Bare Necessities - Warning: Pollyanna Post

[GeezerCouple]

12 hours ago, complawyer said:

im sorry, but what is a geocache? 

 

Ages ago, this was "orienteering", on foot with a real compass, etc., through assorted forests, etc.

I miss those days!

(But notice our UserID name...! 🙄 )

 

GC

[idocdlw]

17 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Ages ago, this was "orienteering", on foot with a real compass, etc., through assorted forests, etc.

I miss those days!

(But notice our UserID name...! 🙄 )

 

GC

Not ages ago...just decades ago...used non-gps tools doing night nav & evasion training. Fun, fun, fun! 

 

Oh yeah...not as professional, I was a Brownie & a Girl Scout growing up in ND...my aunt made sure I knew compass skills, how to build fires in the snow, how to build cold/warm weather shelters & so much more. She has passed but the education she provided to me has not gone unused...I've used them all. RIP Auntie 

Edited March 2 by idocdlw

[complawyer]

back thru 1969-1970 i was an infantry squad leader in vietnam, and used a compass daily. to this day (prior to the post) i have never heard the term geochche. 

 

when you talk about "scoring one in either england or portugal"  to what exactly are you reffering .

 

our cruise this april ends in lisbon. if you clarify exactly what it is, and how to go about finding one, i'll give it a shot. or in the alternative, is it similar to going on a snipe hunt. lol!

[idocdlw]

10 minutes ago, complawyer said:

back thru 1969-1970 i was an infantry squad leader in vietnam, and used a compass daily. to this day (prior to the post) i have never heard the term geochche. 

 

when you talk about "scoring one in either england or portugal"  to what exactly are you reffering .

 

our cruise this april ends in lisbon. if you clarify exactly what it is, and how to go about finding one, i'll give it a shot. or in the alternative, is it similar to going on a snipe hunt. lol!

OMG complawyer...thank you SO much for your service. I hope your time in Nam was more rewarding than traumatic.

 

Geocaching is a silly game that cachers (nerds) play finding hidden caches throughout the world. Go to geocaching.com to learn more. When I say score in England & Portugal is just a way of saying I have not found a hidden cache in either country but intend to do so. 

 

In my cruise travels, I have often planned my day finding caches as many are placed near tourist attractions & natural wonders while others took me to unbelievable places off the beaten path. 

 

* You can geocache with a handheld gps unit or your smartphone. Handhelds are usually more accurate in pinpointing the location of a cache.

Edited March 2 by idocdlw

[complawyer]

is this like trying to find ducks on board the ship? it's like our mysterious wonder bar, to date, since 2010 and 25 + cruises, i have yet to see one.

 

by the way, (and my wife hates when i say this) dont thank me for my service, i was drafted

 

and the only thing rewarding about being in vietnam, was coming home in one piece

[idocdlw]

1 minute ago, complawyer said:

is this like trying to find ducks on board the ship? it's like our mysterious wonder bar, to date, since 2010 and 25 + cruises, i have yet to see one.

 

by the way, (and my wife hates when i say this) dont thank me for my service, i was drafted

 

and the only thing rewarding about being in vietnam, was coming home in one piece

Amen to coming home in one piece 

[complawyer]

hopefully we can all meet one day on a cruise and you can lead the geocache 

[idocdlw]

3 minutes ago, complawyer said:

is this like trying to find ducks on board the ship? it's like our mysterious wonder bar, to date, since 2010 and 25 + cruises, i have yet to see one.

 

by the way, (and my wife hates when i say this) dont thank me for my service, i was drafted

 

and the only thing rewarding about being in vietnam, was coming home in one piece

I've never experienced a duck hunt on board a cruise ship so I have no idea if similar. Like I said...just a silly game. For some geocaching groups...I was a member in Brevard County, FL, they also do community service by doing park clean ups in exchange for the privilege of placing caches on park property.

[idocdlw]

Here is a map of current geocaches in/near Lisbon

 

[Alatraveler1]

idocdlw,  again a great idea for a positive only thread.  Believe me, I'm experiencing some posters who will vilify you if absolutely everything you say about NCL isn't outstandingly positive.  It's one of my favorite cruise lines and I always have a great time, but sometimes things happen and you want others to just be prepared.  99.9% of cruises are much better than a day at work so chances are we will have a great time!

[The Traveling Man]

On 2/29/2024 at 11:16 AM, EngrJones said:

Has there ever been a B2B TA?  I would love that, but I doubt they happen.

The Encore will be sailing from Miami to Southampton this November, then return to Miami after a couple of weeks in dry dock.  Not quite a B2B, but close.

[mugtech]

2 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

The Encore will be sailing from Miami to Southampton this November, then return to Miami after a couple of weeks in dry dock.  Not quite a B2B, but close.

General rule for me, never take the last cruise before a dry dock and never take the first cruise after a dry dock!!!  All the other cruises are great!!!!

[complawyer]

mugtach. any particular reason why. a few years ago we were on the star just before it was going   into dry dock. there were no problems, and if we hadn't been told about the drydock, we wouldnt have noticed any difference

[eyecantwait]

On 3/1/2024 at 2:03 PM, idocdlw said:

As a former bartender, I have no idea what Caipirinhas (do the pirinhas/piranhas bite?) or Sidecars are (I tended in beer/simple cocktails). I will definitely have to google those drinks & maybe try both on my upcoming sailing. Thanks for the positive post!

Sidecars are a big family favorite for us! My in laws enjoyed them very much and passed them on to us. I enjoy having them on cruises.

We are looking forward to a week on the Jade in July with some friends going to Key West, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

Our previous NCL experience was 14 night Scandinavian on the Norwegian Dream in 2000. Glad we got to see St.Petersburg. 

[The Traveling Man]

On 3/3/2024 at 7:46 PM, mugtech said:

General rule for me, never take the last cruise before a dry dock and never take the first cruise after a dry dock!!!  All the other cruises are great!!!!

I agree completely.  Unlike some other cruise lines, though, NCL does not offer any round trip TA cruises.  They tend to sail East in the Spring and West in the Fall.  The OP asked about a round trip TA, and this was the closest thing I could find.

[suech1970]

I have loved reading this thread. I’ve got so fed up lately of reading moaning posts about NCL. We’ve only done 5 NCL’s, 2 more booked though, but they’ve turned out to be 1st go to cruise line.  They were the first cruise line we tried after a long time with a tried and tested and well loved, small UK line after they went out of of business.

 

There have been so many fantastic memories made aboard their ships, too many to list for sure, but here’s a few…..

 

*Our 1st sail on Gem out of NY down to the Caribbean, pinch me moment. Coolest captain on the seas who performed live at Rock night Eric Claptons Cocaine.

 

*Our first “Newly/Not so Newly Wed” games show. We still laugh to this day and still don’t know what “backy  backy” referred to🤣.

 

*Miami Vices & Dark & Stormys our favourite cocktails on board. NCL bar tenders are the best at sea🍹

 

*Our Panama Canal cruise on Jade and winning my first Champions t~shirt.

 

*Caribbean cruise on Sky last year, food and drink were so good we gained 10lbs  in 9 days 😖

 

* Our recent Far East cruise on Jewel, the most amazing experience to date. After reading so many awful reviews pre cruise, ship, staff, food, drinks and service was superb.

*Sonata, the best band NCL have. Blowed us away with their out of the box rock performances on Sky. Can’t wait to see them again in 6 weeks🥳

 

*Chilled breakfast in O’Sheehans, our best find on Jewel.

 

Good to see I’m not the only one that loves NCL😁

 

 

[idocdlw]

Keep 'em coming peeps! I do so love hearing about all the wonderful experiences that people have had; in the past & those sharing their live onboard experiences. So many are just flat out amazing & help me realize how much more I have to look forward to. Thank you all for sharing your stories & promoting a "feel good" thread. 

Edited March 9 by idocdlw

[laudergayle]

Despite my ongoing rant on another thread (unfortunately I kept taking the bait…silly me), I too have many, many positive memories on NCL ships.  My absolute favorite ship is the Bliss.  I just find every space beautiful and inviting.  A favorite moment was in November when the staff and crew lined up outside and serenaded us as we returned to the ship.  Everyone was singing and clapping…you felt like you were the bride and groom walking down the aisle after getting married.  Never on a cruise have we had such a reception.  

[idocdlw]

7 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Despite my ongoing rant on another thread (unfortunately I kept taking the bait…silly me), I too have many, many positive memories on NCL ships.  My absolute favorite ship is the Bliss.  I just find every space beautiful and inviting.  A favorite moment was in November when the staff and crew lined up outside and serenaded us as we returned to the ship.  Everyone was singing and clapping…you felt like you were the bride and groom walking down the aisle after getting married.  Never on a cruise have we had such a reception.  

I must plan a cruise on the Bliss in the future 

[Panhandle Couple]

1 hour ago, idocdlw said:

I must plan a cruise on the Bliss in the future 

The Bliss has been our favorite.

[idocdlw]

On 3/3/2024 at 10:24 PM, eyecantwait said:

Sidecars are a big family favorite for us! My in laws enjoyed them very much and passed them on to us. I enjoy having them on cruises.

We are looking forward to a week on the Jade in July with some friends going to Key West, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

Our previous NCL experience was 14 night Scandinavian on the Norwegian Dream in 2000. Glad we got to see St.Petersburg. 

I did a northern Baltic cruise with my parents (with another cruise line). We did get to visit St Petersburg. The Hermitage, the Church of the Savior of Blood & some of the beautiful parks were highlights. The Church of the Savior of Blood also provided a geocache opportunity so that was a bonus. 

 

Interestingly, it was years later when I learned of the cats that live at the Hermitage...who knew??

 

Edited March 10 by idocdlw

[eyecantwait]

On 3/9/2024 at 8:46 PM, idocdlw said:

I did a northern Baltic cruise with my parents (with another cruise line). We did get to visit St Petersburg. The Hermitage, the Church of the Savior of Blood & some of the beautiful parks were highlights. The Church of the Savior of Blood also provided a geocache opportunity so that was a bonus. 

 

Interestingly, it was years later when I learned of the cats that live at the Hermitage...who knew??

 

I had no idea about cats at The Hermitage. Will have to look that up. Thanks!

[JimR24]

We are closing in on our 9 day Caribbean Round Trip.  89 days to go.  Celebrating my son's HS graduation and daughters' college graduation.  There may even be a proposal on the trip.  I know the family trips we have together are winding down so this makes this one even more special. 

 

I love the ability to disconnect from the world and unwind.  Our rule with the kids always has been they have to try one new food at dinner.  Things they usually turn their noses up to at home.  It's amazing what they like to eat now.  We are booked on some private tours on St Thomas and St Maarten.  We have some first timers in the Caribbean and on a cruise with us so it should be an entertaining trip.