.......idle jottings

[Poppy1966]

Good to hear you're home safe and sound. Do we have the 'Voyage Awards' to look forward to?

[ho-hum]

Good to hear you're home safe and sound. Do we have the 'Voyage Awards' to look forward to?

 

Only if you tell us whether the "Wet Room" is now complete, what was the cause of the damage and whether you are happy with it.

Then maybe.......just maybe....

[Poppy1966]

Only if you tell us whether the "Wet Room" is now complete, what was the cause of the damage and whether you are happy with it.

Then maybe.......just maybe....

 

 

Mr Hum, my ensuite antics would, I'm sure, bore the other CC's to tears. However just for you, I decided to gut out and replace the downstairs cloakroom too while i had the builders in. No, neither are finished:(. Leak upstairs caused by WHB pipe. 85% happy:mad:

Wish you hadn't talked me into the avocado toilets and WHB's, tiles were a nightmare to match. Only joking got lovely italian tiles in 'greige' (so they tell me).

 

I have mother and Her Majesty (sister) coming for tea so must get cooking.

[ho-hum]

SDII: Rome - Barcelona Voyage. Ratings & comments

 

RATINGS

10 - Housekeeping

10 - Kitchen

10 - Restaurant Services

10 - Concierge

10 - Spa

10 - Bar Services & Sommelier

10 - Cruise & Activities Director

10 - Overall impression of voyage

 

HIGHLIGHTS

- time with crew

- dinner with crew

- cuisine

- Cabin bed

- internet

- meeting new chums

- itinerary

 

LOW POINTS

- discos usually poor

- lack of assistance for CAD

- funnel still smoking (but less so)

- missing out on St.Tropez & Portofino

 

UH OH MOMENTS

- sea conditions that night !

 

STAND OUT CREW (the whole of the crew are of course amazing but...)

- Roland (bar)

- Frank (sommelier)

- Amar (waiter)

- Jerry (waiter)

- Frud (reception)

- Arla (reception)

- Tomasz (chef)

- Sanje & stewardesses

- Christophe (executive hotel manager)

- Captain Lund (WINNER: had some big decisions to make)

 

CONCLUSION

As you can see, the voyage was overwhelmingly good (as usual) and the scoring was very high (again as usual)

And Captain Lund was again simply amazing in every aspect of his duties and personal inclinations to make the voyage fun: as said before he had some very difficult decisions to make.

[ho-hum]

A day of remembrance for the victims of flight MH 17

[ho-hum]

!!!!! VOYAGE AWARDS !!!!

 

Part 1/2

 

RUDEST REMARK/ACTION AWARD

Man A

After lunch service a Jewish gentleman told our shared waiter that he was "You are my favourite Phillipino". W*F !

Can you imagine how the gentleman would have reacted if the waiter replied "Thankyou sir and you are my favourite Jew"

Ho hum refers to this gentleman's religion only as a reference in the same manner the gentleman particularised the waiter's ethnicity.

So dont some of you out there get huffy with ho hum !

It aint anti-Semitic. Ho hum is focussing against stereotyping anyone for any self-proclaimed identity (except if it is joking amongst consenting adults). Disclaimer over.

Ho hum would add that other than this incident, he and his party were most kind, friendly and well behaved but "best Phillipino" ! Ow ! You dont say that, you dont even think that.

(We knew he was Jewish because he had asked to use the library to perform Shabbat on Friday evening).

 

Man D

On a certain nude beach nearby to our tender service, this "gentleman" was observed wildly taking photos of the topless female sun bathers. The creep !

He also talked way to loud in the bar. Odious fellow.

Several of the ladies complained of over familiarisation of a personal nature, maybe not sufficient to cause too much distress but definitely "eeewwwwww, keep him away from me".

Had ho hum witnessed such over familiarity with an un-willing lady, he would have challenged him to "un-handle that lady, you cad, you bounder" !

He was very happy to drop into any conversation how rich he was as well.

Ahhh the nouveau riche !

Ho hum is all for the self made man and the self made woman but the biggest accolade must go to the self aware person mindful and quietly considerate of others.

 

Woman A

The face of an "old trout" and complained about everything.

How Seabourn was soooo much better but on the very last day she said she had a great time and was beaming.

"Old trout to spring chicken" in an instance.

And most gratifying to see. At least her husband would be mightily relieved.

It's amazing how a smile from a person transforms their appearance and approachfulness.

 

Group A

In effect the group of 10 effectively served themselves a tin and a half of caviar until a waiter was placed on serving the treat to restrict the "gannets".

 

Group A

The "ladies" of the group screaming at the (real) lady at Concierge to complain that someone "stole" their taxi and that it was he fault and "arrange another taxi immediately" !

 

Group A

No thanking CAD for arranging free taxis to see World Cup football game in bar because lightening had knocked out the satellite onboard. OK their team lost, lost very badly in fact but a thankyou from just one of them: too much to ask ?

Edited July 21, 2014 by ho-hum

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Ha, Man D was obviously not rich. The rich don't cruise with the hoi polloi, they own or charter large yachts. They are very careful not to be cooped up with the likes of ol' Ragnar...

[gcmv]

Dearest ho-hum,

glad to hear that ho-hum is safely back home in (the posh part of) “good old England”(?!).

The photos – oh mein Gott – were lovely; it’s such a shame that Werner is probably unable to spend the time with us on SD II in September.

gcmv is going to see “his” favorite waiter subsequent to the cruise on September 20th, because after all the hugs and kisses and the mandatory carte de visite ceremonies, gcmv will scurry to get a rental car in Civitavecchia (unfortunately but with a 100 % probability - it WILL be a FIAT) to start a “short” ride to Alto Adige – Merano region.

The designation is a small quaint village, named “Dorf Tirol” and the “flop-house” which gcmv also recommends to ho-hum for a stay in the future is called “Castel”.

http://www.hotel-castel.com/hotel_castel

gcmv will meet his mother and son there to celebrate a birthday – so the whole family will be there to “let the dolls dance” (as we say in Germany) or “to paint the town red” (as ho-hum would probably say).

Whenever gcmv plans a vacation at this hotel, he avoids to stay longer than one week, because the food is outstanding to such an extent, that the “weigh station” at home would surely burst.

The chefs in the kitchen prepare the dishes for the 2 star Michelin restaurant “Trenkerstube” as well as for the half board hotel guests. gcmv is curious if SD chefs can compare with them (though it is a bit unfair because of the different kitchen equipment/space on a yacht vs. a hotel kitchen). The wine list is outstanding (apparently 1437 pages) and the sommelier Sascha (guess, what country he comes from?), too.

Ho-hum, whenever you do a fly-drive vacation in Alto Adige – it is a MUST to stay in THIS hotel!

The view on top of the terrace or your room over the valley is unique and it is only about a ten minutes’ drive to Merano, where blondie can engage her “shopping” hobby while ho-hum can put the cafes, bars, restaurants and local wine dealers under the microscope.

Locals are extremely friendly and RELIABLE (very unusual for human beings located south of the Alpine divide). The cuisine is med/alpine style – gcmv just can’t get enough. :)

Ho-hum will get a lot more details from gcmv during our 20$ wine-tasting on SD II - we’ll need a long night at TOYB … :D

[DisneyJen]

Applause, applause for the Voyage Awards!

 

Thank you so much ho-hum.

[ho-hum]

Ha, Man D was obviously not rich. The rich don't cruise with the hoi polloi, they own or charter large yachts. They are very careful not to be cooped up with the likes of ol' Ragnar...

 

Hoi polloi Ragnar.

How on earth are you familiar with such an old English expression ?

Is it used in the States too ?

 

The origins are quite interesting.

 

Hoi polloi (Ancient Greek: οἱ πολλοί, hoi polloi, "the many"), is an expression from Greek that means the many or, in the strictest sense, the majority.

In English, it means the working class, commoners, the masses or common people in a derogatory sense[citation needed].

Synonyms for hoi polloi, which also express the same or similar contempt for such people, include "the great unwashed", "the plebeians" or "plebs", "the rabble", "riffraff", "the herd", "the proles" and "peons".

 

The phrase became known to English scholars probably from Pericles' Funeral Oration, as mentioned in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles uses it in a positive way when praising the Athenian democracy, contrasting it with hoi oligoi, "the few" (Greek: οἱ ὀλίγοι, see also oligarchy)

 

Its current English usage originated in the early 19th century, a time when it was generally accepted that one must be familiar with Greek and Latin in order to be considered well educated. The phrase was originally written in Greek letters.

Knowledge of these languages served to set apart the speaker from hoi polloi in question, who were not similarly educated.

 

We were moored up in Sardinia and ho hum looked across at the mega yacht with a single guy owner sipping a beer and eating a sandwich whilst we had champagne, a full menu and waiter service and company !

Ho hum felt rather sorry for the guy.

How he must wish he had a chum like ol' Ragnar to share a meal and a couple of glasses of wine with.

Suppose it's how you view being rich ?

[ho-hum]

!!!!! VOYAGE AWARDS !!!!

 

Part 2/2

 

MOST STUPID REQUEST AWARD

Ho hum

On the night of the storm at sea when the deck tilting side to side was worsening, ho hum requested. "Another bowl of soup Amar ! And a fuller bowl t'boot man" !

Amar has a sense of humour. Delivering a bowl of soup would have been impossible.

 

MOST STUPID COMMENT / ACTION AWARD

Man B

Standing in front of ho hum at breakfast whilst ho hum was eating and enjoying the view of approaching Portovenere (famous for the shirt shops lining the alleyways !)

Whilst wearing a ghastly sleeveless top in light brown proclaiming something amusing about fishing (funny in Boo-Boo's family) on the front and pointing to his dumb wife (Elly Mae) how backyard the country was because there were no modern high rise buildings !

We were arriving to explore this area because it was evolved and had preserved the beauty of the land, community, buildings and way of life !

This gentleman later proved to be very popular with the crew and was very kind to his older party friends. And that shirt was never seen again. Wonder how abenaki would have viewed the shirt: would have fainted probably from the visual affront to his fashion sensitivity.

 

Man C

Fellow passenger clubber whom attended the crew party in Bonafacio decided it would be fun if he boarded one of the mega yachts moored alongside the walkway home. Well this was 2.30am, he made such a racket that he woke the crew who kicked him off.

Ho hum assures the good people reading this that ho hum had retired 30 minutes earlier and was not party to this: if he was present, he would have stopped the stupid (but friendly) passenger.

Again this passenger was also very popular with the crew and other passengers and this action was simply high spiritedness.

 

FUNNIEST MOMENT

Ho hum

Having purchased an ear wax removal candle and with the assistance of friends and Roland at the TOYB, set it alight with ho hums head laid on the bar. Didnt work but the few gathered around the bar had never seen anything like it before.

 

Woman B

The lady who appeared as if a breadmaker had exploded in her face and hair and had that Lucille Ball expression of permanent shock.

She was a very kind lady in fact and fellow passengers liked her.

 

There are very few events up for nomination on this voyage (which was completely full) due to the extremely good behaviour of the passengers and the particularly exemplary behaviour of the well dressed and mannered Scandinavian, 12 year old who stood 5'10" high and still growing.

[ho-hum]

Dearest ho-hum,

glad to hear that ho-hum is safely back home in (the posh part of) “good old England”(?!).

The photos – oh mein Gott – were lovely; it’s such a shame that Werner is probably unable to spend the time with us on SD II in September.

gcmv is going to see “his” favorite waiter subsequent to the cruise on September 20th, because after all the hugs and kisses and the mandatory carte de visite ceremonies, gcmv will scurry to get a rental car in Civitavecchia (unfortunately but with a 100 % probability - it WILL be a FIAT) to start a “short” ride to Alto Adige – Merano region.

The designation is a small quaint village, named “Dorf Tirol” and the “flop-house” which gcmv also recommends to ho-hum for a stay in the future is called “Castel”.

http://www.hotel-castel.com/hotel_castel

gcmv will meet his mother and son there to celebrate a birthday – so the whole family will be there to “let the dolls dance” (as we say in Germany) or “to paint the town red” (as ho-hum would probably say).

Whenever gcmv plans a vacation at this hotel, he avoids to stay longer than one week, because the food is outstanding to such an extent, that the “weigh station” at home would surely burst.

The chefs in the kitchen prepare the dishes for the 2 star Michelin restaurant “Trenkerstube” as well as for the half board hotel guests. gcmv is curious if SD chefs can compare with them (though it is a bit unfair because of the different kitchen equipment/space on a yacht vs. a hotel kitchen). The wine list is outstanding (apparently 1437 pages) and the sommelier Sascha (guess, what country he comes from?), too.

Ho-hum, whenever you do a fly-drive vacation in Alto Adige – it is a MUST to stay in THIS hotel!

The view on top of the terrace or your room over the valley is unique and it is only about a ten minutes’ drive to Merano, where blondie can engage her “shopping” hobby while ho-hum can put the cafes, bars, restaurants and local wine dealers under the microscope.

Locals are extremely friendly and RELIABLE (very unusual for human beings located south of the Alpine divide). The cuisine is med/alpine style – gcmv just can’t get enough. :)

Ho-hum will get a lot more details from gcmv during our 20$ wine-tasting on SD II - we’ll need a long night at TOYB … :D

 

 

Ho hum is so excited to hear about this region first hand.

Ho hum is thinking Venice (4 nights) - Lake Garda (3 nights) - Alto Adige (5 nights): staying at your hotel for two of them.

 

Blondie and ho hum love Venice. We have half a dozen Venetian restaurants we like set in the back streets.

Ho hum has never been to Lake Garda but it was famous for the "Grand Tour" which we will partially re-enact with a "Grand Fly-Drive". Eating and drinking in one of those old hotels overlooking the lake....bellissimo !

And then Alto Adige region......a gastronomic adventure we hear. The air, the mountains...wonderful.

 

You are driving from Rome !

 

No gcmv, the cuisine is not comparable to Michelin to be honest but damnably close.

Not all passengers are "foodies" and so SD must satisfy all palates and they do a damn good job at it.

Certainly for the week stay onboard, it is ideal.

However if there is a dish you wish to treat yourself to then ask the chef early on and they will try their damnedest.

 

There is a particular fine German Riesling onboard which we could share.

 

Has anyone else travelled these regions and can make recommendations ?

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Ho-hum, do you have a dog or dogs? If so how do you travel so often?

 

He-who-must-be-obeyed, below, will not let us travel without him often :o He lets us take him wine tasting around California, and to the many national parks in the southwest US, whenever we want. He gets the whole back seat. He does let us take a couple of two week trips by ourselves per year, as long as we leave him a new victim to subjugate while we are away :eek:

[Jim Avery]

Ho-hum, do you have a dog or dogs? If so how do you travel so often?

 

He-who-must-be-obeyed, below, will not let us travel without him often :o He lets us take him wine tasting around California, and to the many national parks in the southwest US, whenever we want. He gets the whole back seat. He does let us take a couple of two week trips by ourselves per year, as long as we leave him a new victim to subjugate while we are away :eek:

 

Nice Pony.:eek::D

[ho-hum]

Just when you think SD shoreside management have'nt "cocked up" for a while now.

Christophe asks ho hum why he is not doing the Transatlantic X-ing.

Ho hum IS doing the Trans-atlantic Christophe !

Another prank perhaps ?

No.

Gareth checks, no record.

Call Miami: no you are not booked.

Call Oslo: yes you are booked.

So you, the client, have to call to correct both the ship and Miami !

Extraordinary !

 

What if Christophe did not say anything !

Ho hum would have turned up and the ship would say, sorry you are not booked.

Great way to start a vacation.

 

Ho hum leaves bookings to blondie.

These are affairs requiring amazing patience, perseverance and high levels of intelligence dealing with SD offices, at the end of which they will usually still "bowl you a googley" ! (Is the American expression a "Curve ball").

Well what ho hum is trying to say is they will still manage to "***** up" something.

Certainly ho hum is not qualified or patient enough to deal with these type of affairs.

 

Blondie also insists on using a TA for added cover but sometimes they too are left reeling by the booking handling at SD offices.

 

There is a glitch in the system, blondie's told.

Yes, it's called incompetence !

If it was the first time then it could be excused but this is a continuous problem which never seems to improve.

Ggrrrrrrrrrr !

[gcmv]

What if Christophe did not say anything !

Ho hum would have turned up and the ship would say, sorry you are not booked.

Great way to start a vacation.

 

Is ho-hum hidebound in such a way, that this small neglectable detail would have been a problem for him?

gcmv learned while reading the SD brochures, that there are balinese dreambeds on deck 6 (the good news is, that they are located next to TOYB) - that means, a very short way from the SD main attraction to pit.

During terms of bad weather conditions, the golf simulator might serve as an alternative bivouac.

Running water is available at water sports marina (the ocean is so deep ... :D). At SD spa center ho-hum might have the opportunity to change clothes (friendly spa staff might assist) - ho-hum, my friend - where's the problem???

Perhaps blondie might not be hooked on these fabulous alternatives, if she disagrees, the Captain has to help out (ho-hum mentioned, that he takes the critical decisions correctly every time) with a little corner in his oversized, well-appointed cabin for her.

That's a classic win-win situation: ho-hum gets a 10% rebate, the ship facilities are fully used, SD has a 102 % utilisation rate, ho-hum has one's peace and blondie an adequate colloquialist.

As the SD brochure promises: “It’s yachting, not cruising” Enjoy the difference. SeaDream Yacht Club is different from big ship cruising. ;):):D

[ho-hum]

Is ho-hum hidebound in such a way, that this small neglectable detail would have been a problem for him?

gcmv learned while reading the SD brochures, that there are balinese dreambeds on deck 6 (the good news is, that they are located next to TOYB) - that means, a very short way from the SD main attraction to pit.

During terms of bad weather conditions, the golf simulator might serve as an alternative bivouac.

Running water is available at water sports marina (the ocean is so deep ... :D). At SD spa center ho-hum might have the opportunity to change clothes (friendly spa staff might assist) - ho-hum, my friend - where's the problem???

Perhaps blondie might not be hooked on these fabulous alternatives, if she disagrees, the Captain has to help out (ho-hum mentioned, that he takes the critical decisions correctly every time) with a little corner in his oversized, well-appointed cabin for her.

That's a classic win-win situation: ho-hum gets a 10% rebate, the ship facilities are fully used, SD has a 102 % utilisation rate, ho-hum has one's peace and blondie an adequate colloquialist.

As the SD brochure promises: “It’s yachting, not cruising” Enjoy the difference. SeaDream Yacht Club is different from big ship cruising. ;):):D

 

 

But I've bloody well paid for it gcmv !

Ho hum does not need to be a stowaway.

Any half decent organisation would send a personal apology and have a complimentary bottle of DP in the room on ice.

 

BTW (that's short for. " by the way" which it isnt now because ho hum has had to explain it. Anyway remember for next time, OK).

 

Staying in this very trendy hotel, ho hum came across a wonderful travel magazine called "Monocle" and guess what region they are featuring ?

Sudtirol

Alto Adige

 

It too looks wonderful. Part of the Austrian Empire until 1919 when it became Italy.

It looks amazing.

 

The odd coincidence is that an old Club Director (Michael) is currently holidaying there.

 

All signs are pointing to this area. We must go. We shall go.

Not in a Fiat though !

[gcmv]

Sudtirol

Alto Adige

 

It too looks wonderful.

It looks amazing.

 

All signs are pointing to this area. We must go. We shall go.

Not in a Fiat though !

 

That's true, ho-hum might have a much better drive in a Dacia ... :D

 

BTW (a forum-friend told me not all that long ago, what this abbreviation means), I must agree with ho-um in each and every word about AA (Alto Adige)!

 

BTW (can gcmv use this twice in a post?), gcmv hopes, ho-hum understands the English stammering gcmv is writing - sorry for any mistakes - it's not gcmvs native language ... :(

 

BTW (third time used), does ho-hum want to travel to AA (does ho-hum remember this abbreviation) in 2014?

[gcmv]

Any half decent organisation would send a personal apology and have a complimentary bottle of DP in the room on ice.

 

... or a at least a complimentary 20$ bottle of Riesling sparkling wine ... ;)

[Jim Avery]

Just when you think SD shoreside management have'nt "cocked up" for a while now.

Christophe asks ho hum why he is not doing the Transatlantic X-ing.

Ho hum IS doing the Trans-atlantic Christophe !

Another prank perhaps ?

No.

Gareth checks, no record.

Call Miami: no you are not booked.

Call Oslo: yes you are booked.

So you, the client, have to call to correct both the ship and Miami !

Extraordinary !

 

What if Christophe did not say anything !

Ho hum would have turned up and the ship would say, sorry you are not booked.

Great way to start a vacation.

 

Ho hum leaves bookings to blondie.

These are affairs requiring amazing patience, perseverance and high levels of intelligence dealing with SD offices, at the end of which they will usually still "bowl you a googley" ! (Is the American expression a "Curve ball").

Well what ho hum is trying to say is they will still manage to "***** up" something.

Certainly ho hum is not qualified or patient enough to deal with these type of affairs.

 

Blondie also insists on using a TA for added cover but sometimes they too are left reeling by the booking handling at SD offices.

 

There is a glitch in the system, blondie's told.

Yes, it's called incompetence !

If it was the first time then it could be excused but this is a continuous problem which never seems to improve.

Ggrrrrrrrrrr !

 

Would the Emperor be trying to tell Ho-Hum something? Possibly Ho-Hum colored outside the lines with complaints about management? Not to worry Mr. Hum. If you end up left on the dock, you always have a room here. You would appreciate a good hike today. Heading for 46C.:eek::D

[ho-hum]

That's true, ho-hum might have a much better drive in a Dacia ... :D

 

BTW (a forum-friend told me not all that long ago, what this abbreviation means), I must agree with ho-um in each and every word about AA (Alto Adige)!

 

BTW (can gcmv use this twice in a post?), gcmv hopes, ho-hum understands the English stammering gcmv is writing - sorry for any mistakes - it's not gcmvs native language ... :(

 

BTW (third time used), does ho-hum want to travel to AA (does ho-hum remember this abbreviation) in 2014?

 

Ho hum is booked for 2014 maybe AA for 2015/16.

 

Sparkling riesling !!!!

 

BTW how did you learn such good English ?

[ho-hum]

Would the Emperor be trying to tell Ho-Hum something? Possibly Ho-Hum colored outside the lines with complaints about management? Not to worry Mr. Hum. If you end up left on the dock, you always have a room here. You would appreciate a good hike today. Heading for 46C.:eek::D

 

Oh Jim, 46deg. !

Thanks for room offer but its 28 deg here and that is high enough !

[Jim Avery]

Oh Jim, 46deg. !

Thanks for room offer but its 28 deg here and that is high enough !

 

there is an old Southern saying which might be appropriate here: "If you are going to be dumb, you better be tough".:eek::D

[Jim Avery]

Just to be clear, the quote about the dumb/tough stuff was referring to me. And here I am, your 600th reply as well.:D

[abenaki]

Hello Mr Hum

 

It is really quite astounding. 600 replies... And over 27,000 times, someone somewhere in the world has taken time from their busy day to stop and read your pure utter drivel.

And yet, Your legion of fans await each utterance, hoping that your morning offering to us will be of some import. It is a weighty responsibility, no doubt. After my coffee, spending 5 minutes with you is the highlight of each morning.

Only better when it is on Deck 4, my friend.

 

Cheers

 

I wonder, are you intending to disappear into thin air when you reach the heady heights of 50,000 views, and receive your, suitable for framing, award of merit? Another literary giant will be gone from our midst.....