NoWhiners

Yeah, it would be tough to maintain focus/interest once they fall too far behind. Happens a lot in US football games, if one side is getting beat really badly. Sometimes, the losing team uses it as an opportunity to get experience for younger players. Sometimes the team leading does this too--and they can let their best guys sit and prevent any injuries.

Wow, quite a win! Are the Swans that good or is Gold Coast having a bad season??😉 Nice that they have started so well, I thought losing Buddy would hurt more. He was starting to decline a bit but I put that up to injuries.

Thanks Mic. I'm pretty tired so I will have to check on the finals score in the morning. Thanks for posting!

I read it that way too. I am a bit confused about whether this means we have to go back and re-select Anytime dining or if this is just for those who booked Anytime reservations. It's too soon for us to do that so I am uncertain if I have to do anything. The new system seems a bit confusing. tldr: If we booked Anytime dining, with no special reservations, do we have to go back and pick one of the 2 new options?

Thanks! I came here looking for what people think of this and was just making my way thru the threads. Now I know where t look 😉

Maybe it's too soon to know, but does anyone have any idea if this means that if we selected "anytime dining" when we booked, we now have to go back and make another choice (i.e., reservable vs walk-up). This is going to irritate me if we have to go back and make a new selection. I thought we were all set and I could concentrate on other things. Grrrr 😀

Well, they should be well-rested, no excuses 😁

Ahh, I see. That makes sense. Do you know if they ever take the Canadian officials on the ship with them and clear everyone while they are onboard? I've seen this done sometimes, maybe when resources (like Customs agents) are more limited.

DIY--why does it matter? Still have to be off in time to do the tour.

That's an excellent point that I didn't even think of. Hmm, may be time to make a change! Thanks

Hi all We will be on an X Canada/NE cruise in October. We have a tour booked in Portland that starts at 11 and I just noticed that the posted time of arrival is 11. We are coming from Halifax. Is there any chance we could arrive earlier and maybe get off before 11? I have seen this happen on other cruises but I don't know about this. thanks for any help.

Wow, that was a bit of a nail-biter but happy the Swans prevailed. Thanks for posting the scores Leigh. I sure I hope I get to see a game soon. Go Swans!

Oh noooo, I feel it slipping away. Thanks for posting the scores Leigh. Go Swans!

Yes, I agree with your points, thanks. The problem is my "carrier" is tracfone. While I do have an unlocked phone, tracfone doesn't offer any options for use outside the US. That is what made me look at getting a rental phone or pocket wifi. But, I can't make wifi calls in Japan, so I am back to a sim. Can't use an esim. I am thinking a Mobal sim might be the way to go but I'm not certain about that. Good thing I have a year to plan! Thanks.

Yeah, I looked at e-Sims but then checked my phone. bad news--it can't do eSims, much sadness. But I'm glad I checked before I bought one! I think I can buy a Mobal sim that will also allow me to make calls--and might give me a Japan phone number. Have to go back and check. I looked at so many options I have trouble keeping them all straight!

It would be great to hear about your experience, thanks. I had just about decided to just rent a pocket wifi at the airport but then it turned out you can't make wifi calls. I don't know how many calls I'll need to make but I am thinking it would be nice to have to contact local tour guides if we need to. Now I think I'll be using a mobal sim card for calls, texts and data. Have to go back and check on that option. Have a great time!

Wow, that's great. Quick, go out and buy a lottery ticket 😉

Thanks, very interesting. But, I discovered yesterday that my phone doesn't support eSim use 😞 Looks like it's going to be renting a pocket wifi for use in Japan. At least my phone can make wifi calls!

Hmm, I've been reading about eSims. Can I use it for wifi calling too? I have read so many articles about this, I can't remember. Also, is the only requirement that you have an unlocked phone. Any suggestions on a good place to buy one? Thanks for the help.

It's never been that way for us. I suggest you get a drink on your way into the MDR, just in case it's busy so you can wait for your first drink. Our experience is that once your servers know your preferences, it is very easy and goes faster. Happy cruising.

You are right--this is very useful, thanks. I haven't read it all yet but I'm about 1/3 of the way thru and it has added more to my knowledge base. I really like the way you go thru all the options and explain things clearly. Good job!

Completely agree with all you said. We don't have any kids or grandkids, which I know makes a bog difference. The most we do is zoom with DHs family every few weeks. I will ask his cousin if he thinks wifi calling and pocket wifi will work for us, but I think it will. I just tried to make a wifi call here and it worked, so am optimistic this could be the solution I need for the few calls I need to make overseas. Now I am wondering if I should just buy my own pocket wifi and use it for any trips. Oh boy, another research opportunity. Thanks you again for your help. If we ever meet on a cruise, I'll buy you a glass of wine!

Hank Thanks for that thorough explanation. I have been trying to figure out why so many people rent a pocket wifi device and you cracked the code! This is going to force me to admit that I am not much of a cell phone user. Not just because I'm old but also because I have no need to be in constant touch with anyone about anything 😉 So, I have an unlocked moto g power 5 phone and I use tracfone as my provider. They may not be for everyone but it gives me all I need for $80/year. My minutes/texts/data carryover so I always have a lot of all available for if I need it. Of course, the downside is it is basically a US-only phone. It is wifi-calling enabled--well, at least here in the US. I am assuming that since it is and unlocked, I can use wifi for calls but I will need to verify that. Sometimes, in ways I don't get, tracfone prevents users from doing things that should work. I have to admit, it makes me feel bad that even with my engineering background, I don't understand a lot of how this works! DHs cousin just went to Japan and he is also an engineer and undersatnds all of this. he did mention that he rented a pocket wifi, and now, thanks to you, I will be a lot smarter when I ask him about this. I had been using mobal as my international phone but they recently couldn't get a new cell provider, so they have stopped offering this service. It was a UK number but that was fine with me, since no one from the US was going to call me and I only had the phone to call tour guides for our private tours if we needed to. That was what forced me to look at new solutions for this trip and to our next one to Iceland and Norway. Anyway, thanks again. You are such a nice resource here on CC, I appreciate it.

Wow, Port turned it on at the end! Must have been those orange slices at HT 😁

Might be a close game. Maybe I'll try and watch!