FireFishII

14 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

If you use them together you will smell like a salad, no lie.

I was thinking of some new cocktail but it was the Cilantro that was throwing me off. 

I found the following on Alaska.org.  It talks about buying your bear spray once you reach Alaska.

Should I Carry Bear Spray?

Yes, many people do. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game recommends bear spray and it is effective in many situations. Wind direction is critical, and can extend its effective range or shorten it. Most bear spray has a range up to 30 feet. Remember, that most airlines will not allow you to fly with bear spray, but it can be purchased at many locations once you arrive in Alaska, like Mountain View Sports, Cabela's, Sportsman's Warehouse, and even grocery stores like Fred Meyer. If you purchase bear spray, read the instructions thoroughly so you are prepared to use it if necessary. Most sprays come with a holster that you can fasten to a belt or backpack where it is within easy reach.

Is it one size fit all? If so, they would not fit me. 

I plan on bringing some small (individual size) bottles of maple syrup and some maple candy on my next cruise for the wait-staff and room attendant.  These products are produced locally.  I was also considering some small bottles of locally made condiments - like hot sauce.  Not sure if they would use it but they may become popular with their friends.  I am sure that their food could get old after awhile. 

Does Rum, Peppermint, and Cilantro go together? 

15 minutes ago, barjpoe said:

Depending on where you live in the NE area you could try the train.

I have my fingers cross that the train will be extended into Central NH. They keep promising...

22 minutes ago, MaryCS62 said:

 but it worked that one day

One day at a time. 

On 3/16/2023 at 6:54 PM, IRMO12HD said:

Is the Double Reds a one way (as in just blood out) donation?

Double Reds is two ways but using just 1 access port.  Basically, you give a pint, the pint gets process to remove the red blood cells, and return everything else to your body.  Repeat.  What is interesting about the process is you will get a metallic taste in the back of your throat.  They will give your Tums to combat the taste.  It takes about twice the time of normal donation (~15-20 minutes).  I can only do it every 16 weeks (twice as long as a normal donation). 

On 3/15/2023 at 12:45 PM, PatsFanBrian said:

The only 2 times we didn't stress were sailing out of Boston (45 minute drive) and Bayonne (4 hour drive).

I wish we could all live close to a port.  Those are close to my times too for Boston and Bayonne.  I never thought about grabbing a cruise from those ports before this past year.  I am now checking out the itineraries from those ports.   Maybe one day soon. 

Thank you for a great summary of your trip. 

I agree with your rant @Randon1234.  When one tries to figure out if the DBP, they need to calculate all their drinks, not just alcohol.  I choice not do do the DBP because I am a light weigh on the alcohol side.  But I take full advantage of the refreshment package and my 2 free bottles of wine (for dinner).  Then I only purchase a la carte 1 or 2 mix drinks a day. But this summer, I did purchase a DBP at a great price just to see if it would change my drinking habits.  I may just have a drink or two during the afternoons instead of just in the evening. 3-4 drinks along with all my fresh fruit juices, diet coke, and milkshake just may pay for the DBP.  

What a beautiful carousel.  I have visited the antique carousel (1917) that is located at Put-In-Bay, Ohio.  It still has 12 of the original 36 horses.  My kids loved it.

I tried to be an ARC Platelet donor but I have TRALI and was rejected.    So, I can only donate whole blood or double reds. Thank you for being a platelet donor.  I hope I never need your donations.  

I love your blog and the pictures.  Well done!  

12 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

I'm loving your photography! And hey! You caught either the start or end of as lifeboat test. So cool to see that in person since best case scenario we'll never need to see them in action for real!

I saw the same thing.  I did witness the crew practicing one of their drill when we were in port.  It was nice to see. 

Sorry I don't have the answer to your question but I know you can reach out to MEI and request a different agent. In fact, I bet you anything that a MEI agent will see this post and reach out to you. 

Here is another positive about getting to the port city a day or two early: You will have time to explore the city and see its sights. Consider it a pre-cruise shore excursion.

I look forward to your live blog.  I won't mind hearing about the good, the bad, and the ugly (and hopefully some pretty).

I have been to Hell, GC and have the T-shirt to prove it.  LOL.  I just discovered Duolingo.  I will be on a cruise this summer to Italy.  Both my husband and I are learning the language. Have a great time. I will be following along. 

1 hour ago, FSUFAN said:

We were on the Voyager last fall. Some clown who was too good (or just too arrogant) to follow the rules, came inside from the doors near the entrance to the buffet (he'd been out on the deck smoking).  Blew out a big lung full of smoke and then just waived off the "Washie - Washie" attendant.    

A....., oh, I can't say that on this forum. It is sad that some minority just don't get it when it comes to germs.  I don't know if school science project still does the 'white bread' experiment - where they use white bread as a petri dish to see where germs live and how washing your hands cut down on the germ. I recently saw one science experiment where they wiped the bread all over a tablet. It was totally BLACK by the end of the experiment. 

I would use the extra sea day to try something I have never done before.  I think it is impossible to be able to try everything the ship has to offer. So, for me, the extra sea day is a plus. 

39 minutes ago, Bowen said:

My only issue with one a day is the beds that you can’t put away on your own. Like the ones that come down from the ceiling or wall. Is there a key? They’re not going to give it to me so I have to have that bed down until they come, and then they’re just going to leave it down for night time, so I’ve got a bed taking up room over the couch all day. This would bother me.

I hope that those rooms are serviced twice - once to put the bed back up and the second time to put the bed back down.  When the room is actually serviced - most likely one of those 2 times. I will be interested in hearing about your experience. 

39 minutes ago, Zacharius said:

My vote in these cases is to always stick to the big guns - United, Delta, American, Southwest...airlines with multiple flights per day (usually) and bigger fleets with a better ability to sub aircraft in/out when needed. 

That is good advice.  When my daughter was flying from Boston to Cincinnati, she had to arrive that day because of a test she had to take.  The first flight out was canceled and she thought she was hosed.  But I told her that since we purchased the ticket on one of the big 3 (I would not include SW in this list), the airline will get her on the next available flight.  Sure enough, my airline of choice came thru and she arrived in time for her test. 

Early, LIke.

I like early because I know it is down and over with. I don't have to sit around wondering when the room will be service. 

39 minutes ago, whitsmom said:

This is exactly why we don't do the buffet much.  We carry hand sanitizer in our pocket as use it as soon as we sit down if we do choose to eat in there.

I was going to suggest the same - wash your hands on the way in and use hand sanitizer or hand wipes when you sit down before you start eating. 

For me, day before domestic and 2 days before international.  One of the reason for flying in 2 days before is to help get over the jet lag.