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

[OnTheJourney]

41 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

You are correct, I read something wrong..

Either way, it's aLOT of salt 😁

[OnTheJourney]

53 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

Could you please describe your itinerary while in Israel?

12-hour excursion when the ship is in Ashdod....

Drive with your guide across the Negev Desert to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Masada, perched at the edge of a desert plateau that overlooks the Dead Sea. Along the way you will pass Qumran, where the famed Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in a cave in the mid-20th century. Upon arrival at Masada, ascend to the fortress by cable car, taking in spectacular views. Constructed just before the time of Christ by King Herod, it is arguably the most impressive archaeological site in Israel and is the site of a famous Roman siege that ended in the tragic mass suicide of Masada’s residents. Later, continue to the western shores of the Dead Sea. You will stop at a seaside resort so you can take a dip in these buoyant waters, known for their curative properties for centuries.

12-hour excursion when the ship gets to Haifa (and stays there overnight)..  

 

Witness the legacy of Jesus in two of Christianity’s most important cities. After a scenic drive, make a photo stop at the Mount of Olives and its panorama of the Old City. See the Garden of Gethsemane and visit the Church of All Nations; then, walk into Jerusalem’s Old City. You will find the Western Wall, where Jews insert written prayers into the mortar’s nooks. From here, view the Temple Mount, crowned by the glittering Dome of the Rock, sacred to Muslims. Follow the Via Dolorosa—or “Way of Sorrows,” the road that Jesus walked while bearing the cross—to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Christ’s crucifixion, entombment and resurrection. (A visit inside the tomb cannot be guaranteed.) Continue to Bethlehem for exterior views of the Church of the Nativity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major place of pilgrimage for Christians.

 

Next day, still in Haifa...  about a 9 hour excursion...Visit some of the most important places in the life of Jesus. 

Journey with your guide into Canaan of old, crossing the coastal mountain range to Nazareth, city of Jesus’s youth. Stop at the Church of the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel announced the coming of Christ, and the Church of St. Joseph. Browse the city’s Arab Bazaar before continuing to the Sea of Galilee. En route you will pass through the village of Cana, where Jesus is said to have turned water into wine, and ascend the Mount of Beatitudes, where he delivered the Sermon on the Mount. In the small fishing village of Capernaum, see the ruins of a synagogue where he is believed to have preached. In Tabgha, visit the Church of the Multiplication, named for the miracle of loaves and fishes that occurred here. Later, stop along the banks of the River Jordan at Yardenit, site of Jesus’s baptism.

 

That's it. Next day we leave Israel for Cyprus. There is a 2-day (overnight) thing that they offer for Holy Land touring but it doesn't include as much sightseeing overall. I know it'll be LONG bus rides but probably a chance to catch up on some sleep! Thanks for any additional thoughts. 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[Jimbo]

7 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Either way, it's aLOT of salt 😁

Sure is, Our hot tub is salt water.

 

Look how much different compared to the ocean.....

 

There is much less salt in a hot tub with a salt water system than there is in seawater. Seawater has a salt concentration of around 35,000 parts per million (ppm).A salt water hot tub has a concentration of just 1,750 ppm.

 

I wonder just how much salt I would have to add so I can float in our hot tub to be like the Dead Sea?

Edited January 19, 2023 by Jimbo

[OnTheJourney]

5 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I wonder just how much salt I would have to add so I can float in our hot tub to be like the Dead Sea?

Now THERE's a cool science experiment!!!  

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Shouldn't there be a place on your car to Turn "off" the auto stop. There is on every car I have been in that has that feature.

Don't have that ability in my car. 

[OnTheJourney]

8 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

with a salt water system

Speaking of this...I've considered changing over our inground pool from biguanide / bacquacil to chlorine / SWG. Not sure. The biguanide is easy to use, but comes with some issues - such as the occasional white water mold / pink slime. I've been fighting this for years with my DE filter, and yet am hesitant to go back to chlorine since I like the smooth water feel of the biguanide. I suppose SWG would be somewhat similar. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[Jimbo]

20 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Speaking of this...I've considered changing over our inground pool from biguanide / bacquacil to chlorine / SWG. Not sure. The biguanide is easy to use, but comes with some issues - such as the occasional white water mold / pink slime. I've been fighting this for years with my DE filter, and yet am hesitant to go back to chlorine since I like the smooth water feel of the biguanide. I suppose SWG would be somewhat similar. 

How many gallons of water does the  pool hold?

[h20skibum]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

These pictures are great! What was the AI app you used?

This is the one I used. It has some nice features. 

 

I have a text to picture AI app that I need to play around with more.  
 

The kids like how easy the above one is for them. 
 

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

17 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

How many gallons of water does the  pool hold?

12,500 gallons

[Jimbo]

42 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

12,500 gallons

We used one of these for our above ground pool for years when we lived back in NJ and never had any issues..........I don't see it would be any different with an inground pool as long as you can get to the plumbing area around your filter. As long as you can get to the discharge line going back into the pool of clean water after it is filtered.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Intex-Saltwater-Electrocatalytic-Oxidation-15000-Gallon/dp/B073S4XG46?th=1

Edited January 19, 2023 by Jimbo

[dani negreanu]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

There is a 2-day (overnight) thing that they offer for Holy Land touring but it doesn't include as much sightseeing overall. I know it'll be LONG bus rides but probably a chance to catch up on some sleep! Thanks for any additional thoughts. 

 

It seems that the tours you've chosen cover it ALL. Excellent that you get 3 days in Israel, and you have the south (Massada + Dead Sea), center (Jerusalem and Bethlehem) and north (Sea of Galilee and Nazareth).

 

May I suggest checking this company, the reviews on TripAdvisor are constantly 5* and so are the cruisers who have used it --

 

https://www.guidedtoursisrael.com/

[ReneeFLL]

On 1/15/2023 at 8:25 PM, Ocean Boy said:

No word from @ReneeFLLas to how things are on Harmony. 🤔

I’m here. Things were great until today. They decided to do some balcony maintenance on some of the cabins so I have to move for the next cruise. If Mike wouldn’t have printed out his luggage tags I never would have known about it. You would think I would have gotten a notice or something. They put us in a connecting boardwalk cabin and will have a lovely view of the big purple slide. 😡  This is our first CP balcony and I don’t like it so I know I’m going to really dislike the boardwalk cabin. This one has some noise and I can’t imagine what the next one will be like. They say the ship is full so there are no other cabins.  
 

Service is great and food is good. Cabin is fine, but it’s not something I would book again. Unfortunately I do have a CP balcony booked on Bella’s cruise. This cabin does seem smaller, but it could be my imagination. I really miss seeing the ocean. Tonight is lobster night so I’m curious to see if the Maine lobsters are much bigger.

 

 

[dani negreanu]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

 

Just to give you an idea of costs with GTI --

 

The cost of our tours this October from Ashdod with GTI were as follows:

Jerusalem and Bethlehem were $99.  Lunch was on your own and we spent about $20 each.

Masada and Dead Sea were $115 and $25 for Masada and $15 for Dead Sea.  Again we spent about $20 for lunch.

 

Another recommendation -- Yuval

 

https://www.tour-guide-israel.co.il/about-me

 

[OnTheJourney]

34 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

It seems that the tours you've chosen cover it ALL. Excellent that you get 3 days in Israel, and you have the south (Massada + Dead Sea), center (Jerusalem and Bethlehem) and north (Sea of Galilee and Nazareth).

Good to know! Thanks. All of them are just through the cruise line. I didn't go with any independent travel company. 

[DaniDanielle]

Wendall is feeling trapped!

[aussielozzie18]

4 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Since retiring 5 years ago I drive my Ford Ranger very little.  It sits outside so no way to charge it but the battery is still good. 

I drove it to my appointment yesterday in the rain.  I had to turn the key to start it, turn on the headlights, the wipers didn't automatically turn on when rain hit the windshield, no way to heat the seats, I had to shift the gears and there was no back up camera.  On the good side lane assist didn't beep and the truck didn't turn off at the stop light!   Then I had to park, there was no surrounding cameras to help me park!  A lot of difference in a basic 1996 truck and today's cars. 

I would add - the truck didn’t beep at you because you exited the car without turning off the keyless ignition….or in my case just after we bought our car, at least once a week I would get a message from colleagues that my car was beeping in the car park.  Sigh.  I am not a fan of keyless ignition.

[aussielozzie18]

4 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

Wendall is feeling trapped!

Awww ❤️

[jagsfan]

On 1/18/2023 at 2:22 PM, dani negreanu said:

We're back after a night spent in a hotel near Old Jaffa, celebrating our golden wedding anniversary (and DH's b'day BTW) with a dinner with dear old friends.

 

After a lot of time spent on researching for the right hotel, we decided to remain "locally". The hotels I've researched in Jerusalem were in the range of 700-800$ per night, with a check in at 3PM and check out at 11AM. Or, as DH said, every breath we'll take will cost us a dollar...

 

Especially, we wanted an historic hotel, like the King David, where all the US presidents visiting are booked. And King David wasn't even the costliest one.

 

My BFF and her DH [on the right side] celebrated theirs a year and a half ago at an 5* hotel [paid for by their kids] and suggested to check the rates, even if we knew they're over the top.... and we were pleasantly surprised to find a "winter mid-week deal" for a "mere" 342$ a night [the cheapest basic room], with a check out at noon!!! Hurray !!!

 

Their stay included a meal at the hotel restaurant, which we decided to enjoy too. My BFF, her DH and my BFF's 3rd cousin, who was actually "responsible" for our meeting, were to join us for dinner. With the cousin I go back to my early days at the new immigrants school, and he took my under his wings.

 

We started the celebrations with an Eggs Benedict b'fast at our "to go to" establishment right on the Med beach. We were really blessed with wonderful weather. You can see old Jaffa in the background.

 

 

Christmas and Hanukka are still on....

 

 

 

Then, after a few mins drive, we arrived at our hotel. Pleasantly surprised that we were upgraded to their best room, with a balcony and with a sea view [I might have mentioned our golden ann. when I've booked by phone directly with the hotel...]

 

It is a very old neighborhood, and the building (150 years old) was completely renovated. We strolled around, DH took lots of pics, and... it was time for dinner. 

 

The meal itself was quite disappointing, I really can't understand all the mixing of weird ingredients one with another. Some of our dishes were quickly replaced, and the crew were very attentive to the 6 of us. We stayed over 3 hours, and the time went by quickly. At the evening end, I've told hubby that I should be disappointed and a bit sad that the meal was sub-par, but I was not, since the ambiance and dialogue between us, so old friends, was amazing.

 

 

OTOH, the b'fast this morning [supplied by the same in-site restaurant] was excellent, and, again, we choose Eggs Benedict.

 

We checked out, left our trolley, and took a leisurely stroll through the Old lanes of Jaffa, enjoying the sunshine.

 

A suspended tree --

 

 

Just look at the sea....

 

 

I want to thank you again to for the good wishes on the occasion of our double celebration 🙏

What a lovely celebration! And you were celebrating a happy marriage, not just the anniversary of a long ago wedding!

[jagsfan]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:04 PM, MJSailors said:

@DaniDanielle Marietta- Thank you for the photo of your cute granddaughter. I like her imagination!

When I first saw the photo .

,without your caption,I thought she was accessorizing her school uniform.

Brings me back to parochial school days- both grammar and HS.

My friends and I always added to the “look” with accessories- all within the guidelines, of course !😉

I missed uniforms by a year twice. The year I started as a freshman in high school, my elementary school went to uniforms. I graduated from high school, and that September uniforms started. 
My children wore uniforms from kindergarten on. 
The high school girls skirts wore like iron. 
I passed my DD’s skirts on to my niece, who passed them on to a neighbor. 
My DD just turned 60, and I’ll bet there is still a Bishop Kenny student wearing her skirts!

[mo&fran]

14 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

I would add - the truck didn’t beep at you because you exited the car without turning off the keyless ignition….or in my case just after we bought our car, at least once a week I would get a message from colleagues that my car was beeping in the car park.  Sigh.  I am not a fan of keyless ignition.

No, but it does beep if you leave the key in the ignition  or your lights turned on.

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

We used one of these for our above ground pool for years when we lived back in NJ and never had any issues....

Interesting. As you said, it'd have to be tied into the plumbing somehow. I think what I'd do is go straight chlorine first, and then if I"m ok with that, take the next step to SWG. I have no problem with baquacil, and like the feel of the water, except for a recurring filter pressure issue the past few seasons. Lots of (as in way too often) backwashing and cleaning the DE grids. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[MJSailors]

@h20skibum Those photos of your grandchildren are lovely ! 

Wether you used an app or not ,they are cute kids.

Hoping they feel better and it wasn’t Covid- lots of yucky germs out there.

Stay well,

MJ🙋🏻

[MJSailors]

@jagsfan  Mimi- I didn’t mind wearing the uniforms as there was more money for “real” clothes . In grammar school , Sacred Heart in Glendale,NY, we had to wear saddle shoes. I never liked them.

In HS, Christ the King,Middle Village, NY,we could wear a loafer- like shoe of our choice. I really liked my Bass Weejuns- burgundy with fringe over the top. 

You are right about the uniforms wearing like iron. I think I had two,maybe three skirts for 4 years in HS.

We accessorized with hair bows,ribbons,headbands, earrings and some hand jewelry, and makeup. All within the school guidelines,of course 😉.

I was very fortunate to have very good school years.

Take care

MJ🙋🏻

Edited January 19, 2023 by MJSailors

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Most of those electronics are not active unless the car is running. I don't see why they should kill a battery. I do, however, wonder about cars that have auto stop engines where batteries are powering everything while cars are stopped at red lights, etc. 

Even though my car is only 7 months old I always turn off Stop and Start.

The main dealer said the batteries are 4 times the cost of regular batteries but besides not liking stop start I always think of the drain on a battery and potentially letting me down starting in freezing weather.

[Ozark_Kid]

57 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

I would add - the truck didn’t beep at you because you exited the car without turning off the keyless ignition….or in my case just after we bought our car, at least once a week I would get a message from colleagues that my car was beeping in the car park.  Sigh.  I am not a fan of keyless ignition.

Also left out that I had to manually apply the parking brakes too!  😲