Jim_Iain - 9/5 and 9/17 Equinox B2B - Come along for a Live Blog

[canderson]

2 hours ago, Islandhop9 said:

Hoping they don't fill our cruise up. 

Seems like the buffet may get clogged up if the ship gets very full without self serve?

Based on prior experience, it may go faster without self serve on M class where they still do lines instead of 'stations'!

[canderson]

14 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Being on a B2B we are all super cautious so we don't get contract traced and forced to leave the ship at the  end  of  cruise 1.

 

Contact trace can get you booted at any time, though B2B is where it's a huge problem.   Like us, what you're being careful about is the mandatory turnover day test for the 2nd leg, which they seem to find it necessary to call a separate cruise for a variety of reasons.  We have a 5 + 10 coming up, and will also be more cautious on the first 5.

Edited September 14, 2021 by canderson

[RichYak]

3 minutes ago, canderson said:

Contact trace can get you booted at any time. 

Contact tracing gets you quarantined for a day and tested twice, but doesn't get you booted unless you test positive. It will keep you from the second leg of a B2B, so it's wise of you to be careful on leg 1.

[TeaBag]

9 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

there are lots of options for dining besides the buffet or avoid at the  prime times.   We have enjoyed Aqua Spa Cafe

I also enjoy the Aqua Spa cafe.  This is our go to place on embarkation day as few know it exists and others think it is for AQ people only.  DH likes to have a hamburger so he goes up to the burger place and carries it down.  One day one of the servers with a sense of humor told him he was not allowed in the spa cafe eating food like that!

[hcat]

We are fans of Spa cafe but not as much as in the past..There  is no more  made to order Salmon for lunch which was the best on the ship.!   

 

Still good salads etc but there is more emphasis on very dense breads/ cakes, berries.  And way too many card players.  Still  good but not as  great!

Good spot for sail day lunch.

 

The EDEN deli on EDGE was  really is great for breskfast &  lunch with healthy food, great soups and bread..we have been spoiled!

[canderson]

8 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Contact tracing gets you quarantined for a day and tested twice, but doesn't get you booted unless you test positive. It will keep you from the second leg of a B2B, so it's wise of you to be careful on leg 1.

So far, it's been a 2 day quarantine + mask after (as goofysmom can tell you!).  It doesn't have to stay that way - protocols allow for tougher measures, but I would imagine X finds that to be far to severe since otherwise, things have been well contained and managed.  Here's hoping something doesn't get out of hand at some point and they have to go further!

 

Yes, we will definitely be paying more attention on Leg 1 to the contact issue!

[graphicguy]

7 minutes ago, hcat said:

We are fans of Spa cafe but not as much as in the past..There  is no more  made to order Salmon for lunch which was the best on the ship.!   

 

Still good salads etc but there is more emphasis on very dense breads/ cakes, berries.  And way too many card players.  Still  good but not as  great!

Good spot for sail day lunch.

 

The EDEN deli on EDGE was  really is great for breskfast &  lunch with healthy food, great soups and bread..we have been spoiled!

Agree about the EDEN deli.  One of the best breakfast/lunch spots on the ship.  Also, probably one of the least known.  Made to order to boot.

[TeaBag]

20 minutes ago, hcat said:

We are fans of Spa cafe but not as much as in the past..There  is no more  made to order Salmon for lunch which was the best on the ship.!  

Oh, I forgot about the salmon.  Yes it was great.

Oh, the card players.  Why aren't they asked to leave for the lunch hours?  I often see people standing waiting for a table and these selfish people are oblivious.  We usually keep an eye out for people looking for a table and I go over to them and ask if they would like to join us.  We have made some great friends that way.

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, Danny&Gary said:

Jim, I am a Real Estate Broker in Dallas, TX.  One of my agents, George Durstine, gave me your info when I told him that my husband and I would be on the Equinox this weekend.  He said that he and his friend Trish had met you on a previous cruise, that you were currently on the Equinox, and would be on our cruise as well. 

 

Since then, two more couples of friends have booked and will be joining us as well, so we will have a Dallas contingent of six!  We hope to meet up with you onboard!  

 

Any advice you can give us as we prepare and pack will be greatly appreciated!

 

Wonderful to hear.    Really enjoyed meeting George and Trish.

 

Nothing special for packing but I made sure we had plenty of masks.    While others may think I'm crazy,  I always bring a roll of Charmin Extra Soft.    The stuff on board is rather rough.   Many don't wear them on the ship we have been wearing them when inside at all time.

 

One thing you might also bring if you use is Tylenol.   They have pulled it from the shops on the ship as they don't want PAX self medicating instead of contacting the health department.  

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, Arzeena said:

Specific to our sailing : Very few that I observed in the beginning, but more wore masks as the cruise progressed.

Same on Equinox.   Right after the first tested case the next day so many more masks....  I just feel more comfortable wearing one inside.

[canderson]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

One thing you might also bring if you use is Tylenol.   They have pulled it from the shops on the ship as they don't want PAX self medicating instead of contacting the health department.  

Brings me back to our shared travel experiences!  Q first, though.  I wonder how the Charmin and the ship blackwater treatment play?

 

Anyway...

 

Always traveled with the basic medications, especially in Japan.  A lot seemed to either get lost in translation or availability.  Try explaining Imodium to an Asian pharmacist!

[Jim_Iain]

[canderson]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

Looks like his power washer has a prostate problem!😝😝😝

[Jim_Iain]

Found out that our tour  was arranged by https://www.kantours.com/new-and-exciting-island-tours-and-excursions/exciting-history-tour/    They were the company offering tours at the end of the piers in St. Kits. 

 

[39august]

When we were last on Equinox in 2019, Aqua Spa Cafe was closed on embarkation day. We had meant to eat there. So was it open on embarkation for you? And please advise whether it is open for embarkation your next cruise, Jim. Thanks.

[TravelBluebird]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

Always traveled with the basic medications, especially in Japan.  A lot seemed to either get lost in translation or availability.  Try explaining Imodium to an Asian pharmacist!

 

So true! I once had terrible knee pain when in Japan and was trying to get some Advil (or something like it). It was...a long process.  My daughter lives in Japan and speaks fluent Japanese, and when I’m with her, its so much easier! 

 

One funny medication travel quirk; it is illegal to bring Sudafed into Japan. I made the mistake once and it was confiscated, but it wasn’t a jolly situation!

[Benthayer Gonbak]

5 hours ago, Arzeena said:

 

l’ve actually seen people do that back before COVID!  When I had a rollator I had one guy get out to give me room!  There was plenty of room if I got in first and folded the walker a bit, but I still had to encourage him to rejoin!  
 

the only time I’ve ever gone down stairs was for a celebrity tour where they forgot to unlock the elevators.   I bounced the rollator down those step with no regard to noise after even crew couldn’t get the elevator bypassed.   Not surprisingly the next tender tour the problem had been solved!  
 

im glad to hear that perhaps with the lighter load of passengers the elevators are all that crowded. Well, at least most of the time!   I admit, for folks like you I have said to the elevator that was a bit crowded that I was only going one floor so that no one panicked too much.  Hubby normally will do stairs when I’m in the elevator!  

[Benthayer Gonbak]

2 hours ago, canderson said:

Brings me back to our shared travel experiences!  Q first, though.  I wonder how the Charmin and the ship blackwater treatment play?

 

Anyway...

 

Always traveled with the basic medications, especially in Japan.  A lot seemed to either get lost in translation or availability.  Try explaining Imodium to an Asian pharmacist!

japan has some pretty strict rules for drugs.  Mostly amounts.  Abu Dhabi too, no Tylenol PM!   We had all the paperwork for Japan and they didn’t seem to care though.  Abu Dhabi, I finished the one drug, but then we decided that we’d leave the luggage on the airside for our layover which worked there too.  
 

As for black water I’d suggest if you are worried switch to RV safe paper.   Most of the others are now septic safe though.  

[canderson]

33 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

One funny medication travel quirk; it is illegal to bring Sudafed into Japan. I made the mistake once and it was confiscated, but it wasn’t a jolly situation!

I used to think it was for the same reason it's no longer available OTC here --- can be used to make meth.  Here, you just show ID and the purchase is tracked so they know if you're  buying bucket loads by shopping at a lot of stores.  There, no bueno.  Oddly, Japan also gets sniffy (horrible pun) about diphenhydramine (Benadryl) as well.  Dosage tightly limited.  Honestly, I think they have some kind of issue with allergy drugs!

 

[canderson]

1 minute ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

As for black water I’d suggest if you are worried switch to RV safe paper.   Most of the others are now septic safe though.  

I just use what they supply.  It was Jim's situation that I was wondering about (above).

[Benthayer Gonbak]

4 minutes ago, canderson said:

I just use what they supply.  It was Jim's situation that I was wondering about (above).

Understood.  It’s also possible that too quickly dissolving might not work either, but then you just switch to European “rules”! 

[fstuff1]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

We are fans of Spa cafe but not as much as in the past..There  is no more  made to order Salmon for lunch which was the best on the ship.!   

 

Still good salads etc but there is more emphasis on very dense breads/ cakes, berries.  And way too many card players.  Still  good but not as  great!

Good spot for sail day lunch.

 

The EDEN deli on EDGE was  really is great for breskfast &  lunch with healthy food, great soups and bread..we have been spoiled!

Completely forgot spa cafe serves lunch.

I sometimes breakfast there for the avocado toast. (Guacamole toast) 😅

[TravelBluebird]

20 minutes ago, canderson said:

Oddly, Japan also gets sniffy (horrible pun) about diphenhydramine (Benadryl) as well.  Dosage tightly limited.  Honestly, I think they have some kind of issue with allergy drugs!

 

Really?  I didn’t know that!  I’ve definitely traveled to Japan with Benadryl! I have pretty bad seasonal allergies, and Cherry Blossom season...

[canderson]

Limited to 10mg as I recall.  Stronger than that and they can confiscate it, even during ohaname!

Edited September 14, 2021 by canderson

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, canderson said:

Looks like his power washer has a prostate problem!😝😝😝

I have to say I had a laugh after I shot the picture.