schmoopie17

When I was in the Army they were called C-Rations. No telling what the "C" stood for...

Been there...done that (and shouldn't have). We did a TA across the North Atlantic in November and Mrs. Schmoopie insisted on a balcony. During the entire 15 day cruise, I can count the number of times she sat out on the balcony on one hand. (Actually, on no hands, since she never sat out there once). Could have had more money for wine and food in Italy (and every other stop)...

Seeing the word "barely" in the title, I was expecting to see some more "interesting" pictures 😁. Please do not leave a big mess on the Escape...we'll be taking a 10 day ride on her in a few months. Just think, I was THIS close to surprising you. Maybe next time...

If Wheel of Fortune is as "popular" on other ships as it was on our recent Jade cruise, I don't see it lasting much longer. The theater was almost vacant and the production was so screwed up, they had to eventually cancel the game.

We're in the same boat...so to speak. We're on a 10-day September Escape cruise, boarding in Civitavecchia that starts in Barcelona. We have our private transfer scheduled to pick us up in Rome up at 10:00. Figuring that will get us to the port around 11:00. From what I've heard, the majority of passengers boarded in Barcelona, so there shouldn't be a mad rush to board. Of course, I've been wrong before. But I anticipate getting on the ship 11:30-ish...

Now you've gone and given the chair hogs at the pool an idea. 😁

If people want a spooky clown, I'd be happy to show up for $10...

I prefer boobies that are unmasked. But maybe that just me...

@YVRteacher I found it amusing that they had a sign next to the cookies that said "cookies". I guess they felt the need to identify these rare things since people haven't seen them in a while and may not recognize what those things are.

That is exactly our thought on the Jade (Gem's sister). While technically a "smaller" ship, it never felt small while roaming the hallways. In the words of one of the Three Bears, the size of the Jewel class ships could be described as "just right".

Thanks...I'll pass along this valuable info to my friend.

Wheel of Fortune on a cruise ship is an enormous waste of time and theater space. And another way to cut costs and add more passenger money to the coffers. On our recent cruise there may have been 50 people (and that may be over-estimating) who decided to waste their time to attend. And then, after almost an hour of "technical difficulties", they decided to call off the game.

"He was pretty groggy for the first part of the day but did enjoy his breakfast: Eggs Benedict without the English Muffin." If I would ever order Eggs Benedict, it would be without the eggs. Eggs are nasty...

They should at least to be able to store your picture,,,which is the most aggravating part of the check-in process. If someone wants to steal/hack my picture, go for it. (They won't like it and will want to give it back...)

I'm just like you. Except, I hate Chicago, No wait, hate isn't a strong enough word. Let's try despise. There...much better. In full disclosure, I grew up in Milwaukee (AKA Chicago's poor red-headed stepchild). I grew up learning to hate all things Chicago...the Cubs, the Bears, the toll roads, the never-ending road construction on I-94/294, etc. I refer to the state as Ill-Annoy. Unfortunately for me, I actually lived in a Chicago suburb for six years, due to work, many moons ago. We now live in a community just across from the Ill-Annoy border and probably half of our neighbors are Ill-Annoy transplants who came here to escape the crime, cost of living, taxes, etc. Sorry for hijacking yet another thread, Okay...off of soapbox (for now)...and you can resume your discussion of balconies.

That's okay...I'm used to it. 🤪 Now back to our originally scheduled discussion...

Those sound great, but don't you feel more up and down motion being way in the front? That's why we typically try to get as close to mid-ship as possible.

That's funny, because inside cabins don't interest me in the slightest. I have to have some natural light, so either an ocean view or a balcony is a necessity. Mrs. Schmoopie thinks I'm typically in the dark, so I don't need to do it on a cruise. We typically get a balcony, unless it's cold weather or a TA, and it doesn't make sense to spring for a balcony that will almost never be used. Also, if the balcony is about twice as much as an ocean view, give me the ocean view...for a lot less money. After all, everyone on the ship goes to the same places, so why pay more to do it?

Damn...beat me to it.

Oh, goodie. Just in time for our upcoming cruise from Italy to Spain and France. In 2022 we had four stops in Spain and we were charged drink taxes in every Spain port. Hoping to avoid them this time around...but not counting on it. As mentioned, this seems to be a fluctuating thing and there's no guarantee of anything at this point.

They give you directions to a place that serves cocktails, since they're a brewery.

Yeah, have heard really good things about Spirit. Unfortunately it's not doing the same itinerary as the Sun for April and September, 2025. It's hard to pull the trigger to book a ship as universally reviled/disliked as the Sun...even for an outstanding itinerary.

So...if your passport picture is a few years old...and in the mean time, you've grown a beard...does that cause you to fail facial recognition?

https://cs.cruise.com/cs/forms/CruiseDetails.aspx?skin=1&phone=888-407-6861&pin=&token=&did=30&mon=3%2F1%2F2025&vid=624&nr=y&iid=3940856&sno=1

We were looking at the Sun for a Tahiti to Hawaii cruise next year. However, the reviews of that ship (as well as the sister ships the Sky and the Star) are so horrendous, we'll have to start looking for something else. Unless, the dry dock has produced a miracle.