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20 hours ago, h20skibum said:

We finished our trip to Universal Florida, and have returned home. I think I mentioned we had the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Vacation Package. 

 

 

Since we stayed at the Portofino Bay Hotel, I thought I would give you my impressions of it. 

 

 

The hotel is one of Universal’s Premier hotels, and one of three that includes unlimited express passes during your stay.  

 

 

We really enjoyed this hotel.  Very quiet and picturesque.  Every evening, they have performers singing opera and popera favorites from a balcony overlooking the plaza. 

 

 

Directly beneath this balcony is Sal’s. They have excellent pizza and their Italian sandwich was delicious.  You can also get beer or wine at Sal’s, if you want some while listening to the music. 

 

We requested a room in the west wing, which is closest to the water taxi.  

 

 

The water taxi runs to a pier at City Walk between the two park entrances.  It was nice to be able to look out our window, overlooking the harbor, and see if the boat was there.  They ran every 10-12 minutes. 

 

Portofino has three pools, and the beach pool is the one by the west wing.  We definitely enjoyed coming back for a swim, mid-day.  

 

I can recommend this hotel as a nice place to base a stay for the parks.  I only wish the room would have had a microwave to heat some leftover pizza. (Yes, there is such a thing)

 

It is a little on the pricey side, but the perks are worth it. I think I would stay there again if we ever return to the parks. 

 

Of course, now that we are home, we have a house full of wizards running around today. 

 

It looks amazing, my DIL would absolutely love the HP theme package. She is a Harry Potter nut 

On 8/5/2023 at 2:47 PM, dani negreanu said:

 

Thanks, Sue.

 

Sadly, they traveled independently, with 4 bags and on their own dime... whereas we were sent to Brussels by a multi-national company, all expenses paid, a big container with all our belongings and a zero-mile company car from day 1.

 

DS2 is providing, part-time, legal services to his old law firm, while pursuing his doctorate in law. The original plan was to travel next year, and do his post-doctorate in Holland. The "situation" here being what it is, my DIL wanted to spare the kids another round, or two, of hostilities.

 

 

 

For sure ... thinking mainly of the ferry to Newcastle ( @grapau27 ) , or visiting a lovely couple in Berkshire 😉 😘

 

That would be so cool 😎  there's always a room ready for guests 😀 

Or if you didn't want to venture out in the sticks we could meet you for lunch in London .

Hope DS2 and DIL settle in quickly and the kids are happy at school. I'm sure they will love being able to easily travel to all the great European destinations once they are settled and established.  Great opportunity, though I know its hard all round with family ties.

14 hours ago, little britain said:

I don’t recall a bar in the CL deck 12 on Anthem?  They took your order, disappeared somewhere and came back with your drink. 

Same with DL on Symphony. They took your order which was filled in a bar nearby and brought back. No way of knowing what brand of wine/spirit they were using and the pour varied 

3 hours ago, little britain said:

Given the foul cold weather today… summer cruising from Southampton ain’t that great either!!!

Thats for sure,  just put our heater on in the living room to take the chill out of the air, in August!!!

16 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

And people wonder why RCI doesn't home port an O class there.

Not me, I'm happy with Anthem, though I haven't been on a RC cruise from Southampton for a few years. 

It's OK once you're a day into the cruise heading for the Med or Canaries. And if going north you know the weather's going to be effy.  Half our cruises are cool weather cruises

On 8/3/2023 at 11:54 PM, Sunshine3601 said:

Update on my neighbor friend.   Her Daughter phoned me late last night and said things didn't go well.     They had her in the operating room and were unable to do the procedure that she needs.    She was very vague with details as she was exhausted and emotionally drained from the day.    She said her Mom is in the ICU and she cannot believe how weak and helpless she looks.   She was unsure what the next plan is going to be.    She is a waiting for her Brother to arrive from out of state today.   

So sorry to hear  😔 

On 8/3/2023 at 9:40 PM, Jimbo said:

Just viewed my  SetSail Pass on the Royal App, I see after Diamond Plus, it has listed Choice. Any idea what Choice means?

I think it's the entry level of the Casino loyalty club

On 8/3/2023 at 7:24 PM, Luckynana said:

Awesome!!

You've been having quite a bit of heavy rain the past two days, along with cooler weather.  It must feel like 
Fall is on it's way, Graham.    

I hope your weather gets better in the next day for you and Pauline.

Have a great day!!

The weather's been awful for July and now into August. I feel for all the kids on holiday and outdoor events taking place.

This is the end of the Pride event in Brighton today. A city which probably has the biggest pride events in the country after London . Very wet and windy 

We had planned to go out on the River with friends today but that has been postponed to later in August due to rain and strong winds. Our BBQ party last weekend was held indoors 

BUT the weather is meant to get better from next week, fingers crossed 🤞 

On 8/3/2023 at 6:12 PM, dani negreanu said:

We've been busy the last few days, helping DS2 and his family with their move to Amsterdam. They landed there this morning, for the next 2 weeks, with an option for another 2 weeks in a sub-let of an Israeli couple, who are visiting family here. 

 

The biggest issue, which it seems the young couple was not aware of, is finding a suitable rental. The demand far surpasses the supply, and I fear that they'll move from sub-let to sub-let for quite some time 😢.

 

Debbie @Sunshine3601 hopefully your friend had a successful op, and I wish her many more years of quality living.

 

Mark @h20skibum wishing you and family to continue with your fantastic vacation. When I've first seen the pic of your hotel, I said to myself: "it reminds me of Portofino".... Sure enough, after a few posts, turns out that's indeed its name 😉 "Marked" for future reference should we be fortunate enough to bring our grandkids there. Seems an awesome place.

 

Crystal @singinalot, wishing you and Nate an enjoyable stay in "my neighborhood" 😉

 

Arzeena @Arzeena and Deb @Momof3gurlz -- enjoy your vacations to the fullest.

 

OB @Ocean Boy -- Jade is so adorable, hopefully she will "redeem" herself 😘

 

Hope your son and family settle in quickly and find a nice place to live.  Will his company help at all?

Will be nice for you to have a European springboard to explore various parts of Europe, especially western/northern parts. 

On 8/2/2023 at 7:58 PM, mo&fran said:

My throat cancer treatment is finally started, Just had my first chemo. Now waiting for the radiation treatments to get scheduled,  This all started when I noticed a lump on the side of my neck on our last cruise on May 20. Went to PCP the next week, who scheduled a CT scan that led to the initial diagnosis. 

 Situation became a series of requirements that had to be completed , one after the other. Each step was with a new doctor. Because the cancer is in my throat,

The process included a dentist, an ENT  (ear,nose,throat). oral surgeon, GI (gastro) . We are lucky, most are booked solid, but given the situation, they found quick appointments where there were none available when we first called.

Best wishes for a pain-free and successful treatment. Sounds like you are getting very good care

On 8/2/2023 at 2:42 PM, Ocean Boy said:

Ok cat folks. Jade was supposed to go to the vet today for a checkup. She would have nothing to do with getting into the carrier and I have a clawed up bloody arm to prove it. Had to cancel. Never had this issue before with dogs or cats. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, now she is eating treats out of my recently bloody hand.🙄

Ouch ! Have you tried putting the treats at the back of the carrier, perhaps she'll go in on her own accord , or a line of small treats leading into the carrier ?

3 hours ago, JGCRUISE0507 said:

I have sailed 4 times on this ship. The 1st back in 2003 when the ship was 3 weeks old. The service was not the greatest and the food had absolutely no taste. Remember this is my opinion and someone else onboard the cruise may feel differently. The ship looked amazing for 20 years. I wish the crew did better and the Chef actually tasted the food. I think this is the new norm of cruising, you felt nicked and dimed the entire cruise. I think it is back to Celebrity Cruises for now. Let me know if you have any questions.

How was the entertainment? I know she doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the big ships. 

We're on her for 12 nights next month. I had a look at the reviews on Serenade after your post and they seem very mixed. 

Hopefully you marked down the food on the post cruise survey, things won't improve unless folk complain. 

On 8/1/2023 at 2:00 PM, Momof3gurlz said:

We’re busing getting ready for a big family trip to Disney coming up, preceded by a short cruise out of Port Canaveral.  This is pretty involved so I’ll try to keep it to the Cliff notes version.  
Andy and I are taking our two oldest grandsons (12 & 10) on a 3 night cruise on Independence of the Seas.  He and I fly to Orlando next Wednesday evening (was supposed to be Thursday morning but JetBlue stopped the early morning flights out of PVD and moved us to Weds).  Meeting up with our daughter & the boys Thursday morning at the airport.  We head to PC, staying at the Hampton Inn and board the ship Friday (she and the youngest are staying in Orlando visiting friends).  After disembarking Monday, we head to WDW where Andy & I have three quiet nights at the Polynesian while the boys are back with their Mom.  By Thursday, the rest of the family will have arrived and the 12 of us check into the Old Key West villa for a week.
The boys are very excited for their first cruise and we’re excited to experience it with them. 

 

Sounds like a wonderful trip

Were you on Serenade? 

Would be interested to hear your thoughts if you were. 

1 hour ago, avatexrs said:

I am Diamond but haven’t cruised in about 5-6 years.  When I last cruised, I would have a couple of cocktails in the Diamond lounge before dinner, and I didn’t have to use any of the free drink electronic vouchers (I think it was three per day at the time).  Is that still the case?  Or do I have to use one of the (now four) drink vouchers to have a drink in the Diamond Lounge?

 

Yes you now have to use a voucher in the Diamond Lounge. 

The upside of the changes is that instead of the limited diamond drink menu you can now have any drink up to $14 a drink (you pay the difference if over $14).

Also you can use your vouchers anytime, anywhere (apart from a couple of places), including the restaurants and MDR

On 7/30/2023 at 7:57 PM, PATRLR said:

I see no way to make MTD reservations. 

In your cruise planner under dining, the last item is to book MTD slots. You have to book each day separately . You can change your time or cancel altogether if your plans change. 

If you can't get the times you want, there should be someone to help with dining questions in the main restaurant on boarding day.

For your three night package, though they book a random restaurant on the first night, you can cancel it and rebook at the same time as you book the two other specialised dinners. At any of the specialised restaurants once you board.

13 hours ago, bnurick said:

Not being snarky, but picked a Friday night at Walt Disney World.  Kinda shocked.

  

I was also pleasantly surprised after hearing how high hotel rates are in USA,   we got very good rates for a Hyatt hotel in Tampa for this September. 

5 hours ago, hammo said:

I think I read somewhere here that you have to use one ot the 4 "vouchers" to get the 40% off ? Hope not .

Yeap, one voucher gives you a 40% discount off a bottle of wine under $100. Can obviously be drunk by anyone in your group,  not just the Diamond member 

One voucher per bottle 

Depends how much you drink. We bought a bottle of wine last cruise at dinner,  but realised it would of been cheaper to use our vouchers per glass as ended up not using all our vouchers that day.

As @firefly333 says in post 3,  Royal Caribbean has dynamic pricing on extras such as drink packages, speciality dinning etc.

So they price as high as they think they can get. Chops (a speciality steak restaurant) was £60 pp on Symphony in May but only £46 on Serenade next month. Same menu.

I bought the 3 meal speciality package for £89 six month ago, its now £99.

The more they sell the more expensive it gets.  

There is a hack to check 'extras' prices before you buy your cruise, but I can't remember the steps, maybe someone else can chime in.

You don't have to buy anything extra if you don't want to.  There's hot and cold drinks, meals and entertainment provided in the cruise cost. Just pay your gratuities 

15 hours ago, BridgeMates said:

If you just want a bottle of water, will they use one of the vouchers?

Yes,  but unless you're not using all your vouchers for more expensive drinks it's cheaper to pay for bottled water or drink the free water provided.

BTW you can also use one of your vouchers for a 40% discount on a bottle of wine (under $100).

13 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I received news yesterday that one of my best neighbors is not doing well.    I spoke with her last week to let her know that roofers would be coming early one day soon and apologized in advanced they would wake her up as I know she sleeps in until 9 or 10 am most days.     She sounded horrible and was catching her breath with every word she spoke.    She said she was going to the doctors the next day as she hasn't felt good for weeks and kept blaming it on the heat and humidity.

I saw her Daughter stop by to check on her Mom's house and when she saw me outside she informed me that her Mom went to the Doctor's and they called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.     She was told all her arteries completely clogged and she is too old for open heart surgery.   She turned 91 earlier this month.    Her Mom wants to come home to do hospice but her Daughter feels she would be better off going to a facility to have round the clock care.    So very sad.   

I have known this family since I was a little girl.   (I grew up in the same neighborhood where we live now.)    She has been on mind since Saturday.   I plan on visiting her this week once I find out where they are moving her to (or back home).  I pray that she is not in any pain and is surrounded by her loving family.  

Sorry to hear Debbie. Its tough when people you've known such a long time start getting ill.  Though living to your 90s is a good age.  And it seems as though she has had a good old age if she was living alone. 

Two of my neighbours who were both in their 90s passed away this last year.  

We have had more neighbours funerals this year than in the 20 years total previously 

5 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Tomorrow, Susan and I will celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary.  

 

Since our grandson has been here the last few years, during our anniversary, we haven’t done anything special.  

 

This year, Susan told me she had something special planned.  She started dropping hints.  About sweating; about making me exhausted; about showing me something new!

 

That’s right, we fly to Orlando today to spend the week at Universal Studios Florida and the Islands of Adventure. 

 

Sweating ✔️

Exhausted ✔️

Something new ✔️

 

I mean, it has been almost 30 years since we were at USF, so there is plenty new.  That is also why we have been gearing up the last few days for the Harry Potter experience.  

 

Our grandson is excited, and has already been writing about it in his journal for the summer. 

Have a great time. Will be interesting to hear about it. Last time we went on a theme park holiday was Disney World twenty years ago when the kids were kids !

As expected our family BBQ yesterday (with my brothers and their partners) had to be held indoors due to rain.  But we have a great time and loved catching up on extended family news.

Now we have left overs for the next few days 

14 hours ago, ollienbertsmum said:

So today was a day at sea.  Almost felt like I was on a cruise.  For my birthday in April  my girls promised me a whale watch.  The idea is to see Orcas but they don’t pass through the Straits of Gibraltar until mid summer.  We saw whales but only pilot whales.  Apparently they are quite territorial and aggressive so they keep the Orcas away.  We were a bit spoiled the first time we went two years ago when we saw so many Orcas….  maybe next year.  We had a lovely lunch in Tarifa to end.  

IMG_7439.mov 29.84 MB · 2 downloads  

In this area there are not many boats that go out.  When we went in Vancouver and Boston there were lots of boats.  I think that they communicate with each other and let each other know where the whales are on that day giving more chance of sighting.  It was good to see one whale species though.  

 

It did feel l like I was standing on a balcony at one point.  

 

Sounds like a fab day. I would love to see whales 🐋 

19 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Yesterday, we tried out a new experience for the kids.  Three guesses what it was.  

 

When we were getting ready to go, I grabbed a few props and put them on.  When my grandson saw them, he wanted to put them on.  

 

 

I guess that anyone in the know, knows that tomorrow is Harry Potter’s birthday.  Now me, I know nothing of it.  Never read the books, nor have I watched any of the movies.  But I guess the grandkids know something of the wizarding world, because they have owls and wands. 

 

So last night we went to a themed dinner celebrating Harry’s birthday.  

 

 

No one in our group wore official costume, but I think we were the only ones in the place that didn’t.  Evidently there are some serious fans out there. 

 

 

They had a couple characters dressed as Harry and I guess it is one of his friends (like I said, I know nothing of the movies)

 

 

I guess this is Potter drink and food.  My one grandson swears that butter beer is the best, so I tried it out. 

 

 

Shepard’s pie

 

 

And a cupcake.  

 

 

Everyone received a mini wand favor and a chocolate quidditch ball

 

 

The kids seemed to enjoy themselves. 
 

Today, SYFY has a Harry Potter movie marathon, so maybe I will get to watch one of the movies to see what they are about. 

 

Had a butterbeer at Harry Potter World studio tour. No real rides but loads of props and interest info about the movies

https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjwt52mBhB5EiwA05YKo8Z2sq2xh4veA8DGKDbA6klfuYWgfra3hjucpMtwHXbARbzrMw_mtBoCYsIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds