Viva Live 21 days, Rome to Miami, plus a few days in Rome

[JIMESOPUS]

Just got this email from NCL - nothing in it except my name, with all the IT issues NCL has, this doesn't bother me but how many more were sent out and there are people scrambling? Guess I should post something in the roll call.

Big day for Aqua, deck plans are out, looks like no racetrack and only one dry slide.

[pandncruisers]

We had the same email for our 11/12 sailing on the bliss

[Sugar Magnolia]

3 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Support local businesses in PD, these deals are amazing - skip BK ... yummy good, just a short walk from the waterfront. We are going to try to maximize our time there later this month 😁  Hola, just point & order although they do speak some English ... or live Google Translate it. 

 

 

 

I'm sticking with Home of the Whopper

 

[ColdCruise]

3 hours ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Just got this email from NCL - nothing in it except my name, with all the IT issues NCL has, this doesn't bother me but how many more were sent out and there are people scrambling? Guess I should post something in the roll call.

Big day for Aqua, deck plans are out, looks like no racetrack and only one dry slide.

Just received the same thing for our 11/16 TA … hope they don’t screw up the res - very busy at work and not a lot of brainpower left when I get home 

[cruiseny4life]

9 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

 

I'm sticking with Home of the Whopper

 

Mmmmm, Whopper! We have a weird fascination (it's my husband, not me haha) with trying fast food in different countries. I think I saw Ponta Delgada has a KFC which is where we will probably wind up. That flame grilled goodness is yummy though! Hope you get to stop by on your return trip!!!

 

13 hours ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Just got this email from NCL - nothing in it except my name, with all the IT issues NCL has, this doesn't bother me but how many more were sent out and there are people scrambling? Guess I should post something in the roll call.

Big day for Aqua, deck plans are out, looks like no racetrack and only one dry slide.

Many on our cruise received this phantom email too. We did not. I'm thinking it may have been sent to those who 1) checked in, or 2) booked entertainment. We haven't done either, so that's the only logical explanation I can come up with. Granted, logic and NCL, especially IT, don't always go together!!

[JIMESOPUS]

@cruiseny4life KFC, here is the one in the Grand Cayman, we just walked by and laughed all the way back to the tender

Edited November 2, 2023 by JIMESOPUS

[laudergayle]

7 minutes ago, JIMESOPUS said:

the tender

Would that be the chicken tender?

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

Would that be the chicken tender?

About those red & wild free-range chicken out front ... 

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, JIMESOPUS said:

@cruiseny4life KFC, here is the one in the Grand Cayman, we just walked by and laughed all the way back to the tender

Oh my, now that's some fresh chicken!! 

[JIMESOPUS]

Last week mid-seventies to even a low eighty degrees, this week frost, oh well. spent the past two days closing up the house. The trees won again, and the yard covered with leaves again.

See the Aqua schedule is somewhat listed, TA from Southampton to Boston, all sea days might be a hard sell to Carol but let's see if we can get a deal on the Viva.

A couple of more hours till we check in with Air Canada, flights to Zurich from Toronto have been running late and only having a 2-hour layover may make things closer than I really want.

Jim

 

  

[Sugar Magnolia]

Had a rough night on the Getaway …winds to 80 knots and 15 feet swells. It was fun on the pool deck. And we are finally back on Eastern Time.

 

Starlink wifi has been consistent for the Atlantic crossing thus far… today being our fourth sea day. 
 

I received the blank email last night and the corrected email this morning about printing my boarding pass for the Viva. 
 

@cruiseny4life I like comparing prices of a Big Mac Large Meal when I visit different cities, even though I don’t eat them. Average price in Western Europe has been $8.00 USD. 
 

[mking8288]

30 minutes ago, JIMESOPUS said:

.. A couple of more hours till we check in with Air Canada, flights to Zurich from Toronto have been running late and only having a 2-hour layover may make things closer than I really want.

 

CNN Travel news - odds are good for early & on-time travel going eastbound.  Inbound delay, on the other hand ... 

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/jet-stream-flights-speed-of-sound/index.html

with the jet stream over the Atlantic so strong that flights heading from the US to Europe are reaching speeds equivalent to that of sound. Sound travels at about 761 mph or 1,100 feet per second in “sea level standard conditions,” according to NASA – a little over 661 knots ... past 24 hours, passenger aircraft traveling east from the US across the Atlantic have reached up to 778 mph ... a little over 200 miles per hour faster than normal cruising speeds.

 

@Sugar Magnolia  Forecast improving, cruisemapper have the GA cruising at 17 knots against headwind & strong breeze, rough seas at nearly 4 meters or 12 ft.  Windy App show swell to reduce ahead - enjoy the sunny skies, temperature warming up toward this weekend, dry & sun for Marathon Sunday.  

 

Is the ship's navigational channel working or displaying, or being "upgraded" and any sighting of "hash brown potatoes" at breakfast anywhere ??  Little things that we "indulge" at sea with a toasted bagel & smoke salmon.  

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Oh my, now that's some fresh chicken!! 

They should have been carrying protest signs. 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Sadly, there are no signs of the mythical hash browns anywhere on the Getaway. Hoping they make an appearance on the Viva. 

[JIMESOPUS]

Here we go, almost, one more stop.

Viva home office, 11754 - far enough away from the slides this time.

 

 

Booked the Viva TA on 1/1/22, 661 days ago, time just flew by.

 

Only 511 days to go for Aqua TA, yes I'm crazy.

 

Jim

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

23 hours ago, mking8288 said:

 

@Sugar Magnolia  Forecast improving, cruisemapper have the GA cruising at 17 knots against headwind & strong breeze, rough seas at nearly 4 meters or 12 ft.  Windy App show swell to reduce ahead - enjoy the sunny skies, temperature warming up toward this weekend, dry & sun for Marathon Sunday.  

 

Is the ship's navigational channel working or displaying, or being "upgraded" and any sighting of "hash brown potatoes" at breakfast anywhere ??  Little things that we "indulge" at sea with a toasted bagel & smoke salmon.  

Last night was the first night in a long time when I had forgotten I was on a ship, as it had been a rocky crossing for most of the other days. Very smooth sailing now. 
 

Navigational channel has been working entire time. One passenger commented that the time on his TV is always wrong. He could be telling the truth or visually impaired by the unlimited adult beverage package. 
 

I have been pleased by how well Starlink has performed throughout this transatlantic and expect no less during our Viva transatlantic.

 

Two nights ago the crew performed comedy movie skits and they were hilarious as usual. Always great to see them in their finest drag.

 

And still no hash browns. That will be reported on my survey. 
 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Sugar Magnolia

[cruiseny4life]

3 minutes ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Last night was the first night in a long time when I had forgotten I was on a ship, as it had been a rocky crossing for most of the other days. Very smooth sailing now. 
 

Navigational channel has been working entire time. One passenger commented that the time on his TV is always wrong. He could be telling the truth or visually impaired by the unlimited adult beverage package. 
 

I have been pleased by how well Starlink has performed throughout this transatlantic and expect no less during our Viva transatlantic.

 

Two nights ago the crew performed comedy movie skits and they were hilarious as usual. Always great to see them in their finest drag.
 

It's been so wonderful to see your updates every so often on here. Thank you for keeping us updated on your cruise. Glad to hear Starlink is working well. Over on Royal Caribbean Blog, Matt H(owever) you spell his name, mentioned Starlink there is as good as his home internet. I don't quite believe that, but am glad the internet is working well!

 

Hmm...can I use visually impaired due to a drink package to stay out of work a few extra days?

 

I might actually attend comedy movie skits. Those sound fun and entertaining! I'll be on the lookout - thanks!

[www3traveler]

1 hour ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Here we go, almost, one more stop.

Viva home office, 11754 - far enough away from the slides this time.

 

 

Booked the Viva TA on 1/1/22, 661 days ago, time just flew by.

 

Only 511 days to go for Aqua TA, yes I'm crazy.

 

Jim

 

No, you are not crazy.  I just booked The Aqua's Transatlantic as did my friend Ron.  Ron will be joined you in Lisbon for The Viva's Transatlantic.

[sun_lovin!1]

OP, any chance you can tell me if you can get Irish coffee at any of the bars on the Viva?  I don't want to go to Starbucks and pay the upcharge.  I loved going to O'Sheehans on the Breakaway class ships and getting an Irish Coffee to take to dinner with me!  TIA.

[Sugar Magnolia]

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

It's been so wonderful to see your updates every so often on here. Thank you for keeping us updated on your cruise. Glad to hear Starlink is working well. Over on Royal Caribbean Blog, Matt H(owever) you spell his name, mentioned Starlink there is as good as his home internet. I don't quite believe that, but am glad the internet is working well!

 

Hmm...can I use visually impaired due to a drink package to stay out of work a few extra days?

 

I might actually attend comedy movie skits. Those sound fun and entertaining! I'll be on the lookout - thanks!

Thank you for the kind words @cruiseny4life. That is high praise coming from you. Looking forward to your and @mking8288’s commentaries from the Prima TA. We shall compare Thanksgiving stories. 
 

And apologies to @JIMESOPUS for hijacking his Viva thread. 
 

[JIMESOPUS]

Lonnng day / night or whatever, Air Canada has replaced AA as the worst airline for us. Right now there is a huge protest outside the Milton, guess we are staying inside for awhile.

The Alps

The protest, getting bigger and louder, can't even hear the TV

 

 

[www3traveler]

11 minutes ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Lonnng day / night or whatever, Air Canada has replaced AA as the worst airline for us. Right now there is a huge protest outside the Milton, guess we are staying inside for awhile.

The Alps

The protest, getting bigger and louder, can't even hear the TV

 

 

WOW!!  Is there a reason?

[JIMESOPUS]

The Room here at Milton, the protest was over the stuff in Gaza, police finally showed up after several loud bangs, hopefully just fireworks

[JIMESOPUS]

So instead of just pictures I'm trying to upload small clips, unable to watch since the hotel WiFi isn't the best so wonder how is it?

[JIMESOPUS]

Dinner tonight, tiny restaurant next door. Maybe seating for 20 people inside and 4 outside. Don't know what kind of beer but it was cold, put out some of the fire in that Chili pasta that I had. Those Profitteroles didn't have any calories. Carol loved that elephant, think we have reached the end. Capping off the night back at the hotel with a double Amaretto and coke, getting ship shape, good night.

Jim

Edited November 4, 2023 by JIMESOPUS