JLMoran Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Seven more days 'til we go on the cruise! Seven more days 'til we gooooo!!! I was going to wait until the day before we left, just to avoid joining the @Matt and @Lovetocruise2002 bandwagon, but work is nuts and nights aren't looking to be much better this week, so... The Ship As the title says, this is our second trip on Anthem of the Seas, having sailed her just over a year ago! I've been looking forward to this since the day we booked it, which was (amusingly) at my wife's strong request a mere two weeks after we got back from that last sailing. Itinerary Day 1 - Depart Cape Liberty at 4:00 PM Day 2 - Sea Day Day 3 - Arrive in Bermuda at 8:00 AM, stay overnight Day 4 - Depart Bermuda at 5:00 PM Day 5 - Sea Day Day 6 - Return to Cape Liberty and non-cruising life Why We Booked It Our trip last year to Bermuda left us loving this little island that's nice and close to our home state of NJ, and we knew before the first day was even over that we had to come back here. Lots of places we didn't explore last time and want to get a look at, and not enough time at Horseshoe Bay beach. I didn't think we'd be coming back just a year later, but Cathy said she really wanted to go back right away and not wait. Well, who am I to argue against a "YOLO Book It!!!" request? I'm guessing I'll be a bit more live this time around, for reasons I'll get into in another post or two... Skigoofy, iluvwineandtravel, Ken23 and 14 others 14 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Woohoo!!! I've been waiting for this blog! JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Following! JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Cabin This time around, we're in a category 4D OV Balcony on deck 7, room 7244. This cabin is right at the aft end of the bump-out, and it's just two doors down the hall from the J4 we stayed in last year! We would have loved to stay in a JS again and get the double points along with CK access, but the budget just didn't allow for it when I've got this other sailing coming up next August... Dining We're doing Traditional Dining in the MDR, late seating (8:00 PM). 5:30 is just too darned early for us to eat, and we had no problems with an 8 PM dinner time on Freedom last year, so we're sticking with what we know we liked and avoiding the MTD crowds. No specialty dining pre-purchased, although I'm planning to go to Izumi for lunch on one of the sea days like I did last year. If Jamie's Italian offers a special for lunch we may try that, but otherwise just going to stick with what's complementary. Along those lines we did make a reservation for Solarium Bistro on Night 4 to try it out and see how it compares to the MDR; we already know it's no CK. Pre-Cruise Purchases Refreshment Package for both of us, bought for a never-again-seen $17 pp/pn on Black Friday, just a few weeks after we booked the cruise That's right, this time around I am not on #teamDX; the price never got lower than $52/night, and that's just more than I'm willing to pay I'll be bringing my allowed two bottles of wine -- I haven't decided yet if I'm bringing two bottles of red or one each of red and white, but they'll be transported in this neoprene carrier I bought on Amazon VOOM Surf + Stream 2-device package, also bought on Black Friday and also for a then-jaw-dropping price -- $17.99 per night!! That's a half-penny shy of $9.00 per device per night! Reservations to see Spectra's Cabaret on Night 2 at 10:00 PM, and We Will Rock You on Night 5 at 6:30 PM Ripcord by iFly on Day 2 at 3:00 PM, just for myself twangster, DDaley, Lovetocruise2002 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Excursions As with last year, we bought no excursions through the Cruise Planner because it's so easy to just go out and do our own thing. But that doesn't mean we don't have any plans. Last year we started our day going to St. George's; this time around we're thinking we'll visit Hamilton and explore the city at our leisure. We'll likely get lunch there as well, and then make our way back to the Dockyard. Depending on the timing, we may check out the dockyard itself and the historic fort or some of the other sights in the area. At 5:45 PM that day, we'll be taking a sunset catamaran cocktail sailing that I booked through TripAdvisor / Viator. This was very highly rated and looked to be more enjoyable than the sunset offerings the ship had, along with being appreciably less expensive. I won't be surprised to find, however, that there are some people from the ship with us who actually booked it through the ship. Because it's 90 minutes and leaves right from the Dockyard, we'll be back in plenty of time for our 8 PM dinner slot. On our second day in Bermuda, we'll take the shuttle vans to Horseshoe Bay for a re-visit. This time around, we know we want to stay for a longer while so we'll be properly "geared up". But, I mentioned something about a complication... As many here know, my feet are... pretty messed up. They've both had multiple surgeries that literally started when I was a baby, and that's led to some chronic annoyances over the years. In this case, the primary scar on the inside of my left foot has once again decided now was the perfect time to cry "uncle" and re-open for what I think is now the fourth or maybe fifth time. I've taken care of it like always, and it's not at all infected or anything bad; but it's also not really healing or filling back in. So yesterday I finally got myself to the local wound care center to get it dealt with yet again. But this means I'm going to be wearing bandages for weeks, and that obviously means absolutely NO going into any of the ship's pools. I'd be grossed out if I saw someone with a big bandage go into the pool with me, and no way am I going to make someone else feel that way. Never mind what might already be floating around in the water that's bad for me. Most likely not going to be able to enjoy the ocean at Horseshoe Bay, either. So my time in Bermuda is going to be carefully considered; the massive amounts of walking I did last year will probably have to be scaled back a fair bit, with more time spent on buses, ferries, or in taxis. That's a real unknown at this point, just depends on how much I heal and what kind of clearance the doctor gives me. And a lot of my time on Anthem is going to be spent sitting in loungers, soaking up the sun outside (when it's warm enough), hanging out at places like the Pub or Schooner Bar or Two70 Lounge, and making the most of it with everything else there is to do on board... Traveler, Big Tule, Skigoofy and 9 others 7 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 ...which is a pretty massive list! Anthem is finally included in the new Royal app, and one of the benefits of that is that I've been able to preview the on-board activities that will be offered on this sailing. And boy howdy are there a lot of things I'd like to check out! Day 1 has the RED nightclub experience in Two70 -- Even though it's at 10:45, I am definitely going to check this out since they didn't have it last year; it also gives me a reason to check out the Two70 Bar and their specialty options On Day 2, they are having an Oktoberfest beer tasting in the pub -- sign me up!! Vintages is doing a series of wine flight tastings -- Since I'm already buying alcoholic drinks a la carte, I may do one or two of these in addition to the Oktoberfest tasting Italian reds on Day 2 Chardonnay on Day 3 "International" whites on Day 4 (this is not the "Wines around the World" available in the cruise planner; found that listed separately) Finally, "your choice" on Day 5 Unlike last year, Two70 is doing a pair of virtual concerts , one of which is Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns on night 3 This was something we had really hoped to see after watching a sample of them in the "Two70 Experience" show the first night of our last cruise But the show starts at 8 PM, which conflicts with dinner; maybe we'll just eat in the Wind-jah-mehr that night We have a silent disco this trip! Also on Night 3 in Two70, a couple hours after the virtual concert Night 4 has a "Colors of Israel" art exhibition in the gallery (it's Yom Kippur that day, and I'm guessing this is the main reason for the timing of this particular exhibit) Days 4 and 5 see an Augmented Reality game come to Anthem -- "Expedition Two70"; people can use their phones to play four different games where you find artifacts placed in the Two70 space, scan them, and trigger a challenge to get a different mask for each game. The pub is doing an international (not just Oktoberfest) beer tasting on Day 5; if I had to guess, it's just samples of the beer they already have in stock and not likely to be worth it for me Finally, there's a Vistarama fireworks party on Night 5 All of that is before factoring in the live entertainment we'll have on board. So far, our regular performers will be: Joyce Kuo playing guitar early evenings in the Schooner Bar Jafar Curry, Marc McBride, and Pavel Boev will be taking turns playing piano in the Schooner Bar after the late dinner hour William Millar will be our nightly guitar player performing in the pub Mellow Mood will be playing Caribbean music in Boleros each afternoon... ...while Marakas will be playing their "Latin Fiesta" show nightly in Boleros And finally, the Royal Swedes will be returning to perform in The Music Hall I've already seen The Royal Swedes -- they were on our sailing last year, and I'm starting to wonder if they're just the band they bring on board for shoulder season or at least these shorter sailings. No one else is performing in the Music Hall and, honestly, I'm both bummed and annoyed. They're OK, and play a decent variety of music from multiple decades, but I never found myself wanting to stay and watch them for more than a few minutes. If anyone has seen any of the other performers and can comment on how they are, let me know! Lovetocruise2002 and iluvwineandtravel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Photography This year is going to be a bit different on the photography front. In addition to my now-rapidly-aging iPhone 6s Plus with Moment add-on lenses that I've used on the last two cruises, I'm going to be bringing a new camera with me. It's a first-generation Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100. Even though the camera was introduced about 4 years prior to my phone, this is still a big upgrade from my phone's camera, even though it's "just" a compact model that can easily fit in my pocket. 1" equivalent 20 megapixel sensor -- way larger than the sensor on my phone 3.6x optical zoom (28-100mm equivalent), vs the phone's fixed 28mm lens ƒ/1.8-4.9 variable aperture, vs. phone's fixed aperture Full manual mode along with Aperture and Shutter priority modes This camera is something special for me. It was a gift from @twangster, given to me just before last year's trip on Anthem; apparently he really wants me to get off the phone and step up my photography game! I've been learning how to use it for the last year, but I still have a ways to go before I feel like I've mastered it. Most likely for this trip I'll be sticking with the automatic mode for most of my shots, but when I'm able I'll also tinker around with one or two of the controls to see if I can get something better after taking an initial auto-mode pic. Now, here's the rub -- I don't have a laptop or large-storage iPad; all I'll be bringing on that front is a 2013 first-gen iPad Air with only 16 GB of space, most of which is already used up. I'm mainly using that to read the eBooks I've purchased for this trip. But I will try and find my USB dongle for the thing so that I can at least try to offload the pictures from the camera so they can be edited and posted here. If that works without any friction, great! Otherwise, pictures will end up posted in two separate groups: Anything posted during the cruise will have been taken with my phone, while pictures taken with the new camera won't be posted until after I've gotten home and had time to transfer and edit them on my iMac. Just to show what a difference this new camera makes for me, here are some pictures I took with it last fall, not long after I got home from the previous Bermuda trip. Chose these ones because of the depth of field that I can never get with my phone, plus the much-improved color, contrast and shadow detail: Mrs. RoyalMoyal, Ray, spiralqueen and 14 others 14 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Jafar Curry was in the schooner bar when we were on the Anthem GC. He was ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WannaCruise Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Sooo excited to follow along as we'll be on Anthem in March. Great that you get a preview of all entertainment to come. Lots of great stuff! P.S. Doesn't Schooner Bar have a piano player (vs guitar)? It's my favorite live music venue on Royal, but I'm pro-piano over guitar. Fun to count down with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 16 minutes ago, WannaCruise said: P.S. Doesn't Schooner Bar have a piano player (vs guitar)? It's my favorite live music venue on Royal, but I'm pro-piano over guitar. For evening performances after 8:00 PM, you're 100% right. But, you see, I just discovered this isn't just any guitarist. I finally tapped on the calendar item and read the description. Quote Create lasting memories as you have a drink and hum along to timeless guitar melodies played by the featured guitarist from "We Will Rock You" This just went from "I could take it or leave it" to "There is no way on God's green earth that I am going to miss this!!" Yeah, she's that good! And now I'm wondering if the rest of the cast will be joining her at one of the four performances she's doing. She's scheduled for just Night 1 and Night 2, at 6:30 and 8:00 PM for a 45-minute set. WWRY is being performed on nights 4 and 5, so not sure if there will be a surprise pub performance or other impromptu gathering of the cast somewhere on night 3. WannaCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryS Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 5 hours ago, JLMoran said: Ripcord by iFly on Day 2 at 3:00 PM, just for myself I loved IFly. I was all set to sign up again before I even got my suit off but they said on the 5 day cruise you could only sign up once . If I had known I would have given someone my phone to video me. Oh well next time. Mrs. RoyalMoyal and JLMoran 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heffy2 Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Can't wait to follow along! I'm boarding Anthem the day you disembark for the last Canada/NE sailing of the season. I hope you have a fantastic cruise! JLMoran and YOLO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzzywuzzy Posted October 12, 2019 Report Share Posted October 12, 2019 Have a great time. A little jealous. The wife and I feel the same way about Bermuda. YOLO and JLMoran 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 3 hours ago, MaryS said: I loved IFly. I was all set to sign up again before I even got my suit off but they said on the 5 day cruise you could only sign up once . If I had known I would have given someone my phone to video me. Oh well next time. I missed my session last year, so this will be my first chance to experience it. Not making the same mistake twice! MaryS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 Joe, so sorry to hear about your foot problems. Take care of yourself and don’t push yourself so hard. JLMoran and YOLO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cruise Junkie Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 @JLMoran I Will Be Following This One!! I Cant Wait Till Your Cruise. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 I will be following. Love Looking forward to the pictures. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 Following , have a lovely cruise JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising to Retirement! Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 8 hours ago, Sweety said: I will be following. Love Looking forward to the pictures. I totally agree with Sweety! We're all looking forward to your pictures from this new camera! Take it easy and pace yourself and just live in the moment! I love, love the Anthem also! Michelle JLMoran, YOLO and Sweety 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 Only six days 'til we go on the cruise, only six days 'til we go...!! Awesome news for me -- I'm not allergic to these bandages!!! Did the first change and there is no redness, swelling, or anything else where the bandage was located. You have no idea how huge this is. Along with everything else, I have a fairly serious latex allergy; I haven't been able to use Band Aid bandages or any other brand, even when they're labeled as 100% latex free, for decades. I don't know if it's actually the adhesive they use or that the bandage material is still close enough to latex to trigger the reaction, but every over-the-counter bandage I've ever tried has caused a severe reaction within a day. The nurse at the wound center told me CVS also sells these same bandages under a different brand name, possibly generic; I just need to match up the manufacturer -- Mölnlycke. Imma going over there right now and buying up their entire inventory! I can use bandages again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Traveler, Vwjo, GregD and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8erguy1978 Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 On 10/12/2019 at 12:21 PM, JLMoran said: Refreshment I'll be bringing my allowed two bottles of wine -- I haven't decided yet if I'm bringing two bottles of red or one each of red and white, but they'll be transported in this neoprene carrier I bought on Amazon Ripcord by iFly on Day 2 at 3:00 PM, just for myself Did iFly twice on Anthem, it was a lot of fun. I like the bottle holder, way better than what I used for me wife's bottle of sangria (that she never opened ... not enough room time & drink package .. so we brought it home). JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvwineandtravel Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 On 10/12/2019 at 11:52 AM, JLMoran said: Seven more days 'til we go on the cruise! Seven more days 'til we gooooo!!! I was going to wait until the day before we left, just to avoid joining the @Matt and @Lovetocruise2002 bandwagon, but work is nuts and nights aren't looking to be much better this week, so... The Ship As the title says, this is our second trip on Anthem of the Seas, having sailed her just over a year ago! I've been looking forward to this since the day we booked it, which was (amusingly) at my wife's strong request a mere two weeks after we got back from that last sailing. Itinerary Day 1 - Depart Cape Liberty at 4:00 PM Day 2 - Sea Day Day 3 - Arrive in Bermuda at 8:00 AM, stay overnight Day 4 - Depart Bermuda at 5:00 PM Day 5 - Sea Day Day 6 - Return to Cape Liberty and non-cruising life Why We Booked It Our trip last year to Bermuda left us loving this little island that's nice and close to our home state of NJ, and we knew before the first day was even over that we had to come back here. Lots of places we didn't explore last time and want to get a look at, and not enough time at Horseshoe Bay beach. I didn't think we'd be coming back just a year later, but Cathy said she really wanted to go back right away and not wait. Well, who am I to argue against a "YOLO Book It!!!" request? I'm guessing I'll be a bit more live this time around, for reasons I'll get into in another post or two... Following because I think I am rebooking Anthem Thanksgiving week ( since we are not on it as planned right now! ). You get on on our 21st anniversary on Saturday! YOLO and JLMoran 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvwineandtravel Posted October 13, 2019 Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 On 10/12/2019 at 2:05 PM, JLMoran said: ...which is a pretty massive list! Anthem is finally included in the new Royal app, and one of the benefits of that is that I've been able to preview the on-board activities that will be offered on this sailing. And boy howdy are there a lot of things I'd like to check out! Day 1 has the RED nightclub experience in Two70 -- Even though it's at 10:45, I am definitely going to check this out since they didn't have it last year; it also gives me a reason to check out the Two70 Bar and their specialty options On Day 2, they are having an Oktoberfest beer tasting in the pub -- sign me up!! Vintages is doing a series of wine flight tastings -- Since I'm already buying alcoholic drinks a la carte, I may do one or two of these in addition to the Oktoberfest tasting Italian reds on Day 2 Chardonnay on Day 3 "International" whites on Day 4 (this is not the "Wines around the World" available in the cruise planner; found that listed separately) Finally, "your choice" on Day 5 Unlike last year, Two70 is doing a pair of virtual concerts , one of which is Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns on night 3 This was something we had really hoped to see after watching a sample of them in the "Two70 Experience" show the first night of our last cruise But the show starts at 8 PM, which conflicts with dinner; maybe we'll just eat in the Wind-jah-mehr that night We have a silent disco this trip! Also on Night 3 in Two70, a couple hours after the virtual concert Night 4 has a "Colors of Israel" art exhibition in the gallery (it's Yom Kippur that day, and I'm guessing this is the main reason for the timing of this particular exhibit) Days 4 and 5 see an Augmented Reality game come to Anthem -- "Expedition Two70"; people can use their phones to play four different games where you find artifacts placed in the Two70 space, scan them, and trigger a challenge to get a different mask for each game. The pub is doing an international (not just Oktoberfest) beer tasting on Day 5; if I had to guess, it's just samples of the beer they already have in stock and not likely to be worth it for me Finally, there's a Vistarama fireworks party on Night 5 All of that is before factoring in the live entertainment we'll have on board. So far, our regular performers will be: Joyce Kuo playing guitar early evenings in the Schooner Bar Jafar Curry, Marc McBride, and Pavel Boev will be taking turns playing piano in the Schooner Bar after the late dinner hour William Millar will be our nightly guitar player performing in the pub Mellow Mood will be playing Caribbean music in Boleros each afternoon... ...while Marakas will be playing their "Latin Fiesta" show nightly in Boleros And finally, the Royal Swedes will be returning to perform in The Music Hall I've already seen The Royal Swedes -- they were on our sailing last year, and I'm starting to wonder if they're just the band they bring on board for shoulder season or at least these shorter sailings. No one else is performing in the Music Hall and, honestly, I'm both bummed and annoyed. They're OK, and play a decent variety of music from multiple decades, but I never found myself wanting to stay and watch them for more than a few minutes. If anyone has seen any of the other performers and can comment on how they are, let me know! The special tastings is actually something I enjoy doing again when I don't get the drink package! JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2019 37 minutes ago, iluvwineandtravel said: You get on on our 21st anniversary on Saturday! Happy anniversary! YOLO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaCruiseGirl1210 Posted October 14, 2019 Report Share Posted October 14, 2019 @JLMoran I am so excited your trip is nearly here because that means mine is LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AWAY! I haven't decided if I'm going to not-so-blog it, but I may vlog it so we will see. Definitely a recap post-cruise! JLMoran, heffy2 and YOLO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted October 14, 2019 Report Share Posted October 14, 2019 On 10/13/2019 at 1:05 AM, JLMoran said: Night 4 has a "Colors of Israel" art exhibition in the gallery (it's Yom Kippur that day, and I'm guessing this is the main reason for the timing of this particular exhibit) Yom Kippur was last week , I guess maybe they are trying to promote some Jewel of the seas cruises to the holy land or the security officer got a punishment from the captain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2019 5 minutes ago, Traveler said: Yom Kippur was last week , I guess maybe they are trying to promote some Jewel of the seas cruises to the holy land or the security officer got a punishment from the captain Wait, what? I just re-checked the app, and it says there is a "Yom Kippur (Self-lead)" activity in the Windjammer at 5:15 PM on night 4. Chalk it up to the app being out of date with the actual cruise planner activities, I guess? But now I'm worried about how many of those activities I've seen will actually be offered! And there was a lot I was looking forward to, there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted October 14, 2019 Report Share Posted October 14, 2019 42 minutes ago, JLMoran said: Wait, what? I just re-checked the app, and it says there is a "Yom Kippur (Self-lead)" activity in the Windjammer at 5:15 PM on night 4. Chalk it up to the app being out of date with the actual cruise planner activities, I guess? But now I'm worried about how many of those activities I've seen will actually be offered! And there was a lot I was looking forward to, there! Ohhh , you plan your activities based on RCL IT ? You are a very brave man MotleyCruiser, AshleyDillo and JLMoran 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2019 Only five days 'til we go on the cruise, only five days 'til we gooooo! Cathy pointed out a valid concern today -- is having what are effectively hurricane force winds slamming into my body, and particularly my foot that's trying to heal, a good idea? Have to seriously think about this. Doing iFly might not be a great idea, certainly not on Day 2 when I currently have it booked and I'm only a little over a week in on proper treatment. Might end up canceling my Day 2 reservation, seeing if they have any openings on Day 5 instead. And be ready to cancel that depending on how I'm doing. In cheerier news, I gave Wade a new job, and he seems to be pretty happy with it. What's that, Wade? "Let's get on the $#(&ing boat already"?? Sorry, bud, you gotta wait just a little bit longer! And watch your $#(&ing mouth!! Guy Gadwa, Lovetocruise2002, GregD and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2019 Only four days 'til we go on the cruise, only four days 'til we gooooo! Decisions, decisions... This wine is definitely coming with me: I've loved this "super tuscan" since the first time I tried it on Freedom last year. One of my favorites, but definitely for special occasions and cruises only. But I'm having a hard time deciding between another bottle of red, or a bottle of white: I had Conundrum white blend last year on Anthem and actually liked it a fair bit, so I figured I'd get a bottle of the red to try out. And my local wine guy recommended the Evolution as an alternative to Conundrum white, particularly if I like Chardonnay. But I'm not sure if I want to bring that and risk having a bottle of something I end up not liking, which is why I'm also debating the Kendall-Jackson; had that before, good white that works with pretty much any lighter meal. I'm much more partial to reds, but out of these three which would you choose? What's that, Wade? Put the wine in the suitcase? Dude, I told you that I have to keep it in the carry-on or else my suitcase will end up in the naughty ro... . . . . You have your guns and knives in there?!?!? melmar02 and Lovetocruise2002 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted October 15, 2019 Report Share Posted October 15, 2019 Take the Conundrum! I am not a big fan of wine but I love Conundrum, White and Red. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted October 16, 2019 Report Share Posted October 16, 2019 On 10/14/2019 at 6:38 PM, JLMoran said: What's that, Wade? "Let's get on the $#(&ing boat already"?? Sorry, bud, you gotta wait just a little bit longer! And watch your $#(&ing mouth!! Eagerly following along. We loved our Anthem cruise, and have wanted to go to Bermuda for a while now. The Deadpool references are icing on the cake!! (Love those movies!!) JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDaley Posted October 16, 2019 Report Share Posted October 16, 2019 Only THREE days till you go!! Definitely following. I hope your foot plays nicely and allows you to go for the iFly! JLMoran and Cruising to Retirement! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2019 45 minutes ago, DDaley said: Only THREE days till you go!! DDaley and PRebecca 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Gadwa Posted October 16, 2019 Report Share Posted October 16, 2019 Following! JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2019 Well, @DDaley kind of... I'll just let Kuzco say it. Anyway... Only three days 'til we go on the cruise, only three days 'til we gooooo! Cash withdrawn, some converted to small bills for tips? Credit card travel notifications placed? Passports gotten out from the safe deposit box and put in the folder with the SetSail passes (paper backup)? Travel Insurance docs printed out? Pre-cruise haircut? Anything I'm forgetting? K, guess I'm g... FINISH PACKING!!!! The Cruise Junkie, WannaCruise, Lovetocruise2002 and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDaley Posted October 16, 2019 Report Share Posted October 16, 2019 Hahaha, I'm sorry! Feel free to toss me from the parapets! JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted October 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2019 Forgot one item in the last post: Crappy, gray, rainy weather that's guaranteeing I'll appreciate how great the weather is four days from now when I'm at sea? Also, for those who might have wondered... per Royal's prohibited items FAQ: Quote Sharp Objects, including all knives and scissors. (Note: Personal grooming items such as safety razors are allowed. Scissors with blade length less than 4 inches are allowed.) Never thought I'd need to know this, but as it turns out I have to be able to pack a small pair of scissors that I'm using to cut pieces of the antibiotic foam-like material I've been given to pack the wound with whenever I change the bandage. Serious question -- Should the scissors be packed in my carry-on so I can quickly explain if needed? Or will it be OK if they're in my checked suitcase, inside my dopp kit bag and with all the other medical materials I need to pack? Just want to try and avoid a trip to the naughty room if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted October 17, 2019 Report Share Posted October 17, 2019 When in doubt double down. A small Swiss Army pocket knife in the suitcase, something in carry on. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaCruiseGirl1210 Posted October 17, 2019 Report Share Posted October 17, 2019 12 hours ago, JLMoran said: Serious question -- Should the scissors be packed in my carry-on so I can quickly explain if needed? Or will it be OK if they're in my checked suitcase, inside my dopp kit bag and with all the other medical materials I need to pack? Just want to try and avoid a trip to the naughty room if possible. You could also put the scissors in your toiletry bag since a lot of kits come with them in there already... JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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