Jim_Iain Apex Key West, TansAtlantic and British Isle with a Week in Amsterdam

[hcat]

We have never taken the ferry over to Cancun....we heard the waters going across can be rough on the tummy! 

 

We were recently on Cozumel on our BEYOND cruise. .  We .did some jewelry shopping..into Blue star sapphires this  time.  Also tee shirts for  grands and our  first time ever at Senor Frogs..Not our usual style but we got into the party mode and had a nice lunch. Food was excellent and drinks were " grande".

[hcat]

[hcat]

Sal ...other half of Hcat

[cruising sister]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Log onto the USPS site and they will send you 4 tests with 1-2 day delivery for free.   I took some of my daughters and she reordered -  They were delivered in 2 days.

 

As a Medicare recepient I was recently at Walgreen having a flu shot and they asked me if I wanted some test for free (Medicare covers it)    The gave my 6.    They were the Navica BignaxNow ones in the big box I wanted to take the FirstSteps  in a small box.   

I hate the big box the Bianax  Now comes in. I took them out of the box and put them in zippy groups of 8. 

[Mike981]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

Mike --

 

Always good seeing (hearing) from you.     Yea... we just can't stay put.   All I can say is they never told me Retirement would be so good.     I thought we would be in the poor house and downgrading into a smaller home.  

 

Is your dear bride on Cruise Critic or is she like Iain and just hears what I read to him.    He has never even logged on.

 

You are to kind. I love how much you two are enjoying the good life and share it with us.

 

No Marcia is just like lain, they don't know what they are missing.

 

BTW, since I trust your opinion so much I am using your trip report to decide if we are going to take a cruise on Celebrity next winter. I am still not sure if we will take any kind of trip. Prices are high, lines are still trying to 'right the ship' and then mix in problems with air travel.

 

 

[Dar & Bob]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

My Doctor is excellent but told me that it was only under Emergency Approval for active cases and that he couldn't prescribe it prophetically.     He also told me he couldn't refill my sleeping pills for jetlagging after I hit 70.   It is like I magically change and an all 70 y.o. in the world suddenly may have balance issues if use it.    Oh well...  no trouble buying them in Mexico.

My doctor will not give me Ambien either and scared me by telling me it's linked to Alzheimer's.  At home I now have license for MM but on cruises I rely on red wine and benadryl.  BTW he said no in my early 60s so it could have been worse 🙂

[Jim_Iain]

Just as we departed Cozumel the internet tanked.  Maybe everyone is on internet before dinner. 
 

[TravelBluebird]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

Just as we departed Cozumel the internet tanked.  Maybe everyone is on internet before dinner. 
 

 

Ooh…ouch.  Yep, probably the pre-dinner Internet rush.

 

I’m especially curious to see how the internet will be on the TransAtlantic part of your journey.

[Jim_Iain]

6 minutes ago, Mike981 said:

 

You are to kind. I love how much you two are enjoying the good life and share it with us.

 

No Marcia is just like lain, they don't know what they are missing.

 

BTW, since I trust your opinion so much I am using your trip report to decide if we are going to take a cruise on Celebrity next winter. I am still not sure if we will take any kind of trip. Prices are high, lines are still trying to 'right the ship' and then mix in problems with air travel.

 

 

Can understand that for sure.  I suspect we won’t see airfares fares drop anytime soon.  United reported strong guidance and said passenger loads and revenue better than forecast.  International 2x that of domestic 

 

Just look at the backlog for passport processing and renewals.   The Fed rate increases haven’t cooled off pent up post Covid demand 

[Jim_Iain]

2 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

Ooh…ouch.  Yep, probably the pre-dinner Internet rush.

 

I’m especially curious to see how the internet will be on the TransAtlantic part of your journey.

Me too

 

I have a tecky post with just daily internet tests.  Not fun reading but could be a good resource. 
 

 

[TravelBluebird]

Just now, Jim_Iain said:

Me too

 

I have a tecky post with just daily internet tests.  Not fun reading but could be a good resource. 

 

Definitely a good resource!  I’ll look for that.

[Jim_Iain]

20 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

We also were lucky enough to be on board with Cranston on the Reflection.... wonderful bartender!

 

I have a question that someone had on the TA roll call.  Have you had a chance to see if there are any music channels on the TV in your suite?  When we were on Apex for the TA last fall there were none at all which was disappointing, we are used to S Class which offers a few of them.  I'm hoping that has improved since our sailing last November.

 

Just did a scan of the TV -  No music at all.   I was surprised that they also only have about 6 movies on demand. 

 

Best bet might be to pick up some portable blue tooth travel speaker -- they go for 29-$200 but all are pretty good.   I saw the JBL ones on the ship duty free

[Jim_Iain]

11 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

Definitely a good resource!  I’ll look for that.

 

For all you on our TA last year -    TravelBluebird was also on the TA and came down with Covid.   He was not as luck ask us who got to stay in our Royal Suite and was put in "Prison" on Deck 3 and served on paper plates and plastic utensils so he wouldn't slit his throat.  

He just wrote me to tell me He is boarding in Rotterdam and departing Amsterdam, so will be missing each other unless we accidentally bump into each other on the pier.   Was so disappointed that we never got to meet face to face and now he feels we are avoiding him.   LOL

[TravelBluebird]

2 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

For all you on our TA last year -    TravelBluebird was also on the TA and came down with Covid.   He was not as luck ask us who got to stay in our Royal Suite and was put in "Prison" on Deck 3 and served on paper plates and plastic utensils so he wouldn't slit his throat.  

He just wrote me to tell me He is boarding in Rotterdam and departing Amsterdam, so will be missing each other unless we accidentally bump into each other on the pier.   Was so disappointed that we never got to meet face to face and now he feels we are avoiding him.   LOL

 

I think you have me mixed up with another cruiser! Although I have gotten COVID on a ship, I wasn’t on the TA last year. Plus I’m a gal. Although we did miss each other on the Equinox in 2021 and I was disappointed and thought you were avoiding me (just kidding about that last part).

[Jim_Iain]

 

Interesting sign in Casino. 

[Jim_Iain]

Some Apple inventory.   Haven’t asked which version. 
 

By box I think 9th gen 2021

they also had some watches and looked like a MacBook Air

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[abbydancer2003]

50 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Interesting sign in Casino. 

We had the same sign at the Cashiers cage on the Infinity last month.  Wow, they must have been valid for a very long time.

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

I think you have me mixed up with another cruiser! Although I have gotten COVID on a ship, I wasn’t on the TA last year. Plus I’m a gal. Although we did miss each other on the Equinox in 2021 and I was disappointed and thought you were avoiding me (just kidding about that last part).

 

OK.. Sorry I am confusing you.     JetBlue was the one and I thought he changed names as I just heard from him via E-Mail.     I thought maybe the airline made him change and your handle made sense.  

I now remember that we did miss meeting on Equinox -  (part of my Covid Ground Hog Day memory)

[TravelBluebird]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

OK.. Sorry I am confusing you.     JetBlue was the one and I thought he changed names as I just heard from him via E-Mail.     I thought maybe the airline made him change and your handle made sense.  

I now remember that we did miss meeting on Equinox -  (part of my Covid Ground Hog Day memory)

 

No worries! I know you make the acquaintance of lots of people through your LIVE! blogs!

 

Covid Ground Hog Day! That is a good way of describing where our heads were all at back then!

[Iamthesea]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Log onto the USPS site and they will send you 4 tests with 1-2 day delivery for free.   I took some of my daughters and she reordered -  They were delivered in 2 days.

 

As a Medicare recepient I was recently at Walgreen having a flu shot and they asked me if I wanted some test for free (Medicare covers it)    The gave my 6.    They were the Navica BignaxNow ones in the big box I wanted to take the FirstSteps  in a small box.   

Thank you for the suggestion. I ordered!!!  I did not know that the post office was still giving the kits out.  I applied last year just after building a new home.  Our address was not recognized, so we could not receive the kits.   I will also try to get kits from Walgreens with my Medicare Card.

[terrydtx]

7 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

I'd love to have a link for future cruises out of Amsterdam.  Just booked another last night that goes out of Rotterdam.  Not sure we would want to stay there.

We are on the Apex in September from Rotterdam which is less than 20 miles from Amsterdam. Both cities share the same airport Schiphol in Amsterdam. We are spending 3 nights pre cruise in Amsterdam and then taking a private transfer to the Apex in Rotterdam. Most of the Apex cruises this summer are sailing from Rotterdam because of water level issues in Amsterdam.

[terrydtx]

4 hours ago, Dar & Bob said:

My doctor will not give me Ambien either and scared me by telling me it's linked to Alzheimer's.  At home I now have license for MM but on cruises I rely on red wine and benadryl.  BTW he said no in my early 60s so it could have been worse 🙂

My doctor told me the same thing about Ambien, I am 73 and for the last year I have been using Relaxium Sleep that is advertised on TV and I sleep better than ever, I get it on Amazon.

[upwarduk]

8 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

I’m especially curious to see how the internet will be on the TransAtlantic part of your journey.

Probably non existent, if our previous experience is anything to go by!

[Gracie115]

11 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Just did a scan of the TV -  No music at all.   I was surprised that they also only have about 6 movies on demand. 

 

Best bet might be to pick up some portable blue tooth travel speaker -- they go for 29-$200 but all are pretty good.   I saw the JBL ones on the ship duty free

 

Thank you for checking.  That's what we found last fall, was hoping some had been added.😔 We will bring our own this time. So strange that they took that option away with the Edge class ships.

[Gracie115]

3 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Probably non existent, if our previous experience is anything to go by!

 

Agree, it was pretty lousy on last fall's TA.....  perhaps the addition of Starlink will improve it.