firefly333

I have not yet quite figured out how to open the balcony windows so the screen doesnt show in pictures. Pretty much awesome day. There is a veterans museum just past my building. And a ice library of war books. My mom was a civil war fan and I sure wish I could bring here there. 80% change centre of rain and I could see earlier it was raining. And thunder boomers. I caught the tail end and white caps. A lot of boats go by. One looked like a red car..picture shows last of white caps dying down. I'm the dumb dumb who issed my last cruise, didnt have the right boarding documents. After 20 years I felt so dumb. So seeing the ocean here and its moments is really enjoyable. The movers last said they think it might be the end of the week before they deliver. The elevator guys said maybe next week they will have finished the new elevator, but probably then they tear out the other one so might not help. I bought a bed, chair, and this and that so I could at least stay here. 11 nights in a hotel was enough. What I'm so happy about is someone downstairs bought new night stands. The movers of these night stands let me have one of the old ones. He took the other. And I got 2 tall cardboard boxes. Now the 2 cardboard boxes have my tvs at eye level. In bed I coukdnt see the tv at all. And the nightstand now I can reach over and grab the tv or bed motion remote. Doesnt sound like much unless you are living off the floor. To change the bed or tv station I had to get out of bed and get the remotes off the floor. My back is tired of be ding to pick things up. Tonight I can watch tv and see it in bed! I'm ot sure yet how to open the windows on the balcony, sorry looking thru the screen. Small white caps, but still a new ocean mood. What a ice thing cardboard boxes this morning. You can fish from very near, walking distance. Need to pay $30 for a license. I talked to a couple of guys fishing. A disabled teen showed me a picture of a trout he caught 3 or 4 days ago. Also snooker? The troute he said was 20 tom30 lbs, biggest fish he ever caught in his life. Brackish water, some salt water mixed with fresh so a blend of fish very close. 63 acres of lake, long walk still for me but I walked some.

If you knew you were cancelling it's always a good idea to go into your planner and cancel those items before you cancel and start the refund process on planner items yourself. I just no showed in may but I bought stuff with obc which I was going to lose anyway. Twice now I've no showed, both pretty last minute. Blaming royal doesnt really help anyone. Both were totally my own fault. No one likes losing money but it doesnt help blaming royal. Just get it sorted out if the refunds for planner items youy should have cancelled before cancelling the cruise. Even if I'd had insurance both of my no shows were probably not for covered reasons, id have had to have bought cancel for any reason. People tend to only think they will cancel if they get sick but I've found out there can be other reasons not covered by ordinary insurance.

I've done some b2bs and one thing I didnt like was you start to get to know and like some of the pax and then the next week it's all over again. I'm solo. Maybe if I was a couple I'd like this more but I didnt like just getting to make friends and then they get off and you start over the next week. Also I'd get tired of the same food. I know people hate carnival but that's why out of texas I started to do both, for variety in menus. You get to memorizing the menu nightly. I did a 14 day carnival journey cruise last January and really enjoyed the change in dinner menus. 14 days of new menus nightly. And changing ships like you mention ... out of any port there are limited choices. Are you going to pressure yourself to get from south florida to tampa or port Canaveral in a day after debarking. Some times ships arrive late. Fog ..one night my ship had to do a rescue at sea about 3 or 4 am the night before and we didnt even dock until after 10 am. People missed flights. That side to side stuff has some risk. You mentioned changing ships, side to side cruising. I'd ask on the world cruise threads and see how they feel. They are on I think its serenade for 9 months. More than half way now. I'd want to do different cruiselines to do this myself. Changes of menu. I do want to cruise more and moved to port Canaveral to have more choices and then prices escalated before I've even completed the move. Royal doesnt give discounts for multiple cruises in a row.

Yes ice skating time is very very limited.

Even with reservations its first come first served. Some will be in line 30 minutes or more before the show. reservations are just to get in the door. About 15 minutes before the shows like all the shows about 15 minutes before the stand by line is let in and any who had reservations like suites the reserved sign is removed. Google says it's the largest ice arena at sea. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/icon-of-the-seas/wows

Royal doesnt necessarily show all available rooms per my TA. Try putting in 1 pax and see if you see cabins that can be picked come up. I also use a TA and only book refundable deposits with group rates that are a bit less to a lot less and totally refundable. I'm guessing you are looking at Nonrefundable rates. Usually up until final payment for $100 per person you can change to another cruise. If you arent booking another cruise, just cancelling you lose the entire deposit. I would check with whomever you book with. You mention germany, but I dont see where you are leaving from and are you booking with a USA agent? There are some things we dont know to answer for sure. How long is the cruise? All you have mentioned is germany. UK for instance has a few different terms. If its nonrefundable deposits ... that's something to be sure of. I stay away from those personally.

I had a cruise and some got tested for e coli. I was on b2b and stayed on, but over 50 on my roll call were all sick. I told the front desk and they yelled at me it was impossible it was their food. Some called rcl and rcl pretty much said if it's not covid then nothing they could do. My doctor eventually put me on antibiotics as it didnt go away by itself. Honestly from the reaction we got dont bother to call or tell royal. The guy kept yelling at me I got it in cozumel. I only barely got off in roatan and did not eat or drink anything. Did not get off in the other ports. It's impossible I got it in cozumel, I stayed on the ship. Now I just bring something over the counter for the runs. Over 50 posted on my roll call they got sick the same night. I say it's impossible it's not ship related. All friday night about dinner time. Go to your doctor and if like me test negative for covid, nothing really royal can or will do.

Wow I havent looked for a while. Been very busy. So I decided to look at details on a few excursions and such that I booked. I show one as booked and refunded, that I dont remember cancelling and clicked for more details and it says sold out we are working on it. Interesting. But obc was refunded. I booked it last black friday sales at 30% off, sure ot going to find that same price again. Note to self, check once in a while to see if you still have what you booked in the planner. It's a new port for me so I booked a cheap excursion just to see it .. and its cancelled. Hmmm. I guess sometimes rcl also can change stuff and I get lots of emails and missed it. But I had no trouble getting into details in planner of things I booked. Easy to cancel.

The price is always higher to buy once on the ship. If you want 1 person to buy the drink pkg and 1 to buy refreshment pkg call and they will put it thru for you. I read a post the bogo wasnt even offered when they boarded the ship, only full price. I assume they were mistaken and it's a confusion but waiting until you board will just cost more than buying ahead. Idk how they figure bogo but it's off some full price and costs more than the planner price. Maybe the poster thought bogo wasnt offered because he thought you paid for one and the other was free. Idk. Sounds to me like he was confused.

True if you used obc to book anything in the planner, lunch, dinners, excursions, just go up into where it shows your activity and c,pick for details and there is a button to cancel. I just have to refresh and the obc is immediately back and I get a emails saying sorry my plans were changed co forming the canc.

The site and app were both down at midnight the last time I tried to check in for a early boarding time. The next morning still down and I finally went to kroger came back it was finally working but the earliest time was now gone. I got 30 minutes later, my friend 1 hour later. I did to myself dont let this get to you, another royal IT mess up. Sorry it happened to you too. I agree its aggravating. If your ID and name is Bill is there a reason you call your reviews blue collar. What makes them blue collar? Curious. I don't identify with any working group. Mostly just did my own thing and dont have a identity .like blue collar or office.

You get 1 pt regular, sharing a double cabin. A solo in a double cabin gets 2 pts per night. A solo in a JS or above gets 3 pts per night. So you could get as many as 15 pts solo inna suite on a 5 day cruise.,

Oh no. Without knowing anything about if she was ill or expected, please forgive me if all I say is condolences to you. Im sure you will miss her every day and wiah she was there to talk to. Every death I've found is too soon.

There are 2 sides you can book for izumi. The hibachi the op asked about is stir fry, choice of meats and veggies and he does a show kind of thing says 8 seats around each stir fry table. Separately if you look in your planner it says there is izumi sushi side and they have a lot of other choices other than sushi. Set price sit down meal is 3o.99 but cheaper to book ahead in planner. Take a look in your planner at the menu. Personally I love the poki bowl, that green seaweed salad, poke that has the regular tuna and also salmon though I ask for no salmon. And fried rice ..lots more than I can ear. 1 small, 2 large entrees and dessert. Also you can order ala carte which isnt in your planner just individual prices to take out.

As mentioned it's so nice to not have to pack up I'd accept a cabin not my first choice rather than have to change cabins the morning of change over. Read the whole letter they leave on your bed for instructions on change over day. I missed there was a b2b lunch in one of the Mdr dining rooms. Almost always some fish I didnt much like branzino or similar name. Always seem to offer short ribs I do love. Some have 2 some have had 3 choices of appetizers. Grandeur had one dessert, yes or no. Bigger ships might have 2 or even 3 choices but it's a good menu. Sorry I missed it my first few b2bs after covid. Read the whole letter, not just meet in the ,lobby at 9 or 930 or a dining room, wherever ... read the whole letter lol. My last couple on harmony we met in a conference room and customs came onboard to check our passports so we didnt have tk get off.usually you have to be lead off, get your cards in the terminal and be ,read back on. Varies from ship to ship, time to time. Should have been great to not have to get off the ship. One leg we had 2 stowaways and finally even though they gave us new cards for the next week they finally had to lead us off and the whole crew scearched for a whole hour to find the 2 pax who thought they could hide. You do have to click off the ship and theh know if you didnt get off. On harmony theh brought in a thing where we coukd click in and click out to the conference room. Or the computers shut down on JS another time.

My doctor told me too to stay out of the sun and I'm still cruising. Imo it's impossible to cruise and not get some sun. You get off at a port and of course walk around. You are going to get some sun no matter what. I'm with you, not changing my life, just being more careful and trying to not get sunburned. I have that irish skin which used to be freckled that is more prone to skin cancer my doc says. Try and get checked every 6 months. Most skin cancers if you find them in time can be frozen off in the doctors office. If I had none that visit they used to allow me to freeze off one skin tag, but last time now dont even allow that much. My policy is small co pay. My dad retired from NASA and back then Medicare wasnt so big and they chose a private policy which later in his life, each place burned off was a separate charge. There was only 1 private policy they could get as the years went by. To change over to Medicare he would have had to pay back tomage 65. At age 89 or 90 we inquired and he was told there woukd be a additional $1200 a month payment on top of the Medicare insurance payment to pay back to age 65. He lived another 13 or 14 years, so it would have cost even more to change to medicare. He had hip replacement t and his insurance only covered 90 days. If he had Medicare instead they would have paid 6 to 12 month of rehab. We took him home and he never was a good eater. By then he was on a feeding tube we had to manage on our own he had for about a year after that rehab place. They also got his blood thinner pills tripled once and he went into a coma. Nice new rehab place, looked really nice, but the help were working b2b 12 hour shifts and somehow his blood thinner pills got doubled up and he then had to be hospitalized and they called us in and didnt think he would live but he did eventually wake up from the coma. He was 89 at the time and was just there for PT after hip replacement. He used to be a electrical e engineer for NASA and when he woke up he had this whole plan in his head about how to rewire all the phones in the hospital. So funny he woukd wake up thinking about wiring and technical stuff... we were so happy he woke up and coherent. .. in his own way. My mind too works in numbers and numbers sequences. I admit I'm terrible at anything social. I find it hard to make friends. I want friends but forget names but can remember their phone numbers. Anyway I'm moving out today to the condo. Going to have the beds delivered today. I looked at sofas and love seats but cant make up my mind. I like soft soft soft. Leather looks more classy but I think I prefer material or cloth or microfiber. My cousin ssays I already paid to ship my old junkmsofa and love seat might as well take my time making up my mind. It's so complicated to think about. If I order from online they deliver it downstairs. By myself I cant get it up to my unit. My neighbors I've met I'd say more than half are older than me. Dont know how to plan delivery, hire help for the exact right time. The guy who painted and cleaned has grandsons who I could hire but 45 minutes away. And then add in I'm required to give this guy ray 24 hours notice to pad the elevators. My mind is so feeling confused right now. I know now it was stupid to ship the, for instance rooms to go charges $89 to deliver but wouldnt pick up the old sofa and chair. This matress bed guy his guys will pick up. But now it could be more than another week before my moving truck comes. Maybe not even next week. I think they should have told me clearly the 12 business days starts not the day of pick up, but the day I picked for delivery. He said well he couldnt promise delivery last friday. He should have said the 12 business days starts counting from last friday, the picked delivery date. So now it could be not even by the end of next week. I'm kinda mad theh didnt mention how they calculated the 2 to 12 days, no its business days, no it's not from the date of pick up, it's from the date I selected for earliest delivery.. I've spent 11 nights now in hotels. Communication is a fail. I still plan on buying new living room for future but my cousin says take my time but finding helpmto not just deliver but also remove the old set is a problem. Btw i would never normally shop at rooms to go but it's currently in the same parking lot out on the main road where I'm currently staying. I just went in to see how soft the leather sofas were and look at choices. Like quite a few have a thing in the middle of the love seat for cups and ubs charging. I dont want that blocking up the love seat. Some have electric motion and some manual levers for motion. I dont know if one lasts better than the other but i want motion. .. my mind is still so dizzy from decisions. Maybe no one but me would move across the country alone knowing no one there that can help with small things. I'd like to know about where you can fish if my bil comes for instance. My condo is posted no fishing allowed. .. but one step forward. I'm moving to the condo today, beds being delivered.

I think it's a great list. My only comment would be that 3 of the free places mentioned are basically similar or the same. The 3 places mini bites or wipe out cafe and fresh are free mexican and each ship for unknown reasons has a different name for basically the same place. All are basically located in the same place, toward the aft below the WJ. A long time ago wipe out cafe had snacky type food. I went in and I dont eat that kind of thing. I dont eat hot dogs or their free hamburgers. So they changed the menu to the el loco fresh Mexican chips and dips and such like the others. Kept the name but changed the menu to mexican which i personally like better. I like some afternoons to make nachos mid afternoon for a snack before dinner. It opens late on pkrt days like 3 or 330 pm. But is a very similar menu just the name was never changed. I did oasis twice back when it was new so that's why I remember the old menu vs the new Mexican snacky type stuff now. My friend said he actually asked why black beans and not refried beans. He was told because there is a pay mexican restaurant on that ship who has dibs on refried beans, so the free mexican serves black beans. There was one other item like this but I am not that picky, I like beans either way. Great list I agree. Though imo 3 of the included places are basically the same. Great resource. These 3 are basically the same location and menu, just depends on the ship. I did hear icon has fresh tortillas and a bit better than the rest. I know I'm being nit picky. Nice to have a list where you can see the name of the place on each ship. Thanks for doing this list from me too. Someone was asking on harmony and I couldn't remember the name was mini bites on harmony. The name doesnt even sound like a place to find free mexican stuff.

Sorry if I forgot but is this a new house you bought to renovate and move into or one you inherited? I know I should remember and see all the work you are doing but cant remember why you started remodeling.

I had some that was still pre cancerous on my upper lip. They froze the heck out of it. My GP said he didnt think it looked like cancer to him. Skin doctor said yes but still can use that thing that freezes off the places if they havent grown too much. She did it about a week before a cruise. It made my upper lip pretty much die where the cancer was. I could feel it was hard, gp was wrong. Freezing it,then it's all gone and no cream but as it dies off it made it look to me like I had heres. I was kinda embarrassed to be eating in the Mdr,that people would think I was diseased. Thenskinnwas definitely hanging off my upper lip a week or two but got rid of it.

Make it a pirate hat and people will think you are styling.

I agree with you sea dog the hits just keep o coming. I used to play a lot of tennis and have had lots of MOHS, lasted time was above my knee and she said they dont do MOHS there because the scarring wouldnt show. I also have done the radiology on my left hand. It still ,ewves a scar and is white with red blotches around the white. ... and that takes a LONG time to do. Meet, then meet to map, then 8 weeks of low radiology and check ups. It took over 3 months and imo still is pretty visible. If you find a cream that removes skin cancer, please post to my attention. I dont always get to every post but if you post to my attention I'll see it. I for sure need to see a dentist. I've a,ready done 3 implants. The first time the metal was still co sisdered rare and I know was well over $17k for one implant. Then I had a problem between 2 teeth and complained for a year or 2 to my dentist, who just prescribed antibiotics and couldn't find the abscess. So 2 skinny implants in that hole. If I could find a way to stop this getting old I sure would. I've always had teeth issues though. And the moving truck news just keeps getting worse and worse. I finally got a hold of someone who called the movers, who are in bkytin beach, not that far south of me. When they were packing me up he asked when I could have the movers and I said last friday, give myself a fee days I thought. The girl today said the 12 business days doesnt start being counted until from last friday, the day I said I'd like to move in. So count 12 business days starting AFTER last friday. She said she thought maybe by the end of next week, but could even be the weekend after this one, before I know, and then could be like the tuesday after next week on tuesday. That's 12 business days after last friday. I'd have picked a sooner date had I understood just how long it woukd be, but she thinks maybe by the end of next week they will deliver. I was counting from the day of pick up, not from the day I said I'd like it de,ivered. I've quit being as stressed as I'm getting a lot of rest, but I thought no later than Wednesday next week .. add 4 more business days. I guess there is a place where I could have and should have read to understand their terms better. 2 to 12 days didnt sound so bad especially when I read here eczema (sorry cant spelll) said she got her stuff in 2 days. My stuff and mostly antiques I've had 50 years is out sitting in south florida in 100 degree heat. Like a 300 or whatever napoleon table with marble top, my end tables are all antiques. I sure didnt have a clear understanding of how they counted days to arrive. And hoped it was closer to the 2 days than 12 business days. She said something like if they dont text by june 14, contact them again. .. yea right. How did these folks get 9.9 out of 10 on reviews? Google showed them to be the highest rated moving company. I paid almost $3500 brokerage fee and they cant hire more phone help? I tried several times and kept getting due to the u usual call column theh suggested I leave my number for a call back. The 2nd time I tried to just wait it out and gave up. Easily 2 to 3 hours for someone to call back. At least I know they have my right phone, as I just gave up my land line last week on Monday. So some still have that phone number too. Its sure a good thing I really wanted to move to see the ocean and water, not dallas. I was sure by next week surely I'd have my stuff, but nope, could be later. So far a very expensive education in how NOT to move. Throw away anything you might not want and buy it new. Cut things to only treasures. I think they should say to you the date you pick you say yiunwant to move in might be when the 12 business days start. I dont want to threaten them with a bad review, they might treat me even worse, but so far I'd say 2 out 10, not 9.9 out of 10. Let's hope the heat isnt hurting the antiques. And I still have not homesteaded the house for my sister, waiting on her hubby to snail mail a copy of her new ID. I filled out the form jan 1st this year! it's like come beat your head against this wall some more.

This thread is also the first time I heard about flamingos. I've always ,liked them, though not to the point I would decorate my yard with then. This thread was rhe first time I've ever read they too have a double meaning. Such a educational thread :)

I agree though usually I prefer mysteries. Especially on a cruise I choose very light weight reading. I'm chatting and looking at the ocean not wanting to read something hard core with lots of characters to keep up with. Well I feel like I'm getting a look at how the other half live. There are 3 extended stays in this area, only 1 listed as premier suites. I asked last night what that means. I was talking to a father living here with his 6 year old son for the last 5 1/2 years! I am so surprised how many people live here all the time. He works too, not homeless. He says a apt would be around $2400 plus utilities and here runs about the same except it has a work out room, a upgraded laundry and their kinda lame breakfast which seems lamer by the day. And if he moved into a apt then he has to pay utilities. A couple of guys yesterday who been here a year are heading back to texas. This is like condo living for those who cant afford this area. I do feel secure and the police drive thru regularly. Still no word on when my movers will arrive. Last week they said if no word by june 6 then reach out to them again. I just emailed them again. I dont even know my stuff is ok and didnt get wet in the storm. About $3500 just the brokerage fee and they cant even locate my stuff and tell me it survived the storm? Nothing? Google said 9.9 stars out of 10. I've rate them about a 2 so far. I did get a text from my next door neighbor who is watching the house asking if she should call my bil. About the badly smashed fence. I said my buyer called sunday and told me about it, it's a tree from the next door new neighbor on the other side whose tree fell and badly smashed the fence between us. I got 3 people plus the buyer watching the house. Closing still set for june 15, I sure would be happy if it were sooner. For some reason from what I hear this area in particular was hit worse than others. Maybe because it's a older area and the trees are older and taller, idk. Sitting here in florida it's hard to know how bad my area was hit. I know bonnie is up a few suburbs north of where my house sits and idk where george is exactly. Sometimes no news isnt good news when you are waiting to hear when your stuff will arrive and is it ok, did it get wet. Was it actually a tornado that went thru my area. Yesterday I priced out a nice sofa and loveseat. I want them to pick up what I shipped so I dont want to order living room furniture yet. The beds will be delivered tomorrow. Without a table it's going to be hard to see the tv sitting on the floor, the tvs are small. My old house was tiny. Its lucky I decided to bring the tvs with me. They said I had to have the tvs in boxes. One tv is so new I have the box but I'd have to screw off the legs, so it was just easier to stick them in my car. That's all the furniture I brought in my car. At least tomorrow I'll have a bed to sleep on. I went by to look at the living room stuff the sales guy picked out for me and laid on the bed again I picked out and still love it. I asked why the headboard and frame I picked out was so much extra over others he would include without extra cost. The mgr said look here, this wood is all one piece. Its solid wood. I still dont think its cherry. Cherry has reddish overtones, this looks more like mahogany to me, like what I already have. I still like it but doesnt look like cherry to me. ARGGGH I'm so tired of waiting and no information from the movers. 9.9 out of 10 ratings my foot!

I rarely check prices, but last night I checked on a couple cheapies, explorer 5 days out of PC which I admit is royal, price is now down to about what I paid 6 months ago, about $650 total solo. Plus they are now throw in some extra obc to entice you to book. I'm still in the middle of moving. Sitting at a hotel now for 10 days and no word on when the moving truck will arrive. I can tell you who NOT to book with. I actually was so stressed out I didnt board my 7 day mariner cruise and was a no show. Everything costs more these days. I moved some antiques I've held onto for 50 years, this and that kind of thing, 50 boxes of quilts plus my mom made and 1 bedroom of furniture. I wish I hadnt bothered to ship my sofa and chair, it would have been cheaper to replace and buy new. They estimated under $7500. Movers got there and said now the price is over $9k if you want your bed and dresser stuff on the truck. I could have replaced all my old furniture for less than the cost to ship. I've promised myself I'll never move again. Bought some chicken tenders in the deli section. 8.99 a lb. Everything costs a lot more than it used to, it's not just cruises. A pre made salad in the publix deli 8.99. Plus or minus. Having crossed the country and buying stuff on the road, everything costs more. I can still find some solo shorter bargains, on older ships. Used to be able to find carnival last minute for like starting 399 pp. Under 1k off season. Now there doesnt seem to be a off season. I'm about to check carnival prices for fun, but until the moving truck arrives or I at least have some word when to expect it, my enthusiasm for cruising is at a all time low. Not cruising fault. Next time I'll throw away my furniture and just ship knick knacks and save some money. It's been 10 days and they cant tell me anything but the moving company will text 24 to 48 hours ahead. I could write a book about now on price inflation.

True but imo they also should let you know they changed the cabin you picked. It didnt occur to me to check the cabin number on my boarding pass. Some love those 4Js at the front where you supposedly can go out the side doors out onto the area in front of your cabin. Maybe because it was too windy but they kept those doors locked my entire cruise. And the sf was much smaller than what I'd booked. If carnival changes my cabin send me a email. Leave me a phone message, or give me a slip when I board. The door was propped open so i walked in and unpacked. All im sayijg is sure they have the right to change anyones picked booked cabin, but i also think that i should have the right to be notified when I board. That's ok, we can disagree. That's why I quit using that pvp. She agreed with you, I have no rights to be notified the cabin I picked was changed. If it was a gty fine, but that was a cabin I paid to pick far in advance. I knew it was close to 220 sf and the cabin I got seemed like about 150 sf or smaller, couldn't even put beds side by side it was extra small. My pvp position was carnival might have seen previously I'd asked for a shower chair, I'd travelled with a hc sister. So they might have thought they did me a favor giving me a tiny hc cabin that half had a bathroom with a roll in shower for a wheelchair. The fact my pvp had zero sympathy for me not being notified and only kept repeating same as you carnival has the right to change your room without notice. No sympathy. So I got rid of her. I want a agent who can at least see my side, which I see you dont either.