Honolulu Blue

Here's a YouTube video I found about a horse race on the Ruby Princess several years ago. The action was similar to what I've seen on Carnival Journeys cruises, but this guy spoke and moved a lot faster than what I've seen on Carnival:

I'm in a similar position - coming into IAH the morning of a cruise on the Ruby in April. I booked a transfer on Princess because the other options were either far more expensive, take up too much time, or both. It was $29 for me each way. I trust Princess to make this work. 🙏 So any comments you get are likely to help both of us.

Noted. That may be why I haven't seen it - I've never booked a hotel in Europe and don't have any immediate plans to do so.

It's not thoroughbreds doing laps on promenade deck or the pool, though I'm sure that would be quite hilarious to see. 😆 The setup varies by ship and CD, but here are the basics as I remember them... the race is held onstage either in the main theater or the aft lounge. Six "horses" (actually wood cutouts on sticks that are painted and numbered) are available to be bet on. Sometimes you can "buy" the horse, and you'd get to name it and get the pool from all the purchased horses if yours finishes first. For example, if each horse was purchased for $200 each (you might think this is outrageous, but bidding can get up there - way higher than two bennies sometimes), you'd get the whole $1200 pool, which is separate from the regular betting pool. I'll get into that in a bit. The last three races I saw didn't have horse purchasing available, so it might have been retired. More often, the host (usually the CD) picks someone to name each horse. Then the bets are made by offering tickets to the audience for $2 each (cash - your sail & sign card is no good here). Let's say the betting breaks down like this: Horse #1 - $100 Horse #2 - $200 Horse #3 - $300 Horse #4 - $400 Horse #5 - $500 Horse #6 - $600 The total pool would be $2100. If #1 wins, each $2 ticket would pay out $42. If #6 wins, each $2 ticket would pay out $7. The payout per ticket is announced just before each race. AFAIK, this is straight parimutuel betting with no takeout by the house, which makes it the best bet on the ship. The betting and payout calculation process takes a while and is quite labor-intensive and it's done by the entertainment staff. And then the race begins! Each horse is moved either by the person that "owns" the horse, or the person that named the horse (I did this once), or most often by members of the entertainment staff. How do they move? I'm glad you asked. Three six-sided dice are rolled in some contraption. If the numbers come out 1, 2, and 3 (for example), each of those horses would move one space. If instead the roll came out 4, 5, and 5, then the #5 horse would move two spaces and the #4 horse would move one space. What about something like 6, 6, 6? You guessed it - the #6 would move three spaces. The rolls keep coming until one horse crosses the finish line, which is (I'm guessing) between 12 and 25 spaces from the start. After that, the bets are paid out and there's usually one more race that starts the whole process all over again. One CD who ran an exceptionally tight ship was able to get three races in, but don't expect that. It's a lot more fun than I make it sound, and it's something I'm looking forward to most on my next Journeys cruise. Sorry for the length and detail.

Think of your cruise ship cabin like a hotel room. I've never seen a hotel charge me less for a room as a solo traveler than it would for two people occupying the same cabin. Seen from that perspective it makes sense, though it's no less annoying and unfriendly. 🤬 I have to say that I've never seen this, and I've booked quite a few cruises on several different cruise lines - almost all online. You'd think cruise lines would be happy to offer to sell me (or you) a cabin for full price, assuming there are any cabins available.

Since not too much else is going in, let me take a few minutes to discuss an interesting series of cruises offered by a charter company called Latin Cruise Events. The first one is called The Old School Cruise and it has (among others) Lisa Lisa, The SOS Band, Zapp, The Ohio Players***, Dazz Band, Heatwave**, The Original Mary Jane Girls, and Club Nouveau. It will sail May 5-8, 2023. The second one is called The Super Legends Cruise and it has (among others) Los Lonely Boys, Stevie B, Expose*, The Manhattans, and Rose Royce*. It will sail September 15-18, 2023. The third one is called The Old School Cruise 2024 and it has (among others) Zapp, Kool & the Gang*, Rose Royce*, and Midnight Star. Other acts are TBA. This one will sail May 3-6, 2024. * Played on the UDC last year ** Scheduled to play on the UDC this year *** Originally scheduled to play on the UDC last year These are all sailing on Royal's Navigator of the Seas out of Los Angeles (same as The 80s Cruise for this year) and they're all 3 days long - quite a burst of music. And the timing is well away from the prime music charter season. Alas, the prices are quite high for me - especially with the single tax. And La La Land is quite a distance for me to travel for just three days. But this mix of dance/R&B/Latin music might intrigue some of you.

On the December '21 sailing of the Regal, we had a different Bon Jovi tribute band (Slippery When Wet) and a Hall and Oates tribute band. I thought both were great, especially the latter. We didn't have full crowds because the ship was only less than 30% occupied. On my upcoming sailing on the Ruby, we'll have the same Journey and Bon Jovi tributes that others here have mentioned. In addition, we'll have Red Corvette, a tribute band for Prince. My expectations are high for that one, since I'm a fan of the purple one. 😀

I forgot about cabin location/type. There's a big difference between an interior guarantee and a "deluxe" verandah (OP, I very much doubt you got a suite for what you were charged unless you're a known gambler).

Thanks for sharing, Jen. I hadn't heard any reviews of the October cruise. I'm glad you had a good time.

@SwimCarrie: It seems your question has been answered, and I don't have anything to add besides have fun on your 80s themed cruise! I've been on one and will be going on another in a couple of months.

My initial review is "not bad". But what does it include? Port taxes and fees? "Mandatory" gratuities? Drink package? Bundle of extras? Internet access? Specialty dining? Airfare? Shuttle to/from the port? Are you a gambler? And what cruise lineis this? The more that's included, the more impressed I'll be.

L.A. Guns was announced as the latest addition to The 80s Cruise. I prefer to keep my weapons away from the west coast. 😛 Also, TEC 2024 will be running February 29-March 7 from Port Canaveral on Mariner OTS. It's going to some nice ports - Aruba and Curacao. No prebooking available yet; that starts next week.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their finalists for the 2023 class. The Spinners are on the ballot. I saw them on last year's UDC. They look like Hall of Famers to me! 😁 My opinion is that George Michael is WAY overdue to get in. I like Sheryl Crow and I think she's the most worthy of the female nominees this year. No comment about the others.

I traveled solo on the Millennium last November. I enjoyed the show Boogie Wonderland and the performer Kristina Wells. Your mileage may vary, as my tastes are different than everyone else's, and shows and performers are different on every ship and nearly every sailing. I've done four cruises on Celebrity with one coming up in a few weeks. I wouldn't say that I'm loyal to them. I will say they provide an agreeable (to me) atmosphere on their ships. You're welcome. I've found this to be a knowledgeable group. Have a great cruise!

It seems to be true of Journeys cruises these days, but I've seen some nice non-casino rates on selected shorter cruises on short notice. Maybe the boys and girls in Miami like me better. 😜

Here are selected stats from my last Journeys cruise (Breeze, January 2020): Yes, we had over 2000 Plats + Diamonds on this cruise - over half the ship.

First of all, thanks everyone for the quick replies! My Celebrity cruise is a charter, BTW, and it's a MAJOR party. 🤪 Asking about this is part of my preparations for it.

I really should know this, but don't and don't have time to search for it. Be kind. I chose an early check in time for my next cruise on the Celebrity Summit. I should be on the ship by noon. I have two questions: 1) Will my room be ready by then? 2) If not, can I drop off my bags at the room and head out? I don't have any status and am not staying in a suite. Thanks in advance!

I think the Journeys cruises Carnival offers are wonderful. I've done six of them (all pre-pandemic) and have one scheduled for next year. Others have covered much of what to expect. I liked the throwback day and the horse racing, along with the lectures. Expect lots of comedians and lots and lots of different shows. I'd like to do more Journeys cruises, but the prices have increased such that they're not much of a bargain anymore. The one I have booked has already increased by several hundred dollars. ☹️ Good luck on your cruise! I bet you'll have a great time! 😍

Hi everyone. In various other threads scattered here and there I've heard about partial charters. They've ranged from "fun group, 10/10, would hang with again!" to "not too disruptive" to "OMG! They were EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME!!!!" In my 21 cruises, I have not knowingly had a partial charter on any of them. 🤞 I get the feeling my time will be coming sooner or later. I'm sure some of you have interesting stories of the parties you've shared cruises with. Let's hear all about them! Don't let me limit you, but here are items that I can think of to guide your story: What group was it? Were you a part of it? How big were they? What ship was it on? When was it? What facilities did they block? (e.g., MDR, pool area, buffet, theater, nightclub) What was your overall impression of the group? Cool? Meh? Ugh?? Did they influence you to join or not join their group in real life? Thanks in advance! P.S. Full charters are another story, but we have a forum for that. I've done two of those and have two upcoming.

That's a good question that I should have thought about but haven't. In American ports I rely on wireless access, which is near ubiquitous. I assume, with the cruise lines' increased reliance on Internet access for their apps, that the terminals have it, but I can't prove it.

My tentative concert schedule for the UDC. All times local and are afternoon/evening: SATURDAY, Embarkation day Taylor Dayne, 6:30-8:00, theater SUNDAY, Key West day KC and the Sunshine Band, 1:00-3:00, on land Ex Chic Ladies, 4:30-5:30, pool Ashlie Amber (tribute to Whitney Houston), 7:45-8:45, Sky Lounge Cara Lee (tribute to Cher), 9:45-10:45, Rendezvous Lounge MONDAY, Sea Day 1 Double Exposure & Tavares, 2:00-3:00, theater Al McKay's Allstars, 6:30-8:00, theater TUESDAY, Cozumel Day Billy Ocean, 6:30-8:00, theater WEDNESDAY, Sea Day 2 Queen Nation, 1:30-2:30, pool Heatwave, 4:00-5:00, pool Kool & the Gang, 6:30-8:00, theater This is an admittedly ambitious schedule. The times I've previously had three concerts in the same day I was sucking wind by the middle of concert #3. But I'll try to get into shape this time. This schedule doesn't include C&C Music Factory or Bee Gees Gold - both of whom I'd like to see, but they either have conflicts or they're scheduled a long way away (pool or Sky Lounge) and very late. I put them on the "maybe" list. They're a day-of decision; if I'm feeling motivated to go, I'll go. This scheduled doesn't include things like meals, trivia, or Q&A sessions. I'll work them in as I have time and energy.

Depending on how many years it's been, Internet access on cruise ships has generally gotten better. In your specific case on the NCL Getaway, I saw an interesting story on that at SpaceX’s Starlink signs deal with Norwegian Cruise Line - DCD (datacenterdynamics.com) . I'm suspicious of it because 1) it processes second-hand information and 2) I couldn't find any confirming article or press release. Anyway, the TL,DR is that NCL has (or soon will) sign an agreement with Starlink and that its equipment is being installed RIGHT NOW on the Getaway.

More to document my history, and hopelessly date myself, I'll answer this for me: Other than the eMusters, the only video safety briefings I've had were on airplanes, and many of those were only partially on video with flight attendants pointing out the exits, etc. The video with the Delta FA telling me that SMOKING WAS NOT ALLOWED like I was a naughty schoolboy is burned in my memory, probably permanently. Speaking of school, we had quite a few drills there - mostly fire drills, though I recall a couple of tornado drills and at least one nuclear bomb drill. I imagine some of the hipper school districts these days have active shooter drills. I never had one of those. In college, drills were very rare, IIRC. I never had a drill in any classrooms. The only fire "drills" we got in the residence halls were when some knucklehead pulled the alarm. Those weren't much fun. 🤬 No drills at work; I've either worked at very small offices, at home, or at temporary locations. Sorry for the distraction.

My tests from Optum arrived today. That's slightly disappointing - delivery in three days rather than one. They expire May 9 - barely three months from now. That's more disappointing, even though I don't have a current use for the second test.