MamaFej

That's one of my favorite things about cruising with a group, including family. You can "be together" without "BEING TOGETHER!!!!" Having breaks from one another makes the communal times more special without being overwhelming.

Over and over again, I'm seeing words like "Trust," "Credibility," and "Reputation" being mentioned on these boards, and not in a positive way. Time will tell if the short-term money grabs will outweigh the loss of dependability for those who used to be repeat customers.

Exactly! It doesn't seem to matter how many times the hosts tell us it's okay to mention Facebook, we just can't promote their groups, people will continue to claim that we can't.

Indeed. "May be" "might be" "speculate..." That's not anything close to resembling actual reporting. Someone basically summarized this thread (and what Hubby says is on Facebook) and is getting paid for each view. I'm guilty of contributing. Oh, well, the author can probably afford a more than a few cookies on their next cruise.

I don't see anything in the listing to indicate that. Some of the reviews mention hanging shopping bags from the handles. I do recall that there were versions with and without the smal seat. It's certainly not a comfortable seat, as some walkers have, since it collapses so small. It did work for my son for the times he needed it between wheelchair or seat times. The seat on this walker is more for leaning, as seen in the photo, than for actual, comfortable sitting.

$11.95 +20%. You forgot to include the cost of the cookie. I never had a craving during any of my preganacies that was worth $14.34 $14.27, maybe, but certainly not $14.24.

Extra Special Posters

Every time I see this thread title, I think: I'll see myself out.

I'm glad we ask the waiters not to put a bread basket on our table. That may be next.

I think @Thrak should go sit in the Time Out chair (with the beverage of his choice) and think about what he's done.

<<<<< checks calendar. Nope, not the 1st of April.

Be still, my heart! Someone who appreciates baseball and musical theater! Hubby and I had season tickets to a local dinner theater for ages. Sadly, it didn't survive Covid. I just watched Damn Yankees with my daughter a couple of weeks ago. It was her first time seeing it. As for being patient, 1988 and 2020 were many years apart! I'm hoping we won't have to wait that long for another WS Championship! You gotta have heart! You can have my share of IPAs. They aren't to my taste. Though I would love to see more smaller local to the itnerary breweries represented onboard.

We will be boarding on the 1st, but we will be in Kailua-Kona visiting Hubby's aunt and uncle for the three previous nights. We will wave at you.

No worries. As always, it depends on traffic conditions. And I don't drive as fast as some, even when traffic is light. My brain was thinking Vegas when I said 3.5 hours, as that was the conversation in the house at the time I typed. My bad. San Pedro is about 1.25-1.75 hours and San Diego is 2-2.5 hours most of the time. None of those really works for cabs or ride share apps, but I appreciate the input.

I can only imagine what a 3.5 hour Uber ride would cost, even if someone was wiiling to take the fare. I suppose I could check, but I'm not sure my heart could handle it.

I'm the daughter of a retired homicide detective and the spouse of a retired arson investigator. Maybe something rubbed off?

Cool! I'm guessing he's not doing that on a Montana teacher's salary. 😉

I hear you. My Millennial son is 28 and a teacher in Montana. He makes lousy money, but he's happy. One of my Gen-Z kids is a teacher in California, and makes decent-ish money, but is too busy working on her Masters after work to spend much. My other Gen-Z kid is still in college, and working part time at a movie theater. They are all a fair bit away from being able to do much with any sort of Loyalty, but they do enjoy their occassional Rewards. I've got two Millennial cousins in their 30s with vastly different financial situations. Again, there's no sense is trying to throw everyone into the same basket, but it's a good idea to try to understand trends.

Thanks. It was more of a fantasy than a serious idea. Ship berths are booked 3-4 years in advance and sports schedules are announced less than a year in advance, but a girl can dream... I do seriously think that overnights in major sports cities is a good idea, especially as a way to attract folks local to the embarkation/disembarkation port(s). I'd also enjoy overnights or late nights in San Francisco or Seattle, or on the east coast that would allow for attending theater, musical, or other cultural events. Overnights are one of the reasons I've been looking at smaller ship cruise lines lately. They tend to do moe of them, that I have seen.

Interesting. That's not what I see among my Millennial and Gen-Z kids and their friends. Maybe that's partly because most of them can't yet afford to buy into the good stuff. Of course, not everyone is alike, regardless of what groups they are parts of. My kids aren't interested in being loyal to one company (neither am I) but they are happy to take advantage of various rewards programs. Thanks for chiming in. It's good to hear different perspectives.

Nice! The weather should be downright tolerable, maybe even lovely, that time of year. It can be brutal not long after.

Of course, credit card insurance is just a part of protecting your travel "investment." We have a Venn Diagram of coverages, with significant overlap. Each person must calculate what works for them. It won't be the same for everyone, but it's still good to learn from others. That's why threads such as this can be so helpful. People may discover something relevant they never thought of previously. Thanks to the folks keeping this thread helpful and informative, without attacking anyone else's choices. ----- I've seen too much rudeness and nastiness online lately, including on CC, and I'm especially appreciative to folks who choose to interact kindly.

I've said it many times, and I'll say it many more: I am perpetually grateful that the IT folks who manage the ships' navigation and infrastructure systems are not the ones who mange the website.

Good point. San Pedro and Long Beach are shorter drives for me, but San Diego works well because it is far more convenient for dropping off or picking up a one-way rental car, as we did when sailing from Chile to San Diego. Depending on the length of the cruise, it would be worth driving to SD in order to avoid paying for parking near LA.

If you and your travel companion each have a card that includes travel insurance (such as the CSR) you can split the payment between those two cards to increase your protection.