Jim_Iain - Solstice LIVE Mexico Riveria B2B - December 3 and 11

[DaKahuna]

9 minutes ago, BEAV said:

 

Just drive 45 minutes to beautiful Walnut Creek (still in California!) to trim your gas bill! 

 

 

 What a difference a few thousand miles make.... 

 

[r2h2]

Unleaded 87 octane is now $2.62 per gallon where I live just North and East of Nashville,TN!

[MamaFej]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I just started reading a new Book on today's walk -   I am Death - A Robert Hunter Series by Chris Carter.     I love his books but be forewarned he dreams up the most heinous murders you could ever dream  in your worst nightmare.    Reminds me of The Bone Collector where you feel like squirming out of your own skin.   LOL

 

 

My dad is a retired homicide investigator. He used to bring work home... including photos of crime scenes and autopsies. 

 

I learned the hard way NEVER to turn over an upside down photograph. Well, I didn't learn the first time, but I should have. I definitely learned after one mistake in particular. 

[jelayne]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I thought I would share with you our high gas prices.  California has a special blend to reduce pollution 

 

 

You will notice a white Wamo (Google) autamous driving vehicle which are being tested with drivers and engineers aboard.  They use Lincoln’s 
 

I bought gas yesterday in Texas at $2.62. 
We arrived at LAX at 2:30 took the LAX IT shuttle, very easy and much better than walking.  Got to LAX IT ordered a Uber which showed up in about 5 min.  Mercedes E class just under 30 mins to Crowne Plaza in San Pedro, cost $44.59.  Before tip.  This was at 3:30 on Friday.

[jagoffee]

11 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I've used in on Silhouette and Summit so far.  Prior to that I only used Roku. 

 

This cruise we are on Equinox (not revolutionized).  

 

I'll try to shoot a movie of my setup.    I added one thing to my arsenal this time.   A couple   90 Degree HDMI extenders.   In many of the suites the TV is set into a frame with only inches to get to the HDMI ports.   I'm hoping it will make it easier.

 

 

What a great idea.

 

thanks.

[Northern Aurora]

3 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

My understanding of the process is that the person getting recognized as a Zenith gets to invite the people to the event.  That person probably does not know the other Zeniths on board.  But Celebrity knows who they are.  Why not have Celebrity invite them as well so they all get a chance to meet one another?  Seems rather strange to me.  Is there a Zenith group?  Why not suggest this to Celebrity as a group?

 

Understand that my husband and I reached the Zenith level of the Captain's Club in 2016.  Through the years the "process" has changed.  In 2016 only the folks being recognized as new Zenith members were on the bridge.  In our case there were several other Zenith's onboard, which we knew, but they were not included. And we were not asked if we wanted to invite them.  Nor did the Captain's Club ask them either.  We did, however,  have a lovely private dinner with Captain Kate.  

 

Somewhere around 2018  or so the new Zeniths were either asked if they wanted to invite others, or simply (and I suspect this was the "new" standard) the Captain's Club host/hostess invited all of the Zenith's onboard, whether the newbie knew them or not.  We have attended a number of bridge "ceremonies" where we didn't know the folks at all.  

 

There is/was a facebook group hosted by a Zenith who now has been banned.  I never bothered to "friend" the organizer, but he and his wife certainly know who my husband and I are.  We have met them.  Becoming a "Zenith" was never a goal for us.  It just happened.  There are now so many Zeniths it is becoming, on some ships, rather unmanageable for the Captain's Club host/hostess, and I suspect Zenith's have, as mentioned by Jim, lost their sparkle, particularly to management as some have quite the ego.

 

 

[Laurab23]

13 hours ago, amcco said:

I don’t know if it’s the nurse in me but heinous I can read. Just don’t hurt the dog! 

I don't want any animals hurt in what I read. If I get an inking that might happen I sneak a peak at the last few pages and if the dog is mentioned, I will keep reading the book. Otherwise,back to the library it goes.

 

Laura

[juanrod]

Looking forward to updates today.  Something to look forward to after work 🥳

[Lena11033]

10 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 What a difference a few thousand miles make.... 

 

 

Ha I'm in Canada, just past Detroit. For the cheapest gas here it's $5.48 if I did the conversion right (it was 1.45 a litre)

 

[Guindalf]

We'll be on this cruise Jan 28th. First time on the West Coast and the Solstice (although we've been on the Equinox to the ABC islands and the Eclipse to Alaska).

 

Following and looking forward to next month. I was in the hospital until Thursday with suspected sepsis and a mild heart attack, so I need a break!

[chemmo]

5 minutes ago, Guindalf said:

We'll be on this cruise Jan 28th. First time on the West Coast and the Solstice (although we've been on the Equinox to the ABC islands and the Eclipse to Alaska).

 

Following and looking forward to next month. I was in the hospital until Thursday with suspected sepsis and a mild heart attack, so I need a break!

You definitely don’t need a ‘break’…look out for your arms, legs and hips!

 

What you definitely need is a cruise… The only good thing about bouts of ill health is that they do make you reflect on the important things in life and focus on ‘making it count’…

 

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

[Jim_Iain]

Saturday - 6:00AM.   Cruise Day

 

Up and  rolling for a  9:15 flight. Alaska 3454.  
 

Suitcases by the front door.   Carry on still open to pack the laptop. 

 

Expecting another storm today, but looks like we will be gone before. It comes ashore. 
 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

Wasting time and sipping coffee.    Checked San Pedro and we will be leaving from B93 as has been foretasted. 

 

Solstice has already berthed but isn't showing on the web cam

 

 

Looks like a nice day for arrival

[Jim_Iain]

11 hours ago, rotoal said:

Global Entry is also a Real ID, it is easier than carrying a passport for domestic flights.   But for a cruise that goes anywhere outside of the U.S., I would still want to have my passport just in case.

Didn't know that -  Iain said he had his Global Entry Card with him.   I'll let him know.

[Jim_Iain]

11 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 So the TV' shave mini-HMDI female connectors vs standard HDMI female? 

 

No they use the standard HDMI .   May have been the picture I took.   I did have to buy a USB to HDMI as my new PC doesn't have a standard HDMI port.

[Jim_Iain]

15 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

Since the resumption of cruising after the global suspension the Zenith initiations/recognitions that I have been aware of have not happened (at least on the ships we have been on) on the bridge, but instead at Blu.  And the other Zeniths on the cruise have not been invited.  There seems to have been some concern about having non-crew members on the bridge and potentially exposing the bridge staff to Covid-19.  But this may be changing as in September (on the Solstice) we did a behind the scenes tour and one of the stops was the bridge.  However, on the second leg of that September b2b there were new Zeniths who had their initiation/recognition, and none of the other Zeniths (there were ten others) were invited.

 

We were B2B on the Solstice in June, and there was no Zenith gathering on either leg.  We were again B2B on the Solstice in September; while the first leg had a Zenith cocktail gathering in Cellar Masters (no lunch at all),  there was neither a cocktail gathering nor lunch on the second leg at all.  While I am aware that some ships have had Zenith lunches the Solstice did not.  I will be interested if one is held on either one of your legs.

 

After reading your Live, I'm not expecting much in the way of a lunch.   I was told that it is up to the Captain and the Hotel Director.

[Jim_Iain]

11 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

I think you will enjoy it.  In the last week and a half I watched all six seasons of "The Good Fight" on Paramount +.  Really enjoyed it.  Did not watch it when it was originally aired. 

 

 

I got hooked when I watched a Season 3 of the Good Live and then went back and binged watched season 1 and 2.     Since then I've downloaded episodes and we watch it on our own schedule.   

 

The Good Fight is so politically incorrect but hysterical.  

[Jim_Iain]

11 hours ago, BEAV said:

 

Just drive 45 minutes to beautiful Walnut Creek (still in California!) to trim your gas bill! 

 

LOL... you do have good prices.   I usually fill up when I visit our daughter in Modesto.  

 

Still it's costing me $80 to fill up.

[Jim_Iain]

11 hours ago, r2h2 said:

Unleaded 87 octane is now $2.62 per gallon where I live just North and East of Nashville,TN!

 

We do get screwed in California.   Especially when they switch from the Summer to Winter blend and they shut the refineries down to switch over.   Prices surge for a couple weeks.     We can't import from other states as it doesn't meet the California regulation.

 

Luckily we don't drive much.

[Jim_Iain]

10 hours ago, MamaFej said:

My dad is a retired homicide investigator. He used to bring work home... including photos of crime scenes and autopsies. 

 

I learned the hard way NEVER to turn over an upside down photograph. Well, I didn't learn the first time, but I should have. I definitely learned after one mistake in particular. 

 

I can understand for sure.   I understand that can be one of the most difficult occupations and does take a toll on them and their families. 

[Jim_Iain]

10 hours ago, jelayne said:

I bought gas yesterday in Texas at $2.62. 
We arrived at LAX at 2:30 took the LAX IT shuttle, very easy and much better than walking.  Got to LAX IT ordered a Uber which showed up in about 5 min.  Mercedes E class just under 30 mins to Crowne Plaza in San Pedro, cost $44.59.  Before tip.  This was at 3:30 on Friday.

 

Excited to get rolling.    just sitting around chatting here and drinking coffee.

 

I just checked Uber and Lyft and lots of cars in the neighborhood.    I think Lyft is current the choice with lower prices.

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Lena11033 said:

 

Ha I'm in Canada, just past Detroit. For the cheapest gas here it's $5.48 if I did the conversion right (it was 1.45 a litre)

 

Yikes...

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Guindalf said:

We'll be on this cruise Jan 28th. First time on the West Coast and the Solstice (although we've been on the Equinox to the ABC islands and the Eclipse to Alaska).

 

Following and looking forward to next month. I was in the hospital until Thursday with suspected sepsis and a mild heart attack, so I need a break!

Wow... hope is all better now.   I'm sure that was quite a scare. 

 

You definitely need a drink.

[Jim_Iain]

Our inbound flight Alaska 3343 just took off out of San Diego and running 10 minutes early.   I'm feeling confident about our flight (AS3454) being on time as there is a 1 hour turn around.  

[viperfoth]

35 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

No they use the standard HDMI .   May have been the picture I took.   I did have to buy a USB to HDMI as my new PC doesn't have a standard HDMI port.

 

I know you stated the 'trick' to get HDMI selection using the Closed Caption before. But do all ships have this trick?

 

Keep us updated on how the Solstice has been updated for the TVs. Last we went (in AQ) they were roughly 36" TVs that were a bit thick and we had to unplug a MacMini (inside the nightstand) to get it connected.

 

This January we are all suite for a month in a CS so maybe its different now 🙂

 

Keep up the posts Jim_Lain... Love them (except for the gas price)