PRINCESS CRUISERS: HOW ARE THINGS WHERE YOU ARE?!

[Expat Cruise]

It has been a very different year for us. Have not been able to spend any time in the United States. We are still at our other home in the Philippines.  Manila Bay was cruise central  a few months ago with about 15 ships in the bay just waiting this out. Philippines have been on lock down longer than any other country in the World. Masks and face shields are required in public. Quarantine passes are the norm here, if you travel outside of your home.  Since we have business here we are on working passes and allowed much more freedom than average.

 

Cruising has started again in Taiwan  and next month in Singapore, but both countries are closed to tourist still.  Still holding out hope for our December 2020 cruise on the Diamond Princess. It is a little strange that the ship Covid-19 started on could be the first Princess ship back in service. 

 

We are really to cruise now, if allowed to fly to Taiwan or Singapore we would be there. Have have 5 Princess Cruises cancel already that is more than we need in a lifetime. 

[Papa Yoda]

On 10/12/2020 at 11:43 AM, Norcalcouple said:

This reminds me of Gilda Radner on "Saturday Night Live" years ago.   Her character, Emily Latella, would mistake something she heard and go off on a rant about it.  Chevy Chase would correct her and she would say,  "Oh, Never mind!"

 

"What's all this I hear about violins in the streets?"

 

Beautiful here in southern Nevada, high 80's, clear skies, ~170 days since any measurable rainfall.  (So as to stay on topic...)

[1980dory]

On 10/12/2020 at 9:54 AM, Mary loves to travel said:

I've never had that happen .... Ballot Trax always shows my ballot as received.  But, since they would notify me if there was a problem with my ballot, for example, if the signature didn't match the one on file, I would also be notified if my ballot was found in a dumpster.

 

Isn't it nice that you are able to vote the way you prefer, as am I?

 

I used to be an in-person voter.   I really liked going into the booth and the whole process.  Then, I was sent on a last minute business trip and missed voting!   That's when I became a permanent vote by mail voter.   It works really well for me.

 

Best

Mary

Missed voting:  Many years ago I missed voting too when I went into the army.  I was given a rifle to kill people

but I was not old enough to vote or buy a beer.

My how times have changed!

[nini]

On 10/11/2020 at 11:19 PM, Lucky TGO said:

Hi Fred Berfle,

I just like to say this about dead people voting or the cemetery vote. If this wasn’t true it would be really Funny. 
I’m not going to talk about this anymore. 

Tony

Unfortunately, it is not funny. It took four different counts

before the "powers that be" in King County (Washington State)got the answer

they wanted to elect the Governor they wanted.

[Thrak]

Today's THE DAY!  Once again I got the yearly email from Princess:

 

 

 

My name is NOT Jill. I don't know anybody named Jill. To the best of my recollection I have never known anybody named Jill. Every year I receive this Happy Birthday email.  A couple of times I've tried to find out why I get this but Princess seems stumped as to the reason. Weird. Very weird. Perhaps I'll try again but I guess it really doesn't hurt anything. I just have to wonder if Jill is not getting her email.

 

Oh! Here's a LINK to the e-card for "my" birthday.

 

[that]

Happy Birthday Michael

[Thrak]

54 minutes ago, that said:

Happy Birthday Michael

 

Well... It's not my birthday. It's apparently Jill's birthday. My birthday is shared with Dr. Seuss, Danial Craig, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jon Bon Jovi, Ben Roethlisberger , Lou Reed, Desi Arnaz, Sebastian Janikowski, and Reggie Bush. Some of us are more famous (and more wealthy!) than others.

[MamaFej]

6 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Well... It's not my birthday. It's apparently Jill's birthday. My birthday is shared with Dr. Seuss, Danial Craig, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jon Bon Jovi, Ben Roethlisberger , Lou Reed, Desi Arnaz, Sebastian Janikowski, and Reggie Bush. Some of us are more famous (and more wealthy!) than others.

I recognize that date! I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl (now a college senior) on that date in 1999! 

[that]

12 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Well... It's not my birthday. It's apparently Jill's birthday. My birthday is shared with Dr. Seuss, Danial Craig, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jon Bon Jovi, Ben Roethlisberger , Lou Reed, Desi Arnaz, Sebastian Janikowski, and Reggie Bush. Some of us are more famous (and more wealthy!) than others.

wink wink

[Lucky TGO]

Happy Birthday Thrak!!! This one is on me. 🥃

Your Pal,

 

[1980dory]

18 minutes ago, Lucky TGO said:

Happy Birthday Thrak!!! This one is on me. 🥃

Your Pal,

 

Birthday party coming soon on the rowboat!  Everone is invited!  Thanks Tony!  Free birthday cake, premiuim booze for everyone along with gourmet food.  Let the cruising begin.  The hell with covid 19.  We'll do our own cruise thanks to 

Tony and his rowboat.  What a great guy!

When is the celebration Tony?  How many lifejackets do you have on the rowboat?

Shall we all sing, "For he's a jolly good fellow" ?

[Lucky TGO]

27 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

Birthday party coming soon on the rowboat!  Everone is invited!  Thanks Tony!  Free birthday cake, premiuim booze for everyone along with gourmet food.  Let the cruising begin.  The hell with covid 19.  We'll do our own cruise thanks to 

Tony and his rowboat.  What a great guy!

When is the celebration Tony?  How many lifejackets do you have on the rowboat?

Shall we all sing, "For he's a jolly good fellow" ?

It’s OK with me. The party will start as soon as you arrive. Bring you own lifejacket I only have six. 🎽

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Lucky TGO

[Papa Yoda]

BallotTrax reports our ballots have been received!  We have voted!  

 

Happy Not-Your-Birthday, Not-Jill!

[LoriPhil]

Just went the Colorado website that showed my ballot (put in the voting Drop Box Tuesday) had been received and validated for processing.   Yayyyy!

[Thrak]

[PurpleHays]

We voted this morning. If only there was an option to turn off all the ads now.

[Lucky TGO]

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

Things are looking up. On Sunday we are going to celebrate 1980 Dory’s Birthday!! 🥂 🎂. My friend Christina is a Italian chef she will be making a Italian Rum Birthday cake 😋 The Rowboat will be leaving around 10:00 a.m. 

Happy Birthday Dory!!

Tony

 

 

 

[1980dory]

1 hour ago, Lucky TGO said:

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

Things are looking up. On Sunday we are going to celebrate 1980 Dory’s Birthday!! 🥂 🎂. My friend Christina is a Italian chef she will be making a Italian Rum Birthday cake 😋 The Rowboat will be leaving around 10:00 a.m. 

Happy Birthday Dory!!

Tony

 

 

 

What birthday?  I thought you were celebrating thrak's birthday on the rowboat.  Mine isn't for another couple months.

Tell Christina to send me one of her famous Italian rum cakes in case I can't make it and I'll celebrate in absentia.

P.S. Also ask Cristina to put a little extra rum in it for good measure.

Happy Birthday!

[Papa Yoda]

It's got to be somebody's birthday.  Can the rowboat make port in Las Vegas?

[Lucky TGO]

1 hour ago, 1980dory said:

What birthday?  I thought you were celebrating thrak's birthday on the rowboat.  Mine isn't for another couple months.

Tell Christina to send me one of her famous Italian rum cakes in case I can't make it and I'll celebrate in absentia.

P.S. Also ask Cristina to put a little extra rum in it for good measure.

Happy Birthday!

Hi 1980Dory,

No problem.😳  Thrak I want you to know we will be celebrating YOUR Birthday Sunday on The Rowboat. 😁 I hope you can make it. 

Christina said Thrak is going to love her RUM Birthday cake 🎂. With shorts of Johnny Walker blue on the side.

PS

Hi Fred Berfle,

Vegas is out. 😳  I know I will get into to much trouble out there. 💸 💸 💸 💸. 😁

BTW it’s going to be terrible in Boston tomorrow rain all day. 

Love you all 🥰 see you at the party,

The Captain of The Rowboat,

Tony
 

[1980dory]

8 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

Hi 1980Dory,

No problem.😳  Thrak I want you to know we will be celebrating YOUR Birthday Sunday on The Rowboat. 😁 I hope you can make it. 

Christina said Thrak is going to love her RUM Birthday cake 🎂. With shorts of Johnny Walker blue on the side.

PS

Hi Fred Berfle,

Vegas is out. 😳  I know I will get into to much trouble out there. 💸 💸 💸 💸. 😁

BTW it’s going to be terrible in Boston tomorrow rain all day. 

Love you all 🥰 see you at the party,

The Captain of The Rowboat,

Tony
 

Tony,

Unfortunately I can't make it.  Too short of notice.  Besides, the airlines are giving me problems about bringing Dudley as my support animal.  He insists on a window seat and none are available.  And there's a problem getting an appropriate seat belt for him.  Then there's the problem of food.  They provide low calorie, sugar free, Kosher, etc. but unfortunately, they can't provide the things he likes such as carrots, apples and most importantly, hay.  What's with this?  NO HAY?!

That's why we don't like flying.  We would much prefer cruising any day.

Perhaps we could come up by train.  But it may take a little longer to get there and we don't want to miss the party.

Can you wait for us?

[Lindaru]

Yes, perhaps we could move the date out a little bit for this party.

I am being fitted for my custom life jacket this weekend.

Very long sleeves that tie behind my back.  They suggest I should only wear it in padded cabins.

 

🤪

 

[LoriPhil]

Ah - a creative way to avoid touching your face...

[1980dory]

8 hours ago, Lindaru said:

Yes, perhaps we could move the date out a little bit for this party.

I am being fitted for my custom life jacket this weekend.

Very long sleeves that tie behind my back.  They suggest I should only wear it in padded cabins.

 

🤪

 

Later date:  Tony why don't you just bring the rowboat down the coast and pick us up in Gulfport or New Orleans and then we could go on to California to pick up thrak.  Might take a couple days but it is going to be getting much colder up there in Boston.

I can fix you up with some shrimp and grits, po boys, jambalaya, file gumbo, crawfish pies.  We don't have any cream of wheat or scrapple, or baked beans though.  My wife just made a big pot of collards with ham hocks and rice.  There's a little bit left if you hurry.  I'll be happy to make you some homemade seafood gumbo if you prefer.

If you stay awile, we'll be doing Mardi Gras before long and I can throw you some beads.  You won't want to go back to Boston to shovel snow again!  Come to think of it, you probably won't want to go to California  to eat organic bean sprouts with thrak after staying here awhile.  And you can work on your tan too.  You're starting to look a little pale, if I may say so.

[Thrak]

34 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

If you stay awile, we'll be doing Mardi Gras before long and I can throw you some beads. 

 

Well... If I'm there please don't throw me any beads. I don't think you want me to take off my shirt. I think this may be my new theme song. 😵

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Thrak