Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[zap99]

1 hour ago, clochette said:

we are also on the Anthem January 9 sailing and really looking forward to it, it has been our annual cruise for the past 5 years except for last year of course and might be the last one with both of our daughters.

We are off on our first Anthem cruise.......well, in September.🤔

[jagsfan]

10 hours ago, Jimbo said:

You are close to the Bay Bridge area,  do you ever go over that way to see the cruise ships sail out to sea?

Yes, I don't mind helping out the neighbor's. They are a little older then me and all of them have been nice to us, the newbie's in the neighborhood. It's nice to get the extra seat time on the tractor in the winter.

I saw a short video of snow falling on the Florida Panhandle. It never makes it to the Atlantic side any more. Not since Christmas 1989. 

[jagsfan]

48 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

So horrible for all those people still stuck on I95.  Quite a mess and hopefully they get moving soon.  Imagine a lot of them ran out of gas trying to stay warm.

I read about it on a local news app.
How many of the cars would have blankets? You wouldn’t starve overnight, but you could sure freeze to death!

A trucker gave some advice I never would have thought of. 
if you get stranded on the highway like that, ask a trucker for food and water. She said they always carry extra. 
 

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Have you been watching 1883 series?

 

Not yet, thinking about it.

[Sea Dog]

10 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

I was ready to pitch Rachel overboard last season but I'm really liking her this time. She still has a potty mouth but seems more professional.  But she could change my mind at any moment.

 

I think she has made a 180 degree turn around. I'm sure some of it had to do after she watched the show and saw how stupid she looked. She has been the bright spot in this season.

 

 

11 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

 

In other news, I tested positive for Covid. Last Thursday morning, someone I spent a significant amount of time with recently (not DD) told me they tested positive.  Thursday night, I began to feel a certain itchiness in my chest. Just my imagination, I thought. Friday morning, woke up with a nagging dry cough. Went to a county-run drive thru test site. Spent 2 hours waiting in the car for a Rapid Antigen test which came back negative. Saturday felt even worse, and friend told me a story of someone that took an Antigen & PCR test at the same time. Antigen test came back negative & PCR came back positive.

 

So, this morning I took two more tests. The PCR and a molecular NAAT (which is almost as good as a PCR and better than an Antigen test). NAAT came back positive and the doctor is pretty certain the PCR will be positive as well when I get the results in 1-3 day.

 

I feel fine now, rebounded quickly from Saturday, really nothing more than a typical head cold and treating with OTC meds. Just need to stay away from the nursing home for the next week. 😔

 

On the positive side, maybe I'll use the time to catch up on all seasons of all the Below Deck shows. 😉

 

 

 

Interesting I came down with what I think is a cold right before Christmas. I took two BiNax Now tests and each came up negative. Symptoms were no fever but a dry hacking cough, Runny nose, sneezing and a head cold. Maybe I did have Covid? Going on 4 weeks now and I still have some symptoms.

 

 

49 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

 

I asked my crew to stand by, in case we wanted to take a little boat ride. 😂😂

 

 

 

Wow that's a beauty!

 

 

39 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

  I've been tempted lately to give Below Deck a look for the scenery,

 

I think you should give it a try. The yacht, scenery and food are worth it alone.

 

[Sea Dog]

Tense moments this morning after taking the babies out to do their business in the back year. We have a lower fenced in, retaining wall yard and then the wooded area behind the wall. Linda was watching the woods and I was watching the puppies, when suddenly a coyote came walking through the wooded area. Linda screamed at it and it looked at us but did not seem fazed. I don't know if the coyote saw the pups, but needless to say we are on edge now every time we take them out. Not sure what I can do. I don't even own a gun.

[long4acruise]

57 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Good morning from not so sunny Nassau today.  I thought it was always sunny on a cruise.  Those pesky clouds hid the sunrise today. 

Gee, what a difference one day makes. We were in Nassau yes'day on EN, along with Celebrity Edge & Reflection, and Carnival Mardi Gras (beautiful ship!). Weather was wonderful - sunny and 82°.  A little cooler and light winds today in CocoCay.

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Not sure what I can do.

Call this guy? 

Jake Herak - Mountain Men Cast | HISTORY Channel

[bobmacliberty]

I'm following up from my quick comments about our trip to the Biltmore before Christmas. I think I said that I'd give the experience a 6 out of 10.  Here is a little more detail.  We stayed in the Village Hotel.  We've stayed there once before.  I didn't book dinner reservations in time and was pleased when calling that they were able to get me reservations at the Stable Cafe for a 3 course candlelight dinner at 5:00.  We then had reservations for the Christmas candlelight tour at 7:00.  All combined, it cost us about $1000, so it wasn't cheap.

 

The hotel is nice.  As I said, we've been there before.  The rooms are nicely furnished.  It's a step up from a Hampton but not really what I'd call a 4 star hotel.  The knock that I have against the hotel is that it feels like you're at Disney, with slightly less of the Disney magic service.  The woman who checked us in was like a robot, as if we were one of a thousand people that she had "processed" that day.  They give you a pile of paper with tickets for everything, including our dinner reservations (tickets for dinner??).  I expected a little more for the price that we were paying, but no big deal.  We didn't have time for wine tasting (which is right next to the hotel) and only had about 30 minutes to walk around the village area, so the hotel for us was just a bed and a shower.

 

Dinner was the biggest disappointment.  It looked great on paper with 4 appetizers, 7 entrees, and 4 desserts from which to choose.  The price for dinner was based on your entree selection.  I started with the Duck Fat Cornbread, which was as dry as sawdust.  I asked our waitress if she could bring me another one but the chef told her that all were from the same batch and all would be the same.  That's when the comparison to a cruise ship MDR first appeared in my head.  She then brought me the Butternut Squash Bisque instead, which had almost no taste to it.  Micheline thought her Spinach and Apple Salad was OK.

 

For entrees, Micheline went with the Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon with she again though was OK.  She's had much better, but also has had worse.  I went with the Shrimp and Grits which, looking back on it, was a mistake.   I never liked grits when living in the north.  They always tasted bland with a very gritty texture.  When I got to Florida, I was told that I just hadn't had good grits yet.  They were right.  I've had some fantastic shrimp and grits here with gravy and andouille sausage, and have become a big fan.  What I received at the Stable Cafe was a bowl of dry tasting grits, about 6 overcooked shrimp sitting on top, and a small amount of BBQ sauce poured in top.  Sigh.

 

I figure that I at least had dessert coming.  Micheline went with the Cheesecake Tart and I had the Peanut Butter Cake.  Both were served in small glasses...the kind that you'd get if you were receiving a sample of a few different desserts.  Neither had tremendous taste.  Again, I thought about some of the Royal desserts that I've had that looked fantastic but had little taste.  We gave ourselves 2 hours to enjoy a nice relaxing dinner with drinks but they had us in and out in less than an hour.  Overall, it felt like mass produced, mediocre food, designed to serve a lot of customers quickly.  I couldn't get a cruise ship MDR out of my head, although I typically enjoy the Royal MDR food more than I did the Stable Cafe.

 

Since we were done early, we tried to get into the house early.  No luck.  They we were being strict with reservation times so that they could manage crowds in the house due to Covid.  Understandable.  We walked around the shops in the stable area for 45 minutes and then got in line.  We've been through the house before several times (although it's been several years), and we've also since been to the Palace at Versailles, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, and the Royal Palace of Madrid.  The sheer size and impressiveness of the Biltmore House didn't have the same impact anymore.  It's still very impressive, but didn't have the same wow factor.  We were there for the Christmas decorations, which didn't disappoint on the first floor.  Every room was decorated with a different Christmas song in mind.  The huge dining room had a massive tree that was fully decorated.  A few of the upstairs bedrooms had some decorations in them but it seemed like they ran out of time/staff when trying to decorate the second floor.  The included audio guide left a lot to be desired, as it only touched on a couple of aspects of each room.  There is so much to see in each room, and we were constantly slowing down the flow of traffic through the house that all seemed to be on a conveyor belt.  I wish that we had a tour guide who could have answered our many questions about art, furniture pieces, etc. Masks were mandatory in the house which normally wouldn't bother me, but I had to stop a few times to find an uncrowded corner to drop my mask and take a few breaths.

 

Overall, the experience was a slight disappointment.  Hotel...7 out of 10.  House...7 out of 10.  Stable Cafe...3 out of 10.  We could have stayed at The Inn, which is a more upscale hotel but also more expensive.  If we had booked dining reservations earlier and had dinner at either Cedric's Tavern (where we've eaten before) or The Dining Room, I'm sure we would have had a much better dining experience.  I think the house tour was negatively impacted by Covid. 

[Sea Dog]

9 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

Dinner was the biggest disappointment. 

That's really s shame when you spend that much and get less than stellar food. I too would love to see the Christmas decorations. As far as food it does make you appreciate what we get served on Royal ships. I always have a good meal on board.

[RoyalC]

22 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Tense moments this morning after taking the babies out to do their business in the back year. We have a lower fenced in, retaining wall yard and then the wooded area behind the wall. Linda was watching the woods and I was watching the puppies, when suddenly a coyote came walking through the wooded area. Linda screamed at it and it looked at us but did not seem fazed. I don't know if the coyote saw the pups, but needless to say we are on edge now every time we take them out. Not sure what I can do. I don't even own a gun.

Coyote will probably be long gone- they wander more in winter searching for food. If it wasn't looking at your pups with attention and it was unfazed, it wasn't interested. Watched many wolves, coyotes, bears over the years...of course keep an eye out, esp. this time of year.

[clochette]

49 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

I read about it on a local news app.
How many of the cars would have blankets? You wouldn’t starve overnight, but you could sure freeze to death!

A trucker gave some advice I never would have thought of. 
if you get stranded on the highway like that, ask a trucker for food and water. She said they always carry extra. 
 

we got stick on I81 near Scranton during the valentine day storm probably 15 years ago, it was absolutely awful just as we were leaving we put in water, granolar bars, and sleeping bags in the car which was so fortunately but nothing like having to go to the bathroom when you are surrounded by trucks 

[Sea Dog]

Lizzy and Charlie love tug of war and have a fascination with rope.

 

 

[Vibe]

35 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Tense moments this morning after taking the babies out to do their business in the back year. We have a lower fenced in, retaining wall yard and then the wooded area behind the wall. Linda was watching the woods and I was watching the puppies, when suddenly a coyote came walking through the wooded area. Linda screamed at it and it looked at us but did not seem fazed. I don't know if the coyote saw the pups, but needless to say we are on edge now every time we take them out. Not sure what I can do. I don't even own a gun.

 

[Vibe]

I had much success potty training puppies.  I take them out on a leash, once they do their business, I give a verbal praise and then give a treat that I have waiting in my pocket.   Being on a leash will keep them close to you away from the coyote. Giving praise and a treat immediately after doing their business is an incentive to go quicker.

[jagsfan]

1 hour ago, bobmacliberty said:

I'm following up from my quick comments about our trip to the Biltmore before Christmas. I think I said that I'd give the experience a 6 out of 10.  Here is a little more detail.  We stayed in the Village Hotel.  We've stayed there once before.  I didn't book dinner reservations in time and was pleased when calling that they were able to get me reservations at the Stable Cafe for a 3 course candlelight dinner at 5:00.  We then had reservations for the Christmas candlelight tour at 7:00.  All combined, it cost us about $1000, so it wasn't cheap.

 

The hotel is nice.  As I said, we've been there before.  The rooms are nicely furnished.  It's a step up from a Hampton but not really what I'd call a 4 star hotel.  The knock that I have against the hotel is that it feels like you're at Disney, with slightly less of the Disney magic service.  The woman who checked us in was like a robot, as if we were one of a thousand people that she had "processed" that day.  They give you a pile of paper with tickets for everything, including our dinner reservations (tickets for dinner??).  I expected a little more for the price that we were paying, but no big deal.  We didn't have time for wine tasting (which is right next to the hotel) and only had about 30 minutes to walk around the village area, so the hotel for us was just a bed and a shower.

 

Dinner was the biggest disappointment.  It looked great on paper with 4 appetizers, 7 entrees, and 4 desserts from which to choose.  The price for dinner was based on your entree selection.  I started with the Duck Fat Cornbread, which was as dry as sawdust.  I asked our waitress if she could bring me another one but the chef told her that all were from the same batch and all would be the same.  That's when the comparison to a cruise ship MDR first appeared in my head.  She then brought me the Butternut Squash Bisque instead, which had almost no taste to it.  Micheline thought her Spinach and Apple Salad was OK.

 

For entrees, Micheline went with the Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon with she again though was OK.  She's had much better, but also has had worse.  I went with the Shrimp and Grits which, looking back on it, was a mistake.   I never liked grits when living in the north.  They always tasted bland with a very gritty texture.  When I got to Florida, I was told that I just hadn't had good grits yet.  They were right.  I've had some fantastic shrimp and grits here with gravy and andouille sausage, and have become a big fan.  What I received at the Stable Cafe was a bowl of dry tasting grits, about 6 overcooked shrimp sitting on top, and a small amount of BBQ sauce poured in top.  Sigh.

 

I figure that I at least had dessert coming.  Micheline went with the Cheesecake Tart and I had the Peanut Butter Cake.  Both were served in small glasses...the kind that you'd get if you were receiving a sample of a few different desserts.  Neither had tremendous taste.  Again, I thought about some of the Royal desserts that I've had that looked fantastic but had little taste.  We gave ourselves 2 hours to enjoy a nice relaxing dinner with drinks but they had us in and out in less than an hour.  Overall, it felt like mass produced, mediocre food, designed to serve a lot of customers quickly.  I couldn't get a cruise ship MDR out of my head, although I typically enjoy the Royal MDR food more than I did the Stable Cafe.

 

Since we were done early, we tried to get into the house early.  No luck.  They we were being strict with reservation times so that they could manage crowds in the house due to Covid.  Understandable.  We walked around the shops in the stable area for 45 minutes and then got in line.  We've been through the house before several times (although it's been several years), and we've also since been to the Palace at Versailles, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, and the Royal Palace of Madrid.  The sheer size and impressiveness of the Biltmore House didn't have the same impact anymore.  It's still very impressive, but didn't have the same wow factor.  We were there for the Christmas decorations, which didn't disappoint on the first floor.  Every room was decorated with a different Christmas song in mind.  The huge dining room had a massive tree that was fully decorated.  A few of the upstairs bedrooms had some decorations in them but it seemed like they ran out of time/staff when trying to decorate the second floor.  The included audio guide left a lot to be desired, as it only touched on a couple of aspects of each room.  There is so much to see in each room, and we were constantly slowing down the flow of traffic through the house that all seemed to be on a conveyor belt.  I wish that we had a tour guide who could have answered our many questions about art, furniture pieces, etc. Masks were mandatory in the house which normally wouldn't bother me, but I had to stop a few times to find an uncrowded corner to drop my mask and take a few breaths.

 

Overall, the experience was a slight disappointment.  Hotel...7 out of 10.  House...7 out of 10.  Stable Cafe...3 out of 10.  We could have stayed at The Inn, which is a more upscale hotel but also more expensive.  If we had booked dining reservations earlier and had dinner at either Cedric's Tavern (where we've eaten before) or The Dining Room, I'm sure we would have had a much better dining experience.  I think the house tour was negatively impacted by Covid. 

It’s not the cost, it’s the disappointment that hurts.

Your evening should have been magical, starting with check in at the hotel!

COVID has meant that so many things we look forward to wind up distant relatives of our expectations. 
I keep thinking “by this time next year”!

Hasn’t happened yet!

[jagsfan]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Lizzy and Charlie love tug of war and have a fascination with rope.

 

 

Well, you know how to brighten my day!

[helen haywood]

13 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Sometimes the "friends who have yet to meet" here can offer a certain, impartial support that means just as much, if not more, than real life support, for which I have plenty of as well. It's great to have multiple support groups!

I was listening the other day to John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High.  One lyric stood out to me “…coming home to a place he’d never been before.”  I think of the “friends we have yet to meet” here the same way.  Comfort and solace from friends you haven’t met yet.

[helen haywood]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Lizzy and Charlie love tug of war and have a fascination with rope.

 

 

Thank goodness you got Charlie or YOU would be playing tug of war!

[akcruz]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

I'm following up from my quick comments about our trip to the Biltmore before Christmas. I think I said that I'd give the experience a 6 out of 10.  Here is a little more detail.  We stayed in the Village Hotel.  We've stayed there once before.  I didn't book dinner reservations in time and was pleased when calling that they were able to get me reservations at the Stable Cafe for a 3 course candlelight dinner at 5:00.  We then had reservations for the Christmas candlelight tour at 7:00.  All combined, it cost us about $1000, so it wasn't cheap.

 

The hotel is nice.  As I said, we've been there before.  The rooms are nicely furnished.  It's a step up from a Hampton but not really what I'd call a 4 star hotel.  The knock that I have against the hotel is that it feels like you're at Disney, with slightly less of the Disney magic service.  The woman who checked us in was like a robot, as if we were one of a thousand people that she had "processed" that day.  They give you a pile of paper with tickets for everything, including our dinner reservations (tickets for dinner??).  I expected a little more for the price that we were paying, but no big deal.  We didn't have time for wine tasting (which is right next to the hotel) and only had about 30 minutes to walk around the village area, so the hotel for us was just a bed and a shower.

 

Dinner was the biggest disappointment.  It looked great on paper with 4 appetizers, 7 entrees, and 4 desserts from which to choose.  The price for dinner was based on your entree selection.  I started with the Duck Fat Cornbread, which was as dry as sawdust.  I asked our waitress if she could bring me another one but the chef told her that all were from the same batch and all would be the same.  That's when the comparison to a cruise ship MDR first appeared in my head.  She then brought me the Butternut Squash Bisque instead, which had almost no taste to it.  Micheline thought her Spinach and Apple Salad was OK.

 

For entrees, Micheline went with the Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon with she again though was OK.  She's had much better, but also has had worse.  I went with the Shrimp and Grits which, looking back on it, was a mistake.   I never liked grits when living in the north.  They always tasted bland with a very gritty texture.  When I got to Florida, I was told that I just hadn't had good grits yet.  They were right.  I've had some fantastic shrimp and grits here with gravy and andouille sausage, and have become a big fan.  What I received at the Stable Cafe was a bowl of dry tasting grits, about 6 overcooked shrimp sitting on top, and a small amount of BBQ sauce poured in top.  Sigh.

 

I figure that I at least had dessert coming.  Micheline went with the Cheesecake Tart and I had the Peanut Butter Cake.  Both were served in small glasses...the kind that you'd get if you were receiving a sample of a few different desserts.  Neither had tremendous taste.  Again, I thought about some of the Royal desserts that I've had that looked fantastic but had little taste.  We gave ourselves 2 hours to enjoy a nice relaxing dinner with drinks but they had us in and out in less than an hour.  Overall, it felt like mass produced, mediocre food, designed to serve a lot of customers quickly.  I couldn't get a cruise ship MDR out of my head, although I typically enjoy the Royal MDR food more than I did the Stable Cafe.

 

Since we were done early, we tried to get into the house early.  No luck.  They we were being strict with reservation times so that they could manage crowds in the house due to Covid.  Understandable.  We walked around the shops in the stable area for 45 minutes and then got in line.  We've been through the house before several times (although it's been several years), and we've also since been to the Palace at Versailles, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, and the Royal Palace of Madrid.  The sheer size and impressiveness of the Biltmore House didn't have the same impact anymore.  It's still very impressive, but didn't have the same wow factor.  We were there for the Christmas decorations, which didn't disappoint on the first floor.  Every room was decorated with a different Christmas song in mind.  The huge dining room had a massive tree that was fully decorated.  A few of the upstairs bedrooms had some decorations in them but it seemed like they ran out of time/staff when trying to decorate the second floor.  The included audio guide left a lot to be desired, as it only touched on a couple of aspects of each room.  There is so much to see in each room, and we were constantly slowing down the flow of traffic through the house that all seemed to be on a conveyor belt.  I wish that we had a tour guide who could have answered our many questions about art, furniture pieces, etc. Masks were mandatory in the house which normally wouldn't bother me, but I had to stop a few times to find an uncrowded corner to drop my mask and take a few breaths.

 

Overall, the experience was a slight disappointment.  Hotel...7 out of 10.  House...7 out of 10.  Stable Cafe...3 out of 10.  We could have stayed at The Inn, which is a more upscale hotel but also more expensive.  If we had booked dining reservations earlier and had dinner at either Cedric's Tavern (where we've eaten before) or The Dining Room, I'm sure we would have had a much better dining experience.  I think the house tour was negatively impacted by Covid. 

 

Thanks for detailed info.  Sorry it wasn't up to par as it seems it has been in the past.  As I mentioned we visited in early November, most of the Christmas decorations were out and yes it was very nice, just didn't get the hype.  Maybe we will try again after Covid, if there is an after.  We stayed in Asheville, wanted to see both.  We were going to eat on property but everything was crazy and decided not worth it, glad we made that choice now.  We did, however, get to do the wine tasting.  Again it was OK, almost here taste, sales pitch, now go.  Lots of other places we want to visit so will be a while.

[Vibe]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Lizzy and Charlie love tug of war and have a fascination with rope.

 

 

 

[Vibe]

@seadog Thanks for posting the puppy pictures and videos, they're so therapeutic

Edited January 4, 2022 by Vibe
Reply did not attach

[lenquixote66]

 I had an adventure this morning.I was taking my after breakfast vitamins and one got stuck in my throat and I could not swallow.Drinking water from the glass did not help.I then reached for the gallon of water that was on the counter and drank until I swallowed the pill.In the past I have lost the ability to swallow due to having Parkinsons resulting to vists to a hospital but this was different.

[lenquixote66]

21 hours ago, Arzeena said:

Lenny, we decided not to sail on the Anthem 1/9 cruise. Lots of not following protocols which I was extremely unhappy with with, lots of dissatisfaction, crew/staff problems,  so we decided to try another ship and give this this one a break for a bit.

Interesting because my friend and his wife and the couple they cruised with on the Dec.12 cruise did not have any negatives in their description of the cruise.

[lenquixote66]

19 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

We were suppose to be on the same cruise but Arzeena switched to a sailing out of FL where I will be sailing on Anthem.      Marietta and Charlie @DaniDanielle will be joining us on Jan 20th and will be the first time we will meet in person.   

I never had the pleasure of meeting them.I am sure that you will have a wonderful get together.