kadmgs

I hope they find this kid. 

https://www.unilad.com/news/world-news/royal-caribbean-man-jumps-overboard-in-front-family-362946-20240405

I have heard of people bringing them to put on top of the mattress due to the beds being unbearably uncomfortable for some (us for one). We carry a mattress topper with us. However, I don't know if there is a certain type of air mattress to buy.  

We were on Harmony at Thanksgiving and they showed the Cowboys game in Studio B. They had a makeshift bar set up and were selling popcorn. Because it was the Caribbean ESPN feed, we had to wait for the college basketball game from the Bahamas tournament to finish. The game went into OT and it was hilarious to watch all those people lose their minds because we were missing the first few minutes of the game. 

Hi @Jax! I hope y'all enjoyed the Texans game. It was great to see you, again. Crazy how this blog spills over into other areas of life at times. 

14 hours ago, billdauterive said:

This has been and will be true for eternity...

For sure! I feel the same way about I-10 between Houston and the Sabine River.

I-45 is under construction between Galveston & Hobby. I would not chance it. You never know what type of delays with disembarkation might occur. We were delayed getting off on 11/26 due to power issue on a lower deck. I would just deal with sitting in the airport for a few extra hours versus having to pay extra because you missed your flight. 

Also... While August does have less hurricane activity than September, it can still be an active month. 

7 minutes ago, Zacharius said:

I think you just came up with Semester At Sea

That would be awesome! 

@CrimsonCruiser Are you flying out of Hobby (HOU) or Bush (IAH)? This makes a big difference in my answer.

As a 22 yr. social studies educator and life-long learner, I agree 100% that this could be more educational than what they could get in a classroom. The amazing things I could do with students given the opportunities and locations they will have. Plus, having a dedicated space on board for "school" would be amazing. 

Man, am I disappointed in this post... I thought I was going to get to read about someone's assessment of the electrical conduit used onboard. Look at them using the fancy French term for Captain. 

AI for sure!

How chaotic/loud is the terminal during boarding? We sail out on Harmony 11/19 and have a 1 pm boarding time. We've only had a suite since sailing out of the new terminal and this time we are not in one. Trying to figure out if I need to do the guest special needs form for DW who has combat-related PTSD and deals with anxiety in large crowds at times. 

@Lovetocruise2002 I understand completely. I started in 2002 & teaching has changed so much. I teach government, so I have to be especially careful not to upset parents. It's ridiculous.

@OCSC MikeTexas provides a buy-in option for health insurance, but it's not cheap. I'm trying to figure out how to get my social security credits to get at least half of what I paid in before I started teaching. #thankswindfall If we lived in Florida, I'd try and get a Disney job for the perks. 

I could retire in December of 2029, but if I go until Dec 2031 it will increase my yearly pension amount by $5,000. Texas' retirement math is funky & state legislature has not given a cost of living raise to retirees in over 20 years. So even when I retire from public school, I will continue to teach adjunct at the college level online to supplement my income. Gotta pay for cruises somehow. LOL! 

On 9/2/2023 at 9:21 AM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Yes lol. Ever since having the kids, I take a year off every few years. Our school board has a great plan for that. I have taken advantage of that over the last ten years and some. This is my last one though. After this year off, it will be the home stretch to retirement. And that “Hell to the Bell” cruise

I am so jealous! Nothing like this in Texas. 

I'm stealing the "hell to the bell" phrase! I love it! #8moreyears

Just a heads up, 4/30 is Blessing of the Fleet at Kemah. The boat parade will be cool to see, but it will be crowded more than likely. 

Calle Ocho/Little Havana is a must stop for us when we are in Miami. We love Old's Havana. We get a Lyft from the hotel and it's about 10 mins. from the Intercontinental. 

Our district's rule is that you cannot take the day off before a holiday unless it is an emergency, but it's not really enforced. Granted, the baseball coaches and track coaches are out for a tournament/meet and the ag teachers are out for Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, but that's only about 10 people. 

Teaching the day before spring break is the worst! We have 30 teachers out today out of 200. 2:45 can't get here soon enough. 

Y'all have fun & enjoy your time off. 

I got it while sitting in a meeting and I yelled at my phone, "I'm not on a cruise, you ***hole!" My co-workers/friends were like, "what???" Needless to say I had to explain. Good thing it wasn't a formal meeting or with people that aren't my friends. 

20 hours ago, melmar02 said:

Where did you park? I'm assuming not on-site? We usually park at Lighthouse, and I'm curious if there is any noticeable difference using a 3rd party parking lot from the old terminal. 

Same as @CrznTxn https://www.portparking.com/ I like that we parked in a warehouse and the shuttle service was included. It was super easy and they give a better discount than the Port of Galveston for disabled veterans. 

We were on Adventure last week and it was the fastest boarding process we've experienced. We were on the ship about 10 minutes after our parking shuttle dropped us off at the terminal. We were in a suite and there was only one family in front of us. We didn't even really have time to look around at the new terminal before we were onboard. Disembarkation was just as fast. From the time we left the lounge where suite guests were waiting until we were in our car was about 20 minutes and that included waiting for the parking shuttle driver to load everyone's luggage. 

Site still down for me. Ugh.

Just repriced my Nov. '23 Harmony sailing & saved $682. I'll take it. 

On 11/4/2022 at 2:20 PM, Bryan from Bmore said:

Has anyone skipped the MDR altogether and just dined at specialty restaurants and Coastal Kitchen? I have always utilized the MDR except for a night or two if we decided to visit a specialty dining venue. This time around we are Sky Class and have the three-night dining package. I'll be sailing on Wonder in December. 

We don't like the MDR, so we buy the UDP, regardless of the ship. We were on Oasis in a suite in December and did a combination of UDP and CK. CK for breakfast a few times, one lunch, and dinner night one. UDP the rest of the time. 

18 hours ago, CrznTxn said:

Watched the new terminal start from zero to finished. Now to go through it in 10 days, albeit on Adventure and not Allure. Cannot wait and will be on Allure first week in December to try it out too.

Are you on the 11/19 Adventure sailing? If so, we are as well.