Crossing the Globe (Kind of) - A Pr1ma (Hopefully) Live'ish Adventure, 11/20 - 12/1

[laudergayle]

48 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Quite literally, dead end, eh? At least we have quiet neighbors!

😂😂😂😂😂 Love your sense of humor.  Never fails

 

While leaving our four-legged loved ones is sad…it’s the best reason to get home🥰

 

Bon Voyage…wishing you and your husband the best cruise yet.  

[justhappy]

On 11/15/2023 at 9:56 AM, cruiseny4life said:

Usually I forget to download movies, shows, and podcasts until I'm in the airport. Then I frantically attempt to download everything in five minutes! This time I actually remembered ahead of time to get the downloads going on Hulu, HBO, and Spotify. 

 

- Music is downloaded, including playlists and liked songs on Spotify.

 

- Podcasts will be downloaded in a bit, just depending on which episodes I actually listen to before our flight on Friday. Options to include:

    - Make Me Smart - best podcast EVER, though I do miss Molly Wood.

    - Marketplace - I have a MBA and enjoy keeping track of the economy. Kai Ryssdal might just possibly be my favorite news personality. 

    - The Economics of Everyday Things - I like hearing about oddly specific goods

    - National Parks Traveler - come on, I started this live out talking about hiking the Grand Canyon. Did you not expect the National Parks to make an appearance?

    - Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast - just a nice little travel show

    - Sea Change - I'm boating on the ocean and that ocean, and our world, are changing rapidly. This show from WWNo/WRKF has really been eye opening to the extent of change along the gulf coast. 

    - How We Survive - another one from American Public Media. This season is dedicated to climate change. 

    - LGBT Outdoors - fun podcast to hear from those in my community

    - Rise Up! - I really want to open a bakery. When I was in Yellowstone, I had a part time gig at the local bakery, crafting yummy scones, breads, muffins, cookies, pies, cakes, and other delish items. And this Mark Dyck guy from Canada may genuinely be the kindest man I've ever listened to on a podcast. 

   - Travel Tales by AFAR - new one that I haven't yet listened to. I may not download any here. 

 

- On Hulu, I have the following entertainment options ready to go:

    - Vesper - no clue if I'll like this movie

    - Boston Legal - I'm almost done with the show, but not quite yet through with Denny Crane, Sharon Schmidt and Alan Shore

    - Han River Police - I started watching this when I traveled to Wyoming. Stopped watching it as I thought my husband would like to watch with me. He informed me last night he has no intention of watching it, ergo it's on my list to finish. It's in Korean, so a lot of subtitles! 

 

On Max, my choices are:

    - Station Eleven - this may be a bad choice. I'm not sure, but will try it out

    - The Polar Express - hey, Christmastime is almost here!

    - Kids Baking Championship - I'm hoping to learn some baking skills from this show. Who knows if I'll actually watch it or not.

    - The Pacific - Watched three episodes of this when my husband was galavanting around the Mid-Atlantic with his mom. Just like Band of Brothers, I'm really enjoying (is that the right word to describe watching a war mini series) this show.

    - The Nun II - we started watching it, but it was dark out and I was on my phone so I wouldn't see the scary parts. On the cruise, I'll lock away my phone, then just hide my eyes when I'm scared. Pr1ma is too new a ship to be haunted, so no scary nuns can get me...I'm a little worried about Barcelona and Cartagena though! Old European cities seem like they could be haunted. I did tell my husband that two nights ago, when I took the garbage out, I thought I saw a nun in the cornfield next to our house. He just laughed at me. I...well, we live like 100 yards from a cemetery dating back to the 1700's. I'm not so sure about this choice. 

 

Plus, we have whatever movies/shows NCL will allow us to watch on Pr1ma. I think my entertainment options are great ones.

 

Does anyone else have any suggestions? What's your favorite podcast? I'm always looking for new ones to listen to! 

I’m going to check out your podcast list.

DH and I spend a lot of windshield time going cross country in our little class B RV (with Princess Daisy of course) and listen to a lot of podcasts.

We are space nerds so our favorite podcast is StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

I hope y’all have an awesome cruise, and that you post a lot of awesome photos❤️

Food porn is always appreciated 😍

[cruiseny4life]

Our four legged friends are the only reason we want to go home, so you're definitely right, @laudergayle!! They're also the reason we bought a house - like literally. Who is going to rent to people that have four dogs?!?! We're those Millennials that bought a house for our....dogs. 

 

@justhappy plenty of porn to be had on this ship! Food porn, that is. I hope you're not disappointed. I hope you enjoy the podcasts. I wish I could do space, but I just get bored:( I know...I'm a sad, sad person. 

 

Welp, I'm all caught up on Cruise Critic. I've transitioned my job duties to teammates, and I'll be leaving the office in forty minutes. This is the last time I'll be caught up on Cruise Critic for the next two weeks and it'll probably take me a week to catch up when I return. If I don't see y'alls next tipping thread...well, I'll chime in a week after the conversation died down. 🙂 Don't worry - I'm still here. You can't be totally rid of me! Well, until I take that dead end road myself. Let's hope for a few decades before that happens. 

 

Less than 24 hours until we're on the jet plane!!!

[GALSews]

Bon voyage.

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by GALSews
fixed typo

[yakcruiser]

Have a wonderful cruise! Can't wait to hear about it when you get back.

[lepidoptera]

Hope you get all packed! It my least favorite task. I way over packed last year for my TA last year. I was expecting a mix of nice and poor weather, but we ended up diverting from the Azores and Madeira down to the Canaries and had lovely weather. It was also Halloween so I had to being a costume. 

[Sugar Magnolia]

10 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Are you onboard V!va yet???? Cheers to you as you make your way silently across the Atlantic. I wish our ships had a port stop in the same place, at the same time so we could say hi. I guess we'll have to make do with knowing we're cruising at the same time.

Yes, I embarked on the Viva today and partied like it’s 1999. Getting very excited for you, too. I am sure our paths will cross one day. In the meantime, we will clear the way for big sister Prima. 
 

[laudergayle]

18 minutes ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Yes, I embarked on the Viva today and partied like it’s 1999. Getting very excited for you, too. I am sure our paths will cross one day. In the meantime, we will clear the way for big sister Prima. 
 

I am so excited and envious of you both!  Please share so I can cruise vicariously with y’all ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

If I don't see y'alls next tipping thread...well, I'll chime in a week after the conversation died down.

 

but, but, but... what if they change the rules and you can no longer bring a bottle of hot sauce onboard... how would you ever know?

 

have a great time... bon voyage!

[Seas2mountains]

Oops. I got mixed up on the day you leave. It’s been a quite the week with kids at my school. Wait, no, it’s not the kids but the adult staff and teachers. IYKYK. 
 

I’m wondering how many shrimp 🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤will be in your husband’s shrimp cocktail? Was it 13 in the past? Will you or your husband order any other off menu items in the Haven? Are you mentally prepared for a cruise without the breakfast hash browns? 😂🤣 
 

By the time you get caught up on CC, my husband and I will be almost getting on the Pearl out of Miami for 9 nights. Your review will make the days go by faster.  We are looking forward to the mushroom flatbread.  Yum! And I guess I’ll somehow survive without the hash browns by consoling myself with the almond croissants.  🥐 I’d still take hash browns instead of almond croissants.  If you feel like posting pics of mushroom flatbread and almond croissants and of course the number of shrimp in your husband’s off menu shrimp cocktail, I won’t mind at all. 😎

[UKstages]

mushroom flatbread is my favorite haven menu item, but i discovered that the recipe, taste and presentation varies somewhat. they completely nailed it on the gem. but i felt there was no joy in the flatbread on the joy.

[cruiseny4life]

Not really a snafu, but my lovely husband decided to laugh....a lot. Guess who was given the magical TSA Precheck for today's flight? One guess and it ain't me! 

 

 

Astute flyers will also note there is no seat assignment. We do have specific, upgraded seats on our Air France flights or we are supposed to, at least. Delta? Not so much. We can survive being separated for a 1.5 hour flight. I'm not sure why a lot of couples think it a big deal they can rub up on each other when flying. We will just shout to each other from across the plane. Hehehe....not really.

 

We did get packed last night, except for slippers. One checked bag and one bookbag for two weeks. Fellow cruisers - watch out. We might be stinky! We will definitely be rewearing the same three shirts. 

 

Airport ride gets here in 2.5 hours - it's dog cuddle time right now. They'll get a walk when the sun decides to appear.

[dexddd]

On 11/7/2023 at 3:34 PM, cruiseny4life said:

I'm so glad you posted your pup, again! She is such a darling little cutie and I love seeing different photos of her. So, thank you!

 

Yup, we definitely all spoil our kids. And yes, y'all, my pups and cat are my kids. I'm part of a DINK family, so we have to have something to dote over. Our college student is $40/day, whereas the kennel we take the dogs to (or, have in the past) is $140 a day for everyone. That adds up quick! 

 

Ahh...our pets! 

 

Other than more brown, that pooch is a double of our DD's pooch rescued out of Texas.  The tail complete match.  Are the ears made of silk?

[cruiseny4life]

We've arrived to the airport! Now just waiting at the gate to get our seats. 

 

Everything went well getting into the airport, except for my pat down...as my husband (remember he got precheck) laughed his arse off at me. Some random TSA guy got to feel me up. Highlight of his day, right?

 

Here's our bag starting it's journey to Paris where we have to take it off a belt and add it to another belt. Well below the 50 pound requirement. Yay! 

 

 

And, our only bookbag. 

 

 

Yup, that's right. Two bags combined, for both of us. For two weeks. We're winning! 

 

And we continue to win as our unconfirmed seats have been given to us. Comfort plus baby!! Leg room...yeeeeha!

 

[cruiseny4life]

Howdy captain! 

 

 

[KKB]

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

We can survive being separated for a 1.5 hour flight. I'm not sure why a lot of couples think it a big deal they can rub up on each other when flying. We will just shout to each other from across the plane. Hehehe....not really.

 

Totally...but neither of us loves a center seat--he's quite tall & I have decided I no longer need the cheap seats...we usually choose 2 aisle seats across from each other. But they sure don't have to be! We figure we will be together 24/7 on a trip...NO problems being apart on a flight!

[brookie848]

8 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Not really a snafu, but my lovely husband decided to laugh....a lot. Guess who was given the magical TSA Precheck for today's flight? One guess and it ain't me! 

 

This happened to me earlier this year. I just took my letter from the TSA with us and the gate agent added it to my ticket/reprinted for us. This was American out of ALB.

 

I'm looking forward to what you think of the Haven and the Food Hall. We're on the Viva in a 2-bedroom in February.

[cruiseny4life]

Checked in Air France after the maze that is terminal 4 to 1 at JFK. Make sure to follow the signs for the shuttle bus from 4 or 8 to 1. Don't really! The shuttle doesn't exist. We got a few extra steps and 5 floors of stairs. But hey....we figured it out. 

 

The sign below....dont believe it!

 

 

Going from 4 to 1? Take the Air Train from 4 to 8. Then get on Air Train to 1. No shuttle bus option exists. 

 

Believe this sign at terminal 8!

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

Before I forget....how the tables turn. Neither of is had precheck for this flight. My lovely husband had his turn at being patted down. Apparently both of us had...ummmm...well...bulges in a certain area. 

 

🙊

[cruiseny4life]

Lunch today...we looked at the terminal 1 map. Our options were McDonalds or a Chinese place...apparently both are before security. We weren't going back through the 30 minute line so we found Eat & Go from Istanbul. It was fine. Nothing great. We each had half of something. One with cheese filling. The other with chicken filling. I enjoyed the chicken more. He enjoyed the cheese more, so we swapped our halves and enjoyed. 

 

@justhappy, some food photos below. Not too pornlike though!

 

 

Cheese thing

 

Chicken thing

[mking8288]

Have a great, smooth & safe flight - what's ETA into Barcelona? 

 

Plenty of taxi outside the airport beyond luggage hall - free luggage carts that you can push outside near the carousals with taxi dispatchers on their job. 

[vacation44]

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

 

 

And, our only bookbag. 

 

 

Yup, that's right. Two bags combined, for both of us. For two weeks. We're winning! 

 

And we continue to win as our unconfirmed seats have been given to us. Comfort plus baby!! Leg room...yeeeeha!

 

I do not understand how you two do it.   This is us ( the four of us) traveling for 8 nights this past March.   Plus the picture does not include the backpacks for my husband and son and my daughter's carryon.   My carryon is attached to one of my suitcases.

 

Sorry you did not get your Shake Shack.

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

7 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Have a great, smooth & safe flight - what's ETA into Barcelona? 

 

Plenty of taxi outside the airport beyond luggage hall - free luggage carts that you can push outside near the carousals with taxi dispatchers on their job. 

About 9 AM local time. We might take the train (or is it a bus - I forgot) to Placa de Catalunya. Good to know taxis are plentiful!

[laudergayle]

10 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

free luggage carts that you can push outside near the carousals

with their combined luggage…that free cart may be very handy.  🤣

[cruiseny4life]

The line. We are not standing in that!