Occasionally Live from the Anthem TA featuring NY, London, Rotterdam, Ypres, Bastogne, Arnhem and Paris

[Ocean Boy]

8 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

View from balcony

IMG_1542.mov

Another .mov file...🤨

[Ocean Boy]

6 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I like the new ones

 

Probably because I have almost all the old ones😉

I'm on the fence about the new blocks. I need to see one in person. I have a ways to go before my next one.

[mets123]

6 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

25

A shot is 50 ml (about 1.7 ounces), so there should be 15 in a 750ml bottle.

[xpcdoojk]

So, this morning, after leaving the cabin I have to views which struck me.  The first was the Royal Esplanade, and the second was the 4 blue coveralls surrounding the coffee machine tearing it apart.

 

I only took a picture of the first.

 

So, the math, of how many shots of either 15 or 25, makes a bottle of Tito’s worth between about $130 and over $200, so I think a silly block selling for $199 to be about the same markup.  I don’t have a ton of blocks, but I think the new one is superior in looks.  

 

 

[xpcdoojk]

Re previous post, of the two important events I am reminded of today, only one is going to personally impact me… that is the blue coveralls.🤣  Sorry to all of my English Friends and their UK associates.😉

 

jc

[xpcdoojk]

We had another terrific lunch yesterday at Jamie’s, but with the silly noon move the clock forward, we had to change from our early dinner at Chops to a late 8:30PM option.  I think the clock change is just to steal an hour from me on the FlowRider😂, and to make me eat less food.  I am never hungry, except before lunch because I am skipping breakfast mostly except for a croissant from the DL.  I haven’t searched the WJ, but I can’t find the Austrian Stritzel anywhere on deck 4 (raisin bread).  I really miss that.

 

The temps were definitely warmer yesterday 63F pretty much all day.  We had a heavy shower just before I got to the wave in the afternoon.  I am still struggling with the top of the wave, I can never “feel” the rail until I am well and truly to far on it.  So, I can’t slide the rail consistently, because I don’t know it is there.  On the upside I only surfed over the top one time yesterday, and ran it off without a fall.  The board shows it is 64F this morning, and the sky is just as grey.  

 

Any other things you all want to hear about?  

 

We went to the concert last night by the ship band and the singers.  Weird collection of songs.  The rock singer dude, who I assume does the Freddie bit in We will rock you attributed the song I drove all night to Celine Dion… I think Roy Orbison recorded it first and Cyndi Lauper made it a hit way back in the 80s.  A blonde singer (woman) did Rainbow’s Since you have been gone which was probably the best.  The schooner bar singer did Elton’s Saturday Night is all right which was a little off, and a skinny dark headed girl did his Candle in the Wind, a lot off.  Just struck me as an odd collection of songs.  It was a decent waste of 45 minutes.  

 

JC

[xpcdoojk]

The four blue coveralls have reassembled the machine, but they are still tapping the screen and I have yet to see the familar screen or hear the beans grinding. It is approaching should I leave or should I go time, and I am not feeling optimistic.  

 

JC

[xpcdoojk]

On a work discussion, I got this photo from a vendor about the truck load of cross arms I ordered a month ago….

 

 

[xpcdoojk]

The crazy thing to me about that photo is it looks a long way from the road.  

[xpcdoojk]

I need my UK train experts to tell me if the slow train that leaves Southampton Central at 13 after the hour on May 12 for LON(slow train as it is the 2hour 32 minute) going thru 3 bridges is one of the targeted trains for the strike, and if I need to move now to cancel my tickets and book the National Express coaches or even a car hire.  HELP!

 

[Orsino]

49 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

I need my UK train experts to tell me if the slow train that leaves Southampton Central at 13 after the hour on May 12 for LON(slow train as it is the 2hour 32 minute) going thru 3 bridges is one of the targeted trains for the strike, and if I need to move now to cancel my tickets and book the National Express coaches or even a car hire.  HELP!

 

I’m not a UK train expert, but I am an American with UK train tickets on 12 May. From what I have read, most train lines have cancelled completely, with a few train lines running reduced service. Our train was cancelled, but we were able to switch to a train that is still scheduled to run (I stalked their website). 
In the USA all passenger trains are Amtrak. In the UK there are several different train companies so you have to look up your specific one. I don’t know enough to know what line you are on. You are most certainly not on the same line as me ( I’m going north of london).

so search the train company website and ignore “national rail”. 

[sowhat]

1 hour ago, xpcdoojk said:

I need my UK train experts to tell me if the slow train that leaves Southampton Central at 13 after the hour on May 12 for LON(slow train as it is the 2hour 32 minute) going thru 3 bridges is one of the targeted trains for the strike, and if I need to move now to cancel my tickets and book the National Express coaches or even a car hire.  HELP!

 

Friday 12th train service

Train operators impacted

The following operators are expected to run significantly fewer trains on this day:

• Avanti West Coast

• Chiltern Railways

• CrossCountry

• East Midlands Railway

• Gatwick Express

• Great Western Railway

• Greater Anglia

• Great Northern

• LNER

• London Northwestern Railway

• Northern

• Southeastern

• Southern

• South Western Railway

• Thameslink

• TransPennine Express

• West Midlands Railway

We will provide more information about the impact on services once this has been finalised.

[Orsino]

I did a little sleuthing and I *think* you are on Southern Railways. 
 

the Southern Railways website posts the following:

”

Regrettably, due to strike action by ASLEF, the train drivers union, there will be NO Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink or Great Northern services running on : 

• Friday 12 May
• Wednesday 31 May 
• Saturday 3 June 
• ”

 

unfortunately it looks like your train is cancelled. 

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

So, the math, of how many shots of either 15 or 25, makes a bottle of Tito’s worth between about $130 and over $200

 

You go to establishments that offer bottle service? $200 seems right

[Jimbo]

20 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

Oops forgot pixies

In your pictures the new blocks look smaller, looks like the weigh less then the old blocks. Is that correct or just your pictures look strange?

[xpcdoojk]

The blocks are heavy, so, I think they are glass like the old.  Without having an old one nearby, I am not sure they are smaller, but if I was betting, I would say they are smaller.  

 

So, I need to ask for a refund from the Trainline, and book National Express coaches, is the consensus on May 12?  I need to get to London in time to catch Eurostar train to Rotterdam that evening.  

[Jimbo]

33 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

The blocks are heavy, so, I think they are glass like the old.  Without having an old one nearby, I am not sure they are smaller, but if I was betting, I would say they are smaller.  

 

So, I need to ask for a refund from the Trainline, and book National Express coaches, is the consensus on May 12?  I need to get to London in time to catch Eurostar train to Rotterdam that evening.  

We have 2 now, Enchantment and Allure, I think when we get on Jewel this September we will be getting our third.

[xpcdoojk]

Sitting in Chops waiting for the check.  K is off to the theatre for the comedian.  There is actually sun shining outside, and I am inside.  Oops.

 

I cancelled the train tickets looks like a full refund from Trainline.com.  I tried to book the National express coach 8:45AM but apparently they don’t take Amex, which is the only credit card I have committed to memory.  And it wouldn’t default to Apple Pay on my Ipad.  

 

So, hopefully I have enough internet in the cabin to finish the booking.  

 

JC

[njkruzer]

3 hours ago, Jimbo said:

In your pictures the new blocks look smaller, looks like the weigh less then the old blocks. Is that correct or just your pictures look strange?

Our Anthem block finally arrived today.  It’s the new one.  About the same size and weight.  Haven't decided if we like it and ut looks strange next to our old ones.

[countess5]

21 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

From music hall

Thank you! 

 

Cheers! 

[bobmacliberty]

21 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Another .mov file...🤨

 

I'll bail you out again...

 

 

[xpcdoojk]

Sunday was Ponta Delgada and we booked a quad 2 pax trip to the volcano and the green and blue lakes.  It was overcast in the harbor.  It was no visibility on the top of the volcano.  🤣  It was a nice tour but I wish it would have been a prettier day.  We went to We Will Rock You last night.  It was better and sillier than I remember from 7 years ago.  Two more sea days then we hit France.  We are supposed to fly this morning at 9.  Not sure why I woke up at 4:45AM.  The coffee machine doesn’t have any milk in it at 5:30AM.  So much for 24 hour coffee.  

 

JC

[xpcdoojk]

So our departure is 6:30 and it says luggage assist. Does that mean they have it in the big room. Or that we r carrying off?

[xpcdoojk]

Went thru UK customs on board literally looke at passport and we were done. 

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Or that we are carrying it off?

This, for self-assist.