BermudaStarz

Confirm our seating/table in dining room with Maitre D. Then we relax, eat and have fun!!

Grab a bite - check with MDR to check table size and location - find a lounge chair and soak in some sun - find room, drop off stuff - explore the ship.

Lobster, escargot, arinccini, and I love Salmon but have had to send it back 4 times now - always too dried out :(

I will order it next trip but will order something else TOO.

Def need to find the french toast I seem to have missed before!!

Just a word of warning. The soft ice cream machines were broken down more than they were working on our Repo cruise in November. Several times, all that came out was brown or white water.

Thanks all for ice cream info, great help, may have to rethink the plan, invites are to include toppings, but that could be a frustrating waste of time and money, lol. A back up plan may be a good idea :)

. If you have any specific questions, please add your requests. I will try to respond.

We are sailing 30Jan with several friends. I'd like to plan an ice cream get together. Do you remember exactly where the ice cream machine is? I want to create an invitation for them. Thanks.

Since you just disembarked, do you remember where the ice cream machine was?. We are sailing with a group in Jan and I would like to prepare an onboard invitation for mini icecream party. Thanks in advance.

We cruised 3 times on Regency out of Tampa. Sea, Star and Rainbow. Loved the little Rainbow and we were booked on her for a 5 day cruise out of Tampa again when Regency went bankrupt. Cruise all paid for and ready to go in 3 weeks. HAL stepped in and gave us a 7 day cruise with no extra charges.

How great that HAL did that for you - that was sad - isn't funny to think how small those ships were. We went on a couple different ones that size - there WAS something special about them :) But 7 nights vs 5 was a huge treat. Did you sail on HAL again after that? It's the one major line we have never sailed. Doubt we will, ya never know.

As someone just said, there are many reasons that people move. My friends are moving back to be with their kids. Her parents up and moved to NC after they retired. I think if you are in a cold, high cost area money might be an answer.

I LOVE my home - planned to live there til there was no living left - BUT - I've been in church ministry for 36 yrs and have no retirement. Cannot afford to stay in our home and NJ has taxed us out.

Retiring at 62 because DH has requested it - he is considerably older, went on disability 10 yrs ago and has been waiting for us to start 'living together'. He is tired of those long days. His health is no guarantee and he cannot tolerate the cold, hence, lower income, warmer climate and time together.

It will be difficult leaving a big family but seriously - their lives are very full. We are a nice addition but not a necessity. I know that sounds sad but it's okay - "We'll Be Back"!!:p

Make an account at ssa.gov and you can do it all online. I did. First check in September.

 

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Karen - I plan to stop on 10.30.14 and will get 2wks pay in Nov.

Do you know if I can/should be collecting prior to that date? I was 62 in May. Am I already missing out on some $$ this year? SS would NOT answer that question for me on the phone. I realize the amt will be smaller than if I wait til Nov but not significantly.

thanks

DH and I retired two months ago. We are still adjusting. We can't keep up with what day it is and now when one of us asks what day it is - the other replies "it's Saturday because now everyday is Saturday"!

 

We are getting our primary house ready to sell, figuring out health insurance and a million other things and don't know how we had time to ever work? But I LOVE that feeling of not having to stress out on Sunday nights. I grew to hate Sunday nights!

 

Debbie

/QUOTE]

 

Oh my goodness - you are walking my life already - We are trying to get our house ready to list, also - but I'm not home everyday to help so it seems like it's taking forever. Looking forward to a relocation - we already know the challenge of "finding and sharing our space". DH has been home for 10 yrs dues to disability and ultimately retirement. Now we will get to re-adjust again. Don't get me wrong - I am SO looking forward to it!!! And the Insurance is a little daunting but guess I'll figure it out. :)

 

Are you staying in NoVa - we are headed to FL but dd lives in Asburn. Hate your traffic not that NJ is a whole lot better - gotta LOVE 95 - lol!!!

exactly - is it really worth it - unless you're on a 'beat the system' high - hmmm

Last Nov we booked our upcoming cruise - onboard. We had heard about a special rate while on an earlier cruise - a rate that sounded great.

Loved that the deposit was low - so we've had a cruise reserved for the past 9 months for just 200.00.

We now have a 150.00 onboard credit. Also another plus.

But, as already mentioned, the booking was time consuming and took a couple of attempts to connect with the agent.

May do it again IF I know exactly what I want - the perks are nice but I like the adventure and control of researching and booking it myself online.

It's just preference and convenience. Besides, I got DH to commit a year ahead of time and it's MY Retirement Party!!! :p

I only have one Customs story and it's not ours since we rarely buy anything - prefer to save our money for ANOTHER Cruise :p

But I have a friend who cruised with her husband and he took his new Rolex with him (without any receipts). He bought my friend, his wife, a new Rolex. They both WORE them when they got off the ship, without declaring the one he just purchased. and YES - they got stopped. He had to pay customs on BOTH Rolex Watches, even though one was not purchased on that trip.

OUCH!!! But of course I guess if you can afford to buy 2 Rolex's, you can afford the Duty. ;)

Gave up on them a long time ago - I'm sure I have some friends who think it is obscene if I'm standing in the light - but they have issues :).

A slip is just another piece of clothing that I would have to 'un-stick' when I stand up.:p

Anyone remember Regency? We sailed them on our honeymoon in 1989 out of Tampa.

Yes - we cruised the Regent Sea in the early 90's. There was something special about those small ships but this ship was experiencing wear & tear and if I remember correctly it stopped sailing soon after our cruise -

What was your first cruise ship? What cruise line, the year and the itinerary? (if you remember;) ) Did it get you hooked?

 

MY first cruise was to the Bahamas in 1972 on NCL's Sunward. Yes I was hooked but it took awhile to be able to pass that conviction on.

 

OUR first cruise together was in 1985 on Commodore Cruise Lines - Caribe 2 - it went to: Haiti - PuertoPlata, DR; - Puerto Rico - St Thomas and St Maarten. HOOKED you ask? We are at #35.

 

We LOVED that tiny little ship - it was such a perfect start to a life of joy, adventure, and friendships.

Hey there Bermuda Starz, glad to make your acquaintance.

 

We traveled twice on Royal Caribbean and both times had dining room problems. The second time was completely unforgiveable so we never went again on RC. Once on Norwegian was once too many times. Carnival trip had 1200 people on board and an announcement was made that 800 were under age 12. Ithink all 800 ran around with walkie talkies continually yelling into them

 

Have a dozen trips on Holland America, but in 2006 got turned off to that line and have since done Celebrity which I loved and Princess which is our favorite.

 

We are coming from California and getting onboard in Copenhagen.

Oh my - that is quite a list of disappointing experiences - that cruise with all those kids would truly be a nightmare. I guess we are fortunate - even our 25th Anniv was on Disney and not a problem. Glad to hear you have had wonderful cruises with HAL and Princess - maybe I will convince DH that we should cruise Princess with my 'addicted' cousins - that would be awesome.

Congrats on the Copenhagen trip - that should be amazing!!

Early morning at the gym

Coffee and my Kindle til dh gets up

go to breakfast

POOL DECK and DH explores and reports back to me all the crazy fun things he finds.Give me a deck chair, some sun and my Kindle and I'm a happy camper - oh - I mean, I'm a happy CRUISER

We too have over 30 cruises and about 8 lines. Our favorite is Royal Caribbean, of course we have only been sailing with them consistently over the past few years. Celebrity was also a huge favorite.

Our experience on Princess was awesome but it was 20 yrs ago - only disappointment was the food but I believed it was an unusual experience and not a major concern. We have family that I doubt would ever cruise anything BUT Princess!!

As far as children on Royal Caribbean? Never have experienced any problem with them = barely know they are there. You'd have to go look for them and maybe you would find them :p -

We have ALWAYS gone for the lowest price and been cruising since 1985 - Of course if we ever enjoy a suite - I'm sure we won't want to turn back. BUT with retirement coming quickly - every penny will count.

Well, I know that retirement is less than 90 days and when I post this - the actual number will be in my sig line less 1. Last day is Oct 31 and we leave on 2 week cruise Nov 1. That's my Retirement Party from me to me - well, DH may decide to take the credit - I don't care who takes the credit as long as we get on that ship!!!!

I saw some comments on Insurance - that is the huge concern for us - I believe I will be able to get COBRA for 18 months however - I have NJBCBS and I think I remember our agent telling us that it does not cover out of state - we are planning on moving to FL. This could be both interesting and devastating - it will truly cut into our travel budget. :eek: