RedneckBob live report from Equinox 10/29/21

[NutsAboutGolf]

7 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

Crew members are usually not the first to know any insider information.  It amazes me when people use  a crew member as a reliable source for anything in the future.  They are 50/50 on things that happened on past sailings.  

Most who directly deal with pax do know and as they want to have an idea of their projected workload.  Some may not pay attention or care but it’s rare if asked by pax that they’d make up a random number.  Now other “insider info”, I agree, they may not know.

[Guppy99]

13 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Most who directly deal with pax do know and as they want to have an idea of their projected workload.  Some may not pay attention or care but it’s rare if asked by pax that they’d make up a random number.  Now other “insider info”, I agree, they may not know.

 

13 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Most who directly deal with pax do know and as they want to have an idea of their projected workload.  Some may not pay attention or care but it’s rare if asked by pax that they’d make up a random number.  Now other “insider info”, I agree, they may not know.

I think you are incorrect. Everyone's individual jobs allow them to know who or how many onboard will likely affect them. Exactly as a previous poster said when he asked the Captains Club concierge how many were on board. He only knew the number of CC passengers, not the entire passenger number.  

 

[crusinthrough]

17 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Most who directly deal with pax do know and as they want to have an idea of their projected workload.  Some may not pay attention or care but it’s rare if asked by pax that they’d make up a random number.  Now other “insider info”, I agree, they may not know.

I wouldn't think a random number but the number may not be accurate.  It's probably like the telephone game.  It starts out as accurate but as it gets passed around it changes.  I trust the accuracy from senior crew members.   Anything outside of being directly reported by a senior crew member, I wouldn't repeat as gospel but as a strong possibility.    

[mayleeman]

I think it is more likely that some crew members accurately relay the actual number than it is likely for passengers to accurately evaluate whether a crew member is correct.

[RedneckBob]

10 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

really? and how would they know? The staff on board doesn't even know the actual numbers...

Maybe they counted every passenger at the bar during happy hour 😀

[ChucktownSteve]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:34 AM, RedneckBob said:

 if I did that you probably would have gotten tired of only pictures of grits for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. Grits with butter, grits with bacon, grits with eggs, instant grits, bowl of grits…kinda sounds like I am Redneck Gump.

 

I'm really disappointed that you didn't include cheese grits or shrimp & grits.

 

OOPS. I continued reading the posts and noticed someone else mentioned them first.  I like good grits.  Refuse to eat instant or runny grits.

Edited November 12, 2021 by ChucktownSteve

[RedneckBob]

53 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

I'm really disappointed that you didn't include cheese grits or shrimp & grits.

 

OOPS. I continued reading the posts and noticed someone else mentioned them first.  I like good grits.  Refuse to eat instant or runny grits.

“No self-respecting southerner will eat instant grits”, My Cousin Vinny.

[njg999]

Do you have any tips on getting the best price on an internet package?  We get 240 minutes included.  Thank you

[RedneckBob]

2 minutes ago, njg999 said:

Do you have any tips on getting the best price on an internet package?  We get 240 minutes included.  Thank you

Don’t use it 😀.

 

I had free WiFi for whole cruise. Sorry

[NutsAboutGolf]

26 minutes ago, njg999 said:

Do you have any tips on getting the best price on an internet package?  We get 240 minutes included.  Thank you

 

You don't need to buy the internet package in advance to get the Capt club discount, they offer the discount on board.  So, burn your 240 minutes and can purchase it; it goes by day so if you run out of your 240 minutes during the evening, considering waiting until the next morning to buy.  Also you can buy the basic for a few days and upgrade to the Streaming towards the end of the cruise.  Also many ports have bars/restaurants/cafes with free wifi, could simply go to one and buy a soda if you didn't want to pay for alcohol/food and use the wifi.

[Guppy99]

I find it so odd that so many want to stay connected on a cruise. One of the reasons i love cruising is so that I can be totally unconnected. No phone calls, no emails, no nothing....blissful.

I don't even like the idea of having the celebrity ap on my phone and needing to refer to it while on the ship... I just won't do it.

[RedneckBob]

2 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

I find it so odd that so many want to stay connected on a cruise. One of the reasons i love cruising is so that I can be totally unconnected. No phone calls, no emails, no nothing....blissful.

I don't even like the idea of having the celebrity ap on my phone and needing to refer to it while on the ship... I just won't do it.

I agree. This was the first time I started a thread while we were cruising. I don’t have Facebook, tick tock, instragram, etc… In fact my first smart phone was bought just a year ago. Before that I had a dumb phone. My first computer was a few years ago, before that an abacus. 

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

I find it so odd that so many want to stay connected on a cruise. One of the reasons i love cruising is so that I can be totally unconnected. No phone calls, no emails, no nothing....blissful.

I don't even like the idea of having the celebrity ap on my phone and needing to refer to it while on the ship... I just won't do it.

I'm with you here.  No insta, FB or other social media on my phone, don't text when I am on board, then again I don't when on a land vacation either.  I do check work email 1x/day though and that is it.  Of course to each their own, clearly many here love to post about everything on board, just not my thing, I'm on vaca.

[Jazzbo]

6 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

I'm really disappointed that you didn't include cheese grits or shrimp & grits.

 

OOPS. I continued reading the posts and noticed someone else mentioned them first.  I like good grits.  Refuse to eat instant or runny grits.

I never like grits until my parents moved to Charleston and I had stone ground grits for the first time.  I love those!

[Nebr.cruiser]

I don't like to use my phone on board for sure--never have, but it souonds like I may have tofor some things now.  I don't like carrying it around with me.

 

The only reason I might buy an internet passage is so I can post on Facebook that we are okay and alive to relieve the mind of my 95 year old MIL, who seems to believe if she hasn't heard from us in a day we are dead.  She doesn't have a computer so some one will have to relay 'we're alive' reports.

 

Not into posting on social media, etc., especially when on vacation.  My husband still has a flip phone!

[Jim_Iain]

On 11/4/2021 at 12:32 PM, RedneckBob said:

Plant based burger in Blu 😩

 

 Nothing that float my boat. DW had rack of lamb that she said was best ever. I did had a filet that was very good. Last two nites we have eaten in Oceanview Cafe; did not like anything on MDR or Blu menu. Today seems to be the same. Very very few are dining in Oceanview for dinner and selections are very good.

Out of curiosity I also tried the Plant Based Burger in addition to my regular dinner order.    I took one bite and decided I didn't enjoy it and would never order it again.   I'm glad I ordered something that I planned on eating.

[NutsAboutGolf]

20 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

I find it so odd that so many want to stay connected on a cruise. One of the reasons i love cruising is so that I can be totally unconnected. No phone calls, no emails, no nothing....blissful.

I don't even like the idea of having the celebrity ap on my phone and needing to refer to it while on the ship... I just won't do it.

 

Every sailing I go on, I see more and more pax including those who are elderly using a smartphone or tablets all over the ship.  Princess has the medallion/smartphone app combo where you can be anywhere on the ship, order a food/drinks from your phone and it'll be delivered to you even if you're in motion, like it or not, this will most likely be copied by RCL/X.  We're probably a decade away from 99% of all pax using a smartphone daily on a cruise.

[mayleeman]

15 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

using a smartphone or tablets all over the ship

 

Some of us love reading all the Kindle books we have on those things. I wrote three short stories for my 5 yeat old g-son on my phone on Reflection which I read to him when we got home (he's in Hawaii). Some people journal.

 

Not all device use is due to social media. Would anyone lament if they saw someone using a pen and pad, or reading a bound book?

[NutsAboutGolf]

55 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

 

Some of us love reading all the Kindle books we have on those things. I wrote three short stories for my 5 yeat old g-son on my phone on Reflection which I read to him when we got home (he's in Hawaii). Some people journal.

 

Not all device use is due to social media. Would anyone lament if they saw someone using a pen and pad, or reading a bound book?

 

Some do lament those who use technology on a cruise, my opinion is to do whatever brings you joy whether that's to be disconnected for the entire cruise to staying in touch with work and/or friends or family to being on social media six hours a day; I'd simply rather have happy fellow pax.  I'll share my direct experience on this sailing, I spent probably four times the amount of time in the solarium compared to main pool.  A common complain from pax I struck up a convo with was the drink service was nearly non-existent at the solarium.  I personally didn't have a problem with waking 100-200' to the pool bar, yet many pax were annoyed by that "solution".  A better option would have been to order a drink from your phone; if that's not your preference you're still welcome to wait for staff to come.

Edited November 13, 2021 by NutsAboutGolf

[mayleeman]

1 minute ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

A better option would have been to order a drink from your phone;

 

I wouldn't have thought of that one! I did once call a store after waiting at their customer service counter with several other  customers, and alerted the manager that the clerks were nowhere to be found. Turns out they were yakking in a storeroom.... Phones are handy!

[Jim_Iain]

23 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

I find it so odd that so many want to stay connected on a cruise. One of the reasons i love cruising is so that I can be totally unconnected. No phone calls, no emails, no nothing....blissful.

I don't even like the idea of having the celebrity ap on my phone and needing to refer to it while on the ship... I just won't do it.

I guess we each enjoy our time in a different manner. 

 

I live in the middle of Silicon Valley and accustomed to be connected at all times.   On the other hand I don't drink and find it very boring sitting at a bar and watch people over imbibe but  I don't criticize them for doing what they enjoy. 

 

I walk at lest 10 miles a day and my iPhone is the repository of my AudioBook library and listen to books for most of the 3 hours it takes to do my walk each day.  

 

We each enjoy our vacation in different ways and should be understanding and tolerant of others choices.

[Guppy99]

12 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I guess we each enjoy our time in a different manner. 

 

I live in the middle of Silicon Valley and accustomed to be connected at all times.   On the other hand I don't drink and find it very boring sitting at a bar and watch people over imbibe but  I don't criticize them for doing what they enjoy. 

 

I walk at lest 10 miles a day and my iPhone is the repository of my AudioBook library and listen to books for most of the 3 hours it takes to do my walk each day.  

 

We each enjoy our vacation in different ways and should be understanding and tolerant of others choices.

I am not criticizing, just expressing that I find it odd. 

[stephensfamily5]

On 11/4/2021 at 3:36 PM, RedneckBob said:

In Bonaire, once you are off the ship, local Bonaire security requires proof of vaccine with the vax card.

I have read that cruise passengers to Bonaire must follow the Covid regulations-  Fully vaccinated travelers (12 years and older) must show proof of full vaccination and a negative PCR test not older than 24 hours before departure from home port.

https://infobonaire.com/getting-to-bonaire/cruises/#:~:text=Fully vaccinated travelers (12 years,hours before arrival to Bonaire.

 

Did you have to show proof of a negative test?  We plan on getting the test, but are flying in a day early, so the test is scheduled 2 days before embarkation.

 

[NCHPcruiser]

On 11/12/2021 at 12:19 PM, Guppy99 said:

I find it so odd that so many want to stay connected on a cruise. One of the reasons i love cruising is so that I can be totally unconnected. No phone calls, no emails, no nothing....blissful.

I don't even like the idea of having the celebrity ap on my phone and needing to refer to it while on the ship... I just won't do it.

You are in an extremely fortunate place in life that you are able to do this.  Instead of finding it odd, perhaps you should count your lucky stars that you are in such a place.

[Guppy99]

14 minutes ago, NCHPcruiser said:

You are in an extremely fortunate place in life that you are able to do this.  Instead of finding it odd, perhaps you should count your lucky stars that you are in such a place.

For many many years, I didn't feel that way. Then my son (just 37) became very ill, months of surgeries, hospitalizations and he passed away while waiting for a heart transplant. He also used to never really unplug. Then I discovered that, impossibly, the sun rose again and the world moved on.  I will never delude myself into thinking that anything is so vital that you can't unplug for two weeks and just enjoy.