Cactus527 Posted March 2 Author Report Share Posted March 2 I am looking forward to Sorrento's pizza on board (strange, right?), though I don't think I've ever seen this much pizza at one time anywhere. Costco for the win tonight! MaryS and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 2 Report Share Posted March 2 5 hours ago, Cactus527 said: am looking forward to Sorrento's pizza on board (strange, right?) I know this wasn’t a serious post (that Costco cart is awesome, lol) but fwiw, Sorrento’s has been better on my last 2 cruises on 2 different ships (much crispier, not soggy) & I’m not alone based on other comments & pics I’ve seen from other ships as well. I’m looking forward to other food more but I do look forward to what’s frequently my last snack before bed (besides a cookie) being better than it used to be. Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 2 Author Report Share Posted March 2 4 hours ago, OCSC Mike said: I know this wasn’t a serious post (that Costco cart is awesome, lol) but fwiw, Sorrento’s has been better on my last 2 cruises on 2 different ships (much crispier, not soggy) & I’m not alone based on other comments & pics I’ve seen from other ships as well. I’m looking forward to other food more but I do look forward to what’s frequently my last snack before bed (besides a cookie) being better than it used to be. I hear you there. When I started back to cruising again in 2022, Sorrento's was not exactly great. However, I did notice a huge change in September when I was on board. It's nice! I'm with you in the crispy pizza camp. I also agree that it is a perfect snack right before bedtime. OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 2 Author Report Share Posted March 2 9 days to embarkation, 8 days to travel. Went through my cruise stuff yesterday. Verdict: I have too much stuff. Part of it is for my kiddos as well, but....there's still a LOT. I spent part of the afternoon trying to consolidate and decide if I really need it. Bezos cup clip made the cut though, @asquared17. I actually had a mild panic attack that maybe I should get a bigger suitcase. Maybe? Or I should stop over packing. One is easier than the other. Today's project: figure out my cruise outfits and conference outfits. It appears I need to pack for 10 days without laundry. Ugh. I'm not sure I want to use RC laundry, and I can do a bit of sink laundry, but it's just not the same. I may need to find a laundromat in my conference city. Lovetocruise2002, MaryS, asquared17 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 3 Author Report Share Posted March 3 8 days to embarkation, 7 days to travel. On today's docket, prepping for the Windjammer. LandstromCruise, Sweety, MaryS and 5 others 2 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 On 3/2/2024 at 1:12 PM, Cactus527 said: Bezos cup clip made the cut though, @asquared17. I actually had a mild panic attack that maybe I should get a bigger suitcase BLESS. you will have a great time with the cup clip!!! also,,,, i am in favor of a bigger suitcase PPPJJ-GCVAB, Lovetocruise2002 and Cactus527 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 13 minutes ago, asquared17 said: i am in favor of a bigger suitcase Me too! Spouse questions this decision, but I tried to reason that with our overseas trip in the fall, it would be much more prudent to get a larger suitcase. Spouse is still on the fence about that. asquared17 and MaryS 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 On 3/2/2024 at 1:12 PM, Cactus527 said: 9 days to embarkation, 8 days to travel. Went through my cruise stuff yesterday. Verdict: I have too much stuff. Part of it is for my kiddos as well, but....there's still a LOT. I spent part of the afternoon trying to consolidate and decide if I really need it. Bezos cup clip made the cut though, @asquared17. I actually had a mild panic attack that maybe I should get a bigger suitcase. Maybe? Or I should stop over packing. One is easier than the other. Today's project: figure out my cruise outfits and conference outfits. It appears I need to pack for 10 days without laundry. Ugh. I'm not sure I want to use RC laundry, and I can do a bit of sink laundry, but it's just not the same. I may need to find a laundromat in my conference city. Love your packing cube with the cactus on it! My BFF lives in Tucson and that would be a great gift for her! Cactus527 and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 9 hours ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: Love your packing cube with the cactus on it! My BFF lives in Tucson and that would be a great gift for her! YOUR BFF AND I ARE IN THE SAME CITY!!!! I didn't start off here - I actually spent 5 years up in the Phoenix area. Tucson is much, much nicer. I love that it embraces the desert rather than tries to make itself into another Los Angeles. PPPJJ-GCVAB and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 12 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: YOUR BFF AND I ARE IN THE SAME CITY!!!! I didn't start off here - I actually spent 5 years up in the Phoenix area. Tucson is much, much nicer. I love that it embraces the desert rather than tries to make itself into another Los Angeles. Not to get off subject…or topic…but she’s been in Tucson for 3 years now. Oro Valley actually. She grew up in RI but has lived out West for over 35 years! In between Phoenix and Tucson she spent 8 years in Genoa, Nevada…which is beautiful! I’ll be in Tucson last week of June visiting! OK…back to Spring Break and Freedom! Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Just now, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: Not to get off subject…or topic I've come to learn that getting off-topic is an expected and usually welcomed part of live blogs, lol. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527, Lovetocruise2002 and 2 others 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 55 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: Not to get off subject…or topic…but she’s been in Tucson for 3 years now. Oro Valley actually. She grew up in RI but has lived out West for over 35 years! In between Phoenix and Tucson she spent 8 years in Genoa, Nevada…which is beautiful! I’ll be in Tucson last week of June visiting! OK…back to Spring Break and Freedom! LOL she's in the same area of town as me - in fact, my kids are in school over in Oro Valley. Last week of June? You chose the absolute worst time to come visit weather wise - it's the hottest it gets right before it finally breaks into monsoon season. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 On 3/1/2024 at 1:12 PM, WAAAYTOOO said: We are in our room a LOT and need to have a bit of space. Same!! Also.....we failed the 12 step program I asked about in my thread..... On 3/1/2024 at 1:18 PM, Lovetocruise2002 said: Good to know we're not the only ones +1 on the hanging out in the cabin. @Cactus527 I'm looking forward to following along here. I really want to sail on Freedom too, especially since we were supposed to go this year just The Boss and I without the freeloaders, but our sailing got chartered..... Sweety, WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and 2 others 2 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 1 minute ago, GregD said: we were supposed to go this year just The Boss and I without the freeloaders, but our sailing got chartered..... Oh no! That was the RS booking right? WAAAYTOOO and Cactus527 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said: Oh no! That was the RS booking right? yep.....Was going to be a B2B too. the 4N got chartered, so our favorite person was able to get the other leg cancelled with no penalty since there was nothing we could move it to. WAAAYTOOO, Lovetocruise2002, Cactus527 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 14 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: it's the hottest it gets But it's a dry heat... which, as an east coaster, I always thought was some sort of silly excuse until I went to Vegas in the summer. 110 with zero humidity is very different than 90 with high humidity... but they're both pretty terrible, lol. PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 8 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: But it's a dry heat... which, as an east coaster, I always thought was some sort of silly excuse until I went to Vegas in the summer. 110 with zero humidity is very different than 90 with high humidity... but they're both pretty terrible, lol. Whenever somebody says the dry heat thing to me, I always comment that the inside of your oven feels the same way, would you like to hang out in there? Miserable but in a different way versus humidity. OCSC Mike, PPPJJ-GCVAB and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 33 minutes ago, GregD said: Same!! Also.....we failed the 12 step program I asked about in my thread..... +1 on the hanging out in the cabin. @Cactus527 I'm looking forward to following along here. I really want to sail on Freedom too, especially since we were supposed to go this year just The Boss and I without the freeloaders, but our sailing got chartered..... What was the date for that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 32 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Oh no! That was the RS booking right? NOT A RS! That's a true shame!!!! Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 12 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: Whenever somebody says the dry heat thing to me, I always comment that the inside of your oven feels the same way That's exactly how I described Vegas, lol. WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Cactus527 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 2 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: That's exactly how I described Vegas, lol. For whatever reason, when I'm here in AZ walking around in 110F / 43C weather, it's uncomfortable but I can deal with it. When I'm in Vegas in the summer doing the same, I feel like I'm sweating from parts of my body that I didn't even know COULD sweat. Elbow pits are a real thing apparently! WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB, OCSC Mike and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 13 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: What was the date for that one? I was going to be in April. The 4/22-4/26 got chartered. We had a 3N either before or after, I don't remember anymore. What's worse, The Boss's B-day was during the 4N Cactus527, PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 2 hours ago, GregD said: What's worse, The Boss's B-day was during the 4N You'll just have to find a way to make it up to her lol Cactus527 and GregD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 7 days to embarkation, 6 days to travel. Last night, I was laying out all my clothes in piles for "Cruise" and "Conference." Not a whole lot of overlap, unfortunately. My oldest daughter, Bookworm, kept trying to find ways to combine outfits for both and they were hideous. Also, I'm afraid I'll get all sweaty wearing it for "cruise" and smell horrible in it for "conference." UGH. Held my credit card last night in terms of buying a bigger suitcase as I remember we have a soft-sided larger one buried deep in the recesses of The Forbidden Closet. I may try that if I need more space. With two large suitcases, a carry-on suitcase, and a backpack planned, I invested in this, which arrive this morning. #thankyoubezos Now that I've tried it, I wish Wish WISH I would have had this years ago! Live and learn, I suppose. Spent the morning getting my hair done so that I look younger than my age. Oh, gray hair, how I loathe thee. Funny story - the last time I was there, I walked in and my stylist was sitting in her chair scrolling on her phone. I greeted her and then patiently waited for her to say "okay, your turn!" But she didn't. She ignored me. I was getting really irritated/pissed when my stylist walked in the door and apologized for being late. WTH. Turns out, she has an identical twin who was waiting for her to show up to pick something up! We had a great laugh about it once I realized what was going on. Lovetocruise2002, MaryS, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 3 others 3 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 On 3/1/2024 at 3:20 PM, Ampurp85 said: Potato is so cute. My cat is named Senator Meowkins and we call her Sen for short. She always helps pack by laying in the suitcases and refusing to move. I am about 73 days from cruising Freedom, so enjoy.......but I am definitely the room doesn't matter camp.......but I am often solo, so the space is great no matter the category. I now have a B2B2B on Freedom. This blog is a bad influence on my hubby's credit card. Ampurp85, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527 and 2 others 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 2 minutes ago, Sweety said: I now have a B2B2B on Freedom. This blog is a bad influence on my hubby's credit card. I LOVE THIS! You are going to have an AMAZING time doing your B2B2B! I keep looking to see when I can do the same on Quantum or Navigator out of LA - so far, none of my dates are sticking. Sweety 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr martini Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 freedom might be favorite ship in the fleet currently - perfect blend of size, features and familiarity. we just were on her for the same 4 day pdcc trip a year ago and i live blogged, have a great time! our next cruise will definitely be freedom or independence when they get on some different itineraries a year from now PPPJJ-GCVAB, Ampurp85, Cactus527 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/03/04/florida-2024-spring-break-curfew-rules/72748028007/ Well, this is interesting. I'm wondering if it will affect traffic a lot going/leaving the port area... ...and is this common for Spring Break time in Florida? It seems insane! PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 4 minutes ago, dr martini said: freedom might be favorite ship in the fleet currently - perfect blend of size, features and familiarity. we just were on her for the same 4 day pdcc trip a year ago and i live blogged, have a great time! our next cruise will definitely be freedom or independence when they get on some different itineraries a year from now Indy is doing some shorter cruises out of Southampton. Pretty sure those itineraries will be a little different for you. EDIT: @dr martini do you have a link to your Freedom blog? I'd love to read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr martini Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr martini Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 yes @Cactus527 unfortunately the past few years of travel explosion post covid it's been really crazy in miami, they had these restrictions a few years now, believe the curfew started in 2021. Another factor would be Hurricane Ian - Florida's southwest coast was pounded in fall of 2022 by that storm (category 5 of 5) and devastated Fort Myers Beach, which was nowhere near Miami level but still a good sized spring break destination. now those kids have to go elsewhere as FMB is nowhere near to back up and running, even when they are rebuilt it will likely be a lot different aka more expensive (family and retirement focused). Miami's #1 status only getting bigger Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 43 minutes ago, dr martini said: yes @Cactus527 unfortunately the past few years of travel explosion post covid it's been really crazy in miami, they had these restrictions a few years now, believe the curfew started in 2021. Another factor would be Hurricane Ian - Florida's southwest coast was pounded in fall of 2022 by that storm (category 5 of 5) and devastated Fort Myers Beach, which was nowhere near Miami level but still a good sized spring break destination. now those kids have to go elsewhere as FMB is nowhere near to back up and running, even when they are rebuilt it will likely be a lot different aka more expensive (family and retirement focused). Miami's #1 status only getting bigger Craziness. I know Arizona gets a TON of visitors for spring training in March, but I can't recall ever hearing about restrictions on anything because of them. Calmer crowd, I guess. Oh, and all the golf tournaments all through the winter months. And the snow birds [old people who winter here, not actual birds]. I'm laughing at the idea of restrictions on the snow birds - Drive the speed limit! Stop blocking the aisles in grocery stores by putting your cart in the middle! No taking all the spots in my yoga class! PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 I'm in the process of planning my Oct vacation and I will either do a B2B on something or a S2S out of cape liberty, all of these blogs are bad for people's wallet. But I think all luggage is an investment. The older I get, the less I can get by with a carry-on and backpack. I have done a conference and then cruises and the clothes can't overlap no matter how hard I would try. But mixing and matching helps to bring less. Which is why I buy my clothes in a color scheme. WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Sweety 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 4 Report Share Posted March 4 7 hours ago, Cactus527 said: LOL she's in the same area of town as me - in fact, my kids are in school over in Oro Valley. Last week of June? You chose the absolute worst time to come visit weather wise - it's the hottest it gets right before it finally breaks into monsoon season. Lol I will actually be in Flagstaff for most of the week…taking my granddaughter on her Grandma/Grandchild trip. She chose Grand Canyon. So after all our fun we are taking a few days to visit her before flying home. Cactus527, MaryS, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 2 hours ago, Ampurp85 said: I'm in the process of planning my Oct vacation and I will either do a B2B on something or a S2S out of cape liberty, all of these blogs are bad for people's wallet. But I think all luggage is an investment. The older I get, the less I can get by with a carry-on and backpack. I have done a conference and then cruises and the clothes can't overlap no matter how hard I would try. But mixing and matching helps to bring less. Which is why I buy my clothes in a color scheme. I would love to do something out of Cape Liberty someday. Bookworm got to go on her class trip last year to DC & NYC, and I've never been to NYC, so I was dying just a little through the photos she was sending home. A Bermuda cruise out of there would be awesome! I hope it works out for you. I'm glad I'm not the only one that buys in certain colors. I tend to stick with white, gray, black, and a few red thrown in for fun. Now I'm leaning toward getting the better suitcase! Argh! MaryS, Sweety, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 34 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: Lol I will actually be in Flagstaff for most of the week…taking my granddaughter on her Grandma/Grandchild trip. She chose Grand Canyon. So after all our fun we are taking a few days to visit her before flying home. I LOVE that you do these kind of trips with your grandkids. She's going to have such great memories. My favorite places at the Grand Canyon are in polar opposite directions: Hermit's Rest and the Desert Watchtower. The best time, though, is when it's dark out and there's a full moon. So beautiful (though my kiddos said it was scary, ha!). It's also the one and only place I've ever seen elk - I literally drove around a bend and there were these (what I thought) HUUUUUGE deer looking at me while standing in the road. PPPJJ-GCVAB and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDaley Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 1 hour ago, Cactus527 said: My favorite places at the Grand Canyon are in polar opposite directions: Hermit's Rest and the Desert Watchtower Seconding the view from Desert Watchtower! @PPPJJ-GCVAB If you’re in the area a few days I also recommend a tour in Antelope Canyon (suuuuper cool slot canyon) near Page, AZ. We took a calm rafting tour down the Colorado from Page when we visited the Grand Canyon and got to go around Horseshoe Bend from the water’s vantage! The slot canyon was an easy add-on to our day. Sorry to hijack the blog @Cactus527, got to help promote lovely Arizona!! FionaMG, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527 and 3 others 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 5 Author Report Share Posted March 5 44 minutes ago, DDaley said: Seconding the view from Desert Watchtower! @PPPJJ-GCVAB If you’re in the area a few days I also recommend a tour in Antelope Canyon (suuuuper cool slot canyon) near Page, AZ. We took a calm rafting tour down the Colorado from Page when we visited the Grand Canyon and got to go around Horseshoe Bend from the water’s vantage! The slot canyon was an easy add-on to our day. Sorry to hijack the blog @Cactus527, got to help promote lovely Arizona!! I did an ultra race through the slot canyons up there once. Unbelievable how beautiful it is. That's another 2-3 hours east of Flagstaff up by Page, @PPPJJ-GCVAB. PPPJJ-GCVAB and DDaley 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 5 Report Share Posted March 5 3 hours ago, Cactus527 said: The best time, though, is when it's dark out and there's a full moon OMG! I just looked up the moon phases for June and a Strawberry Full Moon will be on June 21st! Not really sure I will get to Desert Watchtower…BUT…I was planning on taking Valen to the Lowell Observatory on the 21st even before I knew it would be a full moon. Super excited she will get to see this! @DDaley and @Cactus527 Thanks for enlightening me with my Non-cruise vacation! WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and DDaley 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 5 Author Report Share Posted March 5 1 hour ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: OMG! I just looked up the moon phases for June and a Strawberry Full Moon will be on June 21st! Not really sure I will get to Desert Watchtower…BUT…I was planning on taking Valen to the Lowell Observatory on the 21st even before I knew it would be a full moon. Super excited she will get to see this! @DDaley and @Cactus527 Thanks for enlightening me with my Non-cruise vacation! The Lowell Observatory is EXCELLENT - someone discovered Pluto from there! You'll really enjoy that. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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