Jim_Iain (with and Eye) - B2B Millennium 10/11 and 10/19 Pacific Coastal

[Benthayer Gonbak]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

The menu does change on a daily basis but like the MDR they have a rotation of 14 menus.  The have been starting with day 1 and repeat each cruise.   We have traveled mostly in Suites and seeing the first 7-10 days of menus repeatedly for the past 8-10 years you get to know them by heart.  

 

Don't get me wrong the food and service are excellent, but even in Luminae we order off the main dining room menu over 50% of the time.

We’ve noticed that some of the dishes differ greatly when the crew changes.  The oddest for me was 3 different presentation, and size, of chicken pot pie for lunch.  I never figured out how that could have been all changes of crew.   since our B2B2B I don’t remember seeing pot pies again, in MDR.  Maybe it’s on a port day, or one of those last 2-4 days?  Some of the deserts vary too.

 

 

[ophkw]

I’ve been enjoying your reports so much!  We are taking our first Celebrity cruise next month.  We have the streaming internet.  Do you think you can use it for a phone call on FaceTime or similar?  

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Maggie North said:

Thank you for the heads up on the video! I’ll be sure to watch it. 
 

How cool will it be to ‘commute’ from home to a cruise ship? When we cruised the Mexican Riviera a couple years ago, I was surprised how chilly the Pacific was compared to the balmy Caribbean…had to do some creative layering!

 

Enjoy!

 

I agree.    We live in Northern California and used to cooler weather but this storm that has spurred a number of fires like the Santa Barbara fire usually occur this time of year when we get the "Santa Ana Winds"  (Off shore strong dry winds)

 

The weather is suppose to improve with highs of 65-72 for San Francisco while we are there.    We live about 35 miles south and will be getting up to low 80's.   

 

It's important for those sailing the Coast to remember that the  sea temperatures usually stay at 53-60 and give us our mild temperatures with an average of 56F (about 13 C)

 

It's

[Jim_Iain]

24 minutes ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

We’ve noticed that some of the dishes differ greatly when the crew changes.  The oddest for me was 3 different presentation, and size, of chicken pot pie for lunch.  I never figured out how that could have been all changes of crew.   since our B2B2B I don’t remember seeing pot pies again, in MDR.  Maybe it’s on a port day, or one of those last 2-4 days?  Some of the deserts vary too.

 

 

 

I don't recall seeing the Pot Pies on the MDR menu but may not have noticed if I weren't looking for them.  

[Jim_Iain]

14 minutes ago, ophkw said:

I’ve been enjoying your reports so much!  We are taking our first Celebrity cruise next month.  We have the streaming internet.  Do you think you can use it for a phone call on FaceTime or similar?  

 

Yes you sure can.    You should be able to do Social Media,  FaceTime and Phone Calls.   Just make sure you put your phone on Airplane Mode and that WiFi is turned on.    Some I have spoken to have complained of slow speeds and decided to upgrade at the mid-point of the cruise.  

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

Update on setting up a streaming device on Celebrity.

 

I brought along a generic Samsung Remote and tried it last night and I can change sources by just pushing the Source Button.    Really funny as the Source Button on the Celebrity Remote on Equinox didn't work and the remote on our Millennium doesn't have a source button.

 

I should have also pointed out that in order to operate a streaming stick you have to be able to log on to your account.    Easiest way is to google on Hotel Mode Setup of Roku.    I found I can do it be creating a small hotspot from my PC.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

5 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I don't recall seeing the Pot Pies on the MDR menu but may not have noticed if I weren't looking for them.  

We say them in South America for the first time, 3 times.  I’ve not seen them since but haven’t done too many 14 day trips since then.   I hadn’t seen them before either!   
 

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

We say them in South America for the first time, 3 times.  I’ve not seen them since but haven’t done too many 14 day trips since then.   I hadn’t seen them before either!   
 

What year?

[Benthayer Gonbak]

1 minute ago, LGW59 said:

What year?

2015 I think.   We did 14 tours to Canada/New England before and after that and never saw them , so I though we were just in port perhaps.  

[Jim_Iain]

For those on my previous Live that are into Mystery and Detective Novels -

 

I downloaded the complete 58 book series of  Georges Simenon and have listened to the 1st 4.   The first one took me awhile to get into it but once I got hooked have enjoyed them.

 

I also downloaded The Prey series by  John Sandford and alternated with Simenon.    I think I get more involved in Sandford's novels but both are a good read (or listen).

[Jim_Iain]

6 minutes ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

We say them in South America for the first time, 3 times.  I’ve not seen them since but haven’t done too many 14 day trips since then.   I hadn’t seen them before either!   
 

 

Interesting.    Wonder if they are on some of the day 7-14 menus.    I'll have to look through my files and see what I come up with.    I do enjoy a nice pot pie.

[Rockymaya]

3 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

For those on my previous Live that are into Mystery and Detective Novels -

 

I downloaded the complete 58 book series of  Georges Simenon and have listened to the 1st 4.   The first one took me awhile to get into it but once I got hooked have enjoyed them.

 

I also downloaded The Prey series by  John Sandford and alternated with Simenon.    I think I get more involved in Sandford's novels but both are a good read (or listen).

Love the John Sandford Prey series.Another great series is Lincoln And Child,s series about FBI agent Pendergast.

[Jim_Iain]

Just now, Rockymaya said:

Love the John Sandford Prey series.Another great series is Lincoln And Child,s series about FBI agent Pendergast.

 

That sounds like something I would enjoy.    I usually burn through 2-3 books a week so always on the outlook for good Audio Books.   I use to be a big e-book reader but when I started walking 3-4 hours a day audio books really took over as my way of not getting bored. 

[Rockymaya]

I only read books when on vacation.Luckily 4 authors that I read put out a book a year so I end up bringing a couple of books with me per cruise.Still prefer holding an actually book.

[Rockymaya]

Robert K. Tanenbaum is another author with a series of books similar to Sandford's Prey series.

[Jim_Iain]

8 minutes ago, Rockymaya said:

Robert K. Tanenbaum is another author with a series of books similar to Sandford's Prey series.

Stuck it on the List that GeorgiaPeach created.    Great resource for sure.

 

I originally like a real book but when I began reading on an electronic book I found I was reading much faster.   Maybe just the time to turn a page.  Hard to believe it would make a difference.    The one thing I really liked was if the author used a word I didn't know I could just click on it and it would pull up a definition of the word.

[Jim_Iain]

[lilghallinsf]

On 10/8/2021 at 9:01 AM, Jim_Iain said:

 

Welcome.    Feel free to jump in.    Lurking is fun but even more fun if you participated.  We will be gentle.  LOL

Love your threads and thanks for encouraging the lurking. After a hard day, soaking in a tub and reading this makes the day better

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Glad your test kits arrived.   I thought it was beneficial to watch the video  posted on the Covid Test AG thread.    He screwed up his first test and made me more cautious since we only had one test apiece.    We had zero wait time and it was very efficient.

 

You will really enjoy her.    It is amazing how time flies.    We are suppose to come through the Golden Gate tomorrow at 7:45.    We have been talking about taking a train home tomorrow and pick up a couple things.     It has been much cooler than I expected and I really could use a couple Sweaters and Sweat Shirts.  

 

It should only take us 45 minutes to get home and then a 1 mile walk from the station.  

 

Or just use some of your OBC to buy a sweatshirt.  First time I came to Florida from Minnesota I came with summer clothes.  Cold front.  Who knew?  Bought a Sanibel sweatshirt which I wore for most of the rest of the trip.

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

1 hour ago, Rockymaya said:

Robert K. Tanenbaum is another author with a series of books similar to Sandford's Prey series.

 

Tanenbaum is far better than the Sandford Prey books.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Interesting.    Wonder if they are on some of the day 7-14 menus.    I'll have to look through my files and see what I come up with.    I do enjoy a nice pot pie.

I’d guess over 10-11 as my last Equinox I didn’t see it.  One came as a sort of pastry bowl, another looked more like onion soup!  Texture of the crust was different too! 

[abbydancer2003]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I agree.    We live in Northern California and used to cooler weather but this storm that has spurred a number of fires like the Santa Barbara fire usually occur this time of year when we get the "Santa Ana Winds"  (Off shore strong dry winds)

 

The weather is suppose to improve with highs of 65-72 for San Francisco while we are there.    We live about 35 miles south and will be getting up to low 80's.   

 

It's important for those sailing the Coast to remember that the  sea temperatures usually stay at 53-60 and give us our mild temperatures with an average of 56F (about 13 C)

 

It's

I got Elite on Princess by doing a lot of coastals.  Anytime either of us forgets a jacket, we end up with a new Princess branded one.  I also remember watching an outdoor movie one May night (7 pounds was the movie) bundled in my coat and 8 wool ship blankets and still being cold.  At that point, I figured outdoor movies were a much better idea in the Caribbean.

[upwarduk]

13 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Zenith v Elite.

The only additional event is the Concierge lunch. 
I thought more events would have been planned.

Obviously the Zenith lunch is not on all cruises, they must wait to see the passenger mix.

[LisaLeone]

12 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

For those on my previous Live that are into Mystery and Detective Novels -

 

I downloaded the complete 58 book series of  Georges Simenon and have listened to the 1st 4.   The first one took me awhile to get into it but once I got hooked have enjoyed them.

 

I also downloaded The Prey series by  John Sandford and alternated with Simenon.    I think I get more involved in Sandford's novels but both are a good read (or listen).

Jim, have you ever read Fredrik Backman? I highly recommend A Man Called Ove. In addition, Anxious People, as an audio book, is fabulous. Not mysteries...just wonderful!

[Jim_Iain]

13 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Or just use some of your OBC to buy a sweatshirt.  First time I came to Florida from Minnesota I came with summer clothes.  Cold front.  Who knew?  Bought a Sanibel sweatshirt which I wore for most of the rest of the trip.

 

 

I planned on buying a Sweat Shirt here in San Francisco but we will probably just take a trip home for a couple hours.    We probably would not have done any touring anyway since Iain use to work a couple blocks away from terminal and San Francisco is our back door.   

 

I have to be back by 6:00 anyway because I have to chair a Conference Call on Zoom.