Horizon / (*Not) Live / Solo - May - 25 - June - 2024...

[sid_9169]

Oh, I guess that I did take two more pictures that evening when I got back to the cabin. This was across the hall from my door, and would be a recurring theme throughout the week...

 

 

 

[sid_9169]

Sunday morning, the first of two sea days on the way to Aruba. No pictures of my morning coffee or my breakfast omelette... This was when being "disconnected" began to become real... I went up to Serenity for some sun and it was WINDY up there. I mean it was difficult to even lay the towel down and sit on it before it blew away. It was incredibly frustrating, but I just kept saying to myself "I'm on vacation, don't worry about the wind"... 

 

After that it was time for a shower before lunch at the buffet. Yes, the buffet... I normally spend next to no time there, but probably ate half my meals there this past week, and there aren't many pictures at all. Today would be one of the only photos of my buffet selections. 

 

 

[sid_9169]

Next I went out to Lido Deck to see what was happening right around noon. Both lines for Guy's Burgers was fifty deep at opening time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mamiamjo]

8 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I sure as heck could use just ONE MORE DAY off before heading back to work, but it ain't happening... Coffee is drunk, and soon I'll be heading back to the 'ol salt mine. Pray for me...

“Just one more day!” The returning from vacation theme song 😉

[mamiamjo]

5 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

Amazingly, I weigh exactly the same as the last day I was here at work... I can't believe it after all the food and adult beverages I consumed.

 

 

That’s great! I gained 8 pounds on our cruise 🤬

[Saint Greg]

14 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

This was across the hall from my door, and would be a recurring theme throughout the week...

 

 

 

Duct tape…

[Saint Greg]

1 minute ago, mamiamjo said:

That’s great! I gained 8 pounds on our cruise 🤬

I was up 5 after my horizon.

 

[mamiamjo]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

When I went into airplane mode on embarkation day I was sitting at the Alchemy Bar begrudgingly drinking mezcal cocktails when I would've definitely rather had tequila... Continuing my streak from the Celebration in January, I had a blue card beside me. This would be thing throughout the week...

 

 

A regular Blue Card Magnet! 😂

[mamiamjo]

3 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

I was up 5 after my horizon.

 

Unfortunately I ended up with Covid which I’m still trying to get rid of and haven’t been able to get to the gym nor muster the will power to control my diet. Hopefully in a couple of days I can get back on my routine 

[dmet0225]

48 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

According to my notes I walked around afterwards and had a couple of shots of Patron Anejo down at the Atrium Bar and took two pictures of the Atrium Tornado... These were my last two pictures from day one on board. One of the weird things about not doing the full "Live Review" was that I wasn't tethered to my phone the entire time. I had only been disconnected from the real World for a couple of hours, but decided that I'd get used to it. Throughout the week I debated on whether or not to try and connect to WiFi in one of the ports, but ultimately decided to just stay completely "off the grid" the entire trip. It was the first time I've ever done this since the dawn of email and social media...

 

 

You ever eventually find it refreshing not to be tethered to your phone or social media?

[sid_9169]

31 minutes ago, mamiamjo said:

A regular Blue Card Magnet! 😂

I'd rather be a chick magnet, but...

[sid_9169]

Just now, dmet0225 said:

You ever eventually find it refreshing not to be tethered to your phone or social media?

Actually, after awhile it was nice totally disconnecting... I still have a couple of hundred more emails to erase...

[mlshum]

I did Behind the Scenes once (Conquest) and they did have people doing laundry 24/7.  That was, quite literally, their jobs.  I don’t know if it was passenger laundry or general laundry.  The whole laundry area, particularly the drying and folding machines, were absolutely fascinating.  They could do sheets from wet to folded in a matter of minutes because it is all automated.

[Destiny0315]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

2 hours ago, mamiamjo said:

A regular Blue Card Magnet! 😂

I'd rather be a chick magnet, but...

How about becoming a blue chick magnet. 

[Riles34]

I have to laugh at the blue card thing. Why does it bother folks? Some people have cruised many lines and it may be their first Carnival cruise (we all had a first cruise). But what’s the judgement? You deserve service before them? Who cares what status you are. In reality all ya get is a “free” lunch and laundry service. Oh and some water…the card colors are stupid. 10 cruises at an interior vs 1 cruise in the presidential suit, who has a higher “status”? Anyhoo, I get the comedy to it but we all had that blue card….or better yet the old fish in the water tropical card. Wish they would go back to that!

[sid_9169]

After work yesterday I ended up taking a little break from the "review" to try and get back into my return to reality groove... A nice long walk followed by catching up with laundry. I'm also trying to make a few nights in a row sober, so night one is in the books. 

 

When we left off it was around lunch time in sea day number one, and I was just exploring after my little lunch at the buffet. I went and checked out the forward "secret decks" which I haven't seen in the years since the Excel class ships came out. The entire cruise I only ever saw one other person out here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sid_9169]

Looking at my pictures, next I went and checked out the Havana area which was completely empty on the first sea day. I never did make it back to the outside area where they used to let the "regular folks" go after 7:00 PM. I don't even know if they still allow that or not... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[odie1024]

I am going to be one of those dreaded blue cards in January on the Jubilee as its my first time on Carnival. Most of my cruises are with NCL where I am Sapphire, also cruised RCL, Celebrity and Princess. Never had any desire to cruise with Carnival until I read reviews from Tribe members. 

[sid_9169]

***Before we move on, let's put this whole "Blue card" thing to rest. I've never ever, not even once said or suggested anything disparaging or discriminatory towards anyone according to the color of their card. I just think it's interesting that they always end up next to me at the Alchemy Bar... Every single Carnival cruiser had a Blue card at some point, so we're all on equal playing field in that regard... We move on.........

[sid_9169]

After exploring the secret decks and Havana area I went over to the Pig and Anchor Bar to have a couple of glasses of the "good tequila", since the Alchemy Bar had failed to deliver... There was a guy standing next to me there in a Captain's hat (of which there were many on board) ... He had a short selfie stick, and was doing some kind of "live video blogging" or whatever you might call it. He stood there next to me going on and on and on for awhile. I stepped back and took a picture of him while I was hanging out there.

 

 

 

 

[KmomChicago]

34 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

I am going to be one of those dreaded blue cards in January on the Jubilee as its my first time on Carnival. Most of my cruises are with NCL where I am Sapphire, also cruised RCL, Celebrity and Princess. Never had any desire to cruise with Carnival until I read reviews from Tribe members. 

Will be interested in your perspective. 
 

Being a “never third tier” on any line, and with a cruise resume covering only 15 sailings over nearly 40 years and having just recently hit 75 nights at sea:

 

I maintain my general opinion that cruises are more similar than different and I have noticed more differences across ships than cruise lines in some cases. 
 

I assume you will be satisfied with the stunning new Jubilee. It will have one of Carnival’s top cruise directors and you will see how they are more visible, transparent and participatory with activities than other cruise lines where they are charming managers with limited scripted public appearances.   
 

Watch out for trip hazards. I found Excel class to have invisible stairs in lounges where ramps would have made sense and have since wondered how often drunks bruise shins and ankles onboard.

[Roscoe13]

28 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

After exploring the secret decks and Havana area I went over to the Pig and Anchor Bar to have a couple of glasses of the "good tequila", since the Alchemy Bar had failed to deliver... There was a guy standing next to me there in a Captain's hat (of which there were many on board) ... He had a short selfie stick, and was doing some kind of "live video blogging" or whatever you might call it. He stood there next to me going on and on and on for awhile. I stepped back and took a picture of him while I was hanging out there.

 

 

 

 

Only thing missing is Tenile

[MeganGC1983]

3 hours ago, Roscoe13 said:

Only thing missing is Tenile

And here I thought love would keep them together. 

[sid_9169]

For the remainder of the first sea day afternoon I just walked around checking out every nook and cranny of the ship. Some action at the aft pool. Bingo or something going on in the Liquid Lounge. The Lido Deck, and then the current days tornado in the Atrium...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sid_9169]

Pretty soon I was bored, so I headed over to Pig and Anchor where they at least had a bottle of the good tequila...