bobmacliberty

I agree with keeping things here, so long as there's someone to continue posting. 

Looks like The Scientology ship Freewinds is in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Edit: Oops.  DP beat me to it.

13 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I also get irritated. I became even a bit angry last night with the aftermath that I was experiencing. It is very easy to find info on decibel levels and length of exposure. I am strongly considering writing an email to Bayley's office when I get home about this situation.

 

We should figure out some way to organize ourselves on this issue, to increase the chances that they will actually do something.  A bunch of individuals complaining doesn't seem to have any effect.  We've complained in the past on the post cruise survey and I've heard others say that they've done so also.  At a minimum, the high volume level eliminates the enjoyment of the event.  Micheline has to actually leave (although she hadn't cruised with her Loop earplugs yet).  Worst case, they are causing hearing damage.

1 hour ago, aussielozzie18 said:

You shouldn’t have to do this but if RC aren’t going to act on the complaints, you might have to add ear wax or ear plugs to your packing list.

 

 

Micheline has a pair of these.  They work well.

Loop Experience Plus: 23 dB Sound Control – Loop United States (loopearplugs.com)

I played golf this morning in very windy conditions.  Pretty consistently more than 20 mph and often gusting even higher.  I took this quick video of the ocean.  The sea was angry that day, my friends. 

1 hour ago, pstone1 said:

Jim just took this video of the ocean!  It’s so hard to capture it in a photo, but the video is pretty cool!  Despite the waves, and thanks to Capt. Stig, we are enjoying a pretty smooth ride!

IMG_2240.mov

For OB and any other Android users who are .mov challenged.

3 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I'm always a little disappointed when I don't get whistled at.

You're not trying hard enough. 😜

59 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I'm not sure if there is enough alcohol on this ship for that to happen.😊

Again, you're not trying hard enough. 😁

15 hours ago, akcruz said:

Two years ago we had spent 1 night on Amelia Island and enjoyed so wanted to go back and stay longer.  The sunset pic is from the Salty Pelican there.

 

As above I think you already know 1 of our stops pretty well.  If you haven't been try Patios Restaurant in Fernandinda Beach, neat little restaurant.

 

Love The Patio.  Great food, usually good live music, and a nice casual atmosphere.  It has become very popular and hard to get in without reservations.

We eat at the Salty Pelican a lot and enjoy the upstairs area for the sunset views over the marsh/Amelia River.  You may have forgotten to post your photo, so here's one of ours.  The sky was lit spectacularly.  There was a replica of the Santa Maria at the marina that's partially blocking the view.

17 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

I think it’s a joke, but also an invitation.  
 

I guess we have to wait to see what color loofa they hang on their door handle. The following is the golf cart loofa guide. 
 

This is hanging in our shower.  What have I been missing all of these years????

18 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Maryann, please get that FL weather straightened out before we get there Feb 21st!

We're giving up and flying to Punta Cana on the 19th in search of warm weather.  I hope you have better luck in Florida.

1 hour ago, Keksie said:

If you are ever in the Panhandle visit Pensacola.  There is Fort Pickens, Pensacola Beach, downtown Pensacola, Fort Barrancas and the naval air museum located within NAS Pensacola.  Close  by is the Blackwater River park system and Navarre Beach.  Big fun!

Thanks for the suggestion.  Sounds like several interesting things to do there.  We don't think about visiting the panhandle as much as we should.  Pensacola is only about 5.5 hours away taking I-10, which also happens to be the name of my current favorite IPA. 😁

We just dropped friends of ours from Cincinnati at the airport.  It was great having them here for a few days.  Lots of fun.  Time however to now spend several days without drinking, eating a lot less, and sleeping a lot more!

1 hour ago, Momof3gurlz said:

@akcruz great pictures April, especially that sunset shot. You’re trip sound a lot like what Andy and I do every year between February & March.  We drive down to FL visiting several different spots spending 2-4 days in each one.  Then since we’re already in FL, it only makes sense to add in some form of cruise 🙂.  Do you have any favorite areas you’ve stayed? I’m always looking for suggestions for future trips.  

@akcruz I'm also interested in what you liked most about your trip.  We're still relative newcomers to Florida and are always looking for someplace that we can visit for a long weekend.  

10 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Lobster dinner tonight in the MDR. Lobster tail didn't look to small until the waiter took it out of the shell. 😳 At least it was very good.

 

 

 

 

 

Are they limiting the number of lobster tails that you can get?

1 hour ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

I first thought this was a map of the world showing where the beer comes from.  I couldn't figure out why they had Carib near Northern Canada. 🤣 

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

It's currently in the movie theaters. I saw it last week.  Pure over-the-top action, which I enjoy. The kind of movie where you just want to have fun & not think too much, Not everybody's cup of tea but it is mine.

14 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Mine too,on occasion .

Mine three...especially if I'm by myself.  One of the advantages of traveling internationally while working was that could watch a lot of movies on a plane.  That was my time to catch up on "guy flicks" while Micheline was at home catching up on "chick flicks".  

11 hours ago, Keksie said:

It is starting to look like a kitchen again.  Just a little more crown molding, cabinet staining and counter tops.  Then I need to scrub every surface in the house.  Lol

 

Looking great!  We want that exact style of refrigerator with adjustable temp middle drawer, but with the ice maker in the freezer section to avoid issues with it being located in the higher temp fridge section.  We can't find anyone who makes that. 

Depending on how much dust was generated, you might also consider getting your air ducts cleaned.  Made a big difference for us after our kitchen remodel in Ohio.

5 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Toby is spending 6 to 8 hours a day working on his Ollie's and Shuv its.

What do they call the move where he flips back his hair with his hands? 😜  Ah, to be young again...and have hair.  We need an Andrew vs. Toby competition on an upcoming cruise!

13 hours ago, h20skibum said:

And just look at their drink prices, compared to Royal’s. The plus package was a no brainer for us.  I know I will see what I can work my way through.  

Blanton's included with the plus package?  Very impressive, especially if they can keep it in stock.

16 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

@bobmacliberty hey Bob, I just finished reading the Hawaii portion of your review from last September for at least the 3rd time so far! Question for you regarding the Grand Hyatt in Kauai.  Some recent Google reviews are not great. In particular, people are commenting that the rooms are dated and there are several comments about musty smelling rooms and mold in the shower.  Maybe these are more standard rooms as opposed to Oceanfront or Oceanview rooms? I didn’t see anything similar in your statements about the resort. To be honest, the majority of reviews are 5/5 glowing reports, but since there are several mentioning the same concerns, I thought I’d get your input.  
Are there newer/older areas of the resort?  I’m also considering the Sonesta which is is Lihue, so if you (or anyone else) can add any comments regarding Lihue vs Poipu, I would greatly appreciate it.  

I don't remember noticing any issues at the Grand Hyatt at all, in either our room or the public spaces.  I checked with Micheline, who is more sensitive to that kind of stuff, and she didn't see anything either.  All seemed perfect.  I don't know if there are newer or older sections at the resort but we were close to the main building with the lobby.  Our room probably would have been there since the resort was built.  For what it's worth, we were in a "KG PRT OCN VW" which is a "Private lanai: 1 King pillow top: Partial ocean view from lanai; 500 sq feet".  It was a step up from a base room in terms of view, but not anything fancy enough that it would have received special cleaning attention.  It was just above the number 29 on the resort map below, overlooking the pool area with a view of the ocean in the distance to the right.

As for Lihue vs Poipu, it's probably a matter of what you plan to do/where you plan to go while there.  The Royal Sonesta looks like a very nice resort and the beach looked really nice when we had lunch at Duke's, which is right there.  The Hyatt pool complex is great and would be a nice advantage if that's important (i.e. if you'll have extended family with you).  You probably can't go wrong with either choice purely from a resort perspective.  

We've only been to Kauai once and I'm far from an expert but here's what I would say about the locations.  Advantages of Lihue...close to the airport (including helicopter tours) and the main commercial area of Kauai.  Slightly shorter (about 15 minutes less) drive to Princeville and other attractions in the north shore area.  You're also a little closer to things near the east coast like the Smith's Family Garden Luau (considered but didn't do) and Wailua Falls.  Advantages of Poipu...more of a vacation/resort area when you leave the hotel property.  Slightly shorter drive (about 15 minutes less) to the Napali coast boat trips and Waimea Canyon.  If you'll have a rental car, the driving distance differences aren't that big of a deal.  

In planning for Kauai, I listed a lot of potential things to do in OneNote.  In case it's helpful for your planning, I exported it to a .pdf file.  Hope this helps.

Kauai.pdf

28 minutes ago, cruisinghawg said:

Pics of Aquadome

 

 

 

1 minute ago, h20skibum said:

I saw a video when the show was going on, and it didn’t look like sight lines were very good from the back, at least from their camera vantage point.  Will be interested in how it is. 

The Aquadome has me the most intrigued.  The Aquatheater is my favorite venue on Oasis class ships and I'm hoping that the Aquadome is a step up.  

Chris Wong just posted a video of when he joined the Icon crew in Cadiz, Spain a few weeks ago.  In the video, they're still doing a lot of last-minute work on the ship.  You can see many of the different areas of the ship, including a few crew only areas.  Makes for a good tease before seeing the finished product this week.

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have a Netflix series to recommend:Griselda starring Sofia Vergara.Her acting is fantastic.One season ,6 episodes.I watched all of it last night.

Thanks for the recommendation.  We're always looking for new things to watch.  We recently started watching something old...True Detective.  We're 3/4 of the way through the first season with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson and like it a lot.  We've got 2 more older seasons to watch and a 4th season just started.  Should keep us busy for a bit.

3 minutes ago, Momof3gurlz said:

We have not been but I’ve been researching this AI as friends of ours went last year and very highly recommend it.  I’m looking forward to your thoughts once you return. 

I'll definitely post a quick review and some pictures here.

33 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Thanks good to know. 
 

I have never been to an AI that didn’t “allow” tipping.

 

I enjoy resorts for an occasional change but I begin to feel too confined quite quickly.

Secrets makes a point of saying that tipping is included in the price.  I'd assume that you can tip additionally if you'd like but wouldn't be surprised if it was like George said and they don't actually allow tipping. 

We also typically like to be active and we've got a beach/pool right here, so beach vacations, especially where you never leave the resort, aren't normally our thing.  We'll fly there on Monday and fly back on Friday so I think I'll survive 3 full days of reading and relaxing.  They do have continual activities including some form of show in the evenings, which will help.