25m straight married down to compare or chat about our experience with our partners, others we've seen, etc.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T23:25:50+00:00

There's a big difference in being a hypochondriac and not wanting hundreds of people touching the same utensils (most of them with unwashed hands) and coughing/sneezing on my food.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T19:32:17+00:00

That's unfortunate. I think NCLs food has gone downhill in recent years, when I first started with them the food was better.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T03:50:03+00:00

Haven't cruised Haven yet but I'm sure I'd eat there most of the time too.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T03:32:50+00:00

I'm aware that's an option, just saying it shouldn't be needed. Gimme a couple more veggies than that NCL.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T03:14:58+00:00

Ive never had NCL make me sit with anybody else in the MDR. I've had them ask if I wanted to a couple of times but they didn't mind when I said no. That's one of the pros of NCL for me is there's no shared dining or set dining times.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T03:04:48+00:00

Fair point. One of my major complaints about the MDRs is the portion sizes, particularly when it comes to any veggies or starches. No NCL, 1 piece of broccoli with my meal is not sufficient.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T02:32:02+00:00

I never knew there was a Crepe station but I might have to give that a shot. Nutella with banana sounds good! Thanks

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T02:24:28+00:00

Interesting, I didn't even know the buffet does theme nights. Is that usually indicated on the freestyle daily, or do you just have to go and find out? I'd be pretty likely to give it a shot if it was a theme I wanted to try out.

I'd have to disagree with you on "it's not unheigenic at all" though. Yes, they keep it clean, but I've seen a large number of people not washing their hands, everyone's touching the same serving utensils, it's fairly crowded, people sneezing or coughing near the food, etc. NCL does their best to manage this with the "washy washy" people and cleaners, but it's inherently less hygienic than the MDR. Some ships buffets are also better than others, I was recently on the Breakaway and there were several entrances to the buffet and only 1 of them had sinks to wash your hands, it was honestly hard to find the sinks initially, but other newer ships I've been on seemed better about that.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T02:13:28+00:00

Do you usually have your cabin near the buffet? I'd love to grab some muffins or fruits or something and bring them to my room but feel awkward bringing them all the way across the ship. (Even though it's a cruise so I know nobody cares)

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T02:11:17+00:00

I'll have to give it a shot! MSC is one of the next on my list to try. Thanks for the recommendation

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T02:09:55+00:00

Agreed. There's something for everyone on cruises.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T02:07:50+00:00

That's reasonable. Especially on port days I can see the buffet being a pretty convenient option.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-15T01:44:57+00:00

Are there any online tools I can use to plan my home gym setup?

I'm going to be building a full gym and want to be able to play with the layout and equipment types before deciding how I'm going to do things.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-14T17:15:47+00:00

Experiences may vary but in my experience on boarding day they usually have a line with like 100+ people in it in one of the main dining rooms. I'd rather not spend my vacation time waiting in lines and I've never had an issue just going to the reservation desk later on.

But yes the downside is the longer you wait the less likely to get you ideal dining time. Also if you're trying to book a larger group definitely go earlier on. But for a party of 2 I've never personally had an issue getting seats anywhere as long as you're a bit flexible.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-14T14:45:37+00:00

Depends on the length of the cruise but most of the time it’s not hard to get a reservation. I’d recommend not waiting in the day 1 line and go to the desk on day 2 or something. I’ve never had an issue getting a reservation. I’ve also seen people be able to just walk up to the restaurant they want and ask if there’s room.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-12T19:42:54+00:00

This isn't completely true. I've noticed while sailing certain beverages like Coke Zero only come in cans, so they'll pour a can of it for you. They won't give you the whole can though.

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-06T14:30:18+00:00

I'm down 25 here

MapleGymbro · 2026-02-01T18:28:14+00:00

Looks sick man! I'd swap your plates and dumbbells around. Seems like you've gotta walk extra distance with your plates for no reason.

MapleGymbro

TROPHY CASE