SC_Floaters

Stollen is the German name for that lovely sweetbread. If you ask for ‘stollen’ you will confuse the waitstaff. 
On our last 4 cruises we found out if you ask for ‘raisin bread’ you will get that stollen style sweetbread.

I always take two pieces with plenty of butter.

Yes. One person - four devices. 
That is what wife & I do. Both our iPhones on wi-fi calling, leaving two other devices to share. 

Even though Labadee’s Labadoozie and it’s twin Coco Cay’s Cocoloco are the same, they are not available by name onboard.. Order a rum punch and it will be very close.

• Main Dining Room
• Windjammer Cafe
• Solarium Bistro
• Poolside food truck, increasing the total number of dining options on the pool deck to three
• Park Café
• Cafe Promenadé
• Sorrento’s Pizza
• Boardwalk Dog House
• El Loco Fresh
• Sprinkles for ice cream
• Coastal Kitchen (suites only)
• Room service (continental breakfast only)
• Johnny Rockets (breakfast only)

Part of email of 3/24 from Celebrity concerning our 9 Night Canada/New England on the Summit on 28 May...

Due to port closures and travel restrictions implemented by the government of Canada, we’ve modified our itinerary thereby ensuring you have the best cruise experience possible.  On June 1^st, our scheduled call to Saint John, New Brunswick will be replaced with a relaxing day at Sea.  Additionally, our calls to Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia have been replaced with a stop in Nassau, Bahamas on June 3^rd, followed by an additional day at Sea on June 4^th. 

Cruise Critic's how to sanitize your cabin in 12 steps

http://the-hotline.net/SanitizeYourCabin.pdf 

I wrote a long letter to Royal about smoking in the casino. I've placed some of it below. The response from Royal was a canned letter that was worth abut the price of the paper it was written on...  They really do not care.

This letter is to let you know of our displeasure with your Casino Royale smoking policy.
Smoking is limited to a very few areas onboard your ships. Casino Royale allows smoking. You usually set aside an area for nonsmoking. Passenger traffic through the casino makes these areas useless. We have noticed a great number of smokers using the casino as a smoking only area who do not participate in any of the gaming you provide. This has turned your casinos into dens of smoke even in the nonsmoking areas. We are also concerned with the second hand health issues.

The concentration of smoke in the casino, not only a second hand health issue, has become so strong we feel uncomfortable in the Casino Royale (they smell like an old cigar). Staying away from your casino is good for our health and wallet, bad for your bottom line. Remember, all those smokers not gaming are just polluting the air for those of us who do.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT PASSENGERS USING THE CASINO AS A SMOKING AREA ONLY ARE NOT CREATING ANY REVENUE FOR YOU AND ARE CHASING MANY OF US AWAY…

We are set for a 9 Night Maine & Canada on Celebrity Summit 28MAY2020 from Cape Liberty with stops at Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Sydney & Halifax...

Expect spring time weather.  Ship's interior and cabins should be just fine.

We did a 9 Night Canada / New England Cruise this past October on the Grandeur out of Baltimore with stops in Boston, Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John & Halifax...  We hit a very bad N. Atlantic storm and our shedule was changed quite a bit. Visited Portland, Extra Boston Day and Halifax. Bar Harbor and Saint John were cancelled. (We did get a nice refund for the missed ports). Had and extra sea day on the return to Baltimore, very rough seas 16 to 25 ft waves, I did 25 years in the Navy and rough seas do not bother me, the dining room was only half filled that last day at sea)...

Dennis & Sue
 

Virgin Cruises - Scarlet Lady

Maiden Voyage set for April 2020

Design and concept

Adults-only

On 31 October 2017, Branson and president and CEO of Virgin Voyages, Tom McAlpin, revealed that the company's first ship will be exclusive to adults only, requiring that all guests be ages 18 and over. McAlpin explained that this move was made to appeal largely to travel professionals within the more premium market looking for an "elevated" experience. Virgin Voyages Chief Commercial Officer Nirmal Saverimuttu also attributed the decision to the company's aim to target "people who would not typically consider a cruise holiday" and might be interested in a "cooler" and more "intimate" setting.

Offerings

On Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages bundles all passengers' fares as one price per cabin, as opposed to pricing each voyage per guest. Consequently, prices demand a higher premium than those of their competitors. In response, Virgin revealed that all fares will cover all dining charges, fitness classes, internet, and gratuities, among other offerings, but alcoholic beverages, retail, and shore excursions will still incur expenses.

The ship does not include any buffet or dining rooms, and instead, houses approximately 20 different dining and drinking establishments. Other venues include a multi-function theater and an onboard tattoo and body piercing parlor.

I do not believe they are making any attempt to compete with Royal, Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Holland but will be a very specialized niche of their own…

On 2/3/2020 at 8:04 PM, Ukigirl said:

I’m amused by some of the dumb things people have said to me when they found out I’m taking a solo cruise. 

IGNORE THEM !!!!

From Royal Caribbean Cruises, LTD.

Referring to a modern cruise ship as a “floating city” is no simple analogy. Not only does it provide accommodation, recreation, relaxation and transportation, it also literally has to support life in the most basic sense.

On the open saltwater seas, as Coleridge famously noted, while water is everywhere, there is not a drop to drink – unless potable water is collected in port or “made” using reliably tested methods.

Nick Rose, environmental regulatory lead, environmental stewardship, for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., says the company’s fleet provides clean, safe, drinkable water in three ways.

“One is through bunkering it,” Rose says, using the maritime term for loading   water in port and storing it on board. “We follow strict WHO (World Health Organization) as well as U.S. Public Health standards, so water is taken from a reputable drinking source.” While it’s collected, the water is tested for microbials and other pollutants, then treated and chlorinated for any potential organisms or pathogens that may have eluded onshore treatment.

The second method, used for years and for which all RCL ships are equipped, goes by any of three names – steam evaporation, flash evaporation or steam desalination. One clever “green” aspect of this method is its use of waste heat from the ship’s engines. “We bring on seawater and boil it using the waste steam and heat from our engines to remove the salt from the water,” Rose explains. “The water from the evaporator travels down to a condenser where the steam then condenses back into what at that time would be distilled purified water.” As anyone who’s ever tasted it knows, distilled water has no familiar water flavor. So next, minerals are added, “so that it has the normal taste that most people like,” Rose continues. “After it goes to the mineralizer we send it for chlorination, just again to make sure that you have nothing growing in it.”

The third, most technologically advanced method of creating potable water is through reverse osmosis using equipment now on most RCL ships. “You bring on seawater, but instead of using heat or high amounts of energy, you actually use a little bit of energy to push the saltwater through a semi-permeable membrane,” Rose says. “The only thing that makes it through the membrane is pure, clean water.” All the salt and other possible contaminants remain blocked on the intake side of the membrane, while the water that passes through is mineralized for flavor and chlorinated for added safety.

Taking all onboard freshwater usage into account, RCL reports that on average its guests consume 55 gallons per day, compared to the U.S. average of as much as 100 gallons. Contributing to the difference, Rose says, is the shipboard use of low-flow showerheads and washbasin faucet aerators in guest and crew cabins; highly efficient ice makers, dishwashers and laundry equipment; re-use of condensed water from air-conditioners to supplement laundry needs, and other above-and-beyond-compliance conservation efforts.

I have an iPhone XS and my provider is Consumer Cellular.

Both the iPhone and Consumer Cellular offer wifi calling (no charge)....  I did need to call Consumer Cellular and they had to activate the feature before my first use...

When Cruizing, I turn Cellular OFF.... WiFi Calling On and connect to Celebrity or Royals wifi (paid for package) and it worked just fine....

I am sure Verison and you Galaxy are the same, do not know if you need to activate through Verison. Just do a simple test at home... Turn of Cellular Data, connect to a wifi network, turn on wifi calling and make a call...

Dennis

20 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I have not been to the European Christmas markets.  What are the best interaries/ports to see?  When would you go?  Is perhaps a river cruise better to see them?

Most 'European Christmas Markets' seem to be in Germany... You could see them by a land vacation or best bet would be a River Cruise.

We Did The Last Season's River Cruise on Avalon, December 10, 2016, 8 Nights down the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, Visited Amsterdam, Cologne, Koblenz - Rhine Gorge - Rudesheim, Mainz, Strasbourg Breisach and Basel. It was wonderful...

12 hours ago, Mr&MrsBee said:

Wonder where X buys the romaine lettuce with the problem of ecoli.wrong word Will be on board on the 13th.  We have no Caesar salad.  Publix here has taken most lettuce off the shelves.

Do not worry about your Salads on Royal Ships.

Watched a show last year 'Mega Ships' and they showed the galley operation, of interest was the processing of Romain and other greens used in salads... 

First they are cut/chopped up, then into a bleach bath (just enough bleach and long enough to get rid of any tiny nasties), then a final rinse, spin dry and ready for plating...

On 11/25/2019 at 11:45 AM, coaster said:

I have never sailed the end of March on any ship. I just booked a March 28,  2020 cruise on Rhapsody. Does this ship attract a lot of spring breakers? Talked with a couple on the Harmony last week who sailed on Empress late in March and they said it was pretty rowdy with lots of security having to intervene. 

Spring Break 2020

February 22 - April 18, 2020

Really Busy During March up to the 28th....

Only 4 Universities/Colleges on break from March 28 to April 4...

This is from a Listing of 209 Universities/Colleges found online...

We have done 19 cruises during Spring Break over the years. Mostly on the 3 & 4 Night Itineraries out of Orlando/Port Canaveral on Sovereign, Monarch, Enchantment and now Mariner.

Booked 4 Night beginning March 23 on the Mariner...

We are both 70+, so Spring Breaks are way in our past, however, where else can you see so many of our young adults having so much fun at one time.

Spring Break on CoCo Cay... Now That's a party....

Dennis & Sue

Do A Google Search For...

where to send a complaint to Royal Caribbean ....

Sorry for that extra zero....  I meant 2/2/2020 .... 

There is no sailing for the Edge on 2/20....  She's in Cozumel...

Dennis & Sue

On 11/22/2019 at 11:38 AM, beachchairs said:

LIke to no if we can board the ship before the 330pm  boarding time as our flight gets in 940 am in fort lauderdale..

That 2/20 Edge sailing departs Florida at 3:30pm...  Check you set sail/boarding pass and you will probably see a note that you need to be checked in no later and 90 minutes before ship departure or 2pm......

I would check in as soon as you can arrive from you FFL flight...

We are cruising the Mariner on DEC 30, 2019 and MAR 23, 2020.

We have done those 3/4 day itineraries out of P.Canaveral about 28 times starting on the Sovereign in 2007.

Really enjoy them and you can not beat New Years Eve/Day in Nassau/CoCo Cay...

Saw a couple post about quiet places on CoCo Cay... Guess I'll take my IOS Device, Sound Cancelling Earphones and some Jimmy Buffet Albums ashore... That and a few CoCoLoCo's should make the day...

Dennis  &  Sue

Have you ever had the "stomach flu?" What you probably had was gastroenteritis - not a type of flu at all. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by a virus, bacteria, or parasites. Viral gastroenteritis is the second most common illness in the U.S. The cause is often a norovirus infection. It spreads through contaminated food or water or by contact with an infected person. The best prevention is frequent hand washing.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, fever, and chills. Most people recover with no treatment.

The most common problem with gastroenteritis is dehydration. This happens if you do not drink enough fluids to replace what you lose through vomiting and diarrhea. Dehydration is most common in babies, young children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems.

How does someone's niece decide they are going to maybe go on a cruise with their aunts & uncles ???

If you do decide to take her, remember to bring some documentation from her parents that you have permission to take a minor not your daughter out of the country...

On 9/26/2019 at 10:07 AM, Turtles06 said:

Let me get the following out of the way before moving on to the happier parts of our cruise.  There’s one major change brought about by the “revolution” that I really don’t like –  the fact that Celebrity has taken the only forward-facing exterior deck and turned it into the Retreat Sundeck, restricted to suite passengers.  I have no problem with suite guests having their own restaurant, lounge, and similar facilities, but there’s no space on the Summit (or other Celebrity ships) equivalent to that exterior deck.  For folks like me who love the ocean and cruise to be connected to the water, it’s an important public space; I like to have that forward view during sailaways and sail-ins (especially for photography), and just generally when we are at sea.  To cordon off an open deck this way feels like the creation of second-class citizenship, a return to the era of the Titanic.  This was a big turnoff for me.    

I would agree with that. I hope you made your feelings known to Celebrity in some manner...

Have not seen this answer, so here it comes or goes...

Do you want to see where you are going or do you want to see where you've been...???

Captain William S. Wright brought the Oasis from Turku, Finland. While exiting the Baltic Sea, the vessel passed underneath the Great Belt Fixed Link in Denmark. The passage under the bridge was possible due to retraction of the telescoping funnels, and an additional 30 cm (12 in) was gained by the squat effect whereby vessels traveling at speed in a shallow channel will be drawn deeper into the water. Approaching the bridge at 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph), the ship passed under it with less than 60 centimetres (2 ft) of clearance.