In 1492………

[Donsyb]

So apparently it’s a myth that Raleigh brought the potato to Great Britain.

 

however he did go to Oxford, so maybe could weigh in on the other discussion in this thread 😉

[lenquixote66]

On 11/15/2023 at 11:39 AM, Ret MP said:

Being a 72-year-old, I found the OP's post to be hilarious, well-written, and easy to read.  I liked it.  But, this statement holds true almost every time:  "No good deed goes unpunished". 

72 is a youngster to me

[Jetdriver787]

12 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

72 is a youngster to me

Well, I wouldn’t like to say the demographic of this sailing is of the elongated tooth variety, but 72 would still get you into “Adventure Ocean!” I think they have opened a whole new category called “Octonauts!” 👍🥂

[HicksRA]

1 hour ago, Jetdriver787 said:

Well, I wouldn’t like to say the demographic of this sailing is of the elongated tooth variety, but 72 would still get you into “Adventure Ocean!” I think they have opened a whole new category called “Octonauts!” 👍🥂

On my recent Radiance Panama cruise, it was the same. I’m 71 and was part of the younger minority. 
The views on the pool deck were not T & A, but C & W (canes and walkers)…..

[gottagoacruzn]

Yup, think you need bigger font!!

[Ret MP]

22 hours ago, Jetdriver787 said:

Well, I wouldn’t like to say the demographic of this sailing is of the elongated tooth variety, but 72 would still get you into “Adventure Ocean!” I think they have opened a whole new category called “Octonauts!” 👍🥂

Or Octonots

[Jetdriver787]

Good morning from a part of the ocean where my ancient charts show “there be dragons” (well I suppose my wife is here?🤷‍♂️) If you’re  in a Florida school library I expect you will find it in the “Geography” section? In any event, it’s been a rough night with the ship rolling and heaving. My wife has been reading some sort of romantic nonsense entitled “Fifty shades of Grey.” When I enquired if she was off to have her hair coloured again, she slammed shut the pages of her trashy tome and gave me a reassuringly withering scowl.

 

To be honest I didn’t know there were 50 shades of Grey but as my underwear has once again been returned from the “Wash &  Fold” I am happy to stand corrected! (Something I haven’t said since finding  my right orthopaedic shoe at the back of the wardrobe!) 

 

My apologies that this thread seems to have deviated into a diatribe on the English towns of Oxford and Cambridge. I am not sure quite how that happened? All you really need to know is that there are a couple of posh schools and they have a boat race every year (despite the fact they both have rivers) 50 miles away in the London borough of Putney! Having said that, my wife comes from Cambridge, so perhaps they can best be likened to the great commonwealth of Massachusetts, and more specifically the hamlet of Salem!

I think that rather like “Sticky Toffee pudding” and Stonehenge, they garner a greater fascination for our colonial visitors than they do for the indigenous peoples?

[Jetdriver787]

Los Pináculos 

 

Anyway, that wasn't really the subject I wanted to address today. I think my Scurvy might have developed into Haemophilia? After emerging from the shower this morning, I dried myself only to find the towel looked like it had been used to hastily clean up a particularly grizzly murder scene. Now it probably didn’t help that the towel was still contorted into the shape of what I believe was an Elephant? However, it was the only one I could find, as my wife seems to need at least 7 of the damn things  every time she takes a bath! 

 

last night we watched a show, rather paradoxically, entitled “Love & Marriage!” One of the questions was, “what Is your partners most annoying habit?” With the benefit of hindsight, I think my answer would be using so many towels to simply bathe! I would previously have said it was her predilection for lighting up the fruits of Sir Walter Raleigh’s gifts of discovery from the new world! 

 

As a family we have often been curious why she smokes Potato’s? 

 

Anyway, I digress….. After googling “Haemophilia” my wife said, “you’ve been shaving hairs off your ears with a safety razor again……idiot!” Now there may be a soupçon of truth in that, so I will give her the benefit of the doubt! 

 

Nevertheless, my “Googling” (as it so often does,) brought forth a cornucopia of interesting information. It seems Haemophilia was rampant amongst European royalty in both the Middle Ages and even into quite recent times. That in turn segued on to diseases that decimated secret societies in the 15th century. 

 

From an offshoot of the illuminati, there sprang forth a little known band of nobility that went under the title of “Los Pináculos.” Members of this sect were required to have completed many nautical ventures and tended to stick together with like minded others of their ilk. Columbus would undoubtedly have had a few, on the 3 great ships of the expedition to discover the new world. Attracted by the treasures in the ships vault: Gold; Platinum; Emerald; Diamond, and even Diamonique. Though few in number and fiercely secretive, they might be discovered by their predilection to occupy all of the porthole seats at “Carnivores corner” every breakfast time, as well as their rush to occupy all of the best benches on the poop deck (which isn’t what you think it is, and even if it was, it’s unlikely Chris’ would have stung you for  100 bucks to unblock it!) every Rum tot and Sherry ration, between 5 and 8pm!

 

Sadly, in the 15th century, influenza wiped out many members of the sect. Forward to the 21st century and thanks to “influencers” the sect has prospered and grown exponentially! Indeed, on an Ocean crossing it isn’t unusual to find hoardes of them swamping the “First class lounges, dining halls” and other venues of free alcoholic refreshment. Although influenza isn’t the threat it once was, the modern affliction of serious memory impairment has supplanted the older threat! it is not unusual to find members telling crew and other travellers “DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” When having  to wait in line or when  finding their favourite seating spot otherwise occupied. Indeed, the problem became so severe,  that some years ago silver medallions with their name emblazoned on them, were pinned to their lapels,

 so that they wouldn’t forget! If you see one today, please spare a kind thought! 

 

For aficionados of the movie “Titanic,” I don’t know, but am convinced, that the chap who was betrothed to Rose (before she jumped into the back seat of that jalopy with Jack,) was almost certainly “Los Pináculos!” Not only that, but I am pretty sure I know what her answer to the “whoopie” question would have been on White Stars popular “love & Marriage” game show! 

 

I have often wondered why, given the size of that wardrobe door Rose was floating on, she didn’t  simply scoot across and make room for Jack? Instead  he simply closed his eyes and peacefully slid into  the abyss of the inky black ocean. I’ve  always assumed that just out of camera shot, he saw a lifeboat full of “Los Pináculos” rowing towards them? I suppose we will never know?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Jetdriver787
Forgot Emeralds…..who doesn’t?

[Jetdriver787]

A taste of poverty!

 

This ship has been in heavy seas for the last couple of days with much pitching and heaving. On the subject of the latter, my wife has been a bit under the weather. 🤢 

 

I was going to make comment on the menus in the MDR. Not so much the quality of the food, but more the theme of it! Every night is a theme of somewhere, Italy, UK, France, Mexico, Caribbean, Mediterranean, “Best” of Royal, Royals Greatest hits, A history of Royal, etc. There does seem to be an enormous amount of overlap! Not only that, but each menu seems suspiciously similar to the previous one. 
 

I think the “French onion soup” has somehow made its way on to almost all of them! I am guessing somebody made a serious error ordering onions the last time the ship was in Marseille?

 

It was much the same with the “Escargot!” Now , I can overlook a few theme nights but “Taste of the UK?” Really!! Many isn’t the time as a young lad growing up in the  industrial grime of a Northern town, my mother would admonish me with  the words, “what’s wrong with you, you’ve hardly touched your snails?”🐌 much as we did to our kids, except we substituted the word “snails” for “phone!”

 

On “Taste of France” night, they added insult to injury by offering Roast Beef! Now, it’s not that the Frenchies don’t eat “Bouef” it’s just that “Rost Bif” is their passive aggressive insult for the British! Even forgiving that faux pas, they couldn’t make a “Yorkshire pudding” to save their life! At least they have that in common with RCI. 
 

Anyway, I could go on but I won’t. I expect Christopher’s ships had worse problems with food on a 90 day voyage? “A taste of poverty.” “A taste of the inquisition!” I suppose there are only so many things you can do with a Turnip?

 

Ha! I just asked my wife, as she was darting into the bathroom, “What can I do with a Turnip?” I won’t repeat her answer as it is at best unhygienic, and probably anatomically impossible?

 

Truth be told, she hasn’t been in the best of moods since yesterday. I was googling “cultural things to do in Tam-pa?”  In preparation for next weeks arrival in the New World. She had her heart set on trading the fruits of a lifetimes work (mine!) with native traders. After much sulking on my part, she said I “could have one wish!” Now, I had found an evening of traditional dance at somewhere called the “Pink Pony” where native women perform traditional dance as native gentlemen place pictures of their great leaders into the hem of their bloomers. Not only that, but seemingly on Tuesdays couples get in for “free!” Now if that isn’t music to an Englishman’s ears then I don’t know what is? Anyway, her response of “OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Not only took me by some surprise, but perhaps unwisely with the benefit of hindsight, garnered the response…”But you only granted me one wish?” 🤦🏻‍♂️ 

 

It does rather look as if Tuesday will be spent shlepping around the great trading emporiums of Mr Penny and Miss Alice Walton! 🤷‍♂️

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Jetdriver787