Ann_on_the_road

For me itcomes down to socks or no socks. I’d probably wear my Keen sandals because the toe box is constructed to keep small pebbles (mostly) out and I wear them a lot in my rural (no sidewalks) town. I _could_wear socks with them if it were necessary, but for multiple outings, a dedicated, air travel worthy pair would not be a bad choice either. I definitely would wear them on the plane. Closed toed shoes are a must in interior hikes because of the bug factor, but that’s me. Enjoy your cruise.

A river cruise is worthy at least once, if you like the itinerary. 
 

sadly, we are two years from visiting Scotland at the current rate but this line has my utmost attention 

Awakening a dormant thread to add this: when I taught adult learners with their first DSLRs, I would ask them their interest level in learning software. IMHO photo editing software is as steep a climb as navigating aperture/shutter/iso for beginners. Anyone who was interested in post-processing, I suggested shooting both and using the jpg as the reference while learning the tools to process the raw file. It’s easier to learn to adjust sliders by comparing similarities than to judge good/bad (different parts of the  brain at work). Good/bad can wait until you understand how the tools work. Raw+jpg is about a 10% penalty on storage, so once you decide whether you enjoy spending enormous amounts of time in the digital darkroom, you”ll know which file type is best for you. But I warn my students, raw files look super crappy on download. For math reasons, it is  much easier to add saturation, contrast and brightness than to tone it down. So raw files look dull and flat at first download, despairingly so at first. I have a preset in Lightroom that applies a contrast/saturation boost on download automatically because I now know My preferred general starting point for my camera. The only other reason to shoot raw is to not have to think about white balance, but that’s a different class segment, lol. 
 

tl;dr make the raw and jpg match before worrying about making them “good.”

So hoping to make a winter 2021 voyage, thanks for the photos-they really give a great perspective on the experience. I read a bunch of different subs on this forum but you all are the ones I want to meet. 

8 hours ago, knotheadusc said:

You’ll see there are a few of us in the Hebridean forum.  I know some don’t consider Hebridean Princess to be luxury, but after five cruises, I can say that the experience was more luxurious than SeaDream, which I’ve sailed three times and loved.  Hebridean is unique and once you’ve paid, everything is taken care of.  That, to me, is very luxurious.

SeaDream is on my list. We are extremely limited to when we can travel, Scotland would have to be one of their earliest cruises, not so sure about either, but the experience looks awesome. 

8 hours ago, knotheadusc said:

The first time my husband and I sailed on Hebridean Princess, we did a back to back.  On turnaround day, they booked a cab for me, my husband, and another lady doing a back to back.  We went to see the Burrell Collection in Glasgow and had lunch.  The ship paid for the taxi and our lunch, and while we were gone, even did our laundry for free.  😄  

 

 

Thanks for posting this. First time to hear of Hebridean Princess and I am intrigued by their routes, especially the foodie cruise. Off to see what else has been posted about them on CC

I had one like this but wore it out. Convenient for lots of earrings and cuff type bracelets, necklaces not so much. Etsy jewelry pouch  I should get another. 

Since this thread is totally hijacked on Utah  foodie stuff, I would be most remiss if  I did not give a shout out to Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, UT. True farm-to-table in the last US community to get mail by mule.  Amazing food, multiple nominee for James Beard awards. Well worth the drive from Bryce Canyon or Capitol Reef NPs or if you are in within a day’s drive. There’s a major NY pub review to be found if one consults the Google machine. 

10 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Sorry for the OT (again), but I had to reply to Ann_on_the_Road about restaurants in Southern Utah.

Slidergiirl, I don’t yet have enough CC cred to message you,  but feel free to hit me up for more details on our story.

10 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Sorry for the OT (again), but I had to reply to Ann_on_the_Road about restaurants in Southern Utah.

 

In Moab, I did coffee and muesli (one of my fave breakfasts and nod to the German tourists) at the Moab Garage.  Loved the muesli!

In Kanab, I stopped for lunch (I had driven from Lake Powell on the way to Zion) at the Rocking V.  I had the Magic Mushroom Madness done as a wrap - it was soooo good!!!  The potato salad that came with it was so nice and creamy.  Definitely a good place.   I went another block or two to the Kanab Bakery - very cute place with an interesting selection of pastries, breads, and food.  I got an epi for the road for dinner bread - very crunchy outside with airiness inside.  

In Bluff, it looked like the town was shut down for the season, not much open.  I didn't stop.  

In Springdale, I went to Oscar's Cafe for a late breakfast before starting the drive back up to Salt Lake City.  Oh my.  I had the Green Chili Horseshoe - base of potatoes and cheese, a major helping of their shredded pork, eggs (over easy), green chili sauce, some sour cream and guac.  Wow.  I don't know if it had to do with the fact that I'd been living on yogurt for days, but that tasted to freakin' good!  It was so huge of a plate that I ate maybe half of it, boxed the rest, put in my ice chest and took home for breakfast the next day. 

 

Thanks for the indulgence ladies.  Back to regular programming... 

so happy to see there are fun places to eat these days in southern Utah. We missed Rockiing V on our last trip through Kanab but cannot exclaim enough about Sego just around the corner. For you folks in civilization, running a top notch restaurant hundreds of miles from major cities (Las Vegas or SLC in this case) is a heroic effort.. We visited the bakery on our last trip too, delish. The “Grand Circle” of AZ/UT national parks is sublime, even better with great local food options cropping up in tiny little towns like Kanab and Springdale. It’s not a cruise, but definitely should be a  bucket list item.  Google “Mighty Five” to see what is waiting for you. Call it a land cruise and come see us!

I bought this book in 1995, didn’t cruise with it until 2019 and it was still useful and entertaining. DH liked the section on id’ing different fishing boats. 
Coastal Companion

Binoculars if he doesn’t have any. 
 

packing cubes if he’s likely to use them.

What’s your pre-cruise style schedule?

Mine includes: a haircut about a week before departure, and

a pedi as close to departure as possible.

if DH has dry cleaning, we need to plan far ahead, as our dry cleaner is 200 miles away (I live in a very rural area and we use one in the “big” city because the one 50 miles away is actually less convenient).

If we need to order any clothes or style products on-line, I want it here in time to exchange or a late delivery - our two day delivery often is 3-4 days.

luckily I enjoy the anticipation 😁

Uruguay has been on the wish list for some time. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it. Pictures, please!

4 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I guess  the point I was trying to make  but failed 😎

 

was you can get  those wishes on many lines not just luxury ones  which this forum is for

There are plenty of threads here on the general contours of luxury-positioned and -marketed lines. I started this to discuss the finer, more personal (maybe even quirky) additions that make an experience even more luxurious. 
 

the tag line of this sub is “Luxury Cruising - Is it a state of mind?” So I think the question is fair game, but I will happily defer to the mods. 

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

Most of the replies  here  are about personal wishes  not  what  a luxury line is

 

 

exactly! Feature of this thread, not a bug.

As noted regularly in this forum, everyone’s idea  idea of luxury differs. I’m thinking of small details that would amplify my vacation experience, no matter that someone else might find them trivial.  Who knows, maybe some cruise companies will be inspired by a thread of desirable touches that aren’t going to make it into the brochures.

for DH, a seriously well stocked library reference selection of nature field guides would be an outsized gesture. 
for me, I love to buy bouquets in local markets - having a cabin crew member produce a vase would be a lovely extra. 
Cabin light dimmer switches are always a plus, especially bedside. Emery boards in the toiletry supplies, always nice when needed. But that’s just me. 
 

what little touches would signal luxury to you even if no one else cared? Have you experienced anything along these lines, beyond the usual lux hygiene products or top shelf liquor that seems to take up so much bandwidth here. 

Do folks bring their own snorkel gear? If so, is there a storage area other than one's stateroom for wet gear?

On 9/26/2019 at 11:55 PM, Keith1010 said:

For your next cruise keep asking people you know; neighbors, work colleagues, relatives and friends who cruise if they have a TA and if they do ask if they would recommend them.  I would start there before going pot-luck.

 

Going forward as you cruise ask people if they have a TA that they are happy about.  Try to come up with a handful of TA's including contact information.

Sadly, no friends/relatives/acquaintances are into cruising. I live in an extraordinarily small town. My friends are more the river-rafting-without-any-luxuries-whatsoever types. That was the reason for the post. 

I want to know the story of HOW you met your current TA, not what to ask them should I find this mythical miracle-worker (although the advice in previous responses has been helpful). We are looking at a possible SeaDream voyage, which limits the TA talent pool even further, it seems. Sigh...like I said, part of the luxury for me would be outsourcing some of the planning pain.

44 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

I got my Dry on the Fly Slim Leg pants in the mail yesterday.  So cool!!!!  I'll be wearing them on my trip!!!  

 

I'm taking one of my scarves that I bought in Florence with me - maybe I'll look stylish when I hop into a coffee joint in Moab, Page, Kanab, and Springville... Yes, I'm camping 80% of the time, but I will stop for coffee on the road!!   And, I've got that hat that is now in the Sundance Catalog (the Sierra Summit) to dress up my stuff at night. 😉 

Hope it warms up for you. We are not amused by this early blast of cold weather.

9 hours ago, awhfy said:

I had those board shorts for our Hawaiian cruise & land vaca 2 weeks ago. Perfect. Think I wore them 4-5 times on excursions. I got mine at Sierra Trading Post for considerably less money

I’m sure I can find something cheaper, but when I have fantasized about them since high school, I might just splurge anyway 😁

6 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Just looked at that site.  Fun board shorts.  And, they have a pair that goes with my new boots:

 

 

Fun!  
 

I won’t be cruising in the Caribbean for at least 15 months, so I have plenty of time to plan my fantasy wardrobe. It is at least a size smaller, for one, lol. 

Board shorts, I kinda have my heart set on something tropical, Iike these Painted Desert 11” board shorts.  And longer cuz I’m not so young and svelte anymore.

37 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

 

I notice us "Western women" have similar styles - foot of the Sawtooths in Idaho, Red rock country in So. Utah, Wasatch Mts in Utah, Colorado Springs...    jeans, cargoes, leggings, T-shirts, boots and fleece!!!  If I put on my Swarovski necklace and earrings, would I pass on formal night??? 😉

And then I see a French woman tourist in similar gear at our local coffee shop, with a perfect scarf over it all that makes it look stylish. How, I do not know. One day I will stop and ask one of them how she learned to do that. 

13 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Kanab or Springdale or Hurricane?  Big Water???   I'll be passing by on my road trip in a few weeks: Moab, Arches, Canyonlands, Bear Ears, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Zion, and back home.  Solo camping time!  I  was going to do 16 weeks, but my boss is taking vacation at the same time so I can't be away that long.  Only doing 10 days...

 

 

Board shorts - have you looked at Birdwell Britches???  Been around for decades.  Excellent board shorts!

That’s a lot of ground to cover in 10 days! If you can get into a photographer’s tour of Antelope, you’ll get more time there. Kanab is improving its food scene, heard there’s a good bakery there now. We like the Flying V for a nice meal when driving through. Heard there’s a good restaurant in Bluff we need to check out too. Also check what’s up with the deer hunt if you dry camp, plenty of yahoos out there in a couple weeks. Some of the nicest people I know are hunters, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve seen some  testosterone-fueled crazy out there too.

Not quite ready to link CC with my real life, DM for exact location, lol. 

Off to to look at more board shorts. I should get back outside and work while we have daylight but I’m going for some retail imaginary therapy first

12 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Do you have the Fire Hose, the Flexpledition or the Dry on the Fly? 

I bought the Fire Hose for fall/winter/spring and then got lighter Dry on the Fly for summer.  I also got a pair of DotF Capri for really hot weather, which we did not have this year, never broke 90 once. 

Fit it is the same, AFAIK. DotF not as soft as my best Ex Officios, better than later versions.  If I’m doing a heavy chore day, the Fire Hose are better, but I did take the DotF to Alaska and they were great. Fit was consistent enough that when at the last minute I decided I need3d some dark wash jeans for the cruise, I ordered them with no time to exchange. Love that they sell different inseams. 

while on gear, and esp foot related gear, I have replaced all my daily wear socks with Dran Tough cushioned hikers and do not regret the expense at all.

that sound you hear is the Duluth Trading Co brick and mortar in SLC sucking all available cash out of my wallet. Yikes! DH wears their pants too, really likes the lined ones for winter.

Interest level in a thread on gear wardrobe recommendations.