Moby Dick

More importantly once you force a logout, it’s tricky to log back in.  
 
Friends don’t let friends logout.  

I "clean" my phone every night at the end of the day (clear cache/cookies and run a scan) so I have to re-log-in every time and the site is not really designed for mobile. In order to log in, I have to click the setting "desktop mode" and then everything appears, although very small, and I can then see the log in, so you should be able to log out that way as well.

If you have sufficient Crown & Anchor status, you might be invited to the Top Tier event where there is free sparkling wine.   

As an update, looks like the cups are back, or at least they are on the Allure. I saw someone post a pic on a Facebook group. 

I thought it was very funny🤪

Hi All. Thanks so much for the responses. My wife reached out last night and she did receive a response from the Genie. Immediately. All our other SC sailings have been surprises so this planning part is new for my wife. I believe the Genie addressed her concerns and made her feel much more comfortable giving up that control, lol. Should be a great week on Ovation! 

We switched to hard side a few years ago and have been happy. The material is still not as light as soft but that is the trade off I think. My wife has a set Tumi Tegra Lite 2 and she loves them. I have seen a few votes for Away but we chose Monos for me and my daughter. Away and Monos both give you a great “100 day trial period”. We put both to the test. We landed on Monos. We just liked the wheels and the handles better on the Monos. However, they were both great and I can say without a doubt, Away took the “tried” bags back no questions asked and the refund was quick and easy. Their customer service is amazing. We did keep one Away carry-on bag for my daughter for her local dance team travel. It was that great. I’d recommend giving them both a shot. Tumi is Tumi, extremely nice…with the price tag to go with the label, lol but both Away and Monos are worth the test drive. 

Seriously...
We've had just about every sort of luggage over the years...
The important thing used to be "durability"...but no longer...
For us, the most important thing about ANY luggage is WEIGHT.  With airlines allowing only 50 pounds and charging for additional pieces...and with us taking longer and longer trips...plus other considerations--like fitting our luggage into the trunks of Ubers and taxis...and schlepping it around airports and towns...It becomes very important that you can get more stuff in less space with less weight.  If your luggage weighs 20 pounds, it only leaves you with room for 30 pounds of clothes and other stuff.  If it weighs 8 pounds, you have space for 42 pounds of clothing and stuff...and it takes the same effort to lift or roll it.
To that end, I have a very large soft side piece that weighs only 8 pounds--30 inch by Skyway...

My wife loves her 30 inch HYBRID rolling duffel by FUL...She did have an airline break the wheel on one...and the company replaced the entire suitcase free of charge!  Hybrid means the bottom is a hard-shell Polycarbonate, the top parts are soft nylon...and it has lots of compartments so my wife can organize better...and still it is extremely lightweight.

 

Pelican cases used as luggage for the win. They cost just about the same as luggage but are built to withstand the abuse of porters, bus drivers, bellhops, and ramp rats.
 And, they will be the last time you buy luggage—ever. 

The 360 degree wheels are key.

We switched to hard side bags from Away Luggage a couple years ago. 
We love them, 4 wheel 360 degree design, good locks, and best of all LIFETIME warranty. 
We have used the warranty once for a broken interior zipper, and it could not have gone smoother. Called them and described the issue; 2 days later a new bag was on the porch, put the old bag in the shipping box, and Fed Ex came and picked it up. 

We have had both soft and hard luggage damaged by the airlines.  We are currently using soft luggage.  

Not sure there really is much of a difference between soft side and hard side luggage.  The bigger decision for me has to do with the wheels.  Pushing, pulling or rolling the luggage around is much easier with the newer style 360 wheels that roll around any which way you want them to.  Oh…and the weight of the empty luggage!  The lighter it is empty…the more “stuff” I can fill it with before hitting the 50lb mark!!  
Who  knew there was so much to consider when thinking about trading in older baggage for newer ones??

You may be right, it could just be personal preference. Wheels and handles are what matter most to me. I’ve thrown a few wheels over the years, never a good time. Zipper quality is also something I look at. Never had my zipper bust and my unmentionables scattered to the wind on the ramp and I don’t want to start now, lol. 

I hope the new mattress works out. I recall you like the expensive suites when you sail, the expensive bed-something you use almost every night, is likely worth every penny, as much as the suites you enjoy.

My wife just hit me with something that I just don't know how to deal with it.  I didn't think I'd have to deal with this for at least another year or so.  I am at a cross roads and I don't think I can handle the old bag anymore.  I've been think of getting a new one but it's cheaper to keep the old bag.  So I'm asking for your help, any and all comments are welcome and please be candid with your suggestions, answers, criticisms, I'm a big boy and can take it.
My wife want to buy new luggage.  I've told her the old bags are just fine, at least until our next cruise in Jan 2024.  So, my question is:  Hard side or soft?  Which is the most durable.  I like soft sided but I've never had the hard sided ones.  She wants hard, imagine that.  
 
Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

My wife just hit me with something that I just don't know how to deal with it.  I didn't think I'd have to deal with this for at least another year or so.  I am at a cross roads and I don't think I can handle the old bag anymore.  I've been think of getting a new one but it's cheaper to keep the old bag.  So I'm asking for your help, any and all comments are welcome and please be candid with your suggestions, answers, criticisms, I'm a big boy and can take it.
My wife want to buy new luggage.  I've told her the old bags are just fine, at least until our next cruise in Jan 2024.  So, my question is:  Hard side or soft?  Which is the most durable.  I like soft sided but I've never had the hard sided ones.  She wants hard, imagine that.  
 
Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

Rahul actually sent me his company phone phone number in our 1st or 2nd email conversation.  I only used it twice, once to verify that it was, in fact, his phone and the 2nd time to let him know we were at the terminal.  This was on our last Alaska cruise in May.  That was a first.  Before that (pre-COVID), we relied on email.  For me/us, the availability to Whatsapp and virtually live communications with our Genie is a vast improvement compared to pre-COVID. I actually had a situation that I felt needed my Genies attention, in the Pub.  I sent him a text and he was there in less than 5 minutes.  All I told him was that I needed him in the Pub "ASAP".  Poor guy had no idea what he was walking in to.  All went well and clear-up.  

My wife just hit me with something that I just don't know how to deal with it.  I didn't think I'd have to deal with this for at least another year or so.  I am at a cross roads and I don't think I can handle the old bag anymore.  I've been think of getting a new one but it's cheaper to keep the old bag.  So I'm asking for your help, any and all comments are welcome and please be candid with your suggestions, answers, criticisms, I'm a big boy and can take it.
My wife want to buy new luggage.  I've told her the old bags are just fine, at least until our next cruise in Jan 2024.  So, my question is:  Hard side or soft?  Which is the most durable.  I like soft sided but I've never had the hard sided ones.  She wants hard, imagine that.  
 
Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

Yep, our last cruise, I went through 3 cards because the laminate kept peeling off.  

Yep, our last cruise, I went through 3 cards because the laminate kept peeling off.  

You bring up some very interesting considerations to ponder over.  I will consult with my wife and see, hard or soft, it's up to her.  Maybe my Dr., can help with this issue.

Rahul actually sent me his company phone phone number in our 1st or 2nd email conversation.  I only used it twice, once to verify that it was, in fact, his phone and the 2nd time to let him know we were at the terminal.  This was on our last Alaska cruise in May.  That was a first.  Before that (pre-COVID), we relied on email.  For me/us, the availability to Whatsapp and virtually live communications with our Genie is a vast improvement compared to pre-COVID. I actually had a situation that I felt needed my Genies attention, in the Pub.  I sent him a text and he was there in less than 5 minutes.  All I told him was that I needed him in the Pub "ASAP".  Poor guy had no idea what he was walking in to.  All went well and clear-up.  

We just did the mattress thing too.  I hate shopping for a mattress.  They are so flippin' expensive and every store has their own brand so it's next to impossible to compare.  We, too, had an old (maybe the original ??) full foam Tempurpedic and it weighed 3 tons.  Even from the beginning I could never even lift the corners to make the bed.  Dan always had to do the fitted sheet...then I could do the rest.  I warned the store manager (where we finally bought our replacement) that he had better send at least 3 big men to pick up the old mattress...it's THAT heavy...but of course, he didn't.  You should have seen those 2 poor guys trying to wrestle that hippo out of the house.  I felt very bad for them.  The new mattress is heavenly....but then, they always are...for a while.  We have friends who bought one of the hybrid mattresses and they love it.  We went with full latex (it's not heavy at all, surprisingly) this time but there is a fluffy topper so it's really like floating on a cloud.  I had never heard of the brand before but so far.....