The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2016 Crystal Symphony Antarctica cruise that started with a pair of Cunard transatlantics.  As February 17 started we were approaching the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal:

 

 

Roy

[BEAV]

On 2/26/2021 at 4:25 AM, rafinmd said:

My next step is a visit with the doctors and a CAT scan on March 9.

 

Roy

 

 

Roy,

 

Curious (hopeful!) if your walking/breathing ability is improved at all compared to the last two weeks?

 

On 2/25/2021 at 3:25 PM, KenzSailing said:

The challenge is, I'm trying to figure out how to get a crease in them for the next time I'm showing up for BTO in Waterside.  I mean, these things are comfy.  

 

If the lack of a proper crease in your sweats doesn’t impress Remi, just remind him it’s guest chef night in Waterside and you’re headed to the galley. 👍

 

...and bring your fancy air fryer.

[rafinmd]

30 minutes ago, BEAV said:

Curious (hopeful!) if your walking/breathing ability is improved at all compared to the last two weeks?

No, nothing definitive has been done yet.  The only change is I think I'm adapting my pace a bit to be more consistent with what I can support.

 

Roy

[BWIVince]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

No, nothing definitive has been done yet.  The only change is I think I'm adapting my pace a bit to be more consistent with what I can support.

 

Roy

 

I'm glad you're able to still get out at least, especially with the weather finally letting up on us a little.  Even today turned out really nice after all -- though I got a good eye roll in last night when I looked out the window and everything was briefly coated in ice (before the rain melted it).

 

Vince

[KenzSailing]

2 hours ago, BWIVince said:

 

I'm glad you're able to still get out at least, especially with the weather finally letting up on us a little.  Even today turned out really nice after all -- though I got a good eye roll in last night when I looked out the window and everything was briefly coated in ice (before the rain melted it).

 

Vince

 

My seasonal allergies tell me we have turned the corner to spring.

[Stickman1990]

4 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

 

My seasonal allergies tell me we have turned the corner to spring.

Its officially Autumn / Fall Downunder from tomorrow - it’s a great time of the year here as it cools down a little 

[Roland4]

1 hour ago, Stickman1990 said:

Its officially Autumn / Fall Downunder from tomorrow - it’s a great time of the year here as it cools down a little 

What the "weather weenies" call Meteorological Spring starts March 1, but Spring officially it starts Mar 21. We go back to Daylight Savings Time two weeks from tonight, which is always a good sign! The good news is it has been sunny and 8 C the last two days, so what was the seven foot high pile of snow at the end of our driveway is actually down to about five feet!!

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2018 Crystal 2-ship World Cruise.  On February 28 (local time) the Crystal Symphony arrived in New Zealand:

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is the first of yet another string of cruises.  In 2014 The Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony were meeting in Singapore and I made the switch starting on Symphony in Bali and leaving Serenity in Cape Town.  I was dreading the long flight home when I discovered Amsterdam had a World Cruise segment leaving Cape Town for Ft. Lauderdale just 3 days after I arrived.  On March 1 the Symphony left Bali:

 

 

Roy

[May B]

6 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Today's sunrise is the first of yet another string of cruises.  In 2014 The Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony were meeting in Singapore and I made the switch starting on Symphony in Bali and leaving Serenity in Cape Town.  I was dreading the long flight home when I discovered Amsterdam had a World Cruise segment leaving Cape Town for Ft. Lauderdale just 3 days after I arrived.  On March 1 the Symphony left Bali:

 

 

Roy

But how did you get to Bali? I do love how you make your own travel connections!

[rafinmd]

1 hour ago, May B said:

But how did you get to Bali? I do love how you make your own travel connections!

I had to fly.  My best bet turned out to be Korean Air with a 2-night stopover in Seoul:

 

https://wcmedley2014.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/day-3-wednesday-february-26-seoul-korea/

 

Roy

[TER777]

On 2/23/2021 at 6:00 AM, Texas Tillie said:

I've always enjoyed docking at commercial ports and seeing the operations. I wonder how many containers I've seen stacked up at ports all over the world?

 

Patty

Patty,

Did you ever solve your not getting email from Crystal problem? The reason I ask is starting last September I suddenly stopped receiving marketing email from Crystal. To be clear, I do NOT receive email from no-reply.o@email.crystalcruises.com such as the “New to You! Springtime Cruises to the British Isles & France”.  I do receive email from info@exclusivelycrystal.com and PleaseDoNotReply@crystalcruises.com which does mean that I receive the notices of the cancellations of my cruises but not the emails offering new cruises to book, nor the Crystal@Home series. 

Thanks in advance if you know the solution. And thank you to anyway else who has a solution to offer. Please note I have been in touch with Ask Crystal and they are baffled as well. We're waiting (months now) to hear back from Crystal marketing.

Tracie

[Merry Twinkletoes]

Access: Crystal website.

 

1. In the Right corner of the Black Band at the Top of the page: Click on the Three Horizontal Lines.

 

2. In the List below Expedition: Click on the Diamond with the Plus sign.

 

3. Need an Account? Click on Sign Up Now.

 

4. Scroll down to: Subscribe to Special Offers.

 

Does not seem intuitive. . . .

Edited March 2, 2021 by Merry Twinkletoes
Replaced text.

[TER777]

21 minutes ago, Merry Twinkletoes said:

Access: Crystal website.

 

1. In the Right corner of the Black Band at the Top of the page: Click on the Three Horizontal Lines.

 

2. In the List below Expedition: Click on the Diamond with the Plus sign.

 

3. Need an Account? Click on Sign Up Now.

 

4. Scroll down to: Subscribe to Special Offers.

 

Does not seem intuitive. . . .

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Merry Twinkletoes. Both I and the Ask Crystal person have checked my subscription. It's there. It's just not working. I did not make any changes to it between the time it was working and the time it stopped working.

[Merry Twinkletoes]

Did you contact the webmaster? Scroll to the bottom of Crystal’s website.

 

1. Click on Resources.

 

2. Click on Website Feedback.

 

In October, the webmaster helped me.
 

There may be multiple contractors touching Crystal’s site.

 

After time passed, I needed to Sign Up for the offers again.

[Texas Tillie]

4 hours ago, TER777 said:

Patty,

Did you ever solve your not getting email from Crystal problem? The reason I ask is starting last September I suddenly stopped receiving marketing email from Crystal. To be clear, I do NOT receive email from no-reply.o@email.crystalcruises.com such as the “New to You! Springtime Cruises to the British Isles & France”.  I do receive email from info@exclusivelycrystal.com and PleaseDoNotReply@crystalcruises.com which does mean that I receive the notices of the cancellations of my cruises but not the emails offering new cruises to book, nor the Crystal@Home series. 

Thanks in advance if you know the solution. And thank you to anyway else who has a solution to offer. Please note I have been in touch with Ask Crystal and they are baffled as well. We're waiting (months now) to hear back from Crystal marketing.

Tracie

 

Tracie,

 

No, I'm still a persona non grata as far as Crystal is concerned as far as emails are concerned; well, as far as refunds are concerned, too! I signed up with a different email address and get the marketing emails, but, as far as I can tell, they don't acknowledge me as a loyal customer!! 😲

 

Patty

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from yet another string of cruises, I believe my first time cobbling cruises together.  I had booked a 2010 Queen Victoria World Cruise segment (Bangkok to Dubai), and at least slightly shortened my flying time by booking Crystal Symphony Los Angeles to Sydney.  On March 2 the Symphony was crossing the Pacific towards Hilo.

 

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

And as if we haven't had enough, here in Maryland the 17 year cicadas are coming.  Sheesh.

[May B]

On 3/1/2021 at 4:26 PM, rafinmd said:

I had to fly.  My best bet turned out to be Korean Air with a 2-night stopover in Seoul:

 

https://wcmedley2014.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/day-3-wednesday-february-26-seoul-korea/

 

Roy

I enjoyed reading this very much, Roy. 

[mskatiemae]

3 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

And as if we haven't had enough, here in Maryland the 17 year cicadas are coming.  Sheesh.

Yeah, and good luck getting them to wear masks (or get vaccinated)!

 

In college one of my bio professors specialized in 13 & 17 year cicadas. One day I walked into his office to ask for a grad school reference letter, then his phone rang and 1/2 hr of answering questions from a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter ensued. The most memorable part was his description of how they taste just after emerging and molting, when they are white and soft. "Like sweet potatoes" if I recall correctly. So there might be a recipe item for you. Or just let the cats have a good snack. I wonder how they go with champagne!

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2019 Prinsendam Grand South America and Antarctica voyage.  On March 3 we visited Fortaleza:

 

 

Roy

[BWIVince]

11 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

And as if we haven't had enough, here in Maryland the 17 year cicadas are coming.  Sheesh.

I feel like a decade or so of living with stinkbugs has somehow taken the ‘annoying bug fanfare’ out of the big cicada brood (let alone the era of COVID and murder hornets here). I hope last year’s smaller brood left notes for this year’s crew to lower their expectations — its a whole different landscape than it was 17 years ago when their parents visited.

 

Vince

[KenzSailing]

Alright, I'm just going to get this off my chest over here.  I keep making the mistake of dropping in on the COVID thread, and I find the level of discourse and the willful ignorance just heartbreaking.

 

We hope to cruise Crystal again, but I'm never going to another meet and mingle.  Just too many people I never want to meet.

 

I will now go back to posting about my sweatpants.

[BWIVince]

7 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

Alright, I'm just going to get this off my chest over here.  I keep making the mistake of dropping in on the COVID thread, and I find the level of discourse and the willful ignorance just heartbreaking.

 

We hope to cruise Crystal again, but I'm never going to another meet and mingle.  Just too many people I never want to meet.

 

I will now go back to posting about my sweatpants.

Same here...  The rampant violations of forum rules were frustrating enough, but the scapegoating of other members for their own violations was really disheartening.  🤦‍♂️ 
 

We’re starting to see the true cost of disinformation becoming so rampant in our society — we can’t even communicate properly with each other anymore because we’re all working from different “facts”.

 

Vince

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my off the wall 2017 combination (Koningsdam, Crystal Serenity, Iguazu by land, Zaandam, Carnival Inspiration, and Crystal Symphony).  On March 4 the Serenity had overnighted in Buenos Aires and left that evening:

 

 

Roy