Prima / Live / Solo / Feb - 5-12 - 2023...

[sid_9169]

The Pixel 6 Pro was about dead from yesterday and this morning, so I made the switch to my old rusty Pixel II XL... It only took a few minutes, which is better than Carnival, which usually takes me twenty minutes to make the switch. Honestly, I think this old phone takes better food and drink pictures than my newer one.

[Lupush]

How's the internet been so far, Sid?

[Jim The Lizard]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

I just checked my account and they still ended up charging me for the additional app at Le Bistro. Looks like I'll be drinking my coffee in line at Guest Services. There's also another twenty dollar "service charge" with no explanation.

Wow!  I was wayyy wrong.  Didn’t expect that!   

[sid_9169]

Wow, what a difference a day makes. It's hot and sunny out on the pool deck. Think I might try and take a dip in the Vibe hot tub.

 

 

 

[sid_9169]

5 minutes ago, Lupush said:

How's the internet been so far, Sid?

So far it's been better than the horror stories I've heard. I haven't had any real issues with it. If it was "that bad " I would've given up already.

[All-ready2cruise]

I for one am really glad you've be able to keep going.  I'm really enjoying it. Thank you for sharing so much wonderful information and so many wonderful pictures. 

[Beer Belly]

I'm interested in the Pool situation.....overcrowding and lounge chair hogs who throw out a towel at 6am, and return at 10am to use the lounger. Supposedly the Infinity Pools are to take some of the pressure off of the Main Pool.

[sid_9169]

Going up to Vibe for sun and hot tub... Phone is staying here. Time for some real vacation.

[ninjacat123]

13 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

It's raw steak and some other stuff... The NCL version is really great, but I've had it at the steakhouse on Carnival and it's not the greatest... Worst case scenario you skip that dish...

My DH had the steak tartare at Steakhouse one night and the Tuna tartare another night.  He like the tuna better.  For me, that's a lot of tartare to eat.  Half that amount would do me.

[ninjacat123]

11 minutes ago, Beer Belly said:

I'm interested in the Pool situation.....overcrowding and lounge chair hogs who throw out a towel at 6am, and return at 10am to use the lounger. Supposedly the Infinity Pools are to take some of the pressure off of the Main Pool.

On Magic this past January, I actually saw a Serenity attendant remove "chog" stuff from chairs, place in a white bag and walk away with it.  The rest of us near the chair sat like school kids, waiting for the errant chogger to return.  It had been over 2 hours, not that I was timing them 😉

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I just checked my account and they still ended up charging me for the additional app at Le Bistro. Looks like I'll be drinking my coffee in line at Guest Services. There's also another twenty dollar "service charge" with no explanation.

Uh, oh, the first negative other than it's hard to get from point A to point B. But I am sure you will figure that one out, while these extra charges might plague you the entire cruise. 😒

[Megan_Strick]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:18 AM, sid_9169 said:

Yay. You're back!

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

After twenty minutes of back and forth, including a phone call to the actual waiter, they deducted the charge. I've never had to fight so hard for ten bucks in my life, but I wasn't about to let it slide. I guess this is the new reality we're living in. Strict limits on the SDP...

Good for you! The principle is more important actually than the $10. They hope most will let it slide because they do not want to waste their time on vacation.

[sid_9169]

3 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Uh, oh, the first negative other than it's hard to get from point A to point B. But I am sure you will figure that one out, while these extra charges might plague you the entire cruise. 😒

From now on I'll be getting an "estimate" from the waiter before placing my order. Hopefully this was just an isolated incident, as I don't want to spend half my vacation waiting on line trying to get charges removed. 

[sid_9169]

I'm about to start getting showered and ready for the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. Hopefully someone actually shows up. 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

Infinity pool on deck 8... I can see this area getting chogged later.

 

 

 

My DW is a swimmer, and always goes first thing in the morning, sometimes waiting as they uncover and check the chlorine. Hopefully, she can swim her laps before it becomes crowded.

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

I'm about to start getting showered and ready for the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. Hopefully someone actually shows up. 

We once had a meet and greet on the Epic in which a lot signed up and very few, actually only two tables worth showed up, plus a few NVL officers. The person who set up the meet and greet was actually one of the ones who did NOT show up. It was embarrassing.

 

One table had I think it was 6 who had signed up to do shore excursions together and needed to meet to figure out where to meet for the excursions. There were 4 of us at the other table. The other  husband at the table recognized that I was the one who had said his DW was an art teacher. He quizzed her about what to see in Florence. She, of course, was happy to discuss art. 

[Megan_Strick]

On 2/2/2023 at 7:52 AM, sid_9169 said:

Well, the Yankee groundhog says it's going to be six more weeks of winter, but our hometown groundhog General Beauregard Lee says early spring!... I'm trying to be optimistic about the situation, plus our groundhog has a better record of accuracy...

 

 

 

@sid_9169have you ever been to South Georgia? Particularly, Brunswick or St. Simons/Jekyll Island? That's where I live. 

[sid_9169]

4 minutes ago, Megan_Strick said:

@sid_9169have you ever been to South Georgia? Particularly, Brunswick or St. Simons/Jekyll Island? That's where I live. 

I used to live in Brunswick back in the late eighty's. My all time favorite restaurant is there; Willie's Weenie Wagon. That pork chop sandwich is to die for...

[sid_9169]

Guess I'm going to head down soon to the M&G. Maybe I can get some solid answers about the dining plan rules.

[Riles34]

3 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Guess I'm going to head down soon to the M&G. Maybe I can get some solid answers about the dining plan rules.

Hope you figure it out because I am stressed for you and how many dollars each bite will cost! lol

 

Hope folks show up!

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I just checked my account and they still ended up charging me for the additional app at Le Bistro. Looks like I'll be drinking my coffee in line at Guest Services. There's also another twenty dollar "service charge" with no explanation.

I’ll never…I MEAN NEVER…understand how NCL can possibly make it so difficult to correct wrong charges.  Even simple things take forever in front of a Customer Service Agent to correct.  You explain it to them in a minute and for the next 15 minutes, they look at their screen.  Not sure what they’re looking at, and I certainly don’t blame the Customer Service agents.  

 

But, it has to be less expensive for NCL to streamline their process, they User Interfaces, their software, their accounting to make it easier than it is with their current system.  And, how much money do they really save by having their arcane “you can only have this, that and this, but not the other” on the SD packages?  All it does is irritate their guests.  I get it if someone orders 6 apps, 4 entries and 3 desserts.  But, those scenarios are rare and easily indentifiable.

 

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.  

[sid_9169]

Costume of the day, Threat Level Midnight.

 

 

 

[Megan_Strick]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:13 AM, Saint Greg said:

 

I did like the Italian place I ate at Zarella's.

Is that in a little plaza? I think I've eaten there and it was really good. I had the chicken parm

[BarnCat1]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

This entire section is chogged already, and not a single person in sight.

 

 

Since all the towels are exactly the same, who's to say who they belong too. Sit down and say it was your towel. 😂