Live from the Jewel April 29-May 13, 2024: will definitely contain sarcasm and grumpiness

[Beach Life 1]

I always enjoy your reviews.  I don't know if you are a religious person,  but there is a special place in heaven for you.  Enjoy your cruise,  and the time with your father.  Hope you guys have a great time!

[YVRteacher]

28 minutes ago, NikiPinkston said:

Hi, Yvonne,

 

I'm so glad I was helpful. Loved your Breakaway review!

 

DH isn't a beer drinker, but I could substitute just about any kind of food (pizza and donuts preferred), so that's a great idea! 

 

I wanted to tell you, too, how much I enjoyed The Midnight Library! Thank you so much for recommending it. I also just started Matt Haig's How to Stop Time.

 

So excited for you to embark!😊

Have you read Our Missing Hearts? So powerful and beautiful!

 

Thankfully Ketchikan has doughnuts! Jellyfish Donuts on Water Street. I don’t drink beer either but still always enjoy time in a pub.

[NikiPinkston]

1 minute ago, YVRteacher said:

Have you read Our Missing Hearts? So powerful and beautiful!

 

Thankfully Ketchikan has doughnuts! Jellyfish Donuts on Water Street. I don’t drink beer either but still always enjoy time in a pub.

Definitely putting Our Missing Hearts on my list. You always have the best recommendations!

[YVRteacher]

@Yo Adrienne

hi!

unfortunately the Jewel does not have Starlink and the internet can be a big frustration. I have seen minutes drain away quickly just trying to make a short post on here or connect with friends on What’s App.  There is a great current live from the Jewel thread by @natefish95 and he mentions the challenges with internet.  My experience cruising in Alaska is the surrounding glaciers and mountains contribute to a poor connection.  I’m not trying to be overly negative but am just sharing my experience.

 

I will let you know if I see your fabulous server once on board.

[YVRteacher]

21 minutes ago, Beach Life 1 said:

I always enjoy your reviews.  I don't know if you are a religious person,  but there is a special place in heaven for you.  Enjoy your cruise,  and the time with your father.  Hope you guys have a great time!

Aw, thank you! I’m so feisty I think I might be going the other way…

[natefish95]

2 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

@Yo Adrienne

hi!

unfortunately the Jewel does not have Starlink and the internet can be a big frustration. I have seen minutes drain away quickly just trying to make a short post on here or connect with friends on What’s App.  There is a great current live from the Jewel thread by @natefish95 and he mentions the challenges with internet.  My experience cruising in Alaska is the surrounding glaciers and mountains contribute to a poor connection.  I’m not trying to be overly negative but am just sharing my experience.

 

I will let you know if I see your fabulous server once on board.

Thanks for tagging me! I’ll finish my live review now that I’m back with stable internet.

 

during the Captain Q&A they did mention the Jewel will be getting the cabling for Starlink in about 2 months. I think it still needs to get installed so Starlink might become active in 3ish months? Mas or menos?

 

Others posted they had no issues with the wifi. For me, Instagram worked well, but it didn’t work at all for someone else with the same wifi package. 
 

I paid to upgrade to the non-streaming wifi package and they refunded 50% of that to me in the form of OBC.

[MrsTocko]

@natefish95  can you see if there is still a restaurant hostess, Elaina? I can’t for the life of me remember how to spell her name…but that is close…if she is still on the jewel, will you tell her hi from Gail and Chris?  We sailed with her in April 2022 and 2023.  She remembered and recognized me from across the atrium before I saw her. She is so lovely.

[mkcurran]

I'm heading south out of Long Beach on the 27th, but I'll catch up when I get back! 

[YVRteacher]

18 minutes ago, MrsTocko said:

@natefish95  can you see if there is still a restaurant hostess, Elaina? I can’t for the life of me remember how to spell her name…but that is close…if she is still on the jewel, will you tell her hi from Gail and Chris?  We sailed with her in April 2022 and 2023.  She remembered and recognized me from across the atrium before I saw her. She is so lovely.

Nate isn’t on the ship anymore.

[natefish95]

Can’t wait to follow along!

 

You mentioned trivia earlier…I can foresee a very angry man with how trivia is done on the ship (from my experience). Numerous questions were worded poorly or just wrong. 
 

The woman leading most trivias (I think her name was Penny from Mexico) was…not my favorite. She would start exactly on time (yay) but then SPEED through the questions. We made it through 20 questions in 7 minutes. Way too fast for trivia. 
 

then when reviewing answers, she’d walk around and have people share their answers. Getting through all the answers would take 20 minutes and was so unnecessary. She would also get rude and condescending if no one knew the answers. It was very odd.
 

You might want to do a trial run solo to see how it goes. There were numerous complaints on my sailing. Yamar from Peru and the woman from Nicaragua were better. 

[libtrek]

Yay, I’ve been waiting for your live review to start. I am a retired librarian (Mary Lou or Libtrek) from Michigan’s Thumb area. I have connected with Yvonne through CC and besides sharing the librarian profession, we each have a crabby man with dementia. My hubs is R, a year older than Dad, and he is, I think, Dad’s brother from another mother. We will be on the same B2B to Alaska. We will be using a Rollator for the first time since Rs back is whacked. Any advice would be appreciated. ML

[MrsTocko]

2 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Nate isn’t on the ship anymore.

True…totally read it wrong…Mondays…maybe you could check?

[ceilidh1]

23 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Yes, I submitted the Special Needs Access Desk form and have requested help navigating the port in Vancouver and one other adaptation: small portions. My dad panics when he gets a plate with too much food. He knows he can’t eat a lot and he was raised in a home where all 8 kids had to eat everything on their plates. He feels stressed when presented with an American-sized portion.

 

He does not feel stressed when a large beer appears before him.

 

I have never related more to anything in my life. I swear dad and I are twinsies. I, too, was raised in that healthy British mindset of having to clear your plate (I'm sure you're noticed when we've brunched). I also have no issue applying that philosophy to a large beer...🤣

[YVRteacher]

Good thing we choose such amazing places for brunch!

 

 

 

If you’re coming to Vancouver, you won’t be disappointed with OEB!

[YVRteacher]

3 hours ago, MrsTocko said:

True…totally read it wrong…Mondays…maybe you could check?

Of course!

[Disney Deb]

I've been waiting for this live report to start! *Deb runs around in circles*. After reading these reports I was inspired to book the Jewel this August for a Seward to Vancouver trip after a 6 day NCL land tour. Can't wait to hear your experiences this year!

My mother-in-law had dementia and we were lucky to have her for 10 years after her diagnosis. It's very hard for loved ones to go through but some of those times with her after her diagnosis are cherished memories. She wasn't the same person but there was still plenty to enjoy-up until when she started referring to my husband as her brother. I love that you are making these memories with him. I hope that you both enjoy this cruise.

[xkritter]

Is that a Mimosa flight? Brunch looks amazing.

 

I really appreciate your reviews and insight with your dad. My parents are 80 and 84 and both are showing signs of memory loss. However my mom (80) is showing much more. I am taking them both to Alaska (their 1st time) on the Encore in August and have been reading and reading your reviews. I very much look forward to this review.

[jrt.mom]

55 minutes ago, Disney Deb said:

I've been waiting for this live report to start! *Deb runs around in circles*. After reading these reports I was inspired to book the Jewel this August for a Seward to Vancouver trip after a 6 day NCL land tour. Can't wait to hear your experiences this year!

My mother-in-law had dementia and we were lucky to have her for 10 years after her diagnosis. It's very hard for loved ones to go through but some of those times with her after her diagnosis are cherished memories. She wasn't the same person but there was still plenty to enjoy-up until when she started referring to my husband as her brother. I love that you are making these memories with him. I hope that you both enjoy this cruise.

My father in law had dementia so I had to move in with him. All was well until he thought I was his deceased wife...and being from Quebec he would constantly speak to me in French, which I don't know...

Anyway, bless you for taking such good care of your Dad and wanting to enrich his life!

[vacation44]

As always, looking forward to reading about your next adventure with your dad.   Wishing you both a happy birthday and a wonderful time.    

 

And I love the wrapping paper!

 

My dad turned 88 last month.  He was supposed to go with us on our extended family cruise this June to Bermuda but pulled out at final payment much to the disappointment of his grandchildren.   

[YVRteacher]

@vacation44 sorry to hear your dad backed out. Did he feel like it would be too much for him?

 

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I love birthdays! This is a good thing when you work in a school and there are so many birthdays!

[YVRteacher]

Two things:

 

1.  How am I supposed to focus at work when I’m this excited for a cruise?

 

2.  Look at the difference between a cruise with Latitudes “status” and a cruise as a newbie on a different line! (I have one free specialty meal because an employee from Princess was horrible on the phone and a supervisor listened to the recording without me asking her to and without me asking for anything and she called me to apologize and offer a free meal.) 

 

 

 

 

 

[graphicguy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

You are definitely the teacher.  I love it.

 

Now, you're going to make me spend an inordinate amount of time making a calendar using some app that I'll probably never use again with different colors for activities and sub-divisions for different TYPES of activities.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

You are definitely the teacher.  I love it.

 

Now, you're going to make me spend an inordinate amount of time making a calendar using some app that I'll probably never use again with different colors for activities and sub-divisions for different TYPES of activities.

Sounds like an Outlook calendar app to me! My calendar is a rainbow of colors and categories! It's probably why I am the opposite of @YVRteacher and plan nothing.

[MrsTocko]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

You are definitely the teacher.  I love it.

 

Now, you're going to make me spend an inordinate amount of time making a calendar using some app that I'll probably never use again with different colors for activities and sub-divisions for different TYPES of activities.

I’ve been thinking about it since last year when I saw the one she did for Alaska.  This is what I finally came up with on Monday…it’s excel.  I have the blank one and then one for each of my upcoming cruises.  Will update as  thinks are planned and finalize during the packing process….(even listed to finalize).  DH said you are such a nerd.  Yup.  I am.  And isn’t he lucky I am his nerd. Happy to share my blank one if anyone is interested.

[graphicguy]

1 minute ago, MrsTocko said:

I’ve been thinking about it since last year when I saw the one she did for Alaska.  This is what I finally came up with on Monday…it’s excel.  I have the blank one and then one for each of my upcoming cruises.  Will update as  thinks are planned and finalize during the packing process….(even listed to finalize).  DH said you are such a nerd.  Yup.  I am.  And isn’t he lucky I am his nerd. Happy to share my blank one if anyone is interested.

I love it.

 

If you don't mind, it would save me some time if you have the template.  email is my Cruise Critic moniker at Yahoo.