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

[h20skibum]

12 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

The negative that I've heard about full face masks is that CO2 will build up in the mask, since you exhale into it.  You shouldn't use them for extended periods of time, although I don't know if that means 10 minutes or 10 hours.

The ones we have, have one way valves that do not have the problem the early ones had with CO2.  When you breathe in, the intake valves open to let oxygen in.  When you exhale, it pushes to other valves open to get rid of the CO2.  
 

We have used ours for over an hour with no problems.  We did meet someone on a snorkeling excursion in Curaçao that was using one of the older masks that had the CO2 problems, and he was feeing those effects within 15 minutes of use. 

[Jimbo]

12 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

Sorry if I'm getting too geeky, but I had to share this demo video of Dolby Atmos.  It works best if you're wearing headphones or earbuds but also works well on a mobile phone with stereo speakers on either end (which most recent models have).  For best results, hold the phone in landscape mode and cup your hands so that the sound is reflected back towards you, like this.  Don't block the ends of the phone with your palm or you'll block the speakers.

 

This technique also works well to boost the volume of sound from your phone if you're in a noisy area since more sound is directed to you rather than spreading in all directions.  Here's the Dolby Atmos demo video.  Enjoy.

 

 

That's pretty Impressive,  makes me wonder if I should take my 85 Inch Samsung QN90A ($2299) back and get a Sony X95J ($2,999 if I can find one at Best Buy) or  Sony X95K ($3,999) just so I can get the Dolby Atmos. I bought the Total Tech at Best Buy so I have 60 days for a return to decide.  The Sony's are just so much higher in price, just not sure I want to pay that much, Might be better to just maybe add a sound bar to my Samsung QN90A. I might go $700 more if I can find a 2021 X95J at Best Buy, not going to pay another $1000 for an  2022 X95K.

[Jimbo]

11 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Whoa, I can't believe what just came out of these S22 speakers. 

Wonder if this could be paired with my Samsung TV ?  To give me the Dolby Atmos sound?

 

https://uzid.com/collections/samsung-galaxy-s22/products/mini-wireless-speaker-hands-free-microphone

[Ocean Boy]

3 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Wonder if this could be paired with my Samsung TV ?  To give me the Dolby Atmos sound?

 

https://uzid.com/collections/samsung-galaxy-s22/products/mini-wireless-speaker-hands-free-microphone

Wouldn't you need two and somehow be able to separate the left and right audio channels? 

 

Equally impressive was the video in the clip by @bobmaclibertyThis Samsung screen and speakers arecapable of a lot more than I thought. I am about to try it with my ear buds. 

[Jimbo]

9 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Wouldn't you need two and somehow be able to separate the left and right audio channels? 

Good question, not sure. I don't know much about sound systems. Maybe someone else more in the know could chime in. Sure would be a cheaper option if it could work. My Wife really doesn't want to see a sound bar under our  TV. I might have a better chance of her agreeing on the ones I mentioned above since they are much smaller.

 

This  is pretty loud isn't it? for what that small speaker puts out?

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by Jimbo

[Ocean Boy]

5 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Good question, not sure. I don't know much about sound systems. Maybe someone else more in the know could chime in. Sure would be a cheaper option if it could work. My Wife really doesn't want to see a sound bar under our  TV. I might have a better chance of her agreeing on the ones I mentioned above since they are much smaller.

 

This  is pretty loud isn't it? for what that small speaker puts out?

 

Samsung should buy the rights to be able to use that video to show what their equipment is capable of. I just tried with my ear buds and couldn't believe the base coming out of them. 

[Lionesss]

14 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Question for anyone that has used the full face snorkel masks.    

 

When you go fully underwater, how long do you stay underwater?

 

 

I float like a boat with a boogie board face/mask planted in water.

If I do not apply suntan lotion it makes a great seal.  No leaks.

Doomed with leakage if it does not seed right.

My DH dives with his underwater, and like others have said, as long as he holds his breath.

 

He actually prefers the old fashioned mask with looped snorkel.  

Used it for years and hard to get acclimated to the new style.

 

Gets the ones in Labadee to use instead of ours.

 

Take care.

[OnTheJourney]

12 hours ago, h20skibum said:

getting shorter for the newer big screens, just like appliances. 

planned obsolescence perhaps - like in the case of computer software having increasingly greater system requirements thus necessitating upgrading hardware. Endless cycle.. Cheaper materials used in manufacturing also. We had our old Maytag washing machine for 40 years with only minor repairs along the way. 

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

10 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

We better not be tested on this stuff!

Yeah, for sure. All this home theater talk is way over my head!  Not sure how I'd do watching a huge tv screen all the time due to my meniere's disease. Certain types of perceived motion can be enough to induce a vertigo attack. No problem with a small screen or occasional movie in a theatre. 

[OnTheJourney]

16 hours ago, George C said:

I also threw out my Kenwood receiver decades ago.  Still have hundreds of albums and maybe a hundred 45s .

So...might as well throw out the albums also, unless you replaced the Kenwood with something newer so as to still be able to play them?  Wish I would have kept my collection of 45s. They went along with lots of other stuff at auction when we sold my Mom's property.  Quite honestly, I'd probably not play them if I had them, but it'd just be cool to have them to look at. Again, too overly sentimental about certain things. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

15 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

You either add more speakers in the ceiling pointed down, or add speakers that are up firing (aimed toward the ceiling) so that sound bounces back down from the ceiling.

Huh....guess now I know why often the movie sound in a theatre is, for me anyway, way too loud!  I already have significantly decreased hearing along with tinnitus from years of playing in rock bands, and also from using headphones while practicing on my Allen organ. The latter habit started from not wanting to disturb my daughter while doing schoolwork. I still occasionally use headphones to do my editing / mixing for my guitar recordings, but mostly just work with my '03 imac speakers, but never use headphones with the organ anymore. Way too much sound pressure across the full audible spectrum. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

17 hours ago, HBE4 said:

And for those eagle-eyed viewers, that is an actual future collectible,  a DVD/VCR combo player in the background. 

Love it! I actually saw it right away before even reading your entire post! To do large screen tv, we'd have to get rid of the big entertainment center. Doable, but we've looked at quite a few and found the big problem with the newer centers is that they don't have the storage like the old ones. Mine is geared to being able to store hundreds of vinyl LPs, plus shelves for the (older) larger components. Don't see that configuration much anymore. As a result, we're still (very) retro.

 

All this home theater talk is fascinating, though, since I'm completely out of the loop with regards to practically all of it. I have no interest in doing it (don't have the space for it anyway), but cool to hear some of the details. Newest piece of technology I've bought over the past many years is a new cartridge for my Pioneer turntable. Expected a huge difference in sound quality but really didn't find that to be the case. Probably my crappy  hearing though, especially on the high end. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

This  is pretty loud isn't it? for what that small speaker puts out?

Yikes!  80 dB reportedly will start to damage hearing after about 2 hours of exposure. Wish I could go back in time and turn down the volume on some of the amps in the bands I played with...or put away the headphones as described in an earlier post.

 

Now, as a result of having been exposed to all that, I listen to a rather piercing high pitch frequency 24/7. Scary and quite annoying for the first few weeks, but sort of got used to it. Can't imagine, though, what experiencing total silence would be like anymore!

 

So...be a tad cautious with that home theater volume...😉

[ollienbertsmum]

On 1/13/2023 at 11:21 PM, dani negreanu said:

 

During my long career, I've typed so many Ph.D. theses, but very few "remained" with me...

 

One of them was written by a speech therapist, who videotaped deaf kids [at the time, 1998, a very break through approach to research], in order to see how they interact with other deaf kids in a specialized center -- this is one of the articles she published.

 

Parent Report of the Development of Auditory Skills in Infants and Toddlers Who Use Hearing Aids -- Drorit Ben-Itzhak et al

A frustration of completing my studies is that I no longer have access to the university library, so I could not find an actual paper based on the PhD you refer to.  I can see that Ben-Itzhak went on to have a long career working with deaf children (Principal of Micha Early InterventionProgram for the Deaf in Tel Aviv).  She clearly was interested in her topic.  
 

I did not know that video recording was such a recent research tool.  It is what I used.  I videotaped therapy sessions of 15 children I was working with and analysed them.  Watching myself was quite strange at first.  I had to buy lots of  outfits because I could not bear watching myself wearing the same clothes.   I got used to it.  

[Ozark_Kid]

7 hours ago, brillohead said:

Hey @Ozark_Kid, how do you want to meet up on board next week?  

And for our "live" thread, I thought I'd wait until I get my Consecutive Cruiser instruction letter later in the week to start the thread, and treat that like my "traveling to the port" part of the "live" -- I don't see the point in starting a "live" thread a week before the actual cruise.  I can post about the B2B experience, and you can post about traveling to the area and where you stay the night before and getting to the new terminal, etc.  With both of us posting from different perspectives, it will be a unique kind of thread. 

Sound good to you?

 

How will we meet up?  I thought that you would organize a 🎈 balloon 💧 drop and 🎉 poppers when we walked on! 😂  @molly361 Ellen made me find her when we were on Harmony together.

Our boarding time is 10am and we plan to board as soon as we can. If we were cruising out of anywhere but Galveston you would know it's us when you heard someone saying y'all.  If we can't meet at boarding we can post here or on the Live.   After boarding we will be making dinner reservations and do the muster. And then I will soon need to get my traditional ice-cream cone by the pool! 😂  

The Live sounds great.  Perfect time.  I usually don't start one until we are on our way so start whenever you want. We "plan" to fly out early Saturday.

I think it was @John&LaLathat suggested putting an emoji at the start of the title to make it easy to spot. Like.... 🛳 Live from Allure 1/22 to 1/29. 

Might want to post the itinerary.  Some current things people want to know is the new menus, how the new free chat works and some how Starlink is working. I want to know if you can order 2 main meals on Lobster night.  Sharon doesn't eat Lobster so she wants to order 2 mains so she can give me an extra tail. 

Our friends here just want to know we are having a fun cruise.... Oh, and pics of our feet.  

Thanks for wanting to start the live and looking forward to meeting you! 

[DaniDanielle]

How does Alyssa live with herself.  Camille was shaky but Alyssa was just mean!

[lenquixote66]

8 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Good morning.

It is clear skies and a cold 24°F.

A new series of Below Deck Caribbean started last night on UK TV.

Captain Sean started because Captain Lee was delayed.

 

Hi Graham.How is Sarah feeling ? 

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Huh....guess now I know why often the movie sound in a theatre is, for me anyway, way too loud!  I already have significantly decreased hearing along with tinnitus from years of playing in rock bands, and also from using headphones while practicing on my Allen organ. The latter habit started from not wanting to disturb my daughter while doing schoolwork. I still occasionally use headphones to do my editing / mixing for my guitar recordings, but mostly just work with my '03 imac speakers, but never use headphones with the organ anymore. Way too much sound pressure across the full audible spectrum. 

I feel your pain as a drummer/Percussionist since I was 10 years old, I too have a great deal of hearing loss. When I was at Berklee College of Music I would practice 6-8 hours a day in a tiny practice room without any hearing protection. This was in the late 1970’s when nobody wore hearing protection. In my studio now when I produce music I have to monitor using near field monitors at a medium volume and then fine tune a mix with headphones.

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Hi Graham.How is Sarah feeling ? 

Hi Lenny.

She is resting at home and taking her painkillers.

Hopefully she gets an appointment this week for her injections.

Graham.

[ollienbertsmum]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Wish I would have kept my collection of 45s. They went along with lots of other stuff at auction when we sold my Mom's property.  Quite honestly, I'd probably not play them if I had them, but it'd just be cool to have them to look at. Again, too overly sentimental about certain things. 

 

I used to sort of regret not keeping my old record collection that started with a 45 of Little Jimmy Osmond singing ‘Long haired lover from Liverpool’ !!!   Not sure what happened to them all, but I did not end up moving them with me when I moved to Gibraltar in 1982. 

 

Now I have Spotify so problem solved.  I an Blue tooth to the car sound system.  Yesterday I was able to listen to Great Expectations while driving home alone in the dark.  Kept me really alert for 2 hours.  It is just the right level of interesting  but not too complex for me when I am driving.   

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Love it! I actually saw it right away before even reading your entire post! To do large screen tv, we'd have to get rid of the big entertainment center. Doable, but we've looked at quite a few and found the big problem with the newer centers is that they don't have the storage like the old ones. Mine is geared to being able to store hundreds of vinyl LPs, plus shelves for the (older) larger components. Don't see that configuration much anymore. As a result, we're still (very) retro.

 

All this home theater talk is fascinating, though, since I'm completely out of the loop with regards to practically all of it. I have no interest in doing it (don't have the space for it anyway), but cool to hear some of the details. Newest piece of technology I've bought over the past many years is a new cartridge for my Pioneer turntable. Expected a huge difference in sound quality but really didn't find that to be the case. Probably my crappy  hearing though, especially on the high end. 

When I last moved 20 years ago I got rid of the majority of my LP’s but I saved my 100 favorite ones.Many are quite obscure .

[lenquixote66]

15 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Hi Lenny.

She is resting at home and taking her painkillers.

Hopefully she gets an appointment this week for her injections.

Graham.

Hopefully not much pain from the injections.

[lenquixote66]

11 minutes ago, ollienbertsmum said:

 

I used to sort of regret not keeping my old record collection that started with a 45 of Little Jimmy Osmond singing ‘Long haired lover from Liverpool’ !!!   Not sure what happened to them all, but I did not end up moving them with me when I moved to Gibraltar in 1982. 

 

Now I have Spotify so problem solved.  I an Blue tooth to the car sound system.  Yesterday I was able to listen to Great Expectations while driving home alone in the dark.  Kept me really alert for 2 hours.  It is just the right level of interesting  but not too complex for me when I am driving.   

I have many 78’s and 45’s as well as two 33’s that are the size of 45’s .I also have several Demo’s recorded in the mid 50’s by Tony Bennett,plus one very obscure 45 Demo that was a no hit wonder.

[George C]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

So...might as well throw out the albums also, unless you replaced the Kenwood with something newer so as to still be able to play them?  Wish I would have kept my collection of 45s. They went along with lots of other stuff at auction when we sold my Mom's property.  Quite honestly, I'd probably not play them if I had them, but it'd just be cool to have them to look at. Again, too overly sentimental about certain things. 

There are some records stores that buy old albums, one just opened near me.

[h20skibum]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Huh....guess now I know why often the movie sound in a theatre is, for me anyway, way too loud!  

I was reading that the average decibels in a movie theatre range from 85 db to 104 db, with the high end being short duration for explosions in some action movies. 

 

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Yikes!  80 dB reportedly will start to damage hearing after about 2 hours of exposure. Wish I could go back in time and turn down the volume on some of the amps in the bands I played with...or put away the headphones as described in an earlier post.

 

So...be a tad cautious with that home theater volume...😉

I hear you, or maybe not so well.  Even a lot of every day environments have high noise levels.  Almost every vehicle, except EV’s, have an interior cabin noise level between 70 and 75 db at a 60 mph cruising speed.  Of course the difference between 70 or 75 and 80 is pronounced on the db scale.