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

[Arzeena]

5 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

It is 61°, and going up to 69° today.  My daughter and her family just landed, so I will pick them up as soon as they get off the plane. 
 

Nice that we will now have our kids and grandkids together for the week.  

Happy for you Ricardo! 😉

[dani negreanu]

15 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

My daughter and her family just landed, so I will pick them up as soon as they get off the plane. 

 

Those are the news I was eagerly waiting for.

 

So glad for you and all your family.

 

I'm sure it will give your daughter a very healthy moral boost 😘

 

Wishing you all a very Healthy New Year and a swift return to cruising.

[DaniDanielle]

So happy your daughter and family made it!

[BonTexasNY]

12 hours ago, Coralc said:

No aqua show on Adventure. On Navigator, no reservations were needed for the ice show. No show reservations at all. Luggage tags should be available at around 30 days. ☺️

OOPs I totally forgot there is no aqua theater on Advventure.

3 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

No reservations for shows on Adventure. If you have sailed on an O class ship don't get overly excited about the shows on this ship.

I've never been on O class yet but always loved the ice show.  Is it much better on O?  I'll be happy to find out in March.

[BonTexasNY]

I hope my Dallas area neighbors are enjoying our sunny weather. High of 50 today, high of 67 tomorrow.  I'm loving it.

 

Onward to Bath and Body Works for their semi-annual sale!

[grapau27]

48 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

It is 61°, and going up to 69° today.  My daughter and her family just landed, so I will pick them up as soon as they get off the plane. 
 

Nice that we will now have our kids and grandkids together for the week.  

Fantastic news.

Graham.

[A&L_Ont]

57 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

It is 61°, and going up to 69° today.  My daughter and her family just landed, so I will pick them up as soon as they get off the plane. 
 

Nice that we will now have our kids and grandkids together for the week.  

This is awesome that their joining you for the week.
 

After being with my extended family for almost a week I’m ready for a week away.😀

[A&L_Ont]

Christmas in our house has been put away. With the cold snap and snow the outside lights will remain out and on until it gets a bit milder. 
 

How about some food porn. Yesterday we had the last of the Christmas gatherings at my MILs.  It was a sampler meal with all bringing something. There was too much as always and I’m thankful that the meals are slowing down. 
 

Sharon’s cheese crisps. 
 

 

Shrimp with avocado on a slice of cucumber. 
 

 

More shrimp.

 

 

Bits and bites etc..
 

 

Nacho dip and veggie plate. 
 

 

For the daring, pickle wrapped with bacon, breaded and deep fried. 
 

 

There was plates of cookies and the non-traditional Nerds candy canes. 
 

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

50 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

OOPs I totally forgot there is no aqua theater on Advventure.

I've never been on O class yet but always loved the ice show.  Is it much better on O?  I'll be happy to find out in March.

The ice show is fine. The production shows in the theater are somewhat lacking. <----- Sometimes I amaze myself with how diplomatic I can be.

[Tree_skier]

20 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

Check out the Scenic Travel channel on YouTube. They create awesome aerial view videos of beautiful places. Most are in 4K and are 3+ hours long. They are great for background videos while doing something else. 

Wow, thank you for this. What incredible pictures!

[Ozark_Kid]

34 minutes ago, A&amp;L_Ont said:

After being with my extended family for almost a week I’m ready for a week away.😀

We are headed back home now. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and having an electric  blanket to warm it up before I climb in. 😴 

[George C]

25 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The ice show is fine. The production shows in the theater are somewhat lacking. <----- Sometimes I amaze myself with how diplomatic I can be.

I normally like the guitar player in pub and piano man in schooner bar . I like the size of voyager class like the adventure.

[jagsfan]

Tonight is the 3rd iteration of Christmas for us. 
Saturday night was the entire Florida part of our family. Christmas Day Dick and I returned to the scene (our son’s home) to celebrate with  in laws and soon to be in-laws. 
So two feasts in two days and no cooking for me! I did make a broccoli salad for Christmas Eve. 
We forgot to remind our daughter to bring the family songbooks Christmas Eve, but we managed to sing the whole repertoire from memory, including 12 Days of Christmas, an astounding feat!

Tonight daughter and family come for more presents and hors  d’ouevres. 
I was tempted to try Greg’s marvelous looking Brie in puff pastry, but chickened out!My daughter-in-law Kathi bought a gingerbread decorating kit for our great grandsons to occupy them for a while! Great idea!

Christmas Day was bitter cold, but beautiful. This is a typical Northeast Florida December Day. 
You saw what it looked like in November when Ian and a nor’easter combined brought the river right up to the house!

Our great granddaughter Sage will be 2 in two weeks. I don’t know where she got her dancing gene, but it’s nonstop!

[Ozark_Kid]

This was a great Christmas for Kenzie and the kids.  Sharon wraps the 12 days of Christmas for them to open before the 25th.  Then the 25th they all opened presents at the Huntsville gathering.  Kenzie loved her new kitchen. 

 

 

 

Then she caught me taking pics.

 

They made it home last evening. 

 

They found out Santa visited while they were gone.  Good news! Santa left her an electric car!  She is now going to be an even better driver!

 

[HBE4]

Posting of both Dani and Bella threads.

 

I had posted last week about how this year, my step daughter and I had decided this would be the year of “Christmas Different”, meaning that instead of trying to recreate that special Christmas feeling that my wife could somehow magically and effortless create, we would try to come up with new traditions while holding on to just a few of the precious old ones.   Also, I had posted on the Bella thread about losing power last week and somehow the two became intertwined in an unexpected and touching way. Bear with me as I try my best to explain.

 

First off, some background. Growing up, Christmas Eve was the main holiday. Even as little kids, my parents would wake us up in the middle of the night usually around midnight give or take an hour to let us know that Santa has JUST visited and if we hurry we might catch a glimpse of him before he leaves. Of course, we never did but the tray of cookies left by the fireplace would be gone, nothing left but crumbs. And presents under the tree that were not there when we went to bed.  We’d spend the rest of the night tearing open presents, snacking on sandwiches and appetizers before finally crashing to sleep shortly before sun rise. As a child, staying up all night as a big deal as it made us feel very adult! And as an adult, this worked out beautifully. My side of the family celebrated Christmas Eve - first at my parents and when they passed away, we hosted – and Christmas Day was always at my in-laws.

 

We were basically going to follow the same schedule until we lost power for roughly 40 hours on Dec 23 and 24th. Outside temps plunged to 2 degrees while temps inside the house fell to the mid-40’s. We spent the night at a friend’s house. With an estimated time to restore power at 11:00 pm in Christmas Eve and not wanting to overstay our welcome, we decided to spend the day doing some last minute shopping at Kohl’s (open until 6:00 pm), followed by dinner at the Applebee’s in the Kohl’s parking lot (open until 8:00 pm) and finish up the night at a local bar (open until 10:00 pm).  And if the power was not back on by 11, then back to a friend’s house.

 

Now, I don’t know if this is a guy thing or a me thing, but I’m pretty much a solo shopper. I prefer to go on my own. I can’t remember the last time I shopped with someone else, much less my step daughter. To both of our surprise, it was more enjoyable than expected. So things were really becoming "Christmas Different". Was a new tradition born?  Maybe.  We’ll wait and see.

 

But it was while dining at Applebee’s that things got interesting. The place was pretty quiet and we sat at the bar, engaging the bartender in small talk. There was a guy at the other end of the bar, by himself and looking kinda down-on-his-luck, kept glancing our way. He approached us, said we looked like nice people and offered us $20 to drive him to his house 5 minutes away.  I declined as I didn’t want to be robbed and left for dead on the side of the road on a frigid Christmas Eve. He was persistent and I tried to be dismissive hoping he would get the hint and go away. Finally, I told him I would order him an Uber or Taxi, whichever could get here first. He was thankful, bought us a round of drinks and while waiting we started to talk. Turns out, he was recently separated from his childhood sweetheart and this was the first Christmas he would not be spending without wife and his kids.  This of course tugged at my heartstrings for obvious reasons and I immediately regretted being so dismissive earlier. He showed us pictures of his kids and we had the loveliest of conversations. By the time the taxi showed up, he was smiling, looking more upbeat and while not wanting to leave, when he did, he said he felt like we were brought together for a reason.

 

But there’s more. I had gotten a text message from NYSEG (the electric company) that power was restored a few hours early. Knowing that it would take a few hours for the house to warm up, we decided to linger a little while longer when two very exhausted guys, wearing power company vests walked in & sat at the bar.  Little Miss HBE4 and I look at each other and in unison said those are the guys that restored our power. Well, maybe not the exact guys but least they are part of the team. Beginning to feel the Christmas spirit, we offer to buy them a round of drinks and engage them in some amazing conversation for the next hour.  Turns out, one is from Iowa and the other from Missouri and they were brought it to help out the local power crews.  They are spending the holidays thousands of miles away from family, working around the clock in frigid temperature, all so we can be warm and cozy for Christmas.  And while they assured us they are being well-compensated, they genuinely did appreciate the 2 rounds of drinks we bought from them but declined the offer from us to buy them dinner (they get reimbursed for food). While police, firemen, nurses and military all get the accolades they richly deserve, I asked those guys if they ever feel thankless. Their response was diplomatic but the message was they get more complaints than compliments. After thanking them a few more times, we left to figure out how to rearrange our plans, throw away spoiled food and scramble with last minute gift wrapping and other pre-Christmas chores.

 

I know this might sound like I’m patting myself on the back but that’s not my intent. I think going forward, for me “Christmas Different” will be trying to find a way to either help those in need or finding a way to thank those to give back that those that are helping us. I just need to find a better venue to channel that energy  than an Applebee’s bar. 😉

Edited December 27, 2022 by HBE4

[A&L_Ont]

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

We are headed back home now. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and having an electric  blanket to warm it up before I climb in. 😴 

 

To go away is always great, to get home after is sometimes even better. 

[A&L_Ont]

6 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

I know this might sound like I’m patting myself on the back but that’s not my intent. I think going forward, for me “Christmas Different” will be trying to find a way to either help those in need or finding a way to thank those to give back that those that are helping us. I just need to find a better venue to channel that energy  than an Applebee’s bar. 😉

 

For some explainable reason I think this Christmas for the HBE4 family was meant to be the way it was. Mrs HB4E will be looking down from above, as you and your step-daughter  helped bring a sense of family to the people who were without.  It certainly seems as though you have found a new tradition to add to some from the past. 

[derorim]

@HBE4, thank you for sharing your heartwarming story.  May you and "Little Miss HBE4" be blessed with many, many more "Christmas Different" experiences.

[George C]

I have been wanting to treat myself so I just bought a pound and a half of pastrami, some pickles and a large container of chopped liver , we will be able to get a few meals from there , I’m lucky it’s not any closer to my house 😁😁. For our Dallas friends it was from deli news on Preston.

[BonTexasNY]

4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

The ice show is fine. The production shows in the theater are somewhat lacking. <----- Sometimes I amaze myself with how diplomatic I can be.

Can you guess what finally popped into my head.  ?

 

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

Posting of both Dani and Bella threads.

 

I had posted last week about how this year, my step daughter and I had decided this would be the year of “Christmas Different”, meaning that instead of trying to recreate that special Christmas feeling that my wife could somehow magically and effortless create, we would try to come up with new traditions while holding on to just a few of the precious old ones.   Also, I had posted on the Bella thread about losing power last week and somehow the two became intertwined in an unexpected and touching way. Bear with me as I try my best to explain.

 

First off, some background. Growing up, Christmas Eve was the main holiday. Even as little kids, my parents would wake us up in the middle of the night usually around midnight give or take an hour to let us know that Santa has JUST visited and if we hurry we might catch a glimpse of him before he leaves. Of course, we never did but the tray of cookies left by the fireplace would be gone, nothing left but crumbs. And presents under the tree that were not there when we went to bed.  We’d spend the rest of the night tearing open presents, snacking on sandwiches and appetizers before finally crashing to sleep shortly before sun rise. As a child, staying up all night as a big deal as it made us feel very adult! And as an adult, this worked out beautifully. My side of the family celebrated Christmas Eve - first at my parents and when they passed away, we hosted – and Christmas Day was always at my in-laws.

 

We were basically going to follow the same schedule until we lost power for roughly 40 hours on Dec 23 and 24th. Outside temps plunged to 2 degrees while temps inside the house fell to the mid-40’s. We spent the night at a friend’s house. With an estimated time to restore power at 11:00 pm in Christmas Eve and not wanting to overstay our welcome, we decided to spend the day doing some last minute shopping at Kohl’s (open until 6:00 pm), followed by dinner at the Applebee’s in the Kohl’s parking lot (open until 8:00 pm) and finish up the night at a local bar (open until 10:00 pm).  And if the power was not back on by 11, then back to a friend’s house.

 

Now, I don’t know if this is a guy thing or a me thing, but I’m pretty much a solo shopper. I prefer to go on my own. I can’t remember the last time I shopped with someone else, much less my step daughter. To both of our surprise, it was more enjoyable than expected. So things were really becoming "Christmas Different". Was a new tradition born?  Maybe.  We’ll wait and see.

 

But it was while dining at Applebee’s that things got interesting. The place was pretty quiet and we sat at the bar, engaging the bartender in small talk. There was a guy at the other end of the bar, by himself and looking kinda down-on-his-luck, kept glancing our way. He approached us, said we looked like nice people and offered us $20 to drive him to his house 5 minutes away.  I declined as I didn’t want to be robbed and left for dead on the side of the road on a frigid Christmas Eve. He was persistent and I tried to be dismissive hoping he would get the hint and go away. Finally, I told him I would order him an Uber or Taxi, whichever could get here first. He was thankful, bought us a round of drinks and while waiting we started to talk. Turns out, he was recently separated from his childhood sweetheart and this was the first Christmas he would not be spending without wife and his kids.  This of course tugged at my heartstrings for obvious reasons and I immediately regretted being so dismissive earlier. He showed us pictures of his kids and we had the loveliest of conversations. By the time the taxi showed up, he was smiling, looking more upbeat and while not wanting to leave, when he did, he said he felt like we were brought together for a reason.

 

But there’s more. I had gotten a text message from NYSEG (the electric company) that power was restored a few hours early. Knowing that it would take a few hours for the house to warm up, we decided to linger a little while longer when two very exhausted guys, wearing power company vests walked in & sat at the bar.  Little Miss HBE4 and I look at each other and in unison said those are the guys that restored our power. Well, maybe not the exact guys but least they are part of the team. Beginning to feel the Christmas spirit, we offer to buy them a round of drinks and engage them in some amazing conversation for the next hour.  Turns out, one is from Iowa and the other from Missouri and they were brought it to help out the local power crews.  They are spending the holidays thousands of miles away from family, working around the clock in frigid temperature, all so we can be warm and cozy for Christmas.  And while they assured us they are being well-compensated, they genuinely did appreciate the 2 rounds of drinks we bought from them but declined the offer from us to buy them dinner (they get reimbursed for food). While police, firemen, nurses and military all get the accolades they richly deserve, I asked those guys if they ever feel thankless. Their response was diplomatic but the message was they get more complaints than compliments. After thanking them a few more times, we left to figure out how to rearrange our plans, throw away spoiled food and scramble with last minute gift wrapping and other pre-Christmas chores.

 

I know this might sound like I’m patting myself on the back but that’s not my intent. I think going forward, for me “Christmas Different” will be trying to find a way to either help those in need or finding a way to thank those to give back that those that are helping us. I just need to find a better venue to channel that energy  than an Applebee’s bar. 😉

Your story is so heartwarming.  How wonderful you and your step-daughter found a new meaningful tradition.  If the Applebee's is the one I remember on 59 and Airmont, I wonder if my nephew's HS picture is still on the wall.

25 minutes ago, George C said:

I have been wanting to treat myself so I just bought a pound and a half of pastrami, some pickles and a large container of chopped liver , we will be able to get a few meals from there , I’m lucky it’s not any closer to my house 😁😁. For our Dallas friends it was from deli news on Preston.

You HAVE to know what MY reaction is.  Ambrosia!

[Luckynana]

22 hours ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

A few day late but here’s a few random Christmas pictures.

A nativity scene decoration at a house in a nearby neighborhood

 

Had our family Christmas dinner at my niece’s house on Christmas Eve

 

 

 

What a beautiful table setting your niece has.  I used to collect nutcrackers, but gave them all away when we moved.🤨  I love the Nativity setting.  Lovely!

20 hours ago, Coralc said:

Congratulations! I think everyone moves houses faster than we do. ☺️ I have been here for 53 years, and there is just so much stuff! 

We were in our home for 42 years, Patti.  We had a full, walk-around attic, basement, and garage.  All full of stuff!  We wound up getting a huge dumpster to haul a lot of what had been stored for many years, and gave things away.  We will sometimes look for something that we once had...

20 hours ago, brillohead said:

I finally got to see my son and his girlfriend today!  

After I got out of work this morning (I work nights as a nurse), we all met for breakfast, then went over to their apartment for more visiting, then I drove back to Illinois in the afternoon.  Now that he's officially done with the Army, I can get a hug more than twice a year on visits!   

I don't know if I mentioned it, but I'll be moving back to Michigan by March 1st.  

What a wonderful reunion you had with your son.  Best Christmas present ever!   Looks like you're going to be pretty busy with your move back to Michigan.  

[Sea Dog]

4 hours ago, A&amp;L_Ont said:

Christmas in our house has been put away. With the cold snap and snow the outside lights will remain out and on until it gets a bit milder. 
 

How about some food porn. Yesterday we had the last of the Christmas gatherings at my MILs.  It was a sampler meal with all bringing something. There was too much as always and I’m thankful that the meals are slowing down. 
 

Sharon’s cheese crisps. 
 

 

Shrimp with avocado on a slice of cucumber. 
 

 

More shrimp.

 

 

Bits and bites etc..
 

 

Nacho dip and veggie plate. 
 

 

For the daring, pickle wrapped with bacon, breaded and deep fried. 
 

 

There was plates of cookies and the non-traditional Nerds candy canes. 
 

 

 

 

That food looks amazing. You can never have enough shrimp in my book.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Posting of both Dani and Bella threads.

 

I had posted last week about how this year, my step daughter and I had decided this would be the year of “Christmas Different”, meaning that instead of trying to recreate that special Christmas feeling that my wife could somehow magically and effortless create, we would try to come up with new traditions while holding on to just a few of the precious old ones.   Also, I had posted on the Bella thread about losing power last week and somehow the two became intertwined in an unexpected and touching way. Bear with me as I try my best to explain.

 

First off, some background. Growing up, Christmas Eve was the main holiday. Even as little kids, my parents would wake us up in the middle of the night usually around midnight give or take an hour to let us know that Santa has JUST visited and if we hurry we might catch a glimpse of him before he leaves. Of course, we never did but the tray of cookies left by the fireplace would be gone, nothing left but crumbs. And presents under the tree that were not there when we went to bed.  We’d spend the rest of the night tearing open presents, snacking on sandwiches and appetizers before finally crashing to sleep shortly before sun rise. As a child, staying up all night as a big deal as it made us feel very adult! And as an adult, this worked out beautifully. My side of the family celebrated Christmas Eve - first at my parents and when they passed away, we hosted – and Christmas Day was always at my in-laws.

 

We were basically going to follow the same schedule until we lost power for roughly 40 hours on Dec 23 and 24th. Outside temps plunged to 2 degrees while temps inside the house fell to the mid-40’s. We spent the night at a friend’s house. With an estimated time to restore power at 11:00 pm in Christmas Eve and not wanting to overstay our welcome, we decided to spend the day doing some last minute shopping at Kohl’s (open until 6:00 pm), followed by dinner at the Applebee’s in the Kohl’s parking lot (open until 8:00 pm) and finish up the night at a local bar (open until 10:00 pm).  And if the power was not back on by 11, then back to a friend’s house.

 

Now, I don’t know if this is a guy thing or a me thing, but I’m pretty much a solo shopper. I prefer to go on my own. I can’t remember the last time I shopped with someone else, much less my step daughter. To both of our surprise, it was more enjoyable than expected. So things were really becoming "Christmas Different". Was a new tradition born?  Maybe.  We’ll wait and see.

 

But it was while dining at Applebee’s that things got interesting. The place was pretty quiet and we sat at the bar, engaging the bartender in small talk. There was a guy at the other end of the bar, by himself and looking kinda down-on-his-luck, kept glancing our way. He approached us, said we looked like nice people and offered us $20 to drive him to his house 5 minutes away.  I declined as I didn’t want to be robbed and left for dead on the side of the road on a frigid Christmas Eve. He was persistent and I tried to be dismissive hoping he would get the hint and go away. Finally, I told him I would order him an Uber or Taxi, whichever could get here first. He was thankful, bought us a round of drinks and while waiting we started to talk. Turns out, he was recently separated from his childhood sweetheart and this was the first Christmas he would not be spending without wife and his kids.  This of course tugged at my heartstrings for obvious reasons and I immediately regretted being so dismissive earlier. He showed us pictures of his kids and we had the loveliest of conversations. By the time the taxi showed up, he was smiling, looking more upbeat and while not wanting to leave, when he did, he said he felt like we were brought together for a reason.

 

But there’s more. I had gotten a text message from NYSEG (the electric company) that power was restored a few hours early. Knowing that it would take a few hours for the house to warm up, we decided to linger a little while longer when two very exhausted guys, wearing power company vests walked in & sat at the bar.  Little Miss HBE4 and I look at each other and in unison said those are the guys that restored our power. Well, maybe not the exact guys but least they are part of the team. Beginning to feel the Christmas spirit, we offer to buy them a round of drinks and engage them in some amazing conversation for the next hour.  Turns out, one is from Iowa and the other from Missouri and they were brought it to help out the local power crews.  They are spending the holidays thousands of miles away from family, working around the clock in frigid temperature, all so we can be warm and cozy for Christmas.  And while they assured us they are being well-compensated, they genuinely did appreciate the 2 rounds of drinks we bought from them but declined the offer from us to buy them dinner (they get reimbursed for food). While police, firemen, nurses and military all get the accolades they richly deserve, I asked those guys if they ever feel thankless. Their response was diplomatic but the message was they get more complaints than compliments. After thanking them a few more times, we left to figure out how to rearrange our plans, throw away spoiled food and scramble with last minute gift wrapping and other pre-Christmas chores.

 

I know this might sound like I’m patting myself on the back but that’s not my intent. I think going forward, for me “Christmas Different” will be trying to find a way to either help those in need or finding a way to thank those to give back that those that are helping us. I just need to find a better venue to channel that energy  than an Applebee’s bar. 😉

 

What a beautiful and moving story that had me in tears. It's because of you those people had a better Christmas even through your pain. Your wife was smiling down on you. I like your family traditions and I hope you will continue to do them and maybe add some new ones.I believe Christmas is about the love of memories and our childhood. Celebrate your past and know that you are blessed for what you have become.

[MJSailors]

HBE4- Thank you for letting us know how you and Little Miss HBE4 spent your Christmas Eve with some men that needed some light in their lives that night.

Rather than patting yourselves on your backs, you let us see your good hearts and your empathy of others.

Both you and your step daughter and those men will not forget the experience you shared in that Applebees’ bar. You offered them companionship and libations on what was,most probably,a lonely evening for them. 

But, in a way, they gave you something in return. You were able to show your kindness without request or obligation. A truly free gift from your hearts.

Hoping that you will be able  to keep a tradition of contributing some light to others as you celebrate many “different Christmases” going forward for many years to come.

MJ🙋🏻

 

[Luckynana]

7 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Yes the relative that gave me this recipe and made it is a big fan of hers. I’m now going to follow her. Looks like she has some great stuff.

Thank you for sharing your Christmas with us, Greg!🎄

5 hours ago, h20skibum said:

It is 61°, and going up to 69° today.  My daughter and her family just landed, so I will pick them up as soon as they get off the plane. 
 

Nice that we will now have our kids and grandkids together for the week.  

Let the happiness and fun begin!!!!!

5 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

OOPs I totally forgot there is no aqua theater on Advventure.

I've never been on O class yet but always loved the ice show.  Is it much better on O?  I'll be happy to find out in March.

You will be on your O class before you know it, Bonnie!

[DaniDanielle]

Well said MJ😃