Wormy53

Personally, I bring a couple of 24 oz Brita filter bottles and take the filters out while on ship (that way I have them for use in ports as needed). I fill them from the sink each night and put them in the fridge tops off (don't fill them all the way). I find they taste a bit better if you let them aerate. If you ask, you steward can also bring an empty ice pitcher to do the same thing.

 

Do note if you hit heavy seas? Lids on :)

Really like this idea! This way it's not contributing more plastic to waste.

I am expecting my first Kindle for Xmas. It was the only thing on my Christmas list, so I am fairly confident that Santa or my wife will be getting it for me. But, I am curious as to how hard or easy it was to switch from real books to an ereader. I picked up the Kindle at Best Buy, and it just did not seem to have the same feel as holding a book. Is this something that you get over fairly quickly? Did anyone else feel the same when they first tried the kindle? I really want to like this new device, but wanted to see if how others adjusted....lol

LOVE LOVE my kindle fire and kindle2. I am a big reader too, and wondered the same thing - could I stand the ereader? The answer is a big yes! I've enjoyed them for several years now. I really like adjusting the print size and having so much available in such a small package. I do have to admit that I still do something weird when I pick up a REAL book now. I catch myself pushing my thumb down on the book page to try to get the page to turn!!:rolleyes: I guess the Kindle is now what I have to "get over"!!:D

I've downloaded the Simpsons song where the CD (voiced by Steve Coggan) sings to the passengers that there half way through their cruise and should "enjoy it while you can"

 

I play it to DW half way through our cruise. It's a reminder to enjoy every moment.

 

Have a search for it, it's very good!

I like this! My DH used to watch a terrible movie over & over. It was "Down Periscope" with Kelsey Grammar. It was a submarine, and everytime they were ready to go he would say "Let's kick this pig!" Well-----everytime we were ready for the ship to go, he would say "Let's kick this pig!" I must have heard it a dozen times on our last trip!!!!!:D

I wore pants every night on Vantage I'm not a dress girl. It worked perfectly. U will be fine in pants. Have a great time.

We did the Vantage Machu Picchu/Galapagos trip in January 2012. We loved it! We did our own air to and from Florida since everyone on the tour started in Miami. We flew into Fort Lauderdale a day early and stayed in Hollywood, which we really enjoyed. We got a taxi from there to MIA. We had a very late night flight from MIA to Lima. (We opted not to do the extension to Ceiba Tops in the Amazon.) Then a connecting flight to Cuzco and a 2-hr. bus ride to the Sacred Valley. It was a very long day! Our dinner was pushed back to 8 pm because the group of people on the extension were delayed in arriving to the Sacred Valley. That night I hit the pillow and was out! We had a great program manager, Leylys Gutierrez. He was so very organized and kept our group moving in the right direction. He had an assistant, Ronald and also a trainee, Henry. We felt well taken care of. What impressed us was that at every point on our travel day, there was someone from Vantage to assist us. There was a gentlemen from Vantage who met us at the gate in MIA to make sure that nobody had any problems. He checked us all in from his clipboard list and then, instead of leaving, he settled in with us while we waited to board our flight! This was something like 1:00 am!! Then upon our arrival in Lima, again there was a Vantage rep to assist us in making our connections. Very impressive. When we arrived in Cuzco, there was Ronald waiting for us. Very seamless travel!

 

Upon arrival at Casa Andina Sacred Valley (beautiful location), we were offered the coca tea to help with the altitude. We drank it with no ill effects. In fact, the coca tea was always available in the lobby of every hotel we stayed at. Not sure if it was because we drank the tea, but neither one of us felt any altitude sickness at all.

 

The food on the trip was great. Many of our meals were included, and we felt that they were of high caliber. We were taken to some very interesting places for lunch. And the home hosted lunch was a real highlight.

 

The hotels we stayed at were great. There was only one hotel that was not of the same quality as the rest, and that was the Hatuchay Tower. It was probably the best hotel in all of Aguas Calientes, but it was very basic. Also, some people complained about the Hacienda Pinsaqui, but my husband and I loved it. There is no heat in the rooms, but when you check in, the staff comes around and starts a fire in the stove in your room and heats your bed up with hot water bottles. We found it to be very comfy and quaint. The grounds are beautiful.

 

On the Galapagos portion of the trip, our documents stated that we could not take our large piece of luggage with us and that it would have to be checked in Quito. Well, when we arrived in South America and met our Program Manager, I asked him about it. He told me that we could take whatever luggage we wanted with us as long as the checked piece didn't weigh more than 50 lbs. He also told us that our standard sized carryon piece would be no problem to bring on the plane with us. So all that stressing for nothing about what to bring with us to the Galapagos Islands! The Galapagos Legend was a very comfortable ship. We splurged and booked a balcony cabin. Very well worth it in our opinion. Once onboard, we were broken down into different groups for excursions from the boat. There was always a morning excursion and one in the afternoon, about 4 pm. We got to see so much wildlife! Seals, land & marine iguanas, penguins, tortoises, blue footed boobys, crabs, etc. At night the staff on the Legend would shine spotlights on the water which brought some of the marine life into view. I will never forget when 2 huge manta rays came "flying" through the water by the ship. Absolutely breathtaking! The meals onboard were more than plentiful and very tasty. As I recall, breakfast and lunch were buffets. Dinner was a partial buffet with your entrée being served to you. The Vantage group had 2 tables reserved for them.

 

If you have any specific questions, let me know, and I'll try to answer them.

Thanks so much for this! We have been looking at this trip - trying to decide what to do next. I may even do solo. Do you think that I would feel out of place on a trip like this? Generally enjoy talking with others, but not sure if this has more family groups. Thanks ahead for your insight.

So I was only looking around, getting quotes. Loved the fact that the Grand Princess just went through a retrofit and is a local port for me meaning no airfare.

 

Quote for a solo Cat OZ (obstructed ocean view cabin) is $3,192.56 for a 15 night cruise. Deposit is $100. I couldn't believe that an obstructed ov is much cheaper then an inside. So I decided to put a deposit down. This is the first time I booked so far in advance.

 

Faith

Great deal! I would take that up, but I prefer more port days than sea days. When I have more time - then this sounds good! :)

On the bigger Princess ships there are two main lounges for before/after dinner music. One always seems to have the kind of music you are looking for. You can tango, meringue, waltz, etc to your heart's content. (Dancing with the Stars kind of stuff) One often times is either Motown or rock.

My gripe is that there is usually no current music available until the disco opens late at night. Where's the love, man?!!:D

WOW! Don't know how I missed this thread earlier. This was a wonderful story about your trip and the details were outstanding! This is on our bucket list, so thanks for sharing.

Here is a link to a thread about Princess' wine list. This was in late 2011, but seemed to be about the same in January. Thanks, Largin

WINE LIST

...no one asks what a "French Letter" is. :rolleyes:

OK - I admit I had to google, but clever! :D

 

But I generally have a Chairman of the Board martini every day before dinner (and maybe after too...)

 

Chairman of the Board martini by RickEk, on Flickr

 

Ultimate Bloody Mary by RickEk, on Flickr

LOVE those Chairman of the Board Martinis - always good for a savory taste before dinner. The cucumber ones work too. But after dinner when it's show or nightcap time - then a sweet martini like Toasted Almond or Chocolate Mint really work!!:D:D

And don't forget wine with dinner!! It seems like my alcohol consumption really goes up on vacation!!!:eek:

Anybody know anything about single supplements on European river cruises? Nothing planned, but I like to think about what might interest me in the future.

 

Thanks

I have been looking into this. DH & I are planning to take a river cruise this fall - haven't booked yet. I thought that this looked like something that I might like to do on the times that he did not want to go. (I can travel MUCH more often than he;)) I have seen ads for NO single supplements on certain sailings - usually in early spring and late fall. Saw them on Uniworld & Tauck. But it looks like Vantage has the most to offer singles with lower single supplements on most sailings. I have never seen it 200% as on ocean cruises. Even extensions at hotels are less than double.

They had some exciting itineraries in China, Europe, & Norway on small ship cruises also. Have fun looking.

October was good---It was warmer than we expected in Beijing and slightly cooler than we expected in Shanghai!! All the guides kept saying how "lucky" we were to be there in October! I guess the heat and humidity can really make it hard to be on tour during the summer months and even September. We did hit some rain---the 2nd day in Beijing --which turned out to be a blessing because it cleared the air and we had blue skies at the Great Wall! The week before we were in Beijing and a week later they were recording the worse air quality for that month. The smog was pretty bad all over!

 

We did have another rainy day while on the Yangzte---almost missed the river cruise because of landslides---the people on the cruise before us were 'trapped' for 2 days. Unfortunately it was so smoggy/foggy we were not able to see the Dam project at all. But we really did enjoy the Three Gorges sailing---not clear skies but enjoyable never-the-less.

Thanks for the input. Is there a time of year that has less polluted air? (I could look all this stuff up, but you are such a wealth of info!!:D)

Had a super fabulous terrific time and I am seriously in withdrawal. Two weeks ago I was still in Hong Kong, now I'm home and wishing we were still in China.

Amazing trip! Fabulous food! Would go back tomorrow if I could!

How was China in October? That is usually a good time for us. This trip looks great. So glad you had a good time.

Just got back from a 17 day Vantage Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest....check out my blog at www.beaulily.tumblr.com

Thanks for this! Enjoyed your pictures very much - we are looking at this for next May possibly. (I have so many ideas in my head - don't know which to do first!):)

Some more:

Rock the boat - hues corp

Sittin' on the dock of the bay - otis redding

I'm your captain - grand funk

Soak up the sun - sheryl crow

Ride Captain Ride - blues image

Vacation - gogos

Here's the link for the most comprehensive list of all these great songs:

Cruise Tunes

Have a music-filled cruise! :)

Bobbi Brown had some good advice for lips and lipstick staying power that I have been using with good results. (Can't remember which mag) She uses eye cream to keep lips moist. To keep lipstick on for a long time this is the trick:

Apply color (I use Revlon Colorstay Stain) If using regular tube - press the color into your lip, blot, and repeat. Apply lipliner in same color over stain. I use Cargo from Sephora. Then apply gloss as needed. (Still love my Chanel) I do one more step and use that Cargo reverse lip pencil first to give my lips a little more volume in appearance. I have to say that this is the best way I have found to keep color on even when drinking/eating. Just reapply gloss. I had never found one lipstick that wasn't too drying and lasted a long time .

I waver between paperbacks I can leave on ship or a nook. I read a lot, belong to a book discussion group. The decision is the weight of books in your luggage or the price of books loaded on your nook!!!! As to what I will bring to read; Dana Stabanow & Sue Henry (I am going on an Alaskan cruise next), a couple of regency romances (my trashy reading) and anything else that that strikes my fancy at the moment!!!!

I love Sue Henry!! I always try a new one if we go to Alaska. With all of her dog sledding , it fits right in! :D But I actually like the character of Maxie who drives her big RV all over with her little dog best. I wish she would write more about Maxie and her adventures! Thanks for reminding me!

Also I can't wait for Auel's new one - I have got to check that one out. I always loved "the clan of the cave bear" series. She just takes so long between books that I forget the previous one. Guess it's time to reread.

Please tell this book lover what the cost of each book is for the kindle or nook or others, and which download 'free' books from the library or elsewhere.

 

I love the used book sales at the libraries and always take several books per cruise. When I finish the book I give it to my steward - if they don't like the book they can always put it in the crew library or trade it.

I'm just starting the 3rd 'girl with the dragon tatoo book'.

Thanks everyone for all the authors names to check out next time I'm at the library - I know I'll find some new favorites .:)

Nothing like sitting in the shade, hearing the waves, looking up as I turn the page and seeing the seas.............

There are a lot of free books from Amazon. All of the old classics are free and you can download from several sources. New bestsellers (hardback) run about 9.99 (Some have been up to 13.99 lately with a lot of disgruntled folks!) There are a lot of new authors to try for free or .99-2.99 range in your preferred genre. For an older paperback that I want to read or reread and keep in my collection, it can run about $5-7. I love that you can "sample" an book you like.

I also love the idea of reading those "huge" books on Kindle. Loved "Pillars of the Earth" by Folliet and look forward to checking out "Fall of Giants". It was not the usuall fare for me, so I want to thank everyone here for suggesting it.

I also loved Wilbur Smith's egypt and africa books. So much history told along with the story.

DH ordered Mark Twain's autobiography for the last cruise - it is one of those huge coffee-table books that is just perfect for Kindle.

I am a library girl myself - I can't imagine what I would have spent over the years with the amount of books that I have read without using the library. But now with my Kindle I have the availability of having a book with me at all times - I never "run out" and have to go searching for something to reread. It holds just like a book with the cover on. No struggling with the size of the font. Perfect for travel. Good for the environment. You can try out new authors. What's not to like?!! And for $139 you can't beat it!!! LOVE IT!!:D:D

Thanks, Pam. I will look into it. The whole reason for us to go on a cruise (we are totally not cruise people) is to see the canal. It's been on my husband's bucket list, and we just decided to go ahead with it!

 

I am VERY concerned about all the sitting around on a 10-night cruise. I like to pack it in on vacation, and trek from site to site. So I am all about the excursions, but am not at all interested in being part of the cattle call that's loaded on and off a tour bus all day.

OMG - you sound like me when it comes to getting it all in vacation time. My DH loves to RELAX. So we must compromise.

We did the partial canal cruise a few years back and it was probably his favorite. But lots of sea days for me. Some excursions that interested me:

Aruba: (we didn't go here, but it looks like a beach day or ABC tours to take in the other coast)

Cartagena: I second the Lee Miles tour above. Here is where you will get your architecture!

Limon: Wonderful excursion we took from ship that included jungle boat ride, aerial tram, rain forest walk, & excellent lunch stop. Saw lots of animals, banana plantation, and countryside. (It did need a bus to get there and back)

Panama: we took the Ocean to ocean small boat ride to the Pacific side. He loved it. I really enjoyed the Cut and Bridge of Americas. The locks are pretty much the same on both sides. Box lunch. Bus ride to and from boat. It was a long day. (I was thinking maybe the train would be better - but it doesn't sound like it from what Pam said. At least we were able to see everything up close and personal.)

Jamaica: If you have never gone to Dunn River, here is your chance to hike. You could also combine a catamaran with it or river rafting the Martha Brae.

You've still got several sea days, but that ship is a lovely one to spend them on. Wonderful library. I enjoyed this trip, but made him take me to Europe the following year so I could have a turn and get in plenty of activities!!:D

I had red luggage for the longest time, but then it seemed there was more and more red! I didn't want something "catching" around the handles so I tried to come up with something a little more creative. I went to a craft store and got a cute stencil and fabric spray paint. Now I have a dolphin in gold on my red bags that I can't miss!

My DH didn't want to be so "cutesy" with his, so he got colored duct tape at the hardware store and has strips of red on his black luggage. :)

I love music and I'm one of those people that has "ears" in often. I find lots of times on cruise ships that the muzak is very boring. Guess I can only hear "misty" and frank Sinatra so often it gets monotonous.

I would like more "destination" music. Reggae in the Caribbean, (OK - Frank for New York/New York) and Jazz/blues in NO. You get the idea. My dentist has a muzak track that cracks me up. It plays all those "hair bands" of the '80's ballads. Think guns 'n' roses and poison. This is kind of cool because you don't expect to hear them in this setting.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth of miracle cures to the mess!:D Since you are talking about respiratory illnesses - I was told to use a neti-pot and keep the sinuses cleaned out with salt water. (I think there was this gross commercial where several people demonstrated it):eek:

Also daily gargling with salt water is supposed to reduce the viral load that is present - and can keep you from getting too sick.

Have you thought about different contacts? One eye could correct your vision, and the other could deal with the reading glasses. That only leaves the sunglasses left. This is what I do and it works great!! Talk to your eye doctor!!! :)