Yuletide 12.20.05

[travel-to-go]

Travel to go

Don't know if this helps, but the package I took last March for an 8 day trip on QM2 was 4 hours for 89.95. I don't recall an unlimited package.

Carol

Thanks,

That sounds reasonable, considering that it is by satellite phone (Cunard charged $15.00 a minute on the sat phone last I remember) It certainly isn't cheap!

[amms]

Travelgal, My laptop is not Wireless, do they supply a LAN cord...My Tix arrived over the weekend, I plan to pick them up Wednesday.

 

Adam

[travelgals]

Adam,

I didn't bring a laptop because there are only a few hotspots on board and none in the rooms and I don't remember if they supply a LAN. It was easy to use the ship's computers, either in the business center (not sure that's what it's called) or in the library, which was wonderful. The only charge is while on-line, so it can be important to know how to read and write e-mail while off line and then go on line to send and receive mail. There is a post I will look for back in February with great instructions for those as technically challenged as me. No tickets yet.

Carol

[soblue]

Andrew.

Please tell your wife that is a gorgeous (and different!) gown

 

And I wonder if you remember the cost of using the wireless internet.

We are going on the Jan 3 Panama trip. One of us is addicted- would go into withdrawal if he couldn't log on evey day. The other of us (that would be me) logs in daily, but can certainly go a week without!

 

On HAL ships, he takes the unlimited, or they've recently changed so there is no unlimited. He takes whatever the highest number of minutes is. I need to know if I should apply for another mortgage before we go! <G>?

 

Thanks and enjoy your cruise.

P.S. It is never stress-free. There is alwas that inevitable moment when you realize that it has to end, eventually. <G>

 

Thank you for the kind comment about my evening dress, we love going on the cruises to dress up, we find that with the humdrum of work we don't tend to go anywhere special to dress up except maybe the odd golf club black tie do's.

 

We found that it was not expensive to use the wireless internet. Andrew's hobby is photography so he takes his laptop to download the photos and back them up, he is currently building a website to display them on (he's just told me to say he has just treated himself to the new cannon 5D which is 13 million pixels enabling him to print up to A2 print size for larger framed photographs) he can also e-mail our Christmas day photos back to our families. :cool:

[travel-to-go]

Thank you for the kind comment about my evening dress, we love going on the cruises to dress up, we find that with the humdrum of work we don't tend to go anywhere special to dress up except maybe the odd golf club black tie do's.

 

We found that it was not expensive to use the wireless internet. Andrew's hobby is photography so he takes his laptop to download the photos and back them up, he is currently building a website to display them on (he's just told me to say he has just treated himself to the new cannon 5D which is 13 million pixels enabling him to print up to A2 print size for larger framed photographs) he can also e-mail our Christmas day photos back to our families. :cool:

Oh my! 13 Megapixels!

Does it have a fast "shutterspeed?" That's one of the draw-backs of digital. That ENDLESS 1-2 second wait while the subject moves out of range! Marc does the same thing with the laptop and camera. Except he also takes pics of people on board and offers to email them home to THEIR families! Free, of course! They love it and his ego gets big as a mile! (Hey, it keeps him out of trouble and makes him mingle with others. Otherwise he'd sit with a book or computer (usually a book about computers) the whole cruise!) He also can't live without his poilitical podcasts and Slashdot and CNN News and so on. There's enough depressing stuff in the world. Give it a week or two off, I say!

 

I'm looking to maybe get him a new camera with less shutter delay, and am open to suggestion from others' experiences!

 

I'm in firm agreement on the dressing up. Unfortunately, being a plus size, it's hard to find nice stylish dresses that don't look like army tents.

I like to tell the story of approaching a store that is half regular and half plus size. There are bright Caribbean prints in the window- turquoises, pinks, purples, deep rich colors, too! Then I walk in the door, turn right for the "fat chick side" and think I have entered an army surplus depot that blew up! There, as far as the eye can see, are row upon jammed close row (easy for us wide loads to squeeze between!) of muddy browns, blacks, greys, army greens. Not a bright shade to be seen. And the summer clothes all seem to be made out of double knits and resemble lumpy sweaters!

Good heavens. I may be fat! That doesn't mean I want to be ugly too! What are these people thinking! I'm not exactly proud of my body, but I am not going to hide in shame either! So I am delighted when I can find something dressy that is not in your basic black. If I get one more drapy black dress, I swear I will scream! I did find a nice one for my last cruise- sort of prom-gown-y with a low boatneck, and a scarf to soften the bare arms- Black, with crinolines underneath and gussetts of the hottest pink down the two size seams of the skirt! Marvelous!

[capegirl]

]Hi everyone, all getting excited, because we are. Two weeks off from work, ‘stress free’

 

We actually travelled earlier in the year on the QM2 to New York from Southampton, we enjoyed it that much I booked us onto this Christmas Cruise.

 

It was on the July 11th Transatlantic Cruise and it was my (Andrew) birthday on the 12th of July and Jayne’s birthday on the 15th of July so it was a memorable cruise for us.

 

We are from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands any one else from the West Midlands, or from the UK?

 

We are flying from Heathrow on the 18th Dec to New York and staying in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for one night pre cruise. Any one staying there, before cruise?

 

I thought I would post a photo of us from earlier in the year, so if you recognise us please do come and say hello, we are approachable.

 

Best Wishes, hope to meet you on board!

 

Andrew & Jayne

 

PS We still are awaiting our tickets. And will then get another posh Cunard ticket wallet!

 

Forgot this is us:cool: :D

 

 

 

One more thing, don't forget to take your laptops (wireless ones), earlier in the year, we took many photos which were e-mailed back home so the family could see what we were doing. They thought is was great way of keeping in touch with them!!

[travelgals]

Amms,

For detailed computer information and instructions look at thread "QM2 Internet/E-Mail/Laptop Review" posted by J Cruise originally dated Dec 10, 2004.

[amms]

Travelgals I was not able to locate the posting. I will call Cunard... I saw that you are in the real estate business.. Both My my wife and I are as well. She is a broker in NYC and am a developer..

[travelgals]

Again a small world, I'm a broker with Stribling and my husband runs our rental properties.

Carol

[amms]

Carol, my wife is with elliman....Monique Silberman

[amms]

Carol, my wife is with elliman....Monique Silberman

[soblue]

Again a small world, I'm a broker with Stribling and my husband runs our rental properties.

Carol

 

Yet again, even a smaller world!

 

Jayne and l are also estate agents, working in the uk.:rolleyes:

[travelgals]

Soblue/Amms, Imagine all these crazy real estate people cruising around the Carribbean, crawling all over the islands, wreaking havoc!! Can't wait.

 

Amms, Monique's name is familiar to me and I instantly thought Corcoran, maybe she was there once, or I'm just losing it. Anyway I look forward to meeting you all.

Carol Mann/ Joe Truglio

[qm2 and canberra nut]

Yet again, even a smaller world!

 

Jayne and l are also estate agents, working in the uk.:rolleyes:

 

 

EVEN smaler world..... we are booked on this cruise AND YES I am a Land and Property Auctioneer see www.fryandco.com

 

If any other UK based estate agents cruise would love to hear you as we give HUGE commisions to estate agents who supply us with property to sell via auction!!

 

We are all looking forward to this cruise and the children are nearly as excited as the adults .

 

Perhaps all those in real estate from both sides of the pond should meet up and have a party !!!!!:D

 

Jason Fry

[travel-to-go]

EVEN smaler world..... we are booked on this cruise AND YES I am a Land and Property Auctioneer see www.fryandco.com

 

If any other UK based estate agents cruise would love to hear you as we give HUGE commisions to estate agents who supply us with property to sell via auction!!

 

We are all looking forward to this cruise and the children are nearly as excited as the adults .

 

Perhaps all those in real estate from both sides of the pond should meet up and have a party !!!!!:D

 

Jason Fry

 

Perhaps you should do a Norman Paperman. Who is he? The protagonist of Hermann Wouk's "Don't Stop the Carnival." Norman was a Broadway agent who had a mild heart attack, went to relax from his high-pressure New York life on a small Caribbean island, and ended up buying it! Complete with all the hidden little quirks, such as a cistern that was bone dry! (Most small islands do not have fresh water, except by desalination or rainwater in cisterns) and the (oops! FRENCH) crazy homicidal handyman, and crazy immigration laws, and bribery of officials for every little thing ("We live by a different set of rules!" is a line from the play from the book,) Read the book, it's a great read for a cruise, Even pick up the album of the play Jimmy Buffett did in collaboration with Mr. Wouk! It's a marvelous story.

[qm2 and canberra nut]

I might just see if its in the library !!!!!!!, only a couple of weeks to go now .......the suitcases are out!!!!!!:eek:

[travel-to-go]

I might just see if its in the library !!!!!!!, only a couple of weeks to go now .......the suitcases are out!!!!!!:eek:

I am CERTAIN you will find this book in the library! It is THE quintessential book for anyone who ever wanted to leave it all behind and go live on their own Caribbean Island. Anyone who ever thought they could just sit back and let the money pour in on their island paradise. Buy it and they will come (Money-bearing tourists, that is!)

 

I think it is especially funny to hear the Jimmy Buffett CD after you have read the book, and hear his take on some of the stock (and not so stock!!) characters and situations.

 

Herman and Jimmy are yin and yang! Older Orthodox Jew and Fallen Catholic Alter Boy, who was anything BUT orthodox! When Hermans' son told him of Jimmy's interest in doing the libretto, Herman thought it was WARREN Buffett, the financier (Berkshire Hathaway) Well, once Herman learned a little bit about Jimmy, and met him, it was kismet! He decided he would do the libretto himself, and Jimmy wrote the music! It was a marvelous collaboration. It opened at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami. It has never quite made Broadway <G>, but it HAS had a revue at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas.

 

Enjoy your cruise, and the book, if life graces you with that opportunity!

 

Karie

[qm2 and canberra nut]

For those who may be interested there will be in excess of 240 children on the xmas cruise on QM2..........fun fun fun, I am taking two with me !! so they should have LOTS of friend to play with.

 

When we onboard in September they only had 4 nannies this time I feel they may need more. In Septmeber there were only three children on the ship and you know two were mine so it was not too much like hard work for them.....but 240+ will keep them busy !!!

 

only a couple of weeks to go my friends....:)

[travelgals]

How in the world did you find that out? When I called before our spring break sailing last March I was told they didn't keep those records (which I took to mean, we won't tell you, since I could not imagine that they would not monitor those basics--when my daughter and I sailed on HAL in March 2004, and I was concerned about whether there would be other children on board, they told me exactly how many there were in each age category). Anyway there were at least 250 children (maybe many more) on the QM2 last March and it went very smoothly. I'm sure they redeploy or increase the nanny staff substantially for holiday sailings. BTW, the children were very well behaved, I saw none of the things some complain of when there are lots of kids on board.

[qm2 and canberra nut]

Oh they do know and I just asked. I beleive they said 247!! I am sure all will be fine and everyone will have a super time:)

[soblue]

Last Xmas we were on the P&O Aurora cruise ship to the Caribbean from Southampton and back. I have got to say it was the worst cruise :( I have ever been on due to a large family of 35-40 members including their children.

 

This family were like a mini mafia! Let’s put it this way, normally I would guess there past relatives didn’t normally live in property (this lot might have not either, if you know what I mean). The amount of cash that they had on them was certainly different, their children was given 50 pound notes out like it was confetti from the main figure head who was a large (I mean Large) grand father.

 

They caused many upsets and incidents with other people on board over the three weeks we had been on, too many to say. But even on the way back, at Madeira port the grand father figure left the boat due to his families conduct on board the ship and flew home with his wife, we were hoping they would all go.

 

My only complaint was that they should have been cautioned, about their manners and their children’s, there were many complaints from other passengers to. I personally don’t think this behaviour would be allowed on the Queen Mary 2 I hope not.

 

So what I’ saying is, it great have kids on board especially at Christmas as they make it more fun, from my experience adults can be far more trouble some!

 

Anyway I’m a Big Kid, I’m still playing with my new Xbox 360!!:D

 

Andrew

 

Still no tickets for us yet!!

[qm2 and canberra nut]

I have also cruises on Auroa at Xmas to the carribean a couple of years ago. We ( touchwood) have never had any problem at christmas with the children and as you say some adults are .......well you know what i mean.

:D

[soblue]

Just read in a previous post that it could be snowing in New York possibly on the 20 Dec, if they are already having some now.

 

That would certainly give us the Xmas effect!

 

The Estate Agents amongst you, try and get a couple or more agreed sales in before the 20 December, we still have some time left too:D :D

 

Jayne's stress at the mo she's moving house herself tomorrow, glad when this weekend out of the way. She can unwind slowly then. (I've started already)

 

Andrew:cool:

[travelgals]

Adam, I read somewhere on these posts that you probably need to book the golf simulator (I think you wanted to do this with your son) as soon as you get on board. It fills up early. Good luck.

Carol

[soblue]

Back to normal, Jayne's move went with no problems! Yes we have had some more sales in before 20 Dec!!:)

 

 

Adam, I read somewhere on these posts that you probably need to book the golf simulator (I think you wanted to do this with your son) as soon as you get on board. It fills up early. Good luck.

Carol

 

Adam there are golf competitions when we are on the sea days usually in the mornings, also there are two golf simulators. The competitions are longest drive, closest to the pin and chipping events, good fun!:D