bonsai3s

Breakfast - smoked salmin and mackarel...and the sticky buns. Drink: Strong Bloody Mary. Lunch - pasta station (lots of garlic), crispy fried chicken or fish, and butter chicken. Drinj: Tokyo Ice Tea (LIIT with Midori) Dinner - made to order Roti Roll. (Odyssey) Drink: Rusty Nail. Best macadamia/chocolate chip cookies on the Ovation...heavenly.

Pre-pandemic, I did the Pacific Grove Triathlon for a few years...average water/ocean temperature was 55 - 58 degrees...wore a full body wetsuit...it was still cold. The strangest feeling was swimming (literally crawling) over a forest of kelp...imagine your heart beating fast, body full of adrenaline, many swimmers panicking around you...then "wham"! you hit the KELP. It was "grab the kelp, then pull yourself forward...a foot at a time". * Oh, we love Pacific Coastals...when's the next sailing? 7

Another vote for eMed. Have a great time in Hawaii! and happy sailing.

Solstice docks at 6am... Let's say you walked-off or self-assist at 7am...or 7:30am. Using a private transfer, Uber or Lyft...it's takes 30 minutes from San Pedro to LAX. Let's say there's traffic on the 405, and it took an hour (there is a carpool lane), and you get to LAX at 8am...or even 8:30am. Add check-in and the security line. Can you make a 10:25am flight? Perhaps it's possible...just make sure you have a Plan B.

Be polite when you talk to them when you board the Navigator... Start with Jorge- Guest Service Manager...he's nice. Then, if you have to, Anoop- ROM, Restaurant Operations Manager...but it may be Erkan by 12/9. Then.. Cornelis - F&B...also a nice guy. Keith - Hotel Director.

We got this cardholder (attached to the back if my phone) from NextCruise. * It can be expensive...we got it after booking a cruise.

The Solstice is one of our favorite ships. * You'll get free parking with your stay at CP...the shuttle cost $5.50/person, each way. Or if you're able, a 20-minute leisurely walk.

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- You ding using your setsail pass. - For buying drinks...they just ask for your cabin number. -Haven't seen seapass cards with holes when issued to us. Someone can correct me, but holes are discouraged because the seapass cards have chips. We still see lots of lanyards.

That reminds me, on the Odyssey, just 3 months ago...we had the same cabin (b3b) and on turn-around-day we went back to our cabin early...saw an envelope by the front door. My wife said "Oh! we got another set of new seapass cards". (We were given new seapass cards earlier being b2b) When she opened the envelope, the new seapass cards had someone else's names on them...we took it down to guest services. * Found out later "a few" envelopes were delivered to the wrong cabins.

No, not that early...it opens later. But usually no long queues to the Flowrrider on TAD. * Biker should've known what I meant but I will be careful next time.

Additional info...(just recently off the Navigator b4b)... - enjoy your v2b...you can take your time and have a relaxing breakfast...avoid the Windjammer if possible...MDR is better. - b2b passengers met at 9am in the Star Lounge, deck 5. - bring your passport, vaccine card, and old seapass card. As you enter the Star Lounge, they will give you your new seapass card...look at your vax card, then take your picture...then find a comfy seat. (There's coffee, water, and a few items available as you enter) - Tip: there's really no need to be there exactly at 9am...you'll wait about an hour or until all passengers are cleared. You can use this time to watch the muster drill video. - wheelchairs are available if needed. - as soon as the ship is cleared, b2b passengers are escorted d6own to deck 4, use your old seapass card, walk off off the gangway, to the terminal...passport checked by Customs/BP...then you walk back onboard and use your new seapass card. - you'll have an empty ship to yourself for about an hour. - you can access your cabin at anytime. We tell our cabin steward to not worry about cleaning our cabin until that evening...TAD is busy, one less cabin for her to clean. - the threshold for the special b2b lunch was 25 for the Navigator...we didn't have enough, so no special lunch. - Note: The app or cruise planner doesn't show it...but if you have a dining package, Izumi and Hooked were open for lunch on TAD. - Tip: This is the best time to try the slides, the flowrider, the empty pools and clean jacuzzis. * Lastly, the 3-night sailing is a lively booze cruise with a much younger crowd. DON'T miss the "Love and Marriage" show...hilarious and wild with the younger audience. Happy sailing!

The Navigator is in California...since October of 2021.

If it's scheduled the aame time as Trivia...we go to trivia. We have a better chance of winning.

It has been quite a roller coaster ride... - wearing wristbands to identify vaccinated from unvaccinated. (These wristbands may someday be a collector's item) - testing between cruises...if you're doing b2b, b3b, b4b, etc...not anymore. - loved the low capacity/passenger sailings........now, that sailings are near capacity, there's a shortage of crew members. - certain decks being designated for quarantine...for crew and passengers. - no "behind the scenes" tour, no galley tours, and no bridge tours. - certain restaurants closed or limited operations...e.g. Solarium Bistro. - shows bein8g cancelled because crew members getting covid....e.g. the aqua show "Hero" on the Symphony cancelled 5 times...finally saw it on our 3rd week. - certain C&A benefits suspended...most are now back. - mask...optional for passengers, still worn by crew. Mask still requured inside cruise terminals. - food in the windjammer were served...now it's back to self-served. - muster drill is now sooooo much easier...gone are the days of standing in line on the deck (inside for bigger ships) and listening to the muster drill, the alarm, and the Captain. - the stress of having to provide a negative covid test...now, it will be for sailings of 6 nights or more only8...rolling eyes. - RCL stocks: pre-pandemic over $100/share...today about $35/share...I say "buy"... Cruising has changed and will continue to change...cruising will continue to mutate like the virus. Those that have been cruising for years will know and see the difference. The new cruisers wouldn't know the difference. Happy sailing.

Congratulations!!! Welcome to the club.

That's pretty early. Yes, you can show up at 9:30 and hang out. As previously stated, the ship has to be cleared of all passengers...next, the b2b passengers are processed. Then new passengers are checked-in. Happy sailing!

Our next cruise, Aug 21st, Copenhagen...$203 gratuities pre-paid.. found out there was a price drop of $173...so, actual cost is only $30....happy. * When you call RCCL, (or your TA), always ask if there's a price drop.

Oh my..we love Italy and have visited numerous times.....but there are lots of bad events. Over 40 years ago, I "Eurailed" all over Europe for 3 months...in Rome, I (and many others) witnessed a gypsy actually stealing coins fron the Trevi Fountain...incredible. Below the Spanish Steps, a lady carrying multiple shopping bags, was swarmed by about 6 young teens and "took" all the bags...the Italian police showed up but the teens simply disappeared.

Have done a numbee of TA's...and we love sea days. * Are you considering eastbound or westbound? Going eastbound, you will practically lose an hour everyday...westbound you gain the hours. * Small ship or big ship? * On our most recent TA, May 2022, Odyssey, Ft. Liquordale to Rome,...it was 10 relaxing sea days then it became port intensive with stops in Malaga, Cartagena, La Spezia, and Rome. (We continued for 2 more sailings, Greece/Turkey, to make the airfare worthwhile).

Just the outstanding many. * Also, we've never removed gratuities.

We do. We walk around the Windjamner (and around the ship)...at the end of each cruise...and give each of the crew members (who provided us with outstanding service) extra tips. We use the "Tip tip Hooray" envelopes from guest services.

Correct. Pretty easy. mac_tic has detailed instructions. You pick a slot machine. Tap your seapass card and simply follow the prompt. Your birthdate is usually the password. It will ask you how much you'd like to play and you are good to go. The casino host can also give you paper instructions. * For C&A members D and above...you'll have "promotional" amounts of up to $6. In addition, if you visit the casino in the first 2 days of your sailing, all passengers regardless of C&A status will qualify for a mystery amount...$2 to $100. Note: We have been told that the $100 is rarely given...and it's usually just the $2.

Long flights that I can remember... * San Francisco - Sydney * San Francisco - Dubai * San Francusco - Beijing (Tianjin) * San Francisco - Istanbul * San Francisco - Bangkok (Laem Chabang) * SF - Santiago, Chile...flight was relatively short, but got stuck in traffic for 7 hours. * BEST flight: October 2021, Las Vegas to Houston Hobby...Pete Rose was in the seat right in front of me.

Love the vouchers...I can have a strong Bloody Mary for breakfast. * On the Odyssey recently, I would go to Cafe270 in the morning and have the best alcoholic specialty coffee(s)...love the vouchers.