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John&LaLa Live B2B from Symphony 10/26 and 11/2, Great Expectations πŸŽ‚


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4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Is there a place where we can read your thoughts on that cruise? I keep toying with the idea of booking MSC but have not yet pulled the trigger.

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3 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Yes.. what he said.


I'm planning on writing up a comparison post.... I'll try to remember to tag you guys in on it when I get around to finishing it!

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13 minutes ago, brillohead said:

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I'm planning on writing up a comparison post.... I'll try to remember to tag you guys in on it when I get around to finishing it!

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If you remember, please tag me in it as well. I'll also walk down the hall and check the MSC threads occasionally to look for it just in case you forget.Β  I'm assuming you'll be posting it there or will it be in the published review section of CC?

Β 

Β 

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1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

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If you remember, please tag me in it as well. I'll also walk down the hall and check the MSC threads occasionally to look for it just in case you forget.Β  I'm assuming you'll be posting it there or will it be in the published review section of CC?


It won't be an "official review" -- just a post/thread.Β 

I'll likely post it both here and in the MSC board (hopefully that won't anger The Powers That Be) -- I would imagine that those on the MSC board will have a different perspective on it than those here on the Royal board, so it would be applicable to both categories.Β 

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9 minutes ago, brillohead said:


It won't be an "official review" -- just a post/thread.Β 

I'll likely post it both here and in the MSC board (hopefully that won't anger The Powers That Be) -- I would imagine that those on the MSC board will have a different perspective on it than those here on the Royal board, so it would be applicable to both categories.Β 

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Cool, thanks!Β 

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If it is a compare/contrast MSC to RCI type post, then I would think The Power That BeΒ  should be okay with it. Just slip Bob a small tip to be safe. (Biker is right - any thread can be turned into a tipping thread πŸ™‚ )

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Even though I'm on the cusp of being a Diamond next cruise - well, technically 2 cruises as I'll turn Diamond next cruise - I think Royal fatigue has set in so it's time to branch out. I guess the lure of DL access is not enough. lol.Β  MSC is an interesting option, I think, and more "out of the box"Β  than Carnival or NCL.

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3 hours ago, HBE4 said:

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Cool, thanks!Β 

Β 

If it is a compare/contrast MSC to RCI type post, then I would think The Power That BeΒ  should be okay with it. Just slip Bob a small tip to be safe. (Biker is right - any thread can be turned into a tipping thread πŸ™‚ )

Β 

Even though I'm on the cusp of being a Diamond next cruise - well, technically 2 cruises as I'll turn Diamond next cruise - I think Royal fatigue has set in so it's time to branch out. I guess the lure of DL access is not enough. lol.Β  MSC is an interesting option, I think, and more "out of the box"Β  than Carnival or NCL.

Β 

Is the tip to Bob an automatic charge... or can I cancel that and give him cash if/when I ever see him?Β  Β (stir... stir)Β πŸ˜‚

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10 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Is there a place where we can read your thoughts on that cruise? I keep toying with the idea of booking MSC but have not yet pulled the trigger.

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Don't book MSC.

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Apply at Royal

FB_IMG_1573687116744.thumb.jpg.6f8b93fd8c6458ed0a6a95554b0f1851.jpg

Β 

Join the team

Β 

We visit a lotπŸ˜‰

Β 

@brillohead

@Mikew0805

Β 

Edited by John&LaLa
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3 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

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Don't book MSC.

Β 

Apply at Royal

Join the team

Β 

We visit a lotπŸ˜‰

Β 

@brillohead

@Mikew0805

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Ahhh... no! 😳

I am a Hospice nurse, with a background in Oncology. While I could work in this field, that would ruin cruises for me. My cruises are how I fill my cup back up, so I can give everythingΒ to the RN's that I manage, and to theΒ patients/families.Β 

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6 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Ahhh... no! 😳

I am a Hospice nurse, with a background in Oncology. While I could work in this field, that would ruin cruises for me. My cruises are how I fill my cup back up, so I can give everythingΒ to the RN's that I manage, and to theΒ patients/families.Β 

I want to say thank you for working in this challenging field. Β Last year we lost my dad to cancer. The hospice workers were amazing! Our nurse became part of the family. Daddy’s face always lit up when she came to our house.Β Everyone was so patient answering our questions, which I’m sure they had heard 100s ofΒ times before. Wonderful people!

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On 11/9/2019 at 11:19 AM, h20skibum said:

Thanks for taking us along.Β 
Β 

How was the H&O concert, in person? Β  Just watched aΒ stream someone did during the show, and it sounded like bad karaoke. Β 
Β 

I hope it was just how the sound came across on their phone. Was it good, in person, or have they lost their touch?

Β 

Concert was fun, sound was rough sometimes, especially when they are just talking to the crowd.

FWIW, Live music is never as good as the heavily engineered songs we are used to. It's all about the vibe of the crowd.

Sure they've lost their touch, but most of us knewΒ the songs, sang along, and remembered the 80's.

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Overall a great choice for a cruise like this

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In my opinionπŸ˜‡

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Edited by John&LaLa
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15 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Β 

Β 

Apply at Royal

Β 

Β 

Join the team

Β 

We visit a lotπŸ˜‰

Β 

@brillohead

@Mikew0805

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Β 

hhmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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Just recently retired (young) as a Nurse Anesthetist..................

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Wonder if I am over qualified?

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Nah, the fun would be gone.

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Thanks for the info

Β 

Safe travels.

Edited by Lionesss
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33 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

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hhmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Β 

Just recently retired (young) as a Nurse Anesthetist..................

Β 

Wonder if I am over qualified?

Β 

Nah, the fun would be gone.

Β 

Thanks for the info

Β 

Safe travels.

Β 

12 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Ahhh... no! 😳

I am a Hospice nurse, with a background in Oncology. While I could work in this field, that would ruin cruises for me. My cruises are how I fill my cup back up, so I can give everythingΒ to the RN's that I manage, and to theΒ patients/families.Β 

Β 

I sent it to my daughter who works in oncology andΒ has worked in ICU butΒ she said no for the same reason. She cruises to relax and recharge. I thought it would be perfect for her because she is young and loves to travel.

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12 hours ago, brillohead said:

And I need a bit more Critical Care experience to qualify.....

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Look at it this way. Most of the patients will either be: A)Β  have sprained ankles from falling off their Flow-rider boards or B)Β  people trying to hide the fact they have Norovirus and need to be confined to their cabin.Β Β  And the occasional seasick person.

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Alright boys & girls, cats & dogs, lets see if I can finish this today.

I believe I have all my pictures cropped down and easily accessed, so that should be easier.

Β 

I've just finished reading the final wee of this thread, so I have a good idea of what I didn't cover.

However, the format will be slightly different since we are so far removed from real time.

Β 

Anyway, what you can expect is mainly pictures with explanations.

As always, feel free to ask any questionsΒ 

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2 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

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Look at it this way. Most of the patients will either be: A)Β  have sprained ankles from falling off their Flow-rider boards or B)Β  people trying to hide the fact they have Norovirus and need to be confined to their cabin.Β Β  And the occasional seasick person.

Β 

You are forgetting the crew. Lots of cuts and burns from what I've seen in the past

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1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

Β 

Look at it this way. Most of the patients will either be: A)Β  have sprained ankles from falling off their Flow-rider boards or B)Β  people trying to hide the fact they have Norovirus and need to be confined to their cabin.Β Β  And the occasional seasick person.

Unfortunately, that just isn't the case. I was on one cruise where I was chilling in the solarium. Heard a medical call over the PA and realized the issue was about 30 feet away from me and I ended up attending a heart attack until the response team showed up. The solarium crew seemed quite relieved to let me take over. I was quite happy to let the response team take over and get back to my lounger.

Β 

Many people with chronic medical conditions cruise and the change in lifestyle between activity level, eating, drinking, sleep patterns, etc., often leads to decompensation of their issues.

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Aqua Theater 101 - The quest for the perfect seat

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Laura was napping Sunday afternoon, so I had some time to kill.Β  Since Phoenix is playing here the next night, I decided to scope out the venue

20191103_153046.thumb.jpg.2562b7a71d1d984f79e155558ee158cb.jpg

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An Interesting thing about the Aqua Theater is the seating. Every other row is bench style.

20191103_153018.thumb.jpg.3f0f5b553e29d4c200e36c8a35802615.jpg

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Personally, I prefer the seats, however, due to the design you have better lines of site from the benches. You sit closer to the floor in the seats than the benches and this impactsΒ the stadium seating effect. So don't worry if you can't find one of the nice seats, the view is better from the benches. Bring a towel if you want some padding.

20191103_152942.thumb.jpg.f3854c3a194487167fde221d32235898.jpg

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If the theater looks full, or if you want to watch from above, head up to the rock wall balcony. That's where I wanted to be anyway.Β  You can also get there from the Deck 7 hallway all the way aft.Β  This is also an easy way to sneak in if you don't have a ticket to the show.πŸ˜‰

20191103_153239.thumb.jpg.ce2924b1f9c78bdb0a9cd251efa72e64.jpg

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You may notice there are no chairs up there.

20191103_153540.thumb.jpg.6cb1f77402c24c5839f7101d29620fa4.jpg

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Don't worry, they are around the corner.Β  This is also a nice place to connect with the ocean, if you are into stuff like that.

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Wake view

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Right now, I'm on the Starboard side, tomorrow I'll be on the port side. So this is the reverse view. I can't think of an advantage to either in the evening. Both are great

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Here is the door to the aft hallway

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It's a long way back

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Here is the crew stairs for servicing the aft cabins and the emergency access when needed.Β  This is probably how the Genies access the Aqua Suites above. They may come in handy for me next MarchπŸ˜‰

20191103_153746.thumb.jpg.ca5296d1b42503ca1ed701226277448d.jpg

Edited by John&LaLa
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1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

Unfortunately, that just isn't the case. I was on one cruise where I was chilling in the solarium. Heard a medical call over the PA and realized the issue was about 30 feet away from me and I ended up attending a heart attack until the response team showed up. The solarium crew seemed quite relieved to let me take over. I was quite happy to let the response team take over and get back to my lounger.

Β 

Many people with chronic medical conditions cruise and the change in lifestyle between activity level, eating, drinking, sleep patterns, etc., often leads to decompensation of their issues.

That passenger was very lucky you were nearby.

Do you know if he/she made a full recovery?

Β 

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Meals with Molly - Solarium Bistro

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This ended up being quite nice, we chose to go on Day 2 since we had reservations in CK for Day 1

It was so good, I know some Pins who went both nights.😱

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This picture is a little fuzzy, but I wanted to give a shout out to the two folks on the right.Β 

Red bowtie is the Food and Beverage Manager for Corporate, I think his name is Dominique.Β  He was the one responsible for the dessert buffet and the subsequent disaster.Β πŸ˜‰

The waiter just above him we saw almost every single day in a different venue.Β  He was very friendly and I always enjoyed running into him.

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Bistro is beautiful in the evening

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Molly was stunning in a red gown. She worked the room like a professional. I think she'll do well in her new roll

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Our menu. Family style, so we had everything

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Platter was good.Β  I spent the rest of the cruise in search of the mustard.Β  I failed

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Onion tart

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Laura had surf and turf. Medium on the tenderloin.Β Β 

Oh, and one of my many Cape Codders 😁

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I had the lobster. Now based on the menu, I thought it would be a whole lobster. I was wrong, again.Β 

It was good, and I ended up with Laura's anyway

20191103_222935.thumb.jpg.1dd1a58c5064f1211f7075ae7863e767.jpg

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We skipped dessert because of the Comedy club reservations. I heard it was good

Overall a very nice meal, I would have gone twice.

Personally I think this was done as an olive branch to appease us for limiting our time in CK.

Worked for me

Β 

Edited by John&LaLa
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3 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Look at it this way. Most of the patients will either be: A)Β  have sprained ankles from falling off their Flow-rider boards or B)Β  people trying to hide the fact they have Norovirus and need to be confined to their cabin.Β Β  And the occasional seasick person.


For starters, the amount of critical care experience for the job is a requirement for applying, not just a personal preference.Β Β 


And as Ocean Boy stated, lots of well-seasoned (πŸ˜‰) folks cruise, with the attendant chronic or acute maladies associated with being well-seasoned.Β  Cruise ships have a morgue for a reason -- ship happens!

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8 minutes ago, brillohead said:


For starters, the amount of critical care experience for the job is a requirement for applying, not just a personal preference.Β Β 


And as Ocean Boy stated, lots of well-seasoned (πŸ˜‰) folks cruise, with the attendant chronic or acute maladies associated with being well-seasoned.Β  Cruise ships have a morgue for a reason -- ship happens!

A little story - On the Mariner in August, Josh (my other half) and I were on the pool deck mid morning after breakfast, and he was having a cigarette. We were docked in Nassau, so the ship was pretty dead. All of a sudden, a whistle from one of the lifeguards, and in the pool closest to us there was a man doing the dead mans float. The lifeguards were really REALLY quick in getting a gurney in the water and getting the patient out of the pool and to an open area of the deck. This is where the good... stopped.

Β 

I was standing up at this time, and taking interest. Security quickly formed a perimeterΒ around the patient and I was at about 25Β feet away, but had a clear view.Β  They started CPR immediately, although I could have swore I saw his abdomen rise, but never the less the CPR they were performing was completely ineffective. There was no recoil, it was being done with one hand, palm open... almost like you would lightly push onΒ someone to wake them up from sleeping. I mean his skin was barely being compressed.Β At this time the Nurse had arrived and was counting off to 30 as they were doing it, and I was getting a bit agitated. I calmly said to the security guard near me (even though adrenaline was flowing) "If that guy needs CPR, they need to get someone in there to do it correctly, they are not pressing hard enough to circulate." His response "Let them handle it." I turned to Josh and said... "if that man is not breathing, he is going to die." As I continue to watch, adrenaline and HR increasing... I said to Josh, they have not even turned him on his side yet. (had not been on his side or prone since he was in the pool) I am letting out a few expletives, that only Josh can hear... until I finally had enough. I yelled "Turn him on his f$#%ing side." After the nurse looked at me she said something to them, and they turned him on his side, and sure enough... water flowed, and with a swift hit on his back he started coughing. He was down a total of about 3-5 minutes.Β He sat up... I could not hear what they said, but they let him stand up and walk away.Β  *****?

Β 

I then said to Josh... "Whatever you do... do not need lifesaving treatment while on this ship."Β 

Β 

I did send a letter to Royal that praised the efforts of the lifeguards, but suggested that Royal continue to educate staff on CPR, and other basic life saving measures. I felt like I was overstepping on that, but I also could not just NOT say anything.

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1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

Aqua Theater 101 - The quest for the perfect seat

Β 

Laura was napping Sunday afternoon, so I had some time to kill.Β  Since Phoenix is playing here the next night, I decided to scope out the venue

Β 

An Interesting thing about the Aqua Theater is the seating. Every other row is bench style.

Β 

Personally, I prefer the seats, however, due to the design you have better lines of site from the benches. You sit closer to the floor in the seats than the benches and this impactsΒ the stadium seating effect. So don't worry if you can't find one of the nice seats, the view is better from the benches. Bring a towel if you want some padding.

Β 

If the theater looks full, or if you want to watch from above, head up to the rock wall balcony. That's where I wanted to be anyway.Β  You can also get there from the Deck 7 hallway all the way aft.Β  This is also an easy way to sneak in if you don't have a ticket to the show.πŸ˜‰

Β 

You may notice there are no chairs up there.

Β 

Don't worry, they are around the corner.Β  This is also a nice place to connect with the ocean, if you are into stuff like that.

Β 

Wake view

Β 

Right now, I'm on the Starboard side, tomorrow I'll be on the port side. So this is the reverse view. I can't think of an advantage to either in the evening. Both are great

Β 

Here is the door to the aft hallway

Β 

It's a long way back

Β 

Here is the crew stairs for servicing the aft cabins and the emergency access when needed.Β  This is probably how the Genies access the Aqua Suites above. They may come in handy for me next March

John... is this all the same on Oasis, in regards to deck 7 location and door?

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11 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

....I did send a letter to Royal that praised the efforts of the lifeguards, but suggested that Royal continue to educate staff on CPR, and other basic life saving measures. I felt like I was overstepping on that, but I also could not just NOT say anything.

IMO you weren't overstepping. You saw something that needed/needs improving on and spoke up.Β Good for you.

Edited by davekathy
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