staff will get a percentage so when you tip cash ( I strongly suggest you do ) do it discreetly with a handshake so his cohorts won't see it. They have been directed to rat each other out if they see this so the handshake provides cover and if they still want to share with each other then that's their choice. Every time I've done this we always get the better table..appetizers... they come personally to the table and mix your salad..get you the best steak, etc. The personal touch always make the best cruise experience and we've amassed enough points with 3 cruise lines to get free Internet, laundry, champagne or wine and access to private lounges before leaving port and in the concierge on the boat with a lot of privelages So register with whatever line you sail on as a member ... the points add up and are great.

Chuck is right..PR is a great place but not sure the area is near normal from the storms.

Bringing this back from the dead........Great tips @Cigary43
Wife & I just booked our 1st cruise with NCL Sky (paid it off today as a matter of fact) for Bahamas May 25th - 29th for our 10yr anniversary.......needless to say we are excited.
Leaving from Miami and our ports are Grand Bahamas Island, Nassau & Great Stirrup Cay.

Any words of wisdom on what to see & do would greatly be appreciated. I believe the only excursion that we have agreed on is the Kayaking, I don't care to swim with pigs no matter how cute they are. We will proobably just kind of ventrure off on our own and maybe rent a scooter or something and see the island. I have been told to definitely see the Blue Lagoon.

I have asked and NCL does have a cigar bar, so very interested in that......might have to spring and get the wife a massage so I can smoke ha.

 

[BasicTek]

I found this spreadsheet on Cruise critic regarding smoking on NCL

I was really unhappy with my last Royal Caribbean smoking accommodations, one small outdoor area, uncomfortable chairs, all cigarette smokers, cigars, and vapers in the same spot. If I go on another cruise the cigar smoking accommodations will be one of the main things I look at. I would love a ship with a bonafide indoor cigar bar with comfy chairs, ventilation, etc. but I think that's only available on very expensive luxury cruises