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

[Luckynana]

4 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Since you can’t spend the entire day, entering grandkids with Legos, we moved on to games and artistic endeavors.  
 

I have been really impressed with how my grandson has developed his artistic abilities.  I really liked this one he did.  
 

 

 

I think I will caption it….. The look you get when you score an $18 drink package!!!

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Your grandson really is artistic!  How old is he now?

[h20skibum]

12 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Does the Lego Gingerbread house get taken apart and put back in the box each year, or does it stay all together once it's been constructed?  I think Ricky hit the jackpot the day he became part of your grandchildren's family!

That is a new set that hasn’t been put together yet.  I think it will stay assembled.  That gives us an excuse to get a different one for next year.  

 

8 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Your grandson really is artistic!  How old is he now?

He just turned 10.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by h20skibum

[Luckynana]

My head is spinning!  I finally finished our Travel Insurance papers...our daughter is scanning them so I can email the volume of papers for our claim.  

 

Last week we had a shingle replaced on our roof, and we were shown pictures of our chimney that needed to be repaired.  We agreed on the price for the top of the chimney to be replaced.  When they were going to put the scaffold up, today, we were told how dangerous it was and how our chimney is crumbling...they showed us the pictures....we were not expecting this surprise.  It all has to come down...the hits just keep coming with this house.  Our contractor asked how long we've been in this house..6 years...he told us that we were "screwed" (his words) by the people we bought it from.  He said it has been in bad shape, and the previous owners just had a quick cosmetic stucco job done.  😔

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

22 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

I love fruitcake.

 

7 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Helen & Co, wishing you ALL a very enjoyable cruise on beautiful Allure. One of the fun things we've done on Allure on a sea day, was looking for the "little wonders". Here's the list, courtesy of Harry @harryfat1.

 

Deck FWD/AFT/MID Type Area Description

 

 Same here. It's the only thing I prefer to order and not bake, since their pecans taste amazing (a bakery in Corsicana, Texas). The large one....

 

 

 

Thank you, Dani.  Wow, that is a long list of "little wonders" to discover on Allure.  I will make a copy of the list and try to check off all the wonders and treasures I will find although I think it will take me all 7 days to finds all or some of them.  I will need to involve my family in this fun activity for sure.  

 

I have always wanted to try this Texas fruitcake.  I'm just afraid if I ordered it and didn't like it, I'd be stuck with it.

 

1 hour ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Right after I read this post, I looked up and saw this. We are passing through Corsicana right now! We love their fruitcakes and other baked goods! Didn’t stop this time, though.

 

What a coincidence is right!

I wish I could be able to send you, @aussielozzie18, and @dani negreanumy MIL's fruitcake.  I would love for you to try it.

 

 

[ownedbypets]

I have been fortunate to have cruised 4 times and flown a few times within the last year and come home covid free until now. We have been home for 9 days so I don't know if I can blame it on the cruise or the many other things I've done since. It really doesn't matter. I woke up a little congested, decided to test and the second line appeared immediately. No other symptoms.

[Tree_skier]

Aloha from Kuhului, Maui, Hawaii.

 

we are enjoying our time visiting Hawaii so far. Yesterday was a fun day. We rented scooters and toured the island. We spent a good part of it at the Maui Ocean center but travel around and saw the sights. I quite enjoyed watching the surfers. The waves were quite good according to the surfers I met and talked to. 
 

As for the ship, Pride of America, we have mostly enjoyed our time on board. It is a. beautiful ship and well maintained. I would say the buffet, Aloha Cafe, is smaller than any Royal Windjammer I have ever been in. Due to the nature of the small size that means a more limited selection. That being said, I thought the quality was very good. 
 

So far we have had one dinner in the buffet and one in the main dining room. The main dining room experience leaves a little to be desired. Their Freestyle dining, which they pride themselves on, is very chaotic. I prefer a set traditional ding time or the MTD that allows me to book my time in advance, limiting my wait time. That is not an option here.  We arrived at the MDR last night and we’re told 30 minutes wait. It ended up being a little less that that but still to long for my tastes. When I want to eat I want to eat not stand in a hallway for half an hour.  Service was acceptable but lacking in what we are used to. The one exception to that was our waiters assistant. You could tell he was new but in spite of that, his effort and personality vastly made up for it. Our waiter was efficient at first but then disappeared half through the meal never to be seen again. The head waiter for our section should find a new line of work. We had no problem but the interaction with the couple sitting next to us was horrible.  
 

Bar service is both good and bad. Thankfully, I’ve found “my” bar and and bartenders so I can avoid the bad and enjoy the good. 
 

Entertainment is similar to what we have experienced on a ship like Serenade.

 

There is no casino. 

There are chickens everywhere you go all over Maui. 
 

More experiences yet to come. Stay tuned to this channel for breaking updates. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by Tree_skier

[Sea Dog]

54 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Since you can’t spend the entire day, entering grandkids with Legos, we moved on to games and artistic endeavors.  
 

I have been really impressed with how my grandson has developed his artistic abilities.  I really liked this one he did.  
 

 

 

I think I will caption it….. The look you get when you score an $18 drink package!!!

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Wow he is very talented. He could have a future in cartooning.

[dani negreanu]

38 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

He said it has been in bad shape, and the previous owners just had a quick cosmetic stucco job done.  😔

 

Bummer. Second opinion? Sue the previous owners? As if you hadn't enough with the insurance claim...😢

 

22 minutes ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

I have always wanted to try this Texas fruitcake.  I'm just afraid if I ordered it and didn't like it, I'd be stuck with it.

 

The smallest one is 37$, quite pricey for "experiments"....

 

22 minutes ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

I wish I could be able to send you, @aussielozzie18, and @dani negreanumy MIL's fruitcake.  I would love for you to try it.

 

I'm sure your MIL's fruitcake is much better, thank you. Nothing beats home made cakes 😘

 

8 minutes ago, ownedbypets said:

I have been fortunate to have cruised 4 times and flown a few times within the last year and come home Covid free until now. 

 

Hopefully, you'll only have a very mild "version". It seems that almost all of us here had have it....

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

11 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

The main dining room experience leaves a little to be desired. Their Freestyle dining, which they pride themselves on, is very chaotic.
There are chickens everywhere you go all over Maui. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful pictures!  That was my experience on Pride of America in the main dining room also.  The service was so slow.  There was hardly any guests in there and it took forever to get even your soup.  It was the most disappointing.  And that was 16 years ago.  I didn't want to give you any negative opinion on the food service before because I thought they'd improve by now.

 

There are chickens everywhere in Hawaii.  One time, they flew over my garlic shrimp plate at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck picnic table.  Scared the heck out of me.

 

We will miss you on Allure in a couple weeks.

[BonTexasNY]

9 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Bummer. Second opinion? Sue the previous owners? As if you hadn't enough with the insurance claim...😢

 

 

The smallest one is 37$, quite pricey for "experiments"....

 

 

I'm sure your MIL's fruitcake is much better, thank you. Nothing beats home made cakes 😘

 

 

Hopefully, you'll only have a very mild "version". It seems that almost all of us here had have it....

Dani, I was thinking of Maryann getting a 2nd opinion also. AND, if we ever meet, in Israel or on a cruise, a bag of pecans is on me.

 

Maryann, I hope all the insurance work is done on your part.

[Luckynana]

37 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Aloha from Kuhului, Maui, Hawaii.

 

we are enjoying our time visiting Hawaii so far. Yesterday was a fun day. We rented scooters and toured the island. We spent a good part of it at the Maui Ocean center but travel around and saw the sights. I quite enjoyed watching the surfers. The waves were quite good according to the surfers I met and talked to. 
 

As for the ship, Pride of America, we have mostly enjoyed our time on board. It is a. beautiful ship and well maintained. I would say the buffet, Aloha Cafe, is smaller than any Royal Windjammer I have ever been in. Due to the nature of the small size that means a more limited selection. That being said, I thought the quality was very good. 
 

So far we have had one dinner in the buffet and one in the main dining room. The main dining room experience leaves a little to be desired. Their Freestyle dining, which they pride themselves on, is very chaotic. I prefer a set traditional ding time or the MTD that allows me to book my time in advance, limiting my wait time. That is not an option here.  We arrived at the MDR last night and we’re told 30 minutes wait. It ended up being a little less that that but still to long for my tastes. When I want to eat I want to eat not stand in a hallway for half an hour.  Service was acceptable but lacking in what we are used to. The one exception to that was our waiters assistant. You could tell he was new but in spite of that, his effort and personality vastly made up for it. Our waiter was efficient at first but then disappeared half through the meal never to be seen again. The head waiter for our section should find a new line of work. We had no problem but the interaction with the couple sitting next to us was horrible.  
 

Bar service is both good and bad. Thankfully, I’ve found “my” bar and and bartenders so I can avoid the bad and enjoy the good. 
 

Entertainment is similar to what we have experienced on a ship like Serenade.

 

There is no casino. 

There are chickens everywhere you go all over Maui. 
 

More experiences yet to come. Stay tuned to this channel for breaking updates. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great underwater pictures!  Glad you're having a great time on your cruise😊

[aussielozzie18]

DH has been struggling to get tradies to do work on our place.  Paid a deposit to a concreter months ago and the guy had been too busy and keeps telling DH “soon”.  Finally fed up, DH rang him last week and told him he was canceling the job.  Concreter is suddenly available to start work tomorrow…

[TravelGirlinDallas]

42 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

More experiences yet to come. Stay tuned to this channel for breaking updates. 

Looking forward to this!

[TravelGirlinDallas]

1 hour ago, Luckynana said:

My head is spinning!  I finally finished our Travel Insurance papers...our daughter is scanning them so I can email the volume of papers for our claim.  

 

Last week we had a shingle replaced on our roof, and we were shown pictures of our chimney that needed to be repaired.  We agreed on the price for the top of the chimney to be replaced.  When they were going to put the scaffold up, today, we were told how dangerous it was and how our chimney is crumbling...they showed us the pictures....we were not expecting this surprise.  It all has to come down...the hits just keep coming with this house.  Our contractor asked how long we've been in this house..6 years...he told us that we were "screwed" (his words) by the people we bought it from.  He said it has been in bad shape, and the previous owners just had a quick cosmetic stucco job done.  😔

You sure have been through the wringer lately. I’m sorry!

[Luckynana]

27 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Bummer. Second opinion? Sue the previous owners? As if you hadn't enough with the insurance claim...😢

Thanks, Dani.  My daughter mentioned a second opinion, but to be honest, they were showing the crumbling pieces as well as the wide cracks.  After dealing with the guys who worked on the front of our house this Summer, who never called if they weren't coming, who showed up on occasion, etc. we really like this roofing and chimney guy.  He shows up when he says he is, and he calls if they won't be coming.  We are just so shocked at the dangerous condition the chimney is in, and  of course, what the job will now entail and what the cost has to be.  

13 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

Dani, I was thinking of Maryann getting a 2nd opinion also. AND, if we ever meet, in Israel or on a cruise, a bag of pecans is on me.

 

Maryann, I hope all the insurance work is done on your part.

Thanks Bonnie!  Insurance work all done, now my daughter will scan and email the volume of papers!🙄

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

More experiences yet to come. Stay tuned to this channel for breaking updates

Can you report on the Volcano ?

[akcruz]

1 hour ago, Luckynana said:

My head is spinning!  I finally finished our Travel Insurance papers...our daughter is scanning them so I can email the volume of papers for our claim.  

 

Last week we had a shingle replaced on our roof, and we were shown pictures of our chimney that needed to be repaired.  We agreed on the price for the top of the chimney to be replaced.  When they were going to put the scaffold up, today, we were told how dangerous it was and how our chimney is crumbling...they showed us the pictures....we were not expecting this surprise.  It all has to come down...the hits just keep coming with this house.  Our contractor asked how long we've been in this house..6 years...he told us that we were "screwed" (his words) by the people we bought it from.  He said it has been in bad shape, and the previous owners just had a quick cosmetic stucco job done.  😔

 

Oh boy, the joys of home ownership.  Hoping it all is an easy fix.

[mo&fran]

21 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Thanks, Dani.  My daughter mentioned a second opinion, but to be honest, they were showing the crumbling pieces as well as the wide cracks.  After dealing with the guys who worked on the front of our house this Summer, who never called if they weren't coming, who showed up on occasion, etc. we really like this roofing and chimney guy.  He shows up when he says he is, and he calls if they won't be coming.  We are just so shocked at the dangerous condition the chimney is in, and  of course, what the job will now entail and what the cost has to be.  

Thanks Bonnie!  Insurance work all done, now my daughter will scan and email the volume of papers!🙄

I wonder if the home inspection before you bought the house could have identified the issue.

[Coralc]

35 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Great underwater pictures!  Glad you're having a great time on your cruise😊

I think they are aquarium photos. He mentioned the Maui Ocean Center? 😃

[h20skibum]

6 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Can you report on the Volcano ?

I think they don’t get to the Big Island until tomorrow.  That is where the current eruption is at.  An active volcano report would be awesome. 

[Sea Dog]

Just now, h20skibum said:

I think they don’t get to the Big Island until tomorrow.  That is where the current eruption is at.  An active volcano report would be awesome. 

Yes I think it will be interesting if Dave can even see anything. I’m sure the ship will stay out of the area. I’m not familiar where actually everything is.

[Coralc]

25 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

 we really like this roofing and chimney guy.  He shows up when he says he is, and he calls if they won't be coming.  We are just so shocked at the dangerous condition the chimney is in, and  of course, what the job will now entail and what the cost has to be.  

 

 

Hopefully not, but I have been told that chimneys are very expensive to rebuild. I used to inspect termite companies that were treating homes that were being sold and saw several rebuilds underway. And yes, a failing chimney should have been noted in the property inspection. But it is probably too late now. That's a shame. 

[h20skibum]

4 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Yes I think it will be interesting if Dave can even see anything. I’m sure the ship will stay out of the area. I’m not familiar where actually everything is.

I think their itinerary has them at Hilo tomorrow.  When they are in Hilo and looking inland, Mauna Kea is to the right, and Mauna Loa (the one erupting) is to the the left.  If I recall the area correctly, any flow from Mauna Loa would go toward the Kona side of the island.   I think they port at the Kona side on Wednesday..

 

 

[Luckynana]

1 hour ago, ownedbypets said:

I have been fortunate to have cruised 4 times and flown a few times within the last year and come home covid free until now. We have been home for 9 days so I don't know if I can blame it on the cruise or the many other things I've done since. It really doesn't matter. I woke up a little congested, decided to test and the second line appeared immediately. No other symptoms.

I hope your symptoms remain mild!

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

 

Beautiful pictures!  That was my experience on Pride of America in the main dining room also.  The service was so slow.  There was hardly any guests in there and it took forever to get even your soup.  It was the most disappointing.  And that was 16 years ago.  I didn't want to give you any negative opinion on the food service before because I thought they'd improve by now.

 

There are chickens everywhere in Hawaii.  One time, they flew over my garlic shrimp plate at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck picnic table.  Scared the heck out of me.

 

We will miss you on Allure in a couple weeks.

We’ll miss you too. The funny thing is the reason we booked this cruise to replace Allure turned out to not be necessary as the problem we had is now resolved. That being said Hawaii was always in Sharron bucket list so I’m glad we got to do it. 

 

i think we’re lined up to be on Harmony at the same time as you. Say hi so your great husband.