Thoughts, impressions, and observations for the World Cruise.

[Coralc]

49 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Laura, as in John and Lala...is a fantastic knitter.  She does hats for new babies.  She is wonderful that she contributes those. 

I thought Laura is a crocheter? That may not be a word. ☺️

[DragonOfTheSeas]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

Unfortunately you won't find him on CC.  His fault.   Apparently he was a bad boy too many times.  And like you...I miss his posts.  😞 

  I have never met he or Laura but, I miss his posts, too.

[island lady]

13 hours ago, Coralc said:

I thought Laura is a crocheter? That may not be a word. ☺️

 

LOL...not sure what the word is...but I sat with her one time while she was making the tiny hats for the new born babies. 

[phbr]

21 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I have no room on the shelves to set it down and I need both hands to find my clothing and put it on, but that idea may at least help me tomorrow morning.  Thanks. 

We just got off the Serenade Panama Canal cruise, balcony stateroom 7016 and there was a motion sensor light under  the closets opposite the bathroom door that came on at night.

[ZoeyVictoria]

19 minutes ago, phbr said:

We just got off the Serenade Panama Canal cruise, balcony stateroom 7016 and there was a motion sensor light under  the closets opposite the bathroom door that came on at night.

Yes, it does illuminate the floor on that side of the closet. It just didn’t help me see what I was looking for on the lower shelves. I believe at least some of the WCers are bringing bins that fit into those cubbyholes so they can just pull out the entire bin.  I use opened packing cubes that aren’t as easy to use. 

[island lady]

Interesting check list we all have to do, being gone so long. 

 

1. Refill meds to last duration.  

2. Appointments (Doctor, Dentist, eye Doctor, Hair cuts...etc.)

3. Dump your entire medicine cabinet in the bag.  😮 

4. Set up bills to be paid

5. Hold mail..."you want it held how long?!!!"

6. Set up someone to watch over your Casita

7. Vaccines:  (I feel like a pin cushion)  Had Yellow Fever, Typhoid, flu, Covid booster last 4 weeks

8. Favorite toiletries to last duration (shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc.  for we that are picky).  

9. Set up transport to cruise terminal...(not doable to leave vehicle in parking lot).  

 

There are more...what am I missing?  😉 

[orville99]

4 minutes ago, island lady said:

There are more...what am I missing? 

Have a backup credit card, and lock all of your cards before you get on board. If you need to use a card for anything while on the voyage, make sure you re-lock it as soon as you get a confirmation email of the purchase.

[ZoeyVictoria]

4 minutes ago, island lady said:

Interesting check list we all have to do, being gone so long. 

 

1. Refill meds to last duration.  

2. Appointments (Doctor, Dentist, eye Doctor, Hair cuts...etc.)

3. Dump your entire medicine cabinet in the bag.  😮 

4. Set up bills to be paid

5. Hold mail..."you want it held how long?!!!"

6. Set up someone to watch over your Casita

7. Vaccines:  (I feel like a pin cushion)  Had Yellow Fever, Typhoid, flu, Covid booster last 4 weeks

8. Favorite toiletries to last duration (shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc.  for we that are picky).  

9. Set up transport to cruise terminal...(not doable to leave vehicle in parking lot).  

 

There are more...what am I missing?  😉 

 

Freeze a small cup of water, then put a quarter on top of the ice and put back in freezer. If the quarter is submerged (anywhere but on top of the ice) when you return, you will know the food in your freezer was thawed and refrozen while you were gone. 

 

Disconnect battery pack to disable motion sensor on kitchen faucet. 
 

 

 

[orville99]

8 minutes ago, island lady said:

. Set up transport to cruise terminal...(not doable to leave vehicle in parking lot).  

We used Uber to get us there.

[island lady]

Just now, orville99 said:

Have a backup credit card, and lock all of your cards before you get on board. If you need to use a card for anything while on the voyage, make sure you re-lock it as soon as you get a confirmation email of the purchase.

 

Yup...thanks!  I take my main CC, but I don't use it when traveling.  I have two back up cards...2nd one being the RCI Visa card (which is the one I use when cruising)...and the third one is an oddball if needed....a Walmart Capitol One card.  Just recently someone...again ...stole my main Visa card number online...ugh.  And this last June, my RCI card number was stolen while in Hawaii.  That is why I have a 3rd back up.  

[island lady]

4 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

 

Freeze a small cup of water, then put a quarter on top of the ice and put back in freezer. If the quarter is submerged (anywhere but on top of the ice) when you return, you will know the food in your freezer was thawed and refrozen while you were gone. 

 

Disconnect battery pack to disable motion sensor on kitchen faucet. 
 

 

 

 

LOL...my sink faucet has not found it's way into the tech age...yet.  😉  

 

Really cute idea about the quarter!  We have house sitter that checks on the house almost daily, so he would let us know if there is a power outage...he lives just two doors down.  We are lucky to have him. 🙂 

[island lady]

5 minutes ago, orville99 said:

We used Uber to get us there.

 

Ahh..thanks.  Should check that out.  We usually just do a taxi, but someday will try the Uber.  

 

We have shuttle service in our community that takes us to MCO, then "puddle jump" flight to Miami...Taxi from there to port.  Set price from airport to cruise port for taxi is 27.00.   Not sure what Uber charges?  

[orville99]

48 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Yup...thanks!  I take my main CC, but I don't use it when traveling.  I have two back up cards...2nd one being the RCI Visa card (which is the one I use when cruising)...and the third one is an oddball if needed....a Walmart Capitol One card.  Just recently someone...again ...stole my main Visa card number online...ugh.  And this last June, my RCI card number was stolen while in Hawaii.  That is why I have a 3rd back up.  

Had the same thing happen to us while on a cruise. Visa caught the fraudulent charge and cancelled the card, but they sent the replacement to our home while we were still on the cruise. If we didn’t have a backup card we would have been SOL on the rest of the cruise.

Now we keep all of our CC’s locked and only unlock them when we are actually making a transaction, then immediately lock them again.

[orville99]

48 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Ahh..thanks.  Should check that out.  We usually just do a taxi, but someday will try the Uber.  

 

We have shuttle service in our community that takes us to MCO, then "puddle jump" flight to Miami...Taxi from there to port.  Set price from airport to cruise port for taxi is 27.00.   Not sure what Uber charges?  

The Uber drivers were quoting $25 from the port to the airport in Miami. Uber XL from home to Miami cost us ~$500. Parking for the transits would have cost us more than $800. The train back cost us ~$270. Not having to deal with driving, tolls, etc. made it worth the cost.

Edited December 8, 2023 by orville99

[island lady]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Had the same thing happen to us while on a cruise. Visa caught the fraudulent charge and cancelled the card, but they sent the replacement to our home while we were still on the cruise. If we didn’t have a backup card we would have been SOL on the rest of the cruise.

Now we keep all of our CC’s locked and only unlock them when we are actually making a transaction, then immediately lock them again.

 

Happened to us on our first day of traveling up to Maine in the motorhome some years ago.  Skimmer (which I spotted too late, and then reported) at a Flying J station.  I had them send replacement up to our campground, but we had to go without for the whole trip up there from Florida.  

 

I quickly learned to have a back up card, and now a third card.  Both of those with no annual fee...so no big deal.  

[mo&fran]

The coin in a cup of ice will not work for a long period.  The ice evaporates and the cup will be empty except for the coin.

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Ahh..thanks.  Should check that out.  We usually just do a taxi, but someday will try the Uber.  

 

We have shuttle service in our community that takes us to MCO, then "puddle jump" flight to Miami...Taxi from there to port.  Set price from airport to cruise port for taxi is 27.00.   Not sure what Uber charges?  

Uber would be around $40 from MIA to cruise pier

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

The Uber drivers were quoting $25 from the port to the airport in Miami. Uber XL from home to Miami cost us ~$500. Parking for the transits would have cost us more than $800. The train back cost us ~$270. Not having to deal with driving, tolls, etc. made it worth the cost.

Wow they are robbing you. You are near Orlando right?

 

MCO to the Port in Miami should have cost this:

 

Get a ride

 

Orlando Int'l Airport

 

 

 

Royal Caribbean Cruise

 

 

 

Pickup now

 

 

Choose a ride

 

Recommended

Economy

• 

  UberX4

  8 mins away•8:17 PM

  Affordable, everyday rides

  $255.94

• 

  UberXL6

  5 mins away•8:17 PM

  Affordable rides for groups up to 6

  $365.85

• 

  Comfort4

  6 mins away•8:18 PM

  Newer cars with extra legroom

  $309.51

• 

  Comfort Electric4

  6 mins away•8:19 PM

  Premium zero-emission cars

  $373.46

• 

  UberXXL6

  8 mins away•8:18 PM

  Rides for 6 with room for extra luggage

  $469.63

Edited December 8, 2023 by Jimbo

[orville99]

23 minutes ago, mo&fran said:

The coin in a cup of ice will not work for a long period.  The ice evaporates and the cup will be empty except for the coin.

Has not happened in either of our freezers, and we have had the same coin and cup of ice in there for the past two years.

[orville99]

23 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Wow they are robbing you. You are near Orlando right?

Roughly 20 miles west of MCO, and the prices the Uber app quotes are never remotely close to what the ending cost (including tip) turns out to be. The only one that you showed that would fit both us and our luggage is listed as $469. Ours cost $450 + a $90 tip, so no robbery anywhere in the result.

Edited December 8, 2023 by orville99

[RFerrington]

3 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

 

Disconnect battery pack to disable motion sensor on kitchen faucet. 

I guess I’m not grasping the cause for this one.  If nobody is home, why would you need to disable the motion activation on your faucet ?  

[zoomerica]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

Interesting check list we all have to do, being gone so long. 

 

1. Refill meds to last duration.  

2. Appointments (Doctor, Dentist, eye Doctor, Hair cuts...etc.)

3. Dump your entire medicine cabinet in the bag.  😮 

4. Set up bills to be paid

5. Hold mail..."you want it held how long?!!!"

6. Set up someone to watch over your Casita

7. Vaccines:  (I feel like a pin cushion)  Had Yellow Fever, Typhoid, flu, Covid booster last 4 weeks

8. Favorite toiletries to last duration (shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc.  for we that are picky).  

9. Set up transport to cruise terminal...(not doable to leave vehicle in parking lot).  

 

There are more...what am I missing?  😉 

 

I have followed WC blogs for many years now, and the logistics of home prep and packing it mind boggling. Bon Voyage to you folks boarding, can't wait to hear this adventure. Plus you are on my favorite class of ship.

[RoperDK]

1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

I guess I’m not grasping the cause for this one.  If nobody is home, why would you need to disable the motion activation on your faucet ?  

Sometimes the faucets malfunction and turn on without actually being triggered. Not a good thing to happen when you are away from home.  It's the same reason we turn off the icemaker before we leave.  We never got a motion activated facet because we had kitties. No need to explain that one! 😺  

[cruiselvr04]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

Interesting check list we all have to do, being gone so long. 

 

1. Refill meds to last duration.  

2. Appointments (Doctor, Dentist, eye Doctor, Hair cuts...etc.)

3. Dump your entire medicine cabinet in the bag.  😮 

4. Set up bills to be paid

5. Hold mail..."you want it held how long?!!!"

6. Set up someone to watch over your Casita

7. Vaccines:  (I feel like a pin cushion)  Had Yellow Fever, Typhoid, flu, Covid booster last 4 weeks

8. Favorite toiletries to last duration (shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc.  for we that are picky).  

9. Set up transport to cruise terminal...(not doable to leave vehicle in parking lot).  

 

There are more...what am I missing?  😉 

Holding the mail is an issue since it can only be held for 30 days.  Does anyone know how to get around that?  If we use mail forward can that have an end date? 

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

Roughly 20 miles west of MCO, and the prices the Uber app quotes are never remotely close to what the ending cost (including tip) turns out to be. The only one that you showed that would fit both us and our luggage is listed as $469. Ours cost $450 + a $90 tip, so no robbery anywhere in the result.

I believe when you set up a pickup with a starting point and a destination, it clearly gives you a price, once you accept that price it can't be changed. Only additional money would be the tip you add on later.

 

If you are getting charged additional you should be calling Uber for a refund of the difference.