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

[sgmn]

3 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

I finally got to meet "in person" my newest step cat - Toffee.

 

 

And renew my acquaintance with my all-time favorite, Lychee, with the silkiest fur.

 

 

Meantime, DH met the neighborhood cat, who deigned to pose gracefully for him 😉

 

 

 

And on a happier note, fingers crossed we'll fly tomorrow afternoon to Athens, to join my cousin and her DH. Hopefully, this time we'll cruise together, since last year she had to cancel at the last minute.

 

With all the chaos going on, we decided to push forward our flight from Sunday to Saturday, to have a "buffer" of one day before our cruise starts on Monday.

 

So looking forward to "disconnect" from the daily "news" and finally meet the cousins, whom I didn't see from the beginning of Covid.

 

Just checked Dani, and it's 0020 right now in Israel,  sooooo have a great travel day today and a wonderful cruise with your cousins .  Hope you can post some pics of your holiday 

[sgmn]

7 hours ago, Arzeena said:

Thank you. I will check it out.
Hope you and Gary and grand babies are well and good. I haven't seen a post from you recently and was wondering what our British cousins were up to.😁

Thanks for asking.  We are all fine though the summer was hectic with extra childcare duties and helping my eldest son and family with their move.  Also tried to use the boat as much as we could with the lousy summer we've had this year.  We've put it up for sale as not using it enough but so far no takers. 

On Anthem next Friday for 12 days so looking forward to that. 

 

I try to follow Dani's thread when I can, even if I don't post much I like to keep up with all your goings-on.

[sgmn]

5 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Sue.

We book every night speciality dining online 15 days prior to cruising and receive 20% discount off on board price and pick the dining times we want.

As top loyalty we also get an extra 10% loyalty discount.

The speciality restaurant dining every night makes our cruise special as the food and service is excellent.

The food looks wonderful. We've got a 3 night dining package on Anthem next week

[sgmn]

1 hour ago, ollienbertsmum said:

Gosh, as a soon-to-be granny the length of time not seeing Grandparents in the flesh is very sad.  BUT FaceTime really does help.  When my 32 yr and 33 yr daughters were small contact was via video to my parents and then twice yearly trips there or back (between uk and Gibraltar).  It has been lovely to see that they have had a strong bond despite the distance.  
 

Sadly my father passed away last month.  Both girls managed to get to visit and made calls while he was in hospital.  
 

They both spoke of their memories at his funeral and eldest played the Ave Maria on her flute.  
 

So why have I reflected on this to you all ….  Lots of us are torn apart by geography, but if you do make the effort, regular calls and regular postcards or whatever way you choose to connect, it is worth that effort.  

I hope that my soon to be born grandchild will stay in Gibraltar, but it will have roots here, in northern Spain, UK, Italy and Canada- so who knows what the future may bring.  I might need to re read this post sometime in the future. 

Congrats on your soon to 

be granny status.  Grandkids are the best.  

So sorry to hear about the passing of your dad.  It's hard when our parents pass away.

 

[NHProud]

@dani negreanu it’s nice to see you smile. You look fantastic and wishing for you a relaxing cruise.

 

@Tree_skier We will be on that same ship and itinerary in a few weeks so would appreciate any insights you may want to share .  

[Ozark_Kid]

5 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

And on a happier note, fingers crossed we'll fly tomorrow afternoon to Athens, to join my cousin and her DH. Hopefully, this time we'll cruise together, since last year she had to cancel at the last minute

This is great news Dani!  I hope you have safe travels.   I hope you enjoy the cruise and it relaxing!  

[helen haywood]

@dani negreanu Along with everyone else, so so happy you are able to get away and see your cousins!!  Have a wonderful time!!

[DaniDanielle]

Dani, have the best time ever!

[DaniDanielle]

3 hours ago, sgmn said:

Congrats on your soon to 

be granny status.  Grandkids are the best.  

So sorry to hear about the passing of your dad.  It's hard when our parents pass away.

 

@ollienbertsmumFrom here also

[Ocean Boy]

7 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

I finally got to meet "in person" my newest step cat - Toffee.

 

 

And renew my acquaintance with my all-time favorite, Lychee, with the silkiest fur.

 

 

Meantime, DH met the neighborhood cat, who deigned to pose gracefully for him 😉

 

 

 

And on a happier note, fingers crossed we'll fly tomorrow afternoon to Athens, to join my cousin and her DH. Hopefully, this time we'll cruise together, since last year she had to cancel at the last minute.

 

With all the chaos going on, we decided to push forward our flight from Sunday to Saturday, to have a "buffer" of one day before our cruise starts on Monday.

 

So looking forward to "disconnect" from the daily "news" and finally meet the cousins, whom I didn't see from the beginning of Covid.

 

Have great time. I hope you get to relax and forget about the realities of everyday life at home.

[BonTexasNY]

7 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

I finally got to meet "in person" my newest step cat - Toffee.

 

 

And renew my acquaintance with my all-time favorite, Lychee, with the silkiest fur.

 

 

Meantime, DH met the neighborhood cat, who deigned to pose gracefully for him 😉

 

 

 

And on a happier note, fingers crossed we'll fly tomorrow afternoon to Athens, to join my cousin and her DH. Hopefully, this time we'll cruise together, since last year she had to cancel at the last minute.

 

With all the chaos going on, we decided to push forward our flight from Sunday to Saturday, to have a "buffer" of one day before our cruise starts on Monday.

 

So looking forward to "disconnect" from the daily "news" and finally meet the cousins, whom I didn't see from the beginning of Covid.

 

Dani, wonderful news!  Nisee-ah Tovah!

For those not in the know, it means "good trip".

[brillohead]

On 9/10/2024 at 3:10 PM, Ozark_Kid said:

Kenzie is turning 4 today!  Finnley turned 2 a couple weeks ago.   Not a lot of difference in size.

 

My brain cannot handle the fact that Kenzie is FOUR years old.  Somehow that same brain is barely okay with Finnley being two years old, but the concept of Kenzie growing up is just so foreign.  

Maybe it's because cute pics of her got us through the trauma of the COVID shutdown???  

Anyway, happy birthday to BOTH girls!!!  Was thinking of you and Sharon today -- I'm back in Alabama for the annual family reunion this weekend!

[brillohead]

On 9/10/2024 at 6:50 PM, h20skibum said:

Now comes the hard part of finding excursions.  Some, you must be at least 11, and granddaughter will only be 10.  Several have a max age of 70, so that would not work for me.  Thing is, these are snorkeling or kayaking, and we all do that a lot. 

Mark, what ports are you guys going to?  I'm an avid snorkeler, and have favorite places or tour operators in many ports for private excursions without the unreasonable age requirements.  I'd be happy to share some of my experiences with you.

[brillohead]

On 9/12/2024 at 1:17 PM, Ocean Boy said:

 

 

I was in a new Buc-ee's today (near Bowling Green, Kentucky) on my way to Alabama.  I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt that said something to the effect of, "Things wouldn't be so hard if I'd just do them the way Kristen told me to the first time around"... I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that his wife's name is Kristen!  🤣 🤣 🤣

 

Speaking of Buc-ee's, my cousin rode along with me on the drive from Michigan to Alabama today, and he'd never been to Buc-ee's -- had never even heard of it.  I told him ALL about it, and warned him that the description doesn't even begin to match the actual experience of witnessing it first-hand. 

I thought we weren't going to get to Buc-ee's until half an hour before getting to my biological father's house, because that was the only one that existed on the route when I came down last year, but lo and behold there was a brand new one in Smiths Grove, Kentucky. 

This is a perfect location for this particular drive, as it's right in the middle between the lunchtime food/pee stop and the destination in Alabama... and it's when I was down to about 100 miles of gas left in the car, so in addition to being able to GO TO BUC-EE'S (😍) and pee in a clean bathroom, I was also able to fill up the gas tank with cheap fuel, and it's the right distance for us to be able to get back there for another visit and pee break and fuel fill-up on the way home on Monday (it's about three hours from my dad's house).  

I had already planned on stopping for a fuel-and-bathroom-break around Bowling Green, because traffic is usually horrid through Nashville (I swear, it must be Atlanta's younger sibling when it comes to traffic!) and I didn't want to get stuck in a traffic jam with a full bladder.  When I saw the sign for the newly built store, I started dancing in my seat while driving down the highway, singing, "we're going to Buc-ee's, we're going to Buc-ee's" while I bebopped in my seat and made my cousin question my sanity.  

My cousin was in a state of disbelieving shock as soon as we pulled up... I had warned him about all the gas pumps, but I think he just didn't believe me that there really are that many.  Then going inside... woooo, buddy, more shock!  😲

He was trying to figure out what Buc-ee's souvenir he was going to buy for his wife (he had already snagged some pork rinds and jalapeno beef jerky for himself), but he was in sensory overload with all the gift options.  I told him that he had all weekend to think about his choice, because we WILL be stopping there on our way back on Monday morning!

A friend who now lives in Texas but was originally from California said that one of his buddies who still lives there recently saw this sign in the California desert off I-10:


 

[grapau27]

Good morning.

Safe travels Dani @dani negreanu.

It is 57°F and partly sunny here at 10.20am.

I had a nice breakfast overlooking the beach while Pauline was at the hairdresser's.

I hope everyone is safe and well and y'all have a fantastic weekend.

[aussielozzie18]

@dani negreanu  Lovely photo of you.  Have a wonderful cruise with your cousins.

[h20skibum]

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

Mark, what ports are you guys going to?  I'm an avid snorkeler, and have favorite places or tour operators in many ports for private excursions without the unreasonable age requirements.  I'd be happy to share some of my experiences with you.

Thanks!
 

Our ports are St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and CocoCay.  

 

CocoCay, we have covered since we were there with them on the last day.  They enjoyed having the ships pools and water slides to themselves in the morning, then going ashore for some beach time, lunch, and time at splash away. 

 

My daughter wants the kids to experience some of the native culture.   She is also concerned with doing non ship sponsored excursions.  She was even afraid of being left behind, even at CocoCay!

 

Most of the things in St. Thomas and St. Maarten are beach related.  The kids love to snorkel and Kayak, so we were looking primarily at those, then taking them to a couple places in town before going back to the ship.  

 

I think there was one catamaran snorkel excursion in St. Maarten that didn’t have a restriction, but if it is the one we took one time, the snorkeling wasn’t great.  

[cruisingpeople]

@dani negreanu Have a safe & wonderful cruise with your cousin and her DH. It is something that you truly deserve.

[Ken at the beach]

19 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

And on a happier note, fingers crossed we'll fly tomorrow afternoon to Athens, to join my cousin and her DH. Hopefully, this time we'll cruise together, since last year she had to cancel at the last minute.

Have a great time

[Arzeena]

19 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

I finally got to meet "in person" my newest step cat - Toffee.

 

 

And renew my acquaintance with my all-time favorite, Lychee, with the silkiest fur.

 

 

Meantime, DH met the neighborhood cat, who deigned to pose gracefully for him 😉

 

 

 

And on a happier note, fingers crossed we'll fly tomorrow afternoon to Athens, to join my cousin and her DH. Hopefully, this time we'll cruise together, since last year she had to cancel at the last minute.

 

With all the chaos going on, we decided to push forward our flight from Sunday to Saturday, to have a "buffer" of one day before our cruise starts on Monday.

 

So looking forward to "disconnect" from the daily "news" and finally meet the cousins, whom I didn't see from the beginning of Covid.

 

Enjoy your cruise Dani! I am so happy for you! Tell us about it when you get back.

The cats are so adorable, and just look at how Toffee is posing.🥰

You look great!

 

[Ocean Boy]

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

 

 

I was in a new Buc-ee's today (near Bowling Green, Kentucky) on my way to Alabama.  I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt that said something to the effect of, "Things wouldn't be so hard if I'd just do them the way Kristen told me to the first time around"... I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that his wife's name is Kristen!  🤣 🤣 🤣

 

Speaking of Buc-ee's, my cousin rode along with me on the drive from Michigan to Alabama today, and he'd never been to Buc-ee's -- had never even heard of it.  I told him ALL about it, and warned him that the description doesn't even begin to match the actual experience of witnessing it first-hand. 

I thought we weren't going to get to Buc-ee's until half an hour before getting to my biological father's house, because that was the only one that existed on the route when I came down last year, but lo and behold there was a brand new one in Smiths Grove, Kentucky. 

This is a perfect location for this particular drive, as it's right in the middle between the lunchtime food/pee stop and the destination in Alabama... and it's when I was down to about 100 miles of gas left in the car, so in addition to being able to GO TO BUC-EE'S (😍) and pee in a clean bathroom, I was also able to fill up the gas tank with cheap fuel, and it's the right distance for us to be able to get back there for another visit and pee break and fuel fill-up on the way home on Monday (it's about three hours from my dad's house).  

I had already planned on stopping for a fuel-and-bathroom-break around Bowling Green, because traffic is usually horrid through Nashville (I swear, it must be Atlanta's younger sibling when it comes to traffic!) and I didn't want to get stuck in a traffic jam with a full bladder.  When I saw the sign for the newly built store, I started dancing in my seat while driving down the highway, singing, "we're going to Buc-ee's, we're going to Buc-ee's" while I bebopped in my seat and made my cousin question my sanity.  

My cousin was in a state of disbelieving shock as soon as we pulled up... I had warned him about all the gas pumps, but I think he just didn't believe me that there really are that many.  Then going inside... woooo, buddy, more shock!  😲

He was trying to figure out what Buc-ee's souvenir he was going to buy for his wife (he had already snagged some pork rinds and jalapeno beef jerky for himself), but he was in sensory overload with all the gift options.  I told him that he had all weekend to think about his choice, because we WILL be stopping there on our way back on Monday morning!

A friend who now lives in Texas but was originally from California said that one of his buddies who still lives there recently saw this sign in the California desert off I-10:


 

I've never been to, or heard of, the place either other than reading about it here from time to time.

[BonTexasNY]

Buc'ees has between 80-120 gas pumps.  We pass 3 on the way down to Galveston.  We have 2 within 30 minutes of where we live.

Life is good!

 

Thinking good thoughts today for @dani negreanu Dani and DH flying to Athens to meet her cousin and DH, for their much awaited and well deserved cruise.  Enjoy every moment to the fullest!

Edited September 14 by BonTexasNY

[helen haywood]

The only odd thing about Buc’ees is there are no windshield washers.  Evidently they want you to gas up and move on…but it’s buggy in Florida and we always clean the windshield when we stop for gas.

[Tree_skier]

Went to Buccees the other day 🙂 

 

I love these places.  Wish we had them at home.

 

 

 

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Thanks!
 

Our ports are St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and CocoCay.  

 

CocoCay, we have covered since we were there with them on the last day.  They enjoyed having the ships pools and water slides to themselves in the morning, then going ashore for some beach time, lunch, and time at splash away. 

 

My daughter wants the kids to experience some of the native culture.   She is also concerned with doing non ship sponsored excursions.  She was even afraid of being left behind, even at CocoCay!

 

Most of the things in St. Thomas and St. Maarten are beach related.  The kids love to snorkel and Kayak, so we were looking primarily at those, then taking them to a couple places in town before going back to the ship.  

 

I think there was one catamaran snorkel excursion in St. Maarten that didn’t have a restriction, but if it is the one we took one time, the snorkeling wasn’t great.  

 

Those two ports are places I would feel COMPLETELY comfortable doing a non-ship excursion.  

I haven't personally tried him yet, but I've seen bunches of people post favorable experiences with Captain Bob's on St. Maarten.  

https://www.soualigadestinations.com/most-popular-tour-for-cruise-ship-visitors/

I was in St. Thomas a couple years ago and snorkeled off Coki Beach (next to Coral World) and was disappointed.  It had been 20-ish years since I was last there, and there was just nothing really to look at... I'm guessing lots of damage from decades of tourism?   But again, it's the USA and very cruise-tourism-dependent, so I'd feel very confident booking with a private tour operator, or taking a taxi / bus to a different beach.