Yesiamthere6

My husband thinks just like you…..will take him 10 minutes to pack!   

I’m feeling much better about the “late” genie switch.  Our new genie, Gandhi, has already reached out to me.   I’m impressed, especially after the positive reviews I’ve read about him on the internet.  I think he going to be awesome.  Well educated guy too!!  I did add about having a dinner in our room, or balcony.  It will be my spaghetti night!!  

A week from Sunday it will be our turn.  

24 minutes ago, Murmer said:

I wonder what is going on too because I had a different genie on the same cruise and she also switched us to a new genie with the same wording. So that is 2 genies switching for the same cruise with the wording.

Someone else got switched too.  Do you now have Wendy?  It’s really odd.  Have you heard from your new genie?

Not looking good!

Got an email just after elven last night from our genie, Monica.  She wrote that due to unexpected “business” needs, she will be handing over Genie duties to Genie Gandhi.  She’s handed over to him our correspondence so far.  What the heck is unexpected business needs.  Thinking that due to genie shortages and she has to go to another ship.  

Where does that leave us?  Will there now only be two Royal Genies, with one having four (or five?), and mine maybe having 5 (or six) rooms to handle.  If so, we are all going to get short changed, for sure!  Too many rooms!!

Does anyone know anything about Genie Gandhi?  

I’m excited for you two to get on that ship.  Once it’s your turn then it’s just one week for I’m cruising!!  

I think it’s called no smoke…..something like that.  It comes in a small bottle and gets rid of the smoke smell.  Haven’t tried it in the casino, but have on my clothes, and it does help with the smell.  Just take that bottle and keep spraying while you are playing.     

@WAAAYTOOOI’m going to heed your advice and have a dinner on our balcony.  I’m thinking it will be my spaghetti night.  I love the way the dining room cooks it, so going to see if I can have that delivered.  Do we have to ask for, let’s say, salt and pepper?  Do I put a request in for a table cloth?  I did our last genie cruise for breakfast.  

@SweetPea What kind of room did you say in during your genie cruise?  How did you handle snacks for two people?

@Lovetocruise2002 I’m thinking, after this ‘couple’ genie cruise, I’ll go back to the grand suite/sky class, unless we have our grown kids with us.  Hubby and I both receive four free drinks for being diamond and the suite lounge/coastal for dinner since booked in a grand suite.  Grand suite’s bathroom is pretty darn nice too!!  

Two weeks from tomorrow we will be headed to New Jersey to board the Anthem of the Seas!  I’ll start packing a few days before we leave, and hubby will start and finish the morning we leave.  I swear he does that just to bother me - but that’s a story for another time.  

I’ve been thinking about “cash” and how much I need to bring.  Since it’s just the two of us this time I’m not sure how much to tip our genie and room steward.  I read once that I should tip the genie well, even if we chose not to use their services much, because the genie is available.  Let’s say I go into a really nice restaurant where the waiter is there to provide me with a memorable evening.  The most expensive steak cost $100 but I order the $30 steak.  Should I tip him on what I ordered or what I could of ordered?  I’m thinking $700 for the week as a starting point.  It could go up or go down a little.  

I do think genies shine better when working with a family with kids. What in the world could a genie do for two “older” people? Anyone have any ideas please share them!!!

16 hours ago, SweetPea said:

Tips from a professional drinker:

1) Liquor before beer, in the clear. Beer before liquor .... shut up, you'll be fine. 

2) Where possible, stick to one alcohol type (e.g., vodka), taking a breather before starting another (e.g., rum). Then it's safe to mix.  Breathing time needed may vary. 

3) It's important to have a code word or phrase with your hubs. This indicates you're about 10 minutes away from making a fool of yourself in a world where everyone uploads videos to YouTube and TikTok. Ours is "we gotta go." 

4) Once you get back to the privacy of your own room, PUI (posting under the influence) is strongly encouraged. Because it's funny. At least to me. 

This is so funny, definitely going to save it!!  I did have code sentence with hubby, “you are killing my free spirit.”  I thought my sentence was pretty darn clear…..you go to the room and leave me with my chocolate dessert.  Apparently, hubby thought it meant that I “should” immediately go to the room before security had to take me.  I got up the next morning with a smile on my face, even though I felt like all that chocolate was not too happy in my tummy.  No way, was I going to admit that it wasn’t the ship swaying the night before…..no way!    

@FireFishIIThank you so much for those wonderful ingredients you posted.  I’m definitely going to love “sex on the beach” drink, and have such “fond” memories of the chocolate martini.    

18 hours ago, MLH said:

Looking forward to your blog.  Our Star class plans changed and the 3 20 something's are not coming,so I am interested in hearing how just the 2 of you enjoy Star Class!

Last year we had three of our four adult kids with us in an Aqua suite, and boy did they enjoy having a genie. It is going to be really different just having hubby and myself this time.  With the kids, having a genie really allowed me to relax, and let go of doing the mom duties that I should of let go back when Uncle Sam started taking a good chunk of their paycheck.  Hubby and I are not needy, and hubby is not comfortable with someone waiting on him….unless it is me!  I will let you know how the genie does with just two people.  

49 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Hello virtual Bestie......I am excited for the "vintage" white woman and her star class cruise.

I have to admit I am a lightweight when it comes to drinking. I don't like the taste of alcohol. But when I did Star class, I went around trying to drink all the specialty restaurant and bar drinks. I had a bunch of misses but that's how I fell in love with the Japanese Strawberry at Izumi and Cheshire Cosmo at Wonderland. Also, I have never had a chocolate martini.......next cruise.

Hello, my younger “still got it going on virtual  bestie!”  Never heard of those two drinks, but those jokers are now on my bucket list!  

Sex on the beach…..nope, nada, not going to waste my precious cruise time worrying about the lifeguard rushing to us thinking one of us needed medical help. 

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Lol. I’ve made similar vows before but just can’t seem to do it.  I guess I’m just a <alcohol> lightweight.  I think I’m going to try a few different drinks but then when the time comes, I can never think of the name of a drink I want to try !  Then later I think to myself, “why didn’t I ask for a mud slide or a chocolate martini or something like that ?!”.  Speaking of chocolate martini, I did manage to remember that one last night at the Grandeur “Tango Buenos Aires” show.  It was quite tasty !

Good luck with your quest !  I don’t think I’ve ever had a “sex on the beach” either.  Will I remember that when the occasion presents itself ?  Probably not.

I’m a lightweight in drinking too.  The kids are always amazed that I need to “get air” after one drink.  I did relive my twenty’s a few years ago when I found the chocolate martini in the casino.  All I could taste was the chocolate, which led me to asking for another then another.  Hubby found me “hooting and hollering” and bidding much higher than usual at a machine in the casino.  He was like, what the heck Old White Woman, how many of these things have you had……and, are you really betting $2.50 a pull.  I remember thinking that you gotta play big to win big.  Lesson learned was if you play big you lose big and fast.  We headed back to the room with me protesting that he was killing my free spirit.  He kept telling me I was the victim of the chocolate martini while I swore it was just the boat swaying.

My plan is to ask the bartender at each bar to give me their specialty drink, and I plan to spread the bar hopping over the seven nights.  Hubby thinks just what you said.  He thinks that I will, after the initial surge, start ordering just a coke  

Since it’s just the two of us going on this cruise, I’ve decided on a different approach this time.  First, I’m going to try a different drink at each bar.  I’m not much of a drinker, but I refuse to die without knowing what “sex on the beach” taste like.  Think of it like a life’s “bucket” list.  I’ve also read in amazement @Ampurp85live blogs, and realized I need to do more “people” watching.  Now, I’m not looking for any upside down pineapples for myself, but I’m surely gonna be more aware of people who are!  If there is not much going on one night, and the casino is trying to force me to visit a food bank, then I’m going to make my hubby sit with me at the dance club to watch people for our entertainment.    

3 hours ago, GregD said:

While I have yet to experience #teamDeck17, I too can fully vouch for the Anthem aft lofts, as long as the neighbours (neighbors?) are good ones! If I'm able to sail star class on Anthem again, that's exactly where I would be! They really are spectacular.

We also had lunch in coastal on embarkation day. It was convenient and the food was good. I don't think I am alone in my assessment that Anthem has the best CK.

You so funny!  My first interior room, I was like WTH, what if there is a fire blocking us getting out of the room. I need a balcony where I could beat down the dividers to get to safety, or jump into the ocean.   

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

If you arrange it with your Genie ahead of time, it can usually be done. Or better yet, CK can probably make the spaghetti for you. 

That’s exactly what I’m going to do!  Thank you!  

Is it true that you can order, let’s say spaghetti from the dining room, and have it delivered to CK?

20 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Hi, we just grabbed a snack at the Pub (Bass & Brock, Brass & Bock, whatever). I'm glad we did because we had dinner in Chops that night and once they found out we were SC, we got a lot of food and they left the bottle of wine, which I'm the only one of the 2 of us who drinks wine .... Or was it the Italian place? Either way, dinner was way too much so I'm glad we only did a snack!

I was thinking either there or 270 for a light lunch.  Mentioned that to our genie and she replied that we could also eat in the suite lounge or a speciality restaurant.  I think she was amazed that we were not going to eat at Coastal.  Lol

@WAAAYTOOOIt does seem silly to reserve the comedy club but not the Jazz club!  I do know that six guys that were staying in the four bedroom suite had their genie reserve a big section at the dance club.  Friend said the genie had roped it off until they arrived.  While there the friend met an older woman who was celebrating her 70th birthday.  Friend had his genie make her a special birthday cake and delivered it to the woman’s room the next day. 

Hubby and I are pretty darn easy, but when I want something done then I want it done.  We are spending thousands of extra dollars for a bit more than dining and drinking.  It seems people online are complaining that Star Service isn’t what it use to be. Not sure what that all entails.  

Has anybody ever had Monica has their Genie?  Doesn’t seem to be a lot of information online about her.  

28 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

Definitely following! We did SC on Anthem prior to the pandemic and loved it. We were just above you in 10324. Relegate hubby to the downstairs bath like i did . 

I missed having a suite area, but the Genie made up for it. Sorry i have no experience with Monica or the Music Hall to help you along. 

Where did you eat for lunch when you boarded?  Any of the restaurants stood out?  

It’s going to be a bit odd to leave out of New Jersey, and a bit cold.  Hubby and I fly in the day before and are staying near the airport at the Renaissance.  I’m guessing we will Uber to the port.  I really would like to have preplanned transportation leaving the cruise to the airport.  Lots of horror stories of people standing out in the cold while waiting for their Uber.  Thousands of people leaving the ship and thousands of people trying to board.  Old White Woman does not do well waiting in the cold.  I’m getting to the point that I understand “why” old people push their way to the front of the line.  It’s all about time left in front of you.

To give you a little insight to how much my hubby enjoys cruising, I’ll tell you about the conversation we had yesterday.  I was so excited when I told him that in three weeks we would be on the ship, and wasn’t he excited too.  He looked at me and said “four” weeks.  I said, no, three weeks.  He repeated four weeks again with a smile in his eyes.  

“Four weeks is when we will be getting off the ship.”

I’m pretty sure he is going to add seven days to whatever I say our countdown is.  For some odd reason he thinks he is being so darn funny.  I laugh because it’s such a small price to pay to sit for seven nights in a suite.  

We got our welcome letter from our Genie, Monica Sosa.  Anyone ever have her?   She’s been amazing so far.  She sent a list of questions and has already responded to my answers.  Star Class will visit the bridge, galley and theater.  Anybody ever do the theater tour?  I did tell her we would like to do bumper cars twice, northstar twice and hubby wants to do the IFly.  

I would like to have seats reserved in the music hall, but there seems to be both, yes you can, and nope they can’t do that on the internet.  Is it possible?  

Thanks!

Three weeks from now we are on the Anthem of the Seas!  Last time, which was many years ago, hubby and I booked last moment and ended up in an interior room.  I think everyone should experience an interior room.  To truly enjoy or appreciate a suite you need to have first experience a “basic” room.  I have friends that only book interior rooms.  They do not stay in the room much, and love the total darkness for sleeping.  I, on the other hand, have a true fear of having nowhere to escape if there was a fire blocking my entrance door, so hubby knows I need options.  This cruise we booked the grand loft, room 8324.  I know now, that I should of gone higher in my room choice due to noise from the club, but then again, I’m a night owl.  Rarely, will I be in bed before 1am.  You all would be proud that I stayed away from those corner lofts.  Do I hear a amen?

Last cruise we had our adult kids with us in a two bedroom aqua suite, which was wonderful.  I’m curious what I will think of the loft suite. It’s no 17th floor suite, but a suite nonetheless.  Royal has twice sent us the “RoyalUP”  We have two options:  Owner’s loft starting at $280 a person, or the Royal Loft starting at $700 a person.  Looking at online videos, I don’t think the owner’s loft is worth bidding on.  The Royal Loft looked a bit…intriguing.  It’s nice, for sure, but do I really want to spend over $1400 to look at “really nice” or would “nice” be enough.  Shoot, what would we do with the second bedroom.  

Now, I wasn’t born yesterday, so I know those rooms are most likely booked, and Royal is covering any “no-shows”, but I was a bit amazed that Royal sent me the second RoyalUp email.  I did win a RoyalUp a year ago.  We moved from a balcony to a grand suite.  

Hubby just came into my “girl cave” and said:  Would you really spend an extra $200 a day to move to the Royal Loft?  He said he thought that would be silly.  We have been married way over 30 years and both know how the game is played.  We have an understanding that it is his duty to “not” want to spend the money, and it’s my duty to spend the money.  We balance each other out that way.  

I’m thinking that I would rather spend that extra $200 in the casino.    

Sometimes, it’s hard to get a machine in the casino, so heck yea, it’s my business that a snot nose kid is playing in the casino. And, heck yea, it’s my business that a 11 year old is drinking liquor, and possibly could be taken advantage of by someone.