Live From The Sun!

[Don M]

I think you should quit your day job (lawyer?) and get a job as a cruise "writer". You did an absolutely fantastic job of describing your cruise and in such a manner that I couldn't have quit reading until the end even if I had wanted to. I'm glad you enjoyed the Sun, as we all do, and was pleased that you would like to return to Victoria. I am originally from Vancouver, BC and we were always making cracks about "quaint" Victoria, which is (was?) mostly inhabited by expatriate Brits and old people (oh my gosh......that's me!). I hope you do return to visit one of Canada's little gems. Hope you cruise the Sun and Princess again, and thanks for your review(s).

[JohnGaltny]

Don,

 

Thanks for sticking with me all the way through those admittedly long and self indulgent screeds.

 

I absolutely will get back to Victoria within the next two years but I'll do it by car on my own schedule. It is the type of place I love to visit.

 

You're right about my day job but writing legal stuff isn't half as much fun as writing reviews. However, the pay is a bit better in law.

 

Glad you enjoyed the journals and again, sorry I couldn't do them LIVE.

 

JG

[SailAways]

Thanks John - for checking out the cabin for us, and for such an incredible review.

 

Sorry that you didn't find the food all that great - perhaps it will improve before we are on the Sun next April.

 

If your pictures are half as entertaining as your review - we are all in for another great treat.:) .

[JohnGaltny]

SailAway,

 

Glad you enjoyed the journals.

 

As far as the food, I didn't go to Alaska to eat and nothing was going to spoil this trip. As I hope came through in the stories, my friends and I find as much entertainment value in the bad stuff as we do in the perfect. In fact, perfect is rather boring.

 

Anyway, somewhere in my pix I have 2 of Cabin 401. Snuck in while they were cleaning it. I'll try to find them tonight and send them on. I still say you're gonna love the location.

 

JG

[QM2 Cruiser]

This is too late for the Sun Princess outbreak, but you can keep this in mind for future cruises.

HOW TO AVOID ANY ILLNESS ON A CRUISE:

 

1. Take "Airborne" and "Vitamin C" lozenges beginning 10 days before sailing. Avoid contact with people that you suspect may have any type of illness, and wash hands on the hour with antibacterial soap, and before eating, drinking, touching face, and after leaving the restroom.

 

2. Use hand sanitizer liberally, and add additional hospital grade rubbing alcohol to the sanitizer to increase alcohol content. Norovirus can be killed with constant alcohol exposure of three to five minutes.

 

3. When boarding an airplane, wipe down your tray table, seatbelt, armrests, air vent, and reading light button with Clorox bleach wipes. Repeat this half way through the flight.

 

4. While on the airplane, avoid people around you that are coughing, sneezing, etc. if at all possible. Never directly face such a person to avoid them breathing on you. Do not shake hands. If someone tries to shake your hand tell them you are sick and don't want to give them your cold.

 

5. While on the flight, don't touch anything that is not sterilized, and avoid the lavatory. Sanitize hands with bleach wipes liberally before taking any food and beverage service, and minimize hand-to-food contact by not eating the part of the food you touch.

 

4. After landing, wash hands for at least one minute with antibacterial soap, and include arms and elbows, and face. Use paper towels only and use a paper towel to turn off the water and open the door.

 

5. Change clothes as soon as you reach your hotel, and place in a plastic bag. Do not wear these airplane clothes again until washed. Immediately take a shower.

 

6. After onboard the ship, sanitize everything in the cabin upon arrival:

 

A. Lysol spray all bedspreads, couches, carpets, and chairs. (Does not stain).

 

B. Bleach all bathroom surfaces including floor, shower walls, toilet, sink, faucets, and walls. Cruise ship bathrooms are usually waterproof because everything is plastic, so basically just soak the whole room with bleach or Lysol.

 

C. Use Lysol wipes for all wooden surfaces, table tops, night stands, lamps, TV remotes, telephones, light switches, thermostat, door handles (inside and out), and closet hangers.

 

D. Use a water and antibacterial soap solution to scrub balcony floor. Lysol wipe the balcony railing, and Lysol spray all balcony furniture.

 

E. Use Lysol wipes for plastic "Do Not Disturb" signs, ice buckets, mini-fridges, and other objects.

 

F. Lysol spray the bedspread daily and don’t sit on it. Bring your own pillow.

 

G. VACATE STATEROOM FOR FIVE HOURS OR UNTIL CLEANING ODOR SUBSIDES. LEAVE BALCONY DOOR OPEN AND BRING SMALL PORTABLE FAN TO AID IN AIR CIRCULATION.

 

7. Be sensible while on the cruise. Bring bottles of antibacterial soap for personal use, and use antibacterial bar soap for showering. Pour Listerine on your toothbrush before each use to clean. Wash hands before entering the buffet and again after putting your plate on your table before eating. Stay away from anyone that may be ill. Never touch handrails. Wash hands when entering and when leaving your stateroom, before eating, drinking, smoking, touching face, and before and after using the restroom. Use hospital grade hand sanitizers liberally and often. Use bleach wipes in the dining room or buffet before eating. NEVER USE HOT TUBS AND DO NOT SUBMERGE HEAD IN SWIMMING POOLS. Shower after swimming onboard or ashore. Shower at lease twice daily, especially after shore excursions.

 

8. Never use the public restrooms, and do not open doors to exterior decks or public rooms without a napkin, paper towel, or other barrier. Your elbow can be used as a last resort to open doors, but be sure to wash it. DO NOT PUSH ELEVATOR BUTTONS WITH HANDS OR USE HOUSE PHONES. Avoid touching objects in the public areas. Only your clothes should ever touch a chair or a lounge. Never wear the same clothes twice to avoid contamination.

 

9. If there is an outbreak onboard, limit your time in public areas. Eat only in the dining room. Before leaving the stateroom know your destination, and take the shortest route. Do not use elevators. Stay in your cabin and on open decks, instead of inside the ship. If necessary, use room service for all meals depending on degree of outbreak.

 

10. Have a great, germ free cruise vacation!

[QM2 Cruiser]

opps

[QM2 Cruiser]

opps - is there a way to remove these two unwanted duplicate posts?

[augie]

10. Have a great, germ free cruise vacation!

 

I think I'd rather take my chances of getting sick - sounds like WAY too much work for a vacation. :eek:

[SailAways]

 

I think I'd rather take my chances of getting sick - sounds like WAY too much work for a vacation. :eek:

 

I agree, but it is a good idea to wash hands as much as possible.

It would seem that if one is this paranoid about germs, a trip to the mall, any restaurant, any theater, the doctor's office, hospital, etc., would be treated the same way.;)

In no way do I mean to diminish the importance of good hygiene, or being cautious, but these instructions are way too intense for me. JMHO.

Taking Airborne and Vitamin C seem pretty easy to do, along with eating yogurt daily prior to the cruise. :)

[cruiserforlife]

FYI to all - If you look really hard there are 3 power outlets in most of the cabins (but yes in all balc cabins).

1) by mirror and hairdrier

2) behind TV (you can unpug TV if needed)

3) UNDER the little table by bathroom. I've attached a photo of the little table. Trust me there is one under there.

 

Heather is certainly correct on this...I think it's more a case of some of us don't bend down quite that far nowadays.:rolleyes:

 

Hey John,

 

As a born-and-raised New Yorker (Brooklyn),I think Verdi's pizza is pretty swell too...especially the calzones...YUMMY!

[cruiserforlife]

 

I think I'd rather take my chances of getting sick - sounds like WAY too much work for a vacation. :eek:

 

I'm with you there Augie!

 

Face it...most everyone takes precautions anyway...a few of those suggestions were a tad over the top,takes all the fun out of it.

[Floflegs]

On a flight from Uk it is rather difficult to avoid going to the bathroom!!:rolleyes:

[SailAways]

JohnGaltny:

Have you posted the pictures yet - perhaps somewhere else?

Anxious minds need to know!;)

Thanks.:D :D

[JohnGaltny]

Sailaway,

 

Here's the link. Just hit the ALASKA album.

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/johngaltny

 

How did your trip go? How'd you like B401? Talk to me son.

 

SJM

[SailAways]

Sailaway,

Here's the link. Just hit the ALASKA album.

http://community.webshots.com/user/johngaltny

How did your trip go? How'd you like B401? Talk to me son.

SJM

 

Your pictures are spectacular! You must be a master photographer.

Thanks for sharing.

Our trip to the Panama Canal is in next April:( - long time to wait. I'm sure we will thoroughly enjoy the cabin.

We did go to Alaska this year - via RV, along with another couple for a month. More RVing in the fall.

We also cruised to Alaska the year before on the NCL Spirit.

We shall return again - it is absolutely a part of our world which continues to beckon us.

Again, welcome to cruising, and thanks for sharing your experience and your wonderful photos. :)

[H2Obics]

Glad you had an enjoyable time on your cruise John. I understand the issue with posting live from the Sun now as I tried 3 different times while onboard before giving up. Something always happend to disconnect me. My husband didn't seem to have the same problems during his work sessions but as soon as he handed over to me the computer became possessed by those ghosts you couldn't seem to find. All he had to do was say "You want to get on?" and poof, no more internet! Anyway, I enjoyed reading your journal entries and will try to get my experiences up here asap.

[SailAways]

SailAway,

 

Anyway, somewhere in my pix I have 2 of Cabin 401. Snuck in while they were cleaning it. I'll try to find them tonight and send them on. I still say you're gonna love the location.JG

 

Say, John, did you find these yet? Don't go to any trouble, but I didn't see them with the other pics.

Thanks, :)

[JohnGaltny]

SailAways,

 

I just dug them out. They are the last 3 pix in the Alaska album at: http://community.webshots.com/user/johngaltny marked special for you.

 

A bit blurry but I was kind of in a hurry.

 

Sorry for the delay but I actually had to run the office for a few days. I hate when that gets in the way of this stuff.

 

Enjoy.

 

JG

[SailAways]

SailAways,

 

I just dug them out. They are the last 3 pix in the Alaska album at: http://community.webshots.com/user/johngaltny marked special for you.

A bit blurry but I was kind of in a hurry.

Sorry for the delay but I actually had to run the office for a few days. I hate when that gets in the way of this stuff Enjoy.JG

 

Thanks John, I shall jump over and take a peek. Whatever, I surely do appreciate your effort, and know that I'll love it.

Don't you hate it when work interferes with our fun?!;) ;)

[cruiserforlife]

great pictures John...thanks for sharing.;)

[H2Obics]

I enjoyed reading your journal entries and will try to get my experiences up here asap.

 

I am in the process of compiling my notes and it is evident that this is going to be long and involved. I am questioning where I should actually post, here on Sun Live thread, on Princess thread, or Alaska thread. What do all of you out there think?

[SailAways]

I am in the process of compiling my notes and it is evident that this is going to be long and involved. I am questioning where I should actually post, here on Sun Live thread, on Princess thread, or Alaska thread. What do all of you out there think?

 

It would be nice to have an entirely new thread for your personal review.

That makes for an interesting run - then again, maybe post on all three! ;)

We will find it, and surely enjoy it where ever you decide to post, but probably not as likely on the Alaska thread as a Princess thread.

 

I'm no help at all - sorry!:o

[JohnGaltny]

H2

 

I posted them in LIVE first which I think was a mistake. I suggest a new topic in Princess clearly labeled with the dates of the trip. That's what I did after I thought about it.

 

Looking forward to them wherever.

 

JG

[H2Obics]

Thanks for the suggestions. And yes, both were helpful. I will start a new thread under Princess, hopefully by tomorrow. See you there.

[JohnGaltny]

Just a notice, I put a new album up from the seaplane ride at the end of my Journals Topic.

 

Enjoy them.

 

Heather---be kind. :)

 

 

JG