Navigating to D+ -- Navigator of the Seas, March 22-27, 2023

[IRMO12HD]

Ready to navigate (see what I did there??) to Diamond +!  This will be my sixth solo cruise, and my last cruise as Diamond.  I've learned a lot from my previous solo cruises (including two different classes of ship (Freedom, Voyager)  three different cabin classes (Promenade View, Virtual Balcony, and Oceanview Balcony), and three different ports of departure (Miami, Los Angeles-San Pedro, and Copenhagen, Denmark).  Oh, and three weeks until departure!  I guess this will be a voyage of threes then.

So I'll divide my blog into three parts:  pre-cruise, embarkation and cruise, debarkation and post cruise.  It fits, right?

Pre-Cruise:

Initially booked:  November 2022.  Always intended this to be a solo cruise with the principal objective of achieving D+.  My other half doesn't particularly enjoy cruising, so I book at least two cruises per year, one of which involves an itinerary that we both will enjoy, and (at least) one that supports my love of cruising and a specific goal or objective.  This is #1 for 2023.

Cabin type: Virtual balcony.  I really like this category of cabin for solo cruising.  A balcony is nice, but on a 5-night itinerary, the view from the screen will suffice.  And the price was right, allowing me to reserve a balcony for our "together" cruise later on this year.

Preparation: coming from the PNW (Pacific North West), I arranged my flights somewhat early on to procure my desired seats.  Reserved a hotel room through the Hopper app, and then kept tabs on rates through different hotel sites and AirBnB.  I'm more than happy with my choices.  Having traveled via Lyft/Uber from LAX to San Pedro, and via public transportation from San Pedro - LAX, I'm open to either means of travel, and will decide once I land and get my bags.  Who knows -- I may even go Carry-on only this time!!!

If you have any questions about my preparation (or any other "phases") of my journey, feel free to post them and I'll strive to answer/reply.

[DDaley]

Awesome! Which itinerary are you going on? You mentioned that it’s 5 nights but I was only aware of 3, 4 and 7 nighters available on NAV. Surely you’ll go farther south than Ensenada with those extra nights, I hope! 

[Ampurp85]

My first VB was a solo B2B on Nav in 2022. It was also my first official carry-on only cruise. I would say just be prepared; the LAX port is probably the worst. Hardly any signage and chaotic embarkation/disembarkation. 

[IRMO12HD]

Nineteen days, 12 hours and 30+- minutes until I board Navigator.  Time for a little cruise planning, I think, now that I’ve figured out how I’m getting to California.  
As I mentioned, I’m in a Virtual Balcony, on an upper deck, near the bow of the ship.  Can’t wait to see the screen and find out if it’s the same camera feed as last time (starboard midships, kind of high up).  That’s Activity #2.  Activity #1 is seeing where I’m sitting in the MDR.  I honestly don’t mind sitting with others as a solo, so will do a recon more out of curiosity than out of planning.
Our itinerary for this 5-night cruise is:
Day 1: Embark from San Pedro World Cruise Terminal
Day 2:  “At Sea” on our way to Cabo San Lucas
Day 3:  Arrive at Cabo at about noon; I believe we’ll be the only ship in port (yippee!), so hopefully tenders won’t be much of an issue.  I’m actually rendezvousing (wow, I didn’t think that would be an actual word) with my daughter and several of her friends as they’ll be in Cabo on a land-based vacation.  She had wanted to go whale watching, but they won’t have a car so I haven’t quite figured that out yet, since our “all aboard” will probably be around 6:30 p.m. or so.  Maybe I’ll just go hang out at their resort.  When she and I were in Cabo previously on a Mother-Daughter trip, we took the “Luxury Sailing and Snorkeling Tour” through the resort, and really enjoyed it, so have seen the Arch, Pelican Rock, Chileno beach, etc.  Key word today: flexibility
Day 4: “At Sea” on our way to Ensenada
Day 5:  Ensenada.  Here I’ve booked the RCL tour “Kayak Tour at La Bufadora.”  I love kayaking (I have my own little 10’ kayak that I use on local rivers and lakes), but have never been on the ocean in one, so I’m really looking forward to this (as long as I can have a single kayak – gotta check in with the Shore Excursions folks as soon as I board, so make THAT Activity #1!)
Day 6:  Day of gloom and despair, AKA Disembarkation

As far as meals:  oh, that’s tomorrow’s topic!  Good night, all!
 

[IRMO12HD]

9 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

My first VB was a solo B2B on Nav in 2022. It was also my first official carry-on only cruise. I would say just be prepared; the LAX port is probably the worst. Hardly any signage and chaotic embarkation/disembarkation. 

Thanks, @Ampurp85I've also sailed on a solo B2B in Dec 2021-Jan 2022 (but not a "carry-on only!).  I actually found the embarkation to be pretty easy; I walked over from the Crowne Plaza at about 8:30 a.m. with my checked bag and handed it over to the porters.  Walked back to the hotel for a cup of coffee and final "re-packing" of my carry-on with my bottles of wine; then checked out of the hotel about 10:00 a.m. and walked back over to the port with my carry on.   Got through security relatively quickly (like 5 minutes) and onto the ship in a total of about 10 minutes.  I have a feeling my sailings were a little less packed than yours.  I'll definitely be carrying an extra load of patience

[IRMO12HD]

On to food -- with just over two weeks before I board Navigator, I am looking forward to . . .

Salads, salads, salads!  Yum!  My go-to lunch in Windjammer.  Load up with the dark green leafy veggies, add in some protein and some fiber (AKA chicken and chickpeas), a few carbs and then top it off with oil and vinegar.  AND . . . I don’t have to clean, chop, or wash anything.  Life is good. Food, glorious food! 

I purchased one Specialty Dining (Izumi) and have a plan for what I know I will want to sample in the MDR.  Izumi is going to be the first night, but I also love the Maryland Crab Cakes (yes, I know it's not real crabmeat in there!), so I'll plan on visiting my MDR table just long enough to order JUST the appetizer :-).  Then I'll head on up (over?) to Izumi for my main meal.  

That’s it – that’s my meal planning!  After Night 1, the world is my escargot – or something like that.  I’m looking forward to sampling more of the Indian dishes, which is a cuisine that I don’t have much experience with.  I may – just may – have to find someone to share a stack of Playmakers onion rings with, and I’m seriously considering trying an adult milkshake from Johnny Rockets. Any suggestions?
 

 

[Ampurp85]

7 hours ago, IRMO12HD said:

On to food -- with just over two weeks before I board Navigator, I am looking forward to . . .

Salads, salads, salads!  Yum!  My go-to lunch in Windjammer.  Load up with the dark green leafy veggies, add in some protein and some fiber (AKA chicken and chickpeas), a few carbs and then top it off with oil and vinegar.  AND . . . I don’t have to clean, chop, or wash anything.  Life is good. Food, glorious food! 

I purchased one Specialty Dining (Izumi) and have a plan for what I know I will want to sample in the MDR.  Izumi is going to be the first night, but I also love the Maryland Crab Cakes (yes, I know it's not real crabmeat in there!), so I'll plan on visiting my MDR table just long enough to order JUST the appetizer :-).  Then I'll head on up (over?) to Izumi for my main meal.  

That’s it – that’s my meal planning!  After Night 1, the world is my escargot – or something like that.  I’m looking forward to sampling more of the Indian dishes, which is a cuisine that I don’t have much experience with.  I may – just may – have to find someone to share a stack of Playmakers onion rings with, and I’m seriously considering trying an adult milkshake from Johnny Rockets. Any suggestions?
 

 

I liked the adult orange dreamsicle shake from JR. I believe I used one of my D vouchers for one every day. 

[IRMO12HD]

14 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I liked the adult orange dreamsicle shake from JR. I believe I used one of my D vouchers for one every day. 

Adding it to my list!  Thanks for the suggestion

[JohnK6404]

Have a great time!

[IRMO12HD]

HOW COULD I FORGET -- DESSERT???

Here are my favorite desserts -- on longer cruises, I limited myself to one dessert every three days (especially on the Transatlantic!).  However, since this is a 5-night cruise, I'll probably do more stairs and less elevator, and make a concerted effort to go to the Fitness Center at least twice, so all bets are off.  What desserts am I most looking forward to?

1.  Creme Brulee

2. Soft serve ice cream

3.  Adult milkshake at Johnny Rockets (yeah, that will be a dessert  )

4.  Ranger cookies

[IRMO12HD]

Almost to single digits!  Which means, I've got to start thinking about packing.  My decision "tree" looks like this:

 

Carry - on Only > 

+ Much easier to navigate Seattle streets and LA train/bus routes

+ Don't have to worry about losing my luggage

+ Will impose some packing discipline on myself

- Means I can't bring a favorite vintage of wine with me, unless I can find it in San Pedro (unlikely)

- Reduces my ability to bring back souvenirs.  Hey, wait a minute -- that's probably really a +

- If elevators are out, I'll have to lug it up/down stairs (but at least it's small!)

Checked Bag >

+ Pretty much no limits on what I can bring (like snorkel, mask and fins; extra set of cool weather gear; Washington state wine; cruise gadgets)

+ Gives me another chance to use my Xmas present (a 26" Travelon softside suitcase)

- Gives me more room for souvenirs that I really DON'T need to bring home

- If elevators are out, I'll have to lug it up/down stairs

 

Hmmm - what to do, what to do?  Well, first step now is to start drawing up my lists of "have to" take items and "want to but don't really need to" take items. 

[FireFishII]

Start with the carry-on only and switched to the checked bag only if you have too. As far as the wine - try a new wine.  You may be surprised.  OR could you ask your Lyft/Uber driver to stop by a liquor store if you give them a nice tip?  If you don't ask, the answer is always NO.

[IRMO12HD]

5 hours ago, FireFishII said:

Start with the carry-on only and switched to the checked bag only if you have too. As far as the wine - try a new wine.  You may be surprised.  OR could you ask your Lyft/Uber driver to stop by a liquor store if you give them a nice tip?  If you don't ask, the answer is always NO.

Good points!  I do believe I am tending toward the carry-on only.  And . . . I don't really need the wine!  Many times, if I'm staying in an AirBnB, I bring my host a bottle of Washington wine -- but am "hoteling" it this time.  Thanks for your suggestions

[asquared17]

…i’m sorry, how did i NOT know about the adult milkshakes at johnny rockets?!?!

im going to need a ~moMENT. 

(ps i do not know this man )

all of that aside though, this sounds like a fantastic trip!! will be following along the virtual balcony always intrigued me…

[IRMO12HD]

1 hour ago, asquared17 said:

…i’m sorry, how did i NOT know about the adult milkshakes at johnny rockets?!?!

im going to need a ~moMENT. 

(ps i do not know this man )

all of that aside though, this sounds like a fantastic trip!! will be following along the virtual balcony always intrigued me…

I'll be sure to post pictures of the menu and of my choices

[IRMO12HD]

It's the Ides of March today, and only 7 days left until we set sail!  I'm finishing up a bunch of appointments this week, including one on Saint Paddy's Day for platelet donation.  It's something I do about every two weeks, and it means a lot to me.  I'll be bringing/wearing several of my ARC Platelet Donor shirts (and hats) on this cruise, hoping to raise awareness of it.  I spent this morning helping with the annual spring cleaning of our local pride and joy - an antique carousel. Here's a picture of it, with my two tasks represented in the cleaning of the railing around the carousel, and the application of wood preservative/protectant applied to the "platter."  

I've decided to go the carry on route -- although I'll probably check my suitcase to go on the ship so I don't have to lug it around.  Next step (probably tomorrow) -- clothing layout time so I know what goes where.  

[FireFishII]

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.  

[IRMO12HD]

7 hours ago, FireFishII said:

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.  

Thanks for being a donor, @FireFishII!  I, too, hope you never need my donations, but I'm honored to be able to donate.  I find platelet donation to be much easier to tolerate than whole blood ever was; sitting in a reclining chair for 2 hours watching TV/Netflix, and getting almost all of my fluids back really helps.  Is the Double Reds a one way (as in just blood out) donation?

[IRMO12HD]

With three (3) days to go (really 2 days and a wake-up!), I have finished:

1. packing (had to wait and see if my team (Go Zags!) made it to the Sweet 16 (they did, for the 8th straight year), so I could add all of my Gonzaga gear to my suitcase (didn't want to jinx them)

2.  checking in for my first flight (it's never direct from Eastern Washington to anywhere -- except Seattle, Denver, SLC or Vegas)

3.  eating up all of the leftovers in the refrigerator that I know my better half won't touch

4. finishing up the chores (well, most of them) that I wanted to get done before I left.

 

On to planning my first day on the ship:

1. Figure out where my table is in the MDR

2.  Checking with Shore Excursions about my preference for a single kayak in Ensenada

3. Signing up for reservations on the app for the Ice Show

4. Locating and consuming my first Diamond drink of the day :-).  Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what it will be (or should be)?

[FireFishII]

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). 

[IRMO12HD]

Almost there!  Carryon only achieved!

I have to say, joining Alaska’s Lounge last year has worked really well for me.  I got the membership last year because we had a huge long layover in Seattle, and it has been so worth the $350 for the year.  Its hours, its people, its facilities and its menus (both food and bar) are incredible. Flew into Seattle yesterday afternoon, took the train into downtown, met my daughter and spent last night with her. She brought me down to SeaTac about 6 am, made it through security and up here enjoying breakfast by 7 am! This will be my 6th time using it, and I have 8 months and three more trips to go!  It does make it much easier (and comfortable) to travel with planned (or unplanned!) layovers.
 

 

[Ampurp85]

I do love a good lounge. When I travel internationally, it is my happy place while waiting for connecting flights.

I am also glad you were able to unlock the carry-on only level of flying 

[FireFishII]

Good for you on your carry-on luggage success!  I will need to try that on my next Caribbean trip. I love a good bloody mary in the morning. 

[IRMO12HD]

My “Lounge view” this morning. That’s the Olympic Mountains off in the distance!

 

[IRMO12HD]

Just a wake-up to go!  
 

Lesson #1: definitely keep a rain jacket easily accessible (even though it “never rains in California” - because it actually does!

Had a really nice dinner at San Pedro Brewing Company; very reasonable and delicious.

[IRMO12HD]

Onboard and working on drink #1 — no cream available at Schooner Bar for a Mudslide so l “settled” for a Kraken and Coke!

 

I walked my suitcase over at about 8:45; had to wait until about 9 to find a porter to take it off my hands, then walked back to the hotel for a shower, fresh Keurig coffee and a scone, and charging my phone.  Walked back over at about 10:15 and hit my 10:30 checkin time on the nose;-). Queuing for the initial passage in to the Security tent was a little kluge-y, as there were actually three lines set up in the tent but nothing to indicate you could use any of the three.  After crawling under the ropes two times -getting snagged once on my backpack! — I found one that was relatively clear and showed my boarding pass to get ito the queue leading into Security.  THEN, of course, the X-ray machine in my line decided to give up the ghost just as I put my stuff on the loading counter; as I mentioned, flexibility is key — and an extra dose of patience helps as well.

i made a beeline fore Shore Excursions to enter my request for a single kayak in Ensenada, and then went to the MDR to check on my table.  I put in a request for a 2-top, but am not optimistic.  My “assigned” table is a 6-top by a wall on the 4th deck, which sounds like a “fill-in-a-family” size scenario which I’m not too wild about.  We’ll see.

Lunch was a chicken burrito and a chicken taco at El Loco Fresh — no line, and the burrito was obviously freshly made.  I was trying to find a 110 v outlet to charge my phone — no luck in the Star Lounge or Schooner Bar or R Bar — so it’s on my mini battery pack for now.  BTW, I have found several UK 220 v outlets in Schooner and in the R Bar.

Next up — my plans for dinner with appetizer in the MDR and then dinner in Izumi!

[IRMO12HD]

My dinner plans worked perfectly, at least in terms of timing.  I was first at my table and the wait staff brought my two crab cakes right away. Delightfully warm and crispy.  I was just starting on the second one when two of my table mates came in and sat down. I explained that I would be eating and running due to the Izumi reservation and they declared they wanted to do the same(I had been at the entrance to the MDR when they opened the doors at 5:15, so had a head start).  I still had about 20 minutes to kill, so did the little art gallery scavenger hunt and then headed up to Deck 14 for Izumi.

Great window side 2-top and such great food!  Started with the edamame and then had the tofu-ginger salad (it’s pretty large!), the spicy crispy shrimp roll, the champagne lobster roll and matcha ice cream for dessert.  True, the rolls were only 4 pieces each, but I definitely had enough to eat!

After Izumi, I headed down to Studio B and had an amazing view from the second row back on the short side of the rink, two seats in, so I had a great view of both the ice and the cast members’ entrance.  Then bed!

[IRMO12HD]

Day 2:

I began the day looking at my virtual balcony and realizing it was morning!  A quick look at my phone confirmed that I had scant minutes to dress and run up to Deck 11 to catch the sunrise — so I crawled back under the covers and started planning my next moves!  I decided to seek out some quiet spots today.  There are a LOT of kids on this sailing and the decks seem to be overrun (literally) with tiny running feet. 
the first spot was beside the front of the Solarium — like my own private balcony, minus the lounger.

[IRMO12HD]

By “ the front” I mean towards the bow. There are exit doors right beside the access doors to the elevators.  Anyway, I then surveyed the pool area — no chair hogs yet! That could be related to the air temperature, I guess.

went for a mile walk (8 laps of the track), and then headed to the Windjammer for a cup of coffee.  Ok, now I’m awake enough to realize I’m hungry, so I head to quiet spot #2 — breakfast in thé MDR!

[IRMO12HD]

Day 2 (continued — and on to) Day 3:

After breakfast ( I tried to be good; oatmeal and fresh fruit plate; the pineapple was especially delicious), I went to Next Cruise to gather ideas for, well, a next next cruise, and then to the top tier event.  Over 3900 passengers, about 25% of whom have C&A status:

Gold 643

Platinum 117

Emerald 67

Diamond 111

Diamond+ 39

Pinnacle 13

 

After a pretty speedy lunch in the MDR of lamb pitas, I watched the Flow Rider for a while, figured out how to incorporate my Sweet 16 watching clothing into French Night/Dress Your Best, and went to dinner at my newly-assigned 2-top.

More on “The Game” and how I watched it later!

 

[Randon1234]

On 3/7/2023 at 10:01 AM, Ampurp85 said:

I liked the adult orange dreamsicle shake from JR. I believe I used one of my D vouchers for one every day. 

Are adult milkshakes included in duxe package or is it an upcharge? 

[Ampurp85]

49 minutes ago, Randon1234 said:

Are adult milkshakes included in duxe package or is it an upcharge? 

They are included. The DX includes all drinks up to $14, I believe the shakes are around $12.

[IRMO12HD]

Day 2 (continued — and on to) Day 3:

Yeah, no (now there’s an oxymoron for you!).  I will try to right this sinking blog by reverse blogging -  to bring me back to where I was two days ago;-)

 

TODAY is Day 5 (sob reason #1). We are now heading through the Ensenada harbor towards our berth which will be catty-corner (as usual) to the Carnival ship which is already there. Personally I prefer our berth as the VB camera points out towards sea and the upper decks have a great view of Ensenada.

My long-awaited kayak excursion to La Bufadora doesn’t leave until noon (it’s now 8:09 a.m.) so I’m having a leisurely breakfast in the MDR. I woke up about 6 am to see that my VB screen stil had no live image.  I checked the Bridge cam on the TV, and sure enough, it was morning outside!  Since this is the second morning this has happened (I called “Maintenance” yesterday morning about it, and by the time I got back from breakfast, it was “fixed,” so I assumed they had been by), I checked in at Guest Services, who said they would contact IT.  Of course, by the time I got back from watching the sunrise, it was working again. That is just the way things work!  Then IT called me; I tried to describe the recurring “outages” and they insisted it was because it was too dark for the camera feed to work. To make a longer story shorter, I will note what time it goes “off” tonight, and what time it comes back on tomorrow morning, and note it on my survey.  I really like the Virtual Balcony cabins, and that live view is an integral part of the experience.

Breakfast pix!

[IRMO12HD]

Day 4

First move this morning was to the Solarium hot tub at about where I again encountered my “tubmates” from Alaska, who were discussing the -20 temperatures they had left behind.  Made the hot tub temperature seem even higher, and my sore leg muscles from yesterday’s treks were delighted!  Then back to the cabin for a shower and get ready for the day.  VB screen is still blank (except for the simulated balcony railing) so called Maintenance who said thy would check it. Off to breakfast in the MDR, where I’m welcomed with smiles and a window side 2 top - so nice!

Sea day today, and it’s lived up to its name — lots of sea, and running high!  A fair amount of wind, too, and not very warm, so most people are staying inside.  Went to the Captain’s Corner with Captain James and CD Thiago.  Really well done, although kind of sparsely attended. Got a nice fact sheet on Navigator which was very informative. Captain James is a great communicator and is very engaging.

So, on to Sob reason #2: I decided to watch the GU-UConn elite 8 game in my cabin; listened to some of the radio broadcast during dinner (my AirPods were hidden by my hair, and I was careful not to outwardly react to what I was hearing.). Dinner was Mixed salad and arancini for appetizers, and New York Strip with baked potato and roast vegetables (broccoli and carrot slices).  I asked for Medium — and I got Medium!  The baked potato was perfect, and the broccoli, although I didn’t get any “roasted” impression, was nicely done without being soggy.  BTW, I don’t eat cooked carrots if I can avoid it, and this time was no exception.  So, I made a happy plate with just two carrot slices and a little strip of fat from the steak left on it.  No dessert, as I had plans.

On the way back up to the cabin, I grabbed a little slice of cake and two coconut cookies from Cafe Promenade, and two glasses of wine (to last the rest of the evening, I thought). OK, ready for the rest of the game!  Well, no, I wasn’t ready for THAT outcome.  At its conclusion, I turned off the TV and just kind of vegged for a while.  Figured I would go to the Production show, and JUST as I reach deck 5, there’s an announcement that due to technical difficulties on the stage, the show will be postponed until Day 5. So there are hundreds of sad people around me now. Time for a Kraken and Coke, and a retreat to my cabin to work on language skills with Duolingo and vocabulary skills with Wordscapes.  Oh, and did I mention that my VB screen is frozen once again?

Tomorrow, Ensenada, where I can kayak my cares away!  One piece of good news is that it should reach high tide right around the time we’ll be near La Bufadora (2 pm), so the water “geyser” should reach pretty good heights!

[IRMO12HD]

Edit for Day 5 — ultra sob reason — got back up to the cabin after posting and started to get my kayaking excursion stuff together (go pro + harness, change of clothes, zip lock bags — oh the phone message light is blinking?  Maybe IT has new revelations about the VBscreen?). Sooo I press the message button  and learn that as of 8:30, my excursion is canceled (huge sobbing face emoji here)!  I guess the only bright side was that I didn’t walk into town right after breakfast as I had planned — because I wouldn’t have found out until I tried to join the non-existent line on the pier. (I encountered a couple of folks on the pier at about 11:40 who apparently hadn’t seen the message light on their phones).  Given the small ( like maybe 20?) size of this excursion, I think the Shore Excursion staff could have exercised more effort in reaching out to the affected passengers besides just leaving a message on the phone.  The couple I encountered didn’t even notice they had a phone in their cabin!

I walked over to the Riviera del Pacifico and wandered around for a bit, dodging the various tour groups, and then came back to the ship. Upon seeing the hot tubs and pool in the Solarium packed with bodies, I retreated to the 13th deck sun deck, found a vacant covered bed, and read and practiced Duolingo.  At least I got some exercise — I had to, because I treated myself to one of those “adult” spiked milkshakes!  The Beach Blast, with Captain Morgan, banana and strawberry mix, and ice cream - it was very good, but it tasted like some more, so I had to leave the ship before temptation overtook willpower;-)

[FireFishII]

I just started Duolingo for my summer trip to Italy.  What language are you learning? 

I agree that the shore excursion desk could have done a better job reaching out to people.  At a minimum, they could have had a sign about the cancel shore excursion at the gang plank.  

[Ampurp85]

My VB would be completely black around 9pm and I could see nothing but feel the faint hum of the screen. I just assumed because it was dark, now I am wondering......

[JNichols]

On 3/24/2023 at 2:10 AM, IRMO12HD said:

Day 2:

I began the day looking at my virtual balcony and realizing it was morning!  A quick look at my phone confirmed that I had scant minutes to dress and run up to Deck 11 to catch the sunrise — so I crawled back under the covers and started planning my next moves!  I decided to seek out some quiet spots today.  There are a LOT of kids on this sailing and the decks seem to be overrun (literally) with tiny running feet. 
the first spot was beside the front of the Solarium — like my own private balcony, minus the lounger.

Thank you for the tip on the "private" balcony! I will be on Navigator at the end of May also in a VB cabin. It is on deck 10 forward so it will be easy to jump up a deck and enjoy the space. 

I will also be curious to see if the VB also has off times/issues in my cabin. 

[IRMO12HD]

On 3/26/2023 at 7:41 PM, FireFishII said:

I just started Duolingo for my summer trip to Italy.  What language are you learning? 

I agree that the shore excursion desk could have done a better job reaching out to people.  At a minimum, they could have had a sign about the cancel shore excursion at the gang plank.  

@FireFishIII've used Duolingo so far to learn or review Danish, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Latin.  I've used it for just under a year, and really enjoy it.  My language choices are kind of eclectic; some I''ve had some formal schooling in, some I've learned "on the job" so to speak, and some are brand new to me.  I wanted to:

(1) learn Danish for my September 2022 Transatlantic (Copenhagen-Boston)  It helped quite a bit in terms of understanding signs and instructions; I did also try to speak it and the Danes were (to their credit!) very kind and understanding and even appreciative of my efforts.

(2) review and reinforce my familiarity with and use of German and French (French especially as I'm in the process of planning a joint Mother-Daughter trip to France in the fall with my daughter and her best friend/best friend's mom -- I'll be the only one on the trip with knowledge of the French language

(3) learn Spanish in time for this cruise -- again helpful in terms of signs, but I didn't try to speak it except in very limited situations)

 

 

[IRMO12HD]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:24 PM, Ampurp85 said:

My VB would be completely black around 9pm and I could see nothing but feel the faint hum of the screen. I just assumed because it was dark, now I am wondering......

@Ampurp85Were you able to see the (computer-generated) image of the railing on the screen, or was it completely blank?  I wasn't able to shut off the VB until (I'm convinced it was the batteries, but . . .) Analiz, my cabin steward, showed me where to aim the remote (on mine it was the bottom right corner)