Kristelle

yes I guess I am just being silly and I do enjoy trying different foods - I just imagine everyone else being wine connossiouers and wine snobs and me drinking something mundane and tacky like diet coke 🤪

that must be a Qld or all eastern states thing?? never heard anyone in SA call a suitcase or bag a 'port'.

thanks for your review. am doing similar tour with Scenic in September - Amsterdam to Budapest, 14 days. There are no days just sailing though - which I agree would be boring on a river ship. I'm not someone who likes just sitting and watching scenery for long, I like to be out doing things or at least things on the ship like a wheelhouse tour. couple of questions - 1) does Scenic divide all walking tours into slow and stronger groups. We are fit and happy to do long intensive walking tours 2) did you get one free bag of laundry mid trip and if so, how much could you put in it? was it easy/ reasonable cost to get more done? 3) did you do the once per trip invitation to exclusive dinner? it sounds all about wine specialty pairing with each course - is it worth is if you dont drink wine (which I dont) ? is it rude to decline?

general question here - not for me specifically because I dont meet the criteria anyway - would it be easy to get anti virals on a ship if you got Covid? Obviously you would need to know from a RATS test that it was Covid and then be isolating - but would the Dr on board then supply them if you met criteria?

on any trip of any sort not cruise specific, I just take a large cloth shopping bag, buy one from cheap shop for few dollars if you dont have already - and use that as a laundry hamper. Coming home tie the handles together so the dirty clothes stay in it and don't get mixed with clean clothes in suitcase as above, empty whole thing, (including the bag itself, ready to re use next trip,) into washing machine also easy to take clothes in said bag, to the laundromat of a cruise ship, caravan park etc if you are doing washing mid trip. have never thought of this as a packing hack, just something basic I have done forever.

sure - but all customers might not expect same thing so best the bartender checks - communication works wonders - better they check if you want it made with gin or vodka, in OP example, rather than just make it the 'correct' way and customer communicate - if you really don't want a lime slice, just say so rather than get on high horse about how rum and coke with lime slice would technically be a xyz instead DH often orders Jim Beam or Jack Daniels and coke here (on land) and sometimes they put a lemon slice in it - no big deal, he just takes it out. Also I'm sure we've all heard of Use it or Lose it - which applies to bartenders as well as everyone else - in reality you are going to remember those things you most often do so if it is only very rarely that anyone orders a Tom Collins or whatever drink, unlikely bartender will remember it.

that seems a good idea - if you want a drink exactly the way you are used to it, then have a little laminated printout to show the bartender and/or when ordering, say, rum and coke, just say No lime slice please. or take it out as soon as you get it. Really not getting all this angst about it.

I just made up the number 20 off top of my head - yes, probably they would know well more than 20. But point still remains they would know the ones most often ordered - and not ones somebody only orders very occasionally. and of course what those main ones and very occasional ones are would vary between times and places and exactly what name xyz means would vary too.- so, I dont think it is realistic to expect them all to know exactly your drink in every time and place you go.

And that's before factoring in that drinks called same name might not be exactly the same thing in all places. In New Zealand I ordered a lemon squash - here in Australia that has one ingredient ( 2 if you count ice) it is lemon flavoured fizzy 'soft drink' ( called soda or pop in some other countries) in a pub in NZ I got tonic water with a dash of lemon syrup.

I think they would know a list of 2o or so most commonly ordered cocktails- if something only has a few components but hardly ever anyone orders one, then they not likely to be familiar with it.

I agree. I think people are being unrealistic here. Different places in the world make drinks differently -and different cocktails and combinations will be more common in some times and places than others. All bartenders won't be familar with each of the hundreds of cocktails and combinations that one person might occasionally order. I cant see any issue or difficulty whatsoever with the bartender clarifying if you want it with vodka or gin - just because you know it is 'correctly' gin doesnt mean every customer does or expects that - same for the lime slice - if you dont want lime,or want specifically cherry or whatever, just, say so

I think it would make him feel like he is at work - and that would defeat purpose of a holiday 😉 would make finding your partner in a crowded area easier though. 😆

oh that day sample looks so enjoyable! Am so looking forward to my cruise!

he wasnt intending to wear his hi vis work uniform on our trip 🤣 and just to clarify - we are going on a river cruise, not an ocean cruise, so my understanding is that there are not formal nights as such - for the dressier occasions, DH will wear a collared shirt and chino type pants and I will wear dressy pants and fancy top. It will be September so autumn in Europe. But it isnt the formal night attire of ocean cruises.

That is part of the MOCA test - there are a few variations but that is most common one. I do them as part of my job. They have been around a long time - but maybe some Dr surgeries are routinely doing them on people over, say, 75, as part of routine screening or drivers licence clearances or such like?

I guess this depends on what you want. One thing that really appeals to me about river cruising is that you do get off and do something/go somewhere every day, I dont want a trip with any sea days. admittedly I am saying that prior to actually having done the trip - but I have been on several coach tours of similar length and format I was watching some youtube videos last night and one presenter made the point that a river cruise is similar in format to a group coach/land tour. and of course you can opt out of any excursions if you want to - and a couple of days the free choices on our trip include a 'stay on board and do x' - I think one is a cooking class - I do not intend to do that but anyone over walking/bussing days could do so.

My DH wore a suit and tie to our son's wedding 4 years ago. He has worn neither since and does not intend to again.

That's an interesting observation about men and dressing up. My DH doesn't fit your theory though he is not a ' dressing up person' , and at work he wears a tradie type hi vis uniform,not business attire.

Hi Joy. I don't have any advice but just good to see another newbie in the threads. We are going on our first ever river cruise in September. Amsterdam to Budapest, on Scenic, 14 nights.

the story about Canberra is true.

Yes, true. I did say Adelaide Crows are a chance for finals, by no means a certainty.

I found them in my local Woolies now.

ah. goes in cycles, they all have their ups and downs. Adelaide look a chance for finals this year - but only couple of years ago we lost 15 in a row and were rock bottom.

How old is the grandson? If he wants clothes machine washed,he could volunteer to be designated laundry person.

Thank you. $14 for box of 60 seems reasonable cost, that would last me for quite a few holidays. And the stock checker in your link shows me they are in stock in both the Woolies in my town.