clo

Unfortunately yes.

in the eyes of the corporations?

Bob has worn a navy blazer and white dress shirt and looks quite nice 🙂

One way or another, we the passenger pays for everything. Well, I'm sure there are government thingies.... And when I have salad for dinner and someone else has two 48oz steaks then I'm helping pay for that also 🙂

how hard and well and amenably they work.

I would talk to a real person with a name and get the nitty gritty. As you say, you don't want to show up and .... PS: I love that you have art and collectibles. So do we 🙂

If it were based on merit, they'd be first.

I thought about this for truly a long time and am going to give a brief summary. Some people here have talked about cost. Some in relationship to their getting older. It's a definite factor in any pretty big ticket item we spend on. Based on my late mother-in-law's experience we have long thought about senior living residence (and on to assisted living and memory care). I doubt that there's a single one - and I'm talking about pretty nice - that's under $50k/yr. And way, way higher than that. You can easily hit $100k and that's without the assisted part. So we met with our financial planner and he gave us an annual budget including that. Gratefully we haven't needed it yet. Okay, that's it. Thanks for 'listening.'

I keep forgetting that this isn't the Marina board. Plenty of us eat ALL our meals there. Here's one my husband had: lobster, shrimp, lamb all cooked to order and a little salad.

Thanks for that. Quite a few years ago we did a Rocky Mountaineer train trip only from Vancouver to Jasper, coach down to Banff and train back to Vancouver. We stayed in hotels at night so missed none of the scenery. Loved it.

We ate at the GDR twice. Well, we didn't eat there one of the times. There was a menu on the tv that we stupidly thought was for that night. Whatever item that sent us there wasn't there so we left. The second time the service was SO incredibly slow. Just getting a menu was process. So all our meals were TC and the specialty restaurants. So there were several days where we had all three meals at TC and loved them all. This was lobster, shrimp, lamb and cold vegetable salad. And look at that plate!

I've thought about a Canadian train trip.

Absolutely. I'm getting a REAL urge to go to NYC and then maybe up the coast to Montreal/Quebec. And eating great food.

Oh yum. Now you're talkin'.

Not in the least.

Ooh, I've read that some of their food is awfully good...but no it wouldn't be normal nor probably appropriate. I just tossed this out so that someone like you could weigh in. Thanks.

I understand that. But are they not welcome in the buffet?

Do you think you'd be happier with a different form of holiday?

Why wouldn't all the staff be welcome?

You "go in"? I know for sure that I haven't done that in over 30 years. Maybe never. Curious why you do. I believe I've talked on the phone with my O TA maybe three times in as many years. Oh, and she works from home.

Excellent point. I'm mentally preparing to write about a particular issue and I keep reminding myself to keep it right on that topic and not related issues.

I love it in any form. But I'm a Southerner.

IIRC we were told to stay either 3 or 5 meters away from them. And btw, they have the stinkiest poop we've ever smelled 🙂 Did you see my recent photo of the iceberg? https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/17/climate/iceberg-a23a-erosion-photos-scli-intl-scn-climate/index.html

Don't call me an idiot but what about this for a possible bandage? I'm sure there are employees on the ship who have regular cabins. Or maybe not. What about the CD? What about moving someone - not the captain!:) - into that cabin and put the passenger in the employee's cabin. Or do they ALL share cabins? If you don't want to order someone to so it, then offer some $$$$. Just a silly thought.

I think that's a brilliant idea. And an actual REASON to have a balcony. Thanks for sharing.