Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    I can relate to this bummer..
    
    I was originally booked on the Maiden Voyage of the Fantasy for
    January 12 (last weekend). The shipyard went bankrupt, then
    got some cash and the ship's maiden voyage is now March 2 (which
    we are booked for)...
    
    I think a maiden voyage is worth the wait. They don't happen everyday.
    But my friends keep reminding of the maiden voyage of that HUGE liner
    back in 1912....Are there any icebergs in in the Bahama's ?
    
    Someone said waiting and anticipating is half the fun...I keep
    telling myself that...
    
    Jim
    

    Hi,
    
    Don't be too disappointed about not being able to go on the 'maiden
    voyage' although there are many pros about being one of the firsts
    there are some cons.  Because the ship is brand new, all the bugs are 
    not worked out and some amount of disorganization and discomfort can
    exist.  The travel agents I've talked with say, wait till the ship is
    about a month old before trying it out to avoid those kinds of
    inconviences.
    
    Ro
    

    
     After looking at RCCL's 1990 book I can see why Dave is bummed. The
    Centrum in her is 7 stories high. Two more than the Sovereign !!! This
    ship looks to be the key. I wonder if there have been any pictures of
    the construction published ? Any subscribers to the cruise rags have
    any more info ???
    
    George
    
    P.S. I especially like the rear of the ship with it's larger state
         rooms with their own little balcony/terrace.

    Dave is not too frustrated anymore.  He just booked a cabin with
    Carnival on the "Fantasy".  It's not my first choice, but it should
    still be a "Fantastic" time.  By the way, the cabins are filling up
    quickly; probably due somewhat to the delay on the "Nordic Empress". 
    
    
    Dave

    Hello,
    
    Just a quick note... My husband, myself, and my 11 year old daughter
    are booked on the August 13th Nordic Empress Cruise.  Has anyone else
    made this trip?  If so, what is there to do in Nasau and Freeport other
    than gambling and shopping.  
    
    My husband and I traveled on the SOS last year and were very pleased
    with the experience.  I hope this one will be as nice.  I'll let you
    know when we get back.
    
    Gail

    Hello again,
    
    Sorry it took so long to get back with a report of our trip... no 
    excuses... just got busy.
    
    The ship itself is great, however, even though the centrum is taller
    than the SOS centrum, it is not nearly as impressive.  Everything is
    scaled down from the SOS in size.  The ship is clean and bright and
    full of things to do, but comparing it to our last cruise on the SOS,
    we found the trip too short, the casino much bigger and better, the
    entertainment great (as usual), the shore excursions so so (but then I
    really don't care for the Bahamas), and the service excellent.
    
    We did find the rooms slightly smaller than the SOS (bathrooms too if
    you can believe it), but those rooms with the balconys looked like the
    thing to pamper yourself with.
    
    The stop in CocoCay was disapointing, in that there was still
    construction of the island going on.  The particular time of year also
    contributed to jelly fish being in the beach areas, and sting rays just
    off shore.  If you took the long walk to the so called private beach at
    the far end of the island, you discovered that the island seemed to be
    made from garbage and the waves or tide left cut-outs in the land
    showing the fill of old glass bottles and such.  
    
    If you go, wait a while, till the island is finished.  I think you will
    be more impressed.
    
    All in all, I would rate the trip a 6 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 the
    tops.  I would rate our trip on the RCCL SOS a 9 (only because we made
    the trip 2 weeks after hurricane Hugo went through and things were not
    quite normal).
    
    RCCL as usual is a great way to travel, the Nordic Empress is a
    beautiful ship, but the location and ports were not impressive.
    
    Gail

    The following is a brief "trip report" from the July 6-10 Nordic
    Empress cruise.  There were 3 of us (my sister and 14-yr. old niece)
    in one of the "deluxe" rooms on the 9th deck (ones with the balcony).
    We had only ever been on one other ship (RCCL's Nordic Prince), so it
    really seemed like this was a much more comfortable cabin.  The best
    part was that the 3rd person didn't have to sleep in an upper berth -
    the couch had a fold-out bed!!  The bathroom actually seemed quite
    large, but the shower itself was still pretty small.
    
    We were not that impressed with the Bahamas ports, but hadn't expected
    to be, so it wasn't really a disappointment.  The only thing that was
    really a surprise was that there's so much seaweed and the water is
    so shallow on Coco Cay.  It seemed to be "ok" for snorkeling, but there
    was no surf and it was rather a bummer to try and swim.
    
    Overall, the ship was beautiful and really seemed spacious.
    
    When we were moving, I couldn't feel a thing - not a ripple - nothing.
    We never heard any engine noises, either.
    
    The public areas were all great.
    
    The food was excellent.
    
    The diningroom and cabin service were both "ok" - we rated both as good
    rather than excellent.
    
    We would definitely do it again.
    
    BTW - we were "cruise only" passengers, and we were definitely not
    allowed on the bus with the "land-sea" folks.  Though I had read prev-
    iously that folks had been able to use the bus/luggage transport, I
    didn't count on it, so it was not a big upset.  We just got our luggage
    and grabbed a cab to the dock and it was fine.  Did the same thing on
    the return.  We were some of the first getting off the ship, collecting
    our stuff, and catching the cab back to the airport.
    
    Jean B.

    I am leaving May 24th for the 4 night cruise on the Nordic Empress. 
    This is my first cruise and I am excited!!!
    
    My reservations are under the "Share Program", where they match you
    with another single person as a roommate.  I have to admit, this
    concerns me a bit, but it's worth the savings.  There is a chance that
    I'll have the room to myself, yea!!
    
    I've read all the notes in this file and appreciate all the input about
    this ship and the ports.  Does anyone have more to add about the ports:
    Freeport, Nassau, Coco Cay?  What about the "Share Program", anyone
    else tried this?
    
    Another thing, what about motion sickness medication?  I'm planning to
    start on Dramamine the morning before I leave.  Will it make me sleepy
    as others have said?  Should I risk not taking it?  (I already know the
    answer to that one--NO!)
    
    One thing I've been concerned about is crimes at sea.  I've seen
    reports on 20-20 and the other news shows about attacks on women in
    their cabins and in hallways.  Does anyone have any input about this? 
    Any stories or experiences?
    
    Also, I would like to know more about the ship-board activities.  I'm
    not planning to leave the ship until the private island.  I bought a
    new book to read and love to play cards and other board games.  Can
    someone give me more details about what to expect on the ship while in
    port?
    
    Any information that I have forgotten to ask for is appreciated.  I'm
    so anxious to leave!  I'll be sure to file a trip report when I return.
    
    BTW, my family (twelve adults and kids) have made reservations for the
    Christmas cruise on Premier's Majestic (The Big Red Boat).  This should
    be fun!!
    
    Thanks for any input!
    
    Jill

    Jill,
    
    Watching a merry-go-round makes me motion sick but I found a cruise
    ship not that bad.  I went on a 3 night cruise several years ago and
    did not feel motion sick until the last day.  So I took some
    dramamine(sp) and felt fine about 30 to 45 minutes later.  One dose did
    the trick.  This was the day that was entirely at sea.  We stopped
    twice so I think those breaks helped.
    
    Donna

    I would consider not taking dramimine unless you know for certain
    you will get seasick. The nordic empress is rather large and should
    be quite stable unless you hit rougher seas. Remember most people
    do not get sea sick even in moderate seas. My wife and I have never
    taken anything for eight 7 night cruises and we have hit some
    pretty rough weather. We always felt fine.
    
    Any medicine has side affects. The side affects can vary drastically
    from one person to another. Dramimine and patches both have side
    affects. for some people they are very minor and usually those 
    people like the medication. I've met many people on cruises who
    assummed they would get sick and took medication before hand, typically
    patches. After 3 or 4 days at sea and feeling lousy each day these
    people stop the medication and then felt fine. 
    
    The basic idea which works well for most people is wait and see. If you
    get sick you can take dramimine which is usually free and available 24
    hours a day from the purser's desk or somewhere and it works very
    quickly I am told.
    
    Dramimine and patches can both be wonderful when needed. Many people
    love them because they allow them to enjoy a cruise with out getting
    sick. There are also a lot of people, especially first time cruisers
    who take medication ahead, have adverse reactions and side affects only
    to find out they don't even need the medicine.
    
    
    Freeport and Nassau are not my favorite places. Ok, I guess. Coco
    Cay is a private island for a beach day. Very nice if you like a
    beach day. If you really like the beach then try to get off as
    early as possible on first tender over from ship. I've been to
    Coco Cay and it is pretty nice. Long walks, nice beach, snorkeling,
    can rent a sail boat and other items. Early people get best choice 
    for beach chairs etc. They will try to sell in advance a $5 rental
    for a large mat which you can lay on in the water or on the beach.
    They tend to say they may sell out if you do not reserve, they
    almost never do. Unless you are really going to
    use it think twice. They are fairly heavy and quite alkward to drag
    around. If you want to walk a lot and see everything then bypass
    it. We rented two and all they did was help hold down the sand for
    the day, we did not use them. If you are early you can easily get 
    a beach lounge. Leave some not valuable clothing etc. to mark it
    and do what you want, It will be there when you come back. If you
    enjoy floating in the water itself on these mats then they would
    be nice, not really worth it for laying on beach.
    
    RCCL runs pretty tight ships. I've never heard of security problems
    as described on their ships. It always make sense to be cautious
    anywhere. If any concern it would be a "very minor" one but only at
    Freeport and Nassau, I assume both are day visits. If you can
    be with someone else that would be nicer, they usually have
    a singles get together the first night of cruise to allow you
    to meet people. At each stop there will be lots of people from the
    ship so even going alone should be  fine.
    
    No experience on the cabin share, I assume if you do not smoke they
    will match you with a non smoker. Most people are usually not in their
    cabin much on a cruise. If your match does not end up being your
    favorite person then there should be no problem. If you get the
    room to yourself then that is icing on the cake.
    
    					Harold C.

    Thanks for all the input.  Based on Harold's advise in .10, I'll wait
    on the Dramamine.  If it works within 30 minutes after taking, then I
    should be okay only taking it if I need it.
    
    The details on CocoCay are appreciated!  I was thinking about trying
    snorkling here.  
    
    Any help on the daytime shipboard activities?  I'd be happy to read a
    book and drink Pina Coldas all day, but just in case day three starts
    to become boring or I finish that book, what can I expect to find, other
    than shuffleboard and Bingo.  I heard that sometimes they have wine
    tastings and gourmet cooking lessons.  These sound interesting.
    
    I'm planning a massage and pedicure for the first day--a day of
    PAMPERING!! (and I don't mean diapers!!)
    
    Is it time to go yet?  Someone in this notefile said that part of the
    fun of cruising is the anticipation.  I agree, but it can't be the good
    part!!  I feel like a kid at Christmas!
    
    Thanks for your input!  Bon Voyage, soon!
    

    I haven't seen Bodine (sp?) mentioned for seasickness (or prevention
    of).
    I was told by a woman who owned a sailboat that this was better than
    Dramamine because it didn't make you drousy.  A few years back, I took
    my sons for a whalewatch and, since we had never done this before, I
    figured better be safe than sorry so we each ate 1 tablet 1 hour 
    before sailing.  Thank God we did because there were VERY rough seas
    and practically everyone on the boat was sick but us.  I never saw
    so many people soooo sick before.  It was awful!  The tablet is orange
    flavor and had no side effects for us.  Try it!
    
    

    The spelling is Bonine, and is the same medication and strength that
    was once only available by prescription. It works better for me than
    dramamine.
    
    Linda

    May 24, 1993 Trip Report
    
    Overall, I'd rate this cruise as "okay".  This was my first cruise so I
    can't compare it to other cruises, but I can compare it to other
    resorts.  It felt like a typical DEC100 weekend at the beach.
    
    The food was not as good as I expected.  Maybe the build up was too
    great, but I didn't find the selection to be outstanding or the quality
    to be excellent.  The midnight buffet was a disappointment, too.  I
    love food and enjoy eating, so I was really looking forward to this
    experience.  The food wasn't "bad", it just wasn't great.
    
    The share program turned out to be a good experience.  For the lowest
    price available, I was assigned to a catagory F cabin on the 7th level. 
    The room had a nice big window (between two lifeboats) with a good
    view.  The roommate was a non-smoker like me, not in my same age
    category as they indicated.  However, I heard about one cabin that had
    a smoker and non-smoker assigned together, so I was grateful.  The
    woman I roomed with was very nice and considerate, we got along very
    well.  I would try this program again.
    
    The entertainment was very good.  I enjoyed the shows.  The cruise line
    invested in talented entertainers.  The Country & Western and 50's &
    60's nights were sort of fun.  If you wanted to dance, you only got
    four or five songs to dance to and they were separated by the cruise
    staff's "fun & games" which left something to be desired.
    
    The activities did not impress me.  I expected activities that would
    encourage interaction among the passengers but we mostly were
    spectators.  I was looking forward to a game of cards or something
    similar.  They never annouced the cards and games, scheduled them in a
    hard-to-find conference room, threw some board games in a chair and
    left.  When I finally found the room, no one was around so I left, too.
    
    I'm sorry this sounds so negative, I really looked for positives.  When
    I returned home, I felt like I hadn't been gone and that really
    disappointed me the most.
    
    The private island was okay.  It rained, more like drizzled, all day. 
    I had pictured myself in a hammock with a book and pina colda, but
    there were no hammocks or waiters.
    
    The spa was wonderful!  I went for the full treatment and loved it.  I
    also had my hair cut on board.  I really love it too.
    
    If anyone has any specific questions, just ask.  For the most part, I
    enjoyed the cruise, but I can't describe it using the adjectives that I
    heard before I left.  
    
    

	Sorry to hear your cruise wasn't all you expected.  Isn't the
        Nordic Empress RCCL's ship that only does the 3 and 4 day trips?
        It has been my experience that the short cruises don't compare
        with the longer cruises.  I've only taken one short cruise and
        was not impressed and anyone I've ever talked to about the 
        2, 3 and 4 days cruises made similar comments.  I'm not sure 
        what it is but I have found that the longer the cruise, the
        better the service, etc....maybe it's because you're investing
        more money and the cruise line knows you expect more.  Keep in
        mind though that every cruise provides new experiences and it
        may have just been bad luck.  Better luck next cruise!

        Patty

    It seems the more time that passes the more my memories become
    positive.  I think the biggest problem for me was that my expectations
    were so high!  The build up was so great that no ship could have
    measured up.
    
    The ship was beautiful and the cabin was a good size.  I thought the
    bathroom was small but when my sister (two seven-day cruises) said she
    was surprised that I had lots of counter space in the bath, I realized
    it was bigger than I thought.
    
    My greatest disappointments were the food and activities.  I still
    wasn't impressed with the food but I realize that it is difficult to
    offer activities that will appeal to several age ranges, singles and
    couples and make an impression in four days.  I think you're right
    about the time frame influencing the experience.
    
    My next cruise was booked before I left for this first one.  My family
    is going on the Majestic, Premier Cruise Line, for the Christmas
    cruise.  This will be a 3 day cruise on a smaller and older ship.  We
    have reserved the smallest cabins on the boat.  I expect to really
    appreciate my RCCL cruise after this one.
    
    Now that my expectations are more realistic, I will probably go on
    another cruise.  I would be interested in an Alaskan cruise or perhaps
    a repositioning cruise.  I still believe it is the best value in
    vacation travel.
    
    You are correct about the Noridc Empress, it only does 3 and 4 day
    cruises.  I don't remember if I mentioned the spa services previously. 
    They were great!  I had a facial, massage, manicure, pedicure, hair
    styled and cut.  This was the best way to spend my time and money.  The
    people were very good and service oriented.  I have the best hair cut
    I've ever had and I've always been willing to invest in my hair.  The
    bad news is when I need a trim, it may be difficult to find the stylest
    again.
    
    The positives definitely outweigh the negatives and the negatives are
    fading.
    
    Jill
    

        Jill,

	I can understand about having your expectations so high.  My first
        cruise, I was walking about a foot above the ground for weeks before
        we even got on the ship and we were really fortunate that it was 
        everything we dreamed and more.  It was on a smaller, older ship
        (RCCL Song of Norway) and was a repositioning cruise (11 nights).
        Our last cruise in April (Crown Princess/7 day) was great too but 
        definitely different than the first.  Our expectations still remain
        high with each cruise but maybe more realistic as you said.  
        
        I really like the hair salons and the pampering on the ships too.
        It was fun trying hair styles that I had never tried before.
        I also tried some of their makeup and ended up buying it.  I'm 
        almost out of it....guess it's time to book another cruise!  
        There are so many positive things to enjoy on a cruise that the
        negative things in reflection do seem minor.  I read an article a
        few days ago that said cruise lines were going to start offering
        more theme cruises so that people of like interests could travel
        and meet each other.  They listed ideas such as a cruise that 
        catered to singles who enjoy ballroom dancing, people in certain
        professions, clubs, sports, etc.  It sounds like a good idea.
    
        I would be interested in reading a trip report when you return from 
        your cruise on the Majestic and what you think about Premier Lines.
  
        Patty
        
        

My brother is surprising my sister-in-law with a cruise on the
Nordic Empress in November.  From what I've read in this note,
what would you folks do different if you could do it over again?

It sounds like the stops aren't very good.  What's bad about
Nassau and Freeport?  Is there anything fun to do there?  What
should they avoid?

Any advice appreciated.

Karla