Live from the Royal: June 26th, 2015--British Isles-- Move-over Offer Part 2

[buchananglasgow]

Glad to be reading part 2of your cruises. Will be going down to Greenock to watch her sailaway on Thursday night. Enjoy, the weather is to be mega hot .

[as19111]

On our 6/14 flight home, we booked a BA flight 67. On the departure board and at the gate, it actually showed this flight as BA, American, US Air, and Iberia...all with different flight numbers! I know to be extra careful if I ever do this again, because the prices were all over the place for each airline.

 

Have a great cruise. It's a wonderful itinerary. There were lots of folks from the UK on our cruise traveling with elderly parents and the equipment you mentioned. I marveled at their stamina and willingness to travel.

 

Enjoy!

[dickinson]

Enjoy your cruise! My dh says he would love for an offer like you got!

[TracieABD]

June 27, 2015

Guernsey, England

 

Good morning, friends!

 

Ahhhhhh! So good to be back on the Royal. Everything is just where it should be, as it should be.

 

So a catch-up on yesterday and to answer the burning questions about boarding. Well the best news of all, we found my brother and SIL, Steven and Susan. Their flight landed early, and they schlepped their luggage to us, from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3. Our driver with British Transport was early. So we rolled out our two luggage trolleys and my mom looking a little like an international version of the Beverly Hillbillies. Because of the sheer volume of equipment for my mom, we booked a vehicle for 6-8, and this was great. After some crowded flights, it was great to stretch out in a big old van. We must have been quite a sight, as there was lots of head bobbling and nodding and maybe a random snort (no, not me!) on the ride to Southampton. It took under two hours to reach port as traffic was pretty manageable. Once we entered the gated to the Pier, I began timing. We were dropped at 12:31... waited 3 minutes for a wheelchair for my mom... Were taken through the card line AND the security line in 14 minutes... entered the ship at 12: 50, took my mom to the room. Steven, Susan and I were seated for lunch by 1 pm in the Main Dining Room. We never stopped moving. The system worked well.

 

There seems to be a new menu in the MDR for the Embarkation Lunch. It was very limited. They had four offerings: fettuccine Alfredo, a seafood appetizer, a trout dish and beef dish (that I cannot even attempt as my spell check just will not recognize French). We had a hazelnut soufflé for dessert. Limited and delicious. We walked around the ship a bit and then returned to our rooms to unpack. Of course, I had my "make me happy" list, and our "Stewart", Tislim, set about to make me happy. He was able to remember all of the items with ease.

 

A note about Muster. I am one of those dorks who really, really pays attention at muster. Ours was in the Vista Lounge and was not crowded. And this leaves me to believe that we may not be sailing full. Nothing seems crowded. Anywhere. Any time.

 

After a much needed shower and a clean up, my mom and I headed to the Crown for dinner. It was consistent. The food and service were lovely, my steak was a bit over cooked, but still tasty. My mom had the lobster, and ate quite a bit of it! (She has mysteriously losing weight lately, so I am thrilled to see her eat). We even had a bit of dessert. The casino was not open, so I returned my mom to our room and went to see the opening show with my BB (big brother) and SIL.

 

Lisa Ball is our CD. She is one of my favs. She possesses a very quick wit and is always out and very present. She is most definitely NOT a figure head that shows up a bit before and after shows. She is also very approachable. I saw something I have never seen before at the show... the singer actually sang! No lip synching. Amazing. The dancers, especially the males, looked clumpy and a bit large- but no matter, I am not here for the entertainment. As a note, my BB is a super duper working musician- who actually makes a living through music, so I am super excited to hear his views on the musical acts. So far,so good, especially the string quartet, but he has pointed some nuances out to us that I would have missed.

 

After the show and some roaming around, I had to go back to the room. I watched half of Wild and slept like death! Yay! Nothing like a good night's sleep.

 

Now, I sit in Sabatini's, eating my high maintenance breakkie writing to you.

 

Just to put a word in... You know how you forget at least one item on a trip like, oh say.... make up (me), a hairbrush (me), a toothbrush (mom), shirts (my husband)... you know. Well, normally you can just buy what you forget, right???? Well, guess what I forgot this trip? Guesses? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Spare contact lenses and my glasses. Oh, and without them, I am legally blind (seriously--- just big fuzzy blobs, that is all I can see- as my uncorrected range of vision is - no exaggeration- 4 inches). So I am hoping my dear husband, Bradley, will hack into my email at home, find my prescription, and email it to me--- just in case, I have to go on traipsing through Great Britain to find new lenses. (Thanks, in advance, honey- Love you, miss you bunches). Everything is negotiable, except this. ...and I am feeling stupid, especially since I have seven pairs of running socks. But no contact lenses. Ugh.

 

Well, I will leave you with that and report back later-

Thanks for cruising along-

Tracie-Lynn

Edited June 27, 2015 by TracieABD

[crochetcruise]

June 27, 2015

Guernsey, England

 

Good morning, friends!

 

Ahhhhhh! So good to be back on the Royal. Everything is just where it should be, as it should be.

 

So a catch-up on yesterday and to answer the burning questions about boarding. Well the best news of all, we found my brother and SIL, Steven and Susan. Their flight landed early, and they schlepped their luggage to us, from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3. Our driver with British Transport was early. So we rolled out our two luggage trolleys and my mom looking a little like an international version of the Beverly Hillbillies. Because of the sheer volume of equipment for my mom, we booked a vehicle for 6-8, and this was great. After some crowded flights, it was great to stretch out in a big old van. We must have been quite a sight, as there was lots of head bobbling and nodding and maybe a random snort (no, not me!) on the ride to Southampton. It took under two hours to reach port as traffic was pretty manageable. Once we entered the gated to the Pier, I began timing. We were dropped at 12:31... waited 3 minutes for a wheelchair for my mom... Were taken through the card line AND the security line in 14 minutes... entered the ship at 12: 50, took my mom to the room. Steven, Susan and I were seated for lunch by 1 pm in the Main Dining Room. We never stopped moving. The system worked well.

 

There seems to be a new menu in the MDR for the Embarkation Lunch. It was very limited. They had four offerings: fettuccine Alfredo, a seafood appetizer, a trout dish and beef dish (that I cannot even attempt as my spell check just will not recognize French). We had a hazelnut soufflé for dessert. Limited and delicious. We walked around the ship a bit and then returned to our rooms to unpack. Of course, I had my "make me happy" list, and our "Stewart", Tislim, set about to make me happy. He was able to remember all of the items with ease.

 

A note about Muster. I am one of those dorks who really, really pays attention at muster. Ours was in the Vista Lounge and was not crowded. And this leaves me to believe that we may not be sailing full. Nothing seems crowded. Anywhere. Any time.

 

After a much needed shower and a clean up, my mom and I headed to the Crown for dinner. It was consistent. The food and service were lovely, my steak was a bit over cooked, but still tasty. My mom had the lobster, and ate quite a bit of it! (She has mysteriously losing weight lately, so I am thrilled to see her eat). We even had a bit of dessert. The casino was not open, so I returned my mom to our room and went to see the opening show with my BB (big brother) and SIL.

 

Lisa Ball is our CD. She is one of my favs. She possesses a very quick wit and is always out and very present. She is most definitely NOT a figure head that shows up a bit before and after shows. She is also very approachable. I saw something I have never seen before at the show... the singer actually sang! No lip synching. Amazing. The dancers, especially the males, looked clumpy and a bit large- but no matter, I am not here for the entertainment. As a note, my BB is a super duper working musician- who actually makes a living through music, so I am super excited to hear his views on the musical acts. So far,so good, especially the string quartet, but he has pointed some nuances out to us that I would have missed.

 

After the show and some roaming around, I had to go back to the room. I watched half of Wild and slept like death! Yay! Nothing like a good night's sleep.

 

Now, I sit in Sabatini's, eating my high maintenance breakkie writing to you.

 

Just to put a word in... You know how you forget at least one item on a trip like, oh say.... make up (me), a hairbrush (me), a toothbrush (mom), shirts (my husband)... you know. Well, normally you can just buy what you forget, right???? Well, guess what I forgot this trip? Guesses? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Spare contact lenses and my glasses. Oh, and without them, I am legally blind (seriously--- just big fuzzy blobs, that is all I can see- as my uncorrected range of vision is - no exaggeration- 4 inches). So I am hoping my dear husband, Bradley, will hack into my email at home, find my prescription, and email it to me--- just in case, I have to go on traipsing through Great Britain to find new lenses. (Thanks, in advance, honey- Love you, miss you bunches). Everything is negotiable, except this. ...and I am feeling stupid, especially since I have seven pairs of running socks. But no contact lenses. Ugh.

 

Well, I will leave you with that and report back later-

Thanks for cruising along-

Tracie-Lynn

 

OH NO! The ultimate nightmare for me-forgetting something VITAL in the medical line! I've made a note to be sure there's a spare pair of both sun and regular glasses tucked in my carry on case, as well as the pair I wear, on me and the sunglasses I exchange them for, packed securely in my handbag! Also a brand new complete set of prescribed medication! I'm taking no chances with not being able to see clearly.

 

Grateful for the "heads up" but very sorry for the reason for it.

 

Crochetcruise :cool:

[phabric]

We were at Disney before our cruise. I had put my glasses down to try on a shirt and forgotten about them (you get so used to them you forget they are on,I can see things but they are fuzzy) and when I returned they were gone. I cruised with my sunglasses on for the 7 days, I got many looks in the dining room wearing sunglasses for dinner each night. Now I carry my spare set of regular and sunglasses when I travel.

Edited June 27, 2015 by phabric

[FritzG]

I'm so sorry you forgot your contacts/glasses; I hope you can get some replacements.

 

On our ta last fall I forgot sunglasses, and I have very sensitive eyes. I like clip-ons because they're quick to take on/off. I had a terrible time finding them in Southampton, but I did get a pair that I wasn't fond of. On our hoho tour in Bergen we searched at every stop, and I finally went into an eye glass store. I found a really nice lightweight clip one that I really like. However, they cost $75! The ones I forgot were from Walmart--$10. You can bet I don't just toss them in my purse like my Walmart ones.

 

We'll be looking for more details of your trip.

[as19111]

Casino hours on this itinerary are extremely limited.

[Colo Cruiser]

Its sooo nice to finally sit down in that DR for embarkation lunch.

The thought sinking in that the long trek to the ship is over and its time to relax and enjoy!

[tml1230]

Really enjoining your report…and your OUTSTANDING sense of humor…looking forward to the next installment….safe travels

[DrivesLikeMario]

Glad all is going well so far (minus the glasses/contacts part). Like you, I flew in the day of the cruise and got out to Southampton in time, but it 's not something I'd recommend. (Plan B & C were ready & waiting should Plan A fail.) Good luck with the contacts and enjoy yourselves! :)

[hsmom]

I would love to know what your "make me happy" list includes ;)

[TracieABD]

June 27, Guernsey, England

Part 2

 

We ported in Guernsey, which is a tender port. We waited for about 15 minutes before being directed to the tender, which was actually a ferry. My mom did not want to go, and I am actually pretty glad, as you had to walk 5 steps down and three steps up to get on the ferry. I am just putting this out there, as I know that some people have mobility issues and this was a bit dicey.

 

We did not book any type of tour for this port. Everything that I read said to to just get off the ship and have a walk around. Because I trust y'all so darn much, that was to be our plan. My brother did state that he wanted to see a real Guernsey cow, and I did find a way to accommodate this, though we did not actually do this. You can get off the ship and for 1 GBP take the 61 bus around the entire island. I was guaranteed that you would see a veritable passel (passel?) of Guernsey cows. At the last minute, we decided not to go on the bus, though this seems like a viable option. I did however purchase a small toy Guernsey cow for my brother, and I think he was thrilled. It will go with his rubber ducky collection.

 

And this is the really big news--- I found an eye shop who carried my prescription for contacts!!!! And I had to buy a whole box of 30, but thanks to socialized medicine (no political commentary here, please), the whole box cost a whopping 15 GBP! In the states, I pay about $86 for six lenses. Woohoo! Double score! I am not sure how they will work, but this will be so much better than running into walls! PS- should you ever need eye care in Guernsey, go to Specsavers and ask for Tabby or Tracey. Both were lovely AND helpful. And now I can exhale..

After hitting the contact lens lottery, we walked around town a bit. The port is very quaint with lots of cobbled streets and little shops. My SIL had ice cream and my BB and I just chatted. We did find the stone staircase and made our way up to the top to find...... wait for it..... a parking lot..... with the world's most lovely view of Guernsey! I had read that if you find a narrow, stone stairway, take it, but I did not know what the payoff would be. But now I do, and it was worth it!

 

It was getting to be ship time, so we returned to the tender line. Which was long. very, very, very long, but it moved pretty quickly. We had a ship's tender for our ride back, no ferry this time and the ride was markedly bumpier.

 

Susan and I decided to give Alfredo's a whirl and had a half a lunch. We split the antipasto and we split a pizza. The Royal, to be exact. It was delicious. For those of you who are new to Princess, there are somethings you need to know. 1) Alfredo's is without a fee. 2) the treats at the International Cafe are without a fee (there is a charge for coffee, though). I can't believe how many people have asked how much does Alfredo's cost or how much is that panini at the IC. Free, folks. It is free! Yay! Free!

 

We had our Meet and Greet up in the Horizon Terrace. As this in not particularly a warm weather cruise, outdoors may not have been the best choice. It started at 4:00 and was pretty dwindled by 4:45. Not much to say.

 

Tonight was formal night. Lots and lots of dressed up people. Many tuxes, many floor length gowns. The dining room was full and people were certainly dressed for the occasion. It was also the 50th Anniversary menu. I had the mushroom soup, a salad, and the beef. Everything was prepared well AND they had the Norman Love raspberry dessert. I know there has been some discussion about the NL chocolate fare, and some have loved it, and others not so much. I definitely fall former. And this particular dessert is a fav.

 

After dinner, my BB and SIL and I decided to try to get some photos to surprise my mom (who did not join us for dinner). While standing in line, we began our standard Tom-foolery. By the time it was our turn with the photographer, we were down-right goofy. I am really hoping the picture of my brother and me strangling one another comes out. I am super excited to see the photo of the three of use practicing our RBF (Google it). Fingers crossed. If the funny ones work, we will buy them! We swear!

 

We also went to see a violinist named Greg Scott. Hmmm. I mentioned to my SIL that I wondered if he was a big a star in the UK as he was touted to be. A passing Brit simply and emphatically stated, "No". Thought so. 'nuf said.

 

It is time for bed. Tomorrow is Cork and Blarney. And I am certain a bit of trouble. I do love a bit of trouble.

 

Thanks for following along-

Tracie-Lynn

[rdsqrl]

So glad you got your contacts sorted! Really enjoying your Live, as always. Spare no detail, however picayune. Especially about the food. And the ship. And the ports.

[Woobstr112G]

Love your latest two part report......:):):)

 

Bob

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I am enjoying your "live" report. Thank you so much for taking the time to post.

[Colo Cruiser]

Excellent day in Guernsey!

[phabric]

You mentioned that your mom did not go to dinner, did you order from room service for her?

[tml1230]

So glad you got your contacts sorted! Really enjoying your Live, as always. Spare no detail, however picayune. Especially about the food. And the ship. And the ports.

 

 

EXACTLY what i was thinking….i am taking notes for our September transatlantic on the Royal!

[caribill]

I am super excited to see the photo of the three of use practicing our RBF (Google it).

 

A radial basis function (RBF) is a real-valued function whose value depends only on the distance from the origin, so that ; or alternatively on the distance from some other point c, called a center, so that . Any function that satisfies the property is a radial function.

 

[TracieABD]

June 28, 2015

Cobh-Cork- Blarney

 

Hi Friends-

Today dawned bright and sunny and very, very green in Ireland! I was eating breakfast in Sabatini's as we were berthing in Cobh (which I have learned is pronounced cove- I think). It is so beautiful here. I am sad that I forgot to bring my camera to breakfast (actually, I never take a camera to breakfast- that would be kind of weird, maybe). I had my usual high maintenance coffee (two shots of espresso in a teapot, a glass of cold milk, and a glass of ice- and it has to be mixed in a certain order to prevent creating sloppy, lukewarm melty coffee--- this is where the OCD part comes in... #musthavethecontrol). I also had a bowl of oatmeal. I think they actually made the oatmeal for me, as it was just a wee bit watery. I truly appreciate the effort.

 

While I have a second, I will try to address some of the recent issues on Cruise Critic.

 

The coffee line at the International Cafe. There are huge signs: Order food here. and a separate sign on the other side of the IC that says: Order coffee here. Two separate signs. Two separate lines (that was a little morning poetry for you).

Royal Princess Aft Suites (everybody has different experience). My mom wanted an aft suite, and even after I warned her about the soot issue, she wanted to forge ahead. I'm game. So we book A734. Firstly, the large super comfy loungers have covers now. The steward will remove the covers at request. We have found a smattering of little black soot dots, but when I went to wipe down the table for my mom, I was amazed at how little soot was on the towel. Provided it stays this way, this would not prevent me from booking this suite again. And I love the suite. Based on the design, you actually have two very separate and distinctive rooms, vs. one largish room separated by a curtain. The furniture on the wrap around deck is very heavy and sturdy iron with big comfy cushions. We have four big chairs, a large round table, a small round table, and two loungers, similar to those that you would find in the Sanctuary. Yay! Winning!

In addition, I will give you an update on the Make-Me-Happy list-- extra wooden hangers, extra glasses for the bathroom (make up brushes), extra comforters, 1 extra pillow case (I bring my own), a sharps container, lap blankets, extra wash cloths... With this list, we opt to present the steward with some incentive (though this in not necessary). Once I have the things these things, I am very, very low maintenance. Oh. And happy. :)

 

We booked a tour with PaddyWagon Tours. It was supposed to be a smaller tour of 20 (or less), but they brought a big bus. Initially, I was not thrilled with the prospect of a big bus tour, but our guide/driver did an amazing job of keeping us ahead of the fray. We got to Blarney Castle as the third bus. While we have heard that one can wait for hours to share germs with millions of strangers (eg. Kiss the Blarney Stone), we were from the gate to the stone in under 15 minutes. In all of my goofy germiphobia-ness, I was on my back, hanging upside down and kissing that rock before I could even utter the words "hand sanitizer". It was a pretty fun and memorable activity. We also walked the grounds through the Fern Garden, the Poisonous Garden, the Badger Cave (where we did the requisite "Honey Badger don't care" routine in really bad, bad British accents). By the time we had walked down the steps, the line was out the gate. Thanks, tour guide Mike!

 

We also stopped at the Blarney Woolen Mills and I might or might not have purchased some sweaters (but don't tell Bradley, my husband, as one of those sweaters might be a gift for him... AND it might be a really nice sweater because a certain husband may have sent me my contact prescription!).

 

We moved onto Kinsale where we had a lovely lunch at Jim Edwards, which seemed to be filled with locals. Score! My brother had fish and chips, SIL had a salad, and I had a delicious burger. The only misstep was the chips (fries). We asked for vinegar and they brought white kitchen vinegar (not Malt vinegar). Not sure if this is an Irish thing, but it sure was different.

 

Following lunch we moved onto Cork, where we had 45 minutes to poke around. My SIL found an ice cream stand called Happiness, just proving you can buy happiness! I was able to make a few purchases. However, I did not purchase any happiness, only sundries.

 

For dinner, my mom and BB did the Crab Shack. Susan and I had small plates in the MDR. I had the pineapple and pistachios and the beef satay, which were both delicious. I also had the fudge cookie a la mode, and it was kind of dry. Susan had the satay and the shrimp bisque. After we snacked, Susan and I headed up to the Horizon Court to terrorize my BB and mom. Yep, they were both wearing the bib of shame. Too bad I did not have a camera.

 

We moved on to the Princess theatre to see Alan Kavenaugh, who was most definitely working the crowd. He is an Irish folk musician (imagine that!). It was fine. Neither overwhelming nor underwhelming. I was just whelmed.

 

I did cajole my SIL into signing up for the "Yes/ No Game" and she got called! One thing you must know about Susan is that she is ALL IN! I swear that girl has never met a stranger, and can get the most surly individual to laugh. She did really well for 2 minutes and 24 seconds and then she "outed" herself with a big, fat NO. So close...

 

Now, I am done. I mean really, really done. The laundry is bagged. The wake up call ordered. The lights out. The entry posted. Done.

 

Dublin tomorrow.

 

Thanks for traipsing along!

Tracie-Lynn:):)

[TracieABD]

A radial basis function (RBF) is a real-valued function whose value depends only on the distance from the origin, so that ; or alternatively on the distance from some other point c, called a center, so that . Any function that satisfies the property is a radial function.

 

 

Ummmm. that was not the RBF I was shooting for. Ours is much more "low brow". Plus that formula might be pretty hard to demo for the ships photographer!

[seacrystal]

June 28, 2015

Cobh-Cork- Blarney

 

Hi Friends-

Today dawned bright and sunny and very, very green in Ireland! . . .

 

Tracie-Lynn:):)

 

Ahhhh another day of laughter. I wish we could keep you cruising forever!;) Soooooooooooooooo enjoyable.

Edited June 28, 2015 by seacrystal

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounds like a fantastic day! :)

[High C's]

LOVE IT! :) Your writing style is a real treat.

 

We just booked this itinerary on the CB next May, so I look forward to your posts with even greater interest than usual. In particular, I hope you post the name of any private tour that you took, and your thoughts of them. I've already noted the company for Cobh! :)

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip.