Live Horizon/Mardi Gras B2B 8/1-8/7and 8/7-814

[JaniceB]

6 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Thanks for following along.  I loved doing them.  I hope my love for cruising shown thru loud and clear.

It does show through and I am sad I will not have your cruise posts to read this week.  I will be patiently waiting for your next cruise. 

[KmomChicago]

I assume you reviewed Legend, Jimbo and I’ll look later when I’m on the PC and have research time. I hope so.
 

After the inconvenient flight out of Orlando last night I’m seriously eyeballing Baltimore which is the closest drive for us, just under 11 hours. 
 

This after I got off Mardi Gras yesterday with no plans for any future cruises whatsoever. It gets into your blood, man!

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, KmomChicago said:

I assume you reviewed Legend, Jimbo and I’ll look later when I’m on the PC and have research time. I hope so.
 

After the inconvenient flight out of Orlando last night I’m seriously eyeballing Baltimore which is the closest drive for us, just under 11 hours. 
 

This after I got off Mardi Gras yesterday with no plans for any future cruises whatsoever. It gets into your blood, man!

I feel you Kmom!  Book that cruise!

[jimbo5544]

9 hours ago, JaniceB said:

It does show through and I am sad I will not have your cruise posts to read this week.  I will be patiently waiting for your next cruise. 

We have 6 more in the hopper.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

10 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

This reminds me of another point, the elevators are a little different but in my estimation better.  You again can pick a floor once entering an elevator.

 

Jimbo, did you find it odd/awkward that the elevator controls were on the side wall of the elevator rather than on either side of the door? It just seemed way easier to block out access to the buttons with it on the side wall. There was a lot more "what floor would you like" going on. Perhaps it's just my focus on it, since it was different. I'm sure that they've done their research on this.

 

Tom

[jimbo5544]

9 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I assume you reviewed Legend, Jimbo and I’ll look later when I’m on the PC and have research time. I hope so.
 

After the inconvenient flight out of Orlando last night I’m seriously eyeballing Baltimore which is the closest drive for us, just under 11 hours. 
 

This after I got off Mardi Gras yesterday with no plans for any future cruises whatsoever. It gets into your blood, man!

Baltimore is a really solid port, and has a really large repeat clientele.  You can drive right to the ship.  Oue friend Ken Byrne, the singing Maitre’d sails from there.  If you go and want to drive in the day before I can point you to a wonderful hotel, sunset drinks at a rooftop bar at Sunset.  I have several reviews from there.

[jimbo5544]

Just now, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Jimbo, did you find it odd/awkward that the elevator controls were on the side wall of the elevator rather than on either side of the door? It just seemed way easier to block out access to the buttons with it on the side wall. There was a lot more "what floor would you like" going on. Perhaps it's just my focus on it, since it was different. I'm sure that they've done their research on this.

 

Tom

It was an interesting place, the wife questioned in on the 2nd day.  People were usually busy pullling up masks and hiding the panel by default.  On the cruise formal night we got on and it stopped next floor and this woman gets on and says she forgot her mask and holds her phone over her face…..sometimes you cannot make this stuff up.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

13 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

It was an interesting place, the wife questioned in on the 2nd day.  People were usually busy pullling up masks and hiding the panel by default.  On the cruise formal night we got on and it stopped next floor and this woman gets on and says she forgot her mask and holds her phone over her face…..sometimes you cannot make this stuff up.

 

Well, the phone would work - if her plan has good "coverage".  (sorry) !   🙂

 

Tom

[jimbo5544]

9 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I assume you reviewed Legend, Jimbo and I’ll look later when I’m on the PC and have research time. I hope so.
 

After the inconvenient flight out of Orlando last night I’m seriously eyeballing Baltimore which is the closest drive for us, just under 11 hours. 
 

This after I got off Mardi Gras yesterday with no plans for any future cruises whatsoever. It gets into your blood, man!

Orlando airport has become a zoo, it has plain outgrew what it can supply.  We sat on the tarmac for about 70 minutes before we got clearance to take off.  It was weather related, after take off we had to loop back around south Florida to get around the nasty weather.  We landed at JFK about 90 minutes late.

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Well, the phone would work - if her plan has good "coverage".  (sorry) !   🙂

 

Tom

Speaking of coverage, I agree the premium internet was a brightspot.

[KmomChicago]

16 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Orlando airport has become a zoo, it has plain outgrew what it can supply.  We sat on the tarmac for about 70 minutes before we got clearance to take off.  It was weather related, after take off we had to loop back around south Florida to get around the nasty weather.  We landed at JFK about 90 minutes late.

I am not picky or easily rattled and it was BAD. It hasn’t been renovated or expanded since the 80’s and looks just barely kept stapled and duct taped together in that condition now. Bathroom doors broken all over, limited food service, unattractive, uncomfortable and insufficient seating and holding areas, etc etc. Our flight was 3.5 hours late and it was a red eye to begin with. 🥱😴 We were on Frontier and it was the same over at the JetBlue gates. I had plenty of time to wander around the crappy concourse.

 

I remember when MCO sparkled 35ish years ago and never thought it would devolve into a real embarrassment. 

[have2vacation]

Orlando Sanford International Airport is a small quant airport closer to coast that has low cost carriers. It’s like Ft. Lauderdale 25 years ago. Allegiant is one of the main carriers. 

[jimbo5544]

12 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

I am not picky or easily rattled and it was BAD. It hasn’t been renovated or expanded since the 80’s and looks just barely kept stapled and duct taped together in that condition now. Bathroom doors broken all over, limited food service, unattractive, uncomfortable and insufficient seating and holding areas, etc etc. Our flight was 3.5 hours late and it was a red eye to begin with. 🥱😴 We were on Frontier and it was the same over at the JetBlue gates. I had plenty of time to wander around the crappy concourse.

 

I remember when MCO sparkled 35ish years ago and never thought it would devolve into a real embarrassment. 

Blame it on the mouse…..

[jimbo5544]

Just now, have2vacation said:

Orlando Sanford International Airport is a small quant airport closer to coast that has low cost carriers. It’s like Ft. Lauderdale 25 years ago. Allegiant is one of the main carriers. 

True, it is something to consider.  Another is Melbourne.  

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

(OT alert!)

 

Does anyone else click on email links to threads that you've been following only to, sometimes, randomly have it go to the .uk site rather than the .com site? HERE'S where the email link took me (looks very similar, but you're not logged in).

 

It just happened to me again linking to this. It happens several times a week!

 

I started a thread about this a couple of months ago and Laura S jumped in to help me out - though nothing was ever really "fixed".

 

Tom

[KmomChicago]

9 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

True, it is something to consider.  Another is Melbourne.  

10 minutes ago, have2vacation said:

11 minutes ago, have2vacation said:

Orlando Sanford International Airport is a small quant airport closer to coast that has low cost carriers. It’s like Ft. Lauderdale 25 years ago. Allegiant is one of the main carriers. 

We have flown Allegiant from Indy to Sanford twice in the last 3 years and we do like it. Of course being me I have a whole story why we used Frontier this time which mostly boils down to: Cheap. Still I was wishing we’d done Allegiant as we boarded at 1am Sunday morning. 
 

The only problem is they don’t have daily flights so schedule is sometimes off. On the other hand, the planes are not running a 3 or 4 flights per day docket that can get progressively further behind each leg and be all shot to you know where by nighttime.

[HxFx]

10 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

After the inconvenient flight out of Orlando last night I’m seriously eyeballing Baltimore which is the closest drive for us, just under 11 hours.

After reading your and Jimbo5544's live reports, my DH and I decided to do the 12 hour drive to Port Canaveral next month instead of flying. Maybe I can try the Legend out of Baltimore someday too since that is just an hour's drive! I was supposed to be on her last year☹️

[jimbo5544]

16 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

(OT alert!)

 

Does anyone else click on email links to threads that you've been following only to, sometimes, randomly have it go to the .uk site rather than the .com site? HERE'S where the email link took me (looks very similar, but you're not logged in).

 

It just happened to me again linking to this. It happens several times a week!

 

I started a thread about this a couple of months ago and Laura S jumped in to help me out - though nothing was ever really "fixed".

 

Tom

My experience on Laura has been more of getting my knuckles whacked with a ruler…..but maybe that is just me.

[jimbo5544]

Just now, HxFx said:

After reading your and Jimbo5544's live reports, my DH and I decided to do the 12 hour drive to Port Canaveral next month instead of flying. Maybe I can try the Legend out of Baltimore someday too since that is just an hour's drive! I was supposed to be on her last year☹️

Not sure where home is, but another option for 2022 would be NY.  Simply the best sailaway for pics.

[KmomChicago]

1 minute ago, HxFx said:

After reading your and Jimbo5544's live reports, my DH and I decided to do the 12 hour drive to Port Canaveral next month instead of flying. Maybe I can try the Legend out of Baltimore someday too since that is just an hour's drive! I was supposed to be on her last year☹️

Oh yeah if we lived less than 6 hours from any port we would sail exclusively from it, even if it only had a single Fantasy class ship. We are right at that point where neither logistics option is very convenient at all.
 

In this case we could have been home quicker by driving all the way from Florida to Illinois. Exhausting either way.

[HxFx]

2 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Not sure where home is, but another option for 2022 would be NY.  Simply the best sailaway for pics.

That would be about a 4 hour drive but I have my eye on those too! I am particularly looking to do that for a Bermuda trip someday. Especially since the Bermuda cruises out of Baltimore don't look that great to me. DH is not that into sea days but I'm hoping after our Mardi Gras cruise he will appreciate the "ship as a destination" more. I'm only getting away with him agreeing to 3 sea days on that cruise because of all the current restrictions.

[ninjacat123]

2 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Oh yeah if we lived less than 6 hours from any port we would sail exclusively from it, even if it only had a single Fantasy class ship. We are right at that point where neither logistics option is very convenient at all.
 

In this case we could have been home quicker by driving all the way from Florida to Illinois. Exhausting either way.

This Sept 4 cruise we are driving 8 hours to Port Canaveral but the next cruise in January will be an easy 3 hour drive to Charleston!  Yippie!!

[KmomChicago]

3 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Not sure where home is, but another option for 2022 would be NY.  Simply the best sailaway for pics.

Yes there are a handful of East/northeast embark ports. Boston, Norfolk. I have calculated every possible option.
 

We did Nola for Triumph by car but it’s about 90 minutes further than Baltimore. 

 

We also drove to Bayonne for our 2019 to NE/Canada on RCI/AOS. They usually have a Quantum or Oasis class running from there.

[KmomChicago]

Flights for us kinda bite even in the best circumstances. We are about 75-90 minutes from either Chicago airport in light traffic and it’s always a stressful and tiring journey.

 

Indy is 2.5 hours but less miserable. When you add in the preflight time needed at the airports, the plane time, getting situated on the other end, we figure 6 hours is the break even time threshold for drive distance but closer to ten for overall cost/benefit ratio.

 

Then there’s parking costs and the need to arrange rides at the destination. And luggage limits and being on someone else’s schedule. Etc. Etc.
 

So getting easier to consider driving to Baltimore for the next one. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by KmomChicago

[HxFx]

8 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

This Sept 4 cruise we are driving 8 hours to Port Canaveral but the next cruise in January will be an easy 3 hour drive to Charleston!  Yippie!!

That's another one I've looked at. 8 hour drive for us. We are also on a Sept 4 cruise out of PC (Mardi Gras).