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Review-freedom's just another word for a really decent cruise

JohnGaltny

By JohnGaltny,
in Royal Caribbean International

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goouchjac

goouchjac

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Love your review,,we will going on our 4th cruise on the FOS come Jan.:)..great ship and crew..

 

Seeing you are from the Hudson Valley NY...just wanted to say , we bought our first house up there in HopewellJct..more than a few years ago,,loved it up there,,but alas,,business called and we moved to Long Island and then retired down here in hot and humid Fla.:eek: I'm sure it has changed a great deal in the Hudson Valley,,beautiful spot when we lived there,,hope it hasn't changed much...

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Hozhoni

Hozhoni

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Thanks for sharing your hilarious review...and you must have a very special, understanding and gorgeous wife....you are a great photographer! Happy cruising.....please come take some shots of me too :)

Happy Cruising, Dawn

 

Sent from my DROID4 using Forums mobile app

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JohnGaltny

JohnGaltny

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Wallie, Glad I could help you remember why RCI is just that much better to us. It's not the food (CERTAINLY not the coffee - which is where old battery acid goes to die), the clubs, the ports or the shows. It's the crew.

 

Goouchjac, thanks. I'm about 20 miles south of Hopewell, right on the River. If you click here http://www.pbase.com/bilsen/scenery and go to the Hudson Valley gallery, you may get a bit homesick. No models in this gallery so fear not SOPO, your sensitivities are safe.

 

HozHoni - WOOOOW, another person who actually did all those clicks. Glad you enjoyed the images of Kristine. My wife is, in fact, gorgeous, understanding and, after 32 years with me, no longer possible to embarrass. She also understands fully that an old dog can finally catch the car BUT he still can't drive.:D

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JohnGaltny

JohnGaltny

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EPILOGUE

Anytime I write these demented tirades there are invariably little things I leave out, which I attribute to all the Jack Daniels in college. After all, sophomore was three of the best years of my life.

 

I failed to mention that our luxury vehicle in St. Thomas, apart from marginal air conditioning, had apparently had a suspension-ectomy at some point. By the time we were an hour into the ride, I no longer knew whether my kidneys were between my hip bones or shoulder blades.

 

Likewise, the warm counter-ocean breezes that came from Hell's Own Hairdryer (Model 737-200 available from Amazon) also performs a depilatory sand blast on your arms and your skin remains soft (actually medium rare) with tiny pebble pockmarks for several days.

 

Lastly, TA-DAAAAA here is the final chapter of:

 

THE GLORY OF BEING RALPHED

 

As you may recall from way back in post # 9 early on, it is our normal practice on any cruise to be "Ralphed" at least twice. However, on this cruise Ralph saved the best for last.

 

After blowing his MTD reservation and then getting us kicked out as well thereby guaranteeing me a week at the last seating I detest, my friend informed me on Thursday that he, his wife and three teens had been given a special coupon for dinner at CHOPS and were going on Friday.

 

Thus, on the second formal night (the original intent of our switch), my wife and I would be gracing a table for 7 at a seating I didn't want to be at with a set of empty chairs representing the 5 reason we were there in the first place. HMMMMM Isn't that Special??

 

If this seems weird, or even a little strange to anyone, I can offer you details of our next cruise (Explorer in May, 2014) so you too may join us and have the chance to be Ralphed all on your own. No need to actually be friends cause he'll do it to absolutely anyone given the chance.

 

The really demented part of this whole saga is that it doesn't even make my top ten list of "Ralphings". We've been friends for 40 years and he's still alive so somewhere God gave me the temperament to laugh as a suppressive for more primitive homicidal urges from my Amagdylla.

 

SO THAT'S IT

 

My song is sung, the bell tolls for me and I conclude this chapter of my personal Odyssey (or is it the Illiad - I always forget which is which) with a final salute to SOPO, the smoke police, MDR dress code enforcement bureau and Royal Carribots. In the eternal words of Don Henley:

 

GET OVER IT!!!

Next Up

A model photoshoot cruise to Bermuda in May, undoubtedly more Ralphings and I'll let you all know if I got those steak knives.

::deep bow and Exit-stage left::

Edited by JohnGaltny
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Hozhoni

Hozhoni

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Wallie, Glad I could help you remember why RCI is just that much better to us. It's not the food (CERTAINLY not the coffee - which is where old battery acid goes to die), the clubs, the ports or the shows. It's the crew.

 

Goouchjac, thanks. I'm about 20 miles south of Hopewell, right on the River. If you click here http://www.pbase.com/bilsen/scenery and go to the Hudson Valley gallery, you may get a bit homesick. No models in this gallery so fear not SOPO, your sensitivities are safe.

 

HozHoni - WOOOOW, another person who actually did all those clicks. Glad you enjoyed the images of Kristine. My wife is, in fact, gorgeous, understanding and, after 32 years with me, no longer possible to embarrass. She also understands fully that an old dog can finally catch the car BUT he still can't drive.:D

 

Ha ha.....I am actually into photography and was looking at the lighting....I prefer the headshots...of course the shots I take right now are nature and my own beautiful daughters....what camera are you lugging around?

Dawn aka Hozhoni (look up the meaning)

 

Sent from my DROID4 using Forums mobile app

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JohnGaltny

JohnGaltny

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I finally got around to reading another one of your stellar reviews. And I may or may not have checked out Kristine's gallery (pictures 37-41 are my favorites).

 

Now I'm moving on to Reeves, Aleona and Bond girls.

 

Heyyy York, welcome over here. Want to go on a model cruise in May. The models in question are Cyndi ( the BilCyn Collection) and Ann Marie ( Miss Phillipines 2009 ). As long as you're not in my galleries, please don't go see them or, especially Trash Bag women. LOL

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JohnGaltny

JohnGaltny

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I finally got around to reading another one of your stellar reviews. And I may or may not have checked out Kristine's gallery (pictures 37-41 are my favorites).

 

Now I'm moving on to Reeves, Aleona and Bond girls.

 

Ha ha.....I am actually into photography and was looking at the lighting....I prefer the headshots...of course the shots I take right now are nature and my own beautiful daughters....what camera are you lugging around?

Dawn aka Hozhoni (look up the meaning)

 

Sent from my DROID4 using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks Days of Beauty. If you go to my Galleries, look up my Native beauty Dusty Dawn ( Choctaw) and my Metis friend Tannis.

 

The camera was a Canon T3i, all natural light. No flash, no reflectors.

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goouchjac

goouchjac

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Thanks John for posting the pictures of our home state,,do get nostalgic when I see how beautiful NY really is,,alot of people think that it's all concrete and high rise buildings...

 

We spent alot of summers up in Lake George, loved it up there on vacation:)..

 

So thanks again and happy sailing..:):)

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JohnGaltny

JohnGaltny

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Thanks all.

 

Orange, Port C is a bit of a PITA as compared to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale because the airport (MCO) is about an hour from the port. Car service will run about $125.00 with tip one way, but that's the easiest way I've found.

Other than that, the Port itself is the same as anyplace else and RCI's check in procedure is as sterling there as anywhere we've sailed.

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Hozhoni

Hozhoni

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Thanks Days of Beauty. If you go to my Galleries, look up my Native beauty Dusty Dawn ( Choctaw) and my Metis friend Tannis.

 

The camera was a Canon T3i, all natural light. No flash, no reflectors.

 

Awesome...my four daughters are part Choctaw. My DH is from OK. His great grandma was full blooded Choctaw, sad story..anyway thanks for the info I'm indecisive about which camera to buy looking at a Nikon. D3100, but the canon seems great too..... really enjoyed your humorous review...I'm sailing on Liberty in Nov :)

Dawn

 

Sent from my DROID4 using Forums mobile app

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JohnGaltny

JohnGaltny

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Thanks again "Days of Beauty". I really hope you got a look at Dusty Dawn. She has taught me so much about Native culture and is a truly good friend.

 

Of course, last Thanksgiving she sent me a text "Happy saved whitey's a** day". LOLOLOL Did I mention she has a pretty good sense of humor.

 

Thanks again to all who joined our little crowd.

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MommaBear55

MommaBear55

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Thanks for bumping this up as I missed it the first time around! Wonderfully witty, dry like a good martini and just enough sarcasm to make me miss NY briefly.

 

I think your 90 year old in the butt floss bikini must be Pinncle at this point, as she has been on every cruise I have been on.

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