Come sail with me on a virtual cruise to Hawaii on Ruby Princess

[cr8tiv1]

Those of you who enjoy Ballroom Dancing can show off your moves in Club Fusion at 5.30 pm, with Pre-Recorded Ballroom Music. One of my great regrets is that I never attended Finishing School where I might have learned to shake my booty. Sadly, I can only stand and watch….

 

We were there most pre-dinner days.  It was canned music.  By the second evening, I was able to ask the CD if he could play more ballroom type music for us oldies.  He was more than gracious.  Some nights were much more challenging since the ship seemed to rock when we were rolling.  I love to waltz around the dance floor.

 

By the way...I am not a trivia person but every once in a while these random factoids pop into my head.  Who would have thought.  If I ever joined a team, you might get that one really strange answer you needed to win.  

 

[ellie1145]

5 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Those of you who enjoy Ballroom Dancing can show off your moves in Club Fusion at 5.30 pm, with Pre-Recorded Ballroom Music. One of my great regrets is that I never attended Finishing School where I might have learned to shake my booty. Sadly, I can only stand and watch….

 

We were there most pre-dinner days.  It was canned music.  By the second evening, I was able to ask the CD if he could play more ballroom type music for us oldies.  He was more than gracious.  Some nights were much more challenging since the ship seemed to rock when we were rolling.  I love to waltz around the dance floor.

 

By the way...I am not a trivia person but every once in a while these random factoids pop into my head.  Who would have thought.  If I ever joined a team, you might get that one really strange answer you needed to win.  

 

 

I would love to be able to dance like that, cr8tiv1. Have you ever sailed on a Cunard ship? They have wonderful ballrooms. 

 

Talking of trivia, you would be an asset to a team as it is the one question which nobody else knows the answer to which wins the day! We would love to have you in our team should our paths ever cross, or should we ever be ships passing in the night…😉

[Redwing55]

On 7/15/2021 at 4:52 AM, ellie1145 said:

 

Absolutely right, Redwing55. It is, of course, fish! 

 

It’s amazing how much information is stored in the old grey matter, isn’t it? Mind you, I think our kids rely so much on google and the internet that I wonder if they will have as much stored away as we do.

 

I still have a few of my updated mini Tardises should you wish to relive a previous cruise! 

I noticed you mentioned Tardises before.  It would be sweet to check one out. 😉

[ellie1145]

On 7/17/2021 at 12:27 AM, Redwing55 said:

I noticed you mentioned Tardises before.  It would be sweet to check one out. 😉

 

Your own personal mini Tardis is winging its way to you as I type! 

 

Now you will be able to revisit all those wonderful cruises you have enjoyed. 

 

Bon Voyage! 😉

[ellie1145]

A bit of an update..

 

I’m sure you are thinking that I have either jumped ship or fallen ill with Covid, but the truth is that I’ve been away visiting a friend in the West Country and had very little internet coverage so could not upload photos etc.

 

We have also been experiencing a heatwave here in the UK, and life has been very wearing with no air conditioning as you can imagine. We retreated to our air conditioned car for respite! Thankfully temperatures have dropped to life is beginning to return to normal.

 

Anyway, I’m back, and I hope you haven’t all abandoned me! We have just 3 days to go before I will have to wish you au revoir, and that will include our final port, Ensenada, and our journey home, which didn’t exactly go to plan! 

 

Hope you are all keeping fit and well.

[ellie1145]

Our final sea day!

 

 

Ruby Princess is continuing her north-easterly heading towards Ensenada, Mexico. There is a northerly wind, of 25 knots, and the temperature is dropping to a chilly 16C/61F.

 

We wake, and I look out of the window at the sea below. Today, the sky is cloudy and leaden, and the sea looks grey and uninviting. Thank goodness this ship is so stable as we feel no movement, despite the waves.

 

I suddenly realise, with a sinking feeling, that our cruise is almost at an end. We have our final sea day today, and it is sad to think that in two days we will have to leave this lovely ship.

 

But there is no time for sadness for we have a full day of activities ahead of us, not least of which is the final Progressive Trivia. We hope that today we will find out how we have done. Our quizmaster still refuses to give us any indication of how we’re doing and it is getting increasingly frustrating. Part of the fun of a Progressive Quiz is knowing how you and the other teams are doing, but, apparently, he has his reasons, and all will become clear one day….

 

As usual, we make our way down to the dining room for breakfast, and have a leisurely meal as the first trivia of the day is not until 10.30 am.

[ellie1145]

To be or not to be…. (The winners!)

 

Up in Club Fusion, our team is ready and waiting in our favourite seats near the window,  and we just have time for a chat before the trivia starts. We don’t do so well today, scoring just 14/20, although the winning team only scored 16, so it wasn’t too bad an effort.

 

Some of the questions were easy, like ‘What is Mal de Mer?’ which of course is seasickness. A very apt question for today as the sea is a little rough, although, thankfully we are not suffering from it.

 

We also knew that Arnold Schwarzenegger won Mr Universe three times. One of the team knew that SANKA was a contraction of ‘sans caffeine’ so that was lucky, as we had never heard of this coffee brand.

 

DH joins in with the answer to who sang ‘Rock Around the Clock?’ which was Bill Haley of course. His answer rather dates him I’m afraid.

 

I chip in with the answer to ‘Who was the embraceable character in Starsky and Hutch?’ which is Huggy Bear - from one of our favourite programmes back in the day. We never missed an episode.

 

The very huggable Antonio Fargas.

 

I also knew the answer to ‘What is the name of a destructive ocean wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption?’ It is a tsunami, but I’m sure you knew that. Sadly everyone else did!

 

But its those pesky answers that elude us that are the problem. I wonder if any of you can do any better?

 

1. Who is Michael Stipe?

2. Priam was king of which city?

3. What is the name of an insect with 10 legs?

4. How thick is the earth’s continental crust?

5. What is the name of the gateway between East and West Berlin - now we really SHOULD have got that one!

 

Can you?

 

Usual rules apply, which are:

A) I’m always right.

B) If in doubt ask Mr Google as you are not paying Princess an extortionate amount to use the internet.

C) Winning answers will result in an upgraded, updated mini Tardis winging its way to you via Amazon (the river of course!)

[AF-1]

1. Michael Stipe is Lead Singer for REM.  They did Losing my Religion Man on the Moon.  They were big back in late 80's early 90's

2. Don't know

3. I would think a breed of spider

4. Don't know and don't care to know

5. Brandenburg Gate.   I have been here several times and took President Reagan there for his famous specch; "Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall"

[ellie1145]

8 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

1. Michael Stipe is Lead Singer for REM.  They did Losing my Religion Man on the Moon.  They were big back in late 80's early 90's

2. Don't know

3. I would think a breed of spider

4. Don't know and don't care to know

5. Brandenburg Gate.   I have been here several times and took President Reagan there for his famous specch; "Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall"

 

Lovely to hear from you again, AF-1. How are the family?

 

You are right with the answer to question 1, he is, indeed, the lead singer for REM.

 

Now, as for question number 5, we also thought it was the Brandenburg Gate but our quizmaster insisted it was Checkpoint Charlie, so we missed out on that one. I prefer your answer so well done. What an amazing story, AZ-1. What a historic moment to be part of. 

 

Can you use another Tardis? They make great Christmas presents! 😉

[cr8tiv1]

3:  A Solifugid is a bug with 10 legs.

 

 

The camel spider is a type of Arachnid found in most deserts around the world (with the exception of Australia, thank God.) They are notable for having ten limbs, the biggest jaws of any Arachnid and the ability to grow to distressingly large sizes.

 

Thank you Ms. Google.  That was a most interesting question/answer.

Edited July 25, 2021 by cr8tiv1

[Reader0108598]

9 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

A bit of an update..

 

I’m sure you are thinking that I have either jumped ship or fallen ill with Covid, but the truth is that I’ve been away visiting a friend in the West Country and had very little internet coverage so could not upload photos etc.

 

We have also been experiencing a heatwave here in the UK, and life has been very wearing with no air conditioning as you can imagine. We retreated to our air conditioned car for respite! Thankfully temperatures have dropped to life is beginning to return to normal.

 

Anyway, I’m back, and I hope you haven’t all abandoned me! We have just 3 days to go before I will have to wish you au revoir, and that will include our final port, Ensenada, and our journey home, which didn’t exactly go to plan! 

 

Hope you are all keeping fit and well.

Glad u got away 🙂

 

[azbirdmom]

Sorry you are still having trouble with the app.  They have been able to fix all of the issues I was having for our cruise in two weeks.  I've sent every issue to them via email and they've replied back after things have been fixed.  It's been quite a process but I'm glad I'm past it.  Or at least I think I am.  I can't remember if I gave it to you but their official email address is askoceanmedallion@carnival.com  but the one that I've replied to is this:  A360ad7@carnival.com  .  I haven't even tried to do anything to fix my later cruises in the app, I am hoping that things have settled down by then and all will be well.  I can dream, right?  Good luck to you.

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

3:  A Solifugid is a bug with 10 legs.

 

 

The camel spider is a type of Arachnid found in most deserts around the world (with the exception of Australia, thank God.) They are notable for having ten limbs, the biggest jaws of any Arachnid and the ability to grow to distressingly large sizes.

 

Thank you Ms. Google.  That was a most interesting question/answer.

 

Great answers cr8tiv1. 

 

The answer which our quizmaster gave us was decapede but as with so many trivia questions it is sometimes difficult to find a definitive answer. Technically a spider is an arachnid not an insect, but as I am always right I prefer both your answer and that of AF-1. Well done with your googling. It can sometimes come up with the most amazing facts.

 

Whatever it is, the thought of meeting a ten legged insect is not one I savour, and as for the camel spider, and the solifugid, well you wouldn’t see me for dust! 

 

Do you have room for another Tardis????

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, Reader0108598 said:

Glad u got away 🙂

 

 

Thank you, it was a nice break to meet up with someone we met on our second cruise many years ago. Sadly her husband has now passed away, but we remain great friends. 

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, azbirdmom said:

Sorry you are still having trouble with the app.  They have been able to fix all of the issues I was having for our cruise in two weeks.  I've sent every issue to them via email and they've replied back after things have been fixed.  It's been quite a process but I'm glad I'm past it.  Or at least I think I am.  I can't remember if I gave it to you but their official email address is askoceanmedallion@carnival.com  but the one that I've replied to is this:  A360ad7@carnival.com  .  I haven't even tried to do anything to fix my later cruises in the app, I am hoping that things have settled down by then and all will be well.  I can dream, right?  Good luck to you.

 

Thank you, once again, azbirdmom. I’m so glad that you have finally managed to sort out the app, and completed the process.

 

Thank you for those two email addresses. I will give them a whirl. 

[azbirdmom]

Just now, ellie1145 said:

 

Thank you, once again, azbirdmom. I’m so glad that you have finally managed to sort out the app, and completed the process.

 

Thank you for those two email addresses. I will give them a whirl. 

 

You're welcome.  They will want a full description of the issues you are experiencing along with the following info:

 

   Full Name on Reservation:

   Booking Number:

   Device Type being used when accessing the MedallionClass app:

   Operating System on Device:

[ellie1145]

On 7/25/2021 at 11:24 PM, azbirdmom said:

 

You're welcome.  They will want a full description of the issues you are experiencing along with the following info:

 

   Full Name on Reservation:

   Booking Number:

   Device Type being used when accessing the MedallionClass app:

   Operating System on Device:

 

Thanks, again, azbirdmom! 👍

[ellie1145]

So how are you going to spend your morning?

 

This morning there is the usual round of activities, such as Pickleball (would love one of my Cruising Adventurers to explain what that is, please?), Speed Sudoku, Zumba Express, Knitters and Knatters, Bridge, Cards and Games Get Together, Bean Bag Toss Challenge, Egg Drop Challenge, as well as a Carpet Bowls Challenge.

 

For those who wish to learn something there is an Enrichment Lecture given by Dr Michael Tribe, on ‘Great Runners, Great Races, and Great Rivalries.’ Not my scene as running is not really my forte. Mark Harris is also back to present ‘Ensenada, The Hidden Secrets.’

 

Now, at 10.00 am there is ‘Go Home Looking 10 Years Younger,’ but as we have trivia at 10.30 am I have to give this a miss, as I don’t think that half an hour is long enough to make me look even one year younger, so I am not too disappointed.

 

The Morning Movie is ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet,’ which we have never heard of. There is also Cirque du Soleil: Alegria at 12.15 pm. It takes several attempts to write that as predictive text insists it’s Algeria!

 

Those taking part in the Princess Pop Choir have to meet in Skywalkers for a rehearsal. We are looking forward to the performance later this afternoon.

 

At 9.45 am there is ‘Festival of the World: Arts and Crafts’ in the Crown Grill, and today you can make Mexican Masks. This sounds fun, but we are still in breakfast so miss it. This is followed at 12.00 pm with Hawaiian Orchid Lei Making which I really enjoyed previously. In fact, my orchid lei is still sitting in the ‘fridge to keep it fresh, and very beautiful it is too.

 

After our miserable showing at trivia we decide to grab a quick lunch in Horizon Court before meeting our team for our final Cruise Long Trivia. By now we know the score, and don’t expect to be told how each team is doing, but after the quiz I am able to go on Google to check on the answers, and discover that we have scored 12 out of a possible 15 points. For some reason, the progressive trivia is usually only 15 questions. Maybe our quizmaster doesn’t want too much to mark.

 

It is an odd Trivia as it’s a ‘True or False’ quiz, not my favourite, and really a bit of a let down for a progressive quiz. We score 10/12 but the winners score 12.

 

Here are a few of the more interesting statements and answers.

 

1. Bats are blind.  FALSE

How many of us have used the expression, ‘blind as a bat?” In actual fact bats have small eyes, but they have very sensitive vision and this enables them to see in conditions which we would describe as pitch black.

We get this one right! Hooray, we are off to a good start!

 

2. All Vikings wore horned helmets into battle. FALSE

Luckily I knew the answer to this one. There is actually little evidence that Vikings ever wore horned helmets, as they would have got in the way in a battle situation, and when onboard their very cramped warships. Apparently there is only one preserved helmet from the Viking age, and that doesn’t have horns. Unfortunately, helmets were not normally placed in graves, so have not survived. Now wasn’t that interesting?

 

3. Chewing gum stays in the stomach for 7 years after swallowing it.  FALSE

My dad would always warn me about the perils of swallowing chewing gum so it’s a great relief to know that it is not true, as I’ve spent the last 65 years worrying about it.

 

4. Eyes stay the same size as at birth. TRUE (according to our quizmaster)

Actually it is FALSE, as when a baby is born its eyes are 75% of the size they will eventually grow to. Eyes reach full size by the age of 20 or 21.

 

5. Goldfish have 3 second memories. FALSE

Now that was a shock as I’m sure that in Finding Nemo, Dory had a very short memory (almost as short as mine!). What a let down.

 

6. Dolphins sleep with one eye open. TRUE

How amazing is that? A dolphin can shut down one half of its brain and its corresponding eye in order to remain partly conscious, and to avoid being eaten by sharks.

 

7. A duck’s quack doesn’t echo. FALSE

Now that has to be one of the silliest statements, and to be honest, do I really care one way or another? I can’t say it has ever crossed my mind to wonder about it. However, we do get this one right! But as it’s 50/50 it wasn’t that difficult!

 

 

Trivia over, we make our way to the Piazza for the Princess Pop Choir Performance, where everyone is getting ready to perform. 

 

[ellie1145]

The Piazza is packed but we manage to find a small space so that I can take a couple of photos, but it is really difficult with so many people crowded around.

 

Apologies that the first video is so wobbly! Don’t quite know what happened there!

 

 

The Pop Choir is a regular feature of Princess cruises and by the looks of it, people have had great fun. They sing a couple of favourites, the 1967 Franki Valli song, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes of You,’ and The Drifters’ big hit, ‘Under the Boardwalk.’ The audience are very appreciative and applaud loudly.

 

It is a short show, and we are just in time to dash along to Club Fusion for Movie Poster Trivia at 2.15 pm. We don’t do very well, scoring 19/25 but there are some real movie buffs who do brilliantly.

 

The afternoon is really busy, as immediately after Trvia we have to make our way to the Princess Theatre for Captain Ron Wilson’s Aloha Farewell Show at 3.00 pm, in which the amazing ukulele players take part.

 

 

 

There is just time to dash to the Da Vinci Dining Room for a quick afternoon tea. It is sad to think that this is our penultimate tea, as it is such a delicious experience, and the staff are wonderful and always greet us warmly.

 

 

[ellie1145]

On 7/25/2021 at 8:12 PM, ellie1145 said:

1. Who is Michael Stipe?

2. Priam was king of which city?

3. What is the name of an insect with 10 legs?

4. How thick is the earth’s continental crust?

5. What is the name of the gateway between East and West Berlin - now we really SHOULD have got that one!

 

I am sure you are desperate to know the answers so here we go!

 

1.  Michael Stipe is best known as the lead singer of R.E.M.

 

2.  Priam was the legendary king of Troy during the Trojan War. He had several children including Hector and Paris.

 

3.  The name of an insect with 10 legs, according to our quizmaster,  is a decapede, but cr8tiv1 gave us the answer,  solifugid,  which  I am going to say is the correct answer (and I’m always right, as you know…😉)

 

4.  How thick is the earth’s continental crust? Well that is a humdinger of a question, but the answer is  40km or 25 miles thick. Now I think I will be forgetting that bit of trivia immediately.

 

5.  The gateway between East and West Berlin is usually regarded as being the Brandenburg Gate, but our quizmaster says it is Checkpoint Charlie. We opt for the first answer so, according to our quizmaster, we are wrong. This shows, once again, that you have to be very specific in your trivia questions as there can sometimes be more than one answer. 

 

Well done everyone who took part. Hope you have received your Tardises by now and are happily revisiting your previous cruises. 

 

 

 

On 7/25/2021 at 9:26 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

Solifugid

 

[cr8tiv1]

Mathematically, decapede would translate to 10 feet.  But I will go with Ms. Google....Thank you for the prize.

[ellie1145]

What a busy day we’ve had so far! But it’s time for yet more trivia, and this time it’s a music quiz. We score a very good 19/20 but miss out on ‘Hungry Eyes,’ and as there is a brilliant team who score a full house, once again we are pipped at the post.

 

We bid our team mates farewell and make our way out on deck for a walk. The sea is still choppy and grey but it’s lovely to watch the waves, and get some fresh air.

 

 

 

It’s Formal Night tonight, which we think is rather odd, as we’ve had so many sea days and yet now, with just one day to go, and a busy port day, we need to get our ‘glad rags’ on.

 

We decide to return to the cabin to do a little packing and then get ready for dinner. We really enjoy the wonderful array of movies that Princess provide. We have never found a ship which offers so much free entertainment on the cabin TV, and it’s a great bonus.

 

The very first cruise we ever went on with two of our children was a brand new ship. One of the many things which wowed us was standing at one end of the ship and looking down the long, long corridor. We just couldn’t get over it, and it still gives me goose bumps. I think it is one of the places which gives you a real feel for the enormity of the ship. 

 

 

When we made our way from LA to the cruise port we took an Uber, but were not sure how we were going to get to the airport on disembarkation. However, thanks to the lovely couple who joined us on our taxi ride on Kauai, we have been invited to join them in their shuttle to the airport. It’s great not to have to think about it and we are really pleased to be able to join them. There will be six of us sharing the cost of a remarkable £79. What a bargain!

 

 

We receive our final instructions for meeting, following disembarkation, at around 8.00 am, as the taxi has a pick up time of 9.30 am. Although we will have a long wait for our flight, which departs at 17.20 pm we are happy to spend time in the airport before we depart for the UK via Munich.

 

But let’s not think about leaving Ruby Princess and going home. We don’t want to be miserable today.

 

On the spur of the moment we decide to book a hotel in London Heathrow, for when we arrive back in the UK. We know it’s going to be a long and tiring journey, with a transatlantic flight and a shorter hop from Munich to London, and we think it wise to be able to get a good night’s sleep before we drive home. 

 

As it happens, this is the best decision we could have made as the flight doesn’t exactly go to plan. But more of that later……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Mathematically, decapede would translate to 10 feet.  But I will go with Ms. Google....Thank you for the prize.

 

Thank YOU for joining in with the quiz! 

 

Enjoy. 

[ellie1145]

Formal Night, and Renewing our Vows.

 

 

The early evening gets off to a busy start with Formal Portraits around the ship, between 5.00 and 10.00 pm.  At 6.45 pm there is the ‘Battle of the Sexes Game Show’ in Club Fusion. The Evening Movie is ‘The Upside’ at 7.00 pm and 10.00 pm.

 

 

But for us, we are going to be late in to dinner as we are going to take part in the Renewal of Marriage Vows in the Piazza. This is a lovely occasion, and we are joined by many couples as we dedicate our lives to each other once more. Despite being among so many people it is a very special moment, and we lose ourselves in each other as we make our vows. The only thing missing is our family.

 

The Piazza is looking beautiful tonight, as we gaze round for what will be nearly the last time.

 

 

 

 

 

We make our way to the dining room for our penultimate dinner. How fast this cruise is going.

Edited July 31, 2021 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Grand Party and Balloon Drop, Musical Showtime and lots of music….

 

 

As usual, there is plenty of live music around the ship, with Piano and Cocktails with Richard Sulek, in Crooners, and later in the Wheelhouse Bar. Souvenir Duo are playing ‘Evening Melodies’ in the Wheelhouse Bar, whilst Tommy McPhee is in Crooners at 8.30 pm and 10.15 pm until late.

 

For those like cr8tiv1 who enjoy dancing, the Walker Black Duo are happy to oblige by performing in the Explorers Lounge at 8.30 pm, and 10.15 til late.

 

The Main Offenders play ‘Love Songs’ on deck 5 midships at 7.45 pm.

 

Mary Simon, one of our favourite entertainers, can be found playing the ‘Music of the Divas’ in the Wheelhouse Bar at 9.15 pm, and later at 10.15 pm til late.

 

Of course, those who enjoy performing themselves can enjoy the Karaoke Power Hour at 8.00 pm in Club Fusion.

 

And if all that is not enough for you to choose from there is the ‘Miracle Lyrical Game Show’ in Explorers at 7.30 pm (which we miss),  and ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ with the Ruby Princess Singers and Dancers on Deck 5 midships at 9.15 pm.

 

Finally, there is a new show from Paul Hughes in the Princess Theatre at 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm.

 

 

Of course, the DJs are out in force tonight with Crowd DJ  in Club Fusion between 9.00 and 11.00 pm, and DJ11 in Skywalkers at 10.00 pm until late.

 

But for us we are off to dinner, before we race up to Explorers for the Motown Music Quiz at 9.30 pm. We could have gone to the ‘Grand Gala Party and Balloon Drop in the Piazza but we decide to test our Motown knowledge instead as we have seen it many times before.

Edited July 31, 2021 by ellie1145