Calamity Jane Went Breezing With The Maniacs 3/2-3/10/13

[mephistoles]

Before I go on, let me once again thank you for your concern, well wishes and prayers for Morgan's recovery. He is doing very well. The surgery had been scheduled several months before the cruise, and the doctor said, take the cruise we'll do this as soon as you get back. It worked out just fine.

 

I also wish I had the know how and the time to thank each of you individually for your comments. I just don't have the energy. I do try to answer questions, and do comment here and there on your replies. I hope you understand.

 

I am trying to complete this quickly so I can do some things I need to do, but it becomes addicting, just as reading cruisecritic does.... we won't even mention Facebook !!

I am Jane Cobbs Little on there, by the way, if you want to friend me.

 

On to our last sea day ! Then Nassau and Miami.

 

So glad that everything is going well for Morgan. I am truly enjoying your review (and yes, I agree with you that Oreomaximus' review is awesome). We're sailing in August and I'm so excited. (PS, I'll be sending you a FB friend request)

Edited March 21, 2013 by mephistoles

[msmaj4700]

Really, really enjoyed your review! Very informative and entertaining. Glad your husband is home and recovering from his surgery.

[FireMedT]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review and post pictures. I enjoyed reading about your travels very much. I'm off a cruise 3 weeks ago and every time I read these reviews it just makes me more and more anxious to go again.

 

Hope all is well.

[Hammerman417]

Another Awesome review Jane. So glad to hear that Morgan is feeling better. Be sure to tell him to rest up, because Maniac Cruise IV will be here before you know it.

 

 

Paul

[gelo7]

Loved your review Jane, and glad to hear that Morgan is on the mend.

[rhcpchika1]

Thanks much for the review!

[reerun25]

Great review, and what a wonderful outlook on life you and Morgan have! God bless you two!

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[gapearl]

I really enjoyed reading your review! I'm glad to hear your husband is better. The gas station story is priceless. I never knew about the one ding, two dings at the elevators. Imagine that! I did Sunny Liston's tour on my first Valor cruise. He stood on that same rock and I think I may have had the same thought, don't step backwards! :eek:

 

Thanks for posting! :)

[debs1505]

Lovely review. We are sailing on the Breeze in May :)

The British cruise line is Thomson. My daughter is a TA for them!

 

Glad your husband is on he mend and here's to a fabulous 45th wedding anniversary :D

[sag1804]

That's funny bc I know exactly who you are talking about! Small world

 

 

 

 

 

QUOTE=Delta Dear;37631332]A pause here for a commercial break. Cruising is so much fun. Where else can you spend a week, see so many places, and interact with so many nice people ? You are in your own little community for a week. I liked what Butch said on the first night about taking the time just to say "Hello." Ok, so your mother taught you never to talk to strangers, but that rule is off on a ship!

 

 

I love the conversations with the people I meet on a ship. One day I had to show my school spirit by wearing my Ohio State University shirt. (BS, 1964) I also found out that a group from Columbus was on our roll call. Wouldn't you know it, the one guy I met at the Sail Away from that group had on the exact same shirt i am wearing. Hey, $10.00 in the Student Union didn't make it an exclusive item.*****Personal peeve. Why don't husbands tell you to pull the shirt down, sit up staight for a more becoming pose??????

 

 

 

 

Just as a couple was about to get to their chosen floor, the man said, "Nice shirt, but I'm from Michigan !" LOL, our arch football rivals. He laughed as he said it. All week, I would run into him and his wife? girlfriend ? you never know, and would say, "Hey Mr. Michigan."

 

Throughout the cruise we had some fun and some good conversation because he'd grown up in Detroit where I once taught. Everytime we'd see each other, we'd stop to discuss our day, other cruises etc. He was a mere baby during the two years I lived in Detroit, but age doesn't matter. Nice people can relate to one another no matter what the age differences are.

[hartskys]

Great review - thanks :)

[golfadj]

Is their a maniacs cruise for next year set up?

[Lyncoya]

Nice review and you two are a beautiful couple. I'm glad to hear that your hunny is feeling well and going better.

[MollytheMariner]

Hello to Calamity Jane and Morgan,

 

It is Mary from the two new ladies (Cathy and Mary) that you met on the Breeze. I finally got around to signing up for CruiseCritics.com and saw your wonderful note about our Cruise on the Breeze. So many good memories! Can't wait to cruise again...I hope all is well with you two. I already heard from Bonnie...we will keep in touch...I told her to pass my email on to you. I was wondering about Ann and Gail and how their 2nd week of cruising went. Fantastic I am sure!

[sag1804]

carnival freedom march 8th, 2014 for all you out there! maniacs UNITE!

[Delta Dear]

I am sorry I have not responded sooner, but I didn't realize how tired I was from the cruise, Morgan's surgery and his recovery. I have taken a record number of naps during this period, so I guess my body was telling me to take it easy, too.

To all of you who have posted, thank you SO MUCH for your prayers and encouraging comments about Morgan's surgery and recovery. He had his two week post surgery appointment today. He is healing well, but his surgeon said it may take 6-8 weeks before he's totally healed. No problem, we have nothing but time.

I have really enjoyed hearing from each of you.

Happy sails to those of you cruising soon !

[tracyvansmith]

Is their a maniacs cruise for next year set up?

 

Our group the Maniacs do not have a trip planned for next year as a group. There is a bunch of us booked on NCL for Nov. 2014 Boston to New orleans but it is not an offical Maniac cruise.

 

For the offical Maniac cruise we are looking at 2015 maybe a west coast cruise. Just waiting to see what cruises there will be to pick from.

Edited April 2, 2013 by tracyvansmith

[luv2cruz44]

Hello to Calamity Jane and Morgan,

 

It is Mary from the two new ladies (Cathy and Mary) that you met on the Breeze. I finally got around to signing up for CruiseCritics.com and saw your wonderful note about our Cruise on the Breeze. So many good memories! Can't wait to cruise again...I hope all is well with you two. I already heard from Bonnie...we will keep in touch...I told her to pass my email on to you. I was wondering about Ann and Gail and how their 2nd week of cruising went. Fantastic I am sure!

 

 

Hi Mary,

 

So glad I popped on here and caught this message. If you'd like, you can email us at galenann4244@sbcglobal.net. Doesn't Jane write the best reviews! The teacher in her sure comes out.

 

The second cruise was what we had always heard about Spring Break cruises. We did meet some wonderful people from the roll call, the roll call I didn't think I wanted to participate in as they seemed so young, etc. The turnaround day, we got some the lounges down that had been in front of our cabin on Deck 7 and were just enjoying the ocean breezes and peace and quiet when a couple came by and started chatting. Turns out, they were on the roll call and we stayed together with them most of the cruise. They talked me into going to the M&G where I did meet Jena and her family, the person who was on our roll call for quite a while before she decided it would be better to start one for that sailing. We met another "older" couple and all banned together to play Super Trivia. Some of us did the other trivia as well. We were in first place after the first round and thought for sure we would walk away as the overall winners with SOAS's for all of us. That was not to be but, since the rest of us had already gotten one for the other trivia contests. we pleaded with our social director and she gave Jena a default SOAS. I actually had two so was able to send one to Jane so she could compete with Bonnie, lol.

 

This was the highlight of this cruise. What made it so bad was getting to know our room stewards and how hard they worked. When we would see them day after day, waiting in the halls for the same 2 rooms to vacate so they could finish their morning chores, it struck us as to how self centered the young can be. If you want to sleep in, have the courtesy to put the snoozin sign out when you go to bed. Without that sign out, the room stewards have to remain on duty until they finish the rooms. That and some of the things we saw in the dining room on the 6 day cruise made us realize that spring break cruises are not something we want to do in the future. I guess that is why SAG's post about the doing the Freedom during Spring Break made me chuckle a little.

 

Anyway, it was good to meet you and email me if you would like.

[Shatima]

LOVE, LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANDDDDDD you got all that back for a Credit with a Free trip pretty much!!!! You hit it on the Nose when U said It was a Blessing.. Wooo I LOVE to here people give the Credit where its due!!! Yesssss. SO happy Hubby is better.. Again Thank You for all of this and UR time..

[idiebabe]

Loved the review and really enjoyed meeting you and Morgan and the rest of the Maniacs! :)

 

Mike and I had a lot of fun on the Poker Crawl (Great job, Ann!) and playing Trivia with everyone! Please tell Bonnie hello from us....she was so excited with the 24 kt Gold Plastic S.O.S.!

 

Wishing Morgan a speedy recovery!

 

Eileen

[sag1804]

what things did you see that made it seem so spring breakish? Please let us know. Like that one mean person said in here, it does seem that you guys don't like us younger folk much. LOL. PS this below made me chuckle about our Meet and Mingle page about how long it was and thread was locked haha:eek:

 

 

 

 

Hi Mary,

 

So glad I popped on here and caught this message. If you'd like, you can email us at galenann4244@sbcglobal.net. Doesn't Jane write the best reviews! The teacher in her sure comes out.

 

The second cruise was what we had always heard about Spring Break cruises. We did meet some wonderful people from the roll call, the roll call I didn't think I wanted to participate in as they seemed so young, etc. The turnaround day, we got some the lounges down that had been in front of our cabin on Deck 7 and were just enjoying the ocean breezes and peace and quiet when a couple came by and started chatting. Turns out, they were on the roll call and we stayed together with them most of the cruise. They talked me into going to the M&G where I did meet Jena and her family, the person who was on our roll call for quite a while before she decided it would be better to start one for that sailing. We met another "older" couple and all banned together to play Super Trivia. Some of us did the other trivia as well. We were in first place after the first round and thought for sure we would walk away as the overall winners with SOAS's for all of us. That was not to be but, since the rest of us had already gotten one for the other trivia contests. we pleaded with our social director and she gave Jena a default SOAS. I actually had two so was able to send one to Jane so she could compete with Bonnie, lol.

 

This was the highlight of this cruise. What made it so bad was getting to know our room stewards and how hard they worked. When we would see them day after day, waiting in the halls for the same 2 rooms to vacate so they could finish their morning chores, it struck us as to how self centered the young can be. If you want to sleep in, have the courtesy to put the snoozin sign out when you go to bed. Without that sign out, the room stewards have to remain on duty until they finish the rooms. That and some of the things we saw in the dining room on the 6 day cruise made us realize that spring break cruises are not something we want to do in the future. I guess that is why SAG's post about the doing the Freedom during Spring Break made me chuckle a little.

 

Anyway, it was good to meet you and email me if you would like.

[tracyvansmith]

what things did you see that made it seem so spring breakish? Please let us know. Like that one mean person said in here, it does seem that you guys don't like us younger folk much. LOL. PS this below made me chuckle about our Meet and Mingle page about how long it was and thread was locked haha:eek:

 

Sag I don't know how you came to the thought that we do not like younger people, when you never came to anything we had planned so we could meet you. The young folks who did come had a great time and we loved them and can't wait to cruise with them again.

 

I also remember on our roll call one of the first things you said to me was to put me down because I made a comment about our son not coming on the cruise with us because we were not paying for him to cruise any more BECAUSE HE WAS NOW AN ADULT. Seems hard to like someone when their first comment is to put you down. But even after you put me down I still gave you help on the roll call when I could help with the questions you asked.

[ravyn97]

Jane,

 

You should consider the Pride out of Baltimore.......especially if you are not concerned with the port of calls.

I live in Southern Maryland, so it's a quick & easy trip for us and we have sailed on the Pride twice.

Though my family's next cruise is on the Valor out of Puerto Rico, I really enjoy your cruise reviews and positive attitude. It's really refreshing!!

Best wishes for Morgan's full recovery from surgery.

 

Susan

[Delta Dear]

Jane,

 

You should consider the Pride out of Baltimore.......especially if you are not concerned with the port of calls.

I live in Southern Maryland, so it's a quick & easy trip for us and we have sailed on the Pride twice.

Though my family's next cruise is on the Valor out of Puerto Rico, I really enjoy your cruise reviews and positive attitude. It's really refreshing!!

Best wishes for Morgan's full recovery from surgery.

 

Susan

 

Hi Susan, Thank you for your comments and best wishes for Morgan.

I hope I can talk Morgan into just that; cruising on the Pride. Right now he says he thinks he's through with cruising. I hope that is just a temporary reaction because this one was not our best since he was not feeling very well.

We have been on the Miracle and the Legend and enjoyed the layout of both. Since the Pride is a Spirit class ship. too. I know we'd like it.

I won't push anything right now, but believe me, I will try to convince him that he will start off the cruise feeling well rested since Baltimore is a mere 90 minutes away. Keep your fingers crossed for me that my plan will work. LOL

We enjoyed the Valor very much. Don't know if you've read my review. Be sure to read GA Pearl's two reviews of the Valor. Her reviews are fantastic. Have a great time. Have a Chocolate Mocha Getaway for me.

[Ms. Fun Bunch]

Day 8 Miami

 

 

We were in Group 33, Bonnie was in Group 31. It was helpful to be in those late groups. We had breakfast on the Lido….my LAST breakfast burrito. I had checked on flights for Monday on Southwest, but we decided we could wait until Tues. to return home as planned. The non-stops were sold out for Monday as it was.

 

I texted John that we would be off late so he and Cynthia would not have to miss church. We only had to wait about 10 minutes for him after getting off and going through Customs. Everything was very smooth.

 

Follow Up

 

We called for a Dr. appointment from John’s and were given one for Wednesday. We arrived home Tuesday night happy to be back home and in our own bed.

 

The doctor told Morgan, “The next time you go on a cruise, you need to take your doctor with you.” LOL Morgan has bronchitis which the doctor said has been going around. He has just completed the five day antibiotics and is feeling 100% better. The doctor did send Morgan for a chest x-ray just to be sure that his lungs were clear.

 

One of the major concerns we had was what impact would his condition have on the thyroid removal surgery scheduled for tomorrow, March 18th. The doctor said we should proceed with the surgery which we will do.

As you now know, the surgery was performed and only the right half of the thyroid was removed. A larger and deeper than thought nodual was present which appears to be benign. Praise God that all went well.

 

Final thoughts on the Breeze and on the cruise itself. As I said earlier, we enjoyed the cruise even though it was not our very best. The time on the ship was relaxing, the time with friends was memorable, and the visit with our son and daughter-in-law was as great as always. Any day on a cruise is a special day.

 

I would encourage anyone considering a cruise on it to go for it. The décor is lovely, although I still like the glitter and bling of the older ships too. I am a Carnival fan, no matter what. It truly is the FUN SHIP. Go for it.

 

We talked so much about the Breeze when we were at our son’s that he looked at the schedule of ships and itineraries that I picked up onboard and found a cruise on the Breeze on October 26, 2013 was going to ports they have never visited. Since his birthday is on Halloween, he is very excited to be able to spend it onboard the Breeze. We’re excited for them. It is a very special ship.

 

There are many reviews with photos far better than I could take so I did not include any ship photos. Overall, I took far fewer pictures than I normally do which I am sure was due to my focus (no pun intended) on Morgan’s health issues. We’re grateful that it was nothing serious and that he is back to normal. On to the next adventure.

 

As a matter of fact, we booked Early Saver Rate and had so much onboard credit that the refund we received was enough to pay for an upcoming trip to Maine in May for our 45th wedding anniversary.

 

While on the cruise, talking to a young couple of Maniacs, Morgan told them he’s always wanted to go to Maine for fresh lobster. They in return told us about their trip to Portland, ME a few years ago. It happened that I had a Jetblue credit that had to be used by June 6, 2013. The credit, the Carnival OBC refund covers our airfare to Boston, car rental AND our hotel in Portland ! Gotta love those price drops.

 

As I know only too well in life, you never know what blessings are going to come out of your experiences. We have no regrets about our Breezing with the Maniacs, we look forward to spending time with them again, on or off a ship.

 

As for future cruising ? I think we should consider a cruise on the Pride out of Baltimore since it is only 90 minutes from our home. The itineraries are not thrilling, but the energy we’d save by not having to fly to FL might make it worth our while in terms of our energy. The ports are not as critical to our enjoyment of a cruise, just being on the water, being pampered is enough for us.

 

Thanks for reading. I know it is not my normal review, but I do believe that someone might get some insight out of whatever I post. Happy cruising to each of you.

 

Thanks so much for your review. I really enjoyed it especially since I will be on the Breeze in August. My Fun Group did a cruise on the Pride a few years ago, it was wonderful not having to fly and find a hotel for the night before the cruise. All we had to do was drive to the port and get on the ship!!!