Heartgrove

On the HAL forum a few weeks ago, there also was a thread about disciplining a crewmember in front of passengers. I guess everyone is stretched to the limit.

Double-thank you Sandi, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! DSIL started feeling ill on our drive home Sunday. Spent the day in bed and did a rapid test last evening. She unfortunately tested positive. It is the second time for her with COVID. We did have two staterooms although the sisters hung out together so I probably will remain negative. Because she was positive, Sue and I did the test as well with negative results. Sue and DSIL will go get a PCR test today to perhaps get medication. I wanted to share Sue's photo of the sunrise from Sunday just after we went under the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Outer Baltimore Harbor. It is one of two obstacles (Chesapeake Bay Bridge is the other) that limits what class cruise ship can enter Baltimore due to the air draft. Stay Safe! - Jack

I remember when growing up following the Chicago Blackhawks. I have a cousin in Montreal (Canadiens) and we would write each other about our respective teams. Chicago lost the championship to Montreal in the 1964-65 season which made my cousin happy. Bobby Hull was the handsomest Blackhawk at the time, of course we also had Stan Mikita as well.

Double-thank you Sandi, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! @rafinmd Roy, sorry to hear that you are in the hospital. Get well soon! We enjoyed our mid-winter cruise this past week. It is the first time that we have done this. A big plus was only needing to drive to Baltimore to embark. We have sailed the majority of our cruises on HAL so a bit of change is interesting. A bit of irony is that after finally achieving 4* we only have one cruise booked on HAL in 2024. The only negative of the cruise, even though the age groups were quite diversified, was that some of the younger adults were a bit loud in the late evening. Food choice had quite a variety, was good and plentiful, and only DSIL 's steak was too rare one evening. A big plus is the Carnival app which is well organized and works well. It also allows you to get in the queue for "Anytime Dining" from other parts of the ship instead of HAL's beeper system once you arrive at the MDR. The ship (Carnival Legend) was in good condition, just dated in it's decor. We much prefer HAL's understated decor, but not to the extreme of the blandness of Viking Ocean. Perhaps on a warmer cruise I will go down the Green Slide! Someday I would love to have the opportunity to take the grandchildren on a CC cruise with "Green Eggs and Ham." Here is a photo of Lily who is almost 6 months old that my daughter sent me yesterday! What a change these past few months. Stay Safe! - Jack

Followup as we returned from our week long cruise on the Carnival Legend today. I brought my infrared laser thermometer along. There was no problem with heat or cooling in our stateroom #6239. When we embarked the stateroom vent was discharging about 83 degrees. By that evening, it was down to 74 degrees with us adjusting the thremostat. While in Nassau it stayed cool with air discharging about 64 degrees. On our return sea day it was slightly cool but did warm that evening. Bottom line - the stateroom was comfortable temperature-wise all week.

Just returned from a cruise to Nassau. Be prepared to be bombarded by offers for tours, cabs, etc. But plenty of shops to visit so a good time. We had two RCCL Quantum-class ships, (4K+ passengers each), Carnival Conquest (3K passengers), and us (Carnival Legend) with 2K passengers but the port did not seem overly crowded. Bon Voyage!

Thanks Roy. I checked my weather app and it does show heavy rain for the sailaway. At least it isn't snow! 😊

I know that MSC gives the crewmembers a contract for a certain ship, take it or leave it. For HAL, I think crewmembers with a few contracts under their belt get a choice providing there is a billet they can fill.

It may be too early. For our cruise this September only a few ports have excursions listed now. I doubt that they are sold out. We actually do a lot of excursions ourselves. Either a local guide, or just score on our own. - Jack

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! Enjoy the weekend. Last minute packing, and cleaning the house for Sam's sitter. He loves her so much and she is really looking forward to being with him! It is funny though as he saw the suitcases out so knows something is afoot. I am sure he will be unsettled for 2-3 days looking for the missing part of his "pack." At least twice a week when we are out for his walk someone stops to comment about "how big he is." He is. With Juno we were always commented on what a pretty dog she was. Still miss her. Bliss would be to have all four of my Mals at the same time! Weather is to be so-so tomorrow for our sail-way and may be be a bit unsettled on the Atlantic due to the storm swinging across the South right now. Hope for the ladies sake it isn't. Stay Safe! - Jack

They changed our sailing to Greenland on 8/13 from 6:00 pm to 5:00 pm as well.

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! Stay Safe! - Jack

When we sailed on MSC out of Genoa in October, they accepted our US CDC vaccination cards without a problem.

On our trip to Venice this past October, we stayed at the Hotel Filu located on Fondametta Cannaregio. Check out the "4K Live Cam of Ponte delle Guglie" webcam on YouTube to sample the view from the hotel of the canal. It is adjacent to the Guglie Routes 4.1/4.2 vaporetto stop which is also used by the Alilaguna - Line Arancio airport vaporetto. It is only a 550m (1/3 of a mile) walk to Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia. There are plenty of restaurants nearby including our favorite with canal-side seating, Trattoria Poveledo. Enjoy! It does appear that the MSC Splendida is using Trieste for embarkation in 2023. The train ride to Trieste is approximately 2 hours from Venice. There is a second route that travels by way of Treviso and does take longer.

We normally sail on Holland America but I had wanted to sail on MSC for some time. We were planning a trip to Italy last year and returning on a Transatlantic crossing with HAL. I found a MSC cruise that fit our schedule so sailed on the MSC Splendida last October from Genoa in YC on a 7-night cruise to Sicily and Puglia. I have to say upfront that we have never been so well attended to. Yes, even better than Viking Ocean! The ship was in excellent condition, and very attractive in its decor. This class of ships have the YC restaurant aft which meant that we needed to walk the length of the ship each meal but it actually helped with digestion! We did find that instead of walking on Deck 7, which at times was a bit congested, we used one of the decks with staterooms for a quicker transit. One day we went to the buffet just to sample the lunch venue as we will be sailing on the MSC Preziosa in September in the "Fantastica Experience." The food was very good so no qualms and comparable to the Lido on our usual cruise line, HAL. Our plans for 2024 are to include a MSC cruise to Norway after our British Isles HAL cruise and to travel in YC again. I may have found a new favorite.

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! @Mr. Boston Congratulations on the upcoming retirement! @kazu Jacqui, get well soon! Stay Safe! - Jack

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! Saw my doctor for my twice-a-year Wellness Check on Monday. I am pleased with myself as I have brought my A1C down just by diet and exercise to where it was two years ago. Thankfully I still do not need medication! I believe the trip to Italy in October/November helped. Walking 6+ miles a day while doing the tourist thing I am sure helped. I guess we need to cruise more! Get a Fit-Bit to keep moving. Stay Safe! - Jack

We are 4* on HAL but I am cruising this Sunday for the first time on Carnival aboard the Carnival Legend. My wife actually sailed on the Carnival Fantasy in 1995 but she barely remembers the cruise. Her and I sailed on the MSC Splendida in the Mediterranean last year and really enjoyed it. Our attraction to sailing on the Legend is that we do not need to fly. It is only about a 3-1/2 hour drive for us to Baltimore. That said, we are also doing one of the Greenland cruises as well. I have to admit that we have a cruise booked on MSC in Northern Europe (British Isles) for this September 2023. Price was the major factor for a similar cruise compared to other lines, even HAL. For three of us, the cruise is less than 1/2 compared to other lines. In 2024 we plan on doing a Norway cruise on MSC a day after a 14-day HAL cruise. From what I have read here on CC though it almost seems that the US arm of MSC is almost a different company. Perhaps it is the trying to cater to the US clientele(?). For us we are happy with the European business model but may try a cruise from Miami/Port Canaveral someday this year or next. With regards to the possible expansion of MSC on the East Coast, bridges leading to the ports may be the limiting factor for their fleet. For example, the MSC Magnifica which is well suited for a smaller market such as Charleston/Norfolk/Baltimore/Tampa size-wise plus it has a Magridome over one of the pools for cooler weather sailing. The problem is it's air draft is too high for the bridges into Charleston/Baltimore/Tampa. It is currently scheduled to begin sailing from Miami late this year. That will be five ships here is the US. I am not sure if their older class of cruise ships could manage but they seem to keep all four busy sailing in the Mediterranean. With still more new ships being built for them, they could shuffle their fleet. MSC's business plan is to "run the wheels" off their ships than to sell them off to a lesser cruise line as potential competition.

We have cancelled the day before our cruise last April because of the SWA 1st meltdown in 2022! No flight was available. We received 90% of the cruise fare and port fees from HAL within a week. We lost the 10% and cost of the Platinum insurance premium.

I don't know the number but there is a limit of dividers that can be open in succession. That is for Fire Safety reasons.

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! Seven days and a wakeup before we board the Carnival Legend. Even though it is not a BHB we are still looking forward to it as there is not a flight involved with this cruise. We did a last minute change of hotels yesterday. The one we had originally booked for our Park'N'Cruise, as Sue was reading reviews again, seems to have a cockroach infestation going on! Actually worked out better as the new hotel is slightly closer to drive to for us - and actually cheaper. Another plus is they use their own shuttle so that is cheaper as well! We planned on going up the day before including a hotel stay back in November so made arrangements with our dogsitter as well. At this point last year we had had two significant snowfalls. This year it is our driest since 2012. Figures! Thankfully the temperatures are now warmer than back in December so inside temps of the staterooms should be normal. Stay Safe! - Jack

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! I have fond memories of my father and flying a kite with him when I was young. Stay Safe! - Jack

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! Today is the unfortunate anniversary of a maritime disaster. In 2012, the Costa Concordia capsized off the coast of Iso del Giglio, Tuscany with the total loss of 33 people: twenty seven passengers, five crew, and one salvage team member. Smithsonian Channel in the US will be broadcasting a program this evening "Cruise Ship Down: Saving Concordia." Stay Safe! - Jack

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here! Stay Safe! - Jack

I hope you have similar weather like what we had in November's Westbound crossing. The only negative to an EB crossing are the shorter 23-hour days to advance the clock.