Norseh2o

We have given up on any cruise line embracing sports. Except one make up cancelled-covid-cruise this fall and/or a HAL or NCL west coast spectacular itinerary that eliminates air travel, we are 100% Oceania fans.

Late September, 2018 on an NCL Alaska cruise from Seattle we stood at the aft bar raising a celebratory first drink listening to loud cheers from the Seahawk Stadium. Hopeful that football could be available, especially college games, we wandered the ship and found a sports bar. Two east coast NFL teams playing on the screen on Sunday afternoon, (why not the Seahawks?!) not another football game the next 10 days. Loved the sports bar on the ship, wish that cruise ships could show more than European soccer…

Thanks for the good reading on a Friday morning. We are traveling to AZ to meet with mother, brother & sisters as Mom has decided that at 102 years, she needs a bit more care. It’s always tough to move, especially from a small, wonderful, very independent place to a new place. We are feeling positive as AZ & particularly the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix & suburbs) offers many opportunities. Hope for the best! August in the Valley = 🥵🌇🌵 Prayers for those in need, thanks for Shadow’s return, hope for all covid cases to be mild.

From the Insignia, July 4, 2022. Is this what you are looking for? Sorry about the poor photo. Sunny day?!

May contact our travel advisor about making the final reservation. Thanks again.

Was able to book another specialty, used the NCL website Chat feature. This time could book one of two, not first choice of day but ok. I was told the other opportunity would be left as a card in cabin for onboard booking.

Thanks, I’ll give it another try.

Was able to book the specialties that came with the fare, not the additional that came with Platinum. I used NCL Chat feature and was told that I could not book the Platinum specialties until onboard (in about 50 days ⚓️!) Hopeful that earlier than 9:00pm tables are available.

We will follow your posts as we board the Sirena on 10/25/22. Had hoped to board in Bilbao but decided clearing the waitlist might never happen. We are looking forward to completing our final ‘cancelled by Covid’ cruise on NCL (Star 10/6-10/16) and will enjoy a few days in London and a few days in Lisbon before boarding the Sirena. Thanks!

0106, Thank you for the comments on Gatsby. As a retired public teacher (science, not English), a daughter of an English teacher and parent of three, all who had to read The Great Gatsby in high school, we struggle to understand any and all parts of the novel. Earlier this year, my mother, still a great reader at 102 years, commented on Gatsby! Perhaps it is time to give the book another try. 🤔

Absolutely! I am usually a bit more “with it” @7pm than later.

Thanks for the post! When specialty dining booking time opens for our fall, 2022 cruises, we plan to be in Hawaii = 7:00pm for booking!

Right-handed middle child, married to an ambidextrous middle child. Plenty of lefties in the family, darling mother (left handed) told us how her left-handed father was forced to learn to use his right hand in school. 😕 Thank you, Gerry for update on DH, prayers to all on the Care List, I think of and pray for Kazu and Shadow each day.

From our first NCL transatlantic on the brand new Epic ship, we were hooked! We are finished with big ship travel, on Oceania we savor the days at sea, the absolute leisure; prowling the library, earning Big O points, early morning coffee/tea, craft group, ‘helping’ friends win at bingo, afternoon tea, listening to “strings” playing on the ship, rushing to play trivia and Mensa, Waves for lunch, specialty dining, we never have enough hours in the day. We plan/book at least one Oceania transatlantic each year, and are anxious for the 2025 catalogs!

abebooks.com is a good first stop for finding book value.

Why did my iPad think that my spelling, Binchy needed to be changed!? Thank you, Sea Viewer for listing Maeve’s last name correctly. 🙂

A year ago we made a major downsize with furniture, sporting goods, clothing and kitchen donations. Our houseful of books were boxed and stored “to look at in 1 year”. This week, the book boxes were brought from the attic and lovingly opened. We sorted and have two groceries bags of paperbacks (except for a very old, worn copy of Firefly Summer, Maeve Bunche that I must re-read!) ready to donate, two boxes of hard bound Lee Child, Patterson, Baldacci?, Elizabeth George and the like that my dear brother is delighted to take, and a few non-fiction books that might find a place back on the bookshelf. A book in hand is best but the Library’s Libby service has been a blessing for travel, especially when cruising.

Barbon2, November, 2021 Marina trip plus Regatta and Insignia Spring/Summer, 2022 = Oceania working hard to take care of guests and staff (thank you, Mauibabes!)

Thank you, carmzav, so cool to see the Dailies for this adventure as my sister and bil are on this cruise (it’s almost like I am spying on them?!) We will travel on the Star in October, 2022. 🚢

Ah, a Shadow dog! The best to you, @kazu with your Shadow. Our second to the last dog, was Shadow, an Australian Shepherd. When she passed, we kept it a secret from our 2 who were in the midst of finals at university, they later thanked us as they told us that the news would have been too upsetting. The following Christmas, we included the news with our Christmas cards as so many of our children’s cousins and friends had grown up with Shadow. 17 years of love with her. 🐾 I, too, think of Graham @grapau27 when thinking of chocolate. This week while repacking our golf things, cruise things, desert clothes, Whidbey Island gear, I found the Cadbury milk chocolate purchased in Ireland last month. Completely unharmed and absolutely delicious as an after dinner dessert!

Have been to Maroe Bay, French Polynesia on our 2022 bhb cruise and love tres leche cake. Hopeful for healthy days for all, my DM is finished with Covid and enjoying a small social life with visits from family members. As my father was adopted & mother only had one sister, aunts and uncles were few but well loved and involved in our family life. ❤️ We are cleaning and packing up at Whidbey Island. Sure appreciate washer/dryers, clotheslines, winds and hot weather. I had to make my invented-in-AZ cooling neck cloth this morning. I cover a cloth dish towel in ice water, wring out and wrap around neck under shirt and hair for instant relief! Last evening we enjoyed dinner on the deck, with fresh crab, pasta and green salads and Sauvignon Blanc.

59th Street Bridge

First transatlantic with plenty of sea days was on the NCL Epic when it was the only large NCL ship. Loved it! Favorite trips are transatlantic cruises. NCLH offers plenty “to do” on the seas days. Since our Epic adventure, we have enjoyed a transatlantic cruise each fall (except 2020) and have bookings for 2022, 2023, & 2024. Still loving NCL but have moved to Oceania (smaller ships) for most future bookings.

We were happy to help daughter, son in law and grandchildren pack for their move to their new home. We thought that we worked hard, when the moving company arrived we saw the real hard work! The new home is charming, with mountain and water views, and 2(!) little free libraries on their block. After offering a bit of ‘unpacking help’ we returned to the cabin on Whidbey Island. While not the same as travel on a bhb, we always enjoy the ferry ride to Whidbey. Looking forward to a few days of reading and rest!

We have not sailed Norwegian since before the pandemic. We have a cruise booked for October, 2022 with the drink package, specialty dining, travel advisor given obc (onboard credit) and some benefits as Platinum loyalty members. Without the drink package, NCL always made mistakes on our billing for drinks. A small hassle to undo each morning at guest services. With the drink package, whether we drank zero or 5 drinks, we were not billed. We are hopeful that our October, 2022 trip with the drink package will keep us from correcting a bill each morning while onboard a much anticipated cruise.