Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[HBE4]

12 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

We cut the cord for our shore house.  Plan is to cut the cord at home too. 

 

Xfinity has been running a internet only special of $29.99 a month for 2 year contract. By the time your done with rental and taxes comes to little under $45 a month.  We did that at the shore house.

I tried to do at home but we have xfinity so they told us something like $75 a month.  Will probably cut the cord on the triple bundle this month as it just went another $20 something.

 

39 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Wow!  We pay $125.88 for internet only.   Comcast Xfinity.   It's also not the greatest, but it's all that we can get where we live.🤐

 

Funny how Comcast Xfinity charges different rates depending on where you live. Here, in the northern suburbs of NYC, it's $99 for a standalone Internet package, before taxes and fees.  And they don't say what the download speeds are.

 

For an extra $30, I'm on a Double-Play package that includes 125+ expanded basic channels (no premium channels however) and a mid-level 200 mps Internet. They offer at least 4 or 5 different download speeds.  200mps seems to be fine for me.  After equipment rentals & fees, it comes to $170 a month. I used to have a Triple play package with over 200 channels including HBO, 300 mps internet & landline but that was over  $100 more a month & I never used the landline for years so I downgraded.  And the only HBO show I'd watch after Game of Thrones would be Succession so I got rid of that as well.  I'll binge watch that show when visiting a friends🙂  And I did not notice any degradation in Internet quality when going from 300 to 200 mps. But I live alone so not sure that would work with families with many devices.

 

Every time I think of cutting the cord and go streaming only (Hulu Plus, Sling, Youtube TV, etc), there is always a few channels missing that I'd like. Mainly local news / weather / regional sports stuff. And by the time include the add-ons channels, I'm right back to where I started price-wise.

 

*sigh* I guess it's best to stick with the devil you know than the devil you don't.

[Sea Dog]

12 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Googled it, Surviving Christmas

That is a very funny movie. Also Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn & Reese Witherspoon. Hilarious.

[reallyitsmema]

12 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

CC could advise that Moderators will read the posts and if anyone uses the PM inappropriately they will be permanently removed,just a thought.

 

Private messages are just that, private, they are only seen by the parties involved.  Someone would have to send a screenshot of the inappropriate message and then cruise critic would have to spend too much time babysitting people who don't play nice with others.  Not going to happen.

 

[HBE4]

37 minutes ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Sorry, I know we’ve moved on from holiday music but I just remembered another, Mary Did  You Know?, done by several artists but I love Mary J Blige’s version.  

 

It's the holiday season so we can always come back to discussing Christmas music & movies.  And May Did you Know is a beautiful song. I love both the Mary J. Bliges and Clay Aikens versions.

 

Also love David Bowie / Bing Crosby "Peace on Earth / Drummer Boy". The most unlikely duet this side of Willie Nelson &   Julio Iglesias.😆

[HBE4]

24 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

And I may be the only one who loves Christmas music but hates Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is You" mainly because it's get's played to death. So in honor of that, here is a pretty funny video.

 

 

 

I'm with you. It's way over played.  So over played, that a bar in Texas banned it. Well, not really banned but not allowed  before Dec 1st  and then only once per night afterwards.

 

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-texas-bar-response-ban-all-i-want-for-christmas-9655885/

 

"according to the bar’s general manager, Lara Garrison. In a statement to Billboard, Garrison explained, “The song is not ‘banned.’ We skip it on the jukebox if it is played during the month of November. Come December, we’ll allow to play it once a month. This has been an ongoing joke in the bar for about 3 years now with the staff and our regulars. I guess since Mariah herself responded, this has just taken off. Who would’ve thought.”

 

Seems reasonable to me.

 

[HBE4]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I use the hug button on FB as Bless Your Heart😉

 

"Bless Your Heart". Isn't that Southern for "You're an idiot"? 😉😇

[reallyitsmema]

Anyone else go to the cruise line's website today?  I have US and English set up as my defaults, site is in English but covid banner on top is in Spanish lol

[HBE4]

40 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

LOL...actually neither.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Christmas_Card

 

LOL, I actually did watch that movie, I just couldn't remember the name. It was good.

 

I also like the "Mrs. Miracle" series of movies with Doris Roberts. So there are some Hallmark Christmas movies I like.  Just no the other 400+. 😄

[Lionesss]

42 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

That's a classic. I should also add "Christmas With The Kranks". Great movie based off the the book "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham

 

Your post made me chuckle.

But for us it was just going to be a simple dinner, not cancelled but no great celebration.

 

This past Thanksgiving, things changed for the better in just a matter of moments.

 

To begin with our family is so small, we unfortunately have less than 5 living blood relatives.

So our family gatherings are practically non-existant.

So the holiday is just another day with a turkey for dinner. 

 

I am a planner.

And hate to do anything last minute.

 

I had everything bought for our Thanksgiving dinner by Sunday of that week.

I make fresh rolls and every thing else was in its place ready to prepare.

 

On Tuesday night at 10pm as I was nestled under the covers ready to count Turkeys the DH's phone goes off.

It was daughter telling him that she just got the day off and would be arriving on Thursday with the new husband and they want to surprise mom.

 

He tells her that is not a good idea, because you know your mom is a planner and she will want to have everything an more ready for you.

 

He gets off the phone and tells me.

 

So I get up early the next day and travels to the grocery store a tad to late.

Grab all the extra bonus items to make a couple more entres to cook and they can take home and then get in line.

The lines were 10-15 deep in full buggies of stuff.

 

I could not complain.

Daughter was coming home and I had not seen her since August.

 

Came home, got everything ready to attack the next day.

 

It was one of the best Dinners, in a long time.

 

 

So to those of you who are lucky to have large families, you are blessed.

Great things come in small packages and that is the way I look at it.  Our small gathering.

It was a great celebration.

 

 

Be safe

 

[John&LaLa]

15 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

"Bless Your Heart". Isn't that Southern for "You're an idiot"? 😉😇

 

Pretty much

[Luckynana]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I went to dermatologist yesterday for annual check up.  I had 3 spots removed that he said are most likely nothing but I wanted them gone.

He did prescribe the chemo cream fluorouracil to try on a  small sun spot on my cheek.  Will do apply twice a day for 10 days and if it doesnt have any reaction from the cream then it's nothing to worry about.

Today I go for my annual mammogram and Monday I go for my pre consult for colonoscopy.  Hope to get scheduled before our return to cruising begins on jan 9th.

Jim was given two prescriptions for his scalp, fluorouracil was one of them.  He had to use one of them for two weeks, and the other for two weeks.  We go back to the dermatologist next week for a recheck.

 

That's great that you've got all your ducks in a row, so to speak, about your medical appointments.

Next Tuesday is my annual mammo, and I unfortunately will be missing our granddaughter Ava's  National Honor Society induction that morning.  Jim and I have dentist, cardiologist, echo, etc all scheduled for next week, all to be done before we leave for Florida on the 28th.

 

Good luck with all of your tests, etc.❤️

[BonTexasNY]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Did we include the Home Alone franchise?

Love Home Alone.  I told this story before in here but here goes again:  I was at a teacher/parent conference with my daughter's Math (I think or English,) teacher.  The minute he stopped talking I asked him if anyone tells him he sounds like a famous comedic actor.  He looked at me and said "yeah, yeah, yeah, I wish I had his money".  Did I mention he's from Brooklyn?

50 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

And I may be the only one who loves Christmas music but hates Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is You" mainly because it's get's played to death. So in honor of that, here is a pretty funny video.

 

 

James Corden does a funny carpool karaoke with Mariah Carey and "that" song which is played with different singers chiming in.  You never know who's gonna pop in and sing a lyric; Lady Gaga, Elton John, Adele, etc.

[dani negreanu]

16 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

should we somehow get to sail Bella's cruise? 😁

 

16 hours ago, Luckynana said:

I sure hope that you and DH can join us on Bella's cruise!!🙏🤞❤️

 

14 hours ago, Arzeena said:

Plus 100.

 

10 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

@dani negreanu Dani here's hoping you and your DH can make the Bella Cruise. It would be amazing to finally meet you both.  Let's hope by then, the pandemic and all variants will be a distant bad memory never to appear again.

 

Believe me, that's my hope too.

 

I'm constantly monitoring the inventory, as well as the only direct flights available from Israel to Miami. As of now, there are only 2 days a week (we're always looking at arriving 3-4 days before a cruise, but leaving the day of disembarking), and ElAl is in the brink of bankruptcy... [Flying only 5 and a half days a week + heavy security expenses. Add Covid to the mix 😢]

[HBE4]

34 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

Anyone else go to the cruise line's website today?  I have US and English set up as my defaults, site is in English but covid banner on top is in Spanish lol

 

I just did. I have the same Spanish banner. lol. But when I click into it, the takes me to an English page.

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Bell actually has a Christmas Lobster🤣🤣

My previous cat Splashes had one she carried around and used as a pillow all year long.  

[Sunshine3601]

22 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Jim was given two prescriptions for his scalp, fluorouracil was one of them.  He had to use one of them for two weeks, and the other for two weeks.  We go back to the dermatologist next week for a recheck.

 

That's great that you've got all your ducks in a row, so to speak, about your medical appointments.

Next Tuesday is my annual mammo, and I unfortunately will be missing our granddaughter Ava's  National Honor Society induction that morning.  Jim and I have dentist, cardiologist, echo, etc all scheduled for next week, all to be done before we leave for Florida on the 28th.

 

Good luck with all of your tests, etc.❤️

I have used this cream in the past and it does wonders. 

Good luck with all your tests, too💕

The only appt I couldnt get so far prior jan cruise was my eye doc.  I could go somewhere like lenscrafters but I prefer the doc that both of us have gone to for several years.  

[Sunshine3601]

@HBE4

We have 200 mps and works just fine with multiple devices.  Just the 2 of us on a regular basis but we stream on different tvs, laptops and cell phones all work fine.    Even when we had family over for thanksgiving with kids on their phones, etc all worked just fine.

In the past we had verizon fios and they oversell you telling you definitely need their max speed for streaming, etc.

[John&LaLa]

13 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

@HBE4

We have 200 mps and works just fine with multiple devices.  Just the 2 of us on a regular basis but we stream on different tvs, laptops and cell phones all work fine.    Even when we had family over for thanksgiving with kids on their phones, etc all worked just fine.

In the past we had verizon fios and they oversell you telling you definitely need their max speed for streaming, etc.

 

We stream with 30mbps

 

Works fine

[Luckynana]

48 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I have used this cream in the past and it does wonders. 

Good luck with all your tests, too💕

The only appt I couldnt get so far prior jan cruise was my eye doc.  I could go somewhere like lenscrafters but I prefer the doc that both of us have gone to for several years.  

Thanks Debbie.  Yes, the cream does work wonders!

 

I'm with you with regard to eye doctor.  I now go for my annual with the surgeon who did my cataracts.  I love that they don't have to dilate your eyes there.  They have several machines that you just look into and it shows everything that could be going on in your eyes.  My mom had macular degeneration, and I worried that I may get it, but the surgeon assured me there is no sign whatsoever in my eyes.

[Luckynana]

Jim just got the news on his Lung Scan.  Stable!!  Exactly what we were hoping and praying for.  Repeat test in a year.  😊

[jagsfan]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Laura likes Love Actually.

 

Bell actually has a Christmas Lobster🤣🤣

Love Actually is my favorite Christmas movie. 

[jagsfan]

2 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

"Bless Your Heart". Isn't that Southern for "You're an idiot"? 😉😇

Indeed it is!

[jagsfan]

24 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Jim just got the news on his Lung Scan.  Stable!!  Exactly what we were hoping and praying for.  Repeat test in a year.  😊

Yes! That’s great!

And December is the perfect month to get good news!!

Edited December 3, 2021 by jagsfan

[Luckynana]

1 minute ago, jagsfan said:

Yes! And December is a great month to get good news!!

How are you feeling, Mimi?  I hope to hear that you are getting stronger every day!❤️

[BonTexasNY]

28 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Jim just got the news on his Lung Scan.  Stable!!  Exactly what we were hoping and praying for.  Repeat test in a year.  😊

Wonderful news!