capncarp

S(ailaway) minus 135 and counting....Engage!:cool:

We are going on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Westerdam on January 10th, which will be our 9th cruise, and our second on HAL. We also have a cruise booked for June 24, 2015 on the Viking River ship Idun. We will be going on their City of Lights cruise for 12 days.

Hey, Nana--C'mon and play with us!:)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2059824

Gotta be Butter Pecan.

Or Bing Cherry Vanilla.

Or a double scoop of coffee and rum raisin together.

Or just about any flavor eaten by scooping it up with the end of a pretzel <ooh, ecstasy!>:cool:.

I am so glad I wasn't the only person to ask this. I kept thinking my goodness what a coincidence all these people have the same initials. And of course it was brought to my attention I think by the same person that responded to your question, at least I know it was the same website. And mine was definitely not a blond moment because my hair is totally gray LOL

At least you have hair to blame the color of: "Having a bald Moment" doesn't have quite the same weight to it. :D

Several ideas to keep in mind:

1. It should be fun for both buyer and seller, and any bystanders. Keep it light and joking.

2. Make the first offer a _slight_ insult. Try about 1/3 your intended price. The seller will go slightly apoplectic but then should come down a bit in a counteroffer. Repeat with a slightly higher counter-counteroffer; repeat as necessary.

3. Always compliment the article but then note a small imperfection or unfortunate property in it ("it might not match the carpet/drapes/my daughter's complexion"). Create a stock of ready-made excuses as to why seller's price is too much ("Think of what it will cost to ship back--extra luggage costs on the airplane!" or "I have two daughters/sons-- if I pay that much I won't have enough for a gift for the other one!").

4. If you have any firm grasp of their native language, interject a few appropriate terms, like "awfully expensive" or "I don't have enough (money)" or "I can't do that". Always learn "please", "thank you", "i'm sorry", "hello", and "goodbye" in the local dialect--it puts people on a better attitude toward you and your bargaining. Using the native language numbers will also help, if you are sure of them--and you can always count on your fingers in the seller's language to back it up.

5. Use non-verbal clues for your seller to pick up on. Shrugging, looking like the offered price is _almost_ acceptable, and such. Use your fingers to echo what amount you are offering. Try to NOT look like you REALLY want it.

6. Keeping money in several places to be able to empty _that_ pocket and do the "This is what I've got" routine with several options for different price offerings.

7. Having an accomplice with you to add pressure to you to "forget it, dear; it's really nice, but we need to be going" may make the seller more eager to close the deal before he loses the sale altogether.

8. In Turkey, especially Instanbul, cats are treated well and are found roaming free in public areas; if you have cats as pets, you might consider slipping that into the conversation during the bargaining. If you don't like cats, keep that to yourself.

9. If you do leave without meeting the seller's price, "make your exit" slowly and with apologies and statements that you "Really do like it, but..." and do not _hurry_ away. DW walked away from a street merchant in Cairo, and he hustled on after her to bring her back to bargaining; she bought the article and the seller got a fair price for it.

10. One more tactic is to try to make a "package deal" --"If I buy this and this, and this, would you take 20 for all of it?"

11.To emphasize Rule #1--it should be fun for everybody. If you aren't in the mood to haggle, smile sadly, thank the seller, and depart.

<snip>

 

You can bring all the soda and water you want on board. At embarkation or at any port. Don't feel you have to bring it all on at your embarkation port.

 

Wine - HAL allows one bottle of wine (max 750 ml) per person to be brought on board at embarkation at no charge. Any other wine brought on board whether it be at embarkation or at a port is subject to the corkage fee of $18, whether you drink the wine in your cabin or a public place.

<snip>

OK, I see the unlimited water/soda, and I see the 1 bottle per passenger for wine, but what are the rules about beer?:confused:

I think we once tried a 12 step program here, but alas, it didn't work.

The only twelve step program that works involve the last eleven steps up the gangplank to your ship!!:eek:

At least you will feel some comfort knowing that you are not alone.

Hello, my name is Mark, and I am a cruiseaholic.

(The rest of Cruise Critic: "Hi, Mark....")

I've been searching Dollar stores, thrift stores, and flea markets for fun things to take along: I got a kite for $2, which I will be flying on one of our beach days. I got Bubble-makers, with which we will be celebrating sailaways, I got a plastic palm-frond doorway top piece to hang above my cabin door.

WTG Sandesurf!!! :)What tempted you and what did you eat instead? And which line did you cruise on? Were they helpful in your efforts to keep you bloodsugar lower? Conspiring Mimes want to know!:rolleyes:

Personally I like indian food but I am posting to say that I am surprised that majority of the posters who replied seem to like it! Never knew Indian food is liked by so many.

Hope89, methinks you have hit on the reason many cruise lines have picked up the cuisine for their menu plans--it is popular and well-received by their passengers. Giving the clientele what they want is the way to keep the customers coming back. Good business practice, I should think. Should another cuisine find a stronger following, I am sure the lines will be gearing up on preparing _that_ style of cooking to ride its wave of popularity.

I have resisted the urge to scope back through the multiple hundreds of posts on this thread to sort out the "yeas" from the "nays" and trim out the repeat posters to come up with a tally as presented in this discussion forum. From what I can guesstimate however, the "yeas" are still in the lead. 285 posts and over 75K views--obviously there is a deep-seated interest and deep-seated feelings, pro and con, about its being served aboard cruise ships.

So, on with the debate! Let those lurking silently speak their hearts (and tastebuds and stomachs, and....):D

my concerns were for off-ship times when no suitable diabetic (and diabetic vegetarian) options were available: on an excursion to a pristine island, for example; trail mix and granola are way too carb-laden for us. The high-protein nut-packs/cheese sticks path is looking good. And beef sticks for us meat-eaters. little waste to pack out and very satisfying. And some of us get very unpleasant when the blood-sugar drops suddenly.:mad:

This is second-hand info, but my co-worker had "the best fish in his life", grouper, IIRC--at the Fish Fry, which is a waterside conglomeration of fish restaurants. he mentioned that the boats were unloading right at the base of the restaurants. Talk about fresh! He told me which ones he ate at, but I've forgotten:o

beautiful! Love the new format!

I didn't see a lot of "blasting" of the OP on this thread. I did see a lot of people who gave personal reasons and supporting information as to why they came to their decisions about the various ways available for dolphin interaction. Underlying some of them were expressions of a method to sway some of the less animal-friendly proprietors to a better way of doing things by the leverage of a shrinking market share to the benefit of those venues with a higher "green" quotient.

This falls along the lines of "would you buy that dress/handbag/tool/whatever if you knew that the manufacturer kept his employees in terrible working and living conditions?" It is very difficult to live up to a ethical standard when practicalities are exerting a strong pressure to economize and buy what is affordable. But wherever you may, you can be a positive influence--e.g. "fair trade" products.

My Three Points of Necessity for Coffee:

1. Is it strong enough, or did someone scare a gallon of hot water with a poor xerox of a grainy out of focus photo of a single coffee bean? I can tolerate Starbucks if the only alternative is decaf--adding a dash of salt can cut the bitterness in extremis.

2. Is it hot? Unless it's a couple dozen degrees F above blood heat, it will need help from Mr.Microwave (there are days when need for speed of ingestion is a major factor--you know, like a med order on a crash cart: "Coffee, 500cc's, IV push, STAT".

3. Does it have caffeine? Decaf is the castrati of coffee, pretty, but left with a poor shadow of its potential, all its influence surgically removed.

All other factors are mere details.

(Note: anything I say or do prior to coffee in the morning is not legally binding or even possibly true; nor am I legally/morally/ethically/spiritually responsible for my actions.)

I would love to swim with dolphins, but on _their_ terms, in _their_ turf, and without any containment or any coercion (other than a freely-given fish snack or two). Sadly, many of the commercial offerings cannot comply with such a pie-in-the-sky expectation.

So I don't support them with my money. I will swim and snorkel and pray that someday a dolphin or a pod will come over to gawk at the balding fat man who is swimming through their neighborhood, and maybe stop a moment to chat.:rolleyes:

If the research facility at Anthony's Key on Roatan is what it purports to be, I will be there with fins on!

While "Blackfish" relates to the commercial display of sea mammals, "The Cove" gives a better insight on the intermingling of the "Dolphin Swim" industry and where they buy their dolphins--from Japanese trapping/fishing industry, which has lots of things to answer for.

sign up for your ship's cruise roll-call

10/24

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1877458/

While not strictly _liquor_ this has my attention: what brands of beer are available generally on Grand Turk? And where could they by purchased by the 6-pack, if possible. And, equally important, where can we get a reasonable price?

Go up the beach a short way to Jack's Shack and enjoy the joint. That way, you will not have leftover liquor or feel compelled to drink it all to your detriment.

 

Margaritaville is way too crowded and tourist trappy. There are a couple of other saloons on the island, but Jack's Shack comes with a personal endorsement from my PVP who is one of the best.Doc

for those who are interested:

http://www.jacksshack.tc/

check out the "Free Rum" tab--just print out a coupon from the website or "check in" at the bar after creating an online account at the site.

There are many good reasons why great beers - and great wines - are not produced in the tropics.

Much of it has to do with climate and terroir.

Much of also has to do with local economies and tastes.

True, BruceMuzz: but the Almighty has provided for this sad lack with the soul of the sugar cane--RUM! (and ginger beer):D

To answer the question "When does 'old' begin?" my answer is: right after my alarm clock goes off and I try to get out of bed! -OR- about 24 hours before a major weather front comes in and my National Weather Service-registered knees and back decide to start broadcasting a warning.

Regarding youth and rudeness: it's both the kids and their "elders". One time, my godson had just gotten a military surplus dress hat and was wearing it with much joy and pride (it was a gift from a family friend, and it was pretty snappy-looking). We stopped off at a restaurant on the way back from the visit, and he was wearing it inside. I didn't yell, I wasn't mean-sounding about it, I simply told him quietly, <godson>, some people consider wearing a hat indoors impolite." He immediately removed it without a murmur. Many children can be instructed in a way that they can come to the correct conclusion by themselves.

Others....

Our trip on the NCL Dawn was being colored by a swarm of 7-9 year old boys who were running full-tilt down corridors, playing on the elevators, and generally being annoying at best and not even acknowledging the people they were dodging around. DW walks with a stick, and her balance is not always the best. One of these little bas... _darlings_ caromed into DW and nearly knocked her down.:mad: I <allegedly> caught up with them at the elevator, held the door open, and asked the leader "How old are you?" He stared at me in puzzlement at having been caught in the act, then said, "Nine." I <allegedly> told him that if he wanted to make it to ten, he'd better not slam into my wife again (note: there were no adult witnesses to this <alleged> statement, besides, the statute of limitations is long past). This had no lasting effect, as on the last night of the cruise, we once again encountered the "Lost Boys" posse running down our corridor banging on all the doors as they passed. We called Security, who sent up a member of the constabulary, and we described in detail the little...darlings. I hope the nice people from Security gave them a well-needed lesson in courtesy and proper behavior, and gave the parents a few gentle suggestions as to how to corral their mustangs.

Snobbery? Only in the sense that the parents thoughtlessly and selfishly allowed the children to range free without much needed supervision which might have interfered with their own fun.

Rudeness? lots of it.

Since I work in IT all day long, I look at Kindle/Nook/e-books with a jaundiced eye, thinking of all the reasons it's going to fail/lose power/disappoint me when I'm most interested in the story. I don't have too many books: I need more bookshelves (and a library wing added to my house).

Fiction:

--Ditto on Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum stories (although they do start to feel a bit recycled after the first dozen or so.

--Jim Butcher's Dresden Files stories, blending private detective with supernatural aspects--vampires, faeries, holy knights with holy swords.

--C.S.Forrester/Horatio Hornblower series about an early 19th century Royal Navy officer tracing his career from midshipman to Admiral and all his adventures fighting pirates, smugglers, the navy of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the occasional delusional power-mad dictator in the New World. A fair view of the lives of the crew of the average wind-powered ship of the period.

--Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey series about a Royal Navy officer and his best friend/ship's surgeon/genius/spy Stephen Maturin("Master and Commander/Far Side of the World" being a film made from two sequential stories)

--David Weber/Honor Harrington SF series about an exceptional female Space Navy officer whose career takes several epic turns; think Hornblower in space (and there are a few veiled shout-outs to Hornblower in the stories.

Non-fiction:

The Circus Fire, Stewart O'Nan & Dick Hill: a chronicle of the July 6, 1944 Hartford,CT Ringling Bros Circus big top fire that killed almost 200 attendees.

Nothing Like it in the World, Stephen Ambrose: the story of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad in the late 1860's, with lots of background about the several groups employed in its construction and the hardships they endured.

The Path Between the Seas, David McCullough: the story of the building of the Panama Canal. Especially recommended for those cruising through the Canal!

Jack-Knife Cookery, James Austin Wilder: a quirky-but-charming book written in a conversational style in the 20's by a Boy Scout/Scout Leader/Sea Scout/Merchant Marine/etc who had been around the world and noted the various ways cultures prepare food without a conventional kitchen. In fact, the book details methods of preparing foods with only a sturdy knife and what was presently available-- be it rocks, leaves, sand, sticks, or seaweed. The book is aimed at instilling self-sufficiency and innovative thinking in his audience--ostensibly Boy Scouts, but it serves as a guide to anyone how to keep one's mind on not panicking and on developing out-of-the-box thinking. I actually used some of these techniques while camping, and taught some of them to my godsons--baking bread on a stick over a campfire is lots of fun and a great bonding experience.

Greetings and salutations, BBB; you are not only a member with posting rights, but in another 295 or so posts, your name will be emlazoned on the member list.

AND---you have your very own thread!;)

We've been working from a different angle--we have several diabetics in our group and we've been looking for shelf-stable high-protein/low carb snacks to port along when the blood sugar gets low. I've been looking at SlimJims, beef-and-cheese stick, SPAM pouches, tuna pouches, nacho cheese pouches, nut pouches, peanut butter "singles", nut butter single-serve pouches, various pouch-packed Indian foods from Swad, Jyoti, and MTR, and other things that will provide decent nutrition, satisfy hunger, and not blow the glycemic index through the roof. Cookies, pretzels, and chips just do not make the cut here. Pre-popped popcorn, however, is quite a good snack, believe it or not--lots of fiber and not that bad in the carb department. I've been looking at small tub-packs of olives, too, as a side-snack; good for providing salt to an electrolyte-depleted tourist.

I will appreciate any ideas that fulfill the above criteria.

We now return you to your regular caloric program....

Jacqui:

Sorry to complicate your life (again):o, but could you please combine the capncarp and crabcracker entries--same ship, same cruise, etc.

Thanks,

Mark

capncarp & Crabcracker - Westerdam - 10-Jan-15 - 7 day Eastern Caribbean - 2nd cruise 1st HAL post birthday & pre SIL birthday