LIVE from the Pacific Princess - 31 days from Athens to Ft. Lauderdale

[coo359a2]

Pia and Mike - Happy Turkey Day!!:) Thanks for all your postings. Sounds great so far.

[Pia1913]

Happy Thanksgiving on this cloudy Thursday November 24th. The Patter has the appropriate logo and the header is done in a pumpkin color. Up here in Panorama there are decorations on top of the serving areas and the bar. Tonight is formal night and the weather has turned cooler. FYI, one part of me is getting better and another is falling apart. A sudden spasm has left me with right sided leg/hip pain - somewhat like sciatica. Tried the treadmill this AM; no go. Don’t you just hate it when your routine is disrupted? :mad:

 

　

On the agenda this morning is a port talk on Sorrento, a turkey carving demonstration, a seminar on ancient hieroglyphics, an ice carving demo and a pub lunch. Afternoon brings a cocktail demonstration, a zumba class and wine tasting. Tonight is also the CC cocktail party and when I get my free photo and champagne. I just hope they will switch out the bubbly for white wine. ;)

　

　

“Do you Wanna Dance” is the production show tonight and I’m noticing that the two lead singers are changing. I know the dancers will be leaving in Civitavecchia, but I didn’t realize the singers would be going too. The sometimes popular champagne waterfall will be at 11:15 PM for those who manage to stay awake that late. I am not one of them. Also late, is the movie Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

 

 

Leg may hurt, but that doesn't stop me from eating. :D Later.

[JWJs]

Pia, Happy Thanksgiving to you and Mike. :) Hope that leg pain goes away SOON.

[tequilasunrise]

Pia, as always thanks for the updates. I hope you are soon restored to full health and pain free!

[DonahCBrown]

Hope the leg holds up at least as far as the grocery in Sorrento! We're having turkey day tomorrow - isn't time a weird thing?! Hope you feel better soon.

[caribill]

　

“Do you Wanna Dance” is the production show tonight and I’m noticing that the two lead singers are changing. I know the dancers will be leaving in Civitavecchia, but I didn’t realize the singers would be going too.

 

The singers and dancers train as a team and have a contract as a team, so when the contract is over, they all leave unless some are contracted to be part of the next team.

 

Hope you get to feel 100% again soon.

 

Congrats on being #1 again.

 

Bill

 

[GottoCruise]

and Happy Thanksgiving Pia & Mike!! I've been following your travels....:) & enjoying your wonderful postings. (Pia, If your leg pain is stubborn, we're 'awash' in walkers and canes here :rolleyes:).......

Congrats on the Capt. Circle 'honor' - that's always fun but you know you're always #1 with us....hugs from Renee & Lyman

[QueenCruiseAlot]

Hi Pia! Can't wait to meet you!

 

Anyway, I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I am sooo grateful I get to go on this cruise, this cruise that was July 7/oversold/changed to Sept 4/oversold/changed to now. I really NEED this one!

 

I am sitting at the martini bar in Orlando International Airport's International terminal. Let me take a quick minute to tell the story.

 

I ALWAYS arrive 3 hours early for an international flight (it's the military in me). Good thing. I go through security and I was randomly selected for the hand swabbing. They swabbed my hand and I set off an alarm. NEAT. She pats me down, then grabs all my stuff and swabs it. It alarms. NEAT. A supervisor comes over, they whisper, and they both swab more stuff and it alarms. NEAT. Me: "What are you looking for?" Explosives. You're alarming for explosive residue. NEAT. They take my stuff to another machine. It alarms. NEAT. I'm starting to feel like I'm going to be delayed. Like a bad guy. Like a terrorist. They finally give my shoes back to me. Cool. And my belt. They say they have to pat me down again. Ok. We go into the "secret room" where I have to spread my legs. WIDE. And she uses the front of her hand. UM. REALLY? Everywhere. It was obscene. Hence the secret door. She says IF her gloves comes back clean then I will be free to go. What if they don't?

 

While the gloves were being tested one of the TSA agents asked me if I put hand cream on this morning. Yes. Every morning. Every time I wash my hands, which was like 96 seconds before the screening. She asked if it had shea butter in it. Yes. 20%. Always. She said that's what did it. The glove, patdown every imaginable criminal crevice TSA agent returned saying I was free to go. I said we should nearly be engaged after that. She sent me to the martini bar. On my dime.

 

Gotta run, flight starts to board to ATL in 10 minutes.

 

Oh, Dorset Cruiser, thanks for the heads up! After a couple martinis I will hopefully sleep this time on the flight to Rome & be more alert than last time. :-) If not, and something happens, at least I still get to go on this cruise!

 

Ciao!

[Pia1913]

Today turned out to be a beautiful day. The morning clouds gave way to sun and we were even able to spend some time on our balcony. I had a somewhat disconnected day, because I took a major pain med which made me woozy for a lot of hours. Will not do that again. Ibuprofen seems to be helping, but that stuff also makes me nauseous. Win some; lose some. We missed the wine tasting; took a nap instead. Besides which I wasn’t going to mix wine and meds.

 

 

CC party was very nice; they are doing something new with the most traveled. CC hostess is now asking when you first started cruising with Princess, which ship, your favorite destination and why. An impromptu interview. I passed. :p

 

 

 

“Do you Wanna Dance” was very entertaining. Complete new cast and they performed admirably. Especially since we are going thru some heavy seas and the ship is doing lots of rockin’ and rollin’.

 

 

Had two chubby lobster tails for dinner accompanied by turkey stuffing. That was my requested combo.

 

 

Clocks are going back an hour tonight, so we get a little more sleep. Not that I need any. See you in the AM.

[Aloha 1]

Pia; Regarding your leg pain: quick caveat, I am not a Doc but our son is finishing his final year of Med School. I am currently suffering thru the same thing. My son tells me it's the piriformis muscle which runs right next to the sciatic nerve. The LAST thing you want to do is go on the treadmill! Trust me, I thought I was fine after a week then hit the "iron maiden" for a 3 mile jaunt and set myself right back where I was a week ago when the pain started. Ibuprofin is an anti-inflammatory which explains why it seems to help -your muscle is sore and inflamed. Google "piriformis" and you'll find some exercises which will help the healing process. Also, if you can find a heat pad or commandeer a hot tub, heat help tremendously. It is quite possible you may not be able to work out for the rest of the cruise. Bottom line, find some stretching exercises that work your hamstring, apply heat, rest, etc. It sucks but it comes with the territory of being a Boomer! :) And there's always good wine!

[Aloha 1]

Hi Pia! Can't wait to meet you!

 

Anyway, I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I am sooo grateful I get to go on this cruise, this cruise that was July 7/oversold/changed to Sept 4/oversold/changed to now. I really NEED this one!

 

I am sitting at the martini bar in Orlando International Airport's International terminal. Let me take a quick minute to tell the story.

 

I ALWAYS arrive 3 hours early for an international flight (it's the military in me). Good thing. I go through security and I was randomly selected for the hand swabbing. They swabbed my hand and I set off an alarm. NEAT. She pats me down, then grabs all my stuff and swabs it. It alarms. NEAT. A supervisor comes over, they whisper, and they both swab more stuff and it alarms. NEAT. Me: "What are you looking for?" Explosives. You're alarming for explosive residue. NEAT. They take my stuff to another machine. It alarms. NEAT. I'm starting to feel like I'm going to be delayed. Like a bad guy. Like a terrorist. They finally give my shoes back to me. Cool. And my belt. They say they have to pat me down again. Ok. We go into the "secret room" where I have to spread my legs. WIDE. And she uses the front of her hand. UM. REALLY? Everywhere. It was obscene. Hence the secret door. She says IF her gloves comes back clean then I will be free to go. What if they don't?

 

While the gloves were being tested one of the TSA agents asked me if I put hand cream on this morning. Yes. Every morning. Every time I wash my hands, which was like 96 seconds before the screening. She asked if it had shea butter in it. Yes. 20%. Always. She said that's what did it. The glove, patdown every imaginable criminal crevice TSA agent returned saying I was free to go. I said we should nearly be engaged after that. She sent me to the martini bar. On my dime.

 

Gotta run, flight starts to board to ATL in 10 minutes.

 

Oh, Dorset Cruiser, thanks for the heads up! After a couple martinis I will hopefully sleep this time on the flight to Rome & be more alert than last time. :-) If not, and something happens, at least I still get to go on this cruise!

 

Ciao!

 

And this is exactly why TSA needs to go and we need true professionals to come in and do the job, not people hired from an ad on a pizza box :(

[Dorinda]

Any lunch or meze recommends for Patmos??

 

Sorry - only had beers. :o

[Dorinda]

Pia - Happy Thanksgiving to you and Mike. Hope you are feeling better soon.

 

Hugs, Dee & John

[caribill]

CC party was very nice; they are doing something new with the most traveled. CC hostess is now asking when you first started cruising with Princess, which ship, your favorite destination and why. An impromptu interview.

 

So, did the interview make the front page of the Patter along with the photo?

[Pia1913]

Hello. It’s Black Friday and I’m not going shopping. Patter is advertising their wonderful sale and instead of “up to 75% off” it’s now “up to 50% off.” Inflation. Weather is ok; cool, though with expected showers. Skies are dark; looks like rain. Seas have calmed down somewhat. I understand there were lots of “sickies” last night.

 

　

This morning’s events are a port talk on Civitavecchia, a culinary demonstration and a galley tour. There’s also a centurion get-together which we may poke our noses into. Never have seen this before and we definitely qualify. Afternoon will bring a margarita demo, the navigational chart auction and On Deck for the Cure. Tonight’s entertainment is the same solo opera singer as two nights ago; Christopher Riggins. The Help will be shown on cabin TV, so we might watch this. I read the book and usually don’t like to see how they massacre it for a movie.

 

 

Aloha: I sleep with a doc. LOL. :D

 

Bill: Yes. Front page news. ;)

[ssbeagle]

Just after Pia posted we went through such a downpour you couldn't see the water. As soon as the rain stopped we saw 4 waterspouts. Glad none came close to the ship. We also have the Most Travelled Passengers' lunch today. The sale this morning was nothing much. It was very disappointing and I bought nothing. First time that's ever happened.

[Pia1913]

Lazy day at sea. Love it. All we did today was trivia in the morning; tied and lost tiebreaker #2 and most traveled luncheon. Interesting note re: Capt. Poggi. He is hard to understand when he makes announcements due to accent and the facrt that he speaks very quickly. However, when you are up close and personal at the same table, he doesn’t come across that way at all. Luncheon was wonderful, as always.

 

Not feeling too good; missed dinner. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

[Pam in CA]

The Help will be shown on cabin TV, so we might watch this. I read the book and usually don’t like to see how they massacre it for a movie.

I agree with you about how Hollywood tends to massacre a good book but I felt that given the time restraints, they did a very creditable job with "The Help." While the movie wasn't as good as the book, it was very watchable if you've read the book. :)

[Aloha 1]

Aloha: I sleep with a doc. LOL. :D

 

I should have figured that out when you said your Doc OK'd Cipro and wine :D

[lovevacadays]

So, did the interview make the front page of the Patter along with the photo?

 

And, I'd love to hear what the answers are!

[paul929207]

At a minimum, it must be a major feature of the Reflections DVD.

[Pia1913]

　

Good Saturday morning from Sorrento. The sun is shining and it looks like it’s going to be a nice day. I’m trying to be positive even though I feel like ****. We are anchored and tendering has begun. As of now I’m not going anywhere, except maybe to the doctor. I really wanted to go to the supermarket to replenish supplies, but right now it’s wait and see.

 

　

Meanwhile, not much will happen on board today. Those who stay aboard will have nothing to do, unless they are disembarking tomorrow. In their case, they will be packing. We heard that 150 passengers are staying on board for the transatlantic to FLL. Evening entertainment is the production show “Stardust” and a late movie, “Bridesmaids.”

 

 

Paul: you really think they put that on the DVD? OMG! Answers not that interesting. First time 1984: new Royal that Princess Diana christened. Or perhaps the Fair Princess. Favorite: South Africa.

 

Coffee time.

[paul929207]

　

Good Saturday morning from Sorrento. The sun is shining and it looks like it’s going to be a nice day. I’m trying to be positive even though I feel like ****. We are anchored and tendering has begun. As of now I’m not going anywhere, except maybe to the doctor. I really wanted to go to the supermarket to replenish supplies, but right now it’s wait and see.

 

　

Meanwhile, not much will happen on board today. Those who stay aboard will have nothing to do, unless they are disembarking tomorrow. In their case, they will be packing. We heard that 150 passengers are staying on board for the transatlantic to FLL. Evening entertainment is the production show “Stardust” and a late movie, “Bridesmaids.”

 

 

Paul: you really think they put that on the DVD? OMG! Answers not that interesting. First time 1984: new Royal that Princess Diana christened. Or perhaps the Fair Princess. Favorite: South Africa.

 

Coffee time.

I don't know. We both one several years ago and weren't impressed.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

[chamima]

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.

It's the way we cope with it , that makes the difference."

 

 

David - I LOVE the quote under your signature. Is it your own or are you quoting anyone in particular?