Gimer

Just found this walking through the Crown Princess Casino.  In their Casino Arcade, there is a Duck Catcher Crane machine.  Cruising Ducks are here too.  If you don't find one, you can play for one.

Spotted on the last Wake Show was CD JODY wearing a Cruise Ducky earring.  Then on the internet, you can find many sites selling Tags to attach to your hiding ducks..  Catching on.....

FYI,  had lunch with Hotel Service Engineer Officer Ewen, who's in charge of everything related to water and has 6 plumbers on his staff.  He's NOT have any problems with cruising ducks, PERIOD. When ducks are found, they are grabbed up by crew members collecting them.  

On today's Crown Princess WAKE Show, showing Cruise Director Jody and Assistant CD Shaun with their just painted white Duckies.  

Fourteenth day of our Hawaii Crown cruise and here is wife's finds.  Two from Cruise Director Jody's Custom Painted Cruising Ducks and a red M&M figure.  Wife was thrilled.  

I've asked a few crew members if they were having stuck plumbing drains around the ship by cruising  ducks and their answer was a big fat NO .   They will collect them for their self before they get near any water.  

Just saw this on two Jr. Buffet Wait Tray, stuck on to their Medallion Ordering Device.  One ducks and one with an Alien.  

Currently on Crown Princess and heading for Hawaii.  CD Jody is hiding her custom painted white Duckies.  And on previous Jan. 7th Crown Princess Hawaii cruise, Future Cruise Director Beaulah, displayed her Duckies.  

Right ON.  My favorite are the Army, Navy and Marine Corp Ducks.  HOO RAH ! ! ! 

Off Crown in January.  Future Cruise Consultant Beulah is a big collector. 

Just off Ruby Sunday, May 27.   I don't know if Caroline Gunn is a Naturalist, but she did the "Enrichment Lectures" which were:

Glaciers, Whales & Dolphins, Northwest Passage & Baffin Bay.

Additional Enrichment Events was Totem Pole Carving by Tim Flanery, was cancelled because illness.

Steve Hite, Alaska Storyteller and finally Libby Riddles, Iditarod's Champion Racer.  

Exactly what I did for my Stanley's...........

Tiki Dave, I was just going to also ask if your posted date should be Feb.10 to 25, 2022 ?  Mahalo.  Stan

Hi Karen, Seems it's getting closer to cruising again.  Got a email from Crew member in the Philippines, saying half a dozen crew friends reported to Diamond Princess  in Singapore.  Maybe things are starting to happen.  Guessing that it may take a month or so to get everything ready for those land locked polly wogs.  Take care and hope to see you soon.    Stan

Ship capacity for Quantum of the Sea, "Cruise To No Where" out of Singapore three days ago was only 40 % of passengers.

Word from crew member is Princess is getting 7 ships ready.  Onboard the three ships are the full staffing of Deck, Environmental, Engine, Electro Technical Departments.  Partial Food Services, Medical and Housekeeping.  A few others like Plumbers, Carpenters, Storekeeper and Crew Manager.   I'm guessing that during the ships down time, contractors were installing and completing the Ocean Medallion and other up grades planned.  

Hi Karen,  It looks like things are starting to move.  Crew in the Philippines wrote saying some are getting notices for the Med. Exams before returning.  One Accommodation Officer got his.  Three Chefs join Ruby last months and they were transferred to Majestic, who's on her way to LA.   My neighbor,  a Music Director for Princess wrote saying there's going to be a online conference for all Music Directors tomorrow.    All I can say is HOO RAH !    Return to cruising has to start somewhere, sometime, and this is the beginning.  Yes Majestic is a lovely ship.     

We were on the Third Phase of their Maiden Voyage and here are the menu for the Lobster Bar and Noodle Bar.   But as for the Salty Dog Grill, they serve a free Triple Smoked Burger. For me, it was a winner.  Beef patty, made with hickory smoked bacon jam, bbq smoked onions and smoked gouda cheese.  I always had them add extra bacon jam and bbq onions.  Yummy !  If you are a beer drinker, then the Ernesto burger is a great deal.  Beer alone cost about 5 to 7 bucks.  The Ernesto combo cost 8 bucks, which makes it cheap for a rib eye burger.  Dos XX cost 6.95, and so the burger is only $1.05.   

John, remember Coffee is very subjective and always in the eyes of the beholder and sometimes the Barista will make a difference.  We know this Barista that makes art out of his coffees and many ladies love him.  Here are a few of his creations and a price list from 2019, just to show you the varieties available. 

John57, Here is what was served on Grand Princess.  I was a a 10 cupper for 30 years.

C O F F E E .pages

Hi Tom.   Tired, waiting for another cruise.  Yes, three ships are Lay-up in the Port of Oakland.  The Norwegian Jewel and Oceania Regatta are tied up at the Outer Harbor-Ports of America.  Both facing the SF/Bay Bridge Toll Plaza.  The Seven Sea Mariner is berth at the Inner Harbor-Howard Terminal, across from Alameda. My understanding is that they have a 3 months contract to stay there and can extend it.  

Fran and I are booked on the Ruby's Oct. 24 to Hawaii, that's if things are going well.  My friend Brian Vasquez, the Hawaiian Ambassadors that got off Grand Princess and was quarantine at Marimar Air Base said all his Music Instruments, Hawaiian Crafts and his Ukuleles are still on Grand Princess.  Grand Princess is now down in Panama.  So if and when they start up cruising again, it's going to be a big chore to re-unite his stuff to do his Hawaiian Program on board Ruby.  It's going to take some time to get back to cruising.  Tom, stay Healthy and stay Safe.   Mahalo, Stan 

Final scoop from Island Princess.  Crew member just wrote that there are still 78 crew of mixed nationalities onboard, still waiting for a chartered flight home.  The Zimbabwes and Mauritius crew member are flying out on July 2nd.  The Chinese crew members are flying home on their chartered plane on July 4th.  This makes the Thais, Malays and Kiwis still waiting for their schedule flights.  It seems that with those 29 Cruise Ships anchored in Manila Bay, some organization is putting together crew members from different Countries/Nationalities, from different cruise ships to fill chartered planes, providing they have their 14 days quarantine completed and get a Health clearance.  Once the last group gets a chartered plane scheduled, my friend will be release from Island Princess and go home.  He's hoping it's right after July 4th.   Today, it's his 360 days on board Island Princess.  When the ship is cleared of all nonessential crew members, it will sail to Klang, Malaysia, for it's Stand-Down and wait for when Princess re-starts cruising again.  It's been a long road home for them.  Time to recharge.

He was a bartender and three years ago he became a Barista.  He does art on coffee mochas.  He does faces of his customers, but here are a few others he does.  

He's been working for Princess over 12 years and he's Link with his wife.  They are assign to the same ship but their Link is off by 45 days.  His wife left Island Princess before the Pandemic started.  They generally work together for at least 7 months each year.  He's a real pro.   

Just in, so far 300 Filipinos were release to go home.  Another batch will be going home tomorrow.  They still have crew members from the Mauritius, Thailand and Chinese waiting far their charter flights.  Crew from Japan will sent home today.  Since he was a crew member of Island Princes, he will be the last to leave.  He is on day 356. 

He's Filipino, and can't wait to get home.    His wife got off Island Princess in February and their Link is off by one month, so he got the worst of the deal.  This was their first rotation on Island and previously, the did 2 rotations on Grand Princess and they were my adopted family, for 10 of my cruises.