BamaVol

Anxiety? Not really. I’m resetting my expectations lower so that I can still be delighted.

Sailing in 3 days. It’s too late to cancel. I’ve never tried specialty dining. One of the main attractions to cruising when I started was a decent MDR experience included in the price.

I hate to sound like a crabby old person, but an awful lot of change has taken place between booking and sailing. And that’s less than 3 months. I’m trying to cope. Still waiting to see whether the drink prices have increased as predicted here.

Probably didn’t work in Panama City either. I would have been shocked if you were that dentist. The bridge you made me broke about 2 years later. Just in case it’s really you. 😆

I do try to keep my expectations low so I can be delighted. I think the problem is it won’t come close to living up to the hype. There was a much better set of menus, IMO, prior to this change. I saw them on CC. The MDR has always been my favorite part of any cruise. The juice bar was hyped. Then in reality, it’s a couple of 5 ounce concoctions that may not be available when I sail. I don’t care about the desserts, but they may also not be available. I thought the medallion was cool, but the app has been awful. I’m not alone in that thought. I’m still hopeful and I’m sure I will enjoy myself. But I can’t help thinking about all those menu choices I’ll never see. Will I sail in Princess again after this? I do not know. But it may turn out I don’t enjoy cruising like I once did. The last cruise as a minor disaster. So it’s been 6 years. I want this one to be relatively fabulous.

I see it as the start of a trend. The day is coming when you will pay for anything better than a baloney sandwich in the MDR. And we will have seen the last of these items in the MDR at no charge.

I see that “specialty dining” has crept into the MDR. Another disappointment.

She has four mats. I think one is lighter weight and has its own case. I’m sure that would be her choice.

Amen on the jet lag. Flying west, never an issue. Flying east overnight, I always feel awful for a day or two. I have looked at different TA repositioning cruises for the future. You make a good point - TA east is the way to go.

I had a dentist who retired at 55 and went back to work at 60. As a dentist. He claimed he got tired of fishing every day.

DW is a little obsessive about using her own yoga mat. Can she carry hers onto a Princess ship and use it instead of what is available in the fitness classes?

I can only hope. I feel like there were at least 2 fish choices on old menus I’ve seen. Salmon was always there.

I’m disappointed. I expect next week will be my first and last cruise with Princess. I would like to see seafood other than salmon. I might as well stick to the buffet. Which I’m sure will be equally disappointing. Cruising ain’t what it used to be. I should have sailed three months ago, before all these changes for the worse

Ah. I had not considered the possibility that the ships laundry was also a dry cleaner. The prices aren’t that bad. Maybe I should bring a loaf from home.

Shorts are listed twice. Why are some $3.50 and others $4.50?

Oops. Meant to type Colon, not Limon. We are over 65, but fit and healthy. It might be best to just bring the bug spray. I don’t think we will leave the ship in Panama and we will save the jungle for Costa Rica. Hopefully no issues in Cartagena. I’ve had too many shots in the last couple years. I’d like to avoid unnecessary ones. They used to use quinine to prevent or treat malaria. I am willing to drink as many gin and tonics as needed.

Hearing that I would be visiting the Panama Canal in March, a friend recommended I read The Path Between the Seas about the development and building of the canal. It’s a long book and I’m past the halfway mark. Malaria and Yellow Fever killed tens of thousands of workers over the time it took to create the canal. They are still a factor in tropical climates. It made me wonder and I visited the CDC website to look at my ports. Jamaica and Grand Cayman look safe, as does Costa Rica. I am more concerned about Cartagena, Columbia and Limon, Panama. Should I be vaccinated? It’s not a requirement. I’m going to be nervous the first mosquito I spot. Are these routinely carried at Walgreens or my local Doc in a Box?

Our medallions arrived yesterday. They came together but were packaged and shipped separately. No big deal, but there was a lot of excess packaging if Princess is looking to save a few bucks.

I looked up the mango tango online as well. I might try making one at home. Mango nectar, orange juice, lime juice, triple sec and coconut rum.

On my first cruise ever (RCL), many years ago, we were approached by a waiter as soon as we boarded and asked if we wanted a “mango tango”. Then he asked if we wanted rum in it, which we did. It tasted like heaven. I’ve never had one anywhere else. I wish I could order another.

The difference is Plus and Premier customers had to pay for some things you receive at no charge. If you were elite with an airline, would you begrudge those who pay for the first class seat that you get upgraded to for free?

I would have had to request a partial refund rather than drink Wild Turkey. It strikes me as odd that the food and beverage manager (or whatever they’re called) can’t work a deal with the duty free shop for that Baileys. If not odd, then disappointing.

I don’t know if you were lucky or I was unlucky. A cortisone shot made me pain free for about 1-2 weeks. After the second, the surgeon recommended we go ahead with TKR. Maybe if I could have waited, stem cell therapy would have been an option.

We have five senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell and feel. Stimulation produces reactions that range from pleasurable to painful. That varies by the receiver. What one person finds pleasant may cause the opposite to another. Taste: I am told some enjoy the flavors of tequila, licorice or mackerel. Others wouldn’t taste them (again) on a dare. Imagine arriving at a dinner party to be told that was the menu. Smell: how many times have you encountered someone who appears to have bathed in cologne or perfume? Yet, they themselves seem impervious. Ever bring a tuna salad sub into a plane? Well, don’t. Sight: Stripes and polka dots together. Hairy armpits. Blood and gore. Most people can name something they don’t wish to look at. Feel: Slime. Extreme heat or cold. I have one son who cannot suffer the feel of grass under his feet. Yes, that’s weird. But I doubt he is alone. Sound: Did you know that some carry a genetic trait that cause discomfort at the sound of others chewing? Opera. Thrash metal. Bubble gum pop. Tibetan throat singing. What one loves, another cannot tolerate. My point is that the considerate human recognizes the possibility that his taste in music, food & drink, scent, etc. may be upsetting others and acts accordingly. Music is for personal enjoyment and should be everyone’s choice. If it cannot be, it needs to be unheard. Just my opinion though. I don’t make the rules outside my own home and vehicle.

I don’t want to hear how you know this.