Denali75

On 3/16/2020 at 3:17 AM, 2552phxcrzr said:

Re question #2: I have multiple Blogger blogs, but as our travels became more and more extensive, I found that I was unable to keep writing and stay current.  So, I am now using FindPenguins.  It's much simpler format wise, works on eDevices and also has a web platform.  I can write offline and post when I have internet.  I opted for the Premium membership ... which allows me to post 10 photos + 2 videos per "footprint" and also I can get a pdf of my "trip."  I still prefer my blogger blog, but if it's a choice between writing and not writing, FindPenguins solved the problem for me.

 

Here's a link to my current trip so you can get an idea of what it's like.  You may have to download the app, but it is free to set up an account.  https://findpenguins.com/8pccjefaitoru/trip/overseas-2020

Thank you for the information. It's so helpful to hear about some of the other platforms that are out there, and it is especially helpful to hear from people who have actually used them. When you said " . . . if it's a choice between writing and not writing" I started to think about it differently. Maybe I am not looking for the perfect blog platform that let's me do everything I can do online at home. Maybe I am really looking for a platform that just makes it easy to write SOMETHING while I am traveling. I will definitely try it.

I started a cruise and travel blog on Blogger. (Blogcrastinator.blogspot.com). When I travel,  I bring my iPad. Due to limited internet access while cruising, I found that it was much better to compose my blog offline, then post it online when it was finished. I found an app for Blogger that worked well on my iPad and enabled me to blog offline. After a few years, I was notified that the app would no longer be supported.

I hunted for a new app, and I found one for Wordpress. I moved my blog to Wordpress (Travelingblogcrastinator.wordpress.com). After a while I was notified that I had used up most of my storage space and last year I ended up upgrading (i.e., paying) to get more storage space. I also started using an app to downsize my photos before uploading them to my blog. I am starting to fill up my additional storage on Wordpress and I would like to download and save my old blog posts.

So, here are my questions:

1. What apps can be used with Blogger or Wordpress to work off-line? (There are several listed in the app store that have poor reviews. I want to know about apps you have used and liked.)

2. Are there any other blogging platforms that allow off-line drafting or have a good app that allows it?

3. Can you recommend something for downloading or exporting old blog posts? I have tried Blogbooker, but so far, I haven't been able to figure out how to download/export my older posts.

Dear Charles,

We just learned of your loss and we wanted to reach out to you and tell you how sorry we are. We enjoyed getting to know you on the roll call for the 60-day Circle Pacific, and, of course, during that wonderful cruise. I also had a chance to get to know Judy a little on that cruise. You both added so much to that experience. 

Peggy (and Ken)

Since I live in Anchorage, I guess I should jump in.

How are you getting from Whittier to Anchorage? It is about 1.5 to 2 hours. There are some sightseeing opportunities along the way: Portage Glacier (walk the Trail of Blue Ice or take a boat trip to see the glacier), Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Girdwood, or the the bird viewing boardwalk at Potter Marsh. If you can get transportation that includes one of these stops, that's one option.

In Anchorage, I believe they will store your luggage for you downtown until it is time to go to the airport. If you get dropped off downtown, go to the Anchorage Museum. That's worth at least 2 or 3 hours. The Alaska Public Lands Information Center is good if you are interested in National Parks and so forth. They have films and ranger presentations. Walk along the wonderful Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, or rent a bicycle and take the trail all the way out to Kincaid Park. There is a trolley tour of downtown, but it doesn't last all that long. Take the public bus system out to the zoo, Go the Alaska Native Heritage Center. It's not downtown, but I think they have a shuttle. You can spend two or three hours there. In addition to the exhibits they offer tours and demonstrations of dancing, drumming, and more. There is an aviation museum near the airport.

For lunch, get a reindeer sausage from one of the street vendors downtown.

Finally, have a nice dinner and eat some fresh salmon. Try Glacier Brewhouse, 49th State Brewing, or Simon & Seafort's.

I would recommend New Forest Platinum Tours. I have used him three times. Nice guy, knows the area between southampton and london.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Nice job! Great photos. I love your eye for detail. I am also impressed by your diligence in sorting through your photos and getting your reviews done. I have barely started mine.

Thank you for your helpful suggestions, everyone. Keep them coming.

We cannot take advantage of early voting because, as jrzebird noted, it begins 15 days before the election. In this case, the election is Nov 4 and 15 days before that will be October 20 and we will already be on the first leg of our cruise.

Same problem with electronic voting, whether by fax or by email. You can't apply for the electronic ballot until 15 days before the election. You have to print out the application form, fill it out, scan it and send it back (or fax it back). You cannot fill out the form online, presumably because you have to sign it.

After they receive your application they need to verify it. This takes 24 to 48 hours. Then you will receive an e-mail with a secure link. You can then print out the ballot and a certificate which has to be signed by you and a witness. There is a way to vote the ballot online, but you still must print out the certificate and sign it and get it back to them by scan or snail mail.

We are having an important state election on November 4 and I just got off a 35-minute phone call with the Division of Elections about absentee voting. They certainly do make it complicated for people who like to cruise during elections. :)

We are going to be on back-to-back Princess cruises from Oct.14 - Nov. 8. We will be in London for about a week before Oct. 14.

I won't bore you with all the details. The main issues are: If I want them to mail me a ballot, they won't mail it out until Oct. 10. We will already be in London then. I really don't think the ballot will get to our London hotel in time.

The other option is to receive the ballot electronically. This process does not become available until Oct. 20. There are several steps to the process requiring a printer and the ability to scan documents. After I submit the application I will have to wait up to 48 hours until they send me a link to the actual ballot. Then I can either vote online or print out the ballot and mail it in. If I vote online, there is a certificate I will have to print out and scan. Bottom line, I will need access to a printer and a scanner at least twice. I may be able to do parts of this while in a port, but it may interfere with sightseeing.

So here are my questions:

1. Does anybody know if you can receive mail by having it sent to the Princess port agent at one of the ports? Do I have to go to the port agent's office or would the mail be brought to the ship?

2. I have seen printers on board so I know printing can be done, but I'm not sure exactly how. Is it possible to send something to a printer from your iPad? Can I download something from the internet to a file on my iPad and then somehow connect my iPad to the printer when I am offline and print it out? Or do I have to be online while it is printing out?

3. Can scanning occur offline? Is there a way to get something scanned on board and then have it e-mailed out?

4. How much of my internet time is going to be used in downloading documents and uploading the scanned items to be e-mailed back? For purposes of this question, assume a one-page document, and I will multiply as necessary.

If this is going to take 5 or 10 minutes of internet time, I am happy to use it for that, but if it will take 30+minutes, I would like to know ahead of time so I can consider other options.

5. I have also thought about going to a place similar to Kinko's (now called FedEx) while at port.

6. Does anyone have experience with this situation? How did it work for you?

7. Any other ideas or suggestions?

Would someone please clarify which benefits you receive one time upon reaching a milestone and which benefits you receive on every subsequent cruise?

Does breakfast at Sabatini's come upon reaching 50 or 75, and is it only for one cruise, or for every subsequent cruise?

Thanks for any clarification you can provide.

Thanks.