Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Sunshine3601]

41 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

I read a great piece about what it was like as a kid back then if you wanted to go to the movies.  You called your friend's house and his mother answered and you had to wait for her to find him, you looked up what movies were playing in the newspaper, you called your parents from a payphone when the movie was done, etc. Funny because it was very real. I'll have to find it and post a link to it. 

Those were the days!!

I remember hearing Moms opening the front door and calling names for kids to come home for dinner.  

There were days when I would hop on my bike at 9 or 10 am and not come back home till 530 or 6 for dinner then go right back out after dinner and told to be home when it starts to get dark.  

Parents had a lot more trust then.

 

[voyager70]

These posts are bringing up fond memories of my childhood.  Everyone in the neighborhood knew each other, unlike today.  In the summer we would go to one of the neighbor's houses, play for hours on end, just making sure we were home in time for dinner or before it got dark.  Much simpler times back then. 

 

[xpcdoojk]

56 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

What is really unthinkable is that when we left the house our parents had no way to get in touch with us. Even more unthinkable.... it didn't bother my mother in the least.

I think this freedom was a calculated risk, that not knowing means kids could be getting into trouble, but that freedom probably helped kids grow up able to make decisions because they learned from bad decisions.  I think this is why there is such a difference between baby boomers and Millenials.  One raised by parents that allow freedom and choices for kids, and helicopter parents that are involved in every moment of their kids lives.  

 

JC<———— is not a parent, not a psychiatrist, or even qualified to speak on this topic.  Yet he has an opinion.🤣

[dani negreanu]

16 minutes ago, voyager70 said:

Much simpler times back then. 

 

And safer.

When I was a kid in Bucharest, I went to ballet school. Then we moved to a whole different part of Bucharest. I continued to frequent the school by traveling, alone, with 2 streetcars in each direction.

 

[bobmacliberty]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

There were days when I would hop on my bike at 9 or 10 am and not come back home till 530 or 6 for dinner then go right back out after dinner and told to be home when it starts to get dark.  

 

As a kid, bicycles meant independence and freedom.  Not to mention a good source of exercise.  I also remember saving (aka learning financial discipline) for a Sting-Ray bike with a banana seat.  Those bikes were VERY cool.

[bobmacliberty]

If I wanted to buy one of those original Sting-Ray bikes today, I'd still need to save.  $3,400.  Yikes.

SCHWINN 1973 ORIGINAL RED 5 Speed STINGRAY BICYCLE * SURVIVOR * STING-RAY | eBay

[dani negreanu]

13 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I cannot remember if I had mentioned on this thread.  One of our best friends, i have known since high school, had a massive stroke before christmas. 

 

So sad for you, and him being so young.

 

I think I may relate to this more, since we also had such a sudden and painful disappearance from our lives -- 5 years ago, day before yesterday, DH's b'day was tinged with sadness and bitter sweet feeling.

 

His only sibling, who is exactly 7 years older, had a massive brain hemorrhage and is brain dead ever since. He congratulated her in the morning for their mutual b'days, she was driving, said she'll call later to speak some more. Later in the afternoon, a cousin called us, saying he wanted to congratulate her, but she's answering her mobile, neither her home. We also started calling, and calling her kids (she was widowed at the young age of 35 and never remarried).

 

Turns out, a few mins after spoking with DH, she stopped at the dry cleaners, and there she fell down. They knew her, called an ambulance...

 

Her kids, despite the doctor's opinion, decided to cling up to the hope of a miracle...

 

It was 10 days before our son wedding. I wanted to postpone it, but I was the only one to think so. Our son cancelled his bachelor party, though. I put up a brave face at the wedding, but I was really there. I kept thinking that some 2 weeks before, she came to show me the dress she found and was going to wear at the wedding, she was so looking forward to it, us being a such small family.

 

This is a painting my DH made of a picture, when he was a baby and she was holding him...

 

[island lady]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Guessing that was around Cleveland??  Sounds like many of the Cleveland people that I know, although the "west side" of Cincinnati is the same way.  Of all the people that I've met/worked with across the US, the 2 places where people mostly never wanted to leave were Maine and Green Bay.  No idea why that's the case.

 

Yup, just south of there...Medina.  One time we spent a week in our motor home at a state park up there, to be close (but not too close 😉 ) for a visit with his parents.  We were the only out of state tag in that large park.  Everyone one of the other campers were from....Ohio.   

[island lady]

1 hour ago, Lionesss said:

What part of O-H-I-O?

 

Asking for a friend.

 

Medina

[island lady]

18 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

@Milwaukee Eight @Ocean Boy @A&L_Ont, @DaniDanielle @Sunshine3601, etc.

 

Very good news -- a week after the 2nd dose, the Pfizer vaccine's efficacy was found to be 98% !!! Plenty of antibodies to be found 😁

 

As I've already posted, the medical teams at the biggest hospital in Israel* were monitored after receiving the 1st and 2nd dose (this one 10 days ago).

 

*  "Newsweek" has ranked Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv as the world's ninth best hospital (March 2020).

 

Nice!  Wonder what the end result will be for Moderna?  

[island lady]

16 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Vials are purposely overfilled to allow for some waste.

 

And hopefully no air sucking!!  😮 

[island lady]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

I read a great piece about what it was like as a kid back then if you wanted to go to the movies.  You called your friend's house and his mother answered and you had to wait for her to find him, you looked up what movies were playing in the newspaper, you called your parents from a payphone when the movie was done, etc. Funny because it was very real. I'll have to find it and post a link to it. 

 

One of my cruise buddies always sends me "remember when" cute picture jokes.  I don't have it any longer, but it was about a dozen of what we used to do as kids.  It was hilarious...wish I still had it.  🙂 

[island lady]

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

What is really unthinkable is that when we left the house our parents had no way to get in touch with us. Even more unthinkable.... it didn't bother my mother in the least.

 

We had a huge bell over the garage door.  Mom would clang the thing to call us in for dinner.  We were usually way out in the fields or woods somewhere...actually enjoying fresh air!  😉 

[island lady]

1 hour ago, voyager70 said:

These posts are bringing up fond memories of my childhood.  Everyone in the neighborhood knew each other, unlike today.  In the summer we would go to one of the neighbor's houses, play for hours on end, just making sure we were home in time for dinner or before it got dark.  Much simpler times back then. 

 

 

Sigh...and less scary.  We were not afraid to approach new kids/adults.  

[island lady]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

 

And safer.

When I was a kid in Bucharest, I went to ballet school. Then we moved to a whole different part of Bucharest. I continued to frequent the school by traveling, alone, with 2 streetcars in each direction.

 

 

I am looking forward to our first visit to Bucharest!  We will be spending an overnight there, before we board Viking river cruise for 21 days up to Amsterdam...but not until 2023.  Hopefully will all be back to normal by then.  🙂 

[davekathy]

15 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

We had a huge bell over the garage door.  Mom would clang the thing to call us in for dinner.  We were usually way out in the fields or woods somewhere...actually enjoying fresh air!  😉 

For some reason the doors were always locked and the lights off when I would come back home. 🤔

[bobmacliberty]

11 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I am looking forward to our first visit to Bucharest!  We will be spending an overnight there, before we board Viking river cruise for 21 days up to Amsterdam...but not until 2023.  Hopefully will all be back to normal by then.  🙂 

 

I was in Bucharest on business a couple of years ago.  We stayed in the JW Marriott, which is right by the massive Palace of Parliament and the new National Cathedral that was under construction.  The cathedral looks like it would be worth a visit, if it will be open by 2023.  Not sure if construction will be complete by then.

[island lady]

1 minute ago, davekathy said:

For some reason the doors were always locked and the lights off when I would come back home. 🤔

 

Maybe you got into something stinky while you were out...and they didn't want you in the house.  😄 

 

 

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I was in Bucharest on business a couple of years ago.  We stayed in the JW Marriott, which is right by the massive Palace of Parliament and the new National Cathedral that was under construction.  The cathedral looks like it would be worth a visit, if it will be open by 2023.  Not sure if construction will be complete by then.

 

Will be our first time in that part of Europe.  And first time in many ports we will visit on the way to Amsterdam.  We were actually supposed to do a 15 night end of this year...but was cancelled.  Rebooked it again for 2023 (at twice the price!!  😮 )...but decided to do the full run on the 21 night.  

 

Not sure where we are staying when we get there.  We decided to be totally lazy (and pampered) doing the whole "take care of me" thing.  Includes round trip air fare, transfers, hotel, and all the included things that river cruise adventures do.  🤗

[DaniDanielle]

7 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Very sad news.

So sorry for your loss.

[xpcdoojk]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

 

And safer.

When I was a kid in Bucharest, I went to ballet school. Then we moved to a whole different part of Bucharest. I continued to frequent the school by traveling, alone, with 2 streetcars in each direction.

 

We spent 3 nights in Bucharest in 2014.  We wandered all over town.  The only time, I got a little nervous was when we were in the old quarter, sitting at a sidewalk cafe, when armored vehicles showed up and heavily armed and protected soldiers/police started filing out of the vehicles.  This was our last morning.  Turned out it was security prepping for the Hungary vs Romania Soccer match scheduled for that evening.    I felt it was a very pleasant city and very reasonable place to visit.  Would return.

 

jc

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

We spent 3 nights in Bucharest in 2014.  We wandered all over town.  The only time, I got a little nervous was when we were in the old quarter, sitting at a sidewalk cafe, when armored vehicles showed up and heavily armed and protected soldiers/police started filing out of the vehicles.  This was our last morning.  Turned out it was security prepping for the Hungary vs Romania Soccer match scheduled for that evening.    I felt it was a very pleasant city and very reasonable place to visit.  Would return.

 

jc

 

Thanks!  Looking forward to it!  This cruise will be more off the typical beaten tourist path...with lots of history involved.  🙂 

[dani negreanu]

41 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I am looking forward to our first visit to Bucharest!  We will be spending an overnight there, before we board Viking river cruise for 21 days up to Amsterdam...but not until 2023.  Hopefully will all be back to normal by then.  🙂 

 

27 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I was in Bucharest on business a couple of years ago.  

 

6 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

We spent 3 nights in Bucharest in 2014.    I felt it was a very pleasant city and very reasonable place to visit.  Would return.

 

jc

 

I haven't been back in many years. We immigrated to Israel in 1966, and I went back twice, while the rest of the family was still alive -- in 1976 (to present DH to them), and in 1979 (alone, while DH was redeployed to work for 6 weeks in Milan).

 

I wanted to revisit last year (no family left), to fulfill my mother wish to lay flowers on my grandparents' graves.

 

It's a very nice city, with lots of parks and lakes, before WWII named "the little Paris".

 

The Communist era, though, has left a big mark on people there.

 

[ownedbypets]

14 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I cannot remember if I had mentioned on this thread.  One of our best friends, i have known since high school, had a massive stroke before christmas.  The doctors have seen no brain activity and no responses of any kind for over 3 weeks.

His Brother called us tonight to let us know his family decided to place him into hospice, they had feeding tube removed and he should pass in a couple days.  So very very sad.  He's my age, 51.  For years our families have shared many vacations together, including cruises.   We miss him dearly.  

 

I am so sorry. Way too young.

[xpcdoojk]

14 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

 

 

I haven't been back in many years. We immigrated to Israel in 1966, and I went back twice, while the rest of the family was still alive -- in 1976 (to present DH to them), and in 1979 (alone, while DH was redeployed to work for 6 weeks in Milan).

 

I wanted to revisit last year (no family left), to fulfill my mother wish to lay flowers on my grandparents' graves.

 

It's a very nice city, with lots of parks and lakes, before WWII named "the little Paris".

 

The Communist era, though, has left a big mark on people there.

 

Yeah, the contrast between the historic buildings and the communist era buildings was stark and obvious.  Except for the Parliament building which was obviously built to satisfy a giant ego.  In 2014, I found the people to be friendly and charming.  Food was good, wine was good, and both cheap.  Our hotel the Athenee Hilton was $99 a night including cocktails and breakfast.  Very nice.  Lots of restaurants nearby, and the walk to the old town was about 10 minutes.