panda123

Dirty Martini with 3 Olives.?

Can you bring wine in a BOX in place of a glass bottle on board?
Thanks.  Ken

And all this talk of not getting our way with M & Ms, makes me want to ask for absurd stuff like this?:

I know what you are thinking.  January 2022?  Did I read that right?
In order to secure a great price on one of only two Star Class Ultimate Panoramic Suites on Oasis I booked this a couple of months ago when the itineraries where first released.  Within minutes of them going public I secured the 2nd of these two suites in the name of research and, well it seemed like a good excuse to book a cruise.
That's nice and all but why start a blog now?
I am so tired of @Matt beating up on my fellow Canadian @Lovetocruise2002 even though we all knew he has the record for starting a cruise blog the longest before any sailing in the history of these boards that I had to step in and take action.   So back off Matt!
Seven hundred and twenty nine days.  
Itinerary as it stands today includes Puerto Plata, DR, St Thomas USVI and San Juan Puerto Rico.  
This may be my only 2020 update.  I'll do my best to update this blog at least once in 2021.  
Until then, let it be known I hold the record for the longest pre-cruise early blogging award!

Ok Here We Go!! 
I left my home at 8:00am and made it to PC by 9:45.

At 10:00 I was onboard the shuttle and was heading to the ship.
At 10:20 I arrived at the pier. 
And at 10:45 we were onboard!

Todays lunch!

 

I’m on Enchantment of the Seas right now as well. I have a different perspective.
Tuesday afternoon a 600 foot tanker ran into an 80 foot fishing boat at the entrance to the Houston-Galveston Ship Channel. 1 person confirmed dead, 1 person in the hospital. The Coast Guard abandoned the search for two other missing crew members today and they are presumed dead. The crew of the Pappy’s Pride fishing boat and their families are having a horrible week, much worse than I ever hope you or I have. I’m happy to be enjoying time on a cruise ship with my family this week.
Due to this tragedy there has been NO ship traffic in or out of the ports of Houston, Galveston, or Texas City since Tuesday afternoon.  The economic impact of shutting down tanker and other ship traffic in this area is staggering. 
After Enchantment waited offshore all day, the Coast Guard was gracious enough to allow her into port Wednesday afternoon as she passed within yards of the wreckage site at a very slow speed while the responders were still securing the wrecked vessel, controlling the environmental damage, and searching for two missing human beings.
After waiting all last night and all day today, Enchantment was escorted out of port this afternoon in heavy fog with two pilot boats off our bow to ensure we safely traversed the fog. I was deeply moved as we passed the crash site at a very slow speed so as not to disturb the small fleet of boats and the crane platform that were continuing the recovery operation in the channel. 
Enchantment of the Seas was the ONLY ship allowed to come in or out of the area since Tuesday afternoon. Then Carnival Dream was finally allowed in this evening after she waited offshore all day. As of this moment the area remains closed to all other ship traffic. Only a few small service boats have been allowed in the area.
Royal Caribbean provided text and email updates about every two hours yesterday as we waited to learn when we could board. Enchantment’s captain provided several updates last night after we boarded, and several more updates throughout the day today. There was little information that they could provide because they had no control over the weather or the tragic situation in the Galveston Jetties, but they checked in with us regularly to let us know they were communicating with authorities and trying to get us underway. They also did not offer false hope or speculation  because they knew the situation was fluid and telling us one thing and then changing their story would have drawn much criticism.
We’re now underway to Cozumel and I’ve been having a great time, all things considered. I’ve used my cell phone as a tool to find out as much as I could about what was happening with our situation, much of which is spelled out above.
May God bless the crew of Pappy’s Pride and their families. May those who perished Rest In Peace. 

We got the “no” today on M&M’s also.  Now I’m going to ask for the Seafood Tower in the Escape Room - to be delivered by one of the CATS.  In costume.  I don’t know how to insert a smiley face or I would!  Just seems bizarre that people request special bottles of booze and specialty lunches in the room on day 1 and that’s good but you cant get a bag of M&M’s!!  I’ll keep you posted @Pookie. 

@Pookie I said earlier that I’m pretty laid back, and I really am.  If i asked for a Seafood Tower to be delivered to the Escape room while we were there and was told no i could roll with that answer.  But if I asked for a bag of M&M’s and was told to go the candy store...Me thinks I might not accept that answer.  I know that things differ from Genie to Genie and from ship to ship, but that’s an unacceptable response for your simple request. I’m hoping that changes for you!

We did this on Oasis back in October 2019, it was probably the best meal I have had in awhile! It was offered for lunch only and only on a sea day! The menu includes something from the specialty restaurants onboard. Our appetizer was from Izumi’s and was absolutely delicious sushi roll! One of the people in our party thought she didn’t like sushi, but being a good sport, tried it! She said it was the best thing she had eaten and was savoring it! Our salad was from Chops and was the goat cheese salad, very good! Our entrees were from CP 150, which is where the lunch was held, it was two entrees offered. The first was a lamb Wellington, omg, it was delicious! The second was lobster Thermidor, again very, very good! Dessert was the chocolate world from Wonderland, if you have had it, it is delicious! All in all, it was a fantastic meal, the servers were awesome and the food was fantastic! The only problem was we didn’t want dinner because we were so full from lunch! I would definitely do this again! 

@Lovetocruise2002 Did you say that you went to the WJ?
  
 
 

I personally like to put on a dress for formal night, something basic or something dressy (cocktail or old bridesmaid dress), mid 30's it's about the only time we get to dress up. Hubs will put on nice pants and a nice button up, usually no blazer or tie (never quite figured that thing out, lol) I dont really care how anyone is dressed, with the major exception of flip flops and tshirts with cut off sleeves that expose male nipples or a sports bra. That's just gross and I firmly believe those people should be turned away, from all dining establishments. 

Thanks for the info, heading to Nachi Cocom in March, first time so I'll be interested to hear what you think!

Sometimes it's good idea to go one last time to the Casino , just to get my birthday present

Probably not a glitch.  There are far more balcony rooms on an Oasis class ship than there are Oceanview rooms.  Since Royal is now using computer programmed inventory pricing, the oceanviews are more "rare" than the balconies, thus the higher price.  Once the balconies start to dwindle, the prices will likely switch.  On the December 1, Oasis cruise I just completed, the oceanview rooms were the first to sell out.  I recommend that if you are seriously considering this cruise, book a balcony now with a refundable deposit.  You can always change your mind but the prices on those balconies will not be lower for long (my guess).

This got me my first flight. I assumed liquids were just soap, shampoo, perfume, etc.....ending up dumping half my purse out cause TSA in ATL also meant lip gloss, blistex, foundation, liquid lip stain, etc (the staples of everyday) ..... hard life lesson lol, make up now goes in checked bag

I'm laughing at the "Beef French" that look like hotdogs wrapped in dough!?

That is the same menu we had on Grandeur for NYE dinner but we ate at Izumi.
The apple pie is exactly what we get from Omaha Steaks but they call it an apple tartlet !  At least the apple tartlet doesn’t have <shiver> raisins.

Indy - April 2021

SAME! I was a pier runner on DAY 1!! Arrived to check in with only 10 minutes to spare.....never again!

As woman, I am ashamed that I didn't not ever think of this! I always have one, and never end up using it on vaca.

Day 1
IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!
But first, more Queen Mary pictures in daylight.

The Queen Mary was a fast ship.  Faster than today's cruise ships of this size or larger.  She routinely cruised at over 28 knots and during sea trials she reached just over 32 knots.






This enclosed promenade deck would have been popular on those cold North Atlantic winter crossings.


The Verandah Grill towards the aft of the ship was an extra cost restaurant.  In other words the concept of specialty dining started decades before modern cruise lines embraced the idea.

During World War II the Queen Mary was put into service as a troop carrier bringing troops back and forth between the US. and Britain.   She was painted grey and earned the name the Grey Ghost.  Her top speeds allowed her to elude german u-boats. 
On one crossing she carried a staggering 15,740 service personnel with a crew of 943 for a total of 16,683 souls on board.  That remains the highest count ever carried by any vessel, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken.   

During this time they removed all the fine china and crystal and converted every square inch to the goal of maximizing space for the troops.  Gone were the cabin class 1st class accommodations, it was all about squeezing troops on board.  During the war when she was a troop carrier he was fitted with anti aircraft guns.

A lego model has been constructed and is on display in a room called the shipyard.


Sir Winston Churchill would routinely sail her during the war to coordinate efforts with the allies. In this photo he is sitting by this very fireplace.

How about these lifeboats?


The bridge:







The Captain's quarters have been preserved in their original condition.



She even had a fitness center back in the day with modern exercise equipment.



If you ever get the chance I highly recommend a stay on the Queen Mary.


 

I can't start into the actual cruise until I mention the Queen Mary.  As a cruise geek this is the ultimate way to kick off any cruise.  

The Queen Mary is an ocean liner that began service in 1936.  She was built with one mission in mind - sailing the North Atlantic between Southampton and New York.  Before the days of airplanes flying between the continents there was only one way to make the journey - by sea.  She isn't a cruise ship exactly, she just had two destinations repeated week after week.  However you can see where many of the things we have come to enjoy on modern cruise ships have evolved from the days of ocean liners. 
The Queen Mary ended service in 1967 and was sailed for the last time to the harbor in Long Beach California.  The City of Long Beach bought the Queen Mary outbidding a Chinese scrapyard and so the QM lives on now as a museum and hotel.  I've stayed here before since Carnival sails from Long Beach right next door, within walking distance of the QM.  


On this occasion I booked a Deluxe King room for $129 per night plus local taxes.  This is pretty competitive with local hotels so given the opportunity to stay on this historic old ship I'll do it every time.
The QM isn't a small ship.  In dimensions she approaches Voyager class and she was too big for the Panama Canal the day she was built.  

This cabin was considered first class in the day but the decor is more modern compared to what a guest in 1936 would have experienced.  While not a suite it was a large step up above third class.  In 1936 a one way first class fare was $1,074.  



As a means to conserve limited fresh water supplies, guests could choose hot salt water, cold salt water, hot fresh water or cold fresh water.  Those aren't functional today, the modern shower control above and to the left controls the water now.


Several vents that double as thermostats.  Want it warmer?  Slide to left.  Want cool air?  Slide to the right.  These are not operational today, modern thermostats are used but it's cool to see how guests would have warmed their cabins in the cold North Atlantic.

Working portholes!  No balconies on ships in those days, these portholes were a luxury.


The flat panel TV's were added during a renovation to meet modern expectations for a hotel room.

My first cruise was on a 50 person plus group cruise for a wedding: I did no research on the ship, beverage options, shore excursions, (didn't know cruise planner existed, as everything but drinks and shopping was taken care of)......I just did what my in-laws said/suggested. 3 night Bahamas cruise, my husband and I racked up a $450+ bar tab (didn't include the extra juice, coffee, bottled waters, we also had), got stuck doing activities we didn't like because we didn't know other options existed. Only plus; over half of the group went snorkeling in cold rough water and had a terrible time, while we chose to sit on the beach with an all you can drink $20 coconut and go shopping (had a blast!)

I think I’ll be calling the football fan cruise group and inquire about their February cruise... ?

Not me!  But then again, I never iron anything lol...