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

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

 

It is really flat there? You don't have any hills or mountains? I always thought if you had lakes, there would be higher elevations. Thanks! It is always interesting to see other parts of the country. 

 

Ours are up in the hills. 

Stock Photo

We have rolling hills, but no actual mountains or significant elevations.

[ReneeFLL]

On 9/8/2022 at 6:49 PM, cruisegirl1 said:

Thanks - I looked on the  Voyager thread and saw  the change mentioned.  I then looked at old emails and see I was sent to the info as well. The new cabin will be just fine.  We also had another ship change for an Artic Circle TA in August 2023.  The new cabin location is not as good as the original, but cabins were scarce and the category was sold out.

 

Holiday sailings are so festive, and we find the passengers to be the friendliest compared to any other time of the year.

 

M

 

 

 

On 12/24/2022 at 5:47 PM, Luckynana said:

Good to hear from you, Renee!  I was starting to worry about you, having not heard from you in a while!  Merry Christmas to you and Mike🎄

 

On 12/24/2022 at 6:08 PM, Ocean Boy said:

And a Merry Christmas to you and Mike.

 

On 12/24/2022 at 6:42 PM, dani negreanu said:

 

Same here, Renee @ReneeFLL

Thanks everyone. Have just been crazy busy since we got back in November. We need another cruise just to relax. 😁

[h20skibum]

13 hours ago, Coralc said:

It is definitely a little more rain than we need all at one time. 

Bay Area Braces For More Extreme Weather After Historic Storm | Castro Valley, CA Patch

My son is hoping they do not see as much rain as they forecast.  Their house is in Marin.  Eight to 10 inches in the upper elevations is a lot.
 

 

[grapau27]

11 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Below Deck tonight. Anyone watching.

New series starting soon in the UK with Captain Lee.

Early morning frost on car windscreen.

It is 49°F cloudy with rain now at 11.25am.

I hope everyone is safe and well and have a great day.

Edited January 3, 2023 by grapau27

[MJSailors]

Jimbo- I wanted to answer your question about Bermuda that you posted on Andrew’s review,but didn’t want to hijack his postings.

We have been to Bermuda about thirteen times since 1983. It would have been more,but the virus got in the way.

IMHO, the Swizzle Inn is kind of a tourist place. Fine for a drink and say you have been there,not sure about the food.

For lunch, the Henry VIII pub near Gibbs Hill  lighthouse was good. There are a number of pubs on Front Street in Hamilton that are good for lunch also. The Hog Penny comes to mind.

If you would like a romantic setting for dinner, we like the Waterlot Inn near the Southampton Princess. The food and service was always impeccable. We

have also enjoyed dinner at the Four Ways Inn.

Enjoy Bermuda. It is a lovely place. Forty-eight hours will give you a taste of it,not very long to be there. You may consider a land vacation there after your visit.

MJ🙋🏻

 

[h20skibum]

It is 50° in Georgia this morning.  Already I am not liking this cooler weather.  Driving to our stop in North Carolina this afternoon.  The fog is pretty thick. 
 

At least it is still shorts weather.  It is a good thing, because somehow, my long pants got packed in my son’s suitcase, and they are now in California.   🤷

[Jimbo]

18 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

Jimbo- I wanted to answer your question about Bermuda that you posted on Andrew’s review,but didn’t want to hijack his postings.

We have been to Bermuda about thirteen times since 1983. It would have been more,but the virus got in the way.

IMHO, the Swizzle Inn is kind of a tourist place. Fine for a drink and say you have been there,not sure about the food.

For lunch, the Henry VIII pub near Gibbs Hill  lighthouse was good. There are a number of pubs on Front Street in Hamilton that are good for lunch also. The Hog Penny comes to mind.

If you would like a romantic setting for dinner, we like the Waterlot Inn near the Southampton Princess. The food and service was always impeccable. We

have also enjoyed dinner at the Four Ways Inn.

Enjoy Bermuda. It is a lovely place. Forty-eight hours will give you a taste of it,not very long to be there. You may consider a land vacation there after your visit.

MJ🙋🏻

 

We have been to Bermuda a few times before but never to the other end near St. George........Thinking about even staying in a resort or hotel for 2 nights to save time traveling back and forth from King's Wharf.

 

Grotto Bay Resort would be nice but at around $500 a night, not wanting to pay that much. I think as high as we would go is like $250 per night.

 

Like you said not locked on eating at Swizzle Inn if it isn't that good but for sure we want to go there for a drink.

[ownedbypets]

On 12/31/2022 at 5:28 AM, ReneeFLL said:

We lived in Mountain View (Moffett Field is right there where Mike was stationed) for about a year in 1987 before we bought up in the foothills. Back then it was a nice area and we liked it. Hopefully it hasn’t changed much. I think she will like it there. 
 

The ‘89 earthquake was awful. We were so happy go get out of there after that. Of course it helped that the Navy moved us to Key West. 😄  Hurricanes I can deal with. About how often do they have big ones in that area? Wasn’t the next big one down in the Los Angeles area or somewhere down there?

I just got back from a very busy, 4 day, trip to CA. Our daughters move went well. She and her cat are living in a gorgeous airbnb in downtown Mountain View with access to caltrain and the bus so she does have options to get to Stanford. We knew her commute wouldn't be quick but it's not as bad as we thought. She is taking an Uber today.

The weather was cold and rainy but we were determined to have one fun day after all of the packing and shopping was done. We went to Pier 39 and has as much fun as possible while shivering and soaking wet.

 

My husband and I lived in the East bay in 1989  so when we drove under the Bay Bridge it brought back earthquake memories.

 

Charlotte has lived away from us for 5 years and has traveled the world but this is the first time she has ever really been on her own. She knows no one near so that resulted in a lot of tears when it was time to say goodbye. Hopefully 13 weeks will fly by!

 

I remember someone posting about a can opener, in a rental, a while back so that was the first thing I looked for and smiled when I found it. It's the small things.

 

 

[helen haywood]

9 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Buc-ee's sandwiches are the best "travel " stop food.  Not a truck stop as they don't allow trucks.

I’ve driven past Buc-we’d but never stopped.  The lots are so huge and there seem to be a million cars…are there very long lines for the sandwiches?  Do you order inside or at a drive through?

[Keksie]

34 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

I’ve driven past Buc-we’d but never stopped.  The lots are so huge and there seem to be a million cars…are there very long lines for the sandwiches?  Do you order inside or at a drive through?

Although it looks very crowded it does not feel that way.  The bathrooms are huge and very clean.  Their coffee is really good with a large variety of creamers etc.  They usually have a lot of check outs open.  They have different counters of food.  There are healthy food choices also.  I have not gotten the bbq but have gotten other prepared food there.  I just order on the screens they have set up inside and then they call you when your order is ready.  It doesn't take long and it is a good break from a long car trip.  Of course there is all the home decor items I take a quick look at.  LOL

[BonTexasNY]

3 minutes ago, Keksie said:

Although it looks very crowded it does not feel that way.  The bathrooms are huge and very clean.  Their coffee is really good with a large variety of creamers etc.  They usually have a lot of check outs open.  They have different counters of food.  There are healthy food choices also.  I have not gotten the bbq but have gotten other prepared food there.  I just order on the screens they have set up inside and then they call you when your order is ready.  It doesn't take long and it is a good break from a long car trip.  Of course there is all the home decor items I take a quick look at.  LOL

You described it very well.  We're lucky we have one approx. 30 minutes from where we live.  I take more than a quick look at the home decor 🙂

[Sea Dog]

@bobmacliberty I am thinking of you today. I hope you are ok.

[dani negreanu]

2 hours ago, ownedbypets said:

I remember someone posting about a can opener, in a rental, a while back so that was the first thing I looked for and smiled when I found it. It's the small things.

 

That was Debbie ( @Sunshine3601), and it was ... epic 😉

 

So glad your daughter and her cat have settled in. I'm sure she'll make friends from work and neighborhood during her stay there. The young are resilient.

 

[jmh2006]

22 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

@bobmacliberty I am thinking of you today. I hope you are ok.

+ 1

[lenquixote66]

17 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

Hmmm, if you are suggesting that Mr. Mayor was part of a side business that involved getting the Ladies of the Evening off the streets and behind closed  doors,  well that sounds like a win-win for everyone.  

 

I had a friend, well a friend of my parents,  actually maybe a neighbor they tolerated, anyways he was not happy that the peep-show  capital of the world, aka Times Square, was  Disneyified.  His words, not mine. 

 

My reply was that Times Square is still separating people from their money for cheap thrills. Lol. 

Your assessment is in the correct ballpark.

 

 

 

[Momof3gurlz]

1 hour ago, Keksie said:

Although it looks very crowded it does not feel that way.  The bathrooms are huge and very clean.  Their coffee is really good with a large variety of creamers etc.  They usually have a lot of check outs open.  They have different counters of food.  There are healthy food choices also.  I have not gotten the bbq but have gotten other prepared food there.  I just order on the screens they have set up inside and then they call you when your order is ready.  It doesn't take long and it is a good break from a long car trip.  Of course there is all the home decor items I take a quick look at.  LOL

Best bathrooms on the road!  

[HBE4]

3 hours ago, helen haywood said:

I’ve driven past Buc-we’d but never stopped.  The lots are so huge and there seem to be a million cars…are there very long lines for the sandwiches?  Do you order inside or at a drive through?

 

2 hours ago, Keksie said:

 I have not gotten the bbq but have gotten other prepared food there.  I just order on the screens they have set up inside and then they call you when your order is ready.  It doesn't take long and it is a good break from a long car trip. 

 

No drive thru that I know of but they do have a pretty substantial grab-and-go section as well. Unlike truck stops or other gas station convenience stores where the food might be sitting under heat lamp or spinning rollers for a few hours or all day, it seems like as soon as an Buc-ee's employee places a BBQ or some other hot sandwich out, someone grabs it right away. So you can rest assured that whatever you grab is hot and fresh. Bonus: you can see them preparing the food right behind the counter as well.

 

And as @Keksie mentioned, plenty of counters and checkout lanes so you can be in and out very quickly although I tend to linger to stretch the legs after a long drive.

 

Oh, and never any Gastrointestinal issues like those other places. The world needs more Buc-ee's. 

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by HBE4

[h20skibum]

11 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

No drive thru that I know of but they do have a pretty substantial grab-and-go section as well.

We used their grab and go. I didn’t pay attention to sandwich sizes, so I assume they have smaller ones than the XXL I picked up.  That one was so big, I was too full for dinner that night.  
 

Too bad we don’t have any more on our trip home. 

[bobmacliberty]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

@bobmacliberty I am thinking of you today. I hope you are ok.

 

2 hours ago, jmh2006 said:

+ 1

 

Thanks.  It was pretty scary to watch, even though I don't know any of the players personally.  I tend to get overly emotionally involved when it comes to the Bills, and I'm still a little shook up.  I can't imagine what Damar's family and the players (from both teams) must have felt.  I've never seen players look like they did last night.  Grown men in one of the toughest sports crying and with fear on their faces.  Seeing that happen in person, with someone who you've spent more time with than your family, must be very traumatizing.

 

Damar is still not out of the woods.  From what I've read, he's still in intensive care and in critical condition.  Damar's family has asked that everyone keep him in our prayers.  Damar started a Go Fund Me in 2020 to raise $2500 for toys for kids in his hometown.  That's become the place where thousands of people have now donated money in his name.  The fund currently has $4.3M+ donated.

[bobmacliberty]

Since we're on the subject of Buc-ee's again, here's my Buc-ee's travel report.  There's a new Buc-ee's now open in Kentucky at exit 83 on I-75, just south of Richmond.  It seems even bigger than the other Buc-ee's that I've been to.  There's also a new Buc-ee's being built in Tennessee on I-40 east of Knoxville.  They must be doing very well as they seem to be doing a lot of expanding.

[Lionesss]

16 hours ago, brillohead said:

Sounds like it could be Commotio Cordis?

Hear of it more often in baseball/softball/hockey, but could happen in almost any contact sport.

@brillohead

 

In my 47 years practicing one way or another in the medical field (Rn, CRNA) I never knew about this athletic induced syndrome; that can happen to others not just athletes. 
 

When I first saw what was happening I first thought ruptured aorta or EMD from bilateral pneumo’s. 
 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. 
 

Continued prayers for recovery. 

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

6 hours ago, ownedbypets said:

I just got back from a very busy, 4 day, trip to CA. Our daughters move went well. She and her cat are living in a gorgeous airbnb in downtown Mountain View with access to caltrain and the bus so she does have options to get to Stanford. We knew her commute wouldn't be quick but it's not as bad as we thought. She is taking an Uber today.

The weather was cold and rainy but we were determined to have one fun day after all of the packing and shopping was done. We went to Pier 39 and has as much fun as possible while shivering and soaking wet.

 

My husband and I lived in the East bay in 1989  so when we drove under the Bay Bridge it brought back earthquake memories.

 

Charlotte has lived away from us for 5 years and has traveled the world but this is the first time she has ever really been on her own. She knows no one near so that resulted in a lot of tears when it was time to say goodbye. Hopefully 13 weeks will fly by!

 

I remember someone posting about a can opener, in a rental, a while back so that was the first thing I looked for and smiled when I found it. It's the small things.

 

 

 

I wish I had known you were going to be in my neighborhood.  We live not far from where she is.  We could have met with you, your husband and your daughter to welcome you all to the area as fellow CC members on Dani's thread.  I guess I missed a lot of information from this thread since I'm always so behind, I just skip pages.  Is she here for an internship at Stanford or a temporary job?  Sounds like she's found a good place to live for now.  There's a lot good eating places around there.  Sorry for the cold and rainy weather.  Wish it was warm and sunny for her.  Please let me know if there's any questions or help that you or daughter may have with her stay here.  I hope we can be of help to you/her.

[MJSailors]

Jumbo- I think that you will find most resorts in Bermuda are expensive. It is an expensive country and that is part of its’ allure. Most homes are kept nicely and there is no panhandling- at least that I  recall- from people living there,unlike some. Caribbean  islands where there is obvious  poverty.

I would suggest a small hotel, near Hamilton or St George’s or an Air b&b for a more reasonable rate. 

MJ🙋🏻

[Ozark_Kid]

Has anyone ever tried a vegetable called kohlrabi?  I am planning what I want to grow this year and it caught my attention.   Here is what it looks like.

[MJSailors]

Lenny- How are you feeling?

MJ🙋🏻