sgmn

On 9/10/2023 at 4:31 PM, Sea Dog said:

Yes breeders are very strict about anyone taking bloodlines and becoming breeders themselves. Breeding King Charles Cavalier Spaniels can become very lucrative. At $3,000 a pup they don’t want their Cavalier bloodlines being bred somewhere else.

Our Molly Collie was bred from Crufts show dogs and we had to agree not to breed from her or show her. When we bought her 7 years ago she was about £800 but pure bred dogs are much more expensive now

On 9/10/2023 at 4:16 PM, Sunshine3601 said:

We had a 20 or 30 minute delay due to our plane arriving at Trenton Airport from Orlando later than expected.

Boy Trenton Airport sure is easy peasy.  Frontier premium seating very nice too.  We will definitely fly this again.   

It is hot hot hot in Tampa.  We just came back from a walk along their Riverwalk. 

Very nice area but we were dripping sweat on our way back.  I thought I would go to the pool but too hot to do that today.

 

We may try the free trolley tonight and see what we find for dinner.

I'm finding it very hot too,  though everywhere has air con.  We did the riverwalk yesterday too, around 11am to 3pm . I sat out at the pool after for an hour but it was too hot even in the shade 😎 

Today we took the free trolley to the Aquarium and then did an hour cruise in the bay. A fabulous nature speaker on board and we saw dolphins 🐬.  Just got back to hotel after walking back which was very hot.

28 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

@Momof3gurlz

 

Deb, since your cruise on beautiful Edge

 

 

The eerie corridor on deck 5....

 

 

 

is fast approaching, and I fear that I'll forgot some things....

 

As foodies, we've found the food on Edge much better than last year on Beyond.

 

BUT... after a very disappointing 1st night in Tuscan, we went back to dinner at Ocean View and found the variety, quantity and quality satisfying. I took advantage almost nightly of the Stir Fry station.

 

I admit that if Olivia will have been with us, we'll certainly be going every night to one of the 4 "free" dining rooms.

 

The 1st night on the ship we went to a for fee restaurant, the much acclaimed Eden. The appetizers were excellent, the entrees (Nova Scotia Lobster casserole) were nothing to write home about, mainly because we found one condiment in this dish very heavy and not tasty. The very nice waiter, Marcel, immediately offered to change it for us, but we declined. There is music above this restaurant, which is not quite "conducive" to having a nice conversation...

 

Truthfully, I fear that I'm being spoiled by my "personal chef" at home....

 

The service was excellent all over the ship, and you could feel that every one was doing his best for us to have the time of our life.

 

Ports -- the one we have "in common" is Portofino. We took advantage of being Elite and had priority tendering, an amazing benefit, taking in account that even at 10am people were waiting and waiting for the tender. Celebrity used just one boat, claiming that the port is tiny and cannot accommodate more tenders. Hello??? Why offer this port if it means the non-Elite and non-suite people were still waiting for the tender at noon???

 

A bad surprise when coming back and finding a very very long line to board the tender back, in plain sunshine.... pic below [bottom left]

 

 

When DH saw the huge line, he decided he'll have enough time to visit the museum, which he found very interesting, and provided the best look of the tiny port (5 Euro entrance), without having to climb so many stairs to Castello Brown.

 

Edited to add: Since we've been to Portofino before, our plan was to climb to the Castello for another brief photo-op, and then board to ferry to Santa Margherita Ligure, which was supposed to be more lively and less expensive, and have lunch there.

 

With all the tendering debacle, we got there around 1pm, all the shops were closed, bar the restaurants. It was so hot, that after a quick look around, we took the ferry back, only to find ourselves in the huge line (extreme right). A good thing we got back early.

 

 

 

Entertainment -- the "in house" shows were average, and twice DH left me alone after a few minutes, finding the noise too much for his hearing aids.

 

The "imported" ones were very good -- "The Queens of Rhythm", and Salvatore Hasard. The third one, "Magical Bones", had the usual ones of cards and disappearing act. BTDT.

 

We had an infinite veranda with bed by the balcony, and I very much enjoyed sitting in bed and looking at the sea. So relaxing.

 

I'll try to remember other tips... ahh, shopping. Barcelona is much cheaper than France, clothes wise. The same shirt I've bought at Mango in Barcelona for 30 Euros, was 40 in Ajaccio, Corsica.

 

Glad for you Dani that the food is better than our Beyond sailing last year and that you're having a good time even though your cousin had to cancel. 

We flew into Tampa yesterday.  Immigration was a breeze, probably our easiest entry into USA . We got a bit confused about the Hyatt hotel shuttle . We followed the signs for hotel shuttles and waited ages in very hot temps but no shuttle.  After phoning hotel, apparently you now have to go to an uber pick up area, call the hotel and they send a uber at their expense .

Now in downtown hotel and can see cruise ships from our room. Went for a walk by the Riverside today but again very hot and not much shade 

2 hours ago, Dobby36 said:

@sgmn and @Julma returning back as promised. We did this water taxi to rowers wharf yesterday.   Couldn’t have been simpler! The crew were nice, they even graciously reterned to dock after a quick call when we (stupidly) forgot a backpack on board..  

 

walk is maybe 5 mins from exit of cruise terminal, literally in shadow of cruise ship off the bow. They include good instructions for directing you in the confirmation email. You can then choose what time at top of hour you want to head to airport, we walked around aquarium and long wharf area and into north end for brunch and stumbled into an art festival.  Would highly recommend! 

Thank you so much @Dobby36

We're going to go ahead and book this . It sounds a great way to spend the day in Boston without our bags before our evening flight home 

Thanks for the comprehensive report back

Sue

On 9/9/2023 at 4:42 AM, dani negreanu said:

Phillipa Gregory for history, also Hillary Mantel

P.D. James

Reginald Hill

Maisie Dobbs series by J. Winspear

Deborah Crombie

Ngaio Marsh

John Lawton

 

Thanks Dani, I've read a couple of Phillipa Gregory

49 minutes ago, little britain said:

Not 2025 but 2024, Virgin just announced that they will be doing a few cruises from Portsmouth on Resilient Lady. 

27/8/24 3n Zebrugge and back from £499pp incl $125 bar tab allowance for a Sea Terrace ( which I guess is Virgin speak for a balcony!) 

Mmm bank holiday weekend ? Though would be nice to have a taster on VIrgin 

17 minutes ago, NHProud said:

@bobmacliberty Best wishes to your daughter and congratulations to your new son-in-law .  I’m sure everything was perfect. 

+1 @bobmacliberty.  Very many congratulations to your family on the wedding of your daughter and to a new son-in-law. Enjoy the dance 💃 

1 hour ago, taznremmy said:

Currently on Ovation for the next two weeks.   I was on here last week also and the weather has been beautiful in Alaska.  Well, Skagway was a bit sketchy.

Was suppose to be on Radiance starting today, for the next four cruises, but due to propulsion problems, they cancelled the 9/1 and 9/8 sailings.  
Thanks to my FANTASTIC TA, I have a cabin on OV for the next two sailings and I’m  hopeful they have Radiance back up and running by the 22nd, so I can continue on my original journey.

Fingers and toes crossed.

 

9/1

Skagway

 

 

Sitka

Victoria, B.C.

Beautiful pictures, I'm glad it worked out for you 

4 hours ago, Luckynana said:

Safe travels, Debbie, Eric, Sue @sgmn and Gary!

What day does your cruise begin?

Not till Tuesday,  I'm not an expert but I think we will dodge hurrican Lee, hoping there's not another one brewing when we go up the coast to Boston in 10 days or so

@bobmaclibertySorry that some of your family can't make the wedding.

Working on an airline ticket desk for decades we always rebooked everyone in the very very rare occasions that a flight was cancelled. 

Things seem to of changed a lot in the last few years 

8 hours ago, jagsfan said:

I presume you already know Hercule Poirot very well!

Yes, love Agatha Christie. That's about my level of scaryness 😁

Can anyone recommend some books/audio books I can download for the cruise. 

I like murder mystery but not thrillers or anything scarey 😬

And historic novels

Hope everyone is well

 It's been a bit of a crazy week. Enjoying the hot weather with trips out on boat and bbq's we then had some unexpected child care requests so haven't had chance to pack for cruise or do all those last minute jobs.  Hope to do them tonight after dropping Isaac off. 

@Sunshine3601Debbie,  hope we run into each other on board , wishing you safe travels to Florida 

Here is a picture of my very early morning walk with Molly with the mist in the woods and sunrise peeking through the trees 

On 9/6/2023 at 10:35 PM, danv3 said:

You will be overdressed in a tuxedo.   You may or may not care about that, but you will be in a much smaller minority than those in shorts.  

On our med cruise this summer our table mates wore dinner jackets on formal nights. Ex UK there are  often Scottish Kilts and dinner jackets worn (at least there was on my last UK cruise a few years ago)

This is what Royal Caribbean says on their app about formal night.  We haven't done a Caribbean cruise since 2019, apparently things are more relaxed this days. Our recent Med cruise was mixed. Some continued to wear the same casual day clothes in the evening, some wore dinner jackets and cocktail/long dresses.

It's showing on Serenade planner  £185 for 12 day pass 

1 hour ago, StanleyandGus said:

That is a marvellous cake! Was the rabbit a keepsake, or was it fondant?  Very nice pictures of a very happy day!

It's all edible. The top tier was the top tier of their wedding cake, so fruit, the bottom tier was a three layer lemon cake,  layed with lemon curd. 

This was what was left by the end of the party 

21 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

My knee injection has not worked very well which is what I was afraid of. Having a torn meniscus and torn ACL along with the arthritis is not helping with the injection. At this point I will suck it up and enjoy my cruise on October as much as I can and then get my replacement surgery November 3rd.

Sorry to hear Greg that the injections haven't helped much.  November will be here though before you know it 

7 hours ago, time4u2go said:

Is this something new?  I was on a European Celebrity cruise last year, and drinks, wifi, and tips were most definitely NOT included in the fare.  Or perhaps you mean for residents of Europe (which I am not).

 

It's changed from all included to choice of basic fare or all included . As I don't drink enough to warrant a drink package and in Europe don't need WiFi I don't really want a fully inclusive (much more expensive) fare.

44 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Happy Birthday Theo!

So nice to continue on with a church that is special for your family for many reasons.

Beautiful cake too.  I love how the gate on the cake is open for Theo.  Lovely!!

 

A good friend who is amazingly artistic made the cake

 Here is a wedding cake she made and a cake for my other grandsons 1st birthday 

Front of cake 

Back of same cake

Grandson's 1st birthday 

Our littlest grandsons Christening/first birthday party was yesterday. Held in a church that has strong links for us. We were married there, our kids were christened there. Gary and I were baptised there as adults and my parents are buried there. 

Lovely little Christening service from Father Richard and great party in the church hall afterwards 

37 minutes ago, little britain said:

 

It was always said that the staff didn’t want the contracts on the UK based ships because of the reluctance to pay the tips. 
 

 

Which is mainly because Europeans don't understand the American based tipping culture on board ship.  I know people say 'when in Rome etc', but when it's their first cruise and it's a ship sailing ex UK or Europe the whole American tipping culture is not of interest or importance to them. 

My lovely neighbour on her first cruise two weeks ago  ex Ravenna told me they took off the tips and tipped at end of cruise to those they had contact with and thought deserved a tip.

A young friend who is at university in Holland tells me it's common for Europeans to just tip a few euros in restaurants even if the bill for a group is over €100.

I personally think gratuities should be rolled up in the basic fare, at least outside USA home ports.

6 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Until last year, Australia was free of the varroa mite.  In June of last year, they were discovered in sentinel hives at the Port of Newcastle, just over 2hrs north of us.  The Dept of Agriculture has since been trying to contain this infestation and stop the spread of the outbreak.
This week, my dad’s friends who live in a rural area in the North of Sydney were informed by the Dept of Agriculture that all their honeybees would need to be exterminated and their hives burnt.  Very sad. Now, my dad’s friends that keep honeybees on the Northern Beaches are on knife edge as to whether they will be forced to do the same very soon as the infestation continues to head towards the Sydney basin.

 

Awful news. We need more honey bees, they are in decline here as well 

11 hours ago, Keksie said:

Well this week has been a challenge.  My son moved to Florida for many reasons but one was to help his father  who was having some health problems.  Sunday my son called me to let me know his father had fallen while he was leaving a restaurant and had broken his hip.  Monday they did a hip replacement.  Tuesday my son called to say that his dad was being moved to icu because he was not doing well.  His dad ended up passing away that night.  It has been really hard on my son. Today the funeral home said the ME might have to do an autopsy to find a clear cause of death for the death certificate.   Even more challenging is the fact that my Ex left a financial mess for my son to decipher. My heart hurts for my son having to go through all this.  I am thankful that my son's fiance is such a wonderful young woman who has been there for him.

Sorry to hear about the loss of your sons dad. Especially as it happened do unexpectedly and quickly

 I'm sure  his fiancé will be a big support as will you

13 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Our Bermuda cruise on Saturday got changed due to the Hurricane.  We are now going to Portland Maine and Halifax Nova Scotia.  Those are both new ports for us so any recommendations are welcome.  We are totally good with it.

 

Cheers 🍻

Mark

It's very easy to hire a car in Halifax. There's a couple of car hire places a few minutes walk from the ship. Last visit we took the hire car to Peggy's Cove where we met some friends and then drove down to Lunenburg

7 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I second that, Lucy's is a fun atmosphere.  Another one we love to do sunset drinks with appetizers that we make a dinner out of is the West Deck.  Little further away from Lucy's.  We usually take a taxi there.  Lucy's is an easy walk from cruise port.

I was looking at West Deck on line last week. Do you prebook or can you just rock up ?