MJSailors

@dani negreanu I was very pleased to read your news that you and DH will be on the Bella2 cruise! So many posters here will be happy to meet you! I’m not even on that cruise and I am smiling that you will be on it! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

IMHO -Surprising that there would be Pop Choir or a mob flash dance because of possible Covid transmission . Virus is still out there. I am recovering from a case of it after a cruise on the Celebrity Summit a few weeks ago. MJ

@KarmaCruisers A note of advice- Instead of the Princess transfer coach, arrange for private transportation. Hotel pick up to the port-easy peasy. It may be costly, but factored into the vacation plan, it can be doable and so much easier. MJ

Luckily, my aunt worked in the City in the 1950s into the 1960s .Maybe the trains were a bit more commuter friendly then? I remember the BMT had red vinyl seats. I used to like to take that train into the City with my aunt. I did like the color red! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@George C Woodhaven- One of my HS best friends grew up in Woodhaven and an aunt had an apartment there as it was an easy commute on the BMT to her job at a law firm in the City. So, I am familiar with the area also. Did your Mom shop at Lewis of Woodhaven? That was quite a store , jammed packed with household goods etc. As a kid, I loved the carousel and pony rides in Forest Park. My father played golf on the course there. Take care MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@BonTexasNY This list of stores brings to mind so many shopping trips I had with my Mom either to the City or Jamaica, Queens. Mays had an extensive Chubby Dept, so we were frequent shoppers there-for awhile. Altmans was a lovely store-very sad when it closed. After college, I worked at Lord &Taylor’s anchor store on 5th Ave in the mail order office. One of my jobs was to send faxes to all the branches over a phone line-it was 1974! I spoke with office reps along the Eastern seaboard every morning. Left that job to take my first teaching assignment. We also frequented A&S and Gimbels when we shopped at Roosevelt Field once I had my driver’s license. Do you have Dillard’s in Texas ? They have some stores in Florida and they seem to be similar to Macy’s. Take care MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@George C I grew up in Forest Hills. Kew Gardens wasn’t far away. My father was a member of the Grand Jurors Association and served on a number of cases at the courthouse on Queens Blvd. Do you recall a place on the Blvd- Knish Knosh? Later on, my friends and I would frequent the Salty Dog on Metropolitan Ave in KG. Actually, my DH and I were talking just today about how we got together at the Salty Dog with two of my best friends and their husbands to let them know about our engagement-41 years ago. Good places, good times, good memories! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@HBE4 My mother also enjoyed shopping at Alexander’s. Her store was on Queens Blvd in Rego Park. As a kid,I did not appreciate trying on clothes in the open concept ladies’ try-on room. There were no separate cubicles and no curtains! She also liked shopping at Gertz Dept Store on Jamaica Ave in Jamaica. That was a lovely store! The windows were always beautifully decorated for Christmas. There was an elevator run by a woman in a uniform with white gloves that would announce the different departments on each floor. They also had try-on rooms that had curtains! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@dani negreanu I want to also let you know that I was glad to read your posting about your recent family vacation and see the photos of the beautiful place you all shared. But, I was saddened to read that your children and grandchildren will be moving away. Such a difficult decision for your son and his family to make and so very difficult for you and your husband to learn of their decision. I hope they find a comfortable life in the Netherlands and that your grandsons will flourish there. Their hearts will be with their parents and family in Israel and your hearts will be with them in their new home. Hoping that you and your husband will be able to plan some long visits with them in the Netherlands and that your son, daughter-in-law and children can return to Israel for some visits as well. Sending good thoughts to you, your husband and family.💐 MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@Ozark_Kid John-I just read your post about you making homemade ice cream. Would you consider making garlic ice cream ?There is such a thing!😉 @h20skibumYikes! Your granddaughter is brave!😊 MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

Reading,reading reading all the posts here as DH and I recover. Slow go, but getting there. I would like to have more strength, but friends who have had Covid assure me that it takes awhile to feel 100%. Wishing all here happy days especially those who are/were celebrating milestone days. @Ozark_Kid John-I have read about the kindness coming your way recently. I can only think that the kindness you have shown others has found it way back to you and DW Sharon. @Momof3gurlz I hope that things are going well for you and your hubby since the “kids” have moved in with you while their house is under renovation. The work they have planned seems to be ambitious and time consuming. Easy to say, but try to go with the flow for now. Your house will return to its’ former self once they are back in their “new” home.’ @lenquixote66I read your poem and found it had an ethereal quality. I hope you continue to create poetry if it makes you feel happy. @Sea DogI will be interested to read about the bone marrow treatment proposed for your knee. My hubby has arthritic knees with bone on bone as he played football in HS and college. He has consulted with a few orthopedic surgeons, one being a doctor that cares for NYJets players. All agree that he is not a candidate for surgery as he does not have pain and continues to be able to comfortably walk. He walks everyday for 40 minutes. A suggestion of all the doctors was that he loose weight . About a year and a half ago, he began to follow a healthy eating plan and lost fifty + pounds which he maintains. He does not want surgery! Any alternative therapy would be interesting for him to learn about should he someday be a surgery candidate. As to MRIs, I agree they are not a pleasant experience. I had one this past April to diagnose a spinal issue. Luckily, my head was out of the tube. The tech asked what kind of music I wanted to listen to during the test. I requested Motown. Not sure what music he plugged into the headphones, but it was nothing I recognized- more like No town! I was so very glad when the test was over! Hoping you get some good answers. Wishing all here a good evening! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@Silkroad Thank you for your kind words. We are recovering slowly. MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@bunnyetteThank you for your thoughts. Were you the couple we saw in the hall taking your golf clubs off of the ship? We had a brief conversation in the corridor about playing golf that day. My husband was/is reluctant to pursue the matter with the golf course or the Bermuda Dept of Tourism. I have the thought of reporting the incident as something should be said to prevent anyone else being put in a similar situation. We were saddened to see the Southampton Princess closed as we had many good vacations there. It gave me an eerie feeling to see it shut down and the grounds in need of attention. Hoping you had a good round. No way would I have ever walked that course! Yes,Apollo was exceptional-I hope he did not get sick. I think he was nearing the end of his contract and was looking foreard to going home. Take care- MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@nashville15 Thank you for the kind words. We are coming along. As to a sewage smell. I had to go to guest services on Deck 3. For some reason, the elevator I took led to a cabin corridor -starboard side- to get to the guest services desk. I seem to have arrived on deck 3 near the Tuscan Grill which kind of blocks a direct walk to guest services. I mention this because I noticed a sewage smell as I was near those cabins on deck 3. We were in cabin 9062 -deck 9 starboard.No sewage smell there and we noticed none near the theater. Keep in mind, the Summit is about twenty years old. Parts can wear out and break down on a ship of that age given almost constant use. It has been refurbished nicely,as far as the eye can see. If you have a cabin on deck 2 or deck 3, you may consider rebooking to a higher deck. The crew on the ship is outstanding! I wish you a safe and healthy cruise! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

Good to see you have begun posting, Norris! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

Welcome home, Norris and Carol! Looking forward to reading about your travels. Take care- MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

I think you have Bimmer09 -Norris-confused with another poster . That poster was writing about a cruise out of Southampton around the UK and to Le Harve. His was a Princess cruise. Hoping that Norris does post. I always enjoy his writing and photos. MJ

@Water709 I hope that you and your hubby recover soon. Someone on this cruise’s roll call reported that he, his wife and son also tested positive with his wife having the most severe symptoms. I do understand your feelings about taking future cruise vacations. Others have gone on cruises and have remained healthy. There is, and hasn’t been, any medical explanation given as to why some contract the virus and others remain free of it. Wishing you and your husband a happy 40th anniversary! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@WestLakeGirl Summit was the only ship at Cape Liberty, Bayonne,NJ. Contact with others was quite limited there. Embarkation and disembarkation was quick and flawless. Getting off the ship, we were with fellow passengers, had brief contact with the Custom officer at face recognition and a porter helping with the bags. MJ

Well, it was supposed to be a celebration cruise for our 40th anniversary, but things did not turn out as planned. First, I will write about the positives of the cruise. The Summit has been refitted and upgraded beautifully. The lighter color scheme, and the furnishings in many areas that offered comfortable seating were very much appreciated. We had taken two cruise previously on the Summit and realized during those cruises that the ship needed a good bit of attention. The staff and crew on the ship were exceptional! We have been cruising since 1987 and we cannot recall a friendlier, kinder and more helpful staff. Kudos to Celebrity in recruiting people who are an asset to the Summit. We were in an Aqua class cabin 9052. Apollo was our steward who took good care of the cabin and did it with kindness. The serving staff in the buffet, Al Bacio and Blu were very good. I would like to give a shout out to the young lady who served most evenings at the dessert station in the buffet. Her smile was infectious and her heart shown through while serving those cakes! I neglected to get her name and I feel remiss about that. Now, for the turn of events. On Tuesday, the first day we were docked in Bermuda, my husband took a hard fall at the Turtle Hill Golf Club on a very steep path. The result was broken ribs. This has nothing to do with the cruise or the ship. I am writing about this for two reasons. We were taken aback by the cavalier attitude of the golf course staff regarding his fall. Not going into detail here, but the reaction was not what we have come to expect from Bermudians in all our past thirteen visits to that country. Very disappointing to say the least. We managed to have a pleasant remainder of the cruise. Our activities were somewhat limited as my DH needed to rest at times from his injury. We tried to make the best of the situation. The Monday after we returned home, I was not feeling well at all. I tested Tuesday morning and it was positive for Covid. We are both recovering. We drove to Cape Liberty , so there were no air flights or hotel stays involved. We surmise that we contracted the virus on the ship. We washed our hands often-“washy washy” , used Putell, kept away from crowds and still succumbed to Covid. It is still out there. The thing is,the effects of the virus are not as serious as in the beginning of the Pandemic. My DH and I were aware of the health risks in booking this cruise. We have been very careful these past 3+ years and have remained healthy. Given that we are early seventies and I am asthmatic, we did not make the decision to go on the Summit lightly. I wanted this post to be a truthful account of our cruise vacation and givie both positive and negative aspects of such a vacation YMMV MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

Have you tried to unsubscribe from the email list? MJ

@sgmn Hoping your grandson feels better soon. No fun being sick! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@lenquixote66 Keeping fingers crossed that your poem is selected! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@TravelGirlinDallas Wishing you a happy birthday! Celebrate and no counting candles! Enjoy! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

@QueSeraSera A word to the wise about your wife’s birthday coming from a wife of 40 years….. I would suggest a bouquet of flowers and a dinner at a special restaurant to celebrate her day. Remember this saying-Happy wife, happy life! MJ🙋🏻‍♀️