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

[ReneeFLL]

 

On 2/18/2023 at 4:40 PM, Momof3gurlz said:

On November 6, 1986 I went to an after work retirement party with a friend and I met a guy.  He was younger than me, I was a single Mom to a 3 year old, shy & quiet. He introduced himself and we spent most of the night talking & dancing.  Our first official date was 3 days later at Chuck E Cheese with my daughter and we never looked backed.  
On February 19, 1988, 35 years ago tomorrow , this happened:

 

Here’s a pic of me with said munchkin as my flower girl:

 

A couple of years after this he adopted the munchkin and we went in to have two more daughters.  I sure am glad that woman retired and had a party!

Happy Anniversary and such a great story. Looks like your colors were red and white like ours.

 

11 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

That's an important message about public WiFi.  It's common to use what's called a Man in the Middle attack.  You think you're connecting to a public WiFi network but you're actually connecting to a bad guy who is pretending to be a public WiFi connection.  The bad guy is connected to the Internet so you end up going through him to get to the Internet, but you never know the difference.  The bad guy can "see" everything that you do.  Any web sites that you connect to SHOULD use encrypted traffic, at least when sending your username and password, but not all do.  Even if the bad guy sees the encrypted version of your password, there are ways to decrypt it in some cases.  All it takes is to buy a $120 device called a Wifi Pineapple.  You set it up to pretend that you're the Starbucks Wifi, or the Kroger Wifi, or Panera Bread Wifi, or the Lowes WifI, etc.  

 

Moral of the story...use your cellular connection to the internet unless you must use WiFi for some reason.

 

Edit: Using your home Wifi is fine.  I'm talking about public Wifi connections.

What do you think of the ships wifi? I sometimes buy stuff online and have to put in my password. Big chance of getting hacked?

[ReneeFLL]

2 hours ago, Coralc said:

Jimi Hendrix. 

Thanks, something tells me I’m the only one that didn’t know it. 😑

[Coralc]

36 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

What do you think of the ships wifi? I sometimes buy stuff online and have to put in my password. Big chance of getting hacked?

 

Gosh, you just never know. I have a sneaking suspicion that it occurred because of my purchases at a local (online) pet pharmacy, that I had some ordering problems with last week. It is a longer story. I ended up going down there in person. That is because I was a first time purchaser, and the theft then occurred locally. Here in the Bay Area. 

 

But my number might have been already out there and someone, just coincidentally happened to pick it up, shared it with others that happened to be in SF. Slimeballs. They sure tried to order a lot of food. Of the multiple charges, the highest was $132 and the lowest was I think $46. 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Coralc

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

🙂🙂🙂👍

Below Deck on UK TV is currently doing a Malta season.

Captain Sandi,Natasha chief steward, Natalie,Storm Bosun,

We watched BD on TV in Miami a couple of weeks ago after our Oasis cruise.

Edited February 21, 2023 by grapau27

[aussielozzie18]

Been an interesting day on the Northern Beaches in Sydney today.  A very  unexpected fly over after midday by a formation of Korean fighter jets.   The Media reported later they are an aerobatic team doing a training exercise.  They are due to perform at an Airshow in Victoria.  
 

Then tonight, there was a large water spout off one of the beaches - Curl Curl.

[aussielozzie18]

3 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Drove me niece back to her home in Philadelphia.  With all the recent talk about who has the best chees steak, I was tempted to do a taste test at Gi\eno's v Pats.

 

Instead, went to a local sports bar - Founding Fathers - and has short rib tacos and margarita pizza along with a hazy IPA (not pictured) from New Trail Brewing in Williamsport, PA.  It did not disappoint. Oh so good! 😋

 

Snap. Tacos for us too.    Out to dinner for Taco Tuesday specials.  I don’t normally have alcohol on a work night but it was 98F today so tried a pear cider with my three tacos.  It was rather nice.

Your meals look delish

Edited February 21, 2023 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

@dani negreanu all the food you ate on your holiday sounds delicious.  Hope you get to rest your weary feet now that you are home.

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Thanks, something tells me I’m the only one that didn’t know it. 😑

I didn't know either.

[bobmacliberty]

4 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

Happy Anniversary and such a great story. Looks like your colors were red and white like ours.

 

What do you think of the ships wifi? I sometimes buy stuff online and have to put in my password. Big chance of getting hacked?

Ship’s WiFi should be fine. Bad guys look for a place like Starbucks where they can get in and out easily. 

[bobmacliberty]

At the airport waiting to board our flight to San Francisco. Weather will be a little cooler with highs in the 50s and a couple of days of rain. Nothing that a little wine can’t fix.
 

With all of the talk here about No Shoes radio, I decided to give it a try for a few days. I’m not a big country fan but do like Kenny Chesney’s island songs. When you say that there’s a mix of

musical styles, you weren’t kidding. Nothing like a little Drop It Like It’s Hot at 5:30am  🤣🤣🤣

 

[Sunshine3601]

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Below Deck on UK TV is currently doing a Malta season.

Captain Sandi,Natasha chief steward, Natalie,Storm Bosun,

We watched BD on TV in Miami a couple of weeks ago after our Oasis cruise.

You will definitely see some drama on the BD season you are watching.

[h20skibum]

11 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

At the airport waiting to board our flight to San Francisco.

Safe travels to CA, and enjoy your time there. 

[brillohead]

6 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

What do you think of the ships wifi? I sometimes buy stuff online and have to put in my password. Big chance of getting hacked?

That's not "public wifi" - with the ship, you have a specific account with them that you log into on their network.  

Fake/fraudulent public wifi will be someplace that you don't need an account for.  Like if you're at Applebee's and see networks named "Applebee's Guest" and "Free Wifi" listed that you can connect to, you don't know which one is the one provided by the restaurant and which one is a fake hotspot that is monitored by the bad guy.  

[brillohead]

[Momof3gurlz]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

At the airport waiting to board our flight to San Francisco. Weather will be a little cooler with highs in the 50s and a couple of days of rain. Nothing that a little wine can’t fix.
 

With all of the talk here about No Shoes radio, I decided to give it a try for a few days. I’m not a big country fan but do like Kenny Chesney’s island songs. When you say that there’s a mix of

musical styles, you weren’t kidding. Nothing like a little Drop It Like It’s Hot at 5:30am  🤣🤣🤣

 

I wish you safe travels and a great trip.  Hoping you’ll share the highlights with us. 

[Momof3gurlz]

17 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Pls. see final thoughts below

 

Alhambra was amazing. I'm sure on the 2nd visit, you'll see details you've missed on the first.

 

 

Our Venice trip is over. We got home late Saturday night (motzey shabat). Of course, nothing food-shopping wise is open so late, and if some non-kosher supers are open, they don't have fresh produce, since Friday and Saturday.... And Sunday is also takes time to replenish. We stocked today.

 

We'll fly to Marrakesh on March 19th, the day some of the lucky ones of you will debark Oasis... I'll have all the week to follow your adventures and be jealous 😢

 

We enjoyed our trip to Venice and fulfilled a long-time dream of living like a Venetian and eat fresh sea food products. We had 2 days of beautiful and freezing weather, and we're grateful for those.

 

It was a real treat to buy at the sea food market. Hubby kept whispering: "Did you check how much are those"? Me: "I don't CARE"... In the end, after really going "wild", the bill was 39 Euro, which lasted us 2 gourmet evening meals, and the 2nd time, even cheaper -- 36 Euro, again, for 2 gourmet evening meals.

 

For lunch we took away an amazing pizza (3X), a few mins walk from our rental. It was pipping hot still when we got "home". The last day we finished all the pizza left overs.

 

I've splurged for my fav raspberries, and found a new version of blueberries, enormous, flat [think IRobot] and very sturdy. I've bought 6 packets for the flying home day, and they sustained us very well.

 

It was one of the cheapest stays, food wise.

 

Nevertheless, we don't plan to return any time soon. For us, it's an exhausting city.... 

 

If you're tired of walking, you can't just call a taxi home. Of course, you can take the waterbus, but first, you have to reach the nearest station, spend some time in it, and then, if you're lucky, your accommodation isn't far from the station. So, proximity to a waterbus station is very important.

 

As an example, Saturday -- woke up when it was still dark, checked up to see if the waterbus we needed to reach the Bus Station is not cancelled due to the foggy weather. Thankfully, it was running. Walk with our carry ons only 5 minutes on the uneven and narrow lane to the nearest waterbus station. Wait for it in the freezing cold. 30 minutes later we're at the Bus Station. 10 mins walk to the airport bus. Wait for it in the freezing cold for 20 mins. Travel to the airport - 70 mins. Arriving the required 3 hours before. One hour before boarding, at the low cost gate -- a very long line, no seats. Then you wait OUTSIDE the gate, to be herded, walking, to the plane, climbing the stairs with our luggage.

 

Mercifully, they were on time. Almost 4 hours flight, not even a glass of water was offered free of charge...

 

First time ever I was so happy that our trip was over and I'm finally at home....

I’m glad you and DH enjoyed you visit to Venice. It’s a shame that travel, both getting there and getting home, was so difficult.  Your pictures of the costumes were just beautiful. 

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

I’m not a big country fan but do like Kenny Chesney’s island songs

I feel the same way. Have a great time.

[bobmacliberty]

39 minutes ago, Momof3gurlz said:

I wish you safe travels and a great trip.  Hoping you’ll share the highlights with us. 

I’ll share some info and a few pictures as we go…hopefully. 

[TravelGirlinDallas]

Last Thanksgiving, the three of us went on a 4-day cruise from Galveston to Cozumel on Adventure for about $1700. It was great, and I have been looking into doing the same this Thanksgiving. For the exact same ports, exact same holiday weekend, but on Voyager instead of Adventure (similar but older), the price would be nearly $3300 this year! Nearly twice as much! 😫

 

I may have to (gasp!) resort to Carnival for a more affordable price that week. Carnival is fine, but we prefer Royal. But to save a ton of cash, I'd do it. I'll keep watching the prices for a little longer.

[Husky1987]

11 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

You are going to have to tell me what it is. A memorial for someone?

I know it's already been answered, but it's the Jimi Hendrix gravesite in Renton.  He was born and raised in Seattle.

[helen haywood]

I had my purse stolen once at our local grocery store in Georgia.  Back then I used to put my purse in the cart….   Turned around and the cart was gone.  Had to ask the manager to call a neighbor to come pick me up.  (Dark Ages - before cell phones.)  Once home had to call all my credit cards and banks to report theft.  Once I finished making all those landline calls my phone rang.  It was the grocery store manager; my purse had been turned in.  Seems while I had my back turned at the produce department someone else took my cart mistakenly thinking it was theirs. By the time they realized it was not I’d already left.  My purse was untouched.

 

Of course there is no way to undo canceling credit cards.  That was my sole “crime” experience in our small town.  😁

[John&LaLa]

Anyone else seeing this large number in upper right of page?

 

It seems a recent addition

[HBE4]

8 hours ago, Coralc said:

 

Gosh, you just never know. I have a sneaking suspicion that it occurred because of my purchases at a local (online) pet pharmacy, that I had some ordering problems with last week. It is a longer story. I ended up going down there in person. That is because I was a first time purchaser, and the theft then occurred locally. Here in the Bay Area. 

 

But my number might have been already out there and someone, just coincidentally happened to pick it up, shared it with others that happened to be in SF. Slimeballs. They sure tried to order a lot of food. Of the multiple charges, the highest was $132 and the lowest was I think $46. 

 

I had one of my credit cards hacked years ago. It happened when I tried to check into a hotel and found out my account had been frozen. My credit card company monitoring system/department had noticed suspicious activity and suspended the account.  Of course, I was freaking out being away from home and visions of someone racking up tens of thousands of dollar of purchases. In actuality, it was many small, frequent purchases made at various drug stores.

 

The thing is, it wasn't a card that I used for any Internet purchases (I have a separate card for that).  When I spoke with their Fraud department, they said my card into was most likely stolen in one of two ways. 1) Someone with an RFID scanner hidden in their pocket was able to "swipe" my info just by being in close proximity to me when I was using my card for purchases at a gas station or retail store or 2) said gas station company or retail store had a data breach and my info was stolen that way as well.

 

Just to muddle the picture even more, it could be many months or even years after my CC info is stolen before it is used by some nefarious organization out there on the "dark web".

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by HBE4

[HBE4]

11 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Anyone else seeing this large number in upper right of page?

 

It seems a recent addition

 

Yes, on my cell phone but it's not there on my laptop.

 

[John&LaLa]

2 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Yes, on my cell phone but it's not there on my laptop.

 

 

Same number?