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

[Spellbinder]

Thanks for the pictures. See you very soon. :):):):D

[Rancher Dave]

Dave,

 

If you and your DW take the 1 day pre Inaugural cruise and go to Las Vegas afterwards we won't be there. :(

 

We are booked on the Inaugural Mariner cruise from LA on Feb 22.

 

Another time. Another place. :)

 

 

DW said we need to go to Vegas when we have a full weekend. Maybe over the Summer...maybe in December for a meeting I should attend there.

 

When we get off one the 20th, we have a day ahead to play around the LA area, actually the whole weekend.

[Rancher Dave]

 

 

So that is what the end of the civilized world looks like?

 

Glad to hear it was calm seas...that is my big worry about when I get a chance to sail those waters as they often get rough. Of course Mariner is big enough to handle it better than some ships.

[ladylawyer]

Rancher Dave, curiosity got the better of me tonight and I just watched your Animated Christmas Light Show. OUTSTANDING!!! :D Question: Does it freak out the folks driving by (particularly the last one) or are your neighbors just used to it by now? :confused:

 

Back on topic: Carol, what great pictures! What wonderful memories you will have from this cruise!!! Thanks for taking us there, with you! ~ Lorna

[ladylawyer]

Rick, if I don't talk to you before you leave for LA, have a wonderful time! My love and hugs to the gang! ~ L

[CAC104]

You are so lucky to have such gorgeous weather and calm seas....I have always heard it was really rough and dangerous.

[rubrrick]

We will join the Mariner on February 3 and have gotten mixed information on the Costa Rica Yellow Fever shot requirement. What are they telling you on the ship? The Costa Rica consulate said yes but the CDC said it was not necessary because we are not going to the jungle areas of Peru. RCL (land based) won't give a definitive answer. Help!!!

 

 

Papa T..........please click on this thread......and select the last page, and add your information. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=819780

 

We welcome you to join the rest of us that are on the last leg of this journey.

 

I must say that you are asking this question at the 11th hour. Most of us have our Yellow Fever shots.........because we don't want to get bit by a mosquito that is carrying YF.

 

Do what you think is right.......The CDC does not care whether you have your YF or not. It's the Costa Rican government that wants to know.

 

Worst case scenario for you........is that you have to stay onboard when we are in Costa Rica......because the government won't let you into their country.

 

Did you read.....or are you aware that there were about 100 people stranded in Florida.......could not get on the ship.......because they thought that they didn't need visas to get into Brazil.

 

You can get your YF tomorrow and know that you are covered........or take the chance.......that you won't need them. I can't tell you for sure whether you could get off of the ship in Costa Rica or not, without the vaccine.

 

Hope this helps. Please come on over to the other site....we would love to welcome you!!:)

 

Rick

[rubrrick]

Rick, if I don't talk to you before you leave for LA, have a wonderful time! My love and hugs to the gang! ~ L

 

 

Thanks Lorna!! You have so many friends onboard.....we wish Bill and you were with us. That would make this cruise so special. You should have snuck away and have been Bobbies roomie for the first two legs.

 

I think she did invite you!!:D

 

I cancelled our Navigator trip today. So maybe we can talk about other trips........on another thread!!

 

I have not had a chance to even tell Carol how incredibly beautiful her pictures are!! The yellow rescue craft is a very fast boat.......and there is a specially trained crew that is on alert........in case of a passenger overboard..........they can lower the boat and be off in under a minute....in an emergency!!

 

Carol...........I have Uncle Jack packed for you!! Also something about a case of mustard being delivered to your cabin. One of your friends asked me to deliver it............I had to FedEx it!:cool:

 

What the devil are you going to do with a whole case of dijon mustard???

 

Do me a favor........don't bring any of it back to our cabin!! I don't need it...............I don't want it!!

 

Well.......tomorrow is my big day.........I need to pack!!:eek:

 

Rick

[HRHPrinceJim]

Did someone use Carol and normal in the same sentence? :eek: J/K

 

Carol, your pictures of the Horn are AMAZING! I feel like I was there with you!

 

Rick, bon voyage. We all know you will have a wonderful time!

[Rancher Dave]

Rancher Dave, curiosity got the better of me tonight and I just watched your Animated Christmas Light Show. OUTSTANDING!!! :D Question: Does it freak out the folks driving by (particularly the last one) or are your neighbors just used to it by now? :confused:

 

Back on topic: Carol, what great pictures! What wonderful memories you will have from this cruise!!! Thanks for taking us there, with you! ~ Lorna

 

It is not still up, but I don't think that is exactly what you meant. They tried to listen to it on the radio when the xmitter was dying so had a crazy impression for the first week. New xmitter and one across the street truned on the music for a party so they could listen and watch the lights as they ate.

 

Tuesday before Christmas had 5 cars stopped to watch...they all stopped right as DD and I finsihed our video work, only a small bit is posted online. That may change now that I have more time, sort of...I probably gained about 5 hours a week of "free time" after Christmas... People seemed to enjoy it, other than neighborhood judges.

 

Several neighbors left notes about how much they enjoyed it. Several folks trekked from across the city to come see it. Kids seem to enjoy it the most.

 

Next year my newest neighbor (Romanian) and I will partner up so we have a bigger canvas so to speak. I will have to layout the design soon and reprogram it all for this year. We will likely add more equipment, probably not double, but I bet we add 50% more, maybe a second Mega Tree...that big tree you saw has 6400 lights alone. All LED lights, technically I could probably run it all off the single outlet in an RCCL Cabin...Captain thought may object to so much light on the balcony...:D

 

I also hope to find a buyer for a package including design etc...for in front of their house as those projects can garner some good revenue. Equipment alone for the display I showed is as much if not more than a GS on the average 7 night cruise (2 pax) and that doesnt count my time over 500 hours into the display.

 

Thanks for the kind feedback.

[rubrrick]

It is not still up, but I don't think that is exactly what you meant. They tried to listen to it on the radio when the xmitter was dying so had a crazy impression for the first week. New xmitter and one across the street truned on the music for a party so they could listen and watch the lights as they ate.

 

Tuesday before Christmas had 5 cars stopped to watch...they all stopped right as DD and I finsihed our video work, only a small bit is posted online. That may change now that I have more time, sort of...I probably gained about 5 hours a week of "free time" after Christmas... People seemed to enjoy it, other than neighborhood judges.

 

Several neighbors left notes about how much they enjoyed it. Several folks trekked from across the city to come see it. Kids seem to enjoy it the most.

 

Next year my newest neighbor (Romanian) and I will partner up so we have a bigger canvas so to speak. I will have to layout the design soon and reprogram it all for this year. We will likely add more equipment, probably not double, but I bet we add 50% more, maybe a second Mega Tree...that big tree you saw has 6400 lights alone. All LED lights, technically I could probably run it all off the single outlet in an RCCL Cabin...Captain thought may object to so much light on the balcony...:D

 

I also hope to find a buyer for a package including design etc...for in front of their house as those projects can garner some good revenue. Equipment alone for the display I showed is as much if not more than a GS on the average 7 night cruise (2 pax) and that doesnt count my time over 500 hours into the display.

 

Thanks for the kind feedback.

 

 

Gee Dave......where were you when I paid you the same compliment!!:D

 

Get your tickets!! Sounds like you need to leave on the 1st....to make the cruise on the 3rd.

 

Your AZ ins connection!!:D

[Rancher Dave]

Gee Dave......where were you when I paid you the same compliment!!:D

 

Get your tickets!! Sounds like you need to leave on the 1st....to make the cruise on the 3rd.

 

Your AZ ins connection!!:D

 

 

I definitely appreciate all the positive feedback, esp when considering the judges in the neighborhood were blind to our display. Not a joke about the blind...2 good friends are blind and initially when I sent an email like to several friends I had them in and when editing realized they would hear the email read to them but the link would not work so well for them.

 

btw...pricing on your DW came thru, I will send a link in the morning, look very nice even on a 24 mos basis.

[IBookHePays]

Thank you Carol, for taking me with you on this incredible journey. I am a map junkie....and have only seen this part of the world on paper..thanks for sharing your trip with all of us!:)

[rubrrick]

The Mariner is supposedly anchored off of Ushuaia, and everyone is tendering in. Bobbie just wrote and said that she was headed off with a group to check out the town.

 

If the weather holds..........tomorrow and Saturday should be picture taking days. Tomorrow is the Straits of Magellen, followed by Saturday's cruising the Chilean Fjords.

 

I'll be in the air most of Saturday..........arriving in Santiago Saturday night.:)

 

So.........for me, today is packing........tomorrow starts my journey with about an 8 hour drive to our friends home just outside of San Pedro.

 

Rick

[kruz]

WOW..thanks for the excellent pics!

[FunCruiser56]

the kroooz cams website is showing Mariner in port, although not a great picture- too close, hope they will adjust it later.

 

Bev

[rubrrick]

It's adjusted now! Looks like a decent day in port. Captain Johnny was reporting 25 mph winds with swells predicted..........looks like he was wrong!!

 

Here is a link that should get you to the cam in Ushuaia.

 

http://174.133.163.122/mexicoindex.html

 

As least that is where I am to be able to see the Mariner at anchor in port!

 

Rick

[Amy1118]

Carol, what incredible pics! Thank you so much for sharing them.

 

Rick, have a safe journey to Santiago and a great cruise. I'll look forward to posts from the ship!

 

I haven't wanted to clutter up the thread with posts about how much I'm enjoying it but since I popped in anyway, I'll just say, "Wow! What fun!"

[mjldvlks]

From Krooz Cams 1/29/09, 1033 CST

 

[NorbertsNiece]

It's adjusted now! Looks like a decent day in port. Captain Johnny was reporting 25 mph winds with swells predicted..........looks like he was wrong!!

 

Here is a link that should get you to the cam in Ushuaia.

 

http://174.133.163.122/mexicoindex.html

 

As least that is where I am to be able to see the Mariner at anchor in port!

 

Rick

 

Thanks for posting. Edit..... I have Ushuaia but no Mariner :(

 

From Krooz Cams 1/29/09, 1033 CST

 

[ATTACH]103636[/ATTACH]

 

This is awesome!! Thanks :D

[rubrrick]

Bobbie is back aboard, and is really bummed that the ship would not let passengers off till 9:40 unless they had ships shore excurisions. They found two different tours on the pier that would let them walk with the penguins. The tours left at 9:30..........so they were 20 minutes too late.

 

Bobbie feels that they could have gotten off at 9AM........and that the ship was just being slow with passengers not having shore excurisions. So I have a pretty unhappy camper on my hands........with the Iguazu Falls situation.........and now this!:(

 

Apparently there is not much else to do there......and it's raining lightly, so most that went onshore are now back onboard.

 

Rick

[rubrrick]

On the attachment that I posted.......you have to click on Ushuaia, and now it's showing a tug in port. So look at the attachment that mjldvlks has.........that will show the Mariner at anchor.

 

Rick

[negc]

It's adjusted now! Looks like a decent day in port. Captain Johnny was reporting 25 mph winds with swells predicted..........looks like he was wrong!!

 

Rick

 

I have sailed with Captain Johnny,know he has many fans, and is quite a personality, but it wouldn't be the first time that he was wrong about something.:D- remember when he stated unequivocally that Mariner would NEVER leave Port Canaveral?;)

 

Thanks for the link, Rick. Safe journey to meet up with Bobbie and the Mariner. Good luck to your Cardinals. We will be rooting for them.:)

[negc]

Bobbie is back aboard, and is really bummed that the ship would not let passengers off till 9:40 unless they had ships shore excurisions. They found two different tours on the pier that would let them walk with the penguins. The tours left at 9:30..........so they were 20 minutes too late.

 

Bobbie feels that they could have gotten off at 9AM........and that the ship was just being slow with passengers not having shore excurisions. So I have a pretty unhappy camper on my hands........with the Iguazu Falls situation.........and now this!:(

 

Apparently there is not much else to do there......and it's raining lightly, so most that went onshore are now back onboard.

 

Rick

 

I'd be bummed too. It seems strange that on a cruise where so many people (passengers, crew and staff) are together for so long, that the staff seems less cooperative and willing to accommodate people that they have been sailing with for nearly a month and will be onboard with for so many more days. I wonder if some of the personnel onboard were less than thrilled to get this assignment and it is showing in their work performance?:rolleyes:

[jillybabes]

Rick: Have a safe journey and enjoy the last leg of the cruise...

We too will be routing for The Cardinals:D