OCSC Mike

15 hours ago, Mrs. Regular said:

Alaska has been on our bucket list for a long time

I never even considered Alaska but my wife did and spent a year planning (with an outside company) what turned out to be a bucket list type extravagant 18-day land/sea trip in 2018. It cost a small fortune (especially given that we normally just drive to PC for 7N's in the Caribbean in an interior) but it was the best trip we've ever taken. I've been thanking her for making me go ever since. Enjoy!

34 minutes ago, JustMeJoe said:

Remember our conversation about GT vs GK @OCSC Mike?  Ambience, taste, PORTION --- evidence from GT last night below.  She could only eat 1/3 of that but said it was great.  I had the garlic prawns - everything was outstanding!

I post way too much to remember everything, lol, but I do now. We're still going to try GK in June with our first ever BOGO but thanks for the follow-up.

GT was always a big meal (which works for me) but I don't see how GK would be any smaller. I'm actually expecting it to be bigger b/c I will want to try a pizza (somehow) after ordering 1-2 apps, a filet, a pasta dish, and dessert. I may get the pizza to go. In any case, I'm not worried about portion. Ambience doesn't matter a ton to me. I can appreciate it but I'm there for the food. Taste... leads us back to subjectivity... and there's only one way to find out what our subjective opinion is.

Hope that didn't come off as argumentative or dismissive. I do appreciate you resurrecting this and we were already on the same subjectivity page. Enjoy the rest of your cruise! I've been following along when you pop into @WAAAYTOOO's live blog.

2 minutes ago, mom2mybugs said:

I’ve never even thought about requesting location…just the 2-top.  Now I will definitely add on window or edge near railing.  I hated being smooshed in between a bunch of other 2 -tops.  They might just as well sat us together they were that close.  Jane

No guarantee you get what you ask for of course but no harm in trying. I know the 2-top rows you're talking about and I get it.

Last cruise (Wonder in March) we were one 2-top removed from a window (after my request) so it was kind of like being at a 4-top with another couple but fortunately they were nice and we got along and chatted for a while.

You do not want to be caught with ammo there. Apparently it carries a 12-year prison sentence.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/turks-and-caicos-ammo-prison-sentence-american-tourists/

Ironically (or Google shenanigans), that story popped up in my Chrome newsfeed today.

I usually ask for a 2-top, by a window if possible. I don't care what window and it's not really a big deal if we even get a window, we just want a 2-top, but since I'm already bothering to make a request, I figure I might as well. I wouldn't bother being more specific than that but to each their own.

8 minutes ago, Fastfaller said:

Ugh, that Bailey's just sat in my stomach and curdled.

Glad I didn't suggest a BBC or mudslide, lol. I like Bailey's... not a whiskey drinker though so no BMW's for me (whatever that is).

14 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

Maybe 50 seats inside and there is an outside section as well. It's located up on Deck 14 so has the Viking Crown views.

7 minutes ago, JustMeJoe said:

Yep, but those snacks look preeeety good.  Better than EX 

I liked the CL on Indy between the crown view and the outdoor area. Although when we were on her in 2022 the automatic sliding door to the outside wasn't working so you had to manually pry it open, lol. The warm snacks were also awful.

Everything is a trade-off I guess. I'm used to Oasis class with the CL in the basement and I'll take Wonder's virtual window, nice food spread, and TWO coffee machines at this point over a nice view. I don't actually lounge there for long anyway... I usually just grab my cappuccinos and pastry to go in the early AM and pop in at night to check the snacks and maybe sit there eating them for 10-15 mins.

2 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

Crown Lounge snacks

I still can't get over that sad little warming tray, lol.

4 minutes ago, Mrs. Thomas said:

I was just trying to get into my reservation to buy amenities but it's not letting me get to the page with the options. I can get into my reservation, but when I click "plan my reservation" it goes back to the log in screen. I tried more than once and it kept doing the same thing. It's frustrating! They need to get this fixed.

Same glitch here.

14 minutes ago, KevinK said:

I was surprise when the rep told me about this

It's well documented that (unfortunately) you can ask the same question to three different phone reps and get three different answers.

I don't have a definitive answer or solution for you (I thought kids kept their status like you did) but don't accept one phone rep's answer as the correct one.

12 minutes ago, mashley1021 said:

I promise I am 30... just with the eating habits of a teenager I guess  and I really don't drink much so that also furthers this I guess

My wife is... let's go with > 30... and she kinda eats like a big kid and barely drinks as well. We just turned D+ and I'm going to have to make an effort to use up our vouchers. She maxes out at 3 and can easily use less. I'm not a huge drinker myself so 8 vouchers for just me will likely wind up in a fridge half full of Truly and/or soda cans.

22 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I closed that browser pretty quickly lol

Not very unfrugal or YOLO of you!

10 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

They are nurse sharks

Yeah, that's one of the sharks she saw at CocoCay and it wasn't big. She also saw a lemon shark. One was by chill beach where the snorkeling is and the other was by the OTW cabanas. I forget which was which.

12 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Lots of touching and petting (sea lions, that is)

I mentioned your excursion to my wife and she was all in for the sea lions but her two encounters with small sharks at CocoCay was enough for her on that front, lol.

We've swam with dolphins, seen the usual suspects snorkeling (turtles, rays, etc.), and had a great time at the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward before our one Alaska cruise. We did a "puffin encounter" where you go into the puffin/penguin habitat and get to feed them fish for a pretty long time. Guess we'll have to add sea lions to the list now if we ever get to the DR or somewhere else that offers it.

We hardly even notice the CD these days. I really do think we're in our own little bubble with our boring/relaxing routine (which we obviously enjoy).

I will say it was pretty hard not to notice Ricky Matthews on Wonder last month though. That guy has some energy!

20 minutes ago, calvink669 said:

Those are some big shoes to fill!  I'm afraid, I'm neither as funny nor as witty as some of the OGs here.

Everyone has their own style and any blog is better than no blog. You'll be fine.

That said, I do like having my own little niche... not much competition for "frugal guy in interior positing mostly food & drink porn."

20 minutes ago, calvink669 said:

you might get a few cases of BUTI (Blogging under the Influence) on this trip

I bet many of us are looking forward to this part!

6 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

80+ cruises ! Mercy, how does one go about such numbers ? Please mentor me!

I think retirement helps. Been trying to speed it up but Powerball doesn't want to cooperate.

Yes, it's midnight in the time zone of where the ship leaves.

9 minutes ago, calvink669 said:

I, on the other hand, will likely get packed up Friday morning before our flight to Miami

I like your style. We have a one hour drive to PC so I do some packing the day before but always finish early in the morning before hopping in the car.

Playmakers lunch and night one filet in CK?

Between that stuff and Paradise Beach, sounds like we have some common preferences... except for the Star Class part, lol.

8 hours ago, Reigert2008 said:

we also get annoyed that the comedians in the comedy club are adult only and cuss like a sailor,, but then do a family show in the main theater.  Why can’t they just always be family friendly.

Because some people prefer adult comedy. You can't please everyone. I have no interest in Broadway shows but lots of people like them. I don't get annoyed that they offer them, I just don't go.

FWIW, there is no family friendly version of the comedy on some ships (like Wonder). They do another adult show around 10pm in the main theater on the last night. In the past, when I've seen the family friendly show after seeing the adult version first, I've mostly found them not funny at all b/c the comics always seemed forced to do a type of act that isn't really their preferred type of comedy.

We all like what we like.

12 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

Oscar has been killing it with the mini menagerie..

Those are great!

1 minute ago, smokeybandit said:

We always go in about 10 minutes after it opens. No lines, plenty of window seats available.

Yep, yep, and yep.

18 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

The windjammer isn't chaotic unless you are in line right when it opens.

Every time I post something about how the WJ isn’t busy or chaotic when it first opens I get crickets so I basically gave up.

It takes a while for people to board, explore, find their way around, take care of issues, etc. I love being one of the first people there.

4 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Waaay more folks in the Crown Lounge on this leg.  Dan and I had to sit out in the VC area while I drink my coffee.  It’s a zoo inside.

One of the few perks of sailing with tons of kids during school breaks on Oasis class... I have yet to ever see a truly crowded CL since they started vouchers (obviously the DL was crowded back during the open bar happy hour days). It's a veritable ghost town in the mornings when I go to get my coffee. I was usually the only one there besides the crew member putting out breakfast at 7am on Wonder last month during spring break.

Granted I go on the early side (sometimes crazy early just to get coffee to go), but even if I went back with my wife at 8:30 or something, there were less than 10 people there. It was a bit more crowded during nightly "happy hour" (should be called snack time) but there were always plenty of seats.

14 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

It's been in its traditional late spot my last few cruises.  And still taking one side of the couple off stage.

Older ships?