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Riley

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Posts posted by Riley

  1. I take photos of each of my bottles with a sample pill in front of the label, then use multi-day dispensers to keep me on track (and tape them shut in my carry-on so I don't find a random pile of pills at the bottom of my backpack when I get to the room...)

    Also I agree with other posters that you should take several days' more than you will need just in case... we were gone for a month and I took 10 extra days' worth with me.

    (Note: if you have insurance coverage for your meds ordinarily you cannot refill a prescription early, but there is a "vacation override" option your pharmacist can enter that should allow for the early refill. Any of the big chains can handle this. 

  2. (NOTE: this is all based on the older menus - won't be able to comment on the new ones until May) They usually do the salmon properly, especially if you request it medium-rare. The dover sole and snapper are both hit-or-miss. Shrimp are usually a bit mealy, though I've had some very good shrimp dishes. The fish and chips is just cod and has been good every time I've tried it.

    If you're on a ship that has it, "Hooked" is also hit-or-miss - i was terrific on "Symphony" and awful on "Wonder."  Good luck!

  3. Having driven all over the Province, do not worry about road signs. Yes, the "stop" sign might be in French but it's still the familiar red octagon. French is spoken more the further East one gets, but virtually everyone is also fluent in English, especially the closer you get to Montreal.  One caution: the road near St. Anne du Beaupre (between QC and Mont.) is hilly and can very easily get foggy/slick. Otherwise it's a lovely drive along the St. Lawrence.

  4. 1 hour ago, LakeAlto said:

    Hello. We are about to leave on a cruise on February 18. This is a family reunion with 10 adult family members in all. My brother started to feel crummy on February 7 and tested positive for Covid on February 8. Technically, his Covid test was 10 days ago. He’s no longer having symptoms but he is still testing positive for Covid as of today (Feb 17th).  He is a scrupulously honest person and is not willing to fib on his health questionnaire when he comes to the port tomorrow. So my question is this, assuming he answers truthfully and states that he has had Covid in the past 14 days, will they deny him boarding? Because the CDC recommendations are that someone’s no longer contagious after five or seven days as long as they’re not symptomatic. Has anybody been in this scenario? And please don’t advise me to tell him to fib on his questionnaire. He simply won’t do that.

     

    Call and talk with them - get a supervisor on the line who can actually answer questions, including their name/title and his options.  

    Fingers crossed he can find a solution!

     

  5. 14 hours ago, DoomSlayer said:

    It's great that you were able to get money back in the form of onboard credits, but I would not consider 100 shares a solid long term investment.  Someone that bought 100,000 shares the same time you did would have only been able to get back 0.042% of their investment back in onboard credits (because these benefits are capped), making this an extremely risky investment.  Investors are looking at debt, PE ratios, and EPS numbers right now, not return via onboard credits.  As much as I like Royal Caribbean and cruising, I would not jump in right now, especially after considering my energy investments, that do pay dividends today, have appreciated 400% in the past 2 years.  Will I day trade RCL -- Absolutely.  Will I invest in RCL -- not with their current balance sheet.

    Doom, if I could afford to buy 100,000 shares I wouldn't be worried about onboard credit!

  6. 7 hours ago, JimnKathy said:

    All of the cruise line stocks are debt-laden "zombies".  

    They have no way of paying down their debts and will struggle even more when their debts have to be refinanced at much higher interest rates.

    I've made $$thousands writing out of the money puts on RCL, but there's no way I'd recommend anyone own the common stock as a long term buy and hold just to get OBC.

     

    Depends how often one cruises and how low one buys...  I picked up 100 shares when it was in the tank and have made 42% of my investment back in onboard credits. Plus it paid a decent dividend pre-pandemic and may do so again when the debt structure agreement ends, which reduces the cost per share further.

  7. 23 hours ago, Mycue1966 said:

    I just got off WOS and asked the bartender directly if her preferred cash or the to on the bill. He said the bill was better. I started the week giving out cash, but switched to the tip on the bill after that conversation.

    Huh. Pretty sure he is coached by his manager to say that, as I have NEVER encountered (or been) a bar tender who did not prefer cash. But good for you asking!

  8. On 12/5/2022 at 4:19 PM, Pooch said:

    My husband regularly orders 2 appetizers, sometimes I like several appetizers instead of an entree.  Extra plates doesn’t necessarily mean gluttony.

    Agreed - often the Dearly Beloved and I split all three of the night's appetizers to try them, and sometimes split the desserts as well.. since we both were taught to clean our plates I try to do a LOT of laps on the walking track!

  9. 31 minutes ago, Wheeler825 said:

    I'm going to need to see a source for your assertations here.  I haven't found any proof one way or the other that room attendants can see if you cancel tips or not, let alone there would be NO REASON for them to be able to access whether you prepaid or not.  I would make NO sense for cruise lines to let attendants have access to this information.

    Also, when you buy a drink, it automatically tacks on a tip of 18%, whether you buy the package or not.  

    Vouchers drinks (Diamond, D+, Pinnacle) do not include a gratuity, and more and more passengers are reaching those levels, which by extension reduces the gratuities bartenders get. A buddy of mine is on "Allure" right now and it's about 50/50 Diamond or higher. 

  10. Well, this is a spicy thread.

    Under the "you do you" theory, I enjoy tipping a little extra, especially on my drink vouchers. Being generous to hard-working servers is a result of MY many years' hard work, including at every possible restaurant and bar job ever invented. 

    Is it an extra perk that by Day 3 my double pour at the Schooner Bar is closer to a quadruple? That the last time the Dearly Beloved asked for a shot of Bailey's as a nightcap she ended up with about a third of the bottle? Sure... but I tip because I enjoy doing so, and because I remember how much an extra $1 would sometimes save my night... 

     

  11. That is going to be close to impossible.  Drive time from the port to FCO without traffic concerns is almost an hour... If the ship docks at 7 am on the dot and is cleared immediately and you are off the ship by 7:30 (ha!) you still have to clear customs, which is opening at the same time... say you're through everything by 7:45 you have to take a shuttle from the dock itself to the taxi stand where the train station is. Even if the shuttle leaves immediately (which it's not going to do - it will wait for the bus to fill up) you're not getting to the taxi stand before 8 am. An hour WITHOUT TRAFFIC BACKUPS to the airport and you're arriving at FCO at 9 am, where you have to get through security etc.  

     

  12. There's not a special needs link for low sodium that I know of, though C&A might be able to help.

    For low sodium we ordinarily order the next night's dinner at the end of the current day's dinner. You should be able to include a request that it is for take-away. Additionally, if there is nothing on the menu she can eat one night the kitchen can ordinarily grill up a plain chicken breast or piece of salmon plus grilled or steamed veggies and baked potato. 

    Side note: I highly recommend the Windjammer's pasta bar option for lunch and dinner as pasta is ordinarily sodlum-free and you can pick and choose the ingredients. I just ask the cook to put a lot of fresh chopped garlic and olive oil in instead of any of the sauces and it is a good meal. 

  13. Assume it is going to be scorching hot and have a plan for keeping everyone hydrated.  Pack refillable water bottles and load up before you step off the ship. (Note: you can't refill them directly from the Windjammer water dispensers, but you can use a plastic cup to add the ice and water in, or ask at the main dining room if you see a busser with a water jug). Pack a travel umbrella or two to protect against sun, and sun hats. I'm serious about the heat! 

  14. On 1/28/2023 at 3:05 PM, Larry Muster said:

    I don't think that's going to cut it.  It appears the Catholics have a pretty firm stance that online service will not cut it.  Below is what I found supporting this.  The reason for all this - I'm hoping to bring my nephews on a cruise, but their mother is hardcore Catholic and does not bend.  Trying to figure out how I can position this to increase the possibility of being able to bring them.

     

    The short answer is "no." The Church requires us to attend Mass, in person, on all Holy Days of Obligation and Sundays. Individually viewing the Mass will never substitute for this encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Attendance at Mass is also commanded by the Third Commandment. This is commanded by Jesus in two distinct places.

    There is 50+ year precedent I can personally attest to that viewing a mass when one cannot attend in person is acceptable within doctrine. 

    Local TV stations in both my home and current city offer televised mass, both Sundays and on select Holy Days. The concept (which used to be called "Mass for Shut Ins") was implemented as TVs became commonly available and the number of available priests to visit shut-ins dropped. Yes, in-person Mass is the obligation but so is attending confession every single Saturday before attending Mass on Sunday. So is fasting during Lent. So are a lot of other obligations the Catholic Church allows a little leeway on. 

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