Capt_BJ

as recent as 200 years ago lobster was fed to prison inmates ...... considered a cheap food

Was that included in the „complimentary inclusive wines, beers and soft drinks at mealtimes“? We've cruised both ocean and river and experienced differences 'tween BUT in every case the 'included wine' was a choice of the day - a red and a white - but ONLY that one and not anything from the wine list. On our river cruise the included beer was the 'tap' beer which was Carlsberg as I recall. On subsequent ocean trips it appeared they would provide any beer they had (can) at lunch/dinner under 'included'. At both meals on both o and r at lunch and dinner no charge for coke, coke sugar free, <sometimes 'zero' some times the EU product of Diet Coke ...> can not comment beyond other to say they have ice tea which I always take unsweetened

Did this cruise last July. We were scheduled to tender but at last minute the port changed us to the floating dock which had the impact of actually slowing us down so far as getting off as SATURN had never used this dock and was all set up to tender so there was some regroup actions required as they figured out how to park and connect to the pier (floating pier ...) . . . Not our first time to this port in prior visits my perception/observation was the largest ship got the floating pier . . . We were not the only ship last July but sizes were similar. We were the first ship to arrive that day ... July 2018 .. VIKING is 'anchored' <actually a fixed mooring buoy> and tendering .... less than a mile ride ....

binoculars are a primary tool for the bridge watch on a Coast Guard Cutter. When I was a CO this was the 'standard' https://www.steiner-optics.com/binoculars/military-marine-7x50

as I recall we met some folks at grills on mother's day a couple of years ago ... maybe it was some other holiday but it was a Sunday. They don't do reservations so we put our name on a list. It was a good 40 minutes but we were a a group of seven . . .

checking the main schedule board in Nuremburg for our express ICE to Hamburg then to the platform here it is ... and note that clock!

Global Entry and TSA-pre .... one of the smartest choices we ever made . . .

Ships are assigned certain parking areas Unless they are very crowded ... then it becomes a free for all ..... my last PE parking experience convinced me 1) avoid this as our port and 2) if we MUST .. don't plan to park there .... We did a Thanksgiving cruise a couple of years ago and I had to park to heck and back and there were no shuttles. Asking attendants where to park when they closed the 'assigned lot' cuz it was full resulted in a shrug and a general arm wave down the road . . At the furthest away garage I was then directed to park under a sign reading no parking tow away zone ..... My car WAS still there when we got back . . .

WONDER OTS uses terminal one GRILLS is adjacent to terminal one and is actually the eastern most of the 'strip' restaurants in the port so the best to see WOTS departing. But Mothers Day ... will it be crowded 🤣 ships leaving T-1 just push away from the pier and head east or back into the turning basin and 'cast' turning to the east .... all of the other port rest' are to the west of Grills. Note the port webcam sits on FishLips .... note departs today at 1630 ... https://www.portcanaveralwebcam.com/

to be clear ... HOLD means the stop the countdown but we plan to resume ... many countdowns have built in hold places .... <don't ask me ... I didn't design this stuff> SCRUB means stop the countdown and we know we won't be ready again in the window so we're done for today . . .

with multiple off site places near this port they CONSTANTLY offer deals .... keep checking ..... prices change all the time!!!!

https://www.windemereinn.com/

to be clear ... HOLD means the stop the countdown but we plan to resume ... many countdowns have built in hold places .... <don't ask me ... I didn't design this stuff> SCUB means stop the countdown and we know we won't be ready again in the window so we're done for today . . .

for larger vans you may want to look at commercial rental places and not just the standard 'car' places .... but also if you rent a larger van check with your insurance to be sure your covered . . .

VIKING ocean ships have a BUNCH of USB ports .... and adequate supply of US style 120v outlets. Each bedside table has <note: bedside one USB is "high power"> in addition the desk lamp has 5 more USB ports and at the desk if that's not enuf, or if staying in a hotel along the way consider buying a universal outlet converter. These are inexpensive and plugged into the circular EU style outlet you see bedside and at desk they can provide a US style outlet and often USB ports. DO NOT buy one that is a voltage converter or a surge suppressor .. I'll not go into technical details but these are typically a no-no ship board. MOST electrical items today using a US style plug will automatically accept either 120 0r 240 volts (almost anything that uses a USB plug even thru an adapter will be OK) Mine actually was a return customer gift from VIKING pre-COVID. Example Last trip we had 2 phones, 2 sets of ear buds, 2 kindles one laptop an apple watch and STILL had plenty of USB ports as we never needed everything plugged in at the same time!