Live From Whisper.......12/2

[CruiserFromMaine]

@Lois R @DCPIV we enjoyed meeting you and sharing dinners and pre dinner cocktails with you—I’m glad we connected!

 

We’re at the airport, in the Sky Club, waiting for our afternoon flight. It’s nice here but it’s not the Whisper! 
 

We got off around 8:50 and were out front by 9:00. Easy peasy. As a splurge, I booked a car service to the airport…it must’ve been a slow day for them they picked us up in a stretch limo! 

Safe and uneventful travels today and good luck with your fridge, DCPIV! 

[CruiserFromMaine]

10 minutes ago, Bluebelle14 said:

We will embark the Whisper in 2 hours...very excited!

You’ll have fun, I’m sure!

[DCPIV]

1 hour ago, CruiserFromMaine said:

@Lois R @DCPIV we enjoyed meeting you and sharing dinners and pre dinner cocktails with you—I’m glad we connected!

 

We’re at the airport, in the Sky Club, waiting for our afternoon flight. It’s nice here but it’s not the Whisper! 
 

We got off around 8:50 and were out front by 9:00. Easy peasy. As a splurge, I booked a car service to the airport…it must’ve been a slow day for them they picked us up in a stretch limo! 

Safe and uneventful travels today and good luck with your fridge, DCPIV! 

 

Very nice! Chi chi!

[jpalbny]

4 hours ago, CruiserFromMaine said:

it must’ve been a slow day for them they picked us up in a stretch limo! 

 

Or maybe they used the stretch limo to facilitate social distancing? 😛

 

Safe travels home.

[Lois R]

Hi to all of you, well, I had an eventful flight.........we left Ft. Lauderdale on time BUT....about 20 minutes in the Capt came on and said something was wrong with the air system and he needed to turn around and go back to the airport😲........so we did and they ended up having us all get off the plane and go to another gate for another plane.  It really wasn't that bad.....a 2 delay. Thankfully nothing  bad happened except inside of the first plane felt like an oven (that was on).......it was very hot.  The 2nd plane was like an icebox LOL.........

Some folks thought they were going to make us stay all day but I think Jet Blue did a pretty good job. Other folks? Well, you know how some people are.......I was trying to be empathic to a couple who had plans messed up and she was totally rude to me.......oh well. 

 

Love the photo of the limo😃

[CruiserFromMaine]

Yikes! That’s quite an adventure you didn’t need! 
 

Too bad someone took it out on you! 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

the first plane felt like an oven (that was on).......it was very hot.  The 2nd plane was like an icebox LOL.........

So from an engineering perspective, the average was just right!  🤣

 

Glad you were able to roll with it and get home safely.  We had a similar thing in September when our British Airways pilot jammed on the breaks halfway down the runway because the 'check engine' light came on.  90 minute delay until they were able to fix the (software) fault and we were off again – in some respects I would have preferred to get on a different aircraft, but all's well that ends well.

[Stumblefoot]

12 hours ago, Lois R said:

Next cruise is April 1sr on The Dawn! And I put 2 deposits down for Nova in 2023 and 2024.

I’m impressed!  I remember the days when you wondered whether you could retire or not.  Not only did you retire, but will have taken four cruises in less than 12-months.  Kudos to you!  We should all be so lucky to travel as extensively as you do in retirement.

[Lois R]

Thanks😀 I know I am lucky and thankful.

[Bluebelle14]

Lois,  Are you aboard the Whisper now?

[Lois R]

2 hours ago, Bluebelle14 said:

Lois,  Are you aboard the Whisper now?

Nope. I got home yesterday.

[cruiseej]

On 12/17/2021 at 9:30 AM, Lois R said:

Now need to renew my passport.  Next cruise is April 1st on The Dawn!

 

You probably know this, but hop on that passport renewal right away. Renewals are running 10-12 weeks, possibly longer through the holidays, so you should have enough time to get it done -- but without much time to spare! 

[A Tucson Guy]

10 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

 

You probably know this, but hop on that passport renewal right away. Renewals are running 10-12 weeks, possibly longer through the holidays, so you should have enough time to get it done -- but without much time to spare! 

We just renewed a passport about 3 weeks ago and it took all of two weeks total.

[Lois R]

Hi, I went this morning and paid for the expedited process but after I left the PO and was at the grocery store and realized I thought I forgot to sign and date the form👎.......talk about dumb.....I had to go back to the PO and THANKFULLY they still had the envelope and I was able to get it back.......I was right, I had forgotten to sign it and date it😲........sometimes I wonder where my mind is (probably distracted on a cruise ship).    Yes, the PO was crowded......but if I had not gone back and it was sent without that signature? I am SURE they would have rejected it.......so at least now I know it is correct.

I know I can't be the first person in the universe to have made this mistake......one would think.

If it takes 12 weeks? YIKES........the extra fee is for the quicker process.....5-7 weeks. I leave the country on March 30th.........so need it back before that time.

 

[Lois R]

36 minutes ago, A Tucson Guy said:

We just renewed a passport about 3 weeks ago and it took all of two weeks total.

That sounds fabulous😃

[Lois R]

49 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

 

You probably know this, but hop on that passport renewal right away. Renewals are running 10-12 weeks, possibly longer through the holidays, so you should have enough time to get it done -- but without much time to spare! 

See my post......I paid for the expedited process......extra 60.00 is supposed to get it back between 5-7 weeks. Will see.........it is out of my hands now.

[cruiseej]

6 hours ago, A Tucson Guy said:

We just renewed a passport about 3 weeks ago and it took all of two weeks total.

 

That's amazing! Two friends of ours have recently renewed passports, and it took each about 10-11 weeks from start to finish. 

 

Lois, hopefully yours will sail through early in the new year and get back to you long before your cruise so you don't have any worries about it. 

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, Lois R said:

I went this morning and paid for the expedited process but after I left the PO and was at the grocery store and realized I thought I forgot to sign and date the form👎.......talk about dumb.....I had to go back to the PO and THANKFULLY they still had the envelope and I was able to get it back.......I was right, I had forgotten to sign it and date it😲........sometimes I wonder where my mind is (probably distracted on a cruise ship). 

 

Welcome to the very large Club of those of us who have Senior Moments!

[A Tucson Guy]

6 hours ago, cruiseej said:

 

You probably know this, but hop on that passport renewal right away. Renewals are running 10-12 weeks, possibly longer through the holidays, so you should have enough time to get it done -- but without much time to spare! 

I just checked the passport timing- mailed in expedited ($60 extra) on 11-3-21, passport issue date is 11-12-21 and we received it about four days later-easy peasy.

[Dolcevita Diva]

On 12/17/2021 at 10:13 PM, Stumblefoot said:

I’m impressed!  I remember the days when you wondered whether you could retire or not.  Not only did you retire, but will have taken four cruises in less than 12-months.  Kudos to you!  We should all be so lucky to travel as extensively as you do in retirement.

Lois is definitely an inspiration!
 

[Lois R]

12 minutes ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

Lois is definitely an inspiration!
 

Thank you for the kind words.🙂.  I am sure there a few folks who think otherwise, but I will graciously accept your compliment.

[Dolcevita Diva]

Just now, Lois R said:

Thank you for the kind words.🙂.  I am sure there a few folks who think otherwise, but I will graciously accept your compliment.

But you are!!  I was contemplating retirement next year, and contemplation has moved to certainty, in no small part due to envy/admiration of your ability to book a voyage on the spur of the moment! 

[Lois R]

6 minutes ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

But you are!!  I was contemplating retirement next year, and contemplation has moved to certainty, in no small part due to envy/admiration of your ability to book a voyage on the spur of the moment! 

Wishing you all the best on the upcoming retirement!🙂  I have to say, something changed for me a bit during these past 2 years.....going on all these cruises in such a short time span was never previously in my wheelhouse. But that was probably because I was working LOL.. But part was other things.....the virus, what has been going on in the country, etc.......never in my life would I have thought I would go away in 4 out of 5 months.   And I loved it😃.  Hope you will too!

[Catlover54]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

Wishing you all the best on the upcoming retirement!🙂  I have to say, something changed for me a bit during these past 2 years.....going on all these cruises in such a short time span was never previously in my wheelhouse. But that was probably because I was working LOL.. But part was other things.....the virus, what has been going on in the country, etc.......never in my life would I have thought I would go away in 4 out of 5 months.   And I loved it😃.  Hope you will too!

Covid, my cancer treatment ordeal, and yet another health concern have placed a sense of urgency onto my  retirement cruising schedule.  It's either now ( or at least soon), or never.

But I do have limits on what I will put up with, and DH has even stricter  limits on how much disorder, unpredictability, and bureaucratic waste of his remaining life hours he will tolerate, given alternatives.

 

We will hopefully be aboard SS soon, together,  and are getting our noses, tear ducts, lungs and psyches ready for the upcoming assaults -- but also, our palates are anticipating the feasts, and the photography paraphernalia has been  assembled.

 

Thank you so much for your encouraging trip reports!

 

 

[A Tucson Guy]

My DW and I are not retired. My retirement party may be the same day as my wake! We still enjoy what we do for a living. That being said, we have decided to take more time to travel in spite of Covid. Our Dubai to Mumbai plus the Taj Mahal trip this Thanksgiving was sadly canceled. We have summer and Thanksgiving cruises scheduled for both 2022 and 2023. Both 2023 cruises are on are the Silver Nova and I for one, like the larger SS ships for more choices in everything. Happy Holidays!!! Our admin person will be busy while we are on the water.