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Jim_Iain Live - 2nd Half World Cruise - B2B Singapore to Down Under 11/25 – 12/21

Jim_Iain

By Jim_Iain,
in Celebrity Cruises

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ging466

ging466

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

Good Example -  David who is usually referred to us a Trev (Trevor being his first name) or Willie (Last name Williams)   As Jennie know, is very stubborn and wants to eat at 12;00 noon and 5PM.    Hmmm.  We are more like 1:00 PM Lunch and 8:00 PM dinner.   We settled on Cocktails in Retreat at 7:00 PM and Dinner at 8:00

 

OMG Jim, I cracked up laughing at this and as for Robert's eye rolling, after 35 years, he's got it down pat.🤣 

You know that Captain Matt will be replaced by Captain Willie by the end of your cruise right?🤣

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jelayne

jelayne

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

@Northern Aurora  Gerry -  Please jump in often.  The more the better.   I honestly need all the help I can get.  

 

Good Example of something new I learned.   You should know if this is new or whether I'm just and Airhead .

 

Our friends dropped buy today and asked -

 

WHERE'S THE LIFE JACKET?

 

Being the regular Celebrity Cruiser I said in the closet.   Went over to show them --- Nada-  We looked through every closet, drawer and even under the bed to no avail.   Nada

 

The Eagle Eye Robert pointed the door - 

 

IMG_0665.thumb.jpeg.edbfdc8c8e7d3d3ccdd5e7de3ddc8898.jpeg

 

Gerry -- Is this new.  I obviously didn't pay attention to e-muster.

Jim the life jackets have been gone for a long time now.  If I recall around the restart with the new muster video.

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jelayne

jelayne

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, cachouonacruise said:

@Jim_Iain

 

I am also curious about the reason behind this ... unorthodox boarding process.


Was it mainly caused by a Celebrity issue, for example, staff shortage or other?

 

Or was it a Singapore Port Authority/Local government issue with complex formalities.

 

In short, if things go as planned, we should be boarding the Edge in Sydney in February and I am just wondering if the boarding process you described was typical for the Edge?  ( If Suite guests submitted to a 1.25 hour process, I can just imagine the delay for non-suite guests.)

We disembarked in Singapore and  I would say that the very slow immigration process was the source of the delayed boarding.  We were in a Suite so could pretty much get off when we wanted and join the immigration line ahead of those who were waiting to get off.  We chose to leave the Retreat Lounge around 10:10 When we were in escorted off the line to get off the ship was back to the theater and every chair you could see was full with those waiting to get off.   It took us about 40 minutes in line to enter the immigration hall.  When we entered the line that  snaked around there were just 4 immigration officials checking paperwork, and doing facial scan and fingerprints.  Just as we were approaching the head of the line they added 2 more officials.  But many stations were unmanned and idle.   We got outside at 11:25.

This delay was on Singapore. 

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Jim_Iain "Live from...." Rare

Jim_Iain

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Posted
32 minutes ago, ging466 said:

 

OMG Jim, I cracked up laughing at this and as for Robert's eye rolling, after 35 years, he's got it down pat.🤣 

You know that Captain Matt will be replaced by Captain Willie by the end of your cruise right?🤣


I heard Captain Matt just came aboard in Obu Dhabi.   I’m not sure I know Captain Willie.  But at my age ………

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Northern Aurora

Northern Aurora

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16 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:


I heard Captain Matt just came aboard in Obu Dhabi.   I’m not sure I know Captain Willie.  But at my age ………


There has not been a change captains since we boarded on October 30.   Capt. Matt has been the captain the entire time we have been on board.

 

According to Capt. Matt Singapore officials told the executive team that they could process 500 persons per hour.  At a public Q & A session he stated that he doubted that they could do 400 per hour.  
 

And another “happy birthday” to Jim.  Was that a special birthday hat which you were wearing in Luminae at lunch?

 

Gerry

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chemmo Holiday Sharing Rare

chemmo

Posted
Posted

Happy Birthday!

 

What a mess boarding! 
 

A friend of mine with similar mobility issues to me (can walk but not too far, can stand but not for too long) said that she now is going to automatically book wheelchair boarding and disembarking because she is becoming increasingly concerned when travelling about growing queuing. She has just returned from a tour including cruises and land stays. As she stated, if you are not expecting a big queue you think you can manage, but then if you find yourself in one there seems to be no help available. 
 

Like most people with limited mobility I don’t want to take up wheelchair slots from those with conditions worse than mine but the nature of the system (or lack of it) is making travelling so much harder than it needs to be. If I had been in the scenario you have described the first few days of my cruise would have been spent trying to recover!

 

At least you are on board now! Enjoy!

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Jim_Iain "Live from...." Rare

Jim_Iain

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@DaKahuna   Got a bit of footage.   Then user error.   The sun was so warm my display dimmed and I thought I was shooting some GREAT footage.   Only to find later the phone was set on Photo instead of Movie.

 

Oh Geeze -  I get a year older and there goes the memory.     

 

It was really great footage if I only recorded.   The 5X Lens is worth the money of the camera.

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hcat "Live from...." Rare

hcat

Posted
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H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y !

Hope you have/ had a great day!

 

Memory Lane:

 We always cruise on my b- day,  if possible  . Next  year ( '24)  we hope to  Celebrate another big one for me in January  on  the Ascent. 

 

Hard to believe that 5 yrs ago we did my  last big b-day on EDGE, with many  of the orignal "Edgies" . We were a Cruise Critic group that followed every step of the EDGE build  & launch, guided by our friend Marilyn..Vt Cruiser (rest in peace,)

 

We had 2 great cruises on EDGE in the inaugural season. All good memories!

On the b-day cruise with many "Edgies" on board we were in AQ.... our first Infinite Veranda...it.was not bad.  On the second  one we discovered the Sunset Veranda...great cabins with a huge aft balcony.  I de- hoppenized the cabin as much as possible with many flowers! (no longer available to.order)

 

Someone, maybe Vt Cruiser dubbed this guy  "Mr Edge."  Glad to see he still stands proud!

IMG_0591.thumb.jpeg.c84c0077154b0964c59368451ff90988.jpeg.jpg

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hcat "Live from...." Rare

hcat

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

@DaKahuna   Got a bit of footage.   Then user error.   The sun was so warm my display dimmed and I thought I was shooting some GREAT footage.   Only to find later the phone was set on Photo instead of Movie.

 

Oh Geeze -  I get a year older and there goes the memory.     

 

It was really great footage if I only recorded.   The 5X Lens is worth the money of the camera.

I viewed a great videi with sound..thanks for posting it!

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verizon

verizon

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Thanks... Will be interesting.    Many on  a World Cruise Tread on Facebook were very verbal about problems in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Into and Our of India.  

 

The crew really is doing the job the best they can but have no control.   MANY passengers didn't have Visa's, Arrival Cards ETC and then were blaming the staff.  The crew really need a hug. 

Yes the crew was doing the best as they can.Thanks to the whiners we got a few hundreds back from Celebrity thought most things happened was not their fault.

The ship has way to many B2B cruisers that Celebrity or the immigration could managed.

 

Edited by verizon
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Suzi66

Suzi66

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, chemmo said:

Happy Birthday!

 

What a mess boarding! 
 

A friend of mine with similar mobility issues to me (can walk but not too far, can stand but not for too long) said that she now is going to automatically book wheelchair boarding and disembarking because she is becoming increasingly concerned when travelling about growing queuing. She has just returned from a tour including cruises and land stays. As she stated, if you are not expecting a big queue you think you can manage, but then if you find yourself in one there seems to be no help available. 
 

Like most people with limited mobility I don’t want to take up wheelchair slots from those with conditions worse than mine but the nature of the system (or lack of it) is making travelling so much harder than it needs to be. If I had been in the scenario you have described the first few days of my cruise would have been spent trying to recover!

 

At least you are on board now! Enjoy!

I am thinking about the same with boarding the Millennium in Singapore in January.  I have just had a dreadful week of illness and had to be off work for the last fortnight and I really don't want anything to muck up this long awaited vacation.  We have a S2S booked and originally had the first leg booked on the Connie in 2019 and then it went into dry dock and it has taken until now for us to get to do it again.

 

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upwarduk

upwarduk

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

@Northern Aurora  Gerry -  Please jump in often.  The more the better.   I honestly need all the help I can get.  

 

Good Example of something new I learned.   You should know if this is new or whether I'm just and Airhead .

 

Our friends dropped buy today and asked -

 

WHERE'S THE LIFE JACKET?

 

Being the regular Celebrity Cruiser I said in the closet.   Went over to show them --- Nada-  We looked through every closet, drawer and even under the bed to no avail.   Nada

 

The Eagle Eye Robert pointed the door - 

 

IMG_0665.thumb.jpeg.edbfdc8c8e7d3d3ccdd5e7de3ddc8898.jpeg

 

Gerry -- Is this new.  I obviously didn't pay attention to e-muster.

Ours was under the bed on Silhouette in October.

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awhfy

awhfy

Posted
Posted

Happy bday Jim!  Really enjoy your posts. Figured you’re seeing a lot of ocean so sending a sunrise picture on Pikes Peak. (Reconfigured on my 15ProMax with the hint you & daKauna provided!). Melody

IMG_7321.jpeg

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BOB999

BOB999

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:


I heard Captain Matt just came aboard in Obu Dhabi.   I’m not sure I know Captain Willie.  But at my age ………

 

Happy Birthday! 

 

Captain Matt came aboard either in Marseille for dry dock or in Rome.  For the first few days we had two Captains aboard as they were transitioning.  The other Captain (whose name escapes me) left in Athens.

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