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4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

How was that $12 can of Italian water?

it was a nice can.  I like it better than the flip top bottles they give you for you diamond drinks.  

Tasted like water.  

So, last night at dinner the maitre d visited with us, realized we were on the ship for 33 nights, and since our last night is in Split, Croatia (where he is from) decided to tell his underling to set up a table for us each night on cruises 2 and 3 so we wouldn’t have to do the line thing.  Not sure why he felt the need, and I am not even sure I am happy with the arrangement, but apparently, it is our future.  Another issue with the food or two that I find annoying, was in the past you could always get a sherbert instead of ice cream, I have tried twice, no such option, apparently.  Another thing we miss are the pumpkin seed rolls, but like all of my other issues the bread in the basket while it never changes has been very good.  It is hard to be unhappy, but I endeavor to find flaws, but can’t quite turn them into tragedies.  The last issue with food, is the starters.  I have had more Caesar salads on this sailing than I have had on my last 5 total.  It is often the only option on the menu.  That seems insane to me.  

Baha Mar, is nice at least the water park is.  The slides all were good, worked well and felt very safe and well maintained.  The FlowRider is huge, but completely stupid.  We arrived before the park was open and had to wait a bit to get in.  When we got there we put a few things in a locker $15.  We went to the wave pool (not FlowRider) and found a couple of chairs on the sand with an umbrella had our pick of a couple of hundred,  I went and did the two slides that don’t require a tube or a raft.  They were fast and good.  So, about 10:30 now, I check in on the DW and she would like a cocktail and a bottle of water.  So, off to the burger joint/bar next to the FlowRider, there is staff there, so I go to place an order one Bahama Mama and a water.  I am told they are not open until 11.  So, off I go to the FlowRider.  

Got in line there were 3 or four kids doing boogie board on the left side of the wave that looked like a regular ship wave, maybe a little steeper but very similar.  The right side with the rubber air filled divider looked much steeper and it had a crash area that dropped off to the right, very strange looking.  You entered either by holding a rope or the staffs hand from the board at the bottom.  Their boards are very much damaged and battered, but it hardly matters.  The people in line in front of me were able to stand on the wave until the rope was released and all crashed immediately.  My first try was the best and it was horrible.  I used the rope, made a couple of small turns let go, made two turns pretty good and then up the wave, weight immediately on the front foot, and wipe out.  People in the line, were saying how good I was, and I am like OMG, I am freaking horrible.  The next three rides were without rope, and I never got close to being able to ride the wave.  Off to the bar for that cocktail.  Bahama Mama $15 and the 10 ounce can of Italian water $12. 

Dutifully off to the DW where I got the where have you been drill.  Lunch was included, as the cruise menu.  Choice of chicken sandwich, fries and a fountain soda, or a burger or a Caesar Salad.  DW had the chicken, I had the burger.  Burger was ok, the ketchup was weird, the fries were hot, but not awesome and the coke was fine.  The DW’s chicken was pretty much over cooked and almost inedible.  After lunch we did the lazy river about 3 laps 10-15 minutes a lap, after first lap, we stopped at a bar on the river and got another Bahama mama that we shared. Then we went to the raft slides.  First one was a really good ride a lot like the power plant ride at Atlantis for two.  Downside to it was there are two lift sections and at those you get totally soaked with not hot water.  Then the 5 person raft, which can be done with two, which we did was a bit less exciting, but still good.  

After the rides we hung out at a beach chair again at the wave pool where I did those slides again, and I played in the wave pool for about 10 minutes, then rinse the sand off, and we wandered thru the limited shops and around the whole park, then another sit for 20 minutes waiting for 3:15 to catch the bus back to the ship.  

That is pretty much our whole day.

jc

Back on ship. Some unartistic pics

The wave here is crazy steep. I am like a noob. 

I try to be positive because nobody likes a whiner, but the adjustment to the new and improved menus started last night.  First 2 nights we did Giovannis BOGO.  Last night had a 7PM MTD reservation.  We decided after uncomfortable seats in the Crown Lounge we needed to leave so we wandered into the Crown Lounge, and the nice Pins we had just left followed us a few minutes later which was awkward so we snuck out and decided to go to dinner early.  So, about 6:15 we showed up got into the unlabeled have reservation line, promptly seated and we were out at 7:05PM.  I call that a win!  The food was very good.  The menu sucked.  It is sort of like the menu (it was Italian night) had removed all of the good stuff and left you with the things nobody ever ordered.  Again, my dinner was good, but there was no shrimp cocktail, no snails, one salad, the same Caesar salad I had at lunch.  Again, the food was good, but the menu sucks.  Krystal had the chicken breasts and hers was not as tasty as my short ribs.  I have avoided the MDR since they changed, and since this is 33 days, and the price of unlimited dining has more than doubled since last year on the Anthem, I am being forced to adjust.  

Again, I think the food is good, but I am not happy about it.  😂

We are in Nassau.  My body already aches from the FlowRider and we are off to the Baha Mer resort to ride the FlowRider.  I am stupid.

jc

So far I am the oldest Flowrider. Not a good thing

I know that the captain’s name is Carl.  When he speaks over the speakers, I can’t understand his full name.  I only know it is Carl because it was an answer to who wants to be a millionaire as we were in the star lounge because there was no seating in the crown lounge.  Dinner again at Giovannis good but the service was slow a lot more people in there last night.  

Funny thing yesterday, previously, I have participated in my roll call.  Someone from Texas asked if there was a place to do bible studies.  I am not a particularly religious person, but I mentioned that there is a chapel above the VCL and that I am sure if you asked permission they would let you use it for your group.  So, I get back to the room and my wife asked what is this about a bible study, this is when I am soaking wet returning from the advanced FlowRider session just before dressing for dinner around 5PM.  I gave her a look, like, Huh????  She said someone from cruise critic had tracked me down because they knew I wanted to attend with them.  She assured them that I didn’t.  How the heck, did they track me down?  Now I am extra paranoid.  They obviously did it thru guest services.  O well.  Just remember when you help people they may try to save you!  🤣

Speaking of the FlowRider, I am a bit worried to share this information because this cruise while not quite a unicorn might be the closest I have seen in a long time.  There are 8 blue bands on the ship at this point.  Which means we usually have 5 or 6 in line.   There are a full boogie boards during mixed wave, but the line has never gotten to double digits, and many of those are one and done kids.  As almost always there is someone you have liked and sailed with before in that small number of 8. In this case Gabby and Daniel from Switzerland, we sailed together on the Navigator in 2016 to Norway.  So nationalities of the 8 are 4 from USA, 2 Switzerland, 1 Germany, 1 Canada.  If there is a best of the best it will be a competition between Switzerland and Canada.  Yesterday the wind was mid 20knots with the ship doing 19 plus directly into the wind.  Since, I am goofy I was surfing into a rain storm everytime I was turning from the port side.  People getting wet on the starboard side, we have reversed the line due to this.  (Don’t worry this bit is only for Flow Nuts). The wind was so strong the top of the wave is way difficult, as it a lot like a formula one car going into the corner and not having the same wind everytime.  Pretty easy to lose control.  I am boring so I rarely fall, but I rarely can do the entire ride at the top as I always prefer to do.  

I will try to find out about a future dry dock, but I have yet to have a conversation with an officer ranking high enough to have a clue.  I don’t think the sports desk manager, Roo or the diamond concierge will have a clue!  

JC

Did the BOGO at Giovanni’s had booked pre cruise.  There was nobody there, they tried to charge me again, even though I told the maitre’d what we were doing the first two nights.  Finally got it sort of straight.  They had a welcome aboard music dance, food and champagne/mimosa for the diamonds and above.  We arrived as the band was finishing up.  Not a bad event.  The Crown Lounge is weird on deck 5 outside the star lounge.  The typical VCL and diamond lounge combo that I am used to, like on Adventure in 2022 out of Galveston, I much prefer.  O, well.  

Being a very lowly D+ will be almost halfway after this cruise I am not very much aware of the Pin world.  However, a new Pin that we knew from previous cruises, and a couple that we met last night seem to think that the old Pins resent what they call baby Pins.  They don’t seem to want to hang out with the “real” Pins in the SL/VCL.  All seems a bit weird to me.  I tried to explain we made diamond back when they had the nightly diamond event.  Then we did our first sailing in 2013 with a real diamond lounge.  There were 3 Pins on the sailing, everyone wanted to meet them, and they made a show every time we saw them. In 2024 with well over 100 Pins on this sailing and over a thousand D or higher.  The days of being super unique are gone.  I am guessing some of that clouds this experience for both the real and baby Pins.  

JMHO and YMMV

jc

41 minutes ago, mil76 said:

Hopefully this guy doesn't show up today.  He came by when we were in Galveston last week on Harmony.  Didn't even sign the waiver or do the boogie board test!  Left a deposit on the wave so they had to shut down the rest of the day to sanitize.

Ha!

sitting solarium watching dolphins. 
 

had to watch 2 videos to sign waiver. Had to take my board out to show it to the man. He kept calling the groves on my outlaw strips. I finally gave up on correcting him🤪

jc

1 hour ago, wolfganghowell said:

We checked out Jimmy's once since we had heard good things - walked in while the restaurant was closed and never made it back.  It is a further distance from our usual hangs. The new terminal in Galveston is awesome so I'm sure you will have a good embarkation!

Much better than old terminal

in WJ

jc

2 hours ago, mil76 said:

Hey JC, following along.  Doing 19 days on Anthem in June so this will bridge the time nicely.  Still trying to convince the DW that taking a flowboard (or two) to Europe is worth the excess luggage fees.

 

Voyager and I have an issue.  Still haven't cruised her, but had one cruise cancelled by the shutdown and on the 2nd try I tested positive before boarding her in Copenhagen.

Scared me!  Thought you were going to say the wave sucked

jc

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

Yes. Voyager, Adventure, Explorer, Navigator, Mariner. Explorer was our first RCI cruise.

Our first cruise, and first RCI cruise was the Majesty of the Seas.  Is she still in service as something?  The largest cruise ship in the world in 1996 when we sailed her.  Smaller than anything in the fleet now.  

Trying to post fish tacos from iPhone.  I had to convert it to most compatible.

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

Voyager is the only V class ship that I have not sailed on.

I am not sure any more of which ones constitute this class, I have done Navigator, Adventure, and Mariner in the past, some of them multiple times.  I have not done the Explorer nor the Voyager.  Did I get them all?

Here are the pictures of dinner at Jimmy’s.  Sorry, I didn’t snap them with my phone until we had at least eaten a bit.  😂  I just can’t control myself.  I am not disciplined enough to do this properly!

Jimmy’s was as expected, a restaurant on the pier.  Grackles (Texas blackbirds) stealing French fries from my plate.  It was neither good nor bad, just as you would expect.  We got happy hour pricing on the wine aka $1.50 off.  It was about a 5 minute walk, I suspect Gaido’s where we ate 2 years ago would have been 45+ minutes on the same Seawall Blvd.  Watching the happenings at Columbia U on TV.  Have I mentioned we are screwed recently?  There is no shuttle offered by the TownePlace Suites or the sister Courtyard property.  I will be using Uber again in the morning.  this trip is perfect used my Amex platinum $15 today and since tomorrow is a new month will have another $15 credit to use tomorrow.  (Sorry, I need to quit with the accounting stuff🤣) I was a bit surprised by the people surfing and swimming.  I didn’t think the water would be that inviting.  The surfers didn’t have wet suits on.  I never saw one of them actually catch a wave.  Watched for an hour.  Reminds me of me.  🤣

jc

I took a couple of pics of the pier and our food, will try to remember to attach them tomorrow since they are on my iPhone and not my iPad which I am using now.

Eating at Jimmy’s on the Pier because it is about only thing near our hotel

jc

In Uber flight from Dallas delayed over an hour meaning rush hour traffic.  First thing driver said he doesn’t like to go to Galveston. $92 before tip. Would have been less than 70 an hour earlier. O well.  
 

Wolfie our friend just left our house to feed Rodrhi. I hope they got along it has been a year since he had duty.

jc

21 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Wishing you a great, and safe, trip J.C. You have elucidated well the reasons why I never got another dog after I lost my Weimaraner though I truly miss having a dog.

 

It will be fun to follow your trip. Safe travels.

Thanks OB.

I was sleeping great, and then about 4:30AM I couldn’t get comfortable in any position and I tried a lot.  Finally gave up. 

We leave the house at 8:30AM for a 10:40 departure, which gives us plenty of time to remember something we wanted to bring and not quite enough time to come back and get it.  

When we get to Houston, I am praying to the Uber gods that we can find a reasonable fare.  Since we are going to IAH (Bush) it is a pretty long drive to Galveston.  I have been checking occasionally pricing and it ranges from mid 60s to over 100.  Hoping to get less than $75.  Time will tell.  

JC😉

12 minutes ago, #55worktoplay said:

Looking forward to following. 
 

Sorry to read about OWD.  Very tough. Rodri looks quite at home in the Airstream. 

Thank you

The Airstream experience of 3 months, in the truck and the Airstream, very tight quarters took him from a complete mess to a semi mature dog who got the small spaces. the dining table was his bed, He visited us in the sleeping area, and liked to look out our windows which were the same as his at the dinette.  Silly dog.  He has become a pretty good boy after the trip.

2 hours ago, mcca2 said:

Hi JC,

 

My friend Kathy and I are cruising with you all the way to Ravenna. We look forward to meeting you and will check you out on the FlowRider.

Your dogs are adorable and I fully understand how difficult it is to leave an animal for so long.

Is Rhodri a Welsh name?

I have to leave my blue eyed white cat, Souiexie, and although I have a friend staying at the house, I still worry.

It seems we will be on the same fight to Frankfurt, but we connect with Lufthansa's 747 to Houston. Looking forward to that.

Have a good flight tomorrow and see you onboard. 

 

Kate

Yes Rodrhi is a Welsh name that I bastardized so I could give him a nick name. Rod. Our 22 year old cat passed away a couple of years ago… I can only imagine how hard dealing with a kitty is,  

I booked the Lufthansa flight just to hook up to my frequent flyer miles on United.  I didn’t really think anyone would be on that flight from the cruise with us.  Easy way to meet me is to come to the FlowRider when advanced stand up is happening in the morning.  I will have my little camera filming the wave.  My UNC Tarheels floppy hat on.  The people in the FlowRider line are waiting for their 2 minutes.  We have nothing else to do but interact with people.  So, say Hi.

jc

5 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Currently the challenge for me is that I just found out I need a new shoulder….but I have a couple of very special cruises booked that I don’t want to give up, and I can’t see an opening in our cruise schedule anytime soon.

 

Before we both lost our parents, it seems that every time we had a trip booked, one of them was too ill for us to feel comfortable enough to go, or the opposite, our children were having babies! Iknow how hard this is for your wife. 

Yes, it is a challenge.  I am very much a person to travel.  Confinements are limitations. That is hard, and always an obstacle,

10 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Sounds wonderful! I’m still trying to nudge my DH to do longer B2B cruises….so far we did 27 nights on Odyssey, one was a TA which he thinks are boring. 
I’ll be following along!

The challenge for us is the longer trips stress on the DW because of dog care and her mother who is 97-1/2 who still lives in a senior apartment.  We just increase the amount of time the in house health care staff spends with her (which of course costs money) and we add laundry to their duties.  The DW is really worried about our trip next year, when we fly to Singapore in February and fly home from Vancouver in May.  On our 3 month Airstream trip she flew home twice for a few days just to check on her.  That is pretty much not an option from Australia.  

JC

I am starting this thread because we fly out tomorrow for Houston, and I woke up at 4 something AM worrying about all of the things that I need to do, even though, I have done most of them already!  Went to bed last night with tornado sirens wailing, went outside on the front step to see the storm.  It seemed completely underwhelming, so I came inside after a few minutes expecting to see wind.  However the Welsh Terrier, Rodrhi, was impressed by the amount of rain, and despite me standing in the backyard with my umbrella encouraging him to do his business.  He pretended to.  This morning first thing I found was a piddle.  He is very good about not having accidents that said, the storm timing and rain level convinced him to let the consequences flow.🤣  One worry, of course, is the dog on his own for 35 nights.  We are spending 1 night in Galveston pre-cruise at the TownePlace Suites, and 1 night at a Hyatt Place in Frankfurt before flying home after our cruise ends in Ravenna, Italy.  I have 3 people and a vet (boarding) involved in his care.  I prefer to have someone house sit, but as we and our friends get older it is harder and harder to do that.  So, a near friend will spend several hours a day baby sitting for 17 days.  My eldest nephew will come take him to the vet for most weekends and bring him back.  Then our friend and former co-worker, Nurse Sally,  of my wife, Krystal, will take him to her house for 11 days plus take us to and from the airport.  I know the math doesn’t work and he will be kenneled at the vet for 13 nights.  He is a perfectly healthy three year old, but I prefer the vet to a regular kennel.  On a sad note, those who have followed my past threads might remember Lord Wellington, aka Wellie our Wire Fox Terrier, we had to put him down around the first of the year, right before our 3 plus month Airstream adventure.  He was a good boy almost 14.

Enough downer stuff.  

I hope the people on these cruises feel free to join in.  Adding insights from their perspective.  My perspective as many of you know is not typical!😂  

Now on to the important stuff.  We booked these cruises with a member of this forum, who will go unnamed but not un-appreciated, who is currently I believe on a cruise himself.  The TA of 15 nights was very reasonably priced (as most TAs are), but the 11 night cruise departing from Barcelona was not. We were able to get a corner aft on the TA with lots of space for my gear to dry between trips to and from the FlowRider.  (Board, board shorts, rash guards, and wetsuit are all packed as they were job 1 of planning).  The last leg of the cruise is expensive but not quite as bad as the middle cruise.  We are booked into the same cabins for the last two cruises a balcony on deck 12.  

Airfare was booked using frequent flyer miles.  I think the flights to Houston on American Airlines cost me $11.20 and about 16,000 miles.  We booked a Lufthansa flight from Venice to Frankfurt for about $300 outright including an extra bag for by Flow Board.  Then we spent about $300 more on the United flight along with 75,800 miles for the trip home mostly because we upgraded to economy plus seating.  I will now devote no more time to accounting unless specifically asked.  😉

Hopefully, this thread will benefit someone else’s planning, as I am always trying to pay forward all that I have learned from many of you in this forum. 

JC

Attached are some pictures of Rodrhi from the inside of the airstream.  The last two are of Rodrhi and Wellie doing what they do best.