CandiBar

We have an NCL rep that we use every cruise. Actually on our upcoming getaway cruise we lost one room after final pay- scheduling issues- so because we are now at 6 rooms we lose the money kickback but somehow maintain our two perks. Bummer though- losing the cash back! We have about 2 more weeks to get another room booked in the group to get that back.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Yes I was trying to remember if it was 7 or 8 rooms for group.... we each got to pick two perks- I have UBP with no service charges and free prepaid tips. Also we get back a single fare at the rate of whatever the majority of rooms in the group are- so if we have mostly balconies we are refunded a balcony fare. We usually split it up and give everyone a little kickback in cash the day we board [emoji4]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We usually sail as part of a group, and this is what we have been told:

As long as the cruise you are going on still has “group space” as my rep calls it, when you get your 8 rooms you will be set. No specific date range- just has to work on that particular sailing.

Group perks are pretty nice! Hope you make it!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I love mojitos, but when the Dream ran out of mint I had no choice but to try something new- and I fell in love with Mango Magic! YUM!!!

S/S Norway 1989 [emoji4] I was 8 Years old and had the BEST PARENTS EVER!

**i realize you said the bite was under your child's armpit! I said feet and ankles out of habit! Sorry!!**

I think you did everything right coming home though! I think that even if it was bed bugs you will be just fine [emoji4]

Just my two cents on bed bugs- I work in the housing industry in Ohio. Bed bugs are a huge issue nowadays! I have had to become a licensed pesticide applicator (something I never wanted to do) because of mounting costs of exterminators for the projects I work for. We are now buying our own products and treating units ourselves.

Unfortunately the EPA has outlawed a lot of the chemicals (for our own safety) that were keeping down the population, also the bugs are gaining immunity to the chemicals we CAN use.

Bedbugs do not care if you are in a seedy hotel or a fancy suite- they feed on blood which we all have, rich or poor! Best to keep luggage off the floor and check all beds and even upholstered furniture before settling in to your room.

I also find that once you think they may be in the room you will "feel" them crawling on you even when there is nothing there. Not saying that is the case here, but the mind is a powerful thing! Hope it wasn't bedbugs, but if it was you would see bites all over your torso- not just feet and ankles.

Also, not all people have a reaction to the bites. About 50% of people will get bit and never know it. The other 50% will have itchy red welts...

Sorry- I spend a lot of time dealing with these nasty critters so I can't help but go on and on!

We had the chocolate one for my husbands birthday. delicious! Best dessert we had all week!! And it was so big we had to take it back to the room after dinner and eat it all week too!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

would someone mind sending these my way? My kids are 7 and 9. They loved Camp Carnival when they were 4 and 6, but they were easier to please then! I'm worried that there wont be anything they are interested in this trip. I'm not against spending time with them at the water park or playing golf... but a little grownup time is a good thing too!!

candi_j3@hotmail.com

Thanks in advance!!

My kids- age 4 and 6 on last cruise- loved ordering cheesecake from room service every night and eating it right before bed, late night movies with popcorn on lido, and the water slides. They can't wait for next cruise in March for these reasons (now age 7 and 9)

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hello everyone!

Glad to see you guys are still at it!

Its been so long since I posted on here! My daughter and I are performing at our local community theatre and the rehearsals have kept us busy- plus the wonderful (and strange) weather we have been having has had us outside working on projects. I must confess that I have REALLY been a slacker since I returned from the cruise (Almost 2 months ago!!:eek:) Fortunately I am lucky enough to have not gained anything back yet. Easter was tough- all those reese's eggs in the house.. but they are gone now and seemingly no harm done. I really need to get back into the swing of my program and lay off the pizza and chocolate!lol. Went shopping the other day because everyone keeps telling me my clothes look awful. I'm still trying to wear my size 10's and they are a little saggy. Its hard for me to pick up the smaller sizes because I still dont believe that I am smaller! Evidently I am now a size 6 :eek: I can't even believe it as I am writing it! Lord willing, I will get my act together and stay a size 6! I need to make it a priority again :) Wish me luck!!

Candi

went to my great aunt's funeral today. we were not very close, and she had a full and wonderful life- I was not sad for her, but so sad for my grandmother- this was her only sibling. The hardest part for me is that her passing leads me to think of my own grandmothers and grandfathers and how I will feel when I have to let them go. We didnt go to the wake because Emily was getting worn out from trying to be so quiet and sit still at the funeral home and church- it was time for a nap. This is one of those days though where I would love to sit down with a pint of ben and jerry's or a big bowl of Cheese drenched popcorn.. or even a warm apple pie. Yep, I am a stress eater- and I am stressed...

just keep breathing... Food is not a friend...

Where is everybody????

yeah, I had a cruise hangover. No ambition to work out I will tell you that! I was lucky enough to lose my cruise weight just by going back to my diet, but i was lacking the energy to get back on the workout train. Watched my daughter play wii, even went to my parents house and watched them play wii, but didnt do it myself. Finally tonight I went down and tanned- its been a week since we got off the ship (feels like a year) and we want to try to keep a tan till summer so we are going to do it about once a week. Since I was sick the week before we left I couldnt workout and I haven't since we got home so i basically took 3 weeks off. Unfortunately, they say it takes 21 days to form a habit- SO I guess I have formed the habit of not working out- lol! Good news is I may have caught it in time. After all, I have a bridesmaid dress to fit in in July so that is my next motivation. The first 10 minutes on the treadmill stunk but by 30 minutes I was getting into it. Had to stop at 30 because Dave wanted a turn so now I am doing free weights to work on my arms a little. Dont want to go too crazy tonight and end up having to take another day off. Have to find my groove again. Also, since it was so nice today we had porterhouse steaks and handcut frenchfries for dinner (I kept my portion small) and I made a caramel crunch cake for dessert- which is supposeldy light but OH-SO-GOOD that even though they say its only 250 calories you just dont believe them! Pretty sure I stayed under my daily caloric limit though. Have to start monitoring it better again. Weekends are tough- we eat bad, this week I should be able to get back on track- Wich me luck!!!

Already looking for our next cruise- taking the girls next time so i am thinking of a 4 or 5 day instead of a long one. That way we have time to visit family in Florida also instead of driving down, cruising and heading home. Want to do either eastern or bahamas too. So sick of western itinerary!! Toes should be cruising now right?? Bet she's having a great night! Hope the rest of you are too!!

Candi

YAY! Enjoy your cruise! Hope your food is better tasting! I didnt really exercise any will power. I would take three pieces of bread at dinner just in case he didnt come back- which he rarely did. And I ordered the pasta on more then 1 occasion. yummy! We went up to the chocolate buffet, but honestly it was just yucky. Ice cream machine got plenty of use though :D I think because it was only for a week your body is still in high gear in the calorie burning zone, so you get to feed off that for the week. I tried to work out last night though and man did i get winded quick! we did do a lot of walking on the ship and at port (4 miles to town in Cozumel and through the jungle in Belize) but Dave refused to take the stairs unless there was a long wait at the elevators. He said he was on vacation and he wasnt taking the stairs. I thought it was funny though that he always wanted to take the stairs when I was in heels and a dress. I would just take the shoes off, hike up the dress and head on up. People probably talked about me.. lol. Oh well! But really- enjoy every second of your trip because (and I would know) when you get home life comes at you fast and your trip is like a distant dream....

I'M HOME!! It feels amazing to be home!! I got on the scale and was very afraid! I only gained 3 pounds though- and I expected the worst! I was really putting the bread away at dinner! LOL! Will post pics to Facebook soon but only just got home and am exhausted. After about the third day of the trip I was tired of eating and actually missed my oatmeal and banana breakfast and light soup lunches. The food was heavy and made me feel sick. (and the pizza stunk- which was good since i love pizza!!) Ididnt like their oatmeal though so I had eggs. The desserts were awful so I didnt eat them- too sugary for me! And I guess I shrunk my stomach a lot because I could never finish my dinners. Its all good though. Less work to do now. I do think that we will probably not go with Carnival any more. I think their quality is sliding fast. I held to my promise to myself though and by Sunday morning I no longer had a sore throat or runny nose. A little bit of a cough, but by Monday night I was in karaoke heaven :D It was wonderful to get away, but I missed my girls terribly and by about Wednesday we were both ready to be home with them. We made the trip home in 18 hours- from miami to Northern Ohio, which is not bad, but Dave was driving like a maniac and ignoring all requests for breaks :) I tried to put my ipod on and sleep as much as possible to make the time go faster.

Well its good to be home and I cant wait to get back on my diet track tomorrow! No more restaurants and travel junk! YAY!! Good to be home with you all!!

Candi

hey everybody!

WOW have I been busy getting ready for this trip! We are leaving in exactly 6 minutes. This week I was not so great on the diet, but I have an upper respiratory infection. I dont know about you all, but when my throat hurts i eat A LOT! Something about the food scratchy my throat that makes me feel better- at least for that split second where I am swallowing. lol. I tried to eat lower calorie scratchy stuff though. Will try to keep myself in check on this cruise and choose the healthier options when more than one thing looks good. and have to avoid that ice cream machine on lido. Hope i dont sleep walk to it! :D I know that when I come back I will have some work to do! Will check in with you all around March 2nd. Until then, keep up the good fight :)

Candi

I find when I weigh in that if the kids have stolen the little feet extenders on the board I weigh a lot less. When the feet are properly in place I weigh what my scale says I weigh. Check your "feet" if things seem a little off...

feeling better already! we are pretty good at diverting colds before they turn into full blown sick. I dont know how I do it, but the girls and I all got better Back on track as far as my eating and workouts go and lost another 2 pounds! YAY!! FINALLY met me wii goal- I avoided the body test for like a week because I didnt think I had met my goal. My mii had a little party with stars and stuff :)

I set my next goal to stay the same weight for a month from now. that will give me some fudge room with the cruise coming up. If i am back at this weight in a month I will be very happy :D

Bought another formal gown that I found for $10! Its a red strapless- I NEVER would have worn a strapless before! If i can figure out how to do pics on here I will post some when we get back. I am also probably the tannest I have ever been. So excited for this trip. Its like my rebirth or something. lol. I plan to find joy in every moment onboard and at port and I refuse to sweat the small stuff. I will not feel self-conscious, I will not eat just because its there- though I may taste, and I will not let the second-hand stress of my fellow cruismates affect my fun. Two weeks from right now I will be at a lifeboat drill- WOOHOO!!

ooo, all the sudden I am getting a migraine. Better shut down and take some meds. Super bowl is tonight and I dont want to miss the commercials... I mean the game! lol ;)

had a bad day today. I've been lucky enough all winter to not have as much as a sniffle, but today my throat was on fire! Unfortunately for me that means shoving everything i see in my mouth because for some reason it makes my throat feel better to swallow scratchy stuff. I dont know- I know I consumed enough calories for probably 3 days in my regular world. AND i couldn't work out because when i would get out of breath it dried out my already scratchy throat. Guess I will just write off today and get back on hardcore tomorrow. We leave in 14 days so I only have 13 more opportunities to work out before my cruise. Need to make every day count from here on out! My stomach is angry with me. I feel awful. Days like this make it easier to eat less, when you overeat your stomach gets mad and hurts. Wish I could go to bed and start over- wait, I can! :D

Tomorrow is another day...

oh hon I think we have all been there- eating while thinking about losing weight. I distinctly remember watching a woman walk by at a restaurant and saying aloud to my husband "I wish I could be that skinny" as soon as I finished saying it I put the fork in my hand in my mouth and finished my big ol' slice of cheesecake. LOL. You have to laugh. As long as you are enjoying life and getting some exercise you are doing better then 80% of the population who doesn't have a workout plan at all. You'll get there- just have to stop stressing about it and then it just happens. haha- that was my same advice that I gave to single friends about finding a husband. I guess it works with all things in life- stop stressing and things will just work out ;)

Hi all!

I am exhausted for no reason whatsoever. My eyes are burning. Unfortunately I doubt I will meet my Wii fit goal for tomorrow as I would have to lose 1.3 pounds or something. My trip to the water park, pizza and cookie dough ice cream gave me a little set back. Took 2 days to get back to my before weight and I'm down a little today. Still steadily going down, but eating more then I used to. Have to get my tummy ready for all that cruise food!! I'm feeling good where I am anyway, from here on out any loss is all bonus :D. For the first time in forever I am happy with my body. Since I was already happy with my family and even with my job- which has improved since my new office got finished so I am as close to perfect as one can get right now I suppose :cool:

I cant wait for this cruise. I have nothing but great vibes about it! :cool:

Happily, this process has taught me a lot about portion size and I can look at something and almost guess the amount of calories in it based on the ingrediants and size. that will be helpful on this trip. My downfall will be fruity drinks- Hey, even if you are dieting you are still on vacation! Who can resist a slushy with an unbrella in it. Besides, it usually has a chunk of fruit on the side so that makes it a healthy snack right? lol! I refuse to be freaky about it though- because something else I have learned is that I can take off whatever I gain. Once I am home I bet I can shed the weight in a week or so. No worries here!

We'll see if i ever make the gym on the ship. Dave is not a fan. He said I may get him to run the deck, but honestly there are only 2 sea days so I bet we will just be relaxing. oh well... I've only ever seen the inside of the ship gym on a tour. Why mess up my streak now huh?

Have any of you done the roll call and meet and greet thing? We usually keep to ourselves, but I have always wanted to be one of those people who makes new friends on vacation. We are doing our meet and greet on first sea day. I'm kinda nervous about it... just wondered if anyone had done it.

Talk to u all again soon! Keep up the good fight!!

Candi

mmmmm...m&m's. Dave keeps a bag in the fridge- he says it his emergency choco stash (he has a mean sweet tooth) Cant tell you how often I see them sitting there and think... hmm.. apple or m&m's? Fortunately Chocolate gives me heartburn now so the apple usually wins out. We are going on the Carnival Valor out of Miami of 2/21. Can't wait to walk out onto the pool deck and hear the steel drum playing...

I'm already looking at ships for our next cruise- 2 years from now. it will be the first cruise with our daughters, so I wanted a ship that has the waterworks, but most of them (other then the Dream) are only 4 or 5 days and I HAVE to go at least 7 days. Unfortunately the Dream goes to places we have been over and over and we just dont want to go back again right away. I see that the Glory is changing itinerary next year and going eastern, but we were on the Glory 2 years ago and it does not have the waterworks- just the slides. I am seriously considering the Glory again for 2012 though- unless something else comes up. We here as far as kids programs go that Carnival is #1. Otherwise we would look at RCCL because we really liked the last one we took with them. Will keep looking though:)

The girls and I are playing wii right now and its my turn to run the obstacle course so i'm out of here! Have a fun day all!

we're back! Our mini vacation was FANTASTIC!! I probably gained weight but I will not be weighing myself till I give myself 3 or 4 days to get back in the swing of things :)

Here's the best part of the day: We got upgraded to the Lido deck on our cruise! SO EXCITED! I have never had a room that high up. Will be nice to not have to walk so far to get outside, but will miss all the stair climbing exercise;) Leaving in 24 days- Can't wait!

Hope you all had a GREAT couple of days!

Hi all!

Well we booked an indoor water park with our babies this sunday night to Monday. It will be my bathing suit debut since the weightloss- I am praying for self-esteem and having a hard time not packing the swimdress... I can do this.. I CAN do this...

28 days till we leave for the cruise- PHEW!!

Went to the doctor today and he was so happy with my progress. All my vitals were amazing and I'm so happy to have cut way down the diabetes risk- it runs in the fam. He is having my thyroid tested- because we have to do it at least once a year, but didnt see a need to test cholesterol or anything else because he says I am in wonderful shape- YAY!:D

I tried some fat free/sugar free white chocolate pudding tonight and eck! not impressed. Dont try that junk!! What a waste of calories!!

Well I will be going for tonight. Probably talk to ya'll after I get back on Monday or Tuesday... Night all!

that bubble down the river thing really frustrates me! My bubble is magnetically attracted to the wall! and then you get attacked by bees?? GOOD LORD!! I'll never get that far so i probably dont have to worry ;)

I think I've been pushing it too hard- my right knee was feeling a little twisted so I switched to elliptical because of the low-impact, but my ankle is REALLY tender. Unfortuneatly the only flat shoes I own are my workout tennies and I have to work so I was in 3 inch heel boots and had to walk the steps today. Now I am on the couch with my foot on a pillow. Think I will do an upper body workout tomorrow. I guess I can sit on the couch and do the boxing :D