MacNChz Posted December 3, 2019 #426 Share Posted December 3, 2019 14 hours ago, Jonboy2007 said: Hi, we are John & Paul from Glasgow, Scotland. Usually recognisable on formal nights as ‘the guys in the kilts’ 🏴 Oooh, sounds lovely, my grandparents were from Scotland, perhaps we will run into you guys some day. Shauna and Shanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonboy2007 Posted December 3, 2019 #427 Share Posted December 3, 2019 You never know, it would be lovely to hear about your Scottish roots someday. John & Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted December 3, 2019 #428 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Scottish & Irish decent here From what I understand my roots are from the northern section of the Republic of Ireland near the board of Northern Ireland ... but have not found any documentation to support that as of yet .. BUT would be fun to learn more about the the Scottish side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonboy2007 Posted December 3, 2019 #429 Share Posted December 3, 2019 7 hours ago, balkor2 said: Scottish & Irish decent here From what I understand my roots are from the northern section of the Republic of Ireland near the board of Northern Ireland ... but have not found any documentation to support that as of yet .. BUT would be fun to learn more about the the Scottish side Ever thought about researching your family tree? One of my cruise buddies is very into it. In one weekend he traced back my family tree on my mother’s side to the 16th Century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted December 3, 2019 #430 Share Posted December 3, 2019 3 hours ago, Jonboy2007 said: Ever thought about researching your family tree? One of my cruise buddies is very into it. In one weekend he traced back my family tree on my mother’s side to the 16th Century. Yes I have been working on the family tree... portions of it is complicated BUT have done some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonboy2007 Posted December 4, 2019 #431 Share Posted December 4, 2019 16 hours ago, balkor2 said: Yes I have been working on the family tree... portions of it is complicated BUT have done some I just can’t find the time........never been busier since I took early retirement 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzPinoyCruiser Posted December 9, 2019 Author #432 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Happy Cruising everyone... and have a great Holiday Season!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 20, 2020 #433 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Have any of you sailed on Pullmantur? A group of us are looking at their cruise from South America to Europe (Rome or Venice) for the spring of 2021. We are bilingual, so the Spanish predominance is not a problem. Just wondering about the service, food, drinks quality. They have many short cruises in the Med. Thought perhaps someone might have sailed with them somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGaellon Posted January 21, 2020 #434 Share Posted January 21, 2020 9 hours ago, joat said: Have any of you sailed on Pullmantur? A group of us are looking at their cruise from South America to Europe (Rome or Venice) for the spring of 2021. We are bilingual, so the Spanish predominance is not a problem. Just wondering about the service, food, drinks quality. They have many short cruises in the Med. Thought perhaps someone might have sailed with them somewhere. Pullmantur is a sister line to Royal Caribbean - it's where they send their ships when they retire from the main line. They recently retired Monarch of the Seas and sent her to Pullmantur. I've never sailed with them, but do be aware that they are all older ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted January 21, 2020 #435 Share Posted January 21, 2020 23 hours ago, joat said: Have any of you sailed on Pullmantur? A group of us are looking at their cruise from South America to Europe (Rome or Venice) for the spring of 2021. We are bilingual, so the Spanish predominance is not a problem. Just wondering about the service, food, drinks quality. They have many short cruises in the Med. Thought perhaps someone might have sailed with them somewhere. They are a Madrid HQ company. Small fleet compared to Carnival or RCI From what little I have learned of it, each ship provides different services such as some are "all inclusive" such as brand alcohol. 14 hours ago, DrGaellon said: Pullmantur is a sister line to Royal Caribbean As a FYI: RCI / RCC is a Parent company at 49%, Springwater Capital 51% owner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullmantur_Cruises 14 hours ago, DrGaellon said: I've never sailed with them, but do be aware that they are all older ships. Pullmantur's fleet consists of ships from other cruise lines such as RCI / RCC. IE: Grandeur of the Seas final cruise out of Baltimore March 26th, 2021 at which will be added to the Pullmantur fleet https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/royal-caribbeans-grandeur-of-the-seas-transferring-to-pullmantur-in-2021.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 21, 2020 #436 Share Posted January 21, 2020 18 hours ago, DrGaellon said: Pullmantur is a sister line to Royal Caribbean - it's where they send their ships when they retire from the main line. They recently retired Monarch of the Seas and sent her to Pullmantur. I've never sailed with them, but do be aware that they are all older ships. Yes, we are aware of the relationship. A plus for Pullmantur, for us, is that the ships are the smaller passenger capacity. Most often we sail with HAL largely because of the smaller size, and of course, the excellent service. Pullmantur service is rated highly on CC reviews by actual passengers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 21, 2020 #437 Share Posted January 21, 2020 On 1/20/2020 at 8:45 AM, joat said: Have any of you sailed on Pullmantur? A group of us are looking at their cruise from South America to Europe (Rome or Venice) for the spring of 2021. We are bilingual, so the Spanish predominance is not a problem. Just wondering about the service, food, drinks quality. They have many short cruises in the Med. Thought perhaps someone might have sailed with them somewhere. Based on responses it seems no one in this group has sailed with Pullmantur. Guess we will have to be the 'guinea pigs' for this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted January 21, 2020 #438 Share Posted January 21, 2020 9 minutes ago, joat said: Based on responses it seems no one in this group has sailed with Pullmantur. Guess we will have to be the 'guinea pigs' for this. And please let us know your opinion. Of course like anything, individual experiences are that - individualized LOL But am curious, even thought I can barely speak english LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 21, 2020 #439 Share Posted January 21, 2020 1 hour ago, balkor2 said: And please let us know your opinion. Of course like anything, individual experiences are that - individualized LOL But am curious, even thought I can barely speak english LOL HAHAHA. I am on the roll call for the April sailing from Colon, Panama. Several of the folks on that have sailed multiple times. One is a statesider living in Panama; three are Canadian (escapees from the Great Frozen North 🥶). Will follow that. If we do decide to give Pullmantur a try, will certainly post info. Have a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted January 21, 2020 #440 Share Posted January 21, 2020 1 hour ago, joat said: I am on the roll call for the April sailing from Colon, Panama Hmm will have to check out Colon, Panama. Am considering Panama to retire (Sell everything and move there) too but unsure due to the whole Anti-Gay ~ so am all ears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 21, 2020 #441 Share Posted January 21, 2020 In 2001 we retired and moved to Mexico. We lived in Mexico 9+ years. But we regularly met others who had sold everything, bought a home and moved to Mexico. Almost all left after 2-3 years. Strongly suggest putting treasured things (furniture is just 'stuff' and easily replaced) in storage. Rent for at least a year before considering permanent relocation, and especially before buying property. We eliminated Panama as a place to retire because of two consistent things: HOT and HUMID. Just another consideration for you.🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlondon Posted January 21, 2020 #442 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) On 1/20/2020 at 3:45 PM, joat said: Have any of you sailed on Pullmantur? A group of us are looking at their cruise from South America to Europe (Rome or Venice) for the spring of 2021. We are bilingual, so the Spanish predominance is not a problem. Just wondering about the service, food, drinks quality. They have many short cruises in the Med. Thought perhaps someone might have sailed with them somewhere. I sailed on Zenith in 2016, it was only a mini cruise but I really enjoyed it. All staff spoke English but the ship was geared up for Spanish/French . It’s now just Spanish. Most entertainment didn’t start until 11:45pm. Late dining was 10:30pm. The ship is 3 star and the all inclusive drinks was adequate. Service and food was very good but not HAL standard. Empress OTS was with the Pulmantur fleet then but Royal Caribbean took her back to their fleet- so even though they are older, it’s not because they are not up the standard of Royal. All entertainment in theatre was in Spanish, no English announcements by cruise director but there was essential announcements in English around the ship. I’d book with Pulmantur again for a cheap getaway. Edited January 21, 2020 by Redlondon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted January 22, 2020 #443 Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, joat said: We eliminated Panama as a place to retire because of two consistent things: HOT and HUMID. I wondered about that .. don't have that much of an issue with humidity versus snow and cold like this morning it was 26 😞 Also in Panama Social Security and health care is accepted When closer to time will go visit and see how temps are Edited January 22, 2020 by balkor2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 22, 2020 #444 Share Posted January 22, 2020 17 hours ago, balkor2 said: I wondered about that .. don't have that much of an issue with humidity versus snow and cold like this morning it was 26 😞 Also in Panama Social Security and health care is accepted When closer to time will go visit and see how temps are You can keep SS payments anywhere. We maintained a US bank to which our checks were deposited. Then transferred once a month to a Mexico account. Also, the US account did not, at that time, charge for use of our debit card for cash withdrawals. (Things have changed.) Not as to Medicare coverage, it is not nor ever has been usable outside the US: https://www.lizlarroquette.com/different-retire-panama-vs-united-states/ "Most of my inquirers quickly ask whether Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, is accepted in Panama. The answer, of course, is that Medicare only covers treatment and health services in the United States. With very few exceptions you will not be able to access your Medicare coverage anywhere outside the United States. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 22, 2020 #445 Share Posted January 22, 2020 18 hours ago, Redlondon said: I sailed on Zenith in 2016, it was only a mini cruise but I really enjoyed it. All staff spoke English but the ship was geared up for Spanish/French . It’s now just Spanish. Most entertainment didn’t start until 11:45pm. Late dining was 10:30pm. The ship is 3 star and the all inclusive drinks was adequate. Service and food was very good but not HAL standard. Empress OTS was with the Pulmantur fleet then but Royal Caribbean took her back to their fleet- so even though they are older, it’s not because they are not up the standard of Royal. All entertainment in theatre was in Spanish, no English announcements by cruise director but there was essential announcements in English around the ship. I’d book with Pulmantur again for a cheap getaway. Thanks for the input. I believe Zenith is the ship which they will be changing sometime this year. Currently their site list Horizon, Sovereign, and Monarch. We are going to keep Pullmantur on the list for possibilities for 2021. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted January 22, 2020 #446 Share Posted January 22, 2020 1 hour ago, joat said: You can keep SS payments anywhere. We maintained a US bank to which our checks were deposited. Then transferred once a month to a Mexico account. Also, the US account did not, at that time, charge for use of our debit card for cash withdrawals. (Things have changed.) Not as to Medicare coverage, it is not nor ever has been usable outside the US: https://www.lizlarroquette.com/different-retire-panama-vs-united-states/ "Most of my inquirers quickly ask whether Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, is accepted in Panama. The answer, of course, is that Medicare only covers treatment and health services in the United States. With very few exceptions you will not be able to access your Medicare coverage anywhere outside the United States. " Good to know!! Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlondon Posted January 22, 2020 #447 Share Posted January 22, 2020 54 minutes ago, joat said: Thanks for the input. I believe Zenith is the ship which they will be changing sometime this year. Currently their site list Horizon, Sovereign, and Monarch. We are going to keep Pullmantur on the list for possibilities for 2021. Zenith was nice, Horizon & Zenith are ex Celebrity and Sovereign & Monarch ex Royal . ( Although RCI owns Celebrity). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 23, 2020 #448 Share Posted January 23, 2020 4 hours ago, Redlondon said: Zenith was nice, Horizon & Zenith are ex Celebrity and Sovereign & Monarch ex Royal . ( Although RCI owns Celebrity). Horizon is 4000 passengers. Not sure we would ever sail on it. We took a Panama Canal cruise on Celebrity Constellation a bit over a year ago. Friends in San Fran wanted us to go with them and they were restricted to a specific time period. Constellation is 3000. That was almost too many folks for us. These older and smaller ships are much more to our liking. Pullmantur will be adding Grandeur of the Seas (not sure what the new name will be) to their line to replace Zenith. Grandeur is just under 2000 passengers. Nice size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balkor2 Posted January 23, 2020 #449 Share Posted January 23, 2020 14 hours ago, joat said: Grandeur is just under 2000 passengers. Nice size. Love Love Grandeur. Great crew, great service, Relaxing lazy. Chill with your loved one while drinking a Pinot Grigio while reading a book. Have been on her several times and will be on her for the last voyage .. March 26, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joat Posted January 24, 2020 #450 Share Posted January 24, 2020 23 hours ago, balkor2 said: Love Love Grandeur. Great crew, great service, Relaxing lazy. Chill with your loved one while drinking a Pinot Grigio while reading a book. Have been on her several times and will be on her for the last voyage .. March 26, 2021 Maybe you can look to being on the first cruise under Pullmantur: The ship will sail in Northern Europe in summer 2021 following a major refurbishment. No cruise dates are set for it in 2021 so far. The Alan Fox family of sites is the official agent in the US, so keep a watch. Could be exciting. A newly refurbished ship. Exciting. Since it is to sail the Northern European area, I am sure there will be a Spanish and English speaking crew so no problems for non-Spaniard sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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