Thoughts, impressions, and observations for the World Cruise.

[island lady]

Good time at the "Cheers with an officer" lunch.  My steak better this time, Chop's mushroom soup...totally awesome.  I love it when they actually DO drizzle the Truffle oil on top, makes all the difference.  

 

 

[island lady]

6 minutes ago, torpeedo said:

Exactly what we do.  You can fit many days of the pill pockets into a small ziplock storage bag.  We do Vitamins in the pill packets also.  Very convenient. 

 

Normally that is what I do....but with being on for 63 nights...I simply tossed all the full bottles into my big duffle bag (which had half of my medicine cabinet in it!! 😮 ) and refill as I go.  😉  

[seadog129]

2 hours ago, irishgal432 said:

Did you have to be in the lottery system for shore excursions?  I have seen that on a few reviews with Hurtigruten?

The excursions we did were included, there was a lottery for kayaking, there were multiple days so I think everyone who wanted to do it did it at least once. There may have been others.

[CruiszBug]

15 hours ago, doghog said:

I've suffered from hearing loss for the last ~50 years thanks to my senior trip to the Land of the Dragon. I had my annual hearing exam (December) (VA) and I'm about 60db loss coupled with tinnitus. The hearing aids are soooo much better now days. 

I took a hearing test based on my husband's request that I can't hear him... turns out I have a hearing loss in the same range as the pitch of his voice! 😄

[Jimbo]

How many planes did they fill for the Falls excursion if all the 700 full  World Cruiser's where this excursion was included for free?

[orville99]

4 hours ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

I pre-package mine a month at a time.

 

About time to refill them

These look like the ones we use, which are the type where each day can be removed from the tray. If so, it makes taking them in for breakfast really convenient.

[doghog]

50 minutes ago, CruiszBug said:

I took a hearing test based on my husband's request that I can't hear him... turns out I have a hearing loss in the same range as the pitch of his voice! 😄

Kathy says mine is selective hearing. I get to select to wear or turn mine off.😇

[torpeedo]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

Normally that is what I do....but with being on for 63 nights...I simply tossed all the full bottles into my big duffle bag (which had half of my medicine cabinet in it!! 😮 ) and refill as I go.  😉  

I wonder what people will do on the full cruise to renew those required pills like Blood Pressure, cholesterol, thyroid and a  bucket load more.  My MD only gives me two refills and I'm held hostage to return or no pills.. Maybe the ship has supplies of pills and the ship's MD will renew?  

[doghog]

8 minutes ago, torpeedo said:

I wonder what people will do on the full cruise to renew those required pills like Blood Pressure, cholesterol, thyroid and a  bucket load more.  My MD only gives me two refills and I'm held hostage to return or no pills.. Maybe the ship has supplies of pills and the ship's MD will renew?  

IMO, you or others wouldn't be able to go if your doctor limits the auto refills. No way can a ships doctor refill prescriptions. As it should be. 

Edited January 7 by doghog

[Another_Critic]

8 hours ago, island lady said:

 

I was too tired to go to the 8 pm show, but Bucky went.  They were an energetic Argentine band with dancing and singing.  Bucky wears hearing aids and can't hear much of anything without them.  He took his aids out AND put in ear plugs .......and was still too loud.  

 

Time to make a suggestion at guest services I think.  The shows were never that loud the first few weeks.  Many on board have been saying the same thing.  

 

I have full ear molds (not the more common RIC), so when I turn my aids off, my ears are plugged.  And yes, off/plugged is often still too loud.  😞

 

P.S.  I have to pay for my aids out of pocket.    $5k+ for my aids in 2009, and $2.5k for my aids in 2022.

 

P.P.S.  My aids have an iPhone app that I can create or modify the programs.  Can also adjust volume and/or mute.  I have a "Theater" program that I created for the Royal Theater.  😄

 

Edited January 7 by Another_Critic

[doghog]

10 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Wow, how old are all you people? Feel like I'm missing something😉 ,  I'm almost 64 and I don't take any meds or wear any  hearing aids.

Good for you! I'm a hell of a lot older than you. Unfortunately in my circumstance wearing hearing aids and taking a (1) prescription has absolutely nothing to do with my age. Same goes for Bucky. 🙄

Edited January 7 by doghog

[island lady]

57 minutes ago, torpeedo said:

I wonder what people will do on the full cruise to renew those required pills like Blood Pressure, cholesterol, thyroid and a  bucket load more.  My MD only gives me two refills and I'm held hostage to return or no pills.. Maybe the ship has supplies of pills and the ship's MD will renew?  

 

I once asked my doctor about scripts for the longer adventures.  She told me when I needed it, she would be sure to give me a longer script.  Which only makes sense not to deny what you need.  Right now I (and Bucky) refill on a 90 day basis.  With our stint on Serenade only being a quarter (63 nights) was more than enough for us, but she would have given me a script for the 274 nights if I needed it.  

 

No, the ship will not refill scripts.  

[island lady]

20 minutes ago, doghog said:

Good for you! I'm a hell of a lot older than you. Unfortunately in my circumstance wearing hearing aids and taking a (1) prescription has absolutely nothing to do with my age. Same goes for Bucky. 🙄

 

Thanks my friend.  Some just don't get it. 

 

What about children with hearing problems, or the little tykes with thick glasses, or worse...the poor kids with Diabetes and severe allergies.  Indeed nothing to do with age...age does not help matters...but the seniors are not the only ones that need health help.  

 

Oh...and my heart medicine is from having a bad heart from when I was a baby.  Meds help me live with it.  🙂 

 

 

 

Edited January 7 by island lady

[doghog]

2 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks.  Some just don't get it. 

 

What about children with hearing problems, or the little tykes with thick glasses, or worse...the poor kids with Diabetes and severe allergies.  Indeed nothing to do with age...age does not help matters...but the seniors are not the only ones that need health help.  

I'll  just consider the source.

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, doghog said:

I'll  just consider the source.

 

You got that right.  😉 

[torpeedo]

10 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I once asked my doctor about scripts for the longer adventures.  She told me when I needed it, she would be sure to give me a longer script.  Which only makes sense not to deny what you need.  Right now I (and Bucky) refill on a 90 day basis.  With our stint on Serenade only being a quarter (63 nights) was more than enough for us, but she would have given me a script for the 274 nights if I needed it.  

 

No, the ship will not refill scripts.  

I'm glad you had asked because I was wondering about the refills.  I get 90 days also and I'm sure my MD would give me the whole time because my meds haven't changed in 15 years and I don't even think I need them but it makes her, my MD, happy so i take them.  Some people require lab work to see if there's a dosage change.  Either they don't go at all or the ship can do the lab work and they can do that telemedicine thing  with their MD which would definitely work.  

[LadyZolt]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

How many planes did they fill for the Falls excursion if all the 700 full  World Cruiser's where this excursion was included for free?

This was not one of the included excursions. Royal offered one that was all day.  Others chose independent vendors and either did all day ones or overnight ones.  (Also, there are about 640 full world cruisers, and some of them weren't Platinum in time to get the included excursions, so not everyone on the full world cruise is going on all of the included ones.) 

[Ozark_Kid]

2 hours ago, CruiszBug said:

I took a hearing test based on my husband's request that I can't hear him... turns out I have a hearing loss in the same range as the pitch of his voice! 😄

Sometimes we just don't recognize a blessing right away.  😆 

The first time I was tested the tester walked over to my DW and said, He really can't hear you! 😆 

[BND]

32 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I once asked my doctor about scripts for the longer adventures.  She told me when I needed it, she would be sure to give me a longer script.  Which only makes sense not to deny what you need.  Right now I (and Bucky) refill on a 90 day basis.  With our stint on Serenade only being a quarter (63 nights) was more than enough for us, but she would have given me a script for the 274 nights if I needed it.  

 

No, the ship will not refill scripts.  

Our prescriptions are done by mail (express scripts) as we have Tricare.  DH has medicare and Tricare for life and since I'm 63, I have only Tricare.  Dr will give out longer prescriptions but getting them filled for more than 90 days at a time is virtually impossible so I don't know what we'd do except go to a pharmacy and pay out of pocket.   It might  be doable, but I would forsee hours on the phone with express scripts.   

 

 

[Coralc]

5 hours ago, pstone1 said:

The ranch was beautiful (I will try to post photos)!  We took a horse drawn wagon ride, saw a Show with Tango Dancers, Musicians, a Singer, and a bit of Bolo entertainment!  Then, we all went outside for the Gaucho Games!  We had a great group and a lot of fun!

 

 

 

This photo is gorgeous and definitely frame worthy! 😊

Edited January 7 by Coralc

[suzyluvs2cruise]

13 minutes ago, BND said:

Our prescriptions are done by mail (express scripts) as we have Tricare.  DH has medicare and Tricare for life and since I'm 63, I have only Tricare.  Dr will give out longer prescriptions but getting them filled for more than 90 days at a time is virtually impossible so I don't know what we'd do except go to a pharmacy and pay out of pocket.   It might  be doable, but I would forsee hours on the phone with express scripts.   

 

 

It would be the same for us. It's the insurance that will only fill for 90 days at a time. Had to jump through hoops to get a prescription filled a few days prior to the 90 days when we were going on a trip. 

[cruiselvr04]

19 minutes ago, BND said:

Our prescriptions are done by mail (express scripts) as we have Tricare.  DH has medicare and Tricare for life and since I'm 63, I have only Tricare.  Dr will give out longer prescriptions but getting them filled for more than 90 days at a time is virtually impossible so I don't know what we'd do except go to a pharmacy and pay out of pocket.   It might  be doable, but I would forsee hours on the phone with express scripts.   

 

 

Express scripts has been the worst. They are very difficult to work with. 

[Oceansaway17]

18 hours ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

Weather is decent

good to hear.  Like I said I saw a lot of postings and really thought the WC was having more issues than normal.  I think there is so many folks commenting, hard to tell what is real.

[Oceansaway17]

18 hours ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

Well, I'm onboard and the weather is decent

 

FWIW, the storm was the during the egg drop and lasted about 20 minutes, but we didn't even feel it in Centrum

 

Is that believable now

what is the egg drop.  How is it done? I assume it is not soup. ha ha

[Oceansaway17]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

Wow, how old are all you people? Feel like I'm missing something😉 ,  I'm almost 64 and I don't take any meds or wear any  hearing aids.

oh boy what a loaded comment. I mean good for you but lots of younger folks have to take meds for things like cholesterol etc.       Shhhh  you are lucky