Never too old!

[3dogsrule]

The price of 24 Euro would mean maybe 30 Euro income to MSC' date=' since the guest does not eat in his usual restaurant. For the guest, the cost of eating at L'Oasi is not negligible and the shock to be presented with an extra charge for the pasta he ordered because it represented a fourth dish whereas the price is for only 3 courses is only topped by the fact that he also has to pay for mineral water - even if he only wants one glass. These things, considering the price, are petty and smack of milking the cow, if you pardon the expression. In any restaurant of the caliber L'Oasi strives to be, not only 4 courses would be covered, and not only water but complimentary coffee or tea would be included. Make the price 25 Euro, all included, to really achieve the status you are aiming for.[/i']

 

I wonder if Egon had to pay for this meal. With as many cruises as he's been on with MSC, I have to assume he's achieved the highest tier of the MSC Club, the "Black Card", and he's entitled to one free dinner and one free beverage in a specialty restaurant per cruise. I've wondered if he's taking advantage of that.

[CAC104]

I enoyed seeing the photo of the row of houses that were built exactly alike, but each one was in a different color.

Egon's bad treatment continues....I am going to shoot off an e mail to him and ask if he has been using that free dinner perk.

[yellowbird23]

I enoyed seeing the photo of the row of houses that were built exactly alike, but each one was in a different color.

 

Egon's bad treatment continues....I am going to shoot off an e mail to him and ask if he has been using that free dinner perk.

I already asked him about the perk. No reply as of yet.

[CAC104]

Egon must have gotten into port with good internet because I got an answer back right away this morning....

"Thanks Carol! Yes I am aware of being able to have a free meal per cruise at one of the specialty restaurants, but drinks, including water, are not included!

Love from Stockholm!

Egon"

[yellowbird23]

Egon must have gotten into port with good internet because I got an answer back right away this morning....

 

"Thanks Carol! Yes I am aware of being able to have a free meal per cruise at one of the specialty restaurants, but drinks, including water, are not included!

Love from Stockholm!

Egon"

Me too!

[PartyOfOne]

#36: June 17-28 2012

 

Lots of frustration in Kiel today. I drove to where I knew Starbucks was and it was very crowded for today was a big Volksfest in town and there also were several cruiseships. Anyway, I found a place and after and hour and a half was even able to navigate to one where I could reach an electrical outlet. I had to wait until noon to call TD Watehouse to get them to transfer whatever cash was available to my bank account, since for this they were only available at 6am EST. But this turned out to be a lost cause because Skype was impossible to use, breaking up, cutting out and making conversation unitelligible. I tried it many times during the next hour but had to give up. So then I drove back to the Terminal Building but discovered that no payphones at all existed there, nor could I get a lead on another location until I learned of a privately owned payphone not far away. This turned out to be an open three-sided "booth" in front of a bar and sex shop in Kiel's red light district and located directly on the side of the main thoroughfare and thus in a very noisy environment. It required credit card or cash and I began by putting 2 Euros in because had a tollfree number to UTA with whom I had a virtual phone card which still had a $6 credit but I hadn't used for a couple of years. Turned out that my PIN for this had expired and so I could not use the card until I reestablished it anew on line. Because I was intent to get this money into my bank account before the Mastercard debit on the 25th, I decided to bite the bullet and phone TDW direct. Of course their 800 number did not work free of charge but was treated as a regular call, but then it turned out that my creditcard did not work either, because the "system was temporary not able to process it". So I got 10 Euros in cash from the bar, put 6 into the machine, got through to TD and eventually to the right department and then was put on hold, all the time watching the remains of what I had put in decrease by 10c every few seconds. While I was on hold, there were excuses and advertisements and I had to feed the kitty some more and when there was about 2.50 left, with me still on hold, the telephone suddenly just cut off the call and refunded me 2 Euro. So near and yet so far! Since I don't know when I'll be again in a position to make that important call again (and a bit panicked at this point), I then decided to make another attempt, went and got another 10 Euros and started over, making sure that I always had sufficient cash in the machine. I got to where I had to be, but the transmission was extremely poor in volume and with the ambient noise almost unuseable. However, I THINK that I achieved what I had set out to do and finished the call with over 2 Euros left, which the bastard did not return, although it said that it would. There's no recourse of course. So, all told, calling TD cost me 14 Euros ($18.50). Let's hope it was worth it.

 

June 19, Stockholm: After a sea day, I am now at McD's, the location of which I remembered from last time - almost 3KM from where we are parked. But, even though there is strong WiFi, I am unable to get onto the Internet Explorer or Google for some reason. So I'll wait and try later. Meantime, sweet Cneryl who knew me already on Poesia and now works in the Reception of Magnifica, offered to wash my shirts, as she has access to a machine to do her own and today she returned them all neatly folded ... so very nice!

 

At my dining room table my only company is Bart from Australia with his girl , 4 and boy 6 years of age. I had already postponed opening the custumary champagne the first night, thinking that the table for eight would still be filled, but it wasn't to be. and Bart doesn't drink! So we used the strawberries (gave some to the next table), but I took the champagne with me into my cabin. After dinner I was cruising around to see what was going on and ran into a group of 9 Belgians and had immediate rapport with Ingrid, wife of Frans. So I invited them all to share the champagne with me after I went back to the cabin and got it and it was a nice hour we spent together.

 

After I decided to call it a date at McD's since I just couldn't get on line, I slowly drove back and as I passed a building with "Cruise Center" written on it which had an open air restaurant I stopped to check and found free WiFi which worked fine, dealt with the 26 emails (quite a few immediately deleteable) and checked first TD to find that the cash available had gone and then the bank, where it had been deposited, and heaved a sigh of rellief. It justifies the expensive telephone call.

 

--

 

http://home.cablerocket.com/~egon/index.htm

 

 

Kiel June 2012 (3)

 

 

with Ingrid June 18 2012

 

 

DSCF0092

 

 

DSCF0095

[3dogsrule]

Egon must have gotten into port with good internet because I got an answer back right away this morning....

 

"Thanks Carol! Yes I am aware of being able to have a free meal per cruise at one of the specialty restaurants, but drinks, including water, are not included!

Love from Stockholm!

Egon"

 

I don't doubt that's what Egon has been told, however their website says something different, unless I'm reading it wrong. Know it's just a drink, but heck, bad enough what they're not giving him, he should at least get what he's got coming to him!

 

 

(Dinner With The Captain and Priority Disembarkation got cut off on the screen shot.)

 

Karen

[yellowbird23]

Hmmm? I have a choice of a cruise or giving my 6.6 lb. yorkie the surgery she needs. Guess which one I've picked? Life goes on. Always next year. This year hasn't been so good. Lost two of my loved dogs and a loved BFF who didn't understand me or gave up on me. I don't blame her at all. Don't hold grudges.

Edited June 21, 2012 by yellowbird23

[PartyOfOne]

Hmmm? I have a choice of a cruise or giving my 6.6 lb. yorkie the surgery she needs. Guess which one I've picked?

 

Pat - The only guess is how long it took you too decide, a micro second or just a slit second. When is your baby going to get the surgery?

[yellowbird23]

Pat - The only guess is how long it took you too decide, a micro second or just a slit second. When is your baby going to get the surgery?

Blood work on Monday and then surgery on July 3. I wanted to make sure she can come home the sameday so surgery is at 8 a.m. She has NEVER stayed anywhere overnight other than with us.

[jkspringtexas]

Pat, we have a teacup yorkie - 4 pounds - the love of our lives. We hope your baby's surgery goes well and she is back home in your loving arms the same day. Give her a hug and snuggle from us. Also updates, we follow this thread daily.

[3dogsrule]

Pat, sounds like you're surrounded by people here who understand you! I'm glad surgery will help your baby, and glad she won't have to spend the night away from you. I'm sure she'll recovery much better with her mama nearby. Do keep us posted.

[yellowbird23]

jkspringtexas/3dogsrule>>>Thanks so much. There are an awful lot of people in here who understand me, but if they don't, that's okay too. Will definitely give you an update. Thanks for caring.:)

[jkspringtexas]

Pat, what is you baby's name? Yorkies have such big hearts and so much love to give back. If you don't mind my asking, what is requiring the surgery? Ours is only 1 1/2 years old, but has begun with the collapsed trachea problems already.

[yellowbird23]

Pat, what is you baby's name? Yorkies have such big hearts and so much love to give back. If you don't mind my asking, what is requiring the surgery? Ours is only 1 1/2 years old, but has begun with the collapsed trachea problems already.

 

Her name is Sugar and she is almost 10. I also have a bigger one, Sunshine, who will be 13 in March. Sugar has a big tumorlike growth on her gums, right bottom, and he found some loose teeth. Sorry to hear about your little one's tracheal problem. They are noted for that, but that is really early, but not uncommon. She could have a stent placed in the trachea, but it would have to be done by a specialist, which is a couple thousand dollars (and doesn't always work). Sugar also had pymetria about 3 years ago, which was found just in time. He did the surgery the very day he found it emergently.

 

There is some sort of medicine they can take, but not sure what it is. I will soon find out though and let you know.

 

What is your baby's name?

Edited June 22, 2012 by yellowbird23

[Cruiser733380]

Blah

Edited June 22, 2012 by Lusitano

[CAC104]

I don't know who Lusitano is, and also can't understand his "Blah" comment:confused:

Pat...It sounds like you have had many dogs, and I am sure you treated each one like a child. My dogs also became another one of my kids, but I always had big rough and tumble kinds of dogs. I am glad that Sugar's surgery doesn't sound like a life threatening one, but she will probably have a hard time eating for a while. Do you cook for your dogs? I always did to augment dog food. My brother has always fed his dogs just the dry "Science Dog Food," and I always feel sorry for them, even though that is what his Vet told him to do.

[yellowbird23]

I don't know who Lusitano is, and also can't understand his "Blah" comment:confused:

 

Pat...It sounds like you have had many dogs, and I am sure you treated each one like a child. My dogs also became another one of my kids, but I always had big rough and tumble kinds of dogs. I am glad that Sugar's surgery doesn't sound like a life threatening one, but she will probably have a hard time eating for a while. Do you cook for your dogs? I always did to augment dog food. My brother has always fed his dogs just the dry "Science Dog Food," and I always feel sorry for them, even though that is what his Vet told him to do.

Yes Karen, I have had many dogs and for the past 10 years have had 4. When Lita got sick, they all seemed to stop eating and so I cooked chicken breast and cut it up, made a hamburger and rice concoction. The two remaining yorkies both have most of their teeth gone so they can't eat the hard food anymore. I always fed them Iams. I have tried the Hills soft food and they didn't eat it. Each dog had a personality all their own. Lita was my husband's dog from the beginning and that is why he took it so hard.

[Cruiser733380]

Blah

 

Woops! Sorry. That was meant for another thread.

[yellowbird23]

Everyone have a good weekend. Going to my nephew's wedding in Maryland tomorrow. He is the last of the Mohicans to get married. It's at Marywood Plantation and I love plantations.

[jkspringtexas]

Oh my goodness, I bet it will be so lovely! Have a wonderful weekend. Jan

[yellowbird23]

Oh my goodness, I bet it will be so lovely! Have a wonderful weekend. Jan

Thanks Jan. I'm sure we will.

[PartyOfOne]

Report #37 From Egon to Yellowbird to you. Enjoy!

 

 

#37: June 20-28, 2012

In Tallinn, Estonia's capital, we had sunny but windy weather. I have been here before and here is my very best place for WiFi, which I probably already described last ime: a gleaming stainless steel buiding with beautiful nude female statues fronting the entrance to a Spa/Hotel. (that's why I had to enter in the first place to check it out!) In the huge lobby with a small restaurant there are comfortable seats and tables and free WiFi - a feast for the computer which I enjoyed for several hours! I had visited the beautiful old town last year and wrote about it. It's a thriving and alive city.

 

June 21, St. Petersburg: One still needs a visa in order to go ashore alone as opposed to an excursion with the ship's own general visa. Since I already was here before and then had a trip through this beautiful city, I stayed aboard and had a nice swim of 20 laps in the enclosed pool which was slightly heated and sheltered from the much cooler ambiance of the other pool in the open. This was the first time I swam again in over a week because of my cold which has largely been overcome, except for occasional cough spasms.

 

Some Cruise Critic readers have commented on my recent letter to the hotel manager of Magnifica. I would like to explain that this was an observation dealing with passengers paying for the privilege of eating at L'Oasi. I of course can eat there for free once on every cruise, but seldom do because it's not often that I find company for this and don't like to eat alone. But this is the ridiculous way it looks with the mineral water for which I am billed: Water: 2.70 (in the restaurant downstairs it's 2.30); less 25% because of my Black Card = 0.68 =2.02 + 15% Service Charge = 0.30 for a grand total of 2.32 Euros.

 

After Copenhagen where I unfortunately did not see my friends Lisbet and Mogens Westh, I am today, June 24, in rainy Kiel and will begin my last four days on Magnifica. I have been swimming every morning again, made possible because of the enclosed pool where you are sheltered from the morning cold and the water is slightly warmed which also helps to do 20 laps.

 

Since I am on Magnifica, I have been reading books by Nora Roberts, whose writing skills I greatly admire. Apart from her writing skills, I admire her psychological insights. She must be a remarkable person. It also occurs to me to wonder whether the many vividly and minutely detailed descriptions of love making scenes are based on experience or whether they are wishful figments of imagination? She certainly could be writing a book entitled 'How to make love to a woman'!

 

By the way:

 

PROBLEM: It happens that when women allow me to kisss them, or they kiss me, or snuggle up, it's the father figure they see, not the potential lover (****** notwithstanding).

 

SOLUTION: Shed thirty years.

 

RESULT: Mission impossible.

 

--

 

http://home.cablerocket.com/~egon/index.htm

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Tallinn!

 

 

At the Spa in Tallinn

.

.

.

.

.

Edited June 25, 2012 by PartyOfOne

[yellowbird23]

Blah

:confused:

[PartyOfOne]

:confused:

 

Pat -The "blah" was actually meant for a completely different thread, per message #1194.