tulsacubfan

To take the bolded sentences in order: if I got a passport now but didn't use it for 5 years then 5 years have been wasted, but if I wait to get it until I need it then I will not have wasted it.

 

Yes, I do know when a chance to travel abroad may occur and for the forseeable future that chance is close to nil (but if the chance did occur there would be time to obtain a passport at that time). It's not like a fairy godmother is going to drop an international trip into my lap;).

 

For me and mine that risk is very low and that's why we do have travel insurance in the event that it does happen.

 

I do have the proper identification for leaving the country.

Could not agree more! And, yes, I do have a passport as I went to Canada via plane on business a couple years ago and had to have one!

LOL, sorry tulsacubfan!! We used to do the Christmas ornaments too, but we'd need another tree to hold more, so stopped doing the ornaments. I don't drink coffee, so mugs would be meaningless, but you've got me curious about the crosses. That sounds very neat! Are they hard to find?

Not usually. But, we do go to Mass wherever we are and often there is a gift shop (in tourist cities) with the church. We don't usually find in souvenier shops....more in the church gift shops or gift shops for "locals."

Since it has stopped raining I took a little stroll down by the Convention center and here is what I found.

 

No sign of Seawall Adventures - there was a place with a neon sign saying Ezee Ryders but it showed leased - so don't know if they are moving in or out - there is a web site for a place with a similiar name on Robson - do know if they are connected - one more thing to check out.

 

Club 16 definitely has bike rentals - $12.00 an hour but I couldn't find a link on the Club's web sites - the bikes in blue or yellow were outside the club so they do exist.

 

And yes the reference to train refers to the Canada Line from the airport.

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

Thanks. Will check this out. Ezee Ryders has something on their website or in the name that is causing it to be blocked from work, so will look at it tonight. And I might call Club 16 about their rentals to see if need to reserve. That looks like best bet if we don't want to start at Stanley Park.

My husband and I collect souvenir wine glasses. We look for wine glasses with the name of the country or city we are visiting on them. Some are gorgeous, some are tacky, but we have a great time rehashing our trips when we have a glass of wine. We like to say "Where do you want to go tonight?" when picking out the evening's glasses :)

 

So....my question is: has anyone seen souvenir wine glasses in Alaska? If so, which port did you see them in and which shop (if you can remember)?

 

Thanks!!

Oh no....you may have just caused me to add to our collecting! We already buy a Christmas tree ornament, a cross, and a Starbucks mug (if available). But I love the idea of the wine glass and rehashing the trip over a glass of wine. I love the Starbucks mugs, but coffee is usually in the morning getting ready for work and not the time to rehash a trip!

Thanks UT and Putterdude!!!! I will check out Club 16....or I guess we can rent by Stanley Park, ride Stanley Park seawall first, then head toward Canada Place and back....

Are there any bicycle rental places near Canada Place? Or are they all more centralized near the entrance to Stanley Park? Google search looks like all near Stanley Park but thought some locals might have some additional info. Also, any "preference" (I know locals probably don't rent their bikes, but .... and maybe some visitors have rented....). Thanks!

This is true, but you can't play if you don't pay. You also can't get a driver's license either. Maybe such a person should first pay their back debt before considering a vacation.

Totally agree.....if you aren't getting a passport because you owe back child support.....nothing but disgust....

Loyal2RCCL - do you have a different link to the pictures - I'd like to see the Rhapsody pics you posted, but the link is no longer active. Thanks in advance

Ditto!!

I totally agree with you, it should be 2 bottles, not everyone is wine drinkers. My husband and I personally prefer liquor and am hoping that they they change it to whatever the passenger prefers to bring. This sort of makes me wonder, Champagne & Wine vs. Liquor & Beer, are they accomodating a certain class of people:confused:. I sure hope not, just can't figure out what their reasoning would be for making it just wine & champagne.

My thoughts - and they are only my thoughts.... It seems to me they stock a huge variety of liquor and beer. Not so much on the wine. Not just on cruise ships, but everywhere. I "assume" it is because once you open a bottle of wine, it needs to be consumed fairly quickly or it goes "bad", whereas a bottle of liquor doesn't. And beer is a "single serving". So, they don't have to worry about opening a bottle of liquor or beer, pouring one serving, then nobody else orders that for a few days and they have to pour it out. If they limit the wine to 3 or 4 of each varietal, they can limit the waste. But, us wine drinkers would prefer our own "brand" just like beer and liquor drinkers! So I am glad they will let me bring my own wine!

344 days... :(

I thought mine was bad....254......

.......can't see that happening unless I was really stoned. :D:D

Thanks for a great laugh at the end of a long week!!!!!!!!!:D

If they would enforce the adult only areas, I am okay with kids around (of course, we make sure we cruise during the school year :)). But since they don't (I don't think any cruise line does), I would enjoy and adult only cruise!

I've said it before but it bears repeating, when you get your homeowners renewal do you think that since your house didn't burn down last year maybe you should skip it?

It all depends on what you are willing to/able to "self insure." I would be willing to self insure the cost of a vacation. Not willing to/able to risk self insuring the cost of my home.

LOL -- having been raised as a Southern Gal, I still have the ability to convey many meanings through the simple phrase "Excuse Me!" It gets results .. :p

Excuse me is the pefect phrase for a multitude of meanings! One of my favorites!

Monte Carlo -- only so many ships are allowed there -- the authorities control that -- not the ship.

 

Wow! I wonder why a cruise line would schedule a cruise with a stop in Monte Carlo, knowing only so many ships are allowed there, without checking if other ships are schedule? I am not at all questioning that you are correct. I just find it interesting that this happens! Any idea why?

Kindle and i just started the girl with the dragon tattoo hard to get into it i hope it gts better lol my daughter loved it

My sister said the same thing...said she was 1/3 of the way in before anything really happened...she does not plan to read the rest of them. Not sure with her "recommendation" I will try...at least if I do, I will borrow from the library and not buy it!

I also wasn't sure if technology would mesh well with my reading style. I love the feel of a book in my hand. However, every time my husband would see me whip out a new book on vacation, I had to endure the rolling of the eyes. :rolleyes:

 

So, last week I bought a Nook....and was pleasantly surprised! I basically chose the Nook b/c of the ability to check out books at the library. Took me a bit to figure out how to do that, but I now have 10 books loaded and am on the wait list for another 10 books!

 

Hubby now has no idea how many books I have "packed" and can't complain about the extra weight he gets to lug around! Can't wait to use it next month on our family cruise!

Me too! Sure would have been nice if there were step by step instructions!

One thing I was surprised about....I borrowed a book and finished it so I returned it early on my PC...but it is still on my nook....will be interested to see what happens when it actually comes due to be returned....

Please tell this book lover what the cost of each book is for the kindle or nook or others, and which download 'free' books from the library or elsewhere.

 

I love the used book sales at the libraries and always take several books per cruise. When I finish the book I give it to my steward - if they don't like the book they can always put it in the crew library or trade it.

I'm just starting the 3rd 'girl with the dragon tatoo book'.

Thanks everyone for all the authors names to check out next time I'm at the library - I know I'll find some new favorites .:)

Nothing like sitting in the shade, hearing the waves, looking up as I turn the page and seeing the seas.............

I have a nook so can mainly speak to that (the only real difference I know is the kindle is not compatible with public library books, whereas the nook is).

Nook books from Barnes and Noble run anywhere from free to around $15. Obviously the newer a book or the more popular a book, the pricier it is. You can download a "sample" of the book and see if you like it before you buy it. You can "lend" a book to someone with a nook or nook software on their computer or smart phone. I have not done this yet, but my understanding is you can only lend a book once, and the person you are lending it to has 14 days to read it. While the book is on loan, you can not read it.

There is a definite advantage to being able to borrow books from the library - free. However, there is the same downside as with a regular library book. There are limited copies. The library cannot purchase one e-copy and lend limitlessly. If they have one copy, it can only be lent to one person at a time. Depending on your library lending time policy, the book will "disappear" when that time period expires. This does keep from having late fees, but....if you aren't done, too bad...it is gone. At my library anyway, there are only 1 or 2 copies of each book, and the list is limited. However, if you don't mind getting on a waiting list to get a book, and there are books available you want to read, it is nice.

I don't know much about the Kindle or other e-readers. The "experts" compare Kinkle and Nook equal, except for the library issue...and I wanted the library capability.

Look up TrendyDigital waterproof covers - they have3 them for all the e-readers. Sort of like a super ziploc bag. I got one for my Nook so I can read in the bathtub. Got it from Amazon - about $20.

This is great! Thanks for the tip!

ss France (1962-2008) Built in 1962 as ocean liner ss France by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France for La Compagnie Generale Transatlantigue (CGT) aka the French Line. She was constructed to replace the line's other, by then considered old and outdated ships, ss Ile de France and ss Liberte.

 

On 11 May 1960, she was blessed by the Bishop of Nantes, Monseigneur Villepelet, and launched by her godmother, Madame Yvonne de Gaulle, wife of the French President, and was then named France, in honor both of the country, and of the two previous CGT ships to bear the name. After her launch, her propellers were installed (the entire process taking over three weeks), the distinctive funnels affixed to her upper decks, her superstructure completed, life boats placed in their davits, and her interiors fitted out. She then undertook her sea trials on 19 November, 1961, and averaged an unexpected 35.21 knots. With the French Line satisfied, the ship was handed over, and undertook a trial cruise to the Canary Islands with a full complement of passengers and crew.

 

 

Her maiden voyage to New York took place on 3 February 1962, with many of France's film stars and aristocracy aboard. Once in service, ss France served as the line's flagship from 1961 until 1974 on the Le Havre to New York run, as well as gaining the distinction of being the world's longest liner of all-time (1,035 feet long). This record remained unchallenged until the construction of the RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004. In service, ss France would combine regular transatlantic crossings - six days and nights - with occasional winter cruises, as well as two world circumnavigations.

After a little more than a decade of service that included 377 transatlantic crossings, the economics that doomed the North Atlantic ocean liner generally caught up with the ss France. It was decided to take her out of service resulting in massive protests from the French population and even a hijack by her crew. On 7 December 1974 however, she was moored at a distant quay in Le Havre, known colloquially as the Quai de l'oubli - the pier of the forgotten. The ship sat in the same spot for approximately five years, with her interiors, including all furniture, still completely intact.

 

 

There were no plans to scrap her, nor to sell her. However, in 1977 Saudi Arabian millionaire Akram Ojjeh expressed an interest in purchasing the vessel for use as a floating museum for antique French furniture and artworks, as well as a casino and hotel off the coast of the south-east United States. Though he did purchase the ship for $24 million U.S., this proposal was never realised, and others were rumored to have floated, including bids from the Soviet Union to use her as a hotel ship in the Black Sea, and a proposal from the People's Republic of China to turn her into a floating industrial trade fair.

 

In June 1979, Knut Kloster and Norwegian Caribbean Line came calling and purchased the France for $18 million U.S. She was towed from Le Havre to Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany for an extensive and expensive (close to $65 million U.S.) refit to make her suitable for cruising as the largest cruise ship afloat. At Bremerhaven, among other renovations, she would receive a set of five side thrusters, upgraded air-conditioning and reinforced hull plating. Her former black hull was repainted in a medium-dark blue. She emerged from Bremerhaven in the spring of 1980 as ss Norway and made a special visit to the City of Oslo, Norway before once more crossing the North Atlantic to arrive in New York City on 16 May 1980.

 

 

Once she reached her new home port of Miami, Fl. on the north side of the Dodge Island cruise terminal, NCL put her to work on the seven-night Caribbean run which included a stop at St. Thomas, USVI. Her size, passenger capacity, and amenities revolutionized the cruise industry and started a building frenzy as competitors began to order bigger and larger ships. As cruise competition attempted to take some of Norway's brisk business, the Norway herself was upgraded several times in order to maintain her position as the "grande dame" of the Caribbean, including the addition of new decks to her superstructure.

 

Competition eventually overtook the Norway, and she even started taking a back seat to other ships in NCL's lineup. No longer the "Ship amongst Ships", her owners severely cut back on her maintenance and upkeep. She experienced several mechanical breakdowns, fires, incidents of illegal waste dumping, and safety violations for which she was detained at port pending repairs. Despite the cutbacks, the ship remained extremely popular among cruise enthusiasts, some of whom questioned the owner's actions in light of the continuing successful operation of the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, which had become a well-maintained rival operating 5-star luxury cruises for Cunard.

 

 

 

On 25 May 2003, after docking in Miami at 5:00 a.m., the Norway was seriously damaged by a boiler explosion at 6:30 a.m. that killed eight crew members, and injured seventeen, as superheated steam flooded the boiler room, and blasted into crew quarters above through ruptured decking. None of the passengers were affected. On 27 June, 2003, NCL and her parent, Malaysian-based Star Cruises, decided to relocate her. She departed Miami under tow headed towards Europe and eventually arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany on 23 September, 2003.

 

 

In Bremerhaven she was used as accommodation for NCL crew training to take their places on board the line's new Pride of America which was being build there. Due to large amounts of asbestos aboard the ship (mostly in machine and bulkhead areas), the Norway was not allowed to leave Germany for any scrap yards due to the Basel Convention. However, after assuring the German authorities that she would go to Asia for repairs and further operation in Australia, she was allowed to leave port under tow on 23 May 2005 arriving at Port Klang, Malaysia on 10 August 2005.

 

In December 2005, Norway was sold to an American naval demolition dealer for scrap value and she was to be towed to Alang, India for demolition. However, in light of protests from Greenpeace, potentially lengthy legal battles due to environmental concerns over the ship's breakup, and amidst charges of fraudulent declarations made by the company to obtain permission to leave Bremerhaven, her owners cancelled the sale contract, refunded the purchase price, and left the ship where she was.

 

She was eventually sold in April 2006 to Bridgend Shipping Limited of Monrovia, Liberia, and renamed ss Blue Lady in preparation for scrapping. One month later she was again sold, to Haryana Ship Demolition Pvt. Ltd., and was subsequently left anchored in waters off the Malaysian coast after the government of Bangladesh refused her entry into their waters due to the onboard asbestos. Three weeks later, the ship began its journey towards Indian waters, and mid-July 2006 found her anchored 100 km off the Indian coast.

 

After lengthy court battles, and the arrival of Blue Lady at Alang, India, the Indian Supreme Court ruled on 11 September 2007 (the 33rd anniversary of the ss France's last day on the Atlantic), that she was safe to scrap. By 4 December of the same year, the tip of her bow had been cut; a ceremonial move done to most ships that end up in Alang just prior to the full scale breaking of a ship. On 20 January 2008, scrapping of Blue Lady had commenced on the forward part of the sun deck. The suites added during the 1990 refit were gone by March. By 12 July 2008, the bow and the stern of the ship had been removed, with little of the ship's famous profile still recognizable. By September 2008, most of what remained above the waterline had been cut away, and the ship's destruction was essentially completed by late 2008.

 

 

My first cruise was on the Norway. We sailed on May 4, 2003. Left Miami and went to St. Maarten, then to St. Thomas, then to NCL's private island in the Bahamas. It was our honeymoon. Two voyages later, she is gone. While she may have been "showing her age", to me she was and is still the "grande dame" of the Carribean.

Having been a teenaged boy, and having raised two of them, all I can say is that the boys probably didn't think past getting a laugh. Most kids are good, and if you had told them as they were picking up the desk about folks with mobility problems depending on the elevator, they probably would have put the desk down. I just hope later their parents impressed on them what they did.

I agree...they probably didn't think...but that doesn't make it right or make us just overlook it as innocent and funny or "boys will be boys". Teenage boys (and girls...let's not put it all on boys) not thinking has resulted in some pretty horrible things. I'm not saying this "prank" could or would have caused something horrible to happen...just saying that not thinking does not excuse what they did.

"Elevator Roulette" is explained on the Princess Forum on a thread entitled "Live from the Coral Princess Dec. 7-22. Pia 1913"

Teenagers were not involved. It was adults.

Before getting all worked up about "Elevator Roulette" find out what it is.

 

Pearl

I think people (me included) were more "worked up" about the desk and chairs in the elevator and the do you have a reservation than the elevator roulette.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to use the balcony much. We were on the Mexican Riviera cruise in May - to San Franscisco, Seattle, and Vacoover. Cold and raining.

Loved the idea of it though! We did go out there for short periods of time but didn't get to lounge out there!

Did feel vibration when we docked, but not bad - and we were already up except for the last day.

You will enjoy the cabin and balcony!

https://www.bookccl.com/irman/

this will at least give you more information on the ship, cabin size, etc. On the right hand side are the links for the different ships. Enjoy the Splendor - we did!

We were in 7451, but sorry, no pics. If it is like 7451, you will be pleased. Standard balcony room I believe, did have a sofa. Balcony was large... at least twice as big as a standard balcony... partly covered by deck above but not completely. We really enjoyed it.