Next time I cruise I am definitely going to....

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Stay up past 10:00 PM and sleep to at least 8:00 AM.

[Texed]

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

And I will try some waffles, only ever had those you make yourself in Holiday Inn Express...I guess I need to make some Canadian friends first to get the right topping...Hello Canada!

 

I wish I would have thought of that.  😎

[ROYALBOY]

Well our last cruise was the Mardi Gras Cruise in Feb this year on Reflection. The next cruise we have book is British Isles on Reflection out of Amsterdam in July 2021.  Little did we know in Feb what was in store, so I will smile, say HELLO to everyone I pass and really enjoy!!!

[DENIE]

Great thread!!!! 

 

We felt it necessary to cancel (about 3 months ago) our November 2020 America's cruise on the Reflection.  That decision is looking better all the time.  We are hoping that our August 2021 Baltic cruise (also on Reflection) will happen.

 

This certainly amplifies, for us, the desire to really appreciate this next cruise.  We already upgraded our cabin from an ocean view to nice balcony on the slant. As far as hotels, flights, tours, etc., we plan to upgrade what we normally do and REALLY enjoy this trip.

 

As we have become accustomed to cruising about 1x per year, I don't think we would take it for granted again!  🙂

[Von & John]

4 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

We have just celebrated our Ruby Wedding at home (no choice, no guests)...However, it still was very romantic, Don’t wait for your next cruise, live each day to the fulll..order the champagne and flowers tomorrow.

 

PS..let us know how your romantic gestures go...

 

Congrats on 40 years!

May you get to celebrate another 40 together...

 

Not sure we will live long enough to see 40 - but we'll give it our best shot 🙂

We had planned to sail Celebrity Eclipse 03/15/20 to celebrate our 15th Anniversary...

The cruise was of course cancelled, the afternoon before...

Edited August 6, 2020 by Von & John

[DENIE]

1 minute ago, Von & John said:

We have just celebrated our Ruby Wedding at home (no choice, no guests)...However, it still was very romantic, Don’t wait for your next cruise, live each day to the fulll..order the champagne and flowers tomorrow.

 

Chemmo....Congratulations!

 

[Von & John]

8 hours ago, Alushar said:

...  In particular we love going to the Martini Bar when it first opens on Sail day you always meet people from far and wide, everyone so happy to be there some you see throughout the cruise others never again but all such fun....

 

 

 

Generally our first drink is champagne & our second drink is at the Martini Bar - it's fun to be the first or one of the first to the Martini Bar... We don't generally stay longer than the first Martini, rather mosey on...
 

@chemmo

We generally eat dinner later & find we are able to hit the Martini Bar most nights before dinner...
Sometimes we'll hit the Martini Bar b/4 heading to the cabin to shower & dress for dinner - usually seats are available then as well

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

5 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

And I will try some waffles, only ever had those you make yourself in Holiday Inn Express...I guess I need to make some Canadian friends first to get the right topping...

 

Hello Canada!

 

Make sure they're hot off off the waffle iron and try the orange butter.  Delicious!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

4 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

Fantastic photograph!

 

We have been blessed to have cruised in an M class PH a couple of times and the deck view really is fantastic. We spent many evenings just lying on one of the sunbeds on the enormous deck star gazing...

 

Our best PH memory was sunrise...I woke early and saw the Pitons appearing on the left of the ship through the early morning mist...magical but unfortunately I didn’t grab my phone or camera quick enough...

 

I should be in the PH on the Summit right now on my way to Iceland and Greenland.  If we get to go next year, I vow to enjoy every moment!

[El Crucero]

8 hours ago, JFontaine said:

I’m going to see more sunrises. 

Well that would mean I would only get about two hours sleep that night!

[El Crucero]

6 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Go to Karaoke again. 🎤

On our last Edge Cruise we went to the Club one evening where passengers were participating in Karaoke with a live band. It was a blast. There were several talented people who not only sang, but entertained us with their dance moves as well. It was a surprise to find out these usually quiet and sedate people were such extroverts. 😁

We met Pierre and his husband Gaeton from Montreal in Michaels Club about two years ago on a Trans Pacific.  They invited us to go to Karaoke with them up in the Sky Lounge.  "Oh Okay"  We'd never been before and little did we know!  Some acts were pretty awful and some were pretty good.  Then Pierre's name was called!  WHAT?!  He got up and did Frank Sinatra.  WOW!  pitch perfect, perfect choreography, perfect timing.  He got a standing ovation from the crowd!  He was so good, the Captain invited him to do an encore the last night of the cruise on stage with the production crew.  More Sinatra and he brought the house down.  Fabulous!  He is not a professional musician, he works for a telephone company in Montreal.  His hobby is Karaoke.  We have maintained a long distance friendship with these fun guys ever since.  We exchange videos once a month drinking champagne or martinis in our homes.

 

Go to Karaoke, you never know what you will find!

Edited August 6, 2020 by El Crucero

[chemmo]

7 hours ago, markeb said:

 

 

I don't want to overthink past experience, as I fear we'll be disappointed. I don't know what things look like in 2022. I want to be prepared to enjoy what's there, rather than miss what isn't...

 

Good philosophy...At least the sound, smell and sight of the sea will be unchanged....

[chemmo]

6 hours ago, goldsmip115 said:

I will always try to spend more time on that glorious PS verandah.  Oh, to be there now

 

Close your eyes and dream....

 

One thing we have done in recent weeks is be very grateful that we have on occasions ‘pushed the boat out’ on our holidays...We have booked hotels with fantastic views, better rooms on the ship, expensive excursions.... In our minds as we got older we developed the attitude ‘if we don’t do it now we may never do it’. We always expected it to be our health that may stop us holidaying/cruising...little did we know what 2020 would bring.

 

The PH is fantastic, I am sure when all this is over many more people may decide to treat themselves to what they enjoy the most be it booking a suite, extra cruises, additional land holidays...Our family toast is ‘To making it count’ it will be said with even more feeling and emotion next time we are on board.

[chemmo]

6 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Stay up past 10:00 PM and sleep to at least 8:00 AM.

 

I love afternoon naps on ships...settling with a book (that I never finish) at about 2pm then waking at 4.30 as the butler brings us afternoon tea to enjoy on the balcony...simple pleasures!

[chemmo]

6 hours ago, Texed said:

 

I wish I would have thought of that.  😎

 I will share any contributions with you!

[chemmo]

4 hours ago, DENIE said:

 

 

As we have become accustomed to cruising about 1x per year, I don't think we would take it for granted again!  🙂

 

So many things we will never take for granted again! Simply being able to see family and friends again and be able to hug each other!

 

For so many of us holiday hopes and aspirations have been determined by time and budget...I think we will all be reviewing our priorities after this difficult time.

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I should be in the PH on the Summit right now on my way to Iceland and Greenland.  If we get to go next year, I vow to enjoy every moment!

 

So sorry, it would have been wonderful! Hopefully you will be able to go next year. We have splurged on the PH for our next cruise too but on S class (Silhouette) so no fantastic balcony for us but the room is a decadence of light and space.

 

Like you we are planning on enjoying every minute...some quite small things like using the jacuzzi on the balcony and making it down to Luminae breakfast once or twice...

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, El Crucero said:

Well that would mean I would only get about two hours sleep that night!

 

Sleep before and after your cruise and enjoy every cruise moment to the full...

[chemmo]

2 hours ago, El Crucero said:

We met Pierre and his husband Gaeton from Montreal in Michaels Club about two years ago on a Trans Pacific.  They invited us to go to Karaoke with them up in the Sky Lounge.  "Oh Okay"  We'd never been before and little did we know!  Some acts were pretty awful and some were pretty good.  Then Pierre's name was called!  WHAT?!  He got up and did Frank Sinatra.  WOW!  pitch perfect, perfect choreography, perfect timing.  He got a standing ovation from the crowd!  He was so good, the Captain invited him to do an encore the last night of the cruise on stage with the production crew.  More Sinatra and he brought the house down.  Fabulous!  He is not a professional musician, he works for a telephone company in Montreal.  His hobby is Karaoke.  We have maintained a long distance friendship with these fun guys ever since.  We exchange videos once a month drinking champagne or martinis in our homes.

 

Go to Karaoke, you never know what you will find!

 

Knowing my luck it will be full of people who sing even worse than me! As you say it is all about giving things a try...

[Alushar]

13 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

I can only say you express so much of how we feel but how do you get seats at the Martini Bar?!?!?

 

We will certainly keep our traditions, in particular booking Tuscan for sail away, but we will no longer take for granted so many aspects of cruising...

 

It's all about timing and perseverance lol

 

We used to book Tuscan for Sail Away but where possible now book Lawn Club

[CGTNORMANDIE]

When I board a ship I have a highly regimented plan of activities...to do absolutely nothing! 😋  Port days are the best days for doing nothing.  We don’t even leave the ship anymore...that way we have the entire ship on which to do nothing.  Doing nothing in the ship’s bars and casino are particular favorites.  I believe I have elevated doing nothing to an art form...and enjoying every minute of it.  

[chemmo]

31 minutes ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

When I board a ship I have a highly regimented plan of activities...to do absolutely nothing! 😋  Port days are the best days for doing nothing.  We don’t even leave the ship anymore...that way we have the entire ship on which to do nothing.  Doing nothing in the ship’s bars and casino are particular favorites.  I believe I have elevated doing nothing to an art form...and enjoying every minute of it.  

 

Love it!

 

That is what holidays are all about...doing  just as you like.

 

When we were young we were always on the go. Long excursions, joining in lots of activities...but the older we have got the happier we have become just watching the world go by....

 

I love being in ports where you have a good view and you can watch everyone else scurry back and forth. Something so decadent about sitting (drink in hand) and doing absolutely nothing! 

 

I love sitting at the sunset bar mid afternoon  and chatting with others knowing the most energetic thing I need to do is put my hand up to get a refill...

 

We will definitely find time next cruise to simply relax and sit and stare as well as doing all the things we always mean to do but never get around to!

[awhfy]

We were very fortunate to celebrate our 50th anniversary last year on Eclipse In September (Vancouver to Hawaii) & On Reflection MardiGras & ABCs in March (yes, we celebrated for a year, why not)

 

take the silly photos, take a professional photo, revel in the hot waffles with orange butter, stroll the ship at 4 am, dream on the balcony, get to Martini Bar early enough to get a seat at the bar, enjoy a specialty dinner (or several). Do everything or nothing, just be. 

[chemmo]

12 minutes ago, awhfy said:

We were very fortunate to celebrate our 50th anniversary last year on Eclipse In September (Vancouver to Hawaii) & On Reflection MardiGras & ABCs in March (yes, we celebrated for a year, why not)

 

take the silly photos, take a professional photo, revel in the hot waffles with orange butter, stroll the ship at 4 am, dream on the balcony, get to Martini Bar early enough to get a seat at the bar, enjoy a specialty dinner (or several). Do everything or nothing, just be. 

 

Your beauriful pictures reminded me of just how wonderful cruising is...

 

Congratulations on your anniversary last year, you were quite right to celebrate for a full year! 

 

As you say, once on board we will do as little or as much as we want to but we will take nothing we do (or don’t do!) for granted...

 

Definately going to try more coffees in Cafe al Bacio and if I try one and don’t like it I will order another! 

 

 

[awhfy]

Chemmo, definitely!  Raspberry Nectar tea, hot chocolate & my favorite Affogato 

Edited August 6, 2020 by awhfy