Capt_BJ

I watch 'em from my pool ....

given the average age of a VO pass' <and no kids> despite having a room adjacent to the elevators I have NEVER been wakened by them ... and I am a VERY light sleeper . . .

as recent as 200 years ago lobster was fed to prison inmates ...... considered a cheap food

Was that included in the „complimentary inclusive wines, beers and soft drinks at mealtimes“? We've cruised both ocean and river and experienced differences 'tween BUT in every case the 'included wine' was a choice of the day - a red and a white - but ONLY that one and not anything from the wine list. On our river cruise the included beer was the 'tap' beer which was Carlsberg as I recall. On subsequent ocean trips it appeared they would provide any beer they had (can) at lunch/dinner under 'included'. At both meals on both o and r at lunch and dinner no charge for coke, coke sugar free, <sometimes 'zero' some times the EU product of Diet Coke ...> can not comment beyond other to say they have ice tea which I always take unsweetened

Did this cruise last July. We were scheduled to tender but at last minute the port changed us to the floating dock which had the impact of actually slowing us down so far as getting off as SATURN had never used this dock and was all set up to tender so there was some regroup actions required as they figured out how to park and connect to the pier (floating pier ...) . . . Not our first time to this port in prior visits my perception/observation was the largest ship got the floating pier . . . We were not the only ship last July but sizes were similar. We were the first ship to arrive that day ... July 2018 .. VIKING is 'anchored' <actually a fixed mooring buoy> and tendering .... less than a mile ride ....

binoculars are a primary tool for the bridge watch on a Coast Guard Cutter. When I was a CO this was the 'standard' https://www.steiner-optics.com/binoculars/military-marine-7x50

as I recall we met some folks at grills on mother's day a couple of years ago ... maybe it was some other holiday but it was a Sunday. They don't do reservations so we put our name on a list. It was a good 40 minutes but we were a a group of seven . . .

checking the main schedule board in Nuremburg for our express ICE to Hamburg then to the platform here it is ... and note that clock!

Global Entry and TSA-pre .... one of the smartest choices we ever made . . .

Ships are assigned certain parking areas Unless they are very crowded ... then it becomes a free for all ..... my last PE parking experience convinced me 1) avoid this as our port and 2) if we MUST .. don't plan to park there .... We did a Thanksgiving cruise a couple of years ago and I had to park to heck and back and there were no shuttles. Asking attendants where to park when they closed the 'assigned lot' cuz it was full resulted in a shrug and a general arm wave down the road . . At the furthest away garage I was then directed to park under a sign reading no parking tow away zone ..... My car WAS still there when we got back . . .

WONDER OTS uses terminal one GRILLS is adjacent to terminal one and is actually the eastern most of the 'strip' restaurants in the port so the best to see WOTS departing. But Mothers Day ... will it be crowded 🤣 ships leaving T-1 just push away from the pier and head east or back into the turning basin and 'cast' turning to the east .... all of the other port rest' are to the west of Grills. Note the port webcam sits on FishLips .... note departs today at 1630 ... https://www.portcanaveralwebcam.com/

to be clear ... HOLD means the stop the countdown but we plan to resume ... many countdowns have built in hold places .... <don't ask me ... I didn't design this stuff> SCRUB means stop the countdown and we know we won't be ready again in the window so we're done for today . . .

with multiple off site places near this port they CONSTANTLY offer deals .... keep checking ..... prices change all the time!!!!

https://www.windemereinn.com/

to be clear ... HOLD means the stop the countdown but we plan to resume ... many countdowns have built in hold places .... <don't ask me ... I didn't design this stuff> SCUB means stop the countdown and we know we won't be ready again in the window so we're done for today . . .

for larger vans you may want to look at commercial rental places and not just the standard 'car' places .... but also if you rent a larger van check with your insurance to be sure your covered . . .

VIKING ocean ships have a BUNCH of USB ports .... and adequate supply of US style 120v outlets. Each bedside table has <note: bedside one USB is "high power"> in addition the desk lamp has 5 more USB ports and at the desk if that's not enuf, or if staying in a hotel along the way consider buying a universal outlet converter. These are inexpensive and plugged into the circular EU style outlet you see bedside and at desk they can provide a US style outlet and often USB ports. DO NOT buy one that is a voltage converter or a surge suppressor .. I'll not go into technical details but these are typically a no-no ship board. MOST electrical items today using a US style plug will automatically accept either 120 0r 240 volts (almost anything that uses a USB plug even thru an adapter will be OK) Mine actually was a return customer gift from VIKING pre-COVID. Example Last trip we had 2 phones, 2 sets of ear buds, 2 kindles one laptop an apple watch and STILL had plenty of USB ports as we never needed everything plugged in at the same time!

you want to find one of the ways to monitor the launch status like a web feed from Florida Today the local paper. The 'window' is when they 'can' launch and meet the trajectory requirements. Sometimes the window is hours and sometimes it is 'instantaneous'. In a long window they usually try to hit the opening moments BUT holds are common and this is what you want a way to listen in on ... cuz holds often lead to a scrub and if they scrub in the first 10 minutes of the window there's no reason to hang around. A hold you would wait to see, a scrub means 'not today' ....Typicall coverage starts a couple of hour b4 a launch so you might want to start listening then ... no reason to drive over if they scrub 90 minutes b4 the window opens etc etc

yes, there is a little park and rest room at the boat launch area which is outside of Jetty Park or go into Jetty Park and there's a lot more room BUT Jetty Park charges a per car admission which I believe you must PRE-PAY on line <phone> South of Jetty Park you can easily get to the beach but most side streets will have charges for parking (credit card) do of people go down to watch or do they now happen so often with SpaceX no one bothers? You seldom see a big crowd anymore. Routine starlink launches are pretty ho-hum for locals but tourists will stop and look. You don't see many special trip folks unless it is something unusual ... like 'people' going up or the recent 'last' Delta Heavy ... but NOTHING like the shuttle days or earlier .... BTW there WAS a free viewing are on the north side of the port near the ID and pass office just outside the Space Base gate but too many traffic accidents caused it to be shut down. And police have been NOT allowing you to just stop on shoulder of 401 or 528 as was common in the past ....

you CAN taxi/uber .. they are pretty readily available at the port ... BUT be aware that calling one for your RETURN can result in a wait at the visitor complex is kinda in the boonies and taxi/uber do NOT typically hang out there waiting for a fare. When you call it may take a bit for them to show up. Give yourself PLENTY of time Many choose to do a single day car rental ... it isn't too far and there isn't much traffic. This is 'small town' area There is no 'bus service' other than what an excursion might have You CAN find some private tour providers who can get you ON the space center property <versus the visitor center> but these tend to be $$ and require advance reservation

pretty much anyplace on the beach gives a good view the fishing pier at Jetty Park is ideal the SMALL park next to the port's boat launch area Coco Beach Pier (if open) any of the waterside restaurant in the port:; Grills, FishLips, Rusty's, Gators ... biggest difference is time of day ..... this impacts what places will be open versus just standing on the beach And up Titusville way are other places but I live on the south side ... I got 'on property' for a spacex launch a while back ... this is as close as you can get unless you work for spacex!! I was with a space center employee who has full access ...

there's not many ports where there's so much traffic that the pilot turns around immediately for another ship. Some, but not typical. Port Canaveral for example can have days with no movements at all, and one in or one out is not at all unusual. Another aspect to consider is the pilot MAY BE onboard for DAYS. On a Norway fjords cruise or an Alaska inland passage cruise the ship is sailing inland waters for days and typically law requires a pilot on board all the time ... on the bridge. In this case sometimes it is a pilot TEAM so they trade off 'the watch'. In Alaska the ship can bounce between Canada and US waters during a transit and BOTH pilots will be on board .... In a place like San Fran there will be MULTIPLE pilot 'jurisdictions' you might say ... An ocean pilot, a bay pilot and if going to Richmond or Sacramento yet additional pilots not to mention special docking pilots are often in play. It gets complicated!

to visit Miami and not eat Cuban is a crime. Often the best place will be a lil mom and pop. Ask the desk for a near recommendation. OR uber to La Carretta

update ... I just drove the area today and it appears the 'exact coin' lanes are gone .... I saw 4 'change' lanes - in each case only ONE was open .... on 'main line' plazas of 528, 417 and 408 .... not a huge change but ...

concur ... very doable unless there is a major hic - up .... especially with a private driver. I'm a local ....