Kmom Live-ish from Carnival Vista April 23-30, 2022

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Thank you. I don’t feel “old.” I know I’m not really old. However I’m not thirty something anymore which I managed to stretch a good 23 years or so, as far as I’m concerned. I have always been told I also look at least ten-15 years younger than I am, which is handy since my husband is 14 years younger than me and I was a bit worried about that looking pretty bizarre at some point.

 

Sometime in this past six months I realized I truly feel different now, physically and mentally. It’s not a drastic shift but it’s authentic. My husband, ironically is aging earlier and harder than I did, so we stay aligned. Maybe I’ve done it to him, Lol. 
 

It’s the fatigue I think - I’m in no chronic pain or discomfort, but when I hit my mental or physical wall, I NEED A BREAK. And sometimes when traveling you don’t get it and I’m just getting beyond enjoying the experience enough to justify the inconveniences. The stress is barely balanced out by the joy of the journey anymore. For the last 55 years travel has really been the greatest deepest fullest true joy in my life, aside from the love of family, but that well is drying up right in front of me.

I understand. As I said, I am about to turn 75, and it is just recently that I do not feel that I am a kid. The fatigue part I especially understand. We recently visited DW's family for Easter, travelling 100+ miles each way. I let our son drive most of the way back, something I really did not do in the past.

 

Both looking forward to our next booked cruise, London to Reykjavik and wondering if we took on more than we (or at least I) can handle with a day in London beforehand followed by stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, several in Norway, and several in Iceland including an overnight in Reykjavik. At least we should have an easier day on our anniversary which is a sea day.

[KmomChicago]

5 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I understand. As I said, I am about to turn 75, and it is just recently that I do not feel that I am a kid. The fatigue part I especially understand. We recently visited DW's family for Easter, travelling 100+ miles each way. I let our son drive most of the way back, something I really did not do in the past.

 

Both looking forward to our next booked cruise, London to Reykjavik and wondering if we took on more than we (or at least I) can handle with a day in London beforehand followed by stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, several in Norway, and several in Iceland including an overnight in Reykjavik. At least we should have an easier day on our anniversary which is a sea day.

Sounds like a wonderful trip and you know, at this point, if not now, when? I’m sure you’ll enjoy it all. You can always book a bus tour in London and let them do the driving while you enjoy the view.

 

I’m also now seriously looking at each trip as perhaps the last of its kind, last chance for certain destinations and planning and spending accordingly. That’s not a bad thing, to ensure we don’t leave anything behind should we never pass this way again.

 

I was in Vegas recently and realized I’d better see Penn & Teller and Cirque du Soleil Love. Finally visited Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater last summer. 

 

The two shore excursions this week were curated with this in mind, perhaps the last time we want to climb around Mayan ruins in a steamy jungle, so we should grab it now. Wave runners in Cozumel, same situation.

[Hogladyrider]

All signed up and excited to follow!

 

Speaking of age, we are both "old" in mind only, him 68 me 70 this year.  We just completed a 3400 mile road trip and we learned NOT to plan that again, it was just too wearing on us mentally and physically.  We were on the road for 18 days with a 7 day stopover to visit the grandkids, talk about exhausting!

 

My mom is 93 and we talk often about the age thing, she fights the tiredness all the time, mind over body, she feels her body wearing down but she refuses to give into it, says if you do you are one and done.  She goes the the gym 3 mornings a week, also her social time, she reads, still drives only during the day, cooks and lives along with her three rescue ferral kitties.

 

We made this 3400 mile drive to spend the summer on the east coast to be near her and we have two family weddings this summer.  We will be returning to Arizona in November and hopefully no more long RV trips, we are too old.

 

Enjoy your cruise, looking forward to your postings.

[KmomChicago]

22 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

All signed up and excited to follow!

 

Speaking of age, we are both "old" in mind only, him 68 me 70 this year.  We just completed a 3400 mile road trip and we learned NOT to plan that again, it was just too wearing on us mentally and physically.  We were on the road for 18 days with a 7 day stopover to visit the grandkids, talk about exhausting!

 

My mom is 93 and we talk often about the age thing, she fights the tiredness all the time, mind over body, she feels her body wearing down but she refuses to give into it, says if you do you are one and done.  She goes the the gym 3 mornings a week, also her social time, she reads, still drives only during the day, cooks and lives along with her three rescue ferral kitties.

 

We made this 3400 mile drive to spend the summer on the east coast to be near her and we have two family weddings this summer.  We will be returning to Arizona in November and hopefully no more long RV trips, we are too old.

 

Enjoy your cruise, looking forward to your postings.

You and your mom are both awesome.  I need to walk more. I was really good about 10-15 thousand steps a day in Las Vegas last month but it’s been cold and wet mostly in April and I don’t go out unless it’s nice. That’s my goal this year. I work from home and sit through meetings I could walk through. I have started and love it and need to make it a habit at least through October. I actually love walking but don’t do it enough.

[KmomChicago]

At IAH now waiting to board the Carnival shuttle. Terminal C near baggage claim 10.

Edited April 23, 2022 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

Standard hard used motor coach with a restroom. Nothing special, bathroom looks clean but smells like urine, not that you’d refuse in an emergency on the 70-90 minute ride.

[KmomChicago]

We left about 10:22 for out 10:00 shuttle. Seems like that’s common. There are passengers for both Dream and Vista today. Apparently we’re done with the checked bags at this point. 
 

The few reviews on this shuttle are not great. There’s nothing technically wrong with it but it’s probably a 20 year old bus with 6 drop down screens showing nothing. Simply a ride to the pier in a charmless generic package.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Sounds like a wonderful trip and you know, at this point, if not now, when? I’m sure you’ll enjoy it all. You can always book a bus tour in London and let them do the driving while you enjoy the view.

 

I’m also now seriously looking at each trip as perhaps the last of its kind, last chance for certain destinations and planning and spending accordingly. That’s not a bad thing, to ensure we don’t leave anything behind should we never pass this way again.

 

I was in Vegas recently and realized I’d better see Penn & Teller and Cirque du Soleil Love. Finally visited Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater last summer. 

 

The two shore excursions this week were curated with this in mind, perhaps the last time we want to climb around Mayan ruins in a steamy jungle, so we should grab it now. Wave runners in Cozumel, same situation.

Yes, it is a wonderful itinerary that we both fell in love with when we saw it in a brochure we received last year from NCL (by far not my favorite cruise line). It combined places we have been to like London, Amsterdam, and Reykjavik with places we have not been to like Belgium and Norwegian fjords and smaller Iceland ports. (We were supposed to go on a Norwegian fjords cruise in the summer of 2020, but of course that did not sail.)

 

When I saw it last year, I thought it was for this year 2022, not 2023 as the ship was still being built, and we would be on the ship for our 45th anniversary. Instead we will have a sea day between Norway and Iceland as our 46th anniversary. (What we now have planned to make the 45th special is a Willie Nelson concert at Bethel Woods, the site of the original Woodstock festival, which I attended.)

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by ontheweb

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Sounds like a wonderful trip and you know, at this point, if not now, when? I’m sure you’ll enjoy it all. You can always book a bus tour in London and let them do the driving while you enjoy the view.

 

I’m also now seriously looking at each trip as perhaps the last of its kind, last chance for certain destinations and planning and spending accordingly. That’s not a bad thing, to ensure we don’t leave anything behind should we never pass this way again.

 

I was in Vegas recently and realized I’d better see Penn & Teller and Cirque du Soleil Love. Finally visited Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater last summer. 

 

The two shore excursions this week were curated with this in mind, perhaps the last time we want to climb around Mayan ruins in a steamy jungle, so we should grab it now. Wave runners in Cozumel, same situation.

We both do a lot of walking, so I do not know if a bus tour in London would fit our style of travelling. The last time we were in London (pre-cruise for a British Isles cruise) DW had us hike in miserable weather out to the Olympic site. Would love to get to Stonehenge as that is another thing we lost in 2020 when our Norwegian fjords cruise was cancelled as it was on an excursion we booked to get back to the airport from the ship in Southampton. I don't know if we would have time to do both that and museums, a must see as DW is a long time elementary school art teacher.

[KmomChicago]

Traffic sitch. It ain’t pretty and I don’t wish I were driving instead. Definitely recommend the early time if you’re on the fence.

Edited April 23, 2022 by KmomChicago

[kwbrad]

Excited to follow along, going on the Vista in July.  This weekend is a total shutdown of I45 at some point, so I am sure traffic is worse than it's normal nightmare scenario.  Hubby and I lived in League City for a few years, but moved out of the Houston area 20 years ago.  Every time we go through I am thankful we moved, lol.  

[KmomChicago]

An hour and 45 minutes later and we’re not to port yet. We’re an hour behind best-case schedule. If we left at 10 and had no traffic it’s an hour and ten minutes so arriving at 11:10. It’s 12:07 and we’re at a train crossing and the train is not moving at all. 😝

[KmomChicago]

Just hangin’

 

[KmomChicago]

[princess76021]

37 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

I love that site!!!  

my dh says I get the biggest smile ever at first site of it!!!

Hugs!!

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

56 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Make it onboard yet? 

[KmomChicago]

Onboard.

[KmomChicago]

[Joe817]

Yayyy! Congrats! All that stress and worrying for nothing. I'm sure glad you boarded! 👍

[KmomChicago]

FunShip

[KmomChicago]

Havana Bar is just as pretty as on Mardi Gras.

[mondello]

The MDR waitstaff was keeping on eye on our folios, bringing guests their free big bottles(s) of water and pushing the free drink on the last seaday. This was when they saw perks hadn't been redeemed; 'twas okay but I was already aware of the perks. Crew on Vista was great, as usual on a Carnival ship.

[KmomChicago]

3 minutes ago, mondello said:

The MDR waitstaff was keeping on eye on our folios, bringing guests their free big bottles(s) of water and pushing the free drink on the last seaday. This was when they saw perks hadn't been redeemed; 'twas okay but I was already aware of the perks. Crew on Vista was great, as usual on a Carnival ship.

Yes we just turned Gold and actually there are little gift vouchers in the room about gifts tonight at dinner and again Friday at dinner.

 

Meanwhile Kyndall calling for musterers as always. Quit drinking or nakeding or whatever and go muster!

[mondello]

The fashionably late are ridiculous, I heard we had about 500 and it often delays sailaway!

[KmomChicago]