kangaand2roos

i didn't read this whole thread (i'm at work) but i just had to share my story from our alaska cruise last august.

 

American lady in front of us at the customer service desk wanted to exchange her money. In vain, the front desk agent tried to explain to her that that alaska was a u.s. State and therefore us currency was legal tender. She wasn't listening to him ... Complained about how they told her that it could be exchanged at the desk and why was she given incorrect information and she'd been standing in line already for 15 minutes ... The litany went on and on!

 

About 4-5 minutes into the conversation, the agent takes her us cash, goes to a cash drawer, pulls out the same of amount of $ in different denominations and counts it out for her. Finally satisfied, she leaves, complaining to us (we were next in line) about why he didn't just do it in the first place instead of arguing with her!

 

Holding back the laughter i asked him if this happens often. He rolled his eyes and said "more often than you think!" really!!!

hilarious!!

This time of year, Staples usually has folders for $.01 or $.10 and I always stickup on them. Cheap 3 rings too. Then, when I travel, I always have a supply handy. Folders are great for all the paper that accumulates as well as any purchased photos. I use 1/2" binders for my cruise docs.

I wonder if you put it on your door with the box of crayons, if people passing by would gradually colour it in for you?

I LOVE this idea! I may try it on my upcoming cruise! My last one, we were the second to last cabin behind the bridge so we wouldn't have gotten much action!

I've read some interesting posts from people who were cruising on 9/11. It got me to thinking, what about people who were cruising when other major ( or even minor) newsworthy events took place? I don't have anything to contribute at the moment, but will be sailing during the Olympics in February, so maybe then I will!

No restrictions really, newsworthy events good and bad...

Thank you! We sail on her in February. Was there a pool slide? I keep getting different answers and I don't see one in your photo?

I've signed up for the Stingray excursion. I did this on my 3rd cruise (2nd Carnival) way back in 2004 when it was Blackbeard's Cay and have wanted to return ever since.

 

I'm still a little confused about the coming-and-going thing. Since I'm signed up for an activity, I'm know we'll be gathered together once we disembark.

 

But what about the return? The original "review" makes it clear that they did NOT have to get that first tender back. But are you assigned to a specific return tender and those folks simply missed it? Chances are everyone can't wait until the last one!

 

The email that says "...an orientation of the facilities and return boarding time then Beach its time at leisure which can be about 2.5 to 3 hours" isn't terribly clear. It doesn't specify just how many return tenders there will be, or how often they run. Or whether you must return on a specific tender, based on which option you purchased.

 

Leaving soon so a little clarification would be nice. But it's not like I'm going to cancel it. I'll be sure to come back and give my thoughts here after the cruise.

I anxiously await this review as stingrays is what I'm most interested in.

Jcleveland, I am specifically interested in the stingrays. We're the people there for that tour allowed to just hang out with the rays the whole time, or were they given time slots? S hours playing with rays would be pure heaven for me! Though playing with dolphins does sound tempting!!

 

Stacey

Interesting...the dolphin swim isn't listed as on option for my date...

Jcleveland, I am specifically interested in the stingrays. We're the people there for that tour allowed to just hang out with the rays the whole time, or were they given time slots? S hours playing with rays would be pure heaven for me! Though playing with dolphins does sound tempting!!

Stacey

I also get a smile from the crew members and tour operators who tell me they have a cousin in either Toronto, Montreal or Niagara Falls when they find out we're Canadian.

Whenever I meet someone from Toronto I ask if they know (of) my cousin. All of them say yes!

Of course he was the mayor for many years ;)

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I forgot one of my most favorite rituals. Whenever we're sailing out of the home port toward the beautiful horizon I call my mom. And on the cruise I send DMom an Ddad on for their 25th wedding ann they called me on the way to sea. It's just great to share that moment with family, even when they aren't on the ship with you. Mom loves to hear the steel drums they play at sailaway.

 

I've finally gotten a new phone that has a camera, so it will be fun this year taking a photo and sending it to her so she can see AND hear sailaway :D.

 

the next best part...turning the phone OFF. :p

Cherish that! I always used to call my mom as I drove onto Disney property. I lost her almost 9 years ago and I always get a little twinge of sadness when I drive on now. Still mostly happy, but a little sad.

Just remember that the weather here in the mid-atlantic can be fickle. We had a Halloween blizzard in 2011!

Look at me quoting myself! Normally, late October is a stunningly beautiful time here in the mid-Atlantic, but the last two years we have had a blizzard and a super-hurricane! I would say to prepare for just about anything!

I'm taking themPride in February and expect I'll pack something from every part if my wardrobe! I'm guessing there will be at least one load of laundry done that trip!

Stacey

last year in november we wore jeans and sweatshirts first day out, and were comfortable out on deck. second day we were sunning outside on an upper deck. spent the day in florida on the beach and it was well into the 80s. Bahamas weather was mid 80s as well. we had such a good time then that we are going again. same week as you this year.

 

doug

Just remember that the weather here in the mid-atlantic can be fickle. We had a Halloween blizzard in 2011!

Is the piano bar for over 21 only? Is there music/entertainment at family-friendly hours? My DS who is 10 loves to chill and listen to live music.

Just got off the Glory and it was not R-rated until 10:30. My 10YO daughter had fun!

Going on the Pride in February and the Balmoral/stingray encounter looks interesting. I'm interested in how long you actually get with the rays.

I agree that James was the best entertainment we found on the ship....only problem was it was the last night when we found him!! He was hysterical and has the exact sense of humor we love! My friend and I had the best time there and were sorry it had to end (at 1 am!!). Our other friends had gone to room to pack and hit the bed early...their loss!;) I am not sure if I will sail Carnival again, but James certainly has made me think twice about it! Awesome guy! ("The bathroom's to the right").:D

Just got off the Glory and I have to say that James was a highlight! I didn't stay late because I had my 10yo daughter with me and we got out by 10:30. He even let her and another young girl help with the piano when he played "When I'm 64!" They had a great time! It was funny how he would obviously change some lyrics to keep it PG. the adults knew what he meant but it went right over the kids' heads. We really wanted to go back our last night, but rough seas sent us to bed early.

Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur...

 

4) Silly questions--we are traveling end of Dec. Will we need to bring our coats with us to be comfortable when on the deck before we get to the Bahamas?

Thanks.

I can't speak specifically to the Pride, but I just got of the Glory, and while far from gourmet, the room service coffee was fine and perfectly hot. Actually, mine was hotter than in the MDR. I did not try the Lido coffee. I drink mine with cream (or milk in a pinch) and did have a few lattes at the coffee bar. They were no more expensive than Starbucks and pretty good.

I don't know what happened for you, but I just checked and there are cruises every week of next summer going out of Baltimore on Pride. Maybe the website had a glitch when you checked?

The site was very glitchy earlier. It was showing no summer cruises anywhere for a while!

We did that on our first cruise and afterwards, it was really hard to get my son (who normally loves the water) to go back into the pool.

 

Of course, having the pool be a small oval shaped tub with no shallow end and was too deep for either one of us to stand up in (my head was only a few inches above the water) so that we either had to cling to the side or tread water the entire time didn't help things either.

On my first cruise I was STUNNED at how small the pool was. On "The Love Boat" it looked like a normal pool! On that cruise, but none since, the water was also icky and slimy looking, so I wasn't going in anyway!!

Instead of focusing on having their own fun, they keep looking around at others and pointing out how unsophisticated the supposed "virgins" are as compared to their own jaded, world-weary selves.:p

 

Actually, I find seeing the "WOW!!!" reactions to be refreshing, knowing someone has had a momentously impressive moment on what will hopefully be a cruise PACKED with many more such moments.

From one central PAer to another, I totally agree!!

i read that in mike meyers as the jewish mom in my head. I think i'm getting a little verklimpt.:d

rotfl!!

Thinking of taking the Pride in February, so subbing!

Geeseytown, outside of Altoona (a bit southwest of true central PA). I still have family in Altoona. But Grandma was born in 1912, and her mother used the terms (and others, like "ret up the table") as well. They were from German ancestry (as are the PA Dutch). Greatgrandma was second generation American and still spoke German at home about half the time. I don't know if the PA Dutch connection is a family myth or not, but I do know these are just words my mom's family have always used.

 

I have come across others, occasionally, that also use one or more of our "PA Dutch words". And so far, they have always had PA roots. Cormike1 is the first person I've come across that also uses one of these words but doesn't trace it back to PA. This kind of obscure word origin and language stuff is interesting to me. I guess I'm a little bit of a word geek.:o:p

And we are really more south central PAas opposed to central. We are only about 8 miles from the MD border, about an hour north of Baltimore.

Although DH "invented":rolleyes::p the word slippy in noun form here in his memoir, he got the word slippy (adj. slippery) as well as the term hoaved up (adj. mounded or swollen, like a small hill) from me. Example: The road is hoaved up in the middle so that rain will run off into the gutters. This makes the wet road less slippy.

I got these terms from my Grandma (Mom's mom), who came from a very small town in central Pennsylvania. It was explained to me that these were PA Dutch terms, but I'm not sure if that's true. We've just always used them in my family, and they slipped into DH's vernacular, as well.:o It's interesting to learn that 'slippy' has sprung up in other areas (Montreal, at least), too.:)

Wow! I feel like I've got connections to ALL of you! When my parents left Montreal, they moved to a small town in Central PA! Hmmm...maybe THEY brought the word with them and taught it to your parents?

Which small town, Shaky?

Just finished reading this whole "epic" and loved it! We go in Sept. and looking forward to it. We live in Ontario and have never "been down East" as we say in Canada. After reading your posts we are really looking forward to seeing our 2 CDN cities. By the way, I say "slippy" all the time...my husband says it is a "Montreal" word as that is where I was raised. He had never heard of that word before so I had to read him your post and explanation about the word "slippy" LOL. Thanks again for a great read!!!

My parents were both born and raised in Montreal. They moved to the states right before I was born! I don't specifically remember "slippy" being a word they used ;-)