Chirpbird

 

Why would anyone spell "broach" "brooch" if it is pronounced "broach"?

 

I am now trying to think of something that could mean "brooch" pronounced "brooch". Perhaps an embarrassing but necessary kiss?

Tim.

I'm a word nerd so I had to look up the origin of broach/brooch. It's Middle English (broche) and Latin (broca). Long o pronunciation. Overtime, two uses (verb and noun) cropped up. They both kept the long o, but developed the different spellings. I found this article to be funny about it.

"Note the way the word broke into two spellings: the verb broach, meaning to open up, introduce, address, ''and the noun brooch, meaning an ornamental pin sticking through a garment.'' "

--from On Language; Broaching the Telltale Brooch (http://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/08/magazine/on-language-broaching-the-telltale-brooch.html)

But I digress. I don't have any clue how to get an MSC brooch.

If you're forced to call, like I was, then you have to pay when you order.

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OK I will definitely try again tomorrow. I was just curious if anyone knew any "trIcks" to getting around the special services booking.

I was never able to add my excursions or drink packages from the website. I had to call. On this forum, MSC even told me to call.

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OP, if it bothered you, then write a reasoned, balanced letter, and explain the situation. You're the one who paid for a vacation, and expected a certain experience. If the result didn't meet your expectations, you should tell them. (Now, you and I might disagree about what the experience should be - as you've seen on this thread. But, you're the one who paid for the cruise. It's your expectations that matter in this case.)

Sorry. Still not changing my mind. I don't judge the risk of whether others will lose their passports. I judge whether I will lose my passport (either through theft or stupidity). So far, 20 ports and 0 lost or stolen passports. Go me. And, go you for choosing the option that works best for you! :-)

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"

Just make sure that it doesn't get stolen....or as I said when I started this thread....it could be a giant pain in the butt!

 

Nicola

You're right; it would suck. And, I do have my passport number stored safely. It's just that I have judged the risk of a stolen passport to be far less than the chance of missing the ship.

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But if the government of that foreign soil does not require it to be on your person at all times, why carry such a valuable document when other forms of ID that are not as critical are acceptable? This is the part I just don't get about your position.

I'm afraid y'all are fighting a losing battle. I WILL have my passport with me at all times on foreign soil (unless the ship has held it for visa requirements). I really do not care whether a foreign government thinks I should have it with me or not.

My life. My reality. My assessment that the risk of losing or having my passport stolen is far less than my chance of missing the boat or breaking a leg or having a travel partner fall ill. Trying to talk me into a different decision is as pointless as trying to argue me out of being a Floridian female with red hair.

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If you don't think his information is worth considering, then you are not paying attention to reality.

Don't intend this reply to be disrespectful to you or Greatam, but it's my reality I choose to follow. A passport is THE government issued identification for use on foreign soil. I will be carrying my passport.

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My opinion, regardless of who will get what from my safe and deliver to whomever, if I'm on foreign soil, I will have my passport with me unless it is held by the ship due to visa requirements. Period.

If that means when I walk off the ship that I have a flashing "Passport Here!! Get your American Passport Here!" neon sign above my head, then so be it.

I don't walk around the States without my driver's license; I'm not frolicking in a foreign country without my passport.

Off topic...the funny brackets (they must have a name) are to be used for sarcasm. {yes, you will miss your plane}

I call those brackets - { } - Hitchcocks. :) Get it? They look like Hitchcock's profile.

For us, it's the convenience We can have coffees, bottled water, sodas, mini bar options, gelato, you name it. No worrying about counting or presenting vouchers.

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Hey Jenna - I don't go to a spa for my gel manicure, but I don't see a spa experience being worth an additional $61. It's not like I'm going to get a deep tissue shoulder massage or light facial as part of the manicure. I'm going to get exactly what I get at home, an hour of being spoiled with beautiful nails at the end.

I just saw the rest of your message about the Brown Palace as an example in Denver. I stayed at the Brown Palace once for work, and I wanted a Coke. The Brown Palace is far too nice a place to have vending machines, but I could get a Coke for $8 (room delivery) or $5 (mini fridge). I got dressed and walked across the street to the hotel with vending machines. The moral - yes, the Brown Palace charges a lot more for stuff. Doesn't mean I'm going to pay their price, though. I don't believe a Coke (or a manicure) at the Brown Palace is worth the extra money. Now, an actual massage at the Brown Palace? That, I might pay their price to enjoy.

Sam

Definitely expensive, but I don't think it is outrageous for a spa on a ship. About what my hair place costs at home (cheaper for cut and color actually, more for nails), but I don't get my nails done there and I'm too afraid to leave my hair guy (color) and gal (cut).

Note to self: Do not move to Maine. I'd never be able to afford beauty treatments. I live in Denver where I pay $35 for gel manicure, $40 for haircut and $80 for dye. The gel manicure on board is more than what I pay to get my hair dyed. I have to agree with 4Cats4Me: Likely too rich for my blood.

There's another thread with a post to drink menus and pricing. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1992000

I have a different point of view. Do what you want, how you want, just so long as it doesn't impact me. You want to smuggle booze? Knock yourself out. (And, yes. Theoretically, I'll be paying a higher fair. In actuality, I believe the bean counters at Carnival have already factored lost revenue into the fair prices.)

Smoking? I don't like to be around conventional cigarettes / cigars. And, I think we've demonized smokers quite enough. I'm leery of vaping. I don't really believe they know if there are health effects. Would I tattle on someone? Only if their exhale, like cigarette smoke, interfered with my ability to breathe. And, only if we were both in a non-smoking area.

Yeah, I realized a few posts ago that trying to beat the MSC website wasn't the only childish, petty game I was drawn into. :-D

OP here - I never mentioned sarcasm. I came on this site to point out how I was getting sucked into an idiotic, childish game with a website. Do I find the website to be annoying? Yes. As do others, apparently. If that doesn't fit with how you operate, so be it.

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On a positive note, I've now memorized my booking number. It's still not doing me any good on the website, but I can't seem to stop trying. It's like I'm determined to beat the computer.

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Hello again - I think you're assigning motives to my actions that aren't there. I like to handle my personal business during my downtime. However, I may not be alone during that downtime, and I don't like to force others to listen to me book a drink package on a cruise. I prefer doing my business online without disturbing others.

If I have a complaint, which again this wasn't, I will pick up the phone. But, I hate, hate, hate using the phone. I grew up without one, and I just don't like being on them. Trust me, if you ever saw one of my tantrums, you'd know this thread does not qualify.

Hi Motown Voice - I'm an IT professional, so I have a different opinion than you. First, I don't like to call. I like being able to use a website to make my purchases while I'm at lunch or on the train or bored in a meeting. Second, if you can't get your website to reliably allow sales, then don't even have that ability on the website. Just offer descriptions, and advise people to call in. Third, I didn't actually complain. I made fun of myself for continuing to try and place an order even though I was poetry darn sure it was never going to work.

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Me, too! I have two college degrees, and one of them is English. And, there I sit, like Mr. Magoo, squinting at the darn screen trying to figure out the twisty text. And, thank you, MSC Cruises! I wok be calling.

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So, I'm on the MSC Cruises USA site, and I'm trying to book beverage packages. Sweet! More money for them.

Here's the game. You enter all your freaking booking info, you decipher the inscrutable twisty text, and you hit enter. Then you pray, pray, pray you will get past the "System is busy. Please try again in a few minutes," pop-up window.

I'm pretty sure I won't get to book my packages tonight, but I can't seem to stop trying. :D

Link the post that contains the Pinterest list of the menus and I'll close mine down.

Here's the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1973672

However, I don't see why your thread needs to be closed. I personally believe when information is hard-to-find, there's no harm in having more than one thread contain it.

Hi Cozina - You might want to find your "roll call" to have more fun with the intros and whatnots. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=524 I'm on the May 10th Divina cruise, and I'm super excited, too!

-- A seven-night Western Caribbean cruise departing May 10 with Milwaukee Brewer Gorman Thomas (two-time American League home run king), former White Sox Gary Peters (1963 Rookie of the Year and All-Star pitcher), former Chicago Cub Randy Hundley (All-Star and Gold Glove catcher who invented the hinged catcher's mitt).

I'm on the May 10th cruise, too.