Mum2Mercury

I suppose things vary from ship to ship, but on Explorer the artwork had a "permanent spot" on ... Deck 4? And they moved it to the Star Lounge for the auction, then moved it back. I don't understand how anyone would /could spend literally thousands on a painting they couldn't research /comparison price ahead of time. My adult daughter, an artist-forced-to-work-in-a-real-job, floored me: She said INSTANTLY "It's all just money laundering." I don't fully understand such things, but she might just be right.

Diet Dr. Pepper is one of my vices, and -- yes -- the Freestyle machine is the only way to BUY it onboard; however, my trusty backpack carried more cans than I ended up drinking. For less than the cost of one day's Classic Coke Package.

I attended not one but two art auctions on our recent cruise -- thoroughly enjoyed them! I won a Miami Beach magnet, I enjoyed my free champagne, and I really like the free print they gave away at the end. Anyway, I'm interested in art, and I enjoyed seeing the things and learning a bit about a few artists and techniques. I was always a good student, so I took notes. Thoughts on the selling: - People online complain that they didn't understand the rules of the auction -- that you don't take away the picture yourself that day, that you must pay more (on top of the big sale price) to have it delivered to your home. I don't see how they don't understand. It was explained to us, and it was written on our bid cards. - I was fairly well disgusted at their auctioning techniques. It took me a moment to realize they were going UP in price, not down -- even when people don't bid. Weird. - They move so fast that initially I thought a painting that was "passed" had passed from the auctioneer's hands to the new owner's, but then I realized that a "passed painting" wasn't bid upon -- and that seemed to be the majority of the paintings. It's a less-negative word they've adopted to prevent people from realizing the majority of their paintings didn't sell. - This mystery bid business. I didn't quite understand it, but no way was I going to get in on it, even if they say there's no commitment. They sold so little. How can they stay in business? And in the end -- you'll be surprised because I am one of the biggest cheapskate skinflints on this board -- I bought something! Of course, the item I bought was from Amazon, and I purchased it after I returned home. I wrote down author's names and paintings I liked, and Amazon offered many of them. In a variety of sizes, in my choice of prints vs. canvas vs. wrapped canvas. Some of the choices go as high as $89 -- free shipping too! This is the best option for real people like me. Retired school teachers don't buy art as an investment or to pass down to their children (who may or may not even like the painting), and my Amazon copy is just as "valuable" as Park West's copies; I can't wait to get it framed. I'll definitely attend more art auctions on future cruises, and I expect my attitude and choices will remain the same.

Has anyone ever bought one of those small sunscreens that's shaped like a deodorant? I'm wondering if such a sunscreen would be useful for shore excursions because they're so small and portable.

What about mini-bottles that hold liquor?

I found it difficult sometimes to hear the outdoor movies -- and once I saw them turn on the subtitles in Spanish. I wish they'd issue headphones to people watching the movie. It'd be better for movie-goers and also better for the nearby people in the hot tubs, etc.

Bring a small fan, and you'll be good either way.

Yeah, but I think a waiter could get away with leaving his post and getting a spot in a lifeboat. He'd lose his job, of course, but I don't think he'd be prosecuted. The captain can't do that. Not without consequences. You guys have convinced me.

I'm with Never Been Here: My phone's almost always in the stateroom. BUT I do take my Kindle to the pool. Do I worry about it? Eh, just a little. As someone said above, crimes of opportunity. I carry a small pool tote, which holds my Sea Pass, sunscreen, and a few other things I like to have by the pool. If I leave my Kindle to go to the rest room or take a dip in the pool, I usually wrap it up in my cover-up (which I fold /roll small and tuck into the tote ... or place it under the towel. Yes, you can get ice water from the pool bar, but that usually requires a short wait. I tend to walk to the Windjammer (which is on the same deck, not a lengthy walk, and often a welcome stretch) to bring back an ice water. They have rows of cups just waiting for you. Combined with a rest room trip, you can be back to your chair in less than 10 minutes. Note that you must wear shoes and a cover-up to enter Windjammer -- they are serious about that.

Regardless of the official rules for the cruise, execution is up to the individuals at your terminal -- and that's not predictable. When we boarded Explorer the first week of September, testing was still required, yet no one looked at our tests or our vaxx cards. Still, I wouldn't have dared to travel without them -- they were required (at that point), and I would have hated to be refused boarding for something 100% under my control. Plus, we carry all our travel docs in a small Travel Wallet -- so two cards are no extra effort. I don't pack a whole lot for a cruise, but I don't skimp on documents or medicines. Short on shirts? I can wash one in the sink? Forgot my earrings? No one's going to notice. But missing documents? We might not be sailing -- I'm not taking chances on who might ask for what.

Agree with the first sentence. As avoiding large numbers of people, you could also accomplish this by sailing in off-season. Hey, it's a single flip-flop or nothing! Your career has certainly left you with a wealth of knowledge, and I'm enjoying learning these things, though I sincerely hope they are 100% hypothetical for everyone here. It'd take me about 10 seconds of being thirsty to suspect we were sitting on the water bottles. I doubt I'd be alone. I'm surprised /disappointed to hear there'd be essentially no leadership on a lifeboat -- though I understand that the majority of the crew would be fighting the fire (in my mind that's the biggest reason you'd need to leave a ship). So, in reality, a lifeboat would be filled with passengers + 3 waiters. I understand that passenger comfort is not a priority, but lack of communication seems to be a missed step. People can behave much better when they know "help is only two hours away". When I pondered the question of "When a cruise ship last launched life boats", I really meant WITH PASSENGERS. I assumed they tested their lifeboats on a regular basis. Again, I had not considered the dangers /difficulties of retrieving the lifeboat. At least, this is what would happen in theory. A reasonable fear: in a real emergency -- thinking Titanic in my naive mind -- I wonder how many crew members would say, "I'm not risking my life for this housekeeping job. My two best friends and I are getting on that lifeboat over there."

A rotten apple. In general, I trust the officers and staff. If you didn't, you wouldn't cruise. I don't know this guy's reputation, but I accept what you're saying -- and I absolutely know what you're saying about a-rescue-boat-for-all is true; in fact, ships are required to have MORE seats than souls on board. We saw those "tube things" on the deck, and we wondered what they were. I'm glad to have read the article (however slanted) to understand what they are. What's your job (or, less likely, hobby) that you've tried both? Until this thread I had not considered how people would get OFF the small boats, but -- yeah -- I totally see that's a real issue, especially for those who aren't able-bodied. I fully accept that -- if it comes to leaving the ship -- things will be very uncomfortable. I suspect it's kinda like seat belts and air bags; they will save your life, but they'll leave you with bruises and other minor injuries. No water for a day /no food for two days? In tropical heat, this could be really bad. How is this enforced? I assume every small boat has an officer in charge? What about communication? Do people know how far away help is? Eh, I don't know. What we're discussing is, indeed, quite grim -- but consider the number of ships that sail day in, day out without any hint of a need to go to these lengths. This is all highly unlikely. I tried (and failed) to find out when a cruise ship was last forced to launch lifeboats. Does anyone know this answer? The whole concept is interesting. On our recent cruise we received a letter saying that they'd be conducting a lifeboat test the next day -- smart to tell us this ahead of time. We returned from our morning on one of the islands to see the crew setting out a lifeboat. If we'd seen this without warning, we'd have been quite hesitant to re-board. We went up to the Windjammer, and we found a window seat, where we had a front-row seat to watch Carnival Horizon conducting the same lifeboat drill. We were definitely interested in the whole process. A related topic: We noted that they have -- in addition to the covered lifeboats, which we've been discussing -- another type of smaller, uncovered vehicle that looks faster /more maneuverable. They took that out too, and we guessed it was for picking up a "man overboard". Or retrieving a body? We noted later that they have one of these on each side of the ship. Great question!

Yes. I believe it's only sold at the Pool Bar.

Okay, I found information -- true? Hard to know -- on those secondary lifeboats. Pretty scary article: https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/01/articles/sinking/titanic-redux-can-royal-caribbean-safely-evacuate-8500-passengers-crew-from-the-oasis-of-the-seas/ Okay, I'm inclined to think choosing smaller ships might be a wise idea.

I don't doubt your counting, but this just doesn't seem possible. I mean, as you said, it doesn't include the crew. And walking on the ship, I've seen the big "covered" lifeboats like we're discussing ... and also some other things that look to be a different, inferior type of lifeboat. Not sure at all. I guess a week would technically be possible, but 1) this is all hypothetical and extremely unlikely, even for an hour ... and 2) a week would be in the most incredibly extreme and highly improbable situation. So I'm at an advantage, being a 110 lb person? Wow, that paragraph was a bummer. But we don't like to admit that to ourselves!

Not Navy, but, yes, I sleep great when I feel the ship moving. Love it.

I was thinking of someone peeing on those below. I agree with you though: I can live with these unpleasant thoughts because 1) it's highly unlikely that any of us will ever find ourselves in a lifeboat. 2) if we do, the ship staff will have decided it's a better choice than staying on the ship, and I trust them to make that choice.

To be argumentative, don't you think all those bodies would keep that small space -- if not warm, at least warm enough to prevent hypothermia? Update: Ah, just read this was an Alaskan cruise. Yeah, I get the point now. I also note that this fire occurred when I was a freshman in high school -- I just retired. I assume lifeboat technology has come a long way since 1980.

Eh, I am not good in tight, enclosed spaces, so I know where you're coming from ... but I don't think the proportion of passengers to lifeboats would be any different on different sized ships. I'm actually glad I learned about the three-tier seating because I deal better with things when I know what's coming. Remember, too, we live in a very modern world: before that lifeboat hits the water, all sorts of emergency personnel know what's going on, and they're already coming for you -- and the boats are outfitted with find-me devices. We're never going to wander the seas for weeks in one of those lifeboats hoping for a fishing vessel to pick us up. Agree that not everyone would be able to get into/out of that lifeboat easily. To share something uncomfortable: When my daughter was in nursing school she was involved in a big drill about how to get patients/necessary equipment out of the hospital in case of a fire. With the elevators a no-no, they practiced rolling (non-mobile) people in blankets like burritos and thump-thumping them down the stairwells. They also told the staff, "At some point it may become necessary for you to say, 'Things are getting bad here, and I cannot save anyone else. It's time for me to get my healthy, mobile self out of here.' " Tell me that it wouldn't come to that in case of a real emergency at sea.

I remember when people were talking about making "go bags" and declaring that they'd carry them 24/7 during a cruise -- they couldn't be convinced that hauling their passports, credit cards and grandma's wedding ring around the ship (even for afternoons on the pool deck) wasn't a great idea. Those are also the people who don't grasp that disasters never repeat themselves; rather, every emergency is a little different, and you have to be ready to think on your feet -- if the worst should happen. To answer the question, no. We don't do anything different today. We've always taken pictures of our important documents (including credit cards), and we've saved them to our (locked) phones and emailed them to ourselves. If the worst should happen, we'd be able to access this information from any computer on shore. Agree x 1000. The ship has thought through these emergencies. Listen and follow directions. I'm quite sure that -- in a real emergency -- the biggest problem would be the people who'd insist upon trying to return to their cabins to retrieve their valuables. I don't take anything-anything-anything on a cruise that I can't live without. As I said above, I can retrieve an image of my documents from any computer, and I can call my family to wire me money. Any pharmacy can replace my medicines, and missing one dose isn't going to kill me. Perhaps most importantly, I trust that the cruise line would provide help-help-help to people on shore. If I didn't trust them to do that, I wouldn't sail with them. If I were in my room, I would take a moment to put on my shoes and an outer garment -- and I would remove our travel wallet from our room safe. If I were somewhere around the ship, I would take whatever I had at the moment and go straight to the lifeboats. The majority of the time people are called to muster, they don't even get on the lifeboats. If we weren't together, I wouldn't even look for my husband. He's an adult, and I know we'd end up at the same muster station. I figure my main responsibility is simply to be obedient to the staff, get on a lifeboat and become a person on shore.

I'd bring the actual card -- I wouldn't want any hassle over something so small. We keep ours in plastic pouches so they're protected /so the booster cards can travel together.

That was most informative. I genuinely feel that, knowing these things, I'd be better prepared in case of an emergency. Thanks for sharing!

Saw it myself. Trust me -- the whole county heard that fight! They DID NOT accept a passport as identification. Since it wasn't me personally involved, I don't know what happened in the aftermath. Yeah, I'd be crying for sure to miss out on my sandwich punch. But, yeah, I carry any number of things in my daily purse that I don't need for travel: I'm not likely to need my vision or dental insurance. Or my coupons.

We just took the public bus to Eagle Beach. I think it cost $2.65 /person /each trip. Wonderful beach.

Well, as I said above, we drive to the port, so a driver's license is essential to us. We don't bring our whole wallets (for example, I don't need my local sandwich shop's 10-punches-to-a-free sandwich card), so we transfer our necessaries into a travel wallet -- and my husband carries it much as you do. The NC DMV won't accept a passport as identification. I witnessed a major blow-out over it once. Your real "gold standard" is your birth certificate. I'm not saying it's superior /inferior for travel, but literally every American has one, and it never expires. Yes, something similar happened to us once. I was able to clear it up in minutes -- but I had good cell phone service, and I wasn't pushed for time. If it were to happen again, circumstances might not be so fortunate. We do have a secondary credit card, AND we always have enough cash with us to take a taxi or buy a meal.