USN59-79

Actually, the previous libraries such as the one on the previous Amsterdam were much better. However, when they went from no libraries to the new libraries, it certainly was an improvement. Ray

Interesting that the two charts showing the benefits are different. One shows the free laundry benefit and one omits it. Both charts indicate that there is no additional benefit when going from four to five star status. I thought five star status gave us two free dinners in the Pinnacle Grill. Ray

This comment is why I feel so comfortable posting on Cruise Critic. A thoughtful and kind response to a comment you may not agree with. Ray

Don't know if I should say "Great camera" or Great photographer". Probably the latter. Ray

Guess I am a little older than some here. I was in Taipei meeting my DW downtown and the first thing she said to me was "Your President is dead." She had heard it on the local news. I thought it was a strange way to put it, but I realized that at that time my president was JFK while hers was Chiang Kai-shek. We had been married about nine months at the time and were preparing to leave Taiwan the next week. Ray

Tim, nice to see you and your DW wearing Seahawks shirts today. Not sure if you got the news, but they won today against the Commanders, 29 to 26. Ray

Bruce, we are booked on a 33 day portion of Sojourn's 2024 World Cruise. I bought insurance from Seabourn and thought it was inexpensive. Less than $1K for the two of us. Ray

I was wondering the purpose of the question. Does it mean the OP is an older person who wants to be catered to? Or are they looking for a cruise line to avoid because they prefer not to cruise with older passengers? Ray

I was thinking of what my response would be if offered the drink of the day back in my Navy days. When I was a crusty Chief, I would have to say "You've got to be s******g me!" As an officer, I would have to say "Surely you jest, sir". Ray

Kind of a gloomy day here today; cool, cloudy and a little rain. Good day to stay home. @Quartzsite Cruiser your new motorhome looks great. They have come a long ways since we bought a Winnebago Class C in 1991. We have been to Komodo Island. Usually when we take a long cruise I do a lot of homework to study the ports and see what we could do on our own. I found that the Komodo Dragon is really a nasty creature. They hang around near a water hole, and when a deer or cow comes by, they jump up and bite them. They have a poisonous bite, and they follow their victim sometimes for a day or two until it succumbs to the bite. Then they eat it. For some reason we were not allowed to go ashore unless we were part of a ship's excursion. I decided, rather than spend the money for an excursion, I could see them back in Seattle at Woodland Park Zoo for much less money. Must admit, I never got around to that, though. Ray

Thanks for the explanation. Makes you wonder why they don't just fix their software after all this time as the Captain is obviously a well respected person by those who have sailed with him. Ray

Having mixed weather here in the Pacific NW. Rained cats and dogs with thunder this morning. Now we have blue skies and sunshine in the afternoon. I have a question: I have often noticed on this forum that people say they cannot mention a HAL Captain's name, or give only two initials of a HAL Captain's name. What is the story behind that? Ray

Hate to think that I am going to develop some bad habits on our upcoming cruise. Have never drank vodka neat and can't remember that last time I tasted caviar. I was wondering if their caviar came from Russia. Looked it up and found that China now produces most of the world's caviar on fish farms. Kaluga Queen is a Chinese variety that they advertise that they sell mainly to airlines and private jets. Guess Seabourn falls in that category. Ray

@Cruzin TerriLast December I slipped on the ice in our driveway and twisted my ankle. It was sore and black and blue and two days later when my DW had an appointment at a hospital I took the time to slip into urgent care. They x-rayed it and found the tibia was broken. So it can happen without knowing it. Don't want to be nit picky, but it gripes me when someone doesn't understand that Taiwan is not China just like Ukraine is not Russia. It would be correct to say that the Westerdam is at Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan. We are stopping there in a few months and that is how Seabourn describes the stop. Also if the Zaandam is at Punta Arenas, Chile, it is not at Antarctica. Ray

On our first cruise, the old Noordam in 1996, gratuities were neither required or suggested. A few years later they were suggesting an amount. I am wondering, as our next cruise is on Seabourn, which is under the Carnival umbrella, where gratuities are also not suggested or required, are the crew members paid the same as crew on ships that have required gratuities? In other words, does it work out the same for the crew? Ray

I would go with the beef, medium rare, and the DW would have the Sea Bass. I notice they advertise wines on the menu from over $300 down to $95. Since wine is available gratis, do many people actually buy that? Ray

Well, I finally accomplished what I started with the VA. They approved my dental care and I have an appointment with a local dentist at Noon today. After a number of phone calls and waiting for call backs that never happened, I had an appointment for a check up at the local VA clinic. Told the doctor that the only problem I had was dental and asked if he could help with a referral. His nurse was the most helpful. She investigated and found that the Community Care office had been notified and was supposed to call me. They hadn't, so I contacted them via MyHealtheVet. Within a couple of hours I had approval for a year, starting yesterday. As I mentioned before, it just takes persistence. Ray

We generally book a cruise about two months before its departure. The reason is that many have booked it and a few other ones, sometimes at the $1. booking rate and decided not to take it. So there are many cabins available because they have cancelled. Often the cost is much less for the cruise, so we decide to book it. That is the advantage. Ray

Reading this I can't help remembering part of a song: Gouda, Gouda, Eating Gouda Cheese. Goodness how delicious, eating gouda cheese. I enjoy gouda cheese and have probably never tasted the great cheese you have described. I buy what Costco sells. Not sure how I would handle a 22 pound wheel, though. Ray

Got a "different" email from HAL today. Instead of advertising cruises, they are advertising a mail order fish company. I looked into it and found that if I wanted to buy their wild caught sockeye salmon, it came out to $49. per pound. I was just in Costco today and the same product was $9.99 per pound. We both got our covid and flu shot today there. I guess medicare and tricare paid for them. Ray

Thanks for the suggestion. I have checked it. On this board I feel that I know most of the participants even though we haven't met in person. So I give more credence to what you have to say and I don't feel like I might be asking stupid questions. Ray

@aliaschief Thanks, Bruce for the pictures of your cabin. We are booked on her sister ship, Sojourn for 33 days this February, so they are very useful. I have a dining question: We usually do fixed, early dining on HAL or Princess. Is there such a thing on your ship or do you just wander in to one of the dining areas whenever you want to? I noticed my TA had requested anytime dining for us and wonder if I should change it. Ray

@Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, I wonder if it is worth it to replace the motor home with a new one at this stage in your life. In 1991 we bought a new Winnebago small motorhome built on a Toyota 1 ton pickup chassis. We used it to drive down to the Oregon coast and to visit our relatives in Iowa a few times. We used it for a few years, but after thinking about the hassle of finding a motorhome park, draining the tanks and filling the water tank, its gas mileage compared to a car, the cost of licensing and insuring it and watching it depreciate, and the ease and low cost of just pulling into a motel while driving to Iowa, we finally decided to sell it. Haven't missed it and replaced it with long cruises all over the world since then. Ray

But how do you all feel about commenting on a topic that was mentioned the day before? Ray

Considering what I would enjoy doing on a cruise ship I am thinking back to what I did on my last Navy ship for three years. I was both the Electronics Repair Officer and the Electronics Materiel Officer, responsible for our own ships electronics and repairing them on other Navy ships. If I were about 40 or 50 years younger I could probably do that on a cruise ship. Ray