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txflood33

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  1. Back again to wrap up... We were overnight in Honolulu and we already had a hotel booked for an extra day so we ended up with just about 3 full days before hopping on a redeye to LAX. We changed our routine up a bit. We typically try to venture out on our own, but with the ankle, we opted for trolley sightseeing. Honolulu has a pretty easy trolley system...4 lines, shopping, historical, sights, and one more. $50/pp will get a single rider unlimited rides on any of the lines for two days. They offer a one day pass as well. We did one line on our first day here and slow walking through some shopping areas. Back to the boat to pack up and get some dinner. I forgot to add on Day 2 of Maui - Captain announcement - Due to the increasing cases of Covid 19 on board, masks will be required by all guests and staff while indoors for the remainder of the cruise. Debarkation day - Nobody likes this day. Just waiting in areas until they call your number. It was a total mess. Very little direction from staff. The line to the gangway started by the Eclipse theatre, went past the Martini bar, past the elevators and turned left by the aft stairs. Made a U-turn there and back down the way we came. Right turn into the casino, continuing down the starboard side to the deck 4 gangway. Needless to say, people were not happy. Cab line at the pier was the same. Just take a deep breath and know I could be in worse places. We got our cab and made it to our hotel...Hilton Waikiki Beach, do recommend...our room was ready and they let us check in at 9:30am. They also have a late check out for $100 that let us keep the room until 10pm...perfect for our 10pm flight. Since we had the 2 day trolley tickets, we opted for the historical tour. So much history about the island. I would also recommend that one. Last day in Honolulu...today. Walked down to the beach at 8am and watched the surfers. Laid on the beach for a few hours and then got some local breakfast. I firmly believe vacation is about adventures, and we certainly had some. So proud of my wife for sucking it up and adjusting to different vacation options. What did I learn on this trip...these are things I should’ve known/researched but forgot 1. put your phone in airplane mode with wifi on....I caught it a little late and got a text from my provider reminding me my plan doesn’t cover the ship. 2. People will push you in the buffett to get the last roll...lol 3. Lots of things on the Eclipse are broken or in the process of being fixed 4. Bring headphones...even if you’re not listening to anything can help muffle 5. I need to figure out this sea sickness or I may be stuck with land vacations The only knocks I have with X for this cruise 1. Poor placement of table tennis...just difficult to read in the library 2. So many building noises...not relaxing 3. This one may have mixed opinions - Staff wearing their masks properly after the Captain made the announcement. I understand there are varying opinions on the effectiveness of masks. My point, if the staff, including officers, won't follow Captain’s orders, why should the passengers...and that's what we saw on debarkation day. I don't expect the bussers in. the dining room or the attendant standing outside the buffet offering sanitizer to police this matter. Just my opinion. We still had a fantastic cruise...helicopter over Kilauea, new art piece, hot glass, I mean even sitting on the balcony in the Pacific is better than a day at work. We saw some beautiful things and met some awesome people. A- on the vacation. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer. Aloha
  2. Around midnight -2 AM ish on the final sea day the casino closed for the remainder of the cruise. The only thing I can guess is we remained in HI waters the duration of the cruise.
  3. Aloha again Days 8-9 - overnight in Maui - tendered We originally had a X excursion set up for hiking through the rainforest and seeing waterfalls. We were able to cancel this for a refund the day the accident happened. So now we decide to take a cab to a beach and just relax. Maui is beautiful with much to see right off the tender. Fun fact...I learned the second largest Indian Banyan tree is right there and it is massive. Such a cool site to see. After a very short time on the beach, my wife notices the bruising on her ankle is spreading more up the leg as well as over the foot. She decides it's time for an X-Ray. We find a walk-in clinic that has an X-ray machine and head that way. Long story short, not 1 bone broken, all soft tissue damage...pretty relieved. The wife gets a walking boot and a bill and we head back to the ship as it's almost dinner time. Back on the ship getting ready for dinner and the Captain makes an announcement ...Due to rising positive cases of Covid on board, masks will be required in the Theatre. I think this speaks volumes to the ineffectiveness of the approach to keep Covid of the ships. We sailed out of Canada so every passenger had do be vaxxed as well as present a negative test. Passengers going to medical with a positive test after one stop....it was onboard before we left Canada. Second day in Maui...definitely will be my most memorable A little more beach time and took it slower with a bum ankle. The wife wanted to walk slowly and do some shopping. We happened along an art studio and went in. We are now the proud owners of an original Dr. Seuss painting. I would have never imagined we would be buying art on this trip, buty here we are. Back to the ship with smiles and excitement. Dinner at Blu and my reservation for Hot Glass Blowing. Such a cool experience and would do again.
  4. well aren't I embarrassed. Our first X cruise was on the Reflection and I felt zero movement. This trip was replacing a cancelled 2020 trip where we were to be on the Millennium. So much planning for that trip I must’ve simply assumed. When we sailed on the Reflection, it seemed much bigger. I'm guessing the Reflection is a newer ship and utilized some space better. Just a thought.
  5. Ok...I'm back. Couldn’t miss that sunset over Waikiki’s beach Day 6 - Hilo, HI - docked We booked an excursion outside of X for this stop...more on that in a minute. We happened to arrive on a day where every vendor was out at the Farmer's Market. Way more than fruits and veggies, very cool items from the locals. This was a real inexpensive thing to do in a less tourist area. OK...here's the part I'm assuming you came back for. We booked a doors off helicopter tour over Kilauea, Mauna Loa, and by some waterfalls. This was a small chopper - pilot, 2 seats to his right, and 2 in the back. No doors on the front or back. This was very pricey, but to me, possibly once in a lifetime. The tour was about an hour and we circled 3 craters. Two of them smoldering but very little, if any, red lava flow. Now we get back and land. My wife is getting out and slips on the footpeg and twists her ankle in a direction it doesn't normally go. The excursion company helped us with a golf cart to get off the tarmac. We limp back to the desk to get my backpack, no one asked how she was doing. We get a cab back to the boat and it's really starting to swell. She can walk on it with pain and can move in all directions...as much as the swelling will allow. She says she just wants to take it easy in the cabin and see what tomorrow brings. We prop it up and use some ziploc bags we brought for ice packs. Day 7 - Kona, HI - tendered Ankle swelling has reduced quite a bit, but bruising is starting. The entire ankle and starting up the calf/shin. I knew something had to be broken. Vacation plans are quickly being rewritten in my head. My wife says she wants to see if medical could just wrap it since we had no Ace bandage. We knew it was self pay and at least wanted to ask. We get to medical right at 8am. Three people waiting and everyone wearing masks. Once someone came out they did a quick scroll down of why everyone was there. For my wife it was her ankle.....the other 3 tested positive for Covid!!! There are so many things wrong with this, but I digress. We made an appointment to come back later. On to Kona...there are shopping and food choices all within walking distance from the pier. We also did the Short and Sweet snorkel tour booked through X. The company that ran this excursion, top notch. I have nothing bad to say. Great crew, has bot alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, great communication and safety concerns. Here is some more poor planning on my part...it's been 7 years since we have been snorkeling so why would I remember to put in contacts so I can actually see the fishies. I'm worried about my wife’s ankle and this snorkeling trip is a bust due to my own poor planning. On the upside, we did find some ace bandage to save us some money at the medic. The wife still not ready to go to a hospital during vacation. Aside from messing up my snorkeling tour, Kona was great and beautiful. Next post is Maui...a small twist...no pun intended
  6. Aloha all....just off the Eclipse this morning and sitting in my hotel in Honolulu. This will probably be broken up into a few different posts, but I will do my best to give fair reviews Our trip started in Vancouver and we flew in a day early to check out a city we had never seen. Might I say, Vancouver is absolutely charming and I do recommend. We stayed at The Loden and would certainly stay there again. Thursday , 9/22...Sail away day! We chose to walk from the hotel to the pier as it was a beautiful morning. We arrive at the pier and it was very unorganized. I have no idea if the fault lay with X or the pier, or Customs. Once you figured out which line to be in, it moved relatively quickly.There were certainly many upset. We made it through the line in about an hour. Finally, on the boat. The first time we sailed X we were on an S class ship. Now we are on a M class ship. Before anyone asks, yes, you can feel it moving...all the time...anywhere on the ship. I understand nobody can predict what the ocean will serve up, but it was calm seas all the way. The first full day on board I was laying in the cabin ill. OK...patch now on and feeling a little better We were in AQ class - 1639 and Neil was our room attendant. We couldn’t have asked for a better room attendant. Our room was comfortable as usual. This ship doesn’t seem to have had it's dry-dock time and been revolutionized...which was a little disappointing. I understand the reasons why these decisions may have been made, but it doesn’t remove the disappointment. Anyway, not the end of the world, we’re still on a cruise ship headed to Hawaii...and our first visit. Onboard we ate at Sushi on 5...Wagyu sliders...so delicious. Can confirm this restaurant is a la cart. Days 1-5...all sea days So this is where I should mention...I'm not a fan of sea days. I knew I would be rolling the dice on the start of this cruise. I downloaded some extra books and media, and am a fan of the casino. The casino on this cruise never got hopping. The only time I saw crowds and excitement was during the slots competition put on by X. While I certainly can't fault X for the low kew casino, I can say maybe make some of the $50/bet Blackjack tables lower limits to draw people in. Again, in no way do I blame X, but it just takes away(my choice) an activity. We ate at Blu every night except one and dined at Murano the other. We opted for the five senses package. It’s $99/pp but is paired with wine supposedly not typically available by the glass. The meal was great and would do it again. We saw the illusionist show one night. We visited the bars and had fun. One thing I do fault X for is the noise. The library is on 10....with about only 6 books by the way...open play table tennis is right outside the elevators on 15. I don't find it easy to read with the sounds of ping pong and cheers. Also, X appeared to be doing work all over the ship. Hammering, angle grinders, circular saws...could be heard at different levels all over the ship...including my balcony. Going back to the casino, I learned on the last sea day that the casino would be closed for the rest of the cruise. I mean it makes sense, the casinos are closed in ports and open up when out at sea. It just never dawned on me. So I know this sounds like a negative review, it's not. We had a great time. I learned quite a bit on this cruise and just hope I can pass on some knowledge to someone else. I'm stopping here for now, but will certainly come back for days 6-11. You’re not going to want to miss that....it's when my wife falls out of a helicopter.
  7. Hello all It's been about 7 years since we have been on a cruise...some due to finances, some job situations, some vacation time needed for other events, and a lot of Covid time. Regardless, we are back. Currently sitting in a Vancouver hotel to board the Eclipse tomorrow, bound for Hawaii. This is our first trans(any ocean) and first trip to Hawaii. We followed advice learned from here...split clothes up between bags in case one is lost, use airtags in the bags to help locate (bags did not get lost...woohoo), flew in early to Vancouver to ensure we don't miss the boat...would’ve done anyway just to check out the city. Negative Covid test in hand. So here are a few things I don't remember...when we get to the boat, they take our checked bags(checked as in checking an airline bag) and those are brought to our cabin later. We also have 2 carry on bags and 2 backpacks. Will X take all of the bags, sans the backpacks, and deliver later, or just the larger bags? If they take just the larger bags, will we have reasonably immediate access to out cabin to drop off the carry ons? I ask, simply to figure out what I may want to keep with me in my backpack in case the bags are delayed for whatever reason. Second question regarding table games in the casino. I'm pretty sure I can lay cash down on any table and get chips...can I use my seapass card and just pay the bill at the end of the trip? I believe, if memory serves, there is a surcharge added. How much cash does one bring aboard for 5 consecutive sea days? Much thanks and happy sailing
  8. huge relief ...I suddenly got worried I may had missed setting this mystery appointment and now it may be too late Thanks for the assistance and happy sailing
  9. this is great news. It did look like the app was just a way to get results. Will we receive an email with the results....and....will X accept an email on my phone or the NAVICA app results from my phone?
  10. Hello fellow cruisers My 'vacation' officially started six and a half hours ago...as did my stress. I'm just an anxious traveler. I fly out next Tue to Vancouver and sail out to Hawaii on Thur. We ordered tests directly through X's site. We received 2 tests....Abbott BinaxNOW(including the brand in case different ones are used in different parts of the country or world...I'm in the US) with a QR code for eMed. It also says do not open until instructed to....ok, no problem. That makes sense . No fraud. QR code says scan to start testing. Flip the box over and I see Download the NAVICA app before your appointment !! My question is, does the eMed test require an appointment ? I went to their site and downloaded said app, but do not see a way to set up an appointment. I'm crossing my fingers someone comes back with can confirm, scan and go. TIA
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