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

[HBE4]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

LOL...that's the general idea! Haven't kept up with all this. Why does yours (or others' vehicles) not keep running? 

 

The auto-stop feature (also called stop-start) has been around for a few decades as a way to reduce gas consumption and pollution, especially in vehicles driven in congested cities where cars spend just as much time idling in traffic than actually moving.  I remember reading somewhere that a typical driver will spend 54 hours a year in a idling car and gas mileage can be improved by 10-15% while emissions can drop by a similar percentage with auto-stop.  Not sure if those are "real world" numbers or just theoretical laboratory numbers.

 

The feature really came into wide-spread acceptance with hybrid/electric vehicles as a way to preserve and extend battery performance and eventually it spread to more cars.  Because electric motors provide instant power and are much quieter and smoother than gas powered motors, the feature seems to work better ( less noticeable) with hybrid/electric cars.

 

[George C]

13 hours ago, George C said:

I should be fine, on last year’s music cruise we had a long conversation with the drummer from the guess who , very friendly guy, I asked him bout playing the White House while Nixon was president.

Back home was under for a couple of hours, no pain yet , but still some bleeding, they said he went well.

[HBE4]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

For sure. When I started test driving new cars (after not having kept up with car technology at all over a period of almost 30 years) it was a bit of a learning curve. Still working on learning, since I've never (yet anyway) owned a car manufactured in the 21st century. 

 

You have a lot of catching up.🙂 It's amazing how quickly automotive technology advances these days. Back in the good old days, it would take a decade or more for new, high-end features found luxury cars to find there way into "everyday" vehicles.  Now it seems today's average car is just as equipped, if not better, than luxury cars of just 3 or 4 years ago.

[Sea Dog]

27 minutes ago, George C said:

Back home was under for a couple of hours, no pain yet , but still some bleeding, they said he went well.

Good. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Today is Toby’s sisters 81st.birthday.We will be celebrating with her on Sunday .

Happy 81st birthday to Toby's sister.

[OnTheJourney]

55 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

It's amazing how quickly automotive technology advances these days.

Going one step further, one could say it's amazing how fast technology in general advances. Almost impossible to keep up with. Seems astounding, in view of what's going on now, that I had to stand in line in my college dorm to wait to use a pay phone! No microwave ovens (at least in the average residence). And a CD was something you took out in a bank 😁  The fanciest thing on my '95 Riviera is that it has cornering lights and separate passenger / driver climate control. Still, pretty much a luxury-class car in its time, or at least was Buick's top-of-the-line. Next would have been Park Avenue. 

[Lionesss]

So this year we decided even though we pay our credit card off every month to avoid fees, that we are putting them away to save money for future endeavors.

 

However, not gonna happen.

 

How we currently are using credit cards.

 

1.  So, the DH goes down cellar  a few days back and the water tank is leaking.  Have you priced a water tank lately, and installation?

Well, after some research and consulting the powers that be...............(friends), we decided to go with that new tankless water heating system.

Of course it will need all new piping just in the area around it, and cap off something to the outside something, with labor and parts.............................DING DING DING................ credit card.

To be installed next week.

 

2.  Now my IPhone has been doing its own thing for months, dialing numbers when it is charging, sending texts of jibber jabbish to anyone it so desires, just letters but still, and of course who can forget the "light on light off" feature when no one is near it.  So new phones this weekend I Phone 14.  Now when we sent an email to Apple (their to techno savy to use an old fashioned telephone lets say to talk to people)   they said right now due to loyalty and our contract is paid off for a trade in we get new phones for free as long as we keep a new 2 year contract.................the last time we got phones for free, by the time you get the screen protector, accessories, case it was not free. DING DING DING ....credit card.

 

3.  Oh and if you use your card for grocery purchases you get double back.  Upto a limit...

You got it DING DING DONE..........................

 

So, dusted off the old plastic, and CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Take care

 

 

Cold Showers in Vienna

Mama Lions

 

 

[Sea Dog]

14 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

So this year we decided even though we pay our credit card off every month to avoid fees, that we are putting them away to save money for future endeavors.

 

However, not gonna happen.

 

How we currently are using credit cards.

 

1.  So, the DH goes down cellar  a few days back and the water tank is leaking.  Have you priced a water tank lately, and installation?

Well, after some research and consulting the powers that be...............(friends), we decided to go with that new tankless water heating system.

Of course it will need all new piping just in the area around it, and cap off something to the outside something, with labor and parts.............................DING DING DING................ credit card.

To be installed next week.

 

2.  Now my IPhone has been doing its own thing for months, dialing numbers when it is charging, sending texts of jibber jabbish to anyone it so desires, just letters but still, and of course who can forget the "light on light off" feature when no one is near it.  So new phones this weekend I Phone 14.  Now when we sent an email to Apple (their to techno savy to use an old fashioned telephone lets say to talk to people)   they said right now due to loyalty and our contract is paid off for a trade in we get new phones for free as long as we keep a new 2 year contract.................the last time we got phones for free, by the time you get the screen protector, accessories, case it was not free. DING DING DING ....credit card.

 

3.  Oh and if you use your card for grocery purchases you get double back.  Upto a limit...

You got it DING DING DONE..........................

 

So, dusted off the old plastic, and CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Take care

 

 

Cold Showers in Vienna

Mama Lions

 

 

I know how you feel. We were getting things paid off good, so we thought we would get a new couch, Then:

microwave goes out

refrigerator goes out

Seems like it’s always something .

[Arzeena]

1 hour ago, George C said:

Back home was under for a couple of hours, no pain yet , but still some bleeding, they said he went well.

Feel better George.

Feel better Bonnie.

[Vibe]

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

And this is engaged how? 

On the Honda CR-V there is a button that you can press when you come to a complete stop. When that button is pressed you can take your foot off of the break petal, the vehicle will continue to hold the breaks on.  When you engage the gas petal to move, the break hold will automatically release.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

29 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

we decided to go with that new tankless water heating system.

Sorry you've had so many expenses lately! Do report back how you like the tankless water heater. Ours is in the attic above the master bedroom, and I worry constantly about it failing and flooding the house (it happened to the previous owners). We have it checked annually in order to avoid that, but I'd like to consider tankless next time so we won't have to continue to store many gallons of hot water above our heads!

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, ATG said:

That’s good news.  We’re on this cruise also.  I got a beach bungalow for Labadee to celebrate my birthday.  If you are near stop by and say hello.  (It’s my 69th birthday, so look for a couple of old fogies).  They were lots cheaper than the cabanas and I need the shade.  We’ve never had one before but the YouTube looks neat.

 

Anne & Dave

I really like the Beach Bungalows at Labadee.  Not much different from a Cabana, but much more affordable.  

If you grab one of the golf cart drivers and tell them you have a bungalow, they should drive you all the way there, so you don't have to take the tram at all.  

[xpcdoojk]

49 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

So this year we decided even though we pay our credit card off every month to avoid fees, that we are putting them away to save money for future endeavors.

 

However, not gonna happen.

 

How we currently are using credit cards.

 

1.  So, the DH goes down cellar  a few days back and the water tank is leaking.  Have you priced a water tank lately, and installation?

Well, after some research and consulting the powers that be...............(friends), we decided to go with that new tankless water heating system.

Of course it will need all new piping just in the area around it, and cap off something to the outside something, with labor and parts.............................DING DING DING................ credit card.

To be installed next week.

 

2.  Now my IPhone has been doing its own thing for months, dialing numbers when it is charging, sending texts of jibber jabbish to anyone it so desires, just letters but still, and of course who can forget the "light on light off" feature when no one is near it.  So new phones this weekend I Phone 14.  Now when we sent an email to Apple (their to techno savy to use an old fashioned telephone lets say to talk to people)   they said right now due to loyalty and our contract is paid off for a trade in we get new phones for free as long as we keep a new 2 year contract.................the last time we got phones for free, by the time you get the screen protector, accessories, case it was not free. DING DING DING ....credit card.

 

3.  Oh and if you use your card for grocery purchases you get double back.  Upto a limit...

You got it DING DING DONE..........................

 

So, dusted off the old plastic, and CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Take care

 

 

Cold Showers in Vienna

Mama Lions

 

 

We have had a tankless heater since 2004, and I love it.  

[BonTexasNY]

35 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Feel better George.

Feel better Bonnie.

Thanks, Arzeena.  Not sure I posted I didn't feel well but feel better wishes are always welcome and appreciated. 😉

[George C]

44 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Sorry you've had so many expenses lately! Do report back how you like the tankless water heater. Ours is in the attic above the master bedroom, and I worry constantly about it failing and flooding the house (it happened to the previous owners). We have it checked annually in order to avoid that, but I'd like to consider tankless next time so we won't have to continue to store many gallons of hot water above our heads!

We had one of our water heaters bust, had to replace our wooden floors in most of the house , luckily insurance paid most of it . 

[Ocean Boy]

31 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

We have had a tankless heater since 2004, and I love it.  

That is what I'd like to get if... I mean when... my tank fails. 

[HBE4]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

The fanciest thing on my '95 Riviera is that it has cornering lights

 

My dad had a 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon that had cornering lights. I thought they were the coolest feature, not sure why they never caught on with more cars. 

[Husky1987]

1 hour ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Do report back how you like the tankless water heater.

We love ours.  Can run the dishwasher, washing machine, and two showers and not run out of hot water. 
Our furnace (20 yrs old, original to the house) went out, so we updated the water heater as well.

 

Before:

After:

[HBE4]

I sorta have tankless water heater. My boiler that heats the house has a small tank - a more of a sleeve really - that heats the hot water. Unlimited hot water on demand is nice. Taking a hot shower while the dish washer & washing machine running - and using hot water - at the same time is nice too.  No temperature drop in the hot water, although water pressure does decrease a bit.

[bobmacliberty]

1 hour ago, Vibe said:

On the Honda CR-V there is a button that you can press when you come to a complete stop. When that button is pressed you can take your foot off of the break petal, the vehicle will continue to hold the breaks on.  When you engage the gas petal to move, the break hold will automatically release.

 

Definitely varies by car.  On my car, if the car is stopped, I press and hold the brake for about a second until I see the word HOLD appear in my instrument gauge.  I then take my foot off the brake and the car stays put.  Either touch the brake again or touch the gas pedal and it disengages.  

 

Edit: I don't think it's how long I press the brake that engages it but rather how hard I push on the brake pedal.  If I keep light pressure on the brake pedal, brake hold won't engage.

Edited January 20, 2023 by bobmacliberty

[bobmacliberty]

Love our tankless water heat as well.  Ours is mounted on the outside of the house.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

5 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

We love ours.  Can run the dishwasher, washing machine, and two showers and not run out of hot water. 
Our furnace (20 yrs old, original to the house) went out, so we updated the water heater as well.

 

Before:

After:

It looks like it still runs on gas, too? How much more expensive are they than the traditional tank heater? We spend about $2K replacing our traditional water heater in 2016 (with the same traditional kind), and plan to replace it again at 10 years old just out of caution. At that point, I really want to consider tankless.

 

We've never run out of hot water here, but that's because our tank is large. I wouldn't worry so much if it was in the garage instead of above the ceiling, but Texas housebuilders don't care about stuff like that...

Edited January 20, 2023 by TravelGirlinDallas

[bobmacliberty]

54 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

It looks like it still runs on gas, too? How much more expensive are they than the traditional tank heater? We spend about $2K replacing our traditional water heater in 2016 (with the same traditional kind), and plan to replace it again at 10 years old just out of caution. At that point, I really want to consider tankless.

 

We've never run out of hot water here, but that's because our tank is large. I wouldn't worry so much if it was in the garage instead of above the ceiling, but Texas housebuilders don't care about stuff like that...

 

I looked at tankless water heaters about 10 years ago when I needed to replace our water heater in Cincinnati.  At the time, tankless was about twice the price of a tank.  I was willing to pay that, but our old tank was located in the middle of our finished basement, in an unfinished utility area.  We would have needed to run a new exhaust pipe and new electric line through the finished area, which would have increased the installed price significantly.  We instead bought the biggest tank that we could buy, saved some money, and never ran out of hot water.  

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

My dad had a 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon that had cornering lights. I thought they were the coolest feature, not sure why they never caught on with more cars. 

My car has them. They come on either by turning the steering wheel or activating the turn signal. 

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Definitely varies by car.  On my car, if the car is stopped, I press and hold the brake for about a second until I see the word HOLD appear in my instrument gauge.  I then take my foot off the brake and the car stays put.  Either touch the brake again or touch the gas pedal and it disengages.  

 

Edit: I don't think it's how long I press the brake that engages it but rather how hard I push on the brake pedal.  If I keep light pressure on the brake pedal, brake hold won't engage.

I've not tried activating the brake and then releasing the pedal. I know if I am stopped and even slightly release the pedal the car starts up. It happens before I can even get my foot to the gas pedal.