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@TxTeach79 No Valentine’s or Halloween teaching for me ever again!!! The excitement, tears, flaunting of gifts. Too, too, much.

DH normally buys me flowers months before when they’re cheap and has them delivered today. Don’t think that’s happening since we both did no buy January. 

@pirate4me2 you don’t need to sick to eat ice cream for breakfast. I’m a firm believer in treating myself whenever possible. In the scheme of things ice cream is a reasonable treat.

@TxTeach79 got my IRS refund yesterday, yay, Hope the fun wagon doesn’t use all of yours.

I’ve been cruise shopping, pretty close to booking a Queen Anne British Isles cruise which begins on DH’s and my 40th anniversary. My goodness but I’m old!!! 

I would be furious if I was on this cruise.  All of us understand changes/eliminations of ports due to weather or unforeseen mechanical problems.  This doesn't sound unforseen, more of a bait and switch.  

@mopedmom1 how’s your dad?

@Slainte57 I'm sorry you've been hurt.  I haven't felt that but I did tell DH there has been a shift which I don't care for.  

@JGmf anything is possible 🙂 The second post says 2400 during the game itself which seems more probable to me. I have seen some crazy over the top recipes this week though, the type which makes me think people are just throwing everything they like in a baking dish or crock pot and calling it dip.

We ate normally today and have our regular pizza order coming tonight. I’m zero fun.

3 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

I’ve looked at their prices because I would like to try them. I haven’t seen anything this low. Is it a special offer like a casino discount or something? Inside cabin?

No special rate. I check Cruise Plum each morning for deals and I grabbed this one immediately.  Yes, it is a guaranteed inside. 

I really enjoyed the TA I did last September. Good food, interesting activities throughout the day and the other passengers were interesting and fun. Entertainment was very good. Our cruise had a forensic dentist onboard and his talks were standing room only. It was a foodie cruise as well with Food Network stars and a famous French chef giving talks and demonstrations.
Specialty restaurants were a good value and laundry and room service is free. Drink package is $70/day but I didn’t feel it was over priced given quality and service. 

47 minutes ago, Funsince1983 said:

If he were my husband and down $10k on a cruise he'd be wifeless too. 

Two great minds…

1 hour ago, Greenpea2 said:

I dunno, my mind can't wrap around it, The wifeless guy -- last I looked -- was down $10,000. An improvement from the high of $11,800. I am just so not in alignment with such things...

I had to stop reading it.

8 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Yikes, I’m about 50 pages behind. Read Sid’s and Megan’s reviews and then had stuff to do for my next two cruises. Boarded Royals newest ship the Icon Of The Seas for the 7 day inaugural cruise. The day we got off of that we boarded the Odyssey Of The Seas for an 8 day cruise. Unfortunately, it ends in 2 days. I have a lot of threading to do.

How was Icon? 

16 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

How's everyone's tax return sitch going? I could really use mine, but we're dragging a bit. Last year my return was in my account by 2/1, and this year I'm still in that limbo between "accepted" and "approved"... I'm a teacher and have a low four digit refund, so it's not like I'm a high priority or target or anything, I just always get nervous at this part. Anywho, it's still projected for 2/18, so hopefully that holds and it updates soon. This ridiculous Funwagon ain't gonna repair itself...

The state tax refund only took six days, still haven't gotten the deposit from IRS, but last year I think that took 2-3 weeks.  

I get a nice refund every year since my W-4 is married but withhold at the single rate and I contirubute the max catch-up amount to my 401K and a large chunk to my 457B.  I got in the habit of planning for a refund back when we had no money and the $15/paycheck that we'd have received wouldn't have been noticed.  The refund allowed us to pay our car registrations each year without me stressing about it.  Car registration in California is very high, and in those days something I had to plan for.  Car registation is no longer an issue but I still like getting a refund 🙂

@willdra DH and I have the talk about where we were and now here we are.  We were so, so broke in the early days and now here we are comfortable and able to take lovely vacations.  It's odd how it happens, one day you're checking over every item in your grocery cart, balancing the bank statements, staying up nights trying to figure out how to pay a bill and then slowly it starts to get better.  I still remember going into a gas station in 1996 and buying a soda since I was thirsty. A really big deal as money for something like that was absolutley not available up to that point. 

Your review has decided me, we need to do another Panorama or Firenzia cruise before we leave California.  We're buying in Latitudes Hilton Head so need to take care of our west coast cruises before the move.

That excursion looked fun, we'll have to try it next time we're on Panorama, which with all the recent great reviews will be soon.  

On another note, how was Latitudes?

@WatermelonSugarHighI’m an early to bed, early to rise person so the the nightlife wouldn’t be a factor for me. Their app also seems to be wonkier than most and their website isn’t particularly user friendly either.  Good thing we don’t all want the same thing 🙂

I occassionally come over to this forum to see if I should change my mind about VV.  Thank-you for this thread @WatermelonSugarHigh, it reinforced my decision to avoid VV.  Too many other cruiselines that are a better fit for me.  

58 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

Is there an Imax theater on board?  I thought I read that Vista class had Imax but couldn't find it on the ship's floor plans.

On Panorama the Imax theatre was replaced with the trampoline area.

What’s up with the wind? Is it time of year, route, ship design or a combo? 

@Funsince1983

Rockford was the singer 

Sorry about Covid, I came down with something today which took away my appetite . That NEVER happens.

Sorry @Hogladyrider as you know dementia is the worst. Even with my mom in a really good private home it’s a lot.

Did I read that right, he is now $8000 down?  I'd be a basket case but he seems to be having a good time so proves we're all wired differently. 

We were without power yesterday afternoon and evening, ASD DS did not take it well 😞 Thank God that's over with. Still raining though.

I'm baffled as well.  All he had to say was that he was solo, and the drink package mix-up didn't need to be explained.  TBH I'd have just paid for two and when the ship sailed and she was a no show the package would have been refunded.  No need to waste time with guest services.

On 2/1/2024 at 7:44 AM, deladane said:

 

I hate that we have become slaves to Ian's nap schedule, and I always hoped he would be the kind of kid who would just sleep in his stroller wherever we went, but that does not work for him unfortunately.  Even yesterday, when his daycare was closed for a teacher training day, he refused to nap and just kept saying "It's wake up time!".  And that was in his own crib in his bedroom where he is used to the environment!  We really had no chance of getting a good nap out of him when we were on a cruise with lots of other exciting things to see and do.  I can't wait until he's a little older and doesn't need a nap anymore.  You're going to have such a fun time on your next cruise with the kids being old enough to really enjoy all the activities on the ship!

DS was a 1 pm nap boy. If he fell asleep in the car before that it was power nap and then Mr. Cranky the rest of the day. I learned early on to schedule our day around that two hour nap. We didn’t cruise in those days, just as well, we’d have been limited to TAs. 

Have a great time!

@Funsince1983 cupcake looked amazing, I’m a straight frosting girl when things get rough 🙂 A friend of my sister’s goes with Teddy Grahams and a can of cream cheese frosting on bad days.

Sorry for all those suffering from migraines. 
Welcome to our newbies!!!

Totally too late to be helpful for planning @Hogladyrider but you might enjoy Hawaii by James Michener.  

7 hours ago, jt1602sd said:

I hear you on the flights! I’m in Fresno and had to drive to Sacramento area a few weeks ago for a three hour meeting! Flying would be nice, but would be much longer than the three hour drive! Hope you made it safe in the weather! 

Thank-you jt602sd, yes, home yesterday afternoon.  There was only one really bad patch of rain but naturally that is where they're doing construction w/ narrow and split lanes.  I used to drive as far as Turlock at least once a week, and to Modesto three times a week.  So glad I work from home now.  Nothing to do w/ Covid, just organization changes and promotions.