MITSUGIRLY lets the BREEZE flow through her hair-Spring Break Review/Pictorial

[mitsugirly]

I was a popaholic until about 2 years ago. In fact, my pop addiction was so bad, I pretty much went through a case of it every 2 days. I went cold turkey about 2 years ago and now only have one when eating out. I no longer buy it for the house.

 

I so hope that once the "band-aid" is taken off that the double vision, blurriness and white fog are gone. Prayers that it improves for you!

 

Yea, I could easily go through that much pop with no problem myself. I live on it and there's always one sitting beside me. I wish I could get off it, but the migraines kick in full force and I hate the way water taste...so...

 

I hope the vision gets better too after they remove the band-aid. It really really sucks. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. It can't come soon enough.

[blueangel74]

I have to agree that GT and St Thomas are a few of my favorites. I really need to cruise out of San Juan and see more on a pre-cruise time frame, I think, in order to appreciate it more I guess.

 

I have not tried Magen's yet because, although everyone says it's pretty, they say it's such a tourist trap, no snorkeling, pay to get in, and that it's a VERY crowded beach because they push all the cruisers into going there. I absolutely LOVED Coki and Sapphire for the snorkeling and Sapphire was so beautiful. But, I will have to try something different next time, and it will probably be Magens just to experience it. :)

 

 

Magen's was beautiful. Was one of the first ones there. Didn't get a chance to snorkel there but I loved the view. When I left for the other part of my excursion, the beach began to get crowded.

 

The one thing I always do for each cruise(except for my Elation cruise. Went zip lining.) is snorkel. I will definitely look into going to Coki or Sapphire for the snorkeling. :)

[perfect match]

If you could only see how big I have made my screen words. LOL (You know the trick by holding down the control button and scroll you mouse until the words are ginormous? Yep, that's my screen right now. But I have been taking frequent naps due to the extreme headaches from the vision. I went back to work today...the hubby chauffeured me around all day. It was interesting.

 

 

 

:D

 

No, I didn't know that trick. I will have to try it next time I am on my desktop. I usually read CC on my tablet, so I don't think it would work here.

 

I already have my font size set on ginormous everywhere, and use the zoom feature on all devices to make the font even bigger. I just have to remember to put it back to normal zoom level when I am on the desktop or DH complains about the huge pages he gets. :eek:

 

Thanks for the tip. Might keep me out of trouble!

 

Hope your eye appointment goes well tomorrow, and your vision is significantly better.

[my_crib_too]

Kim:

 

Great review and a fun read!!! Thank you for doing this...

 

 

With your busy home, work, and school schedule coupled with the number of cruises you go on, do you ever want to return home and not do a full review? Does this ever become less of a joy and more of an obligation? I don't know how you find the time.

 

Thanks again and good luck with the eye!

 

bruce...

[mitsugirly]

Magen's was beautiful. Was one of the first ones there. Didn't get a chance to snorkel there but I loved the view. When I left for the other part of my excursion, the beach began to get crowded.

 

The one thing I always do for each cruise(except for my Elation cruise. Went zip lining.) is snorkel. I will definitely look into going to Coki or Sapphire for the snorkeling. :)

 

I have heard it is very beautiful there. I will have to check it out some time. I believe we go there in November (but would have to double check for sure). Maybe we'll try it out then. There isn't any snorkeling there due to the sandy bottom of the area, but you never know I guess. I have found some very interesting things in areas like that before when people have told me I wouldn't see anything. I never pass up a chance to take at least my mask.

 

No, I didn't know that trick. I will have to try it next time I am on my desktop. I usually read CC on my tablet, so I don't think it would work here.

 

I already have my font size set on ginormous everywhere, and use the zoom feature on all devices to make the font even bigger. I just have to remember to put it back to normal zoom level when I am on the desktop or DH complains about the huge pages he gets. :eek:

 

Thanks for the tip. Might keep me out of trouble!

 

Hope your eye appointment goes well tomorrow, and your vision is significantly better.

 

You're welcome for the tip. I have been doing it for many years due to my increasing poor eyesight.

 

Appointment went great. They said my "cells" have closed up and met in the middle of my eye now, which is what is causing my double vision. They were able to remove my contact bandage and said none of the cells came off with the removal, which is a good thing. They did tell me that my contact bandage was super yucky and "filmy", so I was hoping that was a part of the reason my vision is so blurry...but nope, it's still super blurry. I was unable to read anything on the eye chart this time (where I did last time). :( He promised it would get better over the next week, then I would probably take a step back, then increasingly get better again. Sigh. It's so frustrating at this point. The hubby and my dil have been taking me everywhere and to see my patients this week. :cool:

[mitsugirly]

Kim:

 

Great review and a fun read!!! Thank you for doing this...

 

 

With your busy home, work, and school schedule coupled with the number of cruises you go on, do you ever want to return home and not do a full review? Does this ever become less of a joy and more of an obligation? I don't know how you find the time.

 

Thanks again and good luck with the eye!

 

bruce...

 

No, I really can't say that I have ever not wanted to do a review. I like to look back on them from time to time and my mind sometimes doesn't remember things accurately and it's a way to go back and see what happened. It has also been suggested to me that I should somehow print off all the reviews to put in my scrapbook I make for each cruise for Sakari. That way we have a record of the entire cruise as well. So, some day I hope to do that as well. :)

 

Now ask my hubby about it, he'll tell you it's an obligation at this point. He'll always tell me "you are working right?" and "don't forget to take a picture of that because they'll want to see it" LOL :D

 

The only issue I can say I have is the time frame. Like when I just went on the NCL Jade in February and less than 30 days later was on the Breeze. That was super rough trying to get it done and finish my classes up for this semester. That sometimes makes it hard too...classes and reviews. :p I adapt well I guess. I mean I would much rather be doing a review and reliving my vacation than working on class work. :p

[my_crib_too]

No, I really can't say that I have ever not wanted to do a review. I like to look back on them from time to time and my mind sometimes doesn't remember things accurately and it's a way to go back and see what happened. It has also been suggested to me that I should somehow print off all the reviews to put in my scrapbook I make for each cruise for Sakari. That way we have a record of the entire cruise as well. So, some day I hope to do that as well. :)

 

Now ask my hubby about it, he'll tell you it's an obligation at this point. He'll always tell me "you are working right?" and "don't forget to take a picture of that because they'll want to see it" LOL :D

 

The only issue I can say I have is the time frame. Like when I just went on the NCL Jade in February and less than 30 days later was on the Breeze. That was super rough trying to get it done and finish my classes up for this semester. That sometimes makes it hard too...classes and reviews. :p I adapt well I guess. I mean I would much rather be doing a review and reliving my vacation than working on class work. :p

 

Thank you for the response. With your next cruise being so far off, I hope hubby or your adult children surprise you with a few extra cruises between now and November. Sunday is Mother's day and a cruise is the perfect gift for any child to give their mom.

 

bruce....

[ZonaCruiser]

I have to add my thanks for your reviews. I think I have read them all over the past year! I've been on 2 cruises in the past 6 months. I attempted to photograph everything so I could post reviews. I took pictures of maybe 5 meals, and failed in my attempts to photograph all of the venues. I still intended to write reviews, but......

 

Well, the 1st cruise was in December and with the holidays and medical reasons with DH, I never got around to it. I did write a review under the "review" section for that cruise. I managed a "quick" review (1 post-no pics) for the 2nd cruise. I just never found the time for a full review. I certainly admire your dedication and desire to both educate and entertain us:D

 

Finally, I'm sad to hear about your eye problems. I didn't read what the problem was. Can u share? I am also hoping and praying for a successful outcome.

 

Thanks again and I look forward to your next cruise.

 

Laura

[mitsugirly]

Thank you for the response. With your next cruise being so far off, I hope hubby or your adult children surprise you with a few extra cruises between now and November. Sunday is Mother's day and a cruise is the perfect gift for any child to give their mom.

 

bruce....

 

Oh yes, there will be either a cruise or land vacation in either July or August. That will be the next break I have from school (July 16-Aug 21). I just haven't decided when or where or how. We thought about another cruise to Bermuda (but they seem so expensive this year), thought about an Alaskan trip, because I have never been there yet, or maybe just flying to Cancun for a week. It's all up in the air at this point and I had planned on trying to do some planning during my 2 weeks off from school now, but this eye surgery keeps me off the computer for long periods of time. I've just been popping in and out every so often. :(

 

I have to add my thanks for your reviews. I think I have read them all over the past year! I've been on 2 cruises in the past 6 months. I attempted to photograph everything so I could post reviews. I took pictures of maybe 5 meals, and failed in my attempts to photograph all of the venues. I still intended to write reviews, but......

 

Well, the 1st cruise was in December and with the holidays and medical reasons with DH, I never got around to it. I did write a review under the "review" section for that cruise. I managed a "quick" review (1 post-no pics) for the 2nd cruise. I just never found the time for a full review. I certainly admire your dedication and desire to both educate and entertain us

 

Finally, I'm sad to hear about your eye problems. I didn't read what the problem was. Can u share? I am also hoping and praying for a successful outcome.

 

Thanks again and I look forward to your next cruise.

 

Laura

 

Aww, thank you so much for all the kind words. It takes a lot of dedication and time to put together reviews and hey, even the "quick" reviews are good as well. Tell what happened, your thoughts, get to the point, and finish. A lot of people like those types of reviews instead of something drawn out so long like mine. :)

 

As for my eyes. They are just bad. :p I had Lasik done 16 years ago because my eyesight was considered "legally blind". I ended up with 20/15 and 20/10 vision about 6 hours after they did it and was amazed! Over the years, I had to start using reading glasses, then several years ago, my vision started decreasing far away as well. I ended being put back in contacts again (something I never wanted to happen ever in my life after wearing them for over 21 years with multiple infections and issues with blood vessels filling up from over-use and I was told right before I had the first Lasik procedure done that if I continued to wear contacts, I would go blind...as in completely blind. This is due to the blood vessels in my eyes constantly filling up with blood and they said it was "so many mm from reaching my pupil and once that happened, there was no turning back=blindness". That's when I elected for Lasik.

 

Fast forward to the last few years...mono vision contacts so that I could somewhat see far and near PLUS reading glasses on top of that. :mad:

 

Since I have had Lasik before (which is cutting a flap on the cornea, peeling it back, reshaping it with a laser, and putting the flap back to heal) and already had the flap, they could not do this procedure again due to it messing up the flap and was too risky. Instead, I had to have prk (photorefractive keratectomy). The way it was explained to me is they put a solution of some type of alcohol somethingorother on the surface of the eye, which disintegrates the cells, they push them around, they laser the eye, then place a contact bandage on it for healing. The difference is, since it's done on the outside of the cornea, it exposes all these cells and nerve in the eye and takes months to heal and regrow new cells. YUCKY POOEY!

 

So vision is going to be crappy for awhile, but they assure me that my vision will return to perfect again BUT I will still have to wear reading glasses. I'm ok with that I assume. :)

 

All I can say is thank goodness I only did one eye this time. I would not be able to function at this point with both of them like that. :(

[nancynana9950]

I look forward to reading all your reviews. I've learned a great deal from your ports of call and have made notes on many of the places you visited. Thanks for doing all the research and taking time to write such detailed reviews! We have been to Bermuda 3 times. It is one of our favorite places on earth. I hope you get to take that pontoon boat ride in the east end some day! We are currently taking a break from cruising due to my Mom's declining health ( she's almost 90). I will have to be content with following you on your reviews. Hoping for the best outcome for you on your eye surgery Thanks again for letting us come along with you.

[ZonaCruiser]

Wow Kim, that is scary. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. It sucks you have to look forward to the same with your other eye. Will continue following;)

[wrcjr98]

If you could only see how big I have made my screen words. LOL (You know the trick by holding down the control button and scroll you mouse until the words are ginormous? Yep, that's my screen right now.

 

I learned something new!! I can see your review much better now!! (after enlarging my letters)

If you decide to do a land vacation, can you just do a review of it too? I love reading your reviews!

Sakari might enjoy a land vacation to Weeki Wachi Springs in Florida. Live mermaid shows!! Then you could pop over to Disney/Universal/Sea World for the rest of the week!

Thank you so much for taking the time to post your pictures and your reviews. I enjoy them all. I really loved the Breeze, and hate that you missed Matt Mitcham as your cruise director. He's great! Hope your eye is healing, and you don't have headaches or pain!

[perfect match]

You're welcome for the tip. I have been doing it for many years due to my increasing poor eyesight.

 

Appointment went great. They said my "cells" have closed up and met in the middle of my eye now, which is what is causing my double vision. They were able to remove my contact bandage and said none of the cells came off with the removal, which is a good thing. They did tell me that my contact bandage was super yucky and "filmy", so I was hoping that was a part of the reason my vision is so blurry...but nope, it's still super blurry. I was unable to read anything on the eye chart this time (where I did last time). :( He promised it would get better over the next week, then I would probably take a step back, then increasingly get better again. Sigh. It's so frustrating at this point. The hubby and my dil have been taking me everywhere and to see my patients this week. :cool:

 

Glad to hear your appointment went so well today. I did read your post about the surgery you had. It sounds like a pretty complex proceedure, so it makes sense that your recovery is taking some time. I am sure all you are going through now will be worth it in the end.

 

Thank you for taking the time, even with the vision problems you are currently having to keep us up to date on how you are doing. I can hardly wait to hear what your travel plans for the summer will be!

[red212fire212]

re the chogs/cogs issue or as I would say in the UK sogs (settee hogs!) lol..

 

I slept for about 3 hours on one on our cruise on NCL Epic in February! it was very rough seas and we were in an inside aft cabin which you felt the motion a lot back there, so at 3am I took myself off to O'sheehans bar (mid) which had not one person in it and slept there on one of their leather settee's.

 

They quite happily hoovered around me and when I woke one of the waiters said he wished he had had a cover to throw over me

 

Hope that doesn't make me a hog lol!!!!!

 

And yet another great review Kim, Have now read every one of them since I discovered them about 6 weeks ago, I have my heart set on a Caribbean cruise in January and your reviews will help me decide which islands and what we will do on them when we get there, Thank you

[cruisenewbie79]

Hey Mitsugirly,

 

I noticed when reading this latest review that the ad on top of the page is for mermaid tails. Since that is not something I have recently searched I figured the company is targeting people reading your reviews. Were you aware of this? You should get a cut each time someone clicks that ad.

 

Love your reviews:)

[keeponcruising]

Hi Kim, I am so sorry about your eye. I missed why you had the surgery for. I enjoyed this review and loved Sakari's new mermaid tail. She really knows how to pose in it.

[mitsugirly]

I look forward to reading all your reviews. I've learned a great deal from your ports of call and have made notes on many of the places you visited. Thanks for doing all the research and taking time to write such detailed reviews! We have been to Bermuda 3 times. It is one of our favorite places on earth. I hope you get to take that pontoon boat ride in the east end some day! We are currently taking a break from cruising due to my Mom's declining health ( she's almost 90). I will have to be content with following you on your reviews. Hoping for the best outcome for you on your eye surgery Thanks again for letting us come along with you.

 

Why thanks for the wonderful compliments and glad you find the reviews useful.

 

I really love Bermuda too and really want to go back. Next time we go back, we'll definitely rent a boat over on the east end, like we had wanted to do the last time around, and see all the sites. :)

 

 

Wow Kim, that is scary. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. It sucks you have to look forward to the same with your other eye. Will continue following;)

 

Thanks and yea, I'm waiting to see how this one turns out in the end before even thinking about the other eye yet. I'll have to see if the results are worth it and just how long it actually takes. :p

[mitsugirly]

I learned something new!! I can see your review much better now!! (after enlarging my letters)

If you decide to do a land vacation, can you just do a review of it too? I love reading your reviews!

Sakari might enjoy a land vacation to Weeki Wachi Springs in Florida. Live mermaid shows!! Then you could pop over to Disney/Universal/Sea World for the rest of the week!

Thank you so much for taking the time to post your pictures and your reviews. I enjoy them all. I really loved the Breeze, and hate that you missed Matt Mitcham as your cruise director. He's great! Hope your eye is healing, and you don't have headaches or pain!

 

Haha, glad you are able to see it better now and learned the "trick".

 

If we do a land vacation, where would I do a review at since this is a cruise forum?

 

I have a feeling that Sakari would actually love a land vacation, especially if it involves staying right on the beach. We have thought about a Disney vacation and have just been waiting on her to get "big enough" (as in height-wise) so we'll see. There's so many places to go there that it would probably have to be split up into 2 different trips. We've always been none stop every day, which gets tiring, when we do a Disney vacation. No relaxation whatsoever.

 

I hate that I missed Matt. I love watching his dances "moves" and have always wanted to sail on the Breeze WITH Matt on it darnit. I guess I'll have to go on the Vista instead to catch him. :D

 

Glad to hear your appointment went so well today. I did read your post about the surgery you had. It sounds like a pretty complex proceedure, so it makes sense that your recovery is taking some time. I am sure all you are going through now will be worth it in the end.

 

Thank you for taking the time, even with the vision problems you are currently having to keep us up to date on how you are doing. I can hardly wait to hear what your travel plans for the summer will be!

 

I don't think the surgery is too complex, just the healing process. I actually takes less time to do the prk than it does the lasix procedure.

 

The good news is, the "white fog" seems to be leaving today. I'm still blurry as can be though, but at this point, I'll take any improvement. :p

[mitsugirly]

re the chogs/cogs issue or as I would say in the UK sogs (settee hogs!) lol..

 

I slept for about 3 hours on one on our cruise on NCL Epic in February! it was very rough seas and we were in an inside aft cabin which you felt the motion a lot back there, so at 3am I took myself off to O'sheehans bar (mid) which had not one person in it and slept there on one of their leather settee's.

 

They quite happily hoovered around me and when I woke one of the waiters said he wished he had had a cover to throw over me

 

Hope that doesn't make me a hog lol!!!!!

 

And yet another great review Kim, Have now read every one of them since I discovered them about 6 weeks ago, I have my heart set on a Caribbean cruise in January and your reviews will help me decide which islands and what we will do on them when we get there, Thank you

 

Aww, no I would not consider that a chair hog or chog at all. You poor thing. Hey, whatever it takes to feel better is worth doing. :)

 

You must have a lot of time on your hands if you have managed to read every review in the last 6 weeks. :eek: :D

 

Hey Mitsugirly,

 

I noticed when reading this latest review that the ad on top of the page is for mermaid tails. Since that is not something I have recently searched I figured the company is targeting people reading your reviews. Were you aware of this? You should get a cut each time someone clicks that ad.

 

Love your reviews:)

 

I do not see any advertisements like that on mine. I wish I could see it. :( That's really funny.

[mitsugirly]

Hi Kim, I am so sorry about your eye. I missed why you had the surgery for. I enjoyed this review and loved Sakari's new mermaid tail. She really knows how to pose in it.

 

You can find my explanation HERE about my eye.

 

Yep, she came up with that pose all by herself. :D

[CAC104]

As for my eyes. They are just bad. :p I had Lasik done 16 years ago because my eyesight was considered "legally blind". I ended up with 20/15 and 20/10 vision about 6 hours after they did it and was amazed! Over the years, I had to start using reading glasses, then several years ago, my vision started decreasing far away as well. I ended being put back in contacts again (something I never wanted to happen ever in my life after wearing them for over 21 years with multiple infections and issues with blood vessels filling up from over-use and I was told right before I had the first Lasik procedure done that if I continued to wear contacts, I would go blind...as in completely blind. This is due to the blood vessels in my eyes constantly filling up with blood and they said it was "so many mm from reaching my pupil and once that happened, there was no turning back=blindness". That's when I elected for Lasik.

 

Fast forward to the last few years...mono vision contacts so that I could somewhat see far and near PLUS reading glasses on top of that. :mad:

 

Since I have had Lasik before (which is cutting a flap on the cornea, peeling it back, reshaping it with a laser, and putting the flap back to heal) and already had the flap, they could not do this procedure again due to it messing up the flap and was too risky. Instead, I had to have prk (photorefractive keratectomy). The way it was explained to me is they put a solution of some type of alcohol somethingorother on the surface of the eye, which disintegrates the cells, they push them around, they laser the eye, then place a contact bandage on it for healing. The difference is, since it's done on the outside of the cornea, it exposes all these cells and nerve in the eye and takes months to heal and regrow new cells. YUCKY POOEY!

 

So vision is going to be crappy for awhile, but they assure me that my vision will return to perfect again BUT I will still have to wear reading glasses. I'm ok with that I assume. :)

 

All I can say is thank goodness I only did one eye this time. I would not be able to function at this point with both of them like that. :(

I have never heard of this procedure before, and I hope it does as they say it will. We have had plenty of experiences with eye surgery. DH had lasix in both eyes when he was younger and then had cataracts in both eyes that had to be removed. No complications for either. I had strabismus surgery when I was 12 and then used to teach tennis and got hit really hard in my eye with a tennis ball (I wasn't looking) and it ruined my cornea, so I had a cornea transplant 20 years ago. So far it is doing well. But, I never knew about what they just did to you and I hope you are satisfied with it.

[Staceelvls]

subscribed! Loving the review!

[keeponcruising]

You can find my explanation HERE about my eye.

 

Yep, she came up with that pose all by herself. :D

 

Wow, that is scary and you are so brave.

[Mom2KT]

Hello,

 

I love reading all your ship and port adventure reviews! Especially this one since we cruised on the Breeze last summer. It was our first time on a Carnival ship. We usually cruise only on Disney, which is my favorite. So not as often as I'd like unfortunately. I can relate to being hungry on the Breeze too! First time I've lost weight on a cruise. We have never cruised with Norwegian, but would love to try it. Lol! I'd love to know which ships are your favorite and how does it compare to the Breeze?

 

Thanks,

Nichole

[mitsugirly]

 

 

I have never heard of this procedure before, and I hope it does as they say it will. We have had plenty of experiences with eye surgery. DH had lasix in both eyes when he was younger and then had cataracts in both eyes that had to be removed. No complications for either. I had strabismus surgery when I was 12 and then used to teach tennis and got hit really hard in my eye with a tennis ball (I wasn't looking) and it ruined my cornea, so I had a cornea transplant 20 years ago. So far it is doing well. But, I never knew about what they just did to you and I hope you are satisfied with it.

 

It's funny that I have somewhat of a similar story. Back when my youngest son (Kolin, who is 21 now) was very young (maybe 3), I was teaching him to swim in our pool. We had some "fun" time and I was throwing him up in the air and he was jumping backwards and then I would grab him. Once he kicked me so hard, when going up, that I seriously thought my eyeball had fallen out. I cupped my hand over my eye, tried to hurry and grab him with my other hand and I was so afraid to take my hand away from my eye. When I did, I noticed that my vision was different. I went to the eye doctor and they said he had kicked me so hard that he had "reshaped" my eye and my vision was actually BETTER in that eye. :eek: I still had to wear contacts, but with a significantly better eyesight in that eye, I had to purchase a new contact prescription for that eye. LOL :p

 

subscribed! Loving the review!

 

Thank you. :)