Roll Call: Crown Princess April 28th

[Allston29]

Hey,

 

Early start for roll call....but I have not cruised out of San Juan and not sure how popular it will be for the gay crowd....though I know....kind of goes hand and hand!

 

Mark

[DB961]

Have been considering this ship and in April but I prefer the other itineary that includes Antigua & St. Lucia. I have seen those before, and they are beautiful. Would like to see them again. Not sure about the other itineary, those islands may be gorgeous as well, just don't know about them.

Tell me about yourself, would love to commmunicate and share experiences and possibly be on the same cruise. Email me directly at DB0133@charter.net if you like.

David

[Allston29]

Hey David,

 

Sorry for the delay in response, was away for the holidays...

 

I agree the other itinerary looks better, however the bookings were pretty full and then the week was not great for me so went with this one. I have only been on one cruise before Carnival Liberty last year and really enjoyed it, despite all the bad things people say.....I didn't find that. I have not been to the Caribbean too much so enjoy this as a way to get a glimpse and of many places. though with the short time in each port I have to say I do it for the passage....

 

I am 38 fun loving guy, lives in Boston originally from Ireland and like to get away and relax for a week each year on my own.....and after last years cruise its the best way to have fun relax and meet a lot of people. I am not one that has to be with gay people all the time in fact last time there were not too may visilble and I had a great time...even with single straight guys :-) though nice to know there are others around the ship!

[timbuk]

Hi guys. My BF and I will be on this cruise. We're really excited. It will be my third and his second. I'm 40, he's 38 and we're from Atlanta. We've just started looking at excursions and are considering skipping one of the ports to stay on the ship and take advantage of the spa etc. DB, do you have any sugestions on which you'd skip? Appreciate any input. It's a tough decision and we'll probably end up checking all of them out. Just hear that it's easier/cheaper getting a massage or something when the ship is docked.

The idea of traveling alone always interested me, but I never did it.

My sister and I went to Dublin for a week last Feb. and I had a blast. The people are just fantastic and the city was beautiful. Went out one night and ended up talking with a guy that went to the same summer camp in NC that I did. Small world.

Hope you both have a great trip.

Thanks,

Cameron

[PMD]

Hey Guys

 

Partner and I will also be on this sailing. We are from Atlanta also. :D

 

Pete

[Allston29]

Hey,

 

Starting to gather a few on here which is great!

 

Cameron: Glad you had fun in Dublin, its a fun city and a small world with the guy you met.

 

I have been to Atlanta but only for overnight conference....never had the time to check out the place, meaning to take a long weekend there. Hear great things...

 

Pete: See you have been on the Crown already....did you have a good time?

 

Mark

[timbuk]

Hi again-

 

Only 14 more mondays until we leave. I know it will be here quickly. Plus, it's a great motivator to stay focused on the gym! Nothing like the threat of a swimsuit to reinforce my dieting.

 

Pete, you look like you're booked solid through the year on cruises. Very nice! Is this a new interest for you? Or just another typical year? BTW- I live over in downtown Decatur. How about you? Lived all over ATL when I moved here, but bought in Decatur about 12 years ago and really love it.

 

Mark, Boston is great. I dated a guy who was working at the CDC here in ATL and, lucky him/poor me, he got a full PHD scholarship to Harvard. We tried the long-distance thing for a while but you know how that goes. Anyway, I really enjoyed the city when I would visit. And I'd imagine you fit right in being an Irishman there. Seemed to be plenty of those.

 

My BF (aka; sweet-sexy-yummy-lover) and I started to research and consider excursions. It's a tough decision, but we're thinking about a diving trip. He's certified, and I'm not but he said that shouldn't be a problem if that's what we decide to do. There's also an eco-kayak tour that sounded good. What are you guys thinking about?

 

Hope you all have a good week.

C

[PMD]

Allston29 - We did the Crown twice last year. Great ship and crew. Both times out of NYC. We were tossed about on one of them due to a hurricane and missed Bermuda. Last time was during Holloween. It was a blast!

 

timbuk - We live in the Smyrna/Vinings area. We normally do about 5 cruises a year. It varies. We love traveling.

 

Have not even thought about what to do yet. Need to reasearch some of the ports. Some are new for us.

 

Pete

[timbuk]

13 more Mondays!

[rolando]

Hi

 

I'm PMD's other half. The ship will be in wet dock for a few days in San Juan after we get back, so Peter and I plan on spending Saturday night on the return in San Juan partying with some of the crew we know

 

Cheers!!

Rolando

[Allston29]

Hey,

 

that number of mondays is great! I have been working long ass days the past few weeks and looks set to continue so glad I have something to look forward to...

 

Have not really thought too much about excursions....having a port a day is great but also gives a lot of choice....plan on a couple of lazy beach days and also liked the look of the river tubing. Not much of a diver or snorkle guy......we Irish are not know for being the strong swimmers :-)

 

Mark

[timbuk]

Hi folks-

 

Thought I'd share a little info that I found yesterday– when I should have been working!!

I read an article at BudgetTravelOnline.com about caribbean resorts selling day passes to use their facilities. One in particular stood out for our trip.

In Bonaire there's a place called Harbour Village Beach Club (harbourvillage.com) that the article mentioned. It's about a 10min. taxi ride (they estimated about $12) and for $14 you can use their beach pool etc. I did'nt think that $26-$30 sounded bad when compared to some of the similar excursions posted on the Princess site. Might be worth looking into. Plus, they have snorkeling and diving opportunities right from their beach. (Mark- I even hear they have special classes for the Irish! Okay, not really)

 

I'll be "working from home" tomorrow, so who knows what other fascinating bits I'll find!

 

Have a great weekend guys.

C

[Allston29]

.....now thats an oxymoron :-0) Maybe I could exchange dialect coaching in return :D

 

The beach sounds like a great deal....I was reading that people were paying a lot more through the ship excursion. In looking around Bonaire site there does not seem to be a lot of unique trips or things to see....so sounds like a good beach day.

 

I did see a champagne catamaran trip I think in St Thomas which could be a laugh....have to check again.....

 

Cameron, look forward to more of your break from work findings ;-)

 

- Mark

[timbuk]

I know you guys were worried, so I thought I'd let you know that the US. Dept of State finally processed the check for my new passport.

I find the new rule about expiration date vs. 6mo. post-return to the states so odd. But whatever. They got the money and I'll soon get the new passport.

 

The 90 day barrier has been broken.

 

I'll have to check out the catamaran trim in St. Thom. Sounds good though since there's never really a bad time for champagne in my opinion.

 

ATL has a winter storm on the way tonight. God help us. People are crazy on the roads here to begin with. Throw some ice in the mix and it's off the hook. What fun.

[Allston29]

Interesting on the passport taking so long, suppose its because people are getting passports for the first time....interesting trivia, less than 10% of Americans have a passport. The six month thing is strange, I got caught with it once but my Visa managed to override and they let me in with stern warning!

 

I agree on the champagne though not sure I trust myself with it while on a catamaran :D could be interesting!

 

How was the storm last night? We have had the oddest winter up here in Boston, no snow yet this winter (apart from the odd flurry which does not count).

[dahudson]

Hey everybody,

My partner (38) and I (42) will also be on this cruise (just booked last week)!

 

We also live in Atlanta (specifically the East Lake/White Oak Hills area...just south of Decatur).

 

This will be our second cruise. We went on an Alaskan Cruise (Celebrity Summit) in 2003.

 

Dave & Mike

[Allston29]

...Dave and Mike! seems this cruise has a big attraction to the Gay men of Atlanta :) though it is an accent I enjoy......if any of you have one? Are you from that area?

 

Hope all had a good weekend....I had a few too many last night watching the super bowl and hurtin a little today:eek:

 

- Mark

[timbuk]

Hi everyone.

 

So funny. It does look like Atlanta will be represented well on this trip. Welcome Dave and Mike. You're practically neighbors.

Mark, we dodged the winter storm last week. Thankfully. It is odd that you haven't had much snow in Boston yet. Kyle and I are talking about taking a quick ski trip up to NC for Valentines Day. However, I'm not sure if they have any snow up there either!

I was reading some other threads and had a question for you Mark. What was the situation with the other Princess cruise that was cancelled? Was it cancelled? Why? Did they (Princess) refund your money, or something else? Just curious.

Kyle and I went to a pub last night to watch the game too. (It was Twains, Dave & Mike– ever been?) They just started brewing their own beers and I had too many too. I worked from home today, so at least I didn't have to deal with the office while nursing a hangover.

So what's everyone doing in San Juan? Any thoughts? We get in at around 3:00 on the 27th, so there is time to kill.

 

Take care guys. And have a good week.

[Allston29]

Sounds like a good super bowl for you......I actually "worked from home" yesterday also :)

 

My credit from Princess came from last year when I had booked on the Star princess but it had a fire three weeks before my dates and the cruise got cancelled......pic shows it all. Its amazing people did not die in this....one man did but it was heart related... very sad. they gave a full refund and 25% discount of the next princess cruise. I moved to Carnival Liberty and had a great week. Looking forward to experiencing Princess....and used the credit for a balcony state rooom.

 

 

 

I am staying at the Marriott Resort on the Fri night, get in at 11am.....flight from Boston is at 00:my god its early! But on vacation who cares....I have not been to San Juan so looking forward to some pool time and wandering round the old town.....maybe a bar or two on the friday night :D what are others up to?

 

- Mark

[dahudson]

Mark - My partner Mike is actually a native of Atlanta...there are actually very few native Atlantans, mostly transplants like myself...I am from Texas (Ft Worth) originally. Moved to Atlanta about 8 years ago.

 

Cameron - Do you live in one of the condos in Decatur? We have never been to Twain's but pass by it all the time...maybe we should check it out one day as we have heard several good things about it.

 

That Princess ship looks pretty rough after the fire. It would have sucked to have been on that ship when the fire happened no matter what kind of compensation they gave out. However, it appears that the Crown Princess was the ship that took a heavy roll (tilt) last year injuring a bunch of people. Yikes!

 

We are arriving in PR on the 27th also (about noon), but haven't picked a hotel yet. Possibly the Sheraton Old Town or Courtyard Isla Verde. I like to check out tripadvisor.com before deciding on hotels as they seem to have the most honest reviews.

[timbuk]

Wow Mark, that ship was toast! It really is hard to believe that there was only one fatality. Even if it was "only" semi-related. I think I would have had a heart attack too! I now understand why they say not to burn candles in your room. Well, here's hoping that between that and the infamous Crown list, Princess has gotten any and all bad luck behind them. No more cancellations!

 

It's cool that you turned your negative into a positive called a balcony on this trip though! Kyle and I had one on our last cruise and it was so nice. We even splurged a little for this trip to get a bigger one. We're spoiled!

 

D&M, no, I'm not directly on the square. I live off of Church St. and Sycamore in some older town homes. Bought about 12 years ago when they literally rolled the streets of Decatur up after 5:00 when the lawyers went home! It's been nice to see the little square come to life. I can't wait until the MARTA station renovation is complete too.(Mark, some have called it our "Little-Dig") Only downside is all the Buckhead-folks that have discovered our town! I miss the lesbians that used to rule the Decatur area! Just kidding, but the demographic really has changed over the last few years from what I've seen.

 

With my hangover behind me I can go to my Spin class in the AM without fear of puking. I can't believe I've got to pack my fanny in swim suit in a matter of weeks! Why, oh why do I love beer so much?!

 

Cheers!

[timbuk]

Wow Mark, that ship was toast! It really is hard to believe that there was only one fatality. Even if it was "only" semi-related. I think I would have had a heart attack too! I now understand why they say not to burn candles in your room. Well, here's hoping that between that and the infamous Crown list, Princess has gotten any and all bad luck behind them. No more cancellations!

 

It's cool that you turned your negative into a positive called a balcony on this trip though! Kyle and I had one on our last cruise and it was so nice. We even splurged a little for this trip to get a bigger one. We're spoiled!

 

D&M, no, I'm not directly on the square. I live off of Church St. and Sycamore in some older town homes. Bought about 12 years ago when they literally rolled the streets of Decatur up after 5:00 when the lawyers went home! It's been nice to see the little square come to life. I can't wait until the MARTA station renovation is complete too.(Mark, some have called it our "Little-Dig") Only downside is all the Buckhead-folks that have discovered our town! I miss the lesbians that used to rule the Decatur area! Just kidding, but the demographic really has changed over the last few years from what I've seen.

 

With my hangover behind me I can go to my Spin class in the AM without fear of puking. I can't believe I've got to pack my fanny in swim suit in a matter of weeks! Why, oh why do I love beer so much?!

 

Cheers!

[timbuk]

Wow Mark, that ship was toast! It really is hard to believe that there was only one fatality. Even if it was "only" semi-related. I think I would have had a heart attack too! I now understand why they say not to burn candles in your room. Well, here's hoping that between that and the infamous Crown list, Princess has gotten any and all bad luck behind them. No more cancellations!

 

It's cool that you turned your negative into a positive called a balcony on this trip though! Kyle and I had one on our last cruise and it was so nice. We even splurged a little for this trip to get a bigger one. We're spoiled!

 

D&M, no, I'm not directly on the square. I live off of Church St. and Sycamore in some older town homes. Bought about 12 years ago when they literally rolled the streets of Decatur up after 5:00 when the lawyers went home! It's been nice to see the little square come to life. I can't wait until the MARTA station renovation is complete too.(Mark, some have called it our "Little-Dig") Only downside is all the Buckhead-folks that have discovered our town! I miss the lesbians that used to rule the Decatur area! Just kidding, but the demographic really has changed over the last few years from what I've seen.

 

With my hangover behind me I made it to my Spin class this AM without fear of puking. I can't believe I've got to pack my fanny in swim suit in a matter of weeks! Why, oh why do I love beer so much?!

 

Cheers!

[timbuk]

Sorry about the multiples. Is it me, or is this thread/board/whatever jacked up? Perhaps both.

[Allston29]

Happy Friday…..long week and glad the weekend is here! Its been so cold here all week, not got above 30 in almost two weeks……makes you want to sit in front of a roaring fire….if only I had one!

So Dave is Texas, Mike Georgia, Cameron where do you and Kyle hail from? I enjoy all accents but any south of the Mason Dixon line…well even reading the phone book I find interesting to listen too J

I did Priceline for the hotel in San Juan, so long as you choose resort I believe it gives you back a good standard hotel. I was happy and got a good deal for $100.

Cameron we clearly already share a great love for beer J though mine I can claim as part of my heritage and not sound like a lush! I too am trying to get to the gym and get in some sort of bathing suit shape. Need to lose 12 to handle the average 7lbs people but on during a cruise…..I think it could be more than that.

Sounds like the Decatur region is turning into our south end in Boston, dangerous years ago and now full of Dinkies. Beautiful part of the city….