Jim_Iain – Silhouette Live Post April 8, 21, 30 - B3B - TransAtlantic, Portugal Spain, France and the Norwegian Fjords

[Jim_Iain]

16 hours ago, Mike981 said:

 

Try this search link.

Thanks Mike.   As usual you are a great resource.   

[Jim_Iain]

16 hours ago, MDCruze said:

 

Now that's a seriously cool feature. Thank you!

 

Your pictures are just wonderful, by the way. It's almost like being there.

 

 

I use to use a app called PictureIt that is an annual cost of about $15.    I guess Apple's new feature has put them out of business.    Someone told me that they have a similar feature on Android phones.

 

During the pandemic I would post pictures of flowers I would find daily on my Facebook.   It was always fun to identify so many plants I didn't know

[Jim_Iain]

16 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

For a moment, I thought the picture was suggesting these sheep represented cruise passengers without masks lining up to get on the ship.

 

LOL..... The same thought went through my sick head when I first saw it.    It somewhat seems that way trying to do our  walk on the jogging path.    I wish I had a cattle prod. 

 

Now that we are a minority I have to start walking on the other side of the path and stairways.    Like driving in the UK for the first time. ---- or stepping off the curb and looking the wrong way. 

[Jim_Iain]

6 hours ago, FeebeeH said:

We've booked the Edge for February 2024.  In the meantime, we're taking full advantage of the NZ/Australia border opening and my husband & I are having a quick 5 day trip to Auckland & Rotorua in June 2022 to celebrate his birthday.  This is to make up for the 3 NZ trips we had to cancel due to Covid.

Good to hear they have relaxed the boarder.    We have friend from Sydney and they are planning a visit also.

[Redking]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

Got up at 8;00 and went up to Segundo for a double shot of caffeine.  
 

Remnants of last evening. 

@chemmowere you out tripping the light fantastic last night and left your cognac glass behind 🤔

[chemmo]

9 minutes ago, Redking said:

@chemmowere you out tripping the light fantastic last night and left your cognac glass behind 🤔

Only wish I was….October before our next cruise. Thoroughly enjoying the adventures of others though.

 

On second examination, I don’t think it could be mine, I think there is a drop left in it!

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

LOL..... The same thought went through my sick head when I first saw it.    It somewhat seems that way trying to do our  walk on the jogging path.    I wish I had a cattle prod. 

 

Now that we are a minority I have to start walking on the other side of the path and stairways.    Like driving in the UK for the first time. ---- or stepping off the curb and looking the wrong way. 

My husband has no difficulty changing to US driving (he has had lots of experience over the years). However, on returning to the UK he has to really concentrate for a few days. I have always had difficulty remembering my left and right…probably why I frequently can’t find our room when on board or is that just the cognac?

[upwarduk]

7 minutes ago, chemmo said:

My husband has no difficulty changing to US driving

We find on problem when we hire a car abroad, as the steering wheel is no the opposite side.

Problems occur when we drive our car abroad.😱

[chemmo]

6 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

We find on problem when we hire a car abroad, as the steering wheel is no the opposite side.

Problems occur when we drive our car abroad.😱

We have never done that…When we have toured in Europe we have flown in and hired a car…My husband would probably cope, I wouldn’t even attempt it! 

[upwarduk]

Seems I got my ‘No’ problem 

Steering wheel is ‘on’ 

reversed. Sorry about that, and I am too late to edit😱!

[chemmo]

7 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Seems I got my ‘No’ problem 

Steering wheel is ‘on’ 

reversed. Sorry about that, and I am too late to edit😱!

At least it is only your on and no which are back to front and not your driving!

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, chemmo said:

My husband has no difficulty changing to US driving (he has had lots of experience over the years). However, on returning to the UK he has to really concentrate for a few days. I have always had difficulty remembering my left and right…probably why I frequently can’t find our room when on board or is that just the cognac?

Hate to say it but I never had a problem driving while living in Ireland but when I returned to the states on  a visit turned into a lane of on-coming traffic  ---- Iain screaming AHHHHHHHHH   kicked me into a quick correction.

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, upwarduk said:

We find on problem when we hire a car abroad, as the steering wheel is no the opposite side.

Problems occur when we drive our car abroad.😱

The initial problem I always have is shifting with my left hand and looking to the left for rear view mirror.    My company Volvo in Irland was 4x the length of a normal car and was like berthing the Queen Mary to park in in a parking garage.

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, upwarduk said:

Seems I got my ‘No’ problem 

Steering wheel is ‘on’ 

reversed. Sorry about that, and I am too late to edit😱!

It occurred to me you were 'playing on (no) words as in reverse steering.......I thought it was clever!  👍

[Benthayer Gonbak]

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

My husband has no difficulty changing to US driving (he has had lots of experience over the years). However, on returning to the UK he has to really concentrate for a few days. I have always had difficulty remembering my left and right…probably why I frequently can’t find our room when on board or is that just the cognac?

yep, I’ve made those mistakes as much as 4 months later!  It’s more dangerous to drive at home after living and driving abroad!   I turned down a right turn lane but fortunately, no one was around but then had someone been there I probably wouldn’t have made the mistake.  
 

Can’t imagine driving in St Thomas!  
 

I had to remember driver in the center of the road which doesn’t work in St Thomas! 

Edited April 24, 2022 by Benthayer Gonbak

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Jim, your posts with photos are just such a delight to see.  The photos of the beach are just beautiful.  I so appreciate what it takes to post so many photos.

 

in the photos on the ship it appears that just about no one is wearing a mask.  It gives me pause based on recent threads on this board with SO many people reporting leaving the ship recently and testing positive upon their return home.  Some said they were diligent and wore their masks nonstop and still got it.  Others said they didn’t wear masks but avoided people and were stringent with hand washing.  On our last cruise the ship was half full and we did not mask with no issues, but seeing how crowded your ship appears there seems to be no way to avoid other people in close proximity.

 

We are on the Solstice to Alaska in May and I’m starting to think we might have to wear masks if the ships are that heavily booked.  Sigh.  Hard to go back to them again.  
 

But, on the bright side, I love reading all your posts.  Re driving on the opposite side of the road...we lived in England for three years and once we got accustomed to the driving it was not an issue but I ALWAYS had to be very mindful when stepping out to cross the street.  For some reason looking the wrong way for oncoming traffic was much more deeply ingrained in my head and my husband learned to grab hold of me, like a five year old, every time we approached a curb.  🥴😀

 

Joanie

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Jim, your posts with photos are just such a delight to see.  The photos of the beach are just beautiful.  I so appreciate what it takes to post so many photos.

 

in the photos on the ship it appears that just about no one is wearing a mask.  It gives me pause based on recent threads on this board with SO many people reporting leaving the ship recently and testing positive upon their return home.  Some said they were diligent and wore their masks nonstop and still got it.  Others said they didn’t wear masks but avoided people and were stringent with hand washing.  On our last cruise the ship was half full and we did not mask with no issues, but seeing how crowded your ship appears there seems to be no way to avoid other people in close proximity.

 

We are on the Solstice to Alaska in May and I’m starting to think we might have to wear masks if the ships are that heavily booked.  Sigh.  Hard to go back to them again.  
 

But, on the bright side, I love reading all your posts.  Re driving on the opposite side of the road...we lived in England for three years and once we got accustomed to the driving it was not an issue but I ALWAYS had to be very mindful when stepping out to cross the street.  For some reason looking the wrong way for oncoming traffic was much more deeply ingrained in my head and my husband learned to grab hold of me, like a five year old, every time we approached a curb.  🥴😀

 

Joanie

 

Joanie - 

 

I has really been a stark difference from the cruise last week.    Britain has dropped mask mandates weeks ago and many feel really relaxed around others at this time.   Many think there will be fewer cases this cruise because the surge of the last strain passed over Britain a couple weeks ago while the surge has just began on the American East Coast and has yet been barely seen in California. 

 

I sure hope they are correct, but seeing a lot of the staff go missing and cryptic message from the Captain does concern me.    With this variant I'm not really concerned of being infected but the impact it may have on our vacation is very concerning.

 

The only way to get from the Beautiful Terminal in Porto to town is a shuttle.    The lines and they way they are packing the buses with unmasked guest forced us to just stay aboard and  the ship.

[Jim_Iain]

Awoke in Porto this morning.   We turned our clocks back last night and are again on UK time as Portugal 🇵🇹 is on that time zone.  Tonight we go back an out to continental time zone. 
 

Porto has a beautiful terminal reminiscent of the Guggenheim.  

The morning had a marine layer that later broke to a mostly sunny day. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

We had not made plans so decided to do our walks y and would the figure out what we would do. 
 

One look out onto the pier we decided we would stay aboard.   It is mandatory to take a shuttle off the piers and the wait combined with no possibility of social distancing made a decision for us to enjoy a nearly empty ship. 
 

[Bo1953]

On 4/22/2022 at 2:14 AM, Jim_Iain said:

Worrying moment this morning..   My daughter sent me a text at 1:30 AM my time that she was in the Emergency Room with a large blood clot in her leg.   Quite a worry as her 35 y.o. cousin died from a clot last year.   I didn't see the message until when I got up.

 

Good news  -  I called her and she said they had her on blood thinners and released her after a long day in the ER and had just gotten home.

 

It' always a concern when you travel that something may happen back home.

j_i glad to hear that all is well for your daughter and hopefully nothing more for you to worry about during your sailing on this level...

 

bon voyage Gent's...

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, kasijab said:

@Jim_Iain sorry for delay, just seen your message. We are indeed onboard and in 9259 😁😁

Santa Clause is coming to town. 
 

[upwarduk]

40 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

staff go missing and cryptic message from the Captain does concern me.   

I really don’t think the Captain needs to publish COVID cases.😱

 

[kwokpot]

33 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

We had not made plans so decided to do our walks y and would the figure out what we would do. 
 

One look out onto the pier we decided we would stay aboard.   It is mandatory to take a shuttle off the piers and the wait combined with no possibility of social distancing made a decision for us to enjoy a nearly empty ship. 
 

We will be in Porto in June with Carnival and your observations have dismayed me since we've never been to that Port. I guess we'll wait untill the crowds on the pier bus have subsided until we venture out. Enjoy the rest of your Ports and I'm reading with anticipation for our trip starting next month. Thanks for all your posts.

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

j_i glad to hear that all is well for your daughter and hopefully nothing more for you to worry about during your sailing on this level...

 

bon voyage Gent's...

 

Bo,    I was thinking of you on the last cruise.  We met a really nice couple and one was a Vegan.   He said they came up with wonderful selections daily and was really happy with their offering.   He said the chief was very imaginative and never was served boring meal. 

[StillLooking4Adventure]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Joanie - 

 

I has really been a stark difference from the cruise last week.    Britain has dropped mask mandates weeks ago and many feel really relaxed around others at this time.   Many think there will be fewer cases this cruise because the surge of the last strain passed over Britain a couple weeks ago while the surge has just began on the American East Coast and has yet been barely seen in California. 

 

I sure hope they are correct, but seeing a lot of the staff go missing and cryptic message from the Captain does concern me.    With this variant I'm not really concerned of being infected but the impact it may have on our vacation is very concerning.

 

The only way to get from the Beautiful Terminal in Porto to town is a shuttle.    The lines and they way they are packing the buses with unmasked guest forced us to just stay aboard and  the ship.

We took a Celebrity tour this morning of Porto, a river cruise and a wine tasting.  They informed us on the bus that Celebrity was incorrect when it told passengers no masks on busses. The government still requires masks on all public conveyance and we were required to wear one in the tourbus. Noone  complained.