NHProud

14 minutes ago, Coralc said:

"bees?" 😊😃😊

His mind must be at Indian Wells where the Alvarez tennis match was halted because of an attack of bees. 
 

Anti-ducker , can anti-Easter egg hunt be far behind ? 

@grapau27 Happy birthday, Pauline! Enjoy your special day to the fullest! 

@harryfat1 I’m not one to give advice to the expert here but I’m wondering what kind of accommodation you have planned for NYC.  My friend rented an AirBnB in Brooklyn and took the subway into Manhattan.  My nephew lives in CT and takes the train to work in Manhattan. That must be so time consuming however his wife works in CT and CT is cheaper. My friend walked a lot , ate in ethnic restaurants and spent lots of time people watching in parks.  
 

I think you mentioned architecture so you might want to look up the Cloisters ,  St John the Divine as well as the usual attractions. St John the Divine charged an admission charge if not attending a service which reminds me of Monaco where we were told we could not enter because a mass was being celebrated at the time . I told him in French to let us enter. 
 

Thank you for putting together this wonderful review of your Christmas cruise.   Always a pleasure tagging along with you and your family.  
 

New York City is one of my favorite places and I wish we could read about your visit there.  
 

J 
 

@grapau27 So very sorry this has been such a painful time for you , Pauline and your dear Sarah .  May you all find peace . 

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Yea suspiciously high but this doctor just started his own practice. The day I came in another older patient kinda whispered to me that this doctor is really good. I think he got the surgery and very happy. He was there for a follow up visit after surgery. So I'll probably just go on with it, though I agree prices he is quoting he must be making out somehow. But i think hes good. He gives off a good confidence. 

Yes , that price seems excessive to me . I was quoted $ 5,000 for both Toric lenses but the ophthalmologist advised me against it and I never pursued why so I still wear glasses which for me is no big deal. I’m more concerned about losing my eyesight to macular degeneration which I was diagnosed with years after my cataract surgery .

My friend had both eyes operated on at the same time unfortunately she couldn’t drive for weeks afterwards due to an eye muscle problem and her disabled husband couldn’t drive , either.  That is something her doc should have mentioned to her. 
 

30 minutes ago, Coralc said:

Sorry. Interrupted for dinner. We were just in our 20's when she fainted, so she wanted me to go with her to the DMV hearing. The hearing officer was bemused, when he asked why I was present? He actually laughed, when I said that we had been friends for a very long time, and I had never seen her faint before. So, it was not a recurring thing. 😄 They did reinstate her license.  

My husband has fainted three times in CA and his doctor knew about two of those times and the DMV never contacted him . The third time he picked himself off the floor and that was the end of that episode. 
 

My daughter suffers from migraines and she fainted in the grocery store.  Her license was suspended and reinstated when she told the DMV she has never fainted when seated . 
 

Happy birthday, Mark 🎂. May you enjoy many more celebrations. 

Sailing to  Brooklyn on Cunard Queen Mary 2 . I don’t know why I deleted the Statue of Liberty. 

@firefly333 Maybe you should ask someone to accompany you to your doc appointment and have all your questions written down .  
 

Good luck.  

18 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Well I went to the gp. He didnt test for what's wrong I think, said he thought respiratory. Poor visit imo. He said he was sending to ear nose and eyes, but sent me just to eye doctor who said oil glands blocked, so I been following what he said, but still coughing I told gp. So new specialist. 

 

Idk why it's so hard to find out why I'm coughing, especially at night if I lay down on the bed. Dont know this doctor is the answer but I'll go in and find out. Agree I am becoming concerned I've had it too long. Was not impressed with my gp visit. He prescribed a prescription vitamin D, stronger than over the counter I've taken 2 weeks. 

 

I told my realtor in florida I cant come I'm sick. 

My friend’s daughter has been coughing for a year with no diagnosis after x-rays and testing for allergies.  It’s a big , irritating puzzle .  She’s had Covid twice so maybe related or it could be psychological.  
 

My daughter was coughing and had what she thought was a very bad cold.  She measured her oxygen level and it was too low . She went to the ER and was told bad cold but she insisted they take an x-ray and she had pneumonia.   The ER doc was dismissive . 

2 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

As you recall, back on my Navigator of the Seas trip report, you requested that I analyze the foot cost for half of the year (the latest info available at the time).  Here is the link (see post #413 for those that didn’t read the old info):

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2958097-cheapo-dads-trip-report-on-the-navigator-of-the-seas-maybe-with-few-pictures-added/page/17/#comment-66046593

 

I assume the cost remained similar for the rest of the year.  Originally I was going to do a comparison for the whole year but Biker19 mentioned that there’s already a discussion on the RCI board on the 10K results so there’s no need for me to reinvent the wheel if people are already talking about it. 

 

Being thorough is part of the occupational hazard of being a “bean counter” as you have to be detailed oriented to survive this job.  Almost every Accounting job posted online requests the ideal candidate to be detail-oriented.  

 

There’s an old saying – treat others the way you want to be treated (apparently most people on social media never heard of this saying as they constantly bash one another).  When I read other people’s trip reports, I want them to be as detailed as possible as being a 9.2 on the anal scale, I don’t like surprises on my vacation so I look for tips that help in my planning. And since I get bored easily with my ADHD tendencies, I also want to be entertained when I read trip reports. 

 

Thus when I write my reports, my target audience is myself as I write these reports the way I want to read them if I was on the other end.  Loads of hourly details and photos and tips on boarding/disembarking and maybe a Baby Got Back video to keep me engaged.

 

This trip report is almost done but not quite there yet.  To borrow the old sports adage – it ain’t over until the fat lady sings.  She’s last seen in the background warming up but not on the stage yet so we have a bit more to go before we wrap this up.

So either you have a fantastic memory or you went back and checked. And , yes it was me that asked you about RCI outlay for food.   I’m assuming with the newer and bigger ships with more passengers and more restaurants they have some formula in place to determine their profit margin on food.  I’m just curious how they go about determining what will sell and how much they can charge.  

15 minutes ago, harryfat1 said:

You have your basic burgers/hot dogs/chicken/corn and salad selection.  Another sign of RCI cutting back on the food quality.  Back in 2014 and 2017 when were last at Labadee, they had ribs as part of the lunch offering.  Not there anymore

 

 

My lunch in 2023

 

 

My lunch in 2017

 

 

Much better fruit display back in 2017 as well.  Didn't see anything like this back in December

 

 

 

 

Without going to a lot of work do you know offhand if RCL’s  expenditure for food per passenger has gone up or down per the last quarterly report.  

 
I was not impressed with the monotony of the WJ .  Obviously, the goal is to get passengers to eat in the premium restaurants.  
 

I’m sorry to see you end this review. No one can accuse you of not being thorough. 

There are quite a few native New Yorkers  on Dani’s thread so you could ask there . On that bus ride to the Cloisters a woman with mental health issues became belligerent which frightened me so I took a cab back to my hotel.  Another time , I and a man waited patiently for a bus that never came . He asked me do you want to share a cab uptown which was my Seinfeld moment ? Who hasn’t heard that line on that show? 

My friend was in NYC this past June and she walked 77 miles in 10 days and she is 80 yrs old .  

@harryfat1 In NYC , I took the bus because I was traveling alone , female, and it felt safer .  I even took the bus to the Cloisters which is quite a distance.  You see more on a bus versus being underground.  There might be day passes available for both the subway and buses. 

@dani negreanu I hope your BFF Alex regains his strength and mobility with PT .  He is surrounded by a good support group in you and his family. 

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

 

I'm doing alittle better. Went to the urologist and they took out the catheter. If things don't get better they may have to put it back in. Main thing he is worried about is my PSA is very high. They want to do a biopsy for prostrate cancer. I am not looking forward to that but I need to do something.

 

We are staying at the Double Tree in San Pedro. Got a fairly decent room rate. We are coming in two nights early as I would like to visit some of LA's famous Tiki Bars. Unfortunately they are not close to San Pedro so I'm sure I will be able to visit some as a Uber would cost about $70 one way.

I’m so sorry you are experiencing all of these health problems .  Wishing you the best outcome . 

2 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

I would be interested if anyone has a sound decibel meter app on their phone to take some readings in some of these shows.Sounds at 85 dBA can lead to hearing loss if you listen to them for more than 8 hours at a time. Sounds over 85 dBa can damage your hearing faster. I would be very curious what the readings are.

That would be helpful in having some data to present to them along with a complaint . 
Could always ask the sound mixer , also . Complain to guest services , CD , activities director and at meet the captain.  Trip advisor, start a thread on here and f b Royal Caribbean and start a write in to Bayley .  I once complained to his fb page and my problem was fixed the next week . Then there’s the cruise survey . 
 

How are you ? Any improvement ? Where are you staying in Oct …. LA , Long Beach or San Pedro ? 

@A&L_Ont Thanks for the photos ! I’m sure , Owen will take good care of the car and will drive responsibly.  Just from experience, not that Owen needs to be instructed , who is to ride in the car and how many passengers.  If you are planning on Gordon Ramsay in Miami , I believe that is where J &L ate before the WC . Pics on the f b page.
 

@Ocean Boy I refused X-rays until the dentist had me sign a waiver and then told me he couldn’t treat me anymore without x-rays . Just protecting himself .   And with the dental implant it was numerous scans .  That was the first time a surgeon has called me at home to check up on me . Nice touch . 

15 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Isn’t one’s mouth always creating bacteria?  If that is the case shouldn’t this be done once a day?  After reading about it just now, maybe there is something to it. 

 

Still feels like the upsell of nitrogen in car tires VS regular tire pump air. 

It is hard to tell if they are selling you something that is iffy . This new dentist is now doing tooth implants in addition to laser treatments . The previous dentist did none of that . 
 

Is Owen enjoying his new car ? 

Just now, Sunshine3601 said:

Was it painful?    Would you did again?    

 

I'm unsure whether I want to keep my appointments or is this all an upsell for the new guy just starting out?

It was the second time that I’ve had this procedure. I’m way older than you are . Your gums are sore and slightly swollen depending on the how much work they have to do.  She gave me instructions on how to brush my teeth , salt rinse and over the counter meds . The laser treatment I could smell burning flesh .   
 

It is nothing to stay away from , my friend had no discomfort at all. It is a hit on the wallet, though.

3 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I am looking for some advice.  My Dentist that I went to for many years retired last year and the guy that bought his practice is nice but also seems to be focused on selling extras.   

 

I do not have any issues with my teeth or gums.  In fact I have never had a cavity and the previous Dentist prior to retiring told me to just keep up with what I am doing as I have great teeth.     

 

The new Dentist scheduled me this Tuesday for a deep clean (as preventive maintenance) which I understand can be rather invasive of gums.   They set up two (2) separate appointments 2 weeks apart so he can do one side of the mouth then other side so I won't have discomfort from doing the whole mouth at once.    

 

I am a bit nervous about doing this deep clean.   Has anyone ever had one?    

Last Friday in fact . My dentist also sold his practice and the new guy’s hygienist told me I needed a deep cleaning.  She scheduled two appointments.  When, I showed up up I told her to do both sides of my mouth at once . She would have to check with my insurance. She did both at once and also laser treatment to kill bacteria. Don’t they have amoxicillin for that ? Nobody’s ever asked that , she replied. Upsell ? 

2 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

They are headquartered in Stratham, New Hampshire. I drive by the entrance quite frequently on the way to my Mom’s house. They used to have a factory store in the plant with chocolate seconds, like empty truffle shells or broken bars etc. I think we just had too much of it. 🙂

Exactly, I was just looking it up.  My cousin took my mother and me there once . I must have bought too many because my mom gave me the look. 
 

If I were in Switzerland, I would try the many chocolate shops with their wonderful displays.  I still remember decades later Dallmeyers in Munich .  Germany makes great chocolates , too. 

16 minutes ago, George C said:

Just booked our favorite New York City hotel again for Memorial Day weekend 4 nights there the 3 in Buffalo area (East Aurora) . Have our rock and romance music cruise in less than 4 weeks, will most likely visit my sister and her family Labor Day . Then MSc yacht club cruise right after thanksgiving 😁😁. Need to prebook a play or two or maybe Carlyle room or 54 below . 

The Wall Street Journal has an article in today’s paper about post-museum meals.  It mentions the Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle hotel. “ It’s a nice place to have a martini, listen to some music and talk to a friend “.  If I’m remembering correctly it is where Woody Allen used to play the clarinet.  

@ReneeFLL Happy Anniversary, Renée and Mike .  Enjoy your travels.