sjb317

I really like the Passion Spritz.  It is vodka, Aperol, passion fruit syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine.  Not too sweet, but a nice summer time drink.

Sherri🙂

My husband talked me into booking two of the smaller legs as well, great itineraries and cheap prices but, I do have concerns. One is, we were on a five night Serenade in 2021 and both of us said many times that we could not imagine doing a longer cruise on that ship, and yet,here we are.😂

Sherri🙂
 

2 hours ago, MrToblerone said:

Hi everyone 

We are starting to get excited , even though its still two months away.

We have rented an air bnb in saint paul de vence, it was tricky finding one with two bathrooms.

We wont be spending time in Rome as we have been there a few times , when my husband meets us at the port we are driving to Lucca for two nights before France.

Lois our second cruise is on Regent Seven Seas, through Greece and Croatia then finishing in Venice.

I have done the planning so hope it all works , my distraction during my treatment ! One more check up before our trip .

 

Melissa, that sounds like an amazing trip!  I know you will enjoy every moment!

Sherri🙂

You give them your cabin number. 
 

Sherri🙂

9 hours ago, purduemom1 said:

300 pages-that calls for a round of applause.👏👏👏 First for Kat who started this thread and then for all those who have contributed. Shall we have a virtual toast as we begin working on the next 300?🥂

 

How about another virtual toast to celebrate Cynthia’s retirement 🥂-many happy days ahead!

 

As for land trips, we have one in the works for the end of Aug and into Sept. Details in progress.

 

Love your dress, Melody. BTW how is your foot doing?

 

 

Good idea, Sharon!  So here’s to Kat for starting this fun thread and to all of you for reaching 300 pages!🥂 And to Cynthia, May you enjoy your retirement and the travels it will take you on!🥂

Love all the pictures, Kat!  Especially the bears, they did appear to be performing for you!

I also am craving the biscuit sandwich, it looks yummy!   
 

Love your dress, Melody! 
 

Sherri🙂

We like to sail on Celebrity as well as Royal.  Our last cruise on Royal was in early March on Jewel, we thought the new menus were ok, some dishes were pretty good, a few were meh but over all, ok.  We had great service. 
 

HOWEVER, we just finished a cruise on Celebrity Apex and the food, for the most part, was amazing!  I have always said the food is pretty similar between the two cruise lines so I quite surprised to have such a difference, especially with the complaining recently on the Celebrity boards😂.  It made the food on Jewel look like Golden Corral.

Sherri🙂

Kat, I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

Cynthia, welcome home and happy retirement!  I’ve enjoyed the pictures you have posted from your trip.  

Sherri🙂

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Pro tip - if it doesn't show up by sail away, you can find it yourself somewhere nearby (like your cabin attendant did).

Unless, like me, your luggage has been “detained”. 😂

On our Jewel cruise last month, my husband’s was outside our door when the cabins opened up.  Mine was not.  At 5pm, I decided to walk the halls, checked our deck as well as the decks above and below.  At 6, I called guest relations who said luggage was still being delivered, which did not seem to be true on our deck. 
 

My luggage showed up about 8, there was a form inside that said it had been detained and searched by security.  Also said nothing had been confiscated as it was clean.  I did not mind that it had been searched, I had nothing illegal, but whoever searched it left everything in a mess. 
 

My husband thinks they thought my flat iron for my hair was a power strip.  I think he is probably right as the cord had been completely unwound from the flat iron.

Sherri🙂

22 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi girls, I am home.........and guess what? I booked a cruise for August too LOL......(is anyone really surprised?)🙂.  I had been looking for a sailing this summer and got a great deal while I was on board.

12 nights around the British Isles. First time visiting any of the places on the itinerary. They were running a special on this sailing......saved me an extra 25%😀 and especially for a solo. I am happy.

Cruise starts in Southhampton and ends in Copenhagen.

 

 

 

Welcome home, Lois!  That sounds like an amazing cruise you have booked! I have always wanted to cruise around the British Isles!

Sherri🙂

Great pictures, Melody! I agree with Sharon, that blue is definitely your color!

Sherri🙂

On 4/12/2023 at 10:39 PM, purduemom1 said:

Hi Everyone,

 

it’s been a busy several days here so not a lot if time to check in. Hope everyone is doing well. 
 

Cynthia and Lois, happy to know that you are enjoying yourselves.  Weather seems to be a challenge for most of us these days which can certainly impact travels. Hope all on cruises have good weather going forward. Enjoying the pictures, Cynthia. BTW I wonder if cruisers who purchased the high priced tours to Kyoto know that there are express trains that go from Osaka to Kyoto at a reasonable cost🤷‍♀️.

 

Lois, I’m surprised that you didn’t receive an email from Delta with meal choices and the option to order ahead so your first choice is available. Maybe your TA didn’t give Delta your email? I haven’t seen a way to order thru the the app or web site. 
 

Kat, nice parting gifts. Won’t be long now until you too will be cruising. Your clothing options should work well for Alaska. Did you find a new rain jacket-aka birthday gift? Happy belated birthday wishes!

 

Melody, how is your foot doing? Are you still going to PT?

 

Sherri, good to hear from you. I hope that the terrible fire in northern Indiana isn’t impacting your family.

 

Congratulations , Melissa, on your new grandson. What a joy!

 

Take care all

 

 

 

 

Thanks for asking Sharon, the fire is on the outskirts of Richmond which is a small city about an hour east of Indianapolis.  Our families all live on the south side of Indy so no involvement.  What a mess that fire has been, I guess the company has been cited several times for improper storage of chemicals, etc, so probably just a matter of time before something happened.

Sherri🙂

Those are great pictures, Cynthia!  The cherry blossoms are beautiful! 
 

Melissa, congrats on the new grandson!  Grandchildren are the best!

Lois, I hope your trip is going smoothly . Safe travels and a lovely cruise!

Nice sunrise pictures, Melody!  I hope your biopsies turn out well!

Happy belated birthday, Christie!   Hope you and hubby enjoy the cruise!

Sherri🙂
 

On 3/23/2023 at 10:29 AM, Lois R said:

Hi girls, looks like I caught my sister's cold🙄....I am leaving for Greece 2 weeks from Saturday so I better BE BETTER by then! No fever (thankfully) but runny nose and sneezing involved.......I took some Night time Nyquil last night so I slept pretty much through the night. Of course now sis and bil are  staying elsewhere and they are on  the mend LOL........hoping this cold won't last too long!

Hi Lois, I hope you are feeling better.  I am looking forward to reading about your cruise, also!

Sherri🙂

29 minutes ago, publicpersona said:

 

Looks like you got some answers from Pinnacles. I'm a mere Diamond Plus that is just halfway to Pinnacle. There was no special lunch or breakfast that included Diamond Plus.

 

The only event we were invited to was to come to the theatre and drink as many mimosas and proseccos that you could down in 45 minutes. I love a challenge. Oh yeah, they had officers on stage too.

There was a lunch for D+ for those at 340 and above level, Cheers with the Officers.  However, we had the strip steak which my husband said was just ok.  It had shrimp with it and the shrimp looked amazing but he did not offer to share😂.

Sherri🙂

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

@Lois R  Sorry to hear you have a cold. Two weeks should be enough time to shake it. Good luck!

 

Everyone -- I am leaving tomorrow morning. My flight is around 14 hours 😭, just can't wait....  I will be boarding the ship on Monday the 27th and will be onboard 28 days.

 

I don't usually post much while I'm traveling -- too many other fun things to be doing. But I will keep good notes on everything and report back once I'm home again.

 

I am looking forward reading about your trip, Cynthia!  Have a wonderful and safe trip!

Sherri🙂

Audrey, thank you for sharing this sad, sad news with us.  I think everyone has thought frequently about your mom since she shared the news of her prognosis.  It is comforting to know she had time to do some amazing trips and make those great memories with your family.  
 

Sherri
 

9 hours ago, purduemom1 said:

Melody, spring has sprung at your house! Looks like you had some fun with your Easter decorations. I have been meaning to get out the hand painted eggs thst I purchased in one of the shops in Amanda, Iowa. They use raw eggs and over time the insides dry up without affecting the painted exterior. I have an Easter themed ceramic basket that I use to display them. 

 

Sherri, yes lots of rain with more expected later tonight and tomorrow. At least we don’t have to shovel it as Kat has been doing when the rain moves east and turns to snow. 
 

Lets see, Cynthia leaves this aFriday, Lois leaves in April I believe and Kat the end of April. I’m lining up my virtual cruising, looking forward to details and maybe some pictures. Anyone else have a cruise coming up?
 

Do you have any cruise plans in the works?

 

 

Actually, we have a cruise in April on Celebrity Apex.  We sailed on this ship last year and my husband really loved it so booked another one.   Then in July, our son is bringing his family from Australia to Florida.  They wanted to do a cruise so we are taking them on. short 4 day cruise on Independence.  I think one of our other sons may be able to cruise with us, almost a complete family cruise.😂. 
 

Our next trip is next week as we are driving up to northern VA to stay with the grandkids while their parents go house hunting in SC.  Should be fun!

Sherri🙂
 

Hey Melody, I made you chicken cacciatore recipe yesterday. It turned out really well.  I added onions, mushrooms and garlic since I am one of those people that can never do a recipe as written!😂. My husband like it.

Lovely Easter decorations! 
 

Sherri🙂

We enjoy both Royal and Celebrity and think they are both pretty equal in terms of food and service.  I think Celebrity would be a good fit for you, especially if you give one of the Edge class ships a try.  We sailed on Apex last year and that was the first time in a longtime I have boarded a ship and said “Wow”.  I’ve always thought the entertainment on Royal was better but Apex had amazing entertainment.  Your daughter would love it!   We enjoyed every minute on the ship and are getting ready to go again in April. 
 

Sherri🙂

On 3/17/2023 at 8:24 PM, MrToblerone said:

Congratulations on booking the cruise Kat ,its always good to have something to look forward to !

Happy belated birthday Lois and great news about your cancer medicine being funded .

Im going for my first check up next week but Im thankful that my hair is starting to grow although very slowly.I am hoping to have a pixie cut by the time we cruise in July

Melissa, sending you lots of positive thoughts from sunny Florida!  And pixie cuts seem to be very popular!  Your hair will look great by July!

Sherri🙂

13 hours ago, slidergirl said:

You have rain on the way, I have more snow ahead.  Towns and cities up here are starting to think about the potential of flooding when the thaw happens.  Last time there was this much snow (actually we've surpassed it), there was massive flooding down in Salt Lake City - they took sandbags and turned the main N/S street downtown, State Street, into a "river" to cope with the flooding from City Creek and others.  

 

Melody - keep on keepin' on!!!  PT is a hard thing to keep engaging in at your best, I know.  I did a year 3/week for my shattered leg.  If I had gone at it half-a$$ed, I wouldn't be walking!  Enjoy that first bath/shower unencumbered!!

 

Lois - I hadn't even started looking at stuff.  I just picked this cruise out of the sky when Cynthia mentioned it.  My first thought are always food, it seems.   I remember Anita doing a car museum which had those period dresses for the ladies, too.   I was already going to just walk through Sitka because I was definitely interested in the Russian history.  

 

Cynthia - you're going to have a magnificent time with your Japan cruise!  It's a long time to be gone that far away!  

 

At least with me, I've got jeans, pants, leggings, insulated mini skirts, vests, jackets and shirts to go.  I should fit right in with Alaska!  The big thing is which wool hat to take and do I take my tie-dye boots or my trail runners (both GoreTex'd).  I did forget I have to buy a new rain shell - when I last wore mine it was, well, less than water-proof.  It is 10 years old, after all!  Sales abound right now for that kind of stuff so I just have to figure out which one I want (I've got a 20% off 1 full price item at REI and a Patagonia outlet nearby).   With our season extended, I'll have a whopping 4 days to get everything packed and stuff at home done before I fly out.  No pressure...

Kat, we loved our Alaskan cruise!  I’m looking forward to your pictures!

Sherri🙂

22 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

This is my last weekend before departure (leaving next Friday morning for Haneda airport and Yokohama). I'm not going into Tokyo this time -- have done it up twice and this time I want to take it easier for the two nights until I board the Westerdam.

 

I am feeling a little 😱 right now looking at all I have to do between now and then. I have to work through Thursday, so I'm trying to get as much done today and tomorrow as I can...

 

 

Hi Cynthia, hope you have a wonderful trip!  It sounds amazing!

On 3/18/2023 at 8:58 AM, awhfy said:

Here’s my foot update. I’m assiduously doing my pt. I go in once a week, rest is at home. They took me out of the boot (unless there’s snow & of course we’ve had snow since they told me that!!). I can immerse my foot on Monday, I’m really looking forward to a bath!!!  I’m recovering well & my balance is so much improved already. Thank you all for the comments & support, it’s much appreciated. Melody

Hi Melody, sounds like you are doing great!  
 

Sherri🙂

On 3/17/2023 at 9:32 PM, purduemom1 said:

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone. I made corned beef and cabbage when we were in Minneapolis so licking up take out for tonight. 
 

Lois, happy 65th! Wishing you a special celebration and an enjoyable visit with your family. I join the others in saying that the approval for help with the drug cost is fantastic. Certainly arrived at just the right time. 
 

Kat, an Alaskan cruise sounds perfect for you. Glad you booked. Something special to look forward to. I get emails from HAL and saw some good deals. 
 

Melissa, sending good thoughts your way for your check up. 
 

Melody, how are you doing?

 

Cynthia, hope your packing is going well. Packing for that many days is daunting.

 

Anita, good to see you posting. Congrats to your son and to you and DH also!

 

Sherri and Redbird, hope all is good with both of you. 

 

More rain on the way next week. So many evacuations all over CA-sigh…..

Sharon

Hi Sharon!  California is certainly have a rough year so far.   Glad to know you are doing well.

Sherri🙂

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Well, this weekend I turn the BIG 65😮...not sure where the time has gone.  The big day is Saturday.

 

My sis and bil are on a cruise right now and when it is over (Saturday) they are driving up here and are staying with me for 3 days and then going to their best friend's for another 3 or 4 days. Anyway, they live in Mexico but used to live here. We are going out to dinner for my birthday. It is going to be VERY strange having 2 people here with me.  The last time I had someone stay overnight was back last summer. I have a girl friend who came here from Savannah when I needed an Endoscopy. That was only for over night.  Prior to that? April of last year when I had my hysterectomy. My close friend from

Miami stayed with me. 

 

My sis and bil and I get along pretty well but I am really not used to having anyone else here. Especially for 3 nights..........I am sure it will all work out. (hopefully).🙂 It will really be more like 2.5 days because they are driving up from Ft. Lauderdale Sat . Should get them here in the afternoon then

Sunday and Monday..........I keep telling myself it will all be good.

 

65.........I really don't know where the years have gone.

It just seems like yesterday that I turned 65 and now I am getting close to the next big one!😂😂😂

I hope you have a wonderful birthday and enjoy your time with your sister and Bil.
 

Sherri🙂