Royal Princess Maiden TA Chat Room

[CRUZER2012]

Originally Posted by Woobstr112G

Just checked my retirement countdown calendar app on my I-Phone. Only 1358 days to go.....

Bob

Hoping that is 1358 calendar days.

Nice that Holli has time to prepare for your retirement.

[WineCountryCruiser]

Originally Posted by Woobstr112G

Just checked my retirement countdown calendar app on my I-Phone. Only 1358 days to go.....

Bob

Bob, my DW (Barb) will be happy to know that she's not the only one with a retirement countdown going. She's at around 440 days to go.

And thanks for your kind words regarding my ongoing vision saga.

Craig

[Carolina Cruisers 2]

Hello Royals,

BikeMS ... huge 3 day success!! Terrible rainstorm yesterday afternoon put damperon the cyclist going for 100 miles. Most of the 50 and 75 milers were back in safely before the downpour. Late yesterday and into the evening the convention center filled with a few thousand joyful people celebrating with "Carolina Ale" and all sorts of wine, delicious buffet and great band. Another GREAT fundraiser! Hope we reach our goal of 1.7M this year but more than anything I hope and pray for a cure for multiple sclerosis.

Happy Sunday to all!

[dsawyer]

Originally Posted by Carolina Cruisers 2

Hello Royals,

BikeMS ... huge 3 day success!! Terrible rainstorm yesterday afternoon put damperon the cyclisThankst going for 100 miles. Most of the 50 and 75 milers were back in safely before the downpour. Late yesterday and into the evening the convention center filled with a few thousand joyful people celebrating with "Carolina Ale" and all sorts of wine, delicious buffet and great band. Another GREAT fundraiser! Hope we reach our goal of 1.7M this year but more than anything I hope and pray for a cure for multiple sclerosis.

Happy Sunday to all!

Thanks for the update, Franky. Sounds like it was a huge success as a fundraiser and lots of fun for all involved. Yes, I also hope and pray for a cure for multiple sclerosis.

[Woobstr112G]

Originally Posted by dsawyer

Thanks for the update, Franky. Sounds like it was a huge success as a fundraiser and lots of fun for all involved. Yes, I also hope and pray for a cure for multiple sclerosis.

I'm always hopeful a cure will be found for this dreaded disasse.....

Bob

[Woobstr112G]

Originally Posted by WineCountryCruiser

Bob, my DW (Barb) will be happy to know that she's not the only one with a retirement countdown going. She's at around 440 days to go.

And thanks for your kind words regarding my ongoing vision saga.

Craig

Craig;

Barb is so lucky......

Bob

[hokiefans]

Originally Posted by Carolina Cruisers 2

Hello Royals,

BikeMS ... huge 3 day success!! Terrible rainstorm yesterday afternoon put damperon the cyclist going for 100 miles. Most of the 50 and 75 milers were back in safely before the downpour. Late yesterday and into the evening the convention center filled with a few thousand joyful people celebrating with "Carolina Ale" and all sorts of wine, delicious buffet and great band. Another GREAT fundraiser! Hope we reach our goal of 1.7M this year but more than anything I hope and pray for a cure for multiple sclerosis.

Happy Sunday to all!

Dear Franky,

Congratulations to you and your team on your efforts to help find a cure!

denise (and Brian)

[san diego sue]

I almost forgot about this thread. Glad we can chat about anything and everything here.
Bob, did you experience the Rotten Egg type stink yesterday (on the 10th). Daughter in Porter Ranch called, she thought it was a gas leak and called the gas company. When her whole neighborhood stunk, she went on the internet to check it out.
Sounds like a Fish story to me, blaming on dead fish in the Salton Sea, with the wind blowing the stink hundreds of miles , all the way through Los Angeles to the Valley.

Congratulations to Franky, a job well done. Glad your event went off well.
MS is horrible.

Gloria

[dsawyer]

Originally Posted by san diego sue

I almost forgot about this thread. Glad we can chat about anything and everything here.
Bob, did you experience the Rotten Egg type stink yesterday (on the 10th). Daughter in Porter Ranch called, she thought it was a gas leak and called the gas company. When her whole neighborhood stunk, she went on the internet to check it out.
Sounds like a Fish story to me, blaming on dead fish in the Salton Sea, with the wind blowing the stink hundreds of miles , all the way through Los Angeles to the Valley.

Congratulations to Franky, a job well done. Glad your event went off well.
MS is horrible.

Gloria

Hi Gloria - sure wished you had booked the NY to FT Lauderdale leg of the Caribbean Princess as my mother and I are sailing on that cruise. You will be getting off as we are getting on. Sorry to miss you,

[Sunviking]

Greetings from the Aegean (I think)! I believe we're somewhere near Samos but I'm not really sure. We've had two fantastic days in Istanbul and Kusadasi ! The weather was a vast improvement over the heat Katie and I experienced in July. Al & I had never been to Istanbul so we didn't know what to expect. It was totally fascinating. We've been to a few other places as intriguing but not many. Our brain was overloaded with information from our guide. He was filling in for someone. He was selected by Travel & Leisure as one of the top guides in the world (I googled him) and we wound up with him. Previously he has guided presidents, prime ministers and kings. Any way he gave us so much info I haven't been able to synthesize it yet. Hopefully I can do that on our last sea day.

Today we were in Kusadasi and the weather was fantastic, We went to Ephesus and were lucky that today the terrace houses were open.What an overwhelming experience to see them and the restoration work that's being done.

And finally today we succumbed to the carpet makers of Turkey. There was a beautiful silk Imperial design one calling our name and an antique mid-Anatolian one that did the same. How could we resist? In another part of the shop was some Byzantine period gold jewelry with rubies and emeralds which said Happy Anniversary to me, so Al decided to get those too. Tonight when I dressed for dinner I felt like Empress Theodosia watching the consecration of the Hagiya Sophia with my new baubles on.

It has been a grand cruise. We're happy we decided to try something different and realize we need to widen our horizons from the Venice to FLL milk run. There are just too many wonderful places to visit and too little time to do it.

Julia, I see you've booked a cruise with Tarryn in the Med next summer, What have you booked if I may ask?
My plans with Katie are not etched in stone.

Anyway, tomorrow we have our last forced march of the cruise - Athens and the Acropolis. We don't care about the Plaka. In the evening we've been invited to to the Captain's cocktail party for most traveled passengers. Someone must have miscounted. The next day is our last sea day and I shall endeavot to catch up our blog before I forget all this info.

Any way, a demain, a domani, or hasta manana. Don't know what to say in Greeg except - oooh, PAH!!!

[san diego sue]

Hi Dorothy,
Would have booked the cruise to Florida as well. Just as I was doing so, I realized there was a four day Bermuda run in between both cruises.
Didn't want to do that one , so decided just the 7 day New England Canada one worked for us. Week before the cruise we are spending in Tennessee with friends. When we get back, five weeks later we are off to South America on the Star.

Ann,
I know what you mean about trying new things. This year instead of usual transatlantic, we did the Singapore to Vancouver cruise. So very different than any of our cruise experiences and so fabulous.
Gloria

[Woobstr112G]

Originally Posted by Sunviking

Greetings from the Aegean (I think)! I believe we're somewhere near Samos but I'm not really sure. We've had two fantastic days in Istanbul and Kusadasi ! The weather was a vast improvement over the heat Katie and I experienced in July. Al & I had never been to Istanbul so we didn't know what to expect. It was totally fascinating. We've been to a few other places as intriguing but not many. Our brain was overloaded with information from our guide. He was filling in for someone. He was selected by Travel & Leisure as one of the top guides in the world (I googled him) and we wound up with him. Previously he has guided presidents, prime ministers and kings. Any way he gave us so much info I haven't been able to synthesize it yet. Hopefully I can do that on our last sea day.

Today we were in Kusadasi and the weather was fantastic, We went to Ephesus and were lucky that today the terrace houses were open.What an overwhelming experience to see them and the restoration work that's being done.

And finally today we succumbed to the carpet makers of Turkey. There was a beautiful silk Imperial design one calling our name and an antique mid-Anatolian one that did the same. How could we resist? In another part of the shop was some Byzantine period gold jewelry with rubies and emeralds which said Happy Anniversary to me, so Al decided to get those too. Tonight when I dressed for dinner I felt like Empress Theodosia watching the consecration of the Hagiya Sophia with my new baubles on.

It has been a grand cruise. We're happy we decided to try something different and realize we need to widen our horizons from the Venice to FLL milk run. There are just too many wonderful places to visit and too little time to do it.

Julia, I see you've booked a cruise with Tarryn in the Med next summer, What have you booked if I may ask?
My plans with Katie are not etched in stone.

Anyway, tomorrow we have our last forced march of the cruise - Athens and the Acropolis. We don't care about the Plaka. In the evening we've been invited to to the Captain's cocktail party for most traveled passengers. Someone must have miscounted. The next day is our last sea day and I shall endeavot to catch up our blog before I forget all this info.

Any way, a demain, a domani, or hasta manana. Don't know what to say in Greeg except - oooh, PAH!!!

Ann;

So glad to hear that you and Al are enjoying a fantastic cruise. I do agree with your thoughts about trying new itineraries. We are doing a fourth T/A because I just had to sail on the Royal when she's brand new. The Royal cruise will be our last cruise till I retire in 2016 (at least that's the plan right now). Reason is I need to pay down some debt before I retire. When we resume cruising in 2016, we will Definetely try something new. Who knows, might even be a Regent cruise.....

Bob

[Carolina Cruisers 2]

Thanks for your kind comments regarding BikeMS. Today I am wrapping up so that I can hand over to a woman's club member that will chair for atleast the next two years. Yea!

It cooled off last night so weather is fantastic. Not hot and no humidity.

Wishing all a good week!

[carib]

Originally Posted by Sunviking

Greetings from the Aegean (I think)! I believe we're somewhere near Samos but I'm not really sure. We've had two fantastic days in Istanbul and Kusadasi ! The weather was a vast improvement over the heat Katie and I experienced in July. Al & I had never been to Istanbul so we didn't know what to expect. It was totally fascinating. We've been to a few other places as intriguing but not many. Our brain was overloaded with information from our guide. He was filling in for someone. He was selected by Travel & Leisure as one of the top guides in the world (I googled him) and we wound up with him. Previously he has guided presidents, prime ministers and kings. Any way he gave us so much info I haven't been able to synthesize it yet. Hopefully I can do that on our last sea day.

Today we were in Kusadasi and the weather was fantastic, We went to Ephesus and were lucky that today the terrace houses were open.What an overwhelming experience to see them and the restoration work that's being done.

And finally today we succumbed to the carpet makers of Turkey. There was a beautiful silk Imperial design one calling our name and an antique mid-Anatolian one that did the same. How could we resist? In another part of the shop was some Byzantine period gold jewelry with rubies and emeralds which said Happy Anniversary to me, so Al decided to get those too. Tonight when I dressed for dinner I felt like Empress Theodosia watching the consecration of the Hagiya Sophia with my new baubles on.

It has been a grand cruise. We're happy we decided to try something different and realize we need to widen our horizons from the Venice to FLL milk run. There are just too many wonderful places to visit and too little time to do it.

Julia, I see you've booked a cruise with Tarryn in the Med next summer, What have you booked if I may ask?
My plans with Katie are not etched in stone.

Anyway, tomorrow we have our last forced march of the cruise - Athens and the Acropolis. We don't care about the Plaka. In the evening we've been invited to to the Captain's cocktail party for most traveled passengers. Someone must have miscounted. The next day is our last sea day and I shall endeavot to catch up our blog before I forget all this info.

Any way, a demain, a domani, or hasta manana. Don't know what to say in Greeg except - oooh, PAH!!!

Ann, I have been reading your Blog. Looks like you and Al are having a great time. Sorry you had to miss Mykonos because of weather. As it is you still have a packed itinerary.
Turkey has always been on our list of places to visit. A few years ago we had planned a land tour, flying into Istanbul and doing 2 weeks around Turkey. The trip fell through but it's still on our list.
Enjoy the rest of the cruise.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Originally Posted by Sunviking

Greetings from the Aegean (I think)! I believe we're somewhere near Samos but I'm not really sure. We've had two fantastic days in Istanbul and Kusadasi ! The weather was a vast improvement over the heat Katie and I experienced in July. Al & I had never been to Istanbul so we didn't know what to expect. It was totally fascinating. We've been to a few other places as intriguing but not many. Our brain was overloaded with information from our guide. He was filling in for someone. He was selected by Travel & Leisure as one of the top guides in the world (I googled him) and we wound up with him. Previously he has guided presidents, prime ministers and kings. Any way he gave us so much info I haven't been able to synthesize it yet. Hopefully I can do that on our last sea day.

Today we were in Kusadasi and the weather was fantastic, We went to Ephesus and were lucky that today the terrace houses were open.What an overwhelming experience to see them and the restoration work that's being done.

And finally today we succumbed to the carpet makers of Turkey. There was a beautiful silk Imperial design one calling our name and an antique mid-Anatolian one that did the same. How could we resist? In another part of the shop was some Byzantine period gold jewelry with rubies and emeralds which said Happy Anniversary to me, so Al decided to get those too. Tonight when I dressed for dinner I felt like Empress Theodosia watching the consecration of the Hagiya Sophia with my new baubles on.

It has been a grand cruise. We're happy we decided to try something different and realize we need to widen our horizons from the Venice to FLL milk run. There are just too many wonderful places to visit and too little time to do it.

Julia, I see you've booked a cruise with Tarryn in the Med next summer, What have you booked if I may ask?
My plans with Katie are not etched in stone.

Anyway, tomorrow we have our last forced march of the cruise - Athens and the Acropolis. We don't care about the Plaka. In the evening we've been invited to to the Captain's cocktail party for most traveled passengers. Someone must have miscounted. The next day is our last sea day and I shall endeavot to catch up our blog before I forget all this info.

Any way, a demain, a domani, or hasta manana. Don't know what to say in Greeg except - oooh, PAH!!!

So glad you enjoyed Turkey, Did you have your carpets sent home? I'm still waiting for mine to arrive from the early 1990's. My parents carpets arrived but mine never did and we got them at the same store etc. Hope you have better luck than me LOL
I spent 3 weeks in Turkey so can only imagine that a day in Istanbul was not enough time for that awesome city!

Been following your blog and loving travelling along with you

Enjoy the rest of your trip :0

[CRUZER2012]

Originally Posted by Woobstr112G

Ann;

So glad to hear that you and Al are enjoying a fantastic cruise. I do agree with your thoughts about trying new itineraries. We are doing a fourth T/A because I just had to sail on the Royal when she's brand new. The Royal cruise will be our last cruise till I retire in 2016 (at least that's the plan right now). Reason is I need to pay down some debt before I retire. When we resume cruising in 2016, we will Definetely try something new. Who knows, might even be a Regent cruise.....

Bob

Bob, Have you considered the Resdienz. I think I have that right. The ship is your home.

[Woobstr112G]

Originally Posted by CRUZER2012

Bob, Have you considered the Resdienz. I think I have that right. The ship is your home.

Maybe if I win the lottery.....

Bob

[Sunviking]

A sea day today was just what we needed. It's been lovely. Athens was interesting but after climbing the Acropolis twice, I don't think I need to go there again. They have problems. There was a demonstration going on and we had to navigate around it. One can only feel bad for the people who are taking huge pay cuts, but they've gotten themselves into a real pickle.

Today we were talking about how glad we were that we had canceled our original cruise for this year. I had first booked us on the Ocean Princess beginning 9/02/12 from Barcelona ( a day earlier than we sailed) for 21 days. That cruise had 18 ports in 21 days. We would have been among the walking dead because most of the ports we'd been to before were during the first week. I know we would have wanted to see everything in the new ones and we would have been totally and completely exhausted. We also arrived at the conclusion that one should not wait to go to some of these places until retirement. Most places we've been are not accessible to folks with mobility issues and if we wait until Al decides not to work anymore, we may have problems.

While I have a cruise booked on another line for next year, the same company has another that has caught our eye which may be demanding like this one. We may have to take that one sooner rather than later.

Anyway, we've had a lovely cruise. Last night we were invited to a cocktail party for most traveled people. I think there must be lots of newbies on here because we'd never be invited on a transatlantic. Tomorrow we'll have day in Venice.

[Lynda90]

Ann, thanks for checking in. I'm enjoying your taking us along with you. Sounds like a wonderful cruise!

[TLC535]

Hey Ann - so glad to hear you guys are have a great time...LOVING your blog.... wishing you continued wonderful travels