shipgeeks

I'm curious whether the young lady in the photo above, on the stairs, happens to be Ashley, from South Africa. There is a certain resemblance.....great smile. The Ashley that we met on Seaside was, at that time, the liaison for the English-speaking passengers. We met her at a social event, and had lots of happy moments with her throughout the cruise. It would be nice to know she is still around.

I'm sure overselling has been going on for years, and by all cruise lines. When we were offered a cancel and re-schedule years ago (different line), I believe we were chosen because we also had their flights and transfers. When we accepted, they took care of all the rebookings. No hassle for us, and they had the inside network to do so. Even though I ended up going to work on Monday after being expected to be away for almost two weeks, it was a win for us in the long run.

I have determined when the low and high tides will occur during the two days we will be in Saint John. However, I'm wondering when, in relation to those, that the "rush", or most interesting viewing, happens. Any recommendations? For us, on September 18, low is at 8:33am and high at 2:38pm. On September 19, low is at 9:08am and high at 3:14pm (shortly after we depart).

Any evening in Bolero's, with live Latin music, calls for a Mojito. These days, I am trying to match my drink choices with the itinerary I'm on. Dark and Stormy when cruising to Bermuda, or perhaps a Rum Swizzle. At Coco Cay, a Cuba Libre or Pina Colada have that tropical feel and refreshing-ness. Now I'm working on what to order on my coming C/NE cruise. Long Island Iced Tea as we start to head north? A drink with cranberry juice?

We are always being given soft magnets from insurance agents, research studies, charities, etc. Unfortunately, I never use them for anything.

You can go to Guest Services onboard and get C$ on the spot.

Agreed, and the same on Vision and Enchantment. The only time I had to squeeze was when I took an oblong canvas suitcase (large duffel?) with the zipper around the top, and fairly stuff sides. Now we use hard-sides, and slide them under either closed or open. It's just a matter of sliding it over the horizontal bar that connects the bed legs when starting the process, then the rest is easy.

We have sailed on Grandeur, Enchantment, and Vision many times each, and love that class. Officer conversations continue to say that RC is committed to sailing from Baltimore indefinitely, so there is hope there for Vision class. No recent mentions of getting rid of any of them, either.

I guess a Long Island Iced Tea would be appropriate as we sail north?

I agree with the above. We got Canadian currency at Guest Services on a quiet day before our ports, and we always have a variety of bills, loonies, and toonies we can use ashore. Then at the end it's easier to bring home just the bills for future cruises.

I was in NSW, between 1969 and 1982. I'm not quite as old as the 1930 rules! But thank you for the additional information.

I was going to say HoJo's, too. As a child our family had occasional Sunday dinners there, and then in high school it was a convenient and predictable place to double-date after a movie.

FWIW, I read that as a polite way of stating "suite" without making that word the main emphasis. And I agree it is always appropriate to give name. We have opted out of caller ID, call waiting, and answering machine, so we appreciate it. A few years ago we had a call on Thanksgiving, wishing us a happy day. We figured it was our son. But the conversation became more and more puzzling, and we finally had to ask who it was. It was a friend we hadn't seen in a long time.

When we sail to Bermuda, I order a Dark and Stormy as a fitting beverage. Cruising to the Bahamas and Caribbean, and especially on a private island, a Mojito, Cuba Libre, or Pina Colada feel appropriate and refreshing. How about sailing to Canada and New England? Can you think of any classic drinks with a connection to the area? And what about other parts of the world? (And is it okay to ask a Drinkie question in a Foodie forum??)

We've never done so, but I understand you should not use anything that could leave a residue when removed, as you will be charged for the cleanup. I believe there are magnetic products that are safe to use.

We certainly agree that menus, and food, were better in those days, especially on Chandris/Celebrity. However, other elements were different, too. All passengers ate at their set time and table, and long dinners, as a social event, were the norm. That seems to be the exception now. I also note (and remember) that items such as tomato juice as an appetizer, or hearts of lettuce, or sliced tomato as the salad, are featured on these menus. Would anyone order those now? I know that I appreciate being able to order, and enjoy, things that are much more labor-intensive.

I tried that once, and tried PB&J once; did not like either. I do like a celery stick with PB, though. I read somewhere that peanut butter is the preferred snack/energy food among the Rockettes.

We do, and crunchy only. I grew up on peanut butter sandwiches. Never heard of putting jelly on, too, until I was in college. My mother was strictly a one-ingredient sandwich maker, cheese OR ham OR peanut butter. When I lived in Australia it was called peanut paste, at the insistence of the dairy board. I bought mine at a shop that would grind it on the spot, into the container you provided. Good stuff.

Yes, some wonderful things never get old! Green flash: ours was at Nassau, as we stood out on deck before departure. Flying fish: love watching for them, most usually from Promenade Deck, somewhat forward. One time we lucked out and got a table right at the forward windows in the buffet, where we happened to see some flying fish jumping around the bow. We mentioned it to a newly-arrived Chinese assistant waiter, who became very excited, called all her peers over, and we were treated to several minutes of joy and delight as they all exclaimed about the sight. We love having OV cabins on lower decks, and sitting at the window. We've seen a few flying fish from there, which is really neat, too. Albatross: while crossing the Pacific on a cargo ship, we had an albatross soaring above the ship for several days. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" frequently came to mind. Vulture: one sea day during a cruise, a vulture settled himself onto the edge of the funnel; he stayed for quite a long time. I named him "Ruffles", as the air continually ruffled his feathers up all around him. Cruising is so wonderful.

We have given up owning a car, and have lost interest in flying to a cruise. However, we still want to cruise on a regular basis. There is a bus company near us that provides five cruise packages a year, from our nearest port, which in our case is Baltimore. There are usually around 30 people on the bus, and all are encouraged to share tables at the breakfast stop, so people who have not yet chatted with others are able to begin to get to know people in the group. We tend to stick to ourselves during the cruise, but we notice from time to time that some are meeting up with other bus people on the ship, and on the return trip it appears that many know most of the others. It seems to work out especially well for those traveling solo.

And perhaps edit the spelling in your title (or start again), so we can comment appropriately? We are familiar with Saint John, and always enjoy it. Have never done an excursion, although next month we will do the HOHO bus there. We usually walk around the city: old market, new container village right at the port ("Area 506"), historic churches and other buildings. Out of town, Bay of Fundy/Reversing Tides are an attraction.

I was referring to the street of Victorian-style houses we saw when we walked up towards the hotel and park on the hill. It didn't feel very far at the time; I guess we were younger and fitter! Is The Victoria Mansion something else? We just enjoyed seeing those houses from the outside, as part of our walk that day.

IMO, so many ports on a C/NE cruise are absolutely DIY-able if you have no serious mobility issues. In fact, no transportation or tours needed, just the ability to walk. We have done many of them a number of times, and have never done a tour or excursion, although we will be doing the HOHO bus in Saint John (are you going there?) next month, just for a change. Halifax is very walkable, if you decide not to do a tour. There is a boardwalk, about a mile long, along the waterfront, with views of the harbour, eateries, pubs, museums. A little higher is the Citadel and the botanic gardens. Portland is very walkable and enjoyable. The Victorian mansions are just across from the ship, as are the mail boat, narrow gauge railway, and more, plus lots of good eateries and pubs. Freedom Trail in Boston can be reached from the ship and walked in part or all. Please list your other ports, and perhaps we can share some further information. By the way, before we went to any of these, I just looked up the websites for the towns/cities, not a tour company, and learned a lot about them, including maps.

kochleffel, I get it! We, too, plan to stay in the house, but are trying move along some of the "things" in it. I'm beginning to see an element of the problem: younger adults who keep giving unneeded gifts. Big framed pictures of every element of their wedding, and every stage of their child's life. Nice to see from time to time, but not needed on the walls where our chosen artwork hangs. A dog or cat to a couple who just want a simpler life and four worry-free cruises a year. A figurine of a very elderly couple, depressing to think that you think it looks just like us. Big wind chimes to the couple who say they love the peace and quiet of the porch, and seeing the hummingbirds at the feeder. Personalized cushions, wall hangings, and other decor items. The thrift stores don't really want things with our name on them. Smartphones to the couple who love their laptops and house phone, and don't care to get calls while out of the house, nor to have to pay the monthly fees. Ironically, the gift givers never care to take any of the furniture, dishes, silverware, albums, or keepsakes offered by the older generation. "It's not our taste." "We don't have any more room." Their turn will come. In the meantime, are any of you dealing more successfully with this?

One more reason to just get some in advance, I guess.