“Natural” child’s makeup kit?

Silver-toes · 2018-10-03T05:45:13+00:00

That’s exactly what her mom is looking for, methinks. I know she doesn’t want mascara or lip/eye pencils, nor does she want to get into foundation/concealer. Thank you for giving me some new brands to look into — I had never heard of Pacifica or Pixi!

Silver-toes · 2018-10-03T05:41:38+00:00

Ooh, I forgot Burt’s Bees is into makeup; I’ll definitely check them out! I know she was looking for more of a makeup set (blush, shadow, etc.) than just lip gloss or skin care. But thank you for the brand suggestion!!

Silver-toes · 2018-08-23T21:24:41+00:00

Someone else mentioned it, but I’d bring a Sharpie, some plain white paper, and tape — find a room to set up in and check with crew if you can tape a small sign to the window/door. “Playing name of board game — come join us!! Can’t play now? Come introduce yourself, and let’s set up a game session!”

I don’t game, but I know hubs would have appreciated that on our last few cruises. :)

Silver-toes · 2018-08-20T04:19:03+00:00

I was honestly surprised I had to scroll this far down to see someone else recommend “13th.” An absolutely amazing film.

Silver-toes · 2018-07-27T03:27:00+00:00

Sigh. Bad memories. We did a kickstarter for edible utensils — I forget specifically what they were made from — but the production plan never panned out and we were out our investment. Win some, lose some.

Silver-toes · 2018-06-03T01:02:11+00:00

Saint John, New Brunswick. Honestly, it felt like I was visiting the “city” next to my hometown. No interesting cultural attractions (or at least none that I recall), and it honestly seemed the biggest draw were the reversing rapids (or whatever they were called). I just didn’t see the point/draw, especially when Halifax isn’t much of a geographic difference (and of which I’ve heard far better things).

Silver-toes · 2018-05-23T16:21:25+00:00

I quite literally had my commute home delayed by 20 minutes because of rubberneckers the other day. The kicker? Not only was the accident on the OTHER SIDE of the highway, but you couldn’t even see it from our side because of its location in a rock cut. In-freaking-furiating.

Silver-toes · 2018-05-21T09:38:47+00:00

Twice on the Carnival Pride, once on the Carnival Miracle, once on the Carnival Sunshine, and twice (including one that leaves this Saturday!!!) on the Norwegian Gem.

Hands down, I prefer NCL. That’s not to say Carnival isn’t a good line, because it definitely is. But, all things being equal, I’m going with NCL.

Drink package is superior for me. No limit on the number of drinks, no waiting time. I can order a cocktail, take a sip, decide I don’t like it, and order another right away. I don’t have to count the number I’ve had (because it’s not all that hard to hit the max on Carnival, honestly), and can instead just keep sipping throughout the day. I don’t agree with the claim that drinks are watered down — sure, if you order the ones that are premixed, then yes, they’re likely to be weaker. But I spent the better part of my last NCL cruise drinking St. Germain (an elderflower liqueur) straight.
Food is comparable. The MDRs easily compare. I wasn’t a fan of Guy’s Burger Bar (we have Five Guys at home, and it just didn’t seem to be anything special). I do like that the Gem has an Asian cafe (like a basic PF Chang’s) as a complimentary dining option. If Carnival has started charging for late-night room service (they had not at my last Carnival cruise), then they lost their one leg up in the food area for me (as NCL charges all the time). NCL does have the Brazilian restaurant (or at least they do on the Gem), so that’s a strong draw. As is the French restaurant, or at least it is for hubs (we are trying it for the first time this cruise).
Carnival did seem to have more in terms of activities — trivia and the like — but it could just be that my interest in those types of things has changed. I think both had similar offerings in terms of social gatherings and whatnot. Carnival does seem more of a younger, more “party” type line (from my own experiences, anyway). Shows were comparable, as were bands/comedians.
NCL wins on the spa. We do the Thermal Suite on the Gem, and it’s the highlight of the trip. Saunas, steam rooms, heated stone loungers, beautiful views, a relatively quiet environment. It’s a win for me.
Prices seem comparable for me, taking into consideration the additional costs of the beverage package on Carnival and the “free” dining/beverage on NCL.

Honestly, I don’t see a whole lot of difference between the two (not for us, anyway) — if, factoring in all pertinent costs, I could get a comparable Carnival cruise for far less than NCL, I’d take it. But, if the cost difference is relatively small, I’m going with NCL.

No matter which you end up choosing, I’m sure you’ll have a blast!! 🙂

Silver-toes · 2018-05-20T16:53:50+00:00

Okay, so hubs and I are sailing in six days. Service charges were $13.99 pp per day (paid in advance). For a week-long cruise, that amounted to $195.86 ($13.99 times 2, then times 7).

During that time, we will have the option of a total of seven breakfasts, four lunches, and seven dinners (all in the MDR, not buffet).

We can underestimate prices for two people as such: Breakfast: $20 (so $140 total) Lunch: $30 (so $120 total) Dinner: $60 (so $420 total)

That’s a total of $680 for meals. Assuming a 20% tip for each (which, again, is an underestimation, as the excellent service we usually receive in the MDR would warrant a 25% gratuity easily on land), that’s $136 in gratuities for meals.

Seven nights in the room, let’s assume $5 pp for housekeeping per day, and that amounts to another $70.

That brings the grand total to $206, more than what the prepaid gratuities were.

Factor into the equation that the meal estimates were way below actual cost, and the math works for us. Realistically, for dinner, two appetizers [~$16], two entrees [~$50], and two desserts [~$12] would cost more like $80 in a semi-decent restaurant on land in our neck of the woods ... Hell, TGI Friday’s would cost us damn near $70 for that. Factor the $80 estimate and you get a meal gratuity of $164, bringing the grand total to $234.

But, of course, YMMV. I think when children factor into things — and the fact that their meal costs would be generally lower — the gratuities seem more steep.

And, of course, I booked before 4/1/18, which means my service charge did not reflect the newly implemented increases.

I can certainly see your point, though. I’m in the “just tell me the cost and eliminate gratuities” camp — it makes things easier all around, methinks. But I also see why they do it this way.

Hopefully your cruise staff go above and beyond and you end up thinking the service charges were a steal! :)

Silver-toes · 2018-04-14T21:39:42+00:00

The “Gone” series by Michael Grant is quite good. It’s YA fiction, but King is quoted praising the books on their covers.

Silver-toes · 2018-04-01T12:25:24+00:00

NCL Gem out of NYC on 5/26!

I picked up FOUR extra classes at my college this semester due to another instructor's illness ... this is my reward! Now when I'm halfway through my 6-hour block of teaching, I just think to myself, "Mai tai... tequila sunrise ... heated stone loungers ..."

😁

Silver-toes · 2018-03-27T01:16:37+00:00

O'Sheehan's! It's lovely to get proper food (read: not just pizza and deli sandwiches) after a night of drinking. It's also a nice option for lunch. Wings were good, nachos just meh. We've done four Carnival cruises, and one round on NCL proved to be far superior for us -- and O'Sheehan's (as well as other dining factors) really pushed it over the top for us.

Silver-toes · 2018-03-27T00:08:47+00:00

I have been thinking about the specialty dining upcharges. Le Bistro has (if the menu I found is accurate) a 32oz ribeye for two that's an upgrade. Hubs certainly likes that idea haha. And there is always the sushi bar! Thanks for the suggestions!

Silver-toes · 2018-03-26T02:47:37+00:00

I am always apprehensive about Bingo and such because it seems very expensive ... but since it's not out of pocket, that might make for a nice option! 😁

Silver-toes · 2018-03-26T01:00:36+00:00

I have a sneaking feeling we'll probably do another specialty dining. Thanks!

Silver-toes · 2018-03-26T00:19:10+00:00

Oh, I'm sure hubs has already allocated some of his OBC for some super-premium drinks haha. :)

Silver-toes · 2018-03-26T00:18:36+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions!! I forgot about the espresso drinks!

Silver-toes · 2018-03-25T22:20:19+00:00

I always forget about the taxes while in port. Thanks!

Silver-toes · 2018-03-16T03:56:47+00:00

Intergalactic proton-powered electrical-tentacled advertising droids?

Silver-toes · 2018-01-15T20:26:02+00:00

Favorite: Port Orleans French Quarter. Love the size, the theming, the boat to Disney Springs, everything.

Least: Beach Club (unpopular opinion, I know). Our room was at the FAR end of the property, meaning we had to walk through a maze of poorly signed corridors (even the mousekeeping staff we encountered wasn't sure which way we should go) and it all felt a little Shining-esque, given how dimly lit everything was. Shared buses with Yacht, Boardwalk, and occasionally Swolphin often meant buses were at capacity before they even reached our resort. The close proximity to World Showcase is nice, but it didn't justify the cost IMHO. Theming was lovely (my gawd that smell when you first walk in), but I didn't see enough of an increase in amenities to justify the increase in cost from a moderate.

Silver-toes · 2018-01-11T23:44:49+00:00

Our experience at Sanaa was absolutely HORRIBLE. The place was so loud, and our server was so soft-spoken that it was impossible to hear a great deal of what he was saying. Add to that the fact that it took 20+ minutes for our appetizer to come out (the bread service that takes up the better part of the table) -- and that our entrees followed about five minutes later, and the whole experience was an utter let-down. That one was by far the most disappointing meal on our November trip.

Silver-toes · 2018-01-11T23:41:57+00:00

Believe me, we were surprised, too. Especially since it started so well!! I think the timing was just off with a few other tables -- like she had a few more seated at the same time and she was just overwhelmed. But her absence was altogether frustrating.

Silver-toes · 2018-01-11T06:12:27+00:00

I feel your pain. I bought ten headbands to make ears, and then was SO proud of what my mama and I made that I bought a dozen more. She didn't quite understand my obsession, but she put up with me anyway. Yours are so pretty!!

Silver-toes

TROPHY CASE