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

[Sunshine3601]

15 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ugh, Sarasota.  Right where my moms condo is.🤯

 

 

She is on the second floor. 

 

Looks like evacuation is the best bet for that area.   Is back at home in Sarasota?

[Jimbo]

15 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ugh, Sarasota.  Right where my moms condo is.🤯

 

 

She is on the second floor. 

 

That looks like a bad spot to be in, I can see that pool filling up with sand, even on the second floor may not be high enough.

 

I see a trip to Sarasota in your future. The worst storm surge though should be south of there, but still probably not good in Sarasota.

 

My Aunt and Uncle just bought a new house in Bradenton, Fl. , they are riding it out in Port Saint Lucie on the East Coast, not sure how close their house is to the Gulf...........We are suppose to go to their house in January  and spend 4 days with them after being in Disney for 5 days.

Edited September 27, 2022 by Jimbo

[Luckynana]

6 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I agree, 9:30 would be a good pick up time at Cape Liberty.    When you walk out of the terminal stay to your right  and text her the zone number you will be at then she can just pull right up to the curb and load luggage and off you go.

Good luck with your tests today😍

Thank you, Debbie!  Great suggestion.😉  Will do!!!!!🥰😘  Thank you!!!

[Sea Dog]

22 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ugh, Sarasota.  Right where my moms condo is.🤯

 

Yikes! I hope she can stay safe. I will be thinking of everyone down there. My best friend and frat brother has a house a block from the beach in Naples.

[Luckynana]

5 hours ago, Arzeena said:

@Luckynana Maryanne

Wishing you a great cruise! I am sure the excitement is building!

Thank you, Arzeena!!🥰

4 hours ago, singinalot said:

 

restaurant close to our house that has become my favorite

Beautiful place to hang out!  I just love restaurants on the beach.

1 hour ago, jagsfan said:

We prepared by cooking and eating our steak and kidney pie. We kept it frozen since February, saving it for a special occasion. 
We also charged our power banks to be sure our cell phones and Kindles had no worries. 
Other than that, filled the gas tank in case power went out and gas pumps didn’t work, dug out flashlights and batteries, and bought bread. 
Our normal hurricane preparations. 
Reporting from Northeast Florida, home if the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Do you have cash on hand, also in case the registers don't work if they lose power??  Good luck, Mimi and Dick.  Stay safe!

My brother and his family live in Jacksonville, my cousins live in Kissimmee, and my aunt and uncle live in Sarasota.  They are en route to Boca where they were fortunate to get reservations in a hotel there.

[DaniDanielle]

5 hours ago, Arzeena said:

@Luckynana Maryanne

Wishing you a great cruise! I am sure the excitement is building!

Me too, have fun!

[Luckynana]

2 hours ago, jmh2006 said:

To all of our Florida Gulf friends:  Stay Safe and I pray that Ian will not cause any major flooding or damage!🙏

+6

29 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ugh, Sarasota.  Right where my moms condo is.🤯

 

 

She is on the second floor. 

 

My aunt & uncle are not far from your mom.  They are right on the causeway on Ringling Bros Blvd.  Hopefully, your mom is still in Canada.  My aunt & uncle are on their way to the East Coast right now.

5 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Yikes! I hope she can stay safe. I will be thinking of everyone down there. My best friend and frat brother has a house a block from the beach in Naples.

Our condo is about a mile from the beach....we are on the 2nd floor

[Luckynana]

7 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

Me too, have fun!

Thank you, Marietta!🥰

[HBE4]

2 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

+6

 

+7.

 

I read somewhere that this is the first hurricane to hit Florida since 2018. Is that correct? The weather people make it seems like it's an every other month occurrence.

 

Although last year, I think Louisiana & Mississippi took the brunt of hurricane season.

[Luckynana]

Happy Dance for Jim and myself!!  Negative x 2!!

ArriveCan is done, everything is done, and we're ready to cruise!!!🛳️  Whoot whoot!!!

[ownedbypets]

4 hours ago, singinalot said:

well, i was up from 3-6 watching the storm.

here’s the latest but we’re still going to brace for impact

 

 

 

 

Love Denis Phillips!

 

Stay safe. 

[ownedbypets]

41 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ugh, Sarasota.  Right where my moms condo is.🤯

 

 

She is on the second floor. 

 

Wonderful location! Hoping for minimal damage.

[Sea Dog]

10 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

+6

My aunt & uncle are not far from your mom.  They are right on the causeway on Ringling Bros Blvd.  Hopefully, your mom is still in Canada.  My aunt & uncle are on their way to the East Coast right now.

Our condo is about a mile from the beach....we are on the 2nd floor

 

I hope they will be able to weather the storm. Best wishes for them and their condo.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Dance for Jim and myself!!  Negative x 2!!

ArriveCan is done, everything is done, and we're ready to cruise!!!🛳️  Whoot whoot!!!

 

So exited for you Maryann and Jim. I hope you have a fantastic cruise.

[ownedbypets]

My daughter was just told that she is in a mandatory evacuation zone but she will be at work so she will be safe there. She lives on the second floor of a new apartment that was built to hurricane standards but she is worried about leaving her cats and her car being flooded. 

[Luckynana]

Thank you, Greg!🥰

[Momof3gurlz]

21 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Dance for Jim and myself!!  Negative x 2!!

ArriveCan is done, everything is done, and we're ready to cruise!!!🛳️  Whoot whoot!!!

Excellent!  I hope you have a great cruise with beautiful weather and smooth seas.  
 

I want to add my wishes for safety to all our FL residents here and those who have friends, loved ones and/or property there.  

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ugh, Sarasota.  Right where my moms condo is.🤯

 

 

She is on the second floor. 

 

Is she there now? Does she live there full-time?

[Lionesss]

Maureen McGovern a local artist who had a one song hit:

 

"...There's got to be a morning after..................................................... for the Poseidon movie.

 

 

Grew up a mere 4 miles from my childhood home  and she went to "the other"   school (Boardman)  just a few miles south of where I went to High School.

 

When I hear that song it reminds me of the day after Hurricane Charlie

August the 14th.  Post  Hurricane.  The morning after

 

After a restless night of sleep, even with the weather calming down, we woke up to over cast skies and intermittent light rain.

We turned on the local news, and we were informed that Orlando international airport did suffer damage and would be closed for 3 days.  

 

So I took a shower at 7am, did my hair and make-up and told the spouse I am going down to check in and having them extend our stay 3 days.

Upon arrival (about 7:45am)  I waited just a few moments in line.

When I made my request, I was informed that the Wilderness Lodge is completely sold out!

I was shocked and the disbelief must have showed on my face.

 

Not wanting to burn any bridges I remember exactly saying.................

"If the airport is closed, and no one can get in, how are you booked out......"

Once she made her response it made sense.

She goes................."the locals who have no power, book the resorts to have a safe comfortable place to stay....."

 

Ok, now plan B

 

 

We were not supposed to leave till the next day, but we wanted to get home.

 

I go back to the room and told the spouse.

So he gets on the phone and is on hold with the airlines to get us a flight home out of Tampa, Miami, or where-ever.  After 45 min. he was disconnected.

Now I am frustrated.

Do I have to camp out in the lobby????

 

So he called again, and got thru and was told there was a flight leaving Tampa with a layover in Atlanta at 6pm.  It is yours if you can get to the airport.

 

So I called the rental car place in Disney and got the last rental car.

Threw everything in the suitcase and the van picked us up and off to rental car.

 

It was a small compact car, and 3 large suitcases, 3 carryons, and two adults one child squeezed in it.

 

On the road, traffic was very congested, but slowly moving.

On the way to Tampa, I was impressed people were actually cordial and letting people in lanes to get to their exits.

We saw many homes demolished, and many support teams.

 

Halfway to Tampa, my favorite words  "...................I have to P"

So we see a rest stop, it was crowded, but found a parking spot.

No line to the women's restroom.  Why you may ask???

No water, line was disrupted and they could not open, doors were locked.

Thank God I only had to P.

So back to the car got a towel out of suitcase and as others were seen doing   creeped back into the woods my DH held up the towel and I watered a plant.  The DD said...................."no way"   I said we have no idea when we will find anything else...................reluctantly problem solved.

 

So onward to Tampa.

We crawled for 5 hours, I really do not know what the normal time would be.

No water, no food..............

 

About 3pm we knew we would not make the flight.

So I get on the phone and all lines are busy to the airlines, they are not even putting you on hold.

So I had my vacation packet and in it the phone Number for Eastern airlines in Pittsburgh was listed.

I dialed and called Pittsburgh  and a breathing person picked up.

 

I told her we had a flight at 6 pm out of Tampa, but are stuck in traffic, we will not make it. I needed her help to get us home.

 

She goes we just put on an additional flight non-stop to Pittsburgh 7 seats left, we took 3 of them leaving at 8pm.

 

At 5:30 we arrived at Tampa, DH dropped us off and turned in rental car.

 

When we arrived we had a little dilemma at TSA.

 

Our travels plans were questioned because we had been listed as having one flight and changing it on the same day just hours apart.  We told them our story and we got the "look".

 

Too make matters worse, well you know I am a nurse by trade, and work in a bad section of town  so of  course when I threw everything in the carryon I had a can of mace and surgical scissors.  Um they were big.

 

So it went something like this:

 

TSA:  So now I am pulled aside and asked is this your suitcase.

Me:    Yes.  (very hot, dehydrated, thirsty, hungry, tired...................)

TSA:  Can you open it.

Me:  yes

TSA:  What are these?

Me:  Mace and surgical scissors

TSA: Where you aware this are on the banned item list?

Me: Yes, but I packed in a hurry leaving the Hurricane zone and just want to get home

TSA:  Well your not going anywhere with these.

Me:  So as the Buffalo tears started to form in my eyes. He continues

TSA:  Well we have 2 choices here.

            a.  You can keep them, be arrested or

            b.  See that bin behind you, dispose of the items and proceed, like nothing happened.

Me:  No brainer, pitched those babies faster than a speeding bullet (guess I should not say bullet).

 

So now problem solved right?

 

Wrong

 

Because I admitted to having banned items and even though I disposed of them, I had to go in addition to the body scan, a pat down.  So now I am taken to a private room, and two female TSA agents did a pat down  ( I did not have to remove any clothes).

When it was done we as a family went on our merry way to Burger King in the Airport.

 

After ordering the super duper large whopper meal, before any of us ate or drank the pop, we were all at the soda machine and each of us drank 3 large  glasses of water, we were so dry.

Then we ate our meal.

 

Now, if you have every been in Tampa airport, the air conditioner really works, it was cold.

The daughter was actually turning blue.

So we go to the gift shop and at that time she work a teens size 4.

Only adult shirts an long sleeve sweat shirts.

Got her a small, it was big, she was happy.

 

 

So now on the screen the original flight we would not have made, was delayed because the remnants of the storm was over Atlanta and that flight was delayed.

 

At 7:25 we started boarding on our flight and said a prayer when we were seated.

Then over the intercom in the plane comes a announcement

Them:  Will the LIONS family please raise their hands.

ME:  I look at the spouse and say no ****ing way.

ME:  he   goes they will find us.

He raises his hand

Them: They go can we see your tickets.

Us:  We showed them

Them:  They go you are booked on two flights

Us:  We go, no, we are booked on this flight, the other one we cancelled.

 

After what seemed an eternity and now I am so overwhelmed and the tears start to break thru, they go

Them:  Have a safe flight.

 

 

So the plane ride home, was technically uneventful and it was an experience that made realize how fortunate we were that everything turned out OK.

We actually left before that other flight and it was delayed for hours, we saw it on the board when we landed.

 

 

We always buy insurance for all our vacations:

We were reimbursed for:

Lost day at Wilderness lodge

park tickets

estimated food cost

hardship.

 

We were not reimbursed for the rental car, because travel insurance would have paid three more days at the Wilderness lodge, had there been a room, so the rental car was our decision.

 

 

 

And Once again, I wish for the safest best Outcome for those in the storms path.

 

Look and hope and pray  for the best possible outcome

 

All my love and prayers are with you. 

 

  

 

[jagsfan]

58 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Thank you, Arzeena!!🥰

Beautiful place to hang out!  I just love restaurants on the beach.

Do you have cash on hand, also in case the registers don't work if they lose power??  Good luck, Mimi and Dick.  Stay safe!

My brother and his family live in Jacksonville, my cousins live in Kissimmee, and my aunt and uncle live in Sarasota.  They are en route to Boca where they were fortunate to get reservations in a hotel there.

I have my Bunco winnings. All $1’s!!!

[Sunshine3601]

59 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Dance for Jim and myself!!  Negative x 2!!

ArriveCan is done, everything is done, and we're ready to cruise!!!🛳️  Whoot whoot!!!

Awesome!!!    Woot Woot - time to start packing😃

[Sunshine3601]

48 minutes ago, ownedbypets said:

My daughter was just told that she is in a mandatory evacuation zone but she will be at work so she will be safe there. She lives on the second floor of a new apartment that was built to hurricane standards but she is worried about leaving her cats and her car being flooded. 

Glad to hear your Daughter will be safe at work.     But, Oh no, the cats will be probably be scared to death with all the strange noises and howling winds.   Poor babies.     

Is there someway she can get her car to higher ground?

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Dance for Jim and myself!!  Negative x 2!!

ArriveCan is done, everything is done, and we're ready to cruise!!!🛳️  Whoot whoot!!!

Wishing you both an absolutely amazing cruise Maryann and Jim.

Graham.

[jagsfan]

I don’t know what’s going on. My post disappeared and left photos. I think now the photos disappeared. I’ll start over!

Or maybe not. 
My older great grandson turned 5 today, and he asked for Disney World instead of a party. 
So my granddaughter and her husband took the boys to Disney World for several days.  Barring 140mph winds and torrential rain. 
So far so good, though. Colton and his almost 3 year old brother Ledger are having a blast. 

 

Edited September 27, 2022 by jagsfan

[ReneeFLL]

 

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ugh, Sarasota.  Right where my moms condo is.🤯

 

 

She is on the second floor. 

 

Oh no. Looks like a beautiful place to live. Hope she and her property come out safe. Actually I just wish it would die down and go away. Unfortunately, someone is going to get hit. Be safe everyone.

 

1 hour ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Dance for Jim and myself!!  Negative x 2!!

ArriveCan is done, everything is done, and we're ready to cruise!!!🛳️  Whoot whoot!!!

That’s great. Enjoy your cruise.

 

Edited September 27, 2022 by ReneeFLL

[Jimbo]

50 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Is she there now? Does she live there full-time?

I believe she is still in Canada since she just had that operation is probably still doing PT.

Edited September 27, 2022 by Jimbo