Rogueperson's **Live** Scarlet Lady 4/21/2024 Transatlantic

[Rogueperson]

FREE!!!

 

So I packed my jacket as a just in case and the temps right now dropped to 54.  I will probably have to break it out for the trip to the airport.

 

As of now, flight is still on time!!!

[Rogueperson]

So this is 17 days worth of stuff!

 

 

This little gadget is absolutely cool and a total impulse buy.  It is a luggage scale.   9 bucks off of amazon.  Easily weighed my bag and found it was slightly over 50 pounds.

 

[laurieal]

Travel day, woop woop!

 

Have a safe and uneventful flight. “See you” in Florida!

[NCTribeFan]

My DD got me a luggage scale a few years ago.  My bag is always right around 40 pounds.  If I had a larger bag, I'd just stuff more things in it and then I wouldn't be able to manage it.  I keep telling my "senior" friends (especially other women) that we can't rely on the kindness of strangers when it comes to getting big suitcases on and off trains, or up stairs in European hotels, etc.  Gotta pack only what I can handle.  At least I'm tall and can lift my carry-on and put it in the overhead bin. 

 

Got my nails done, so all that's left is to pack up the remaining toiletries in the morning, zip up the case, and use the scale.  I live about 15 minutes from RDU, so it's an easy Uber/Lyft ride.  Opted to use SW points, so I'm going through BWI to FLL.  Really looking forward to this!

[HBCcruiser]

On 4/17/2024 at 7:28 AM, Rogueperson said:

I didn’t know I had to email Virgin to get my DBE for each of us.

Wait, back it up. Can you please elaborate on this? I will be on Scarlet Lady for the 10-day Med cruise in October. I have DBE but my DD who I am traveling with does not. She won't be able to partake in the perks? Who do I email? Thanks for doing this LIVE. Following along 😀 Safe travels!

[Rogueperson]

4 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Wait, back it up. Can you please elaborate on this? I will be on Scarlet Lady for the 10-day Med cruise in October. I have DBE but my DD who I am traveling with does not. She won't be able to partake in the perks? Who do I email? Thanks for doing this LIVE. Following along 😀 Safe travels!

What I’m talking about is status matching.  Both Wife and I are Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean.  Because i booked before 12/31/23 (I think thats the terms), i was able to match my status and get DBE.  I applied and was approved and its on my addon.  However, I did not know I had to do that for wife too as I thought it was per cabin, not per person.  I submitted an application on Monday for her.

[HBCcruiser]

2 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

What I’m talking about is status matching.  Both Wife and I are Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean.  Because i booked before 12/31/23 (I think thats the terms), i was able to match my status and get DBE.  I applied and was approved and its on my addon.  However, I did not know I had to do that for wife too as I thought it was per cabin, not per person.  I submitted an application on Monday for her.

Thanks - good to know. We just got of HOS and my DD should now be Diamond. Once she gets that status I will submit the form for her. Thanks again. Have a wonderful cruise! Enjoy those sea days - they go by fast! 

[Rogueperson]

5pm update.

 

My plane is in the air and scheduled to land on time.  My flight is on time!!!!  I’m about 15 minutes behind schedule but still within tolerance range.

 

My expected arrival time at airport is 6:10.  Plenty of time.  Plus we have global entry.  This is my wife’s first time using the tsa precheck.  I specifically planned her application last year to take advantage of it on this trip.  I’ve had it since 2021.  Getting the appointment was difficult.

[Rogueperson]

Boo Hiss.

 

For some reason, my global entry does not have tsa precheck for some reason.  Neither of us did.  Not sure why as Global entry has the benefits of tsa precheck..

 

It could be because the airline can randomly dump the info.  Fortunately there was no line at all so little delay.

 

Obligatory wing shot.

 

 

Still “on time” but at 7:38, I doubt we will pull out by 7:45, but they say we might be early so win win.

 

 

[Rogueperson]

1am and I’m finally at the hotel.  I am sharing a two bedroom with a friend of mine and her boyfriend.

 

Lots of little hiccups.

 

Getting ready used to a rental.  Its a volkswagen Jetta.  My first car was a Jetta.  Doesn’t feel similar at all.  Big peeve.  Its got Apple Play.  But all the ports are USB C’s.  Useless to me as all my lightning cables have USB As.  That look way longer than it should.  And the worst part is that it was all me.  Administratively, i just walked to the parking lot and picked out a car and drove out.  That was cool, Alamo.

 

I get to the hotel.  Can’t get the lock to

my hotel to engage.  Go back several times to no avail.  Finally woke up my friend.  Reason why the lock didn’t work.  They engaged the deadbolt 🤬.

 

Had to go to Walgreens because wife didn’t pack any hair products because she didn’t want them to spill in the luggage.  Spent over a hundred bucks!!!!!

 

Tired now, but at least i’m in Florida.  Its hot here…

 

Early and long day tomorrow.

 

 

I’m coming for ya…

[FionaMG]

2 hours ago, Rogueperson said:

1am and I’m finally at the hotel.  I am sharing a two bedroom with a friend of mine and her boyfriend.

 

Lots of little hiccups.

 

Getting ready used to a rental.  Its a volkswagen Jetta.  My first car was a Jetta.  Doesn’t feel similar at all.  Big peeve.  Its got Apple Play.  But all the ports are USB C’s.  Useless to me as all my lightning cables have USB As.  That look way longer than it should.  And the worst part is that it was all me.  Administratively, i just walked to the parking lot and picked out a car and drove out.  That was cool, Alamo.

 

I get to the hotel.  Can’t get the lock to

my hotel to engage.  Go back several times to no avail.  Finally woke up my friend.  Reason why the lock didn’t work.  They engaged the deadbolt 🤬.

 

Had to go to Walgreens because wife didn’t pack any hair products because she didn’t want them to spill in the luggage.  Spent over a hundred bucks!!!!!

 

Tired now, but at least i’m in Florida.  Its hot here…

 

Early and long day tomorrow.

 

 

I’m coming for ya…

 

Hopefully that's all the hiccups out of the way and it'll be all smooth sailing from now on. 🤞

[Rogueperson]

Words other than Sqeee aren’t available at this time.

 

[Rogueperson]

Wow.  I don’t recognize this place.  Its been a while.

 

Incoming photo dump.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its not too terribly crowded.  

 

[laurieal]

You made it! Yay!

 

Squee is an appropriate response to seeing the Falcon for the first time (or the fifth time). 

[Rogueperson]

Almost lost it here.

 

 

[Tralfaz1138]

On 4/19/2024 at 6:39 PM, Rogueperson said:

Boo Hiss.

 

For some reason, my global entry does not have tsa precheck for some reason.  Neither of us did.  Not sure why as Global entry has the benefits of tsa precheck..

 

Did you put your KTN off the global entry cards into your personal travel info for the flights?

[Rogueperson]

3 minutes ago, Tralfaz1138 said:

Did you put your KTN off the global entry cards into your personal travel info for the flights?

I did, and it said “on file” on my reservation.

[Rogueperson]

Thus ends my Disney Adventure.  

 

Today was nearly perfect.  The weather was not as humid as I had hardened myself for.  It was a warm, but tolerable.

 

I did everything I really wanted to do.  The one thing I didn’t was because the lightning pass didn’t work correctly was Tower of Terror.  It was late and i had late dinner reservations and tried to do it before dinner.  Didn’t have time to rectify it.

 

 

We were able to visit Olga’s Cantina.  Its a little expensive for a bar, but ita Disney.  Everything is expensive.  It was pretty good.

 

 

 

and the DJ

 

 

I made it back to the Hotel and I’m dead.  Tomorrow is drive day as we’re driving to Miami from Orlando.  I think we’re going to drop off our luggage before returning the car at the airport.  I think someone said you can drop luggage to explore the city before boarding.

[Rogueperson]

Hello from Port St Lucie.

 

We Started later than I wanted but still on track.  We have about two hours to go on our trip and decided to stop for lunch real quick.  Unassuming Taco place

 

 

 

[Rogueperson]

Accident on 95 on BOTH sides, 7 miles from airport.  Probably somebody was looking at one accident and caused another.  Saw at least 10 cars wrecked. 

 

I’m behind, but in a cab to the port now.  Ugh

Edited April 21 by Rogueperson

[Rogueperson]

See the ship!!!

 

[Rogueperson]

I made on board.  Its confusing.  But seriously, this is a good sign that this cruise is gonna be lit.

 

 

Heres a shot of our home for 2 weeks.

 

 

This interior is surprisingly roomier than i expected.  The pictures don’t do it justice.

 

 

[Rogueperson]

This is my speedtest.  

 

 

I think i’m missing something.  I’m supposed to get premium wifi.  This is not premium speed

[Rogueperson]

Hmmm…. 

 

its not intuitive here.  So I have DBE.  But it did not give me the option to get the DBE premium and I did not want to buy it.  Went to Sailor Services and she said it takes the system a little bit to “catch up”.  So I bought it and it will be refunded to me.  The cost without DBE is $350.

 

Here is premium speed.

 

 

Notice Starlink is used for premium but not the free one.  Interesting.

 

Also on a similar vein, i’m supposed to get two coffee drinks per day on DBE.  It charged me.  Again, she said it takes a bit to catch up.  I have 700 bar tab so 5 bucks is not a big deal.

 

I’m so confused.  Every thing feels so different.  This cruise has more differences than any other cruise line i’ve been on.  If this had been a short 3 or 4 night one, i would not figure this out and be able to enjoy it.  

 

On an another note.  I usually post my door to ship timer.

 

 

Not bad for no priority boarding.  If there was DBE boarding, I totally missed it.

 

 

[Rogueperson]

Oh, one more note.

 

There is no more shuttle from the Car rental center at Miami International to the Port any more.  The webpage is wrong.

 

I wish i knew that.  

 

Point is moot now.  We made it.