rkacruiser

Burning Cold is the correct name for an excellent account. Tomorrow, I will find the book written by the USCG Officer and post its title.

When I attend a wine tasting in the future, do I need to BMOC? (Bring my own crackers?)

She is among at least one of the others that had been built for First Festival Cruises. In their day, they were "state of the art" of cruising and, as I recall, were well considered. Then, financial issues began and First Festival went belly-up.

Maybe my memory is incorrect, but, isn't this the ice cream that HAL now uses to make their Baked Alaska in the Pinnacle Grill? It's good, but, not a favorite of mine. Our local premium ice cream company, at this time of the year, make two seasonal ice creams that I enjoy: Eggnog and Cinnamon.

Long closed, but, my city had a 5 Star restaurant, the King Cole, that truly was 5 Stars! It was a restaurant that my dining party patronized very rarely--maybe celebrating the Holiday season or a birthday. Ambiance, decor (lovely art), Silver Service, a Sommelier with an extensive wine list, Maitre d', Bus Boy, a Waiter (or was there an assistant as well?), leather seating and dim lights, tableside preparations and flambes: there is nothing on the High Seas that comes close to that standard of dining. That, at least for my dining companion and me, was luxury!

Long closed, but, my city had a 5 Star restaurant, the King Cole, that truly was 5 Stars! It was a restaurant that my dining party patronized very rarely--maybe celebrating the Holiday season or a birthday. Ambiance, decor (lovely art), Silver Service, a Sommelier with an extensive wine list, Maitre d', Bus Boy, a Waiter (or was there an assistant as well?), leather seating and dim lights, tableside preparations and flambes: there is nothing on the High Seas that comes close to that standard of dining. That, at least for my dining companion and me, was luxury!

The Front Desk can do this for a guest, but, I would caution as to what denomination of stamps are sold for mail. Postcard stamps aren't going to work on First Class mail. My experience: some Front Desk staff do not seem to know the difference. A possibility for a guest would be (if its USPS mail), to ask the Front Desk to give it to the Port Agent prior to the ship sailing.

The larger hotels with restaurants are likely to be serving.

Just prior to my passage through this area, a severe storm had developed. The Captain delayed our transit to Antarctica by a half day+ by sailing the Zaandam in the lee of the land mass at the end of Cape Horn. When the storm had passed, we began across and, it was sufficiently rough, that maintaining one's balance in the Crow's Nest without hanging on to something was wise to do. Looking out my cabin's window at the very dark cloud masses of the storm that had passed us, trying to have made that crossing might have been the worse sea conditions that I have experienced. Crossing the Northern Pacific in late September from Vancouver to Russia, the Volendam experienced two strong storms with waves washing over the Crow's Nest when the bow slammed down into a trough. There were some other "not so calm" parts of days, but, nothing like those storms!

I. If cabin is available, drop off carry-on. Then, a quick read of the daily program to help me plan the afternoon/rest of the day, maybe. 2. Make any spa appointments I want. 3. Arrange for a wine package. 4. Lunch (hopefully in the MDR) 5. Return to cabin and begin to unpack. 6. With the new Muster Drill procedure, I will need to work it in somewhere.

A very good post and points with which I agree. Responding to the OP. I am a traveler that is a bit choosy over what airlines I fly and like to have control (as much as I can have) over my itinerary. When flights become available after I have booked a cruise, I will tend to book my flights as soon as I am as certain as I could then be than the cruise/flights will take place. Price? If it is outlandish, then, I will do some shopping and engage my travel agent to do some as well. She has often found better pricing, for the same flights that I originally wanted, than I was able to do. Patience is, I think, a good operative word for my situations.

Agree that they were on duty, but, for a guest to spot the craft and sound an alarm! Well, whomever that guest is, that person needs to be recognized by HAL and the USCG as nothing less than a hero.

Interesting, but, I question the accuracy of the report of that first observation of this situation. What's the Bridge Watch doing?

I was hoping for one of those several destination for lapel pins!

The minimal provided is responsible for this.