dolfansam

I just recently read the start of a review and the couple was shown with a mascot of sorts... stuffed animal in the pictures.

 

and... saw another review with an Angry Bird all over the ship.

 

then I saw one with a pirate stuffed doll of some sort.

 

Can I just say..... I don't get it! :) Some of it is cute, while most is a bit ridiculous.

 

It reminds me of "Flat Stanley" that I made my kids take to the ball park one year.

 

Can't we just leave the toys at home? :p

 

Catrin

I have done it twice (using beanie babies) and probably will do it every now and then. It is a lot of fun to tell a story of your trip with the animal. The first time I had a good friend fighting in Iraq. We had a military bear doing everything gambling, drinking, swimming, sunning and some risque photos w/ towel animals. My friend and his buddies loved it.

Last year I took one of my co-workers childs animals on the cruise for a Slim Stanley sort of project. Of course the lamb could not be as friendly with the towel animals, but boy did it get around. My co-worker could not wait for updates and pics. She and her husband enjoyed it as much if not more than the child did. The child got an A on the project.

Mom always complains that there are no pics of people just scenery, but she refuses to have her pic taken. She loves the animal being inserted in the photos. No more complaints.

Here is a link to the book I made for the child: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0CbNW7Jo1asWOj

Hey guys, looking for some advice on driving down to the Port of Baltimore.

 

I'm sailing on January 9th and I will be driving down the day of and leaving my car at the port. I was told that the ship start boarding at 1:30 PM and it is about a 3 hour drive flat for me. Any idea how early I should be before to drop off my bags, get the car parked, etc? I have all my documents and tags printed and ready to go already so that isn't a concern. Thanks.

I will be on the same cruise. We usually arrive around 11-1130. The parking lot is like a grocery store or even a small mall lot very easy to get in and out of the building. Dropping off the bags is real easy. You pull up and they unload the car into the trolley and you park right there.

I am not sure which side we will be parking on, since there are now 3 ships sailing out of Baltimore. For years it was just the Grandeur and parking was always the same. Last year was the first time that there were two ships and we parked, for the first time, on the right hand side of the building as you looked at the ship. We were wondering why there were so many cars already there at such an early arrival time and all the handicapped spaces were full. Then we realized that the Mercury and the Pride were now sailing out of Baltimore.

My nephew on the flowrider in Grand Turks.

Explorer of the Seas in San Juan

This is my first time ever posting a picture. Let's hope it works...

 

In Alaska (Juneau) near the Mendenhall Glacier...

Mendenhall Glacier is very likely the place I took my Best picture ever.

There is a story that goes with this picture. At 41 my sister had a major stroke. To save her life they had to do surgery and as a result, take out about 1/3 of her skull....it stayed safe in her belly for over a year (because she had a staph infection post op they did not want to put it back too soon) while she recovered. At her most critical moment in the ICU, I held her hand and told her if she would only open her eyes I would take her anywhere in the world she wanted to go....her eyes flew open (the first of many miracles!), and as soon as she came off the ventilator she requested we go on a cruise. So in late April this year, almost 2 years after her stroke, we boarded the Legend with our mom, our other sister, two nieces and my sisters’ best friend. My sister wanted to swim with the dolphins more than anything else, so I scheduled the Royal Swim. Although VERY skeptical when we arrived, given my sisters physical limitations, the staff agreed to "let her try”. This picture was taken during the foot push.....what you can't see are the six women standing in the water watching her, laughing and crying at the same time. Since this day, my sister has continued to recover, expanding her horizons daily; because this moment in time renewed her confidence and made her realize that ANYTHING is possible!

 

 

 

What a great story. It really hits home. This past year both of my parents had strokes. They are both doing well, but it takes a awhile for recovery.

Here are a few other of my favorites:

 

 

A rough sail home from Bermuda on Grandeur of the Seas

 

___

 

I sailed on the Grandeur of the Seas from Baltimore and we were trailing a hurricane and this is almost the way the pool looked, except the water did not quite come that far out of the pool (it was contained by the wall). There also were passengers in the pool. :eek: It was scary. My nieces and nephew as well as the other kids in the pool thought it was a lot of fun to be lifted up out of the pool by the water. The staff ended the pool party before anyone got hurt.

Wow!!! The Eagle is Gorgeous!!!

 

The second pic...I'm assuming a Glacier??? That is AMAZING!!! I hadn't been wanting to go to Alaska....but now I may rethink that...I can't believe the beauty!

 

Thanks for sharing those!

 

Erica

If you go to Alaska, you will not regret it. It is absolutely the most beautiful place I have ever seen. It will take your breath away. Everywhere you look the beauty abounds. I described it as it was as if I had stepped into a postcard.

I took these pictures from the Top of the Mt Roberts Tram in Juneau. There were five ships in port that day. Here are four of them:

It was hard to pick my favorites from my recent trip to Alaska, but here are a couple. The Mendenhall Glacier picture is probably my most favorite if I had to choose.

Josh, you sound a bit jaded!:rolleyes:

 

If the CD is good, then the Newlywed game can be tremendously funny, even if you've seen it before.

 

repete, keep in mind that what you answer may not be what the CD says out loud!;) Hope you make it on stage!:D

I agree with you. Even though the questions/answers may not change from cruise to cruise it is still funny. It always seems the old couple has the funniest lines. I also like the CDs list of top 10 questions asked on the cruise. That never grows old either.

A storefront sign in San Juan:

I have gotten a lot of comments from friends and Co-workers about this picture. It was one of those at the place at the right time photos. This was taken off of the coast of St Martin. I did not even notice the bird in the picture until I enlarged it.

Costa Maya as no problems with Homeland Security at their port (not so friendly welcome):

A nice welcome to Costa Maya:

A picture of the Granduer Leaving Baltimore Harbor. If she clears the bridge.

HAL - Maasdam

 

Lunch buffet inedible.

 

Sauerkraut saturated in russian dressing is considered a salad.

 

Melons (cantalope/watermelon) was old, soft mushy and had that rotting smell.

 

Carving board roast beef - couldn't be chewed. Saw everyone thowing it away after trying one bite.

 

Dinner

 

King crab legs - the meat was dried up and shrivelled in the shell. It was probably cooked, thawed and re-cooked too many times. Leftovers were served cold on the lunch buffet the next day and looked even worse.

I actually liked the buffet and room service alot more than the food served in the dining room. Of course the horrible service in the dining room probably was a major factor in the food preference. We were waiting upwards of 20-30 minutes between courses, glasses left empty, etc.

Bungee cord, to keep balcony curtains/door open (certain ships)…haven’t tried it yet but have already purchased the equipment. (Quote)

I guess the people who have fallen overboard did not have a long enough Bungee Cord. ;)

I survived a car accident that killed my DH. It was then that I realized just how precious our family and our lives are. I have since remarried and we have cruised together, taken our kids and grandkids too. To the poster who takes their kids out of school - good for you. We sailed with our 4 grandchildren to Mexico and the memories are so vivid. We were on Pride, eating dinner next to a big window at the very aft. The sun was going down and as it disappeared "under the sea" my 7 year old grandson said "Wow, this is way better than Disneyland". Life is so short. I wish every "too hard working person" would realize that and get out and enjoy.

My mom had a health scare about 7 years ago. She has since decided to take her grandkids out to see the world, her Auntie Mame moment as she calls it. She wants them to remember the good times with her. This year will be the six cruise she has taken with one or more of her grandkids. The oldest has been on 4 the middle child on 3 and the youngest this will be number two (he is only five and still very attached to mommy). The oldest children cannot wait to see or hear where they are going each year.

I thought I heard the seal say, "Now this is how we are going to run this seal encounter, I will stand here and one by one you will come by and shake my flipper. It is hot out here so I would appreciate you speeding this up so I can go back into the pool. " :D

Mom needs to have her eyes checked. Look at the stiff she tried to pick up when dad was not looking

I highly recommend swimming with the Dolphins if you get the chance. It is an experience you will never forget. After we were done and had finished lunch, I walked by the encounter area and one of the Dolphins actually posed for pictures. He turned his head from side to side with each picture.

I loved Mexico an all of beautiful and vibrant colors:

 

AND LOOK WHAT THESE CHAIR HOGS LEAVE ON THEIR CHAIRS TO SAVE THEM!!!

 

WOW, I have been on the Grandeur a few times and have never seen that many open lounge chairs total for an entire 10 day cruise.