Deck Chair Queen

Replying to follow.

The lagging Carol here. I’ve been super busy at work lately and working at half my mental capacity (which my dear business partner of thirty years says still puts me ahead of most!). I wanted to thank you all for following along and for your kind wishes when we were ill. This is not a scientific survey but man there seems to be a lot of Covid on cruises. My friend and her ninety something aunt recently caught it in the first few weeks of a world cruise on Regent! Wouldn't that stink? Now that the CDC no longer requires cruise ships to report Covid outbreaks, we are all taking risks we can’t even quantify or asses. We will continue to cruise, of course, and to be as careful as we can. We just love the sea; that’s all I can say. And it’s lovely to be with all you like-minded folks on another GSJ voyage! Love from Mimi and Rodolfo, too. They are glad we will be home until August. Warmest regards, Carol

Oops I see I have fallen behind in my responsibilities. My excuses are 1) Covid fatigue; we are feeling much better but I am sleeping at least ten hours a day and have zero energy. I’m going to try to get back to work tomorrow. 2) Our loft’s heating system decided to give up the ghost on Sunday, just in time for a week of subzero temperatures. I’ve been trying madly to get it repaired on a holiday weekend. Fortunately we have electric baseboard heaters along the exterior wall and a very well insulated brick building built to last more than a hundred years ago. It’s about seventy inside but much colder in spots, like the frosted-over window by Norris’s workspace. So sloths: The sloth sanctuary was featured in an Animal Planet series years ago called “Meet The Sloths,” but I have been unable to track it down. For all the mishaps and screwups of the day, it was a wonderful excursion. They are precious, rare, and unique creatures and it was great to see them up close. A peaceful, Zen presence. No petting allowed, which I understand but regret. I also loved the canoe ride in the silent lush rain forest and was sorry it didn’t last longer. It was magical. I am not much of an outdoorswoman and I’m grateful for the chance to experience nature with so little effort on my part. Annie I noticed you in the dining room and wanted to invite you to join us but as a loner myself I recognized and respected the signals that you just wanted to dine in peace alone with your Kindle.

Actually we did not use the Medallion messaging so I don’t know about the notifications or internet requirements. We used regular iMessage SMS texts using the ship wifi and Verizon in ports. For full access to your wireless data plan (unlimited data in our case) you pay $10 per day per device with a Verizon Travel Pass. $5/day for Canada and Mexico.

Yes that was the big difference on this cruise. I too learned long ago not to order eggs, but somehow they have licked it (well not literally). I had two omelets, both piping hot and perfectly cooked. I don’t know about the hot drinks as I eschew the room service coffee. And I was ordering during rush hour, I imagine, on port days before early excursions. Also they keep you updated on your order on the app like DoorDash. I gave it the highest rating of anything in the survey. Did I mention you can order from the specialty restaurants (for a charge)?

Yes it’s very nice but no substitute for the Aviario Nacional de Colombia. There you will find 1700 birds of 170 species; 22 hectares. For the most part they are not caged (but the humans are, in immersive exhibits). They hang around because of the natural habitats, no predators, and plentiful food and water. It’s one of my most memorable excursions ever. I had my binocs and took 100 photos which someday I will run through Merlin to identify. The Andean Condor was probably the rarest but they were all beautiful from the eagles down to the little green parakeets. I was in heaven and wanted it to last forever.

Princess has made a deal with Stephen Schwartz, whom I consider to be a second tier Broadway composer, to create four production shows. This is the first. It was interesting to see some numbers from the unproduced and nearly mythical show, Houdini. And of course the crowd roared for anything from Wicked. Magic tricks don’t “read” well in such a venue, IMHO.

Also via the miracle of technology listening to Tannheuser broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera House. No lame DJ on my idyllic balcony.

To clarify: I paid $30 for an eight ounce bag of beans in a stall at the cruise terminal. This is roughly equivalent to the price on Amazon, depending on the vendor, quantity purchased, and shipping terms. It was weak and flavorless. I used to love Blue Mountain coffee until I met Illy. I don’t believe I was ripped off with counterfeit coffee beans.

Yes I took full advantage of the room service when we came back hot and exhausted and ravenous from an excursion. Also for early breakfasts before early excursions. It’s a dream with the Medallion app, no charge, no tipping, fast, and freshly prepared. Minimal human contact, my favorite morning mode. I maintain my balcony is the nicest dining locale on the ship, so why not take advantage of it. The menu is limited but more than adequate. The coffee of course is undrinkable so I don’t even order it, just stop by IC on my way off the ship.

<< It seemed like a shanty town backin 1986.>> Carol here, aka DeckChair Queen. I’m here to speak up for Ocho Rios in the sixties. I am officially half Jamaican as my mother hailed from Kingston born of many generations of Jamaicans. It’s a long story but many Spanish and Portuguese Jews ended up in the West Indies in the diaspora. I have relatives buried in the Falmouth cemetery, my cousin tells me. I spent all my childhood and teenage summers in Kingston in the fifties and sixties visiting my grandmother and relatives. We would often rent a house near Ocho Rios for a beach vacation. I remember fondly the incredible natural beauty, great street food, and the warm and funny inhabitants. My biggest disappointment about our cancelled excursion was missing a chance to eat homemade Jamaican food at the Great House near Falmouth. Seeing the lovely Konokos gardens compensated to some extent (they were too far from Falmouth but changing ports made them accessible). By the way, I don’t have Covid yet but it’s nearly inevitable that I will—impossible to isolate in a loft.

Here are more recent photos of Rodolfo and Mimi. They’ve grown! Carol

Very sweet of you! It’s emotionally tough but nothing like what he is going through. Of course he never stops joking and making all the medical people laugh and giggle. He might be coming home tomorrow! No more Ted Lasso’s for me! Carol

Thanks to all of you for kind good wishes. Norris’s message to you is that he is not out of the woods but he’s on the path. Fingers crossed he can come home in a few days. Carol

This is Carol. Norris’s cold became worse and his doctor sent him to the ER today. He has pneumonia and will be in the hospital for a couple of days for treatment. He wanted me to explain to you all why there is a hiatus in the GSJ. All will be well.