TxTeach79's LIVE Regal return to Princess Solo Thanksgiving - 11/19/23

[Haljo1935]

Congrats Rangers!! Fellow DFWite (is that what we call ourselves?) following along and looking forward to this edition of Fun with Flags with @TxTeach79 🇨🇱

Already looking forward to your TA LIVE as I prepare for my first one.

Yay Rangers!⚾

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!!

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[Cruisercl]

Here, following along! 😎🍻🌞

[TxTeach79]

So the cruise leaves on Sunday, but per usual I'm gonna head down to the island on Saturday. I like to start the vacay early, get those island vibes going, have some food and drinks and relax, sleep in on cruise day. My usual goal is to find a hotel that lets me leave my car there for the week so I can bundle and save a little on parking. My favorite option in Galveston is far and away the Harbor House right by the pier; it's a perfect option and I've lucked into it twice, but the prices are prohibitive more often than not. 

 

Last time (Carnival Dream LIVE this summer) I stayed at the newer LaQuinta on the Seawall side and it worked out great. Full of cruisers, parking for the week, spent about $200ish for hotel and parking. This time, let's get weird baby!!!

 

Enter INN AT THE WATERPARK!

 

Located by Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn, weirdly centered around an on site mini golf course, definitely old, and definitely half closed because of a major fire on site last year! PERFECT... $129 for the night, $148 after taxes and I can leave my car there all week free of charge. Win win, baby. Grab your putters and let's get weird!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TxTeach79]

1 hour ago, Haljo1935 said:

Congrats Rangers!! Fellow DFWite (is that what we call ourselves?) following along and looking forward to this edition of Fun with Flags with @TxTeach79 🇨🇱

Already looking forward to your TA LIVE as I prepare for my first one.

Yay Rangers!⚾

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!!

 

 

Welcome aboard!! Still basking in that World Series for sure! And I'll absolutely be bringing the flags - I'm pretty sure they have their home countries on their badges on Princess, right?

[Haljo1935]

17 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

 

Welcome aboard!! Still basking in that World Series for sure! And I'll absolutely be bringing the flags - I'm pretty sure they have their home countries on their badges on Princess, right?

They did last time I was on a Princess ship. Now if you ever do HAL, you'll have a whole new level of fun as theirs do not😪

We missed the entire Series due to being on a cruise - DH said "all I had I to do to get the Rangers a title was go to Albania!" I volunteered to take one for the team and do a Med cruise every fall. I do not think he's on board 😐 

[TxTeach79]

Every time I’ve tried to make specialty dining reservations in advance it’s failed. It makes me nervous my card info in there is wrong or something. Anyone had this issue?

 

[BohJang]

@TxTeach79 I'm here following along for now. As you know, I will be on the same cruise. I'm traveling with my husband, daughter and son-in-law, and son-in-law's mother.  I hope to run into you at some point on the ship.  I don't know how to post pictures on CC so you don't know what I look like.  But I know what you look like so I'll say hello if I spot you.  I'm looking forward to a fabulous time.

[TxTeach79]

7 minutes ago, BohJang said:

@TxTeach79 I'm here following along for now. As you know, I will be on the same cruise. I'm traveling with my husband, daughter and son-in-law, and son-in-law's mother.  I hope to run into you at some point on the ship.  I don't know how to post pictures on CC so you don't know what I look like.  But I know what you look like so I'll say hello if I spot you.  I'm looking forward to a fabulous time.

 

Can't wait! And if you catch me too late into the Plus package, my apologies in advance! You guys all ready to go???

[BohJang]

1 minute ago, TxTeach79 said:

 

Can't wait! And if you catch me too late into the Plus package, my apologies in advance! You guys all ready to go???

Not ready yet.  Our plan is to drive down to Pearland where my daughter lives at the crack of dawn Sunday morning.  My son-in-law will drive us to Galveston.  It's less than a two hour drive.  I have the medallion and our check in window is 11:00-2:00.  I saw from Greg's review how long the line was at 11:00.  I'm wondering if it makes more sense to aim for closer to 2:00.  We don't have to be the first ones on the ship and I hate standing in line.  

[TxTeach79]

Got my Medallion about 14 days out. Again, my last Princess cruise was pre Medallion, so it’ll something new to experience! 
 

 

 

 

I bought a two pack - black and blue - of the watch bands on Amazon for about $9. I’ll bring the lanyard but probably go watch band for the most part. They’re a little small, but they’ll do. If not, lanyard is in the bullpen. 
 

[TxTeach79]

1 minute ago, BohJang said:

Not ready yet.  Our plan is to drive down to Pearland where my daughter lives at the crack of dawn Sunday morning.  My son-in-law will drive us to Galveston.  It's less than a two hour drive.  I have the medallion and our check in window is 11:00-2:00.  I saw from Greg's review how long the line was at 11:00.  I'm wondering if it makes more sense to aim for closer to 2:00.  We don't have to be the first ones on the ship and I hate standing in line.  

 

I'm thinking the same. I'm always among the first ones on when I sail with Carnival, but their Diamond/Platinum lines start outside the terminal and Diamonds are the first group called on. So I've always just breezed through and into the terminal. Greg's review showing that Princess doesn't split Green and Blue lane til you're inside made me think I may sleep in a little before rolling up. But I also know myself, and I'll get excited and go early more than likely....

[TxTeach79]

Also the Cowboys play a rare Noon game (how are we getting the Fox A team for this one?) so I'd like to be either comfortably onboard or in a good steaming space by then if possible

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, TxTeach79 said:

Also the Cowboys play a rare Noon game (how are we getting the Fox A team for this one?) so I'd like to be either comfortably onboard or in a good steaming space by then if possible

Ooh - priority!! Watching the Boys🏈 much more enjoyable than a long line.

[TxTeach79]

Just put in a very minimum offensively tiny bid for a Premium Deluxe (aft facing) balcony. Long shot? Absolutely. But hey, we're a few days away, maybe they'll take what they can get. Might as well throw a Hail Mary. 

 

 

[TxTeach79]

Still not able to reserve any times in Sabatini's or Crown Grill on the app. They're available, but per my above post, no dice on the payment. I was paranoid I put my card info in wrong, so I redid it AND tried another card, same result. I'll just try onboard I guess. 🤷‍♂️

[TxTeach79]

Okay, so while we're here and we're counting the minutes... I'm gonna definitely try to grind out some wins and fun in the casino and see if I luck into any offers from Princess on this sailing... we have our eye on a couple sailings next summer, and if all goes well on this cruise, I'd just as soon get a deal on it if I can, so fingers crossed on that. Til then, this is what I have on tap at the moment, all on Carnival:

 

NYE - Celebration 7 Day Miami

May - Venezia 10 Day solo NYC

Nov - Spirit 8 Day w/ my gambling buddy from work Mobile

NYE 24 - Magic 8 Day

 

I'm telling myself all this positive stuff to try and take my mind OFF the fact that I got into a fender bender in the parking lot leaving work today... One of our paras and I backing up at the same time in a small parking lot banged into each other. I feel bad, cause the Funwagon has zero damage beyond a paint smudge, and her door is pretty crumpled. Sucks. Gonna be some awkward strolling down the hall this week. Good lord, get me to Friday at 4:05....

[HaveDogWillTravel]

6 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Still not able to reserve any times in Sabatini's or Crown Grill on the app. They're available, but per my above post, no dice on the payment. I was paranoid I put my card info in wrong, so I redid it AND tried another card, same result. I'll just try onboard I guess. 🤷‍♂️

I have been getting that error for a few days now too. Weird thing is my friend who’s on the same sailing is not having this problem.  I have had pretty good luck once on board but I make it a point to make my reservations first thing upon boarding. 

[TxTeach79]

Just now, HaveDogWillTravel said:

I have been getting that error for a few days now too. Weird thing is my friend who’s on the same sailing is not having this problem.  I have had pretty good luck once on board but I make it a point to make my reservations first thing upon boarding. 

 

Yeah, that's smart. I'll definitely do the same. Sabatini's doesn't look like it'll be a problem, but Crown Grill looks tight already

[TxTeach79]

2 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

I have been getting that error for a few days now too. Weird thing is my friend who’s on the same sailing is not having this problem.  I have had pretty good luck once on board but I make it a point to make my reservations first thing upon boarding. 

 

But thanks for telling me that, glad to know I'm not alone with the glitch

[HaveDogWillTravel]

4 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

 

Yeah, that's smart. I'll definitely do the same. Sabatini's doesn't look like it'll be a problem, but Crown Grill looks tight already

They do save some reservations for people to book when they get onboard. It’s been an issue for a long time now. And you are correct Crown usually fills up first. 

 

2 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

But thanks for telling me that, glad to know I'm not alone with the glitch

Just you me and several hundreds of others on any given day. Lol. 
 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by HaveDogWillTravel

[BohJang]

36 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Okay, so while we're here and we're counting the minutes... I'm gonna definitely try to grind out some wins and fun in the casino and see if I luck into any offers from Princess on this sailing... we have our eye on a couple sailings next summer, and if all goes well on this cruise, I'd just as soon get a deal on it if I can, so fingers crossed on that. Til then, this is what I have on tap at the moment, all on Carnival:

 

NYE - Celebration 7 Day Miami

May - Venezia 10 Day solo NYC

Nov - Spirit 8 Day w/ my gambling buddy from work Mobile

NYE 24 - Magic 8 Day

 

I'm telling myself all this positive stuff to try and take my mind OFF the fact that I got into a fender bender in the parking lot leaving work today... One of our paras and I backing up at the same time in a small parking lot banged into each other. I feel bad, cause the Funwagon has zero damage beyond a paint smudge, and her door is pretty crumpled. Sucks. Gonna be some awkward strolling down the hall this week. Good lord, get me to Friday at 4:05....

Yikes. Sorry about that 

[TxTeach79]

3 minutes ago, BohJang said:

Yikes. Sorry about that 

Thanks! Coulda been worse, you know?? I feel like I’m on a penalty kill trying to lay low and run out the clock til the weekend over here. This has been an especially challenging year at work and this cruise couldn’t come at a better time! 

[TxTeach79]

It’s a long shot, but shooters shoot 

 

[Hogladyrider]

Glad you have the party started!

Present and ready!

[Stallion]

6 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

 

Can't wait! And if you catch me too late into the Plus package, my apologies in advance! You guys all ready to go???

Lowering expectations from the get-go. That's what I do on first dates 

Then I spectacularly over-achieve