LIVE LIVE LIVE from the MARINER with MERION MOM for 53 DAYS!!!

[NorbertsNiece]

Russ Tamblyn : was a huge fan in my youth.... he is an awesome dancer. My girls fell in love with him in 'Tom Thumb' and '7 brides for 7 brothers'.

Where'd the years go?

[critterchick]

I just had a very nice chat with Bobbie. It seems that today is cloudy and a bit of rain.............but she says that the cruise is great!! I won't call often.............it's 7.95 per minute.......with a 10 minute maximum. We got cut off in mid sentence!!:eek:

 

She says that this is one of the nicest crews that she has cruised with. Sounds like everyone is having a wonderful time.

 

She also reported that the price of Ketel One.........which used to be 39.95 for 2 liters........is now $50.00. It's gone up $10.00 since our cruise in November!!:cool:

 

Apparently there is a "click" of people that she is hanging out with at the cocktail hour (s) in the Lotus Lounge..........and loving every minute. Lots of jokes (Doris) and great fun!!

 

The internet aboard continues to be extremly slow.........so I get cripted messages, hence the reason for my call.:);)

 

Rick

 

Rick, why don't you use your cellphones??? It has to be less expensive than that...

 

Too bad about the Ketel One. I haven't found a realy liquor bargain onboard since they first started raising prices in 2008, at least not for what we drink. Our Johnny Walker Gold went from $44.95 to $74.95 or something like that in one fell swoop. I can get it for $51 at the Coast Guard exchange if I just have to have a bottle (not often). And Ketel One goes on sale at $35/1.75 liter at Albertson's on a regular basis.

[rednancy1]

We just loaded up on booze at Lee's Discount Liquors in Vegas. :)

 

The prices are better than on the ship. :)

 

No more lugging bottles home.

[CruisinMommas]

Russ Tamblyn : was a huge fan in my youth.... he is an awesome dancer. My girls fell in love with him in 'Tom Thumb' and '7 brides for 7 brothers'.

 

Where'd the years go?

His daughter is Amber Tamblyn oF General Hospital and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

[INeedAShot]

As I entered the Lotus Lounge tonight, another passenger informed me that the Eagles had won. I WHOOPED, and offered to buy everyone in the Lounge a drink!!!!!!!

 

:)

It was quite a game .....Originally from FILTHadelphia so we are loving it!

I'm taking good care of Cindy for you!!!!!

Send Cindy our love....and take care of Dave when he joins y'all!

[rubrrick]

Rick, why don't you use your cellphones??? It has to be less expensive than that...

 

Too bad about the Ketel One. I haven't found a realy liquor bargain onboard since they first started raising prices in 2008, at least not for what we drink. Our Johnny Walker Gold went from $44.95 to $74.95 or something like that in one fell swoop. I can get it for $51 at the Coast Guard exchange if I just have to have a bottle (not often). And Ketel One goes on sale at $35/1.75 liter at Albertson's on a regular basis.

 

Jean.........you are right........and I need to look into useing our cellphones. The problem is..........my cellphone has no coverage at our home!!

 

Looking forward to getting together with Don and you on the 30th!! I hope that I can buy you guys dinner!!

 

I can't believe that flying first class on Copa..........I'm only allowed 50# per bag and only 2 bags. So........there is no room for the rumrunners.

 

Thank goodness for the Lotus Lounge from 5 to 8:30 every night.:D:D

 

I'll see you two in about 18 days!!

 

Rick

[negc]

We have come up with a brilliant plan to save RCCL lots of money.

 

There are 480 people entitled to use the Concierge Lounge.

 

RC bans passengers from carrying on their own liquor in port.

 

If they would let the D & D+ (and suite) passengers buy and bring on their own bottles, those people wouldn't be lapping up a fortune in free booze every night in the Lotus Lounge!!!!!!!!!!

 

Pretty clever, eh?

 

Think about it again, Carol. ;) Do you really think that even if they could bring their own liquor onboard with them, that many passengers would forego the opportunity to drink up the free CL booze in order to drink liquor that they paid for? Your idea sounds good at first but upon further consideration and realizing the effect that the words"free liquor" has on most people:D, I have serious reservations that your plan would save RCI any money. Either that or we travel with a different class of cruisers.:D

 

BTW offering to buy a round for the house in the Lotus Lounge to celebrate the Eagles victory: Is there no end to your generosity? :D

[rubrrick]

BTW offering to buy a round for the house in the Lotus Lounge to celebrate the Eagles victory: Is there no end to your generosity? :D

 

Bill...........you just stated a classic negc.................you owe me a whole new screen!!:D:D

 

And to top it off...........Bobbie also offered to do the same thing if the Cardinals win!!:D

 

So...........there we have it.........two of the last of the big spenders aboard the Mariner of the Seas.........having a friendly bet.......and they both are the end of the BIG spenders!!

 

Rick

[critterchick]

Jean.........you are right........and I need to look into useing our cellphones. The problem is..........my cellphone has no coverage at our home!!

 

Looking forward to getting together with Don and you on the 30th!! I hope that I can buy you guys dinner!!

 

I can't believe that flying first class on Copa..........I'm only allowed 50# per bag and only 2 bags. So........there is no room for the rumrunners.

 

Thank goodness for the Lotus Lounge from 5 to 8:30 every night.:D:D

 

I'll see you two in about 18 days!!

 

Rick

 

How much crap are you bringing???? One word for you: LAUNDRY.

 

We're doing 18 nights in Italy in May and I plan to do it with my airline carry on (it'll be checked because it will be stuffed to the gills) and a knapsack. We did it in 2003 and I just know we can do it again. And that included formal wear for a cruise. We'll be on Azamara, so won't have to worry about it. And we'll use the laundry services.

 

We'll take that dinner, LOL!

[Merion_Mom]

No IMDB hits on Rusty Mowbray. The closest two suggestions were:

 

1. Rusty Mowery (Art Department, Legally Blonde: The Musical (2007) (TV))

5. Ross Mowbray (Miscellaneous Crew, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006) (VG))

 

Sorry...

 

Theron

 

I guess that Abe mumbles. It's the first hit, Theron. :)

[Merion_Mom]

It should have been somewhat more relaxing than it was............I was blasted out of bed by Captain Johnny "apologizing" for the interruption, but there was about to be a crew drill. This was broadcast at about 85 decibels!

 

So, after fruitlessly trying to go back to sleep after the noise blast, I arose and went to meet the day.

 

Big plans are afoot for tomorrow's crossing of the equator. I hope to have the capability to upload photos to you by tomorrow evening, so stay tuned. ;)

 

Another lovely lunch in the dining room - this time we stood in line for the made-to-order salad bar.

 

Judy heard today that the Mariner had refused a shipment of vegetables in Barbados. We may be low on some things as a result. The servings with dinner certainly were tiny, and we had to ask for spinach for our salads at lunch.

 

Dinner was outstanding. I had both the duck and the cannelloni. I last had duck on the Liberty in August, and it was not good. This duck was perfect.

 

The low-fat mango mousse was very good also. It was a smooth mousse topped by diced mango and a sauce. YUM.

 

We did very well at the Cruise Director's Trivia Bowl this afternoon. There was a near brawl over one of the questions. :D I know that we are not in first place, but we remain near the top.

 

The entertainer tonight, Dave Pengelly, has a good voice and plays the (!) ukelele well, but his jokes are horrendously corny. Of course, that means that the oldies lapped it up. This was the most excited I have seen some of these people so far.

 

We have a new cruel game. "I see dead people". :D

[Merion_Mom]

I had a brief encounter with *my* drummer tonight. Alas, they are not permitted to enter the passenger entertainment venues, so he could not join us in the pub. :(

 

Simeon has been named Mariner Employee of the Year!!!!!!! If you have met him, you know how talented he is, and how much he deserves this. He is just overwhelmed.

 

It was wet and rainy most of the afternoon. An attempt was made to take a photo of the Hornblowers on the basketball court, but the weather blocked the effort to get more than a handful up there.

 

Doris, who took a spill early on, is healing just fine.

 

Two sea days down, three to go.

 

I have been thinking about going to the gym. It hasn't progressed any farther than that. :D

 

Abe continues to be just adorable. He walked by the pub tonight with his GF, Julie, and we did the communal "aaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww". They stopped and chatted, and there was a brief discussion of who was cuter, Abe or Mark B.

 

I had a sudden inspiration: "Hey, Abe, we should have a Mr. Mariner contest!!!!!" Lots of applause all around!

 

We are already conducting our own Survivor: Mariner game. YOU, off the ship!

 

(which alternates with "You!!! Out of the gene pool!")

 

We are having so much fun with our Hornblower friends. I also have a new fan club from singing in the Schooner Bar with Simeon. ;)

[Merion_Mom]

Tonight was the Welcome Back C&A party. It was in Studio B. There was the usual receiving line of RC people, and I finally met Rachel Hancock. I introduced myself by saying, "Hi, Rachel, I'm Carol." She responded, "OMG! Merion Mom!!!!"

 

:D :D :D

 

Andrea, who was on our B2B on the Monarch in October, from C&A HQ, has joined us, too, and was in the line, so we greeted each other as longlost friends. (did I use enough arcane abbreviations in that sentence? ;))

 

Right now, the ship is deserted. Of course, the Promenade is deserted. They are working on the lights for tomorrow's party, so the lights are all flashing and blinking and generally reflecting in my computer screen.

 

We had to have our cards re-made again today. :(

 

Tomorrow is our group slot pull. With all of the people participating, and all the cash that will go into the machine, we BETTER come out winners!

[wl2cruise]

Merion do you know if rci is planning anything special for the inagural mexico cruise out of LA?

[Merion_Mom]

No IMDB hits on Rusty Mowbray. The closest two suggestions were:

 

1. Rusty Mowery (Art Department, Legally Blonde: The Musical (2007) (TV))

5. Ross Mowbray (Miscellaneous Crew, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006) (VG))

 

Sorry...

 

Theron

 

This is the guy, Rusty Mowery: http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=91121

[Merion_Mom]

Merion do you know if rci is planning anything special for the inagural mexico cruise out of san pedro?

 

I know nothing about that cruise.

[TPKeller]

Jean.........you are right........and I need to look into useing our cellphones. The problem is..........my cellphone has no coverage at our home!!

You wouldn't need to use your cell phone at home, you would just be calling her cell phone on the ship. The Cellular At Sea (I think that's the name of it, but I just pulled that off the top of my head...) prices are quite a bit less than the 7.95 per minute, but they can call anyone, not just another cell phone.

 

Hopefully someone who has actually used this service can post more details.

 

Theron

[ladylawyer]

Theron, it works just like a regular cell phone call (both incoming and outgoing). The price is $2.49/minute, with pretty much any calling plan (even if you have International Calling).

 

Sometimes the ship will pick up a land tower, and then you pay the regular cell prices. However, if the phone says RCI or Cellular at Sea, be prepared for $2.49/minute. Still way better than $7.98!!!

[Arizona Laura]

Merion do you know if rci is planning anything special for the inagural mexico cruise out of LA?

 

The entertainment scheduled for the Mariner of the Seas sailing February 22, 2009 is as follows:

 

RONDELL SHERIDAN COMEDIAN

SCOTT RECORD SINGER / IMPRESSIONIST

GREG OTTO COMEDIAN

LARAF MAGIC SHOW

EMMANUELLE BALMORI ICE ACT - AERIAL HOOP

ANGELO ARVONIO COCKTAIL PIANIST

MARK BOLDEN PUB ENTERTAINER

LATIN TRIO

PRODUCTION SHOWS: PURE ENERGY - FRONT ROW

 

This is what they sent me.

 

Carol you save some money in those machines for our slot pull on the inaugural please. Win big!

So Simeon won't be on our inaugural cruise?

Thanks for the updates.

Laura

[truffles2]

The entertainer tonight, Dave Pengelly, has a good voice and plays the (!) ukelele well, but his jokes are horrendously corny. Of course, that means that the oldies lapped it up. This was the most excited I have seen some of these people so far.

 

Quote wasn't working????

Carol, David Pengelly usually does a coffee seminar on his cruises and it is pretty interesting--especially if nothing else is going on.

[rubrrick]

Thanks Lorna, for the cellphone tip. I'll check with Bobbie and see how much signal strength she has in her cabin. $2.49 is so much better than $7.95.:)

 

It would appear that if they have not yet done so.......the are very close to crossing the equator. I'm sure that Captain Johnny will make that announcement. :):D

 

I know that the Divas and Bobbie and some others have been asked to join Captain Johnny tonight in Chops for a special dinner. We will stand by to hear from Carol on the outcome!!

 

Rick

[vickiw0318]

I was too young to appreciate it all at the time, but Cab Calloway and Pearl Bailey performing together in Hello Dolly remains in my memory today.

 

Just an aside to Jean....

 

Wasn't that the most fantastic show!! My parents took me to see it for my 18th birthday. It's one of my best memories.

[jillybabes]

Carol: So glad you and the Divas are having such a great time...

Please say hi to Cindy and Jeanine from Dave & Jill....

Have a wonderful time tonight at dinner and look forward to your posting all about it...

[truffles2]

Thanks Lorna, for the cellphone tip. I'll check with Bobbie and see how much signal strength she has in her cabin. $2.49 is so much better than $7.95.:)

 

It would appear that if they have not yet done so.......the are very close to crossing the equator. I'm sure that Captain Johnny will make that announcement. :):D

 

I know that the Divas and Bobbie and some others have been asked to join Captain Johnny tonight in Chops for a special dinner. We will stand by to hear from Carol on the outcome!!

 

Rick

 

Looks like they have crossed the equator as they are south of Northern Amapa.

[rubrrick]

Looks like they have crossed the equator as they are south of Northern Amapa.

 

 

I concur.......although it's just an estimate. When are you headed out for Rio, Barb??:)

 

Rick