gmerick

The test should be for compassion, understanding, patience, kindness, tenderheartedness, .... basically love for mankind.  Yes there are a whole world of folks that I wouldn't share a night sky with, but why let them intrude on my evening.  I absolutely refuse to lose my peace over what my neighbor is doing.  I have a hard enough time with wishing I were a better person. 

After 60+ years of happy bachelorhood,  "Don't do it!".  But if your (heart or something else) is absolutely set on it, ask her what she would like before hand.  Yeah, I know that would spoil the surprise, but it would let you both make it that absolutely special occasion that would last until you are eligible for mention on Paul Harvey's "Tournament of Roses".  You can do the proposal just how the two of you want it.  Make it special and memorable together.  The wedding will be a pitched battle between inlaws, and hopefully it will be something for stories and laughter.  If you plan the proposal together you can make the entire cruise the event, and add just a bit more at each port call.  With that bit of planning, the porters, attendants, waiters, actors, entertainers, and maybe even the Captain herself can get into the act.

58 minutes ago, tomas.malo said:

Do you realize, that usable roof on Oasis class ship is not 360x60m, but maybe 5% of it? Just look at picture. Or do you want remove entire sun deck and cover it with solar panels?

Oh!  You caught that!  There were 21000 sq ft of solar panels on the Oasis = about 2000 (somewhat less than) 500 watt (2 sq m) panels.  So a max of maybe 1% of ships power when the sun is shining.

12 minutes ago, soremekun said:

When Oasis was Amped, they removed the solar panels.

 

Some reasons I think they were removed (and aren't planned for the future):

-The panels weren't very efficient after getting covered in salt.

-They improved energy efficiency in other areas such as hull paint and light bulbs.

The solar panels were more for "Green Washing" or "Virtue Signalling".

The most efficient solar panels produce somewhat less than 250 wats per square meter, so cover the entire footprint of the Oasis with solar panels (360M overall length X 60m max beam) yeilds 5.4 Mw of electricity (when the sun is shining).

The Oasis power plant provides 3x13.86Mw + 3x18.48Mw = 97Mw 24x7.  

So cover the entire exposed surface of the Oasis with the best solar panels in existance, and at best you can capture 6% of the ships production, but only while the sun is shining.  Better yet, the incidence of skin cancer for all the guests goes way down, because no will be sitting in the sun anymore.

Having relatives that survived multiple cancers, I'll pass on what they did.  They discussed trips with their oncologist, (or rather discussed with their medical advocate who communicated with the oncologist) and a couple months out from each upcoming trip whatever needed biopsies were taken, and treatments scheduled around travel.  The medical team even scheduled occasional treatments at cancer centers on the trip itinerary.  YMMV, but what could beat a CL for convalescence!

My tipping dogma -- Don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.  If I want to, I do --- silently, discretely, and unacknowledged.  No one else ever need know that someone got a tip.

On 7/30/2022 at 3:48 PM, Ocean Boy said:

Anyone who is satisfied with "camping in the ocean" would obviously think the OP, or anyone else with and issue, "doth protest over much".🙄 Most prople don't book a reservation on a billion dollar cruise ship to go camping. Absurd.

Camping describes it to a tee.  Not even Super-8 has 140 square foot rooms, my camper is even bigger.  Most of the free dining options on board would be called "Mom and Pop Joint"s in any midwest town.  The MDR is exactly what I find at user group conventions or charity banquets.  The Windjammer could just as well put up a "Golden Corral" sign.  As far as transportation to 5 different "towns" on an 11 night trip, I'd put it on par with Greyhound.  How should I tote up the $150 per night that's my usual discounted balcony rate?  Splitting it evenly between room, board, and transportation leaves nothing for free beverages at night clubs/bars/shows.  If I want to elevate my experience above camping, there's a whole lot of extras I could pay for, after all it's just money.  

Last two cruises (post lockdown) I've been offered free room service breakfast.  Totally worth it.  I get a whole pot of coffee in a thermal jug.  I can sit all morning enjoying the sun on the balcony sipping coffee and picking away at breakfast.  Two port calls were early 7AM departures, so no worries about Windjammer crowds or MDR opening times.  I hope this is something RCL continues.

OP, Methinks thou doth protest overmuch.

I had fantasy expectations, and excess anticipation for my first cruise after lockdown.  I found basically the same cruise as I had in Feb 2020.  My 2nd cruise after lockdown, I got to spend 11 days on board, relaxing, tanning, and enjoying the islands.  It's still the same cruise line.  I simply had to ditch my fantasies, and adjust to pre-pandemic expectations.  Yes, I looked forward to a new and exciting cruise experience, but if I'm repeating the same-old, same-old, I should expect a repeat experience. 

I came to the conclusion if I want brighter, better, more luxurious I'd better be willing to pay for it.  I'm quite content to go "camping on the ocean", visit a few islands, and spend my two weeks decompressing.  Royal Caribbean meets that expectation at a price point that lets me get away twice a year.   

Take the Anthem OTS to London, and fly from Gatwick to Newark.

1. French toast.

2. Lox, capers, tomato, onion, schmear, pumpernickel bagel

3.  Kippers, poached egg, mash 

B. Definitions:
•"Overall Length" is the distance between the forward and after extremities of the vessel.
•"Extreme Breadth" is the maximum breadth to the outside of the shell plating of the vessel.
•"Depth" is the vertical distance at amidships from the top of the keel plate to the uppermost continuous deck, fore and aft, and which extends to the sides of the vessel. The continuity of the deck shall not be considered to be affected by the existence of tonnage openings, engine spaces, or a step in the deck.
•All measurements shall be in feet and inches (U.S.).
•The State Pilotage Commission shall be the sole arbiter with respect to a question concerning these definitions. The decision by the Commission shall be final.
•The measurements of overall length, extreme breadth, and depth as previously defined, shall be made available to the pilot by the master or his agent for the computation of pilotage fees. Failure to provide the measurements so required shall subject the vessel to the maximum pilotage charge.
•“Upper most continuous deck” is the upper most continuous deck of a vessel where cargo may be stored or where one or more passenger cabins is located.

A lot of us need friends like yours.  Enjoy!  Bon Voyage!

On 5/18/2022 at 2:17 PM, boulders said:

Do you keep the tray for the rest of the cruise or do you nab the tray from each morning's breakfast?

Yes, I keep the tray.  I also keep the coffee pot.  The coffee stays hot till 10AM, then I rinse it out and fill it with ice water (my steward very faithfully fills my ice bucket, and in the evening even replenishes the ice water so it's cold after dinner).  I also keep cutlery and a clean plate, so things are ready for the fruit I carry back to the room.

A very small bit of pure baby shampoo (absolutely no conditioner) will help.  But no more than squish a drop between two fingers, and then rub the lens with a fingertip. 

The biggest cause of mask fogging is exhaled air condensing on the lens.  

So, a quick rinse in sea water just before putting the mask on, make sure the skirt of the mask seals well on your face.  No hair under the skirt. 

Now DO NOT exhale through your nose.  The sea water is cooler than your breath, and that warm breath will instantly form fog on the mask.

A very small puff of air while holding the top of the mask against your forehead to purge the occasional puddle that collects on the bottom of the mask, but that's it. 

Filter or App depends on what you're using for a camera.  On my GoPro7 I used Magenta, Rose, or Pink snap on filters.  They gave good results on close-up (under 3 feet), but threw the color off on any distance, or if I used a dive light.  I could do good color correction with ffmpeg on the close ups, but the rest of it was a total mess.  I've since switched to a GoPro10, and added two 8000CP dive video lights.  I use no filters, and color correction with ffmpeg is a breeze.

Can't figure out why you would want to.  RCL is already collecting interest on your deposit, do you really have so much green that you want to give them more interest rather than have it working for you?  

Approved:

IB Grants SpaceX and Kepler Earth Station In Motion Authorizations

Done Deal:

IB Grants SpaceX and Kepler Earth Station In Motion Authorizations

You need a travel agent.  I just did a search on my favorite airline ticket site, and I can get a PHL-BGI round trip for $791.

I carry a 2 qt Yeti widemouth everywhere - every shore excursion.  Only rarely do the scanner folks ask me to empty it.  More likely on boarding day, but most of the time they pretend to look the other way.

I find the snorkel excursions enjoyable.  After all this is the Caribbean.  The fish are colorful, The water is bathtub warm.  Bring a waterproof sealable swim bag for your cell phone, and take pictures.

Basic agenda from 4 different excursions (one on St Lucia).

Walk from the ship to a big pontoon boat (14' wide, 40'long).  Motor along the harbor to some wreckage placed on the harbor floor as reef foundation.  Put on an orally inflated plastic vest (think airline life vest without the inflator or light).  Float on the surface looking at the junk 10 to 25 feet down on the bottom.  Highlights may be fish, stingrays, turtles, or maybe even a sunken ship hull.  Drink rum punch on the way back to the pier. 

Please remember to put your "reef safe" sunscreen on before departing the ship.  Please bring water and a towel from the ship.  For the health conscious, consider bringing your own mask and snorkel, or you'll be kissing cousins with guests from the past excursions.  That safety vest is not optional, and again, if you blow into the vest tube, again you're kissing cousins. 

For the experienced free divers, that vest is not optional, so disassemble the tube and flood the vest to ensure all the air is out, and bring your own ballast if needed because it is not supplied.  Otherwise you'll be bobbing around on the surface with the tourists gradually turning into a lobster.

... and on the Anthem there is a heroic stainless steel sculpture that no-longer so innocent minds can only see as "quite masculine".  Not quite sure the prelate in red formal dress (even down to the red yamulke) chose the most appropriate place to wait for dining guests.

Starlink is a LEO satellite constellation.  What that means:  Coverage worldwide is all the same.  Starlink can't have better coverage over continents, because the satellites are all moving.  The only areas with no coverage is over the poles, because the polar orbits haven't been populated yet.  My guess will be internet is free after StarLink is adopted.  The equipment is cheap, the subscription cost is lower than Comcast, and the speed is (quite literally) out of this world.  

Correct price.  Two people in the cabin, fare is +1000.  I can get $1500 off by applying diamond discounts.  Sailing is near sold out, and 7236 is a CB fare rate.  I've been looking at a good number of sailings, and looks like the post-Covid rates are all through the roof.  Maybe if a whole bunch of you would quit booking all the good cruises some of us might get a better fare.