***live From The Sun Princess*** (12/10/06)

[Julia’s Journey’s]

They would not even let us touch the bread basket in the dining room .

 

Yes that too and if you ask for equal they bring you 2 not the container.

Guess anything to keep the spread of the virus down.

[Plant]

Hi Arlene,

 

I'm really enjoying reliving our cruise (November 20-30) with you!

 

Luckily, there was no sign of the virus on our cruise! I'm sorry it showed up on your cruise :( .

 

Our favorite place to "people watch" was the La Patisserie bar on the port side of the Atrium. There were two very good and friendly bartenders there, Ted and Girlee, both from the Philippines. If you happen to go by there tell them that the people who gave Ted the matchbook from Arkansas say hi and ask Ted how his finger is. He cut it pretty badly while making a Mojito when the glass broke when he was "squishing" the mint :( !

 

We thought our cruise on the Sun was the best cruise ever :) .

 

We were ready to cancel our cruise on Caribbean Princess next year and book the Sun again, but it's going to P&O.

[dobie]

Arlene, enjoying your posts!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

However, had we won we would have given that wonderful prize away. A water bottle!

 

Hi Arlene,

Sounds like you are biding your time and waiting to win the big prize at Trivia......the leather luggage label:D :D

Many thanks for your postings.Great to hear about the Sun.It is coming downunder next year instead of Pacific Princess,and I have friends booked on the 28 day "Around Australia"cruise.Hope the cabins are not too small for them.Not good to hear about the Noro.......just keep on washing your hands .

[islandersx4]

Hi Arlene, thank you for answering all of our questions. I look forward to reading your posts everyday. I am distressed to hear that people are sick again. We are going to be in the Caribe Deck next week. Please let us know the status of the virus.

Have Fun!

[arlenemilt]

Hi Folks.........

Thought I'd drop in for a few minutes before bedtime. Had a fun night seeing an entertaining show "TRIBUTE", one we had never seen before. Following this was the always funny Newlywed/not so Newlywed game. This one was hysterical. Amazing what people will share with the world. The winning couple got 6 for 6 and were married in 1944; 62 years!

Our head waiter surprised us tonight with a specially prepared platter of fried calamari with a great marinara dipping sauce. Yummy. I pigged out. Hooray!!! :D BTW, there is no bread basket on the table. All bread products served french service style. Also, as someone else stated, no salt and pepper shakers in the buffet. We do have them in the diningroom.

Really sorry PLANT, I cannot go over to that bar. I'm very sensitive when it comes to smoke and that side of the Atrium is unbelievably smoky.

DAVID: LOL. I really do need another luggage tag :)

Goodnight. Early day tomorrow in the gym and then we'll meander into Curacao town. Captain says later arrival than anticipated since weather has been nasty. I'm oblivious; I don't see nasty.

Arlene

I'm not jumping to conclusions that we actually have a noro problem here. Haven't heard anything since; may be just a rumor after all.

[dobie]

Arlene, I'm glad you ate!! I'm with you on the smoke thing.....can't go to the places where it is so awful. Glad you are having a good time!

[cactusrose]

A....Do you , Milt or others know or think the Noro problem is getting worse on ships ? The last 2 cruises we took had the virus .:(

 

 

C. . . I personally think the NoroVirus is getting worse everywhere. Northern Calif has now reported two outbreaks, one nursing home and the other a hospital. Both are under quarantine. It seems to be mutating and getting stronger. Or maybe it's just that it's reported in the news more often now.

 

Edited to add this link to an article I just found. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/16218342.htm

[T&J]

Good Tuesday Morning on this overcast and very humid day aboard the Sun Princess. Not checking in more than once a day may become a chore, but we'll see. Yesterday was so so busy. Amazing how the hours fly by when you have no responsibilities and are busy doing nothing. :) I'm going to try to cover the questions en masse, rather than excerpt which could take all day.

 

Let's get rid of my food issue first. There is very little that I like and I'm a boring eater. Last night's dinner for me was a green salad with tomatoes and greek olives. And bread. And coffee. You will be proud of me though, since I ate a chicken burrito and 2 slices of london broil for lunch. This was in the Horizon Court and then we went to the main diningroom where I had 2 scoops of chocolate mint ice cream. A highlight! Want to hear about today's breakfast? Yes Tony, today is an egg day and I had a swiss cheese omelet with one slice of Canadian bacon.

 

Several of you remarked about the public bathrooms being kept ajar. Yes, same here. At first I thought a passenger had forgotten to close it, but I now realize that's what the ship is doing. All of this additional sanitizing is starting to roughen my skin. Must use lotion now several times a day. I think it's probably the wipies they use in the gym.

 

Bill, you asked about computers. There are 22 here in the internet cafe; library is next door - none there. Very small library; long and narrow. AFAIK, all computers are working perfectly. I've settled in at number 17 and it's here waiting for me whenever I show up.

 

Mary: We played trivia with a couple from Mississauga who were amazed that I knew where it was. Their names are ED (a retired school teacher) and Julie (a retired pharmacist). No other info. Talking about trivia, we played twice yesterday and lost both by one. Also did the slot tournament; quick $20 donation. However, the person who won $500 did it on the lousy machine that gobbled my $$$ w/o giving me many points. Oh well...............

 

C-Dog: I have always managed to find Pepsi, even in the remotest places. Sydney is quite civilized; a great city. I'm sure I bought Pepsi there too.

 

Cathy: I made a partial list of movies for you. Sunday night the Vista lounge had X Men- The Last Stand and yesterday during the day they showed Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible III. Today (afternoon) will be Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean. The cabin movies have some classics such as Roman Holiday, Rear Window, Breakfast at Tiffanys and Citizen Kane. Other cabin movies are Failure to Launch, Click, Glory Road, King Kong, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Friends with Money, Two for the Money and lots of others. Knowing me, I won't see any of them.

 

Last night there were two simultaneous early and late shows; one a production called Tribute and the other a comic ventriloquist Dan Horn. Both shows will be presented again tonight; one early, one late. We've seen Tribute on another ship so elected to see the comic. What I managed to stay awake for was pretty good. :)

 

As stated previously, with all my running around doing nothing yesterday, I never noticed the inclement weather. Yes, I understand it rained on and off most of the day, but since I never surfaced beyond the air conditioned environment, I wouldn't have even noticed had it snowed. Then again, that I probably would have noticed. :D

 

Someone asked about our cabin. We have a balcony on Aloha aft. Yes, the cabins are small but comfy. The balcony is tiny; also ok. The insides are miniscule. My friend has one and says they're only big enough for a squirrel. Seriously, not even big enough for a chair.

 

OK. Today. We are invited to the most travelled lunch today at Noon. I'll probably go to lunch after this lunch. Will be interesting to see what they serve. With my luck there'll be a choice of fish or baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Morning trivia is at 10:30; after trivia at 4:45. This is what interests me. The rest of the day is spent doing "who knows what", but it passes very quickly as most of you already know. Tomorrow will be our first port; Curacao.

 

TONY: Almost forgot. When we went to the diningroom for ice cream, guess who walked by. Ricardo! He came to our table to visit us last night and now we're best buddies again. For those who don't know. Ricardo was the head waiter on the Pacific and he and I sort of had a parting of the ways in 2005. I forgot why; he reminded me. But we "kissed" and made up.

 

This internet cafe is actually filling up right now; there are FIVE of us in here. The passengers on this ship are collectively quite elderly and may not be internet savvy. Good. More time for those of us who hang out here. :p

 

OK folks, I think I've covered all the queries and added more of my nonsense. Once my fingers start they forget to stop.

 

Later. Maybe.

 

Arlene

 

 

Arlene...say a big hello to Ricardo...he must be miserable having to work on a larger ship!!!....

 

Tony

[arlenemilt]

Hi Guys..........

It's 8:40 Wednesday AM and we're in the process of arriving into Curacao. Just a teeny bit more maneuvering and we'll be docked. It's a bright sunny day and already feels hot and humid. The kind of weather we live with and the kind of weather we don't meander around in. However, this being a vacation, we'll be walking the streets however hot it gets. :) There's another cruise ship here; too far away to identify, but I think it could be RCI.

Nothing to report as yet since all I did since my last post was sleep, gym and eat.

Tony, can't keep track of you now. Are you in NZ? I already said hi to Ricardo for you since I knew you'd want me to.

 

No sign of noro; nobody talking about it. Hoping it was just a rumor.

Later.

Arlene

[envy4u]

Just because nobody is talking about it A does not mean the Noro is not present . Princess kept it hush , hush for days from us . With the added precautions they are taking I would guess something is up .

[JotWorld]

Surprise!

 

The Captain's lunch was really nice. Dessert was very pretty; two tone mousse with raspberries, blueberries and strawberrys on top. I don't do mousse.

I had it on the Golden last night, Black & White Moose W/ Rasbees,

Superub!;)

 

Thee is a rumor around here that several people on Caribe deck are sick and have been quarantined.

We have a few sick on the Golden also, not a lot that I've heard of,BTW 400+ getting off in Ft Laud!(Not Sick :D)

 

 

To my "family": I'm having a good time for you, but not eating for you. :D

Big Sis, I'm having a Great time, without your Help!;)

 

Arlene

 

Thanks Arlene, you're doing Great!!!!:D Bill Live on the Golden!

[JotWorld]

Hi Arlene,

Sounds like you are biding your time and waiting to win the big prize at Trivia......the leather luggage label:D :D

Many thanks for your postings.Great to hear about the Sun.It is coming downunder next year instead of Pacific Princess,and I have friends booked on the 28 day "Around Australia"cruise.Hope the cabins are not too small for them.Not good to hear about the Noro.......just keep on washing your hands .

 

I wondered where you have been, haven't seen you around!:confused: We always enjoy your Perfect Cam shots!;) We will be coming down under Syd & NZ on the Pacific Princess 4/24/07 for 58 Days to Vancouver, RT Alaska (with Tony the first 22 to PPT). We will also be coming back in 2008 to AU & NZ on the Pacific World Cruise, we can't wait to see your Beautiful Countries!:) My Best! Bill

[JotWorld]

Hi Folks.........

 

Thought I'd drop in for a few minutes before bedtime. .................................................................................................

 

Look like you may be "Catching the Fever":) , (the "IC" ;) , not the NOR_:( ) Pleasant Dreams! Bill

[JotWorld]

C. . . I personally think the NoroVirus is getting worse everywhere. Northern Calif has now reported two outbreaks, one nursing home and the other a hospital. Both are under quarantine. It seems to be mutating and getting stronger. Or maybe it's just that it's reported in the news more often now.

 

Edited to add this link to an article I just found. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/16218342.htm

 

Yup,That's it,:D The NEWS Reporting is Mutating & Getting, Stronger!:D :eek: :D Bill

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Good Morning Arlene,

(Its Thurs morning here in NZ)

Looks like a nice day in Willemstad,Curacao.

Cam is showing a very high bridge.......going for a walk over it?

Also showing a shot of HAL's Amsterdam,and the RCI ship you mentioned should be Adventure of the Seas...(according to Ships Cal).

The bridge cam looks really clear for a change.Have they got a new cam or did they just clean the lens?:D

 

[arlenemilt]

Just about 3:00 PM right now and I've finally cooled down (with the help of a shower) from the hot hot hot walking in Curacao. Had I known how much walking I would do, I would have scratched the early treadmill call. :D Yes, David, we walked over the bridge. The Sun is "parked" closest to the bridge. Amsterdam is much further away and I though we saw Adventure, couldn't understand where they were docked. Certainly not as close as our ship. In any event, my big purchase was a bottle of water.

Went to the buffet for lunch; pretty dull selection. I hate not being able to make my own salad and put on my own dressing. I wasn't born rich enough to have people serving me all the time. :)

The computers seem to have slowed down today. Evidentally the Curacao signal, or wherever it's coming from, is weak. If I were paying 50 cents a minute I wouldn't be a happy camper. This too shall pass; I hope.

Nothing else to say, since nothing else is happening. Bye for now.

Arlene

[envy4u]

A bottle of water .:( How exciting for US shoppers .

[cactusrose]

Yup,That's it,:D The NEWS Reporting is Mutating & Getting, Stronger!:D :eek: :D Bill

 

Too funny Bill I'm LOL:D

[T&J]

Hi Guys..........

 

It's 8:40 Wednesday AM and we're in the process of arriving into Curacao. Just a teeny bit more maneuvering and we'll be docked. It's a bright sunny day and already feels hot and humid. The kind of weather we live with and the kind of weather we don't meander around in. However, this being a vacation, we'll be walking the streets however hot it gets. :) There's another cruise ship here; too far away to identify, but I think it could be RCI.

 

Nothing to report as yet since all I did since my last post was sleep, gym and eat.

 

Tony, can't keep track of you now. Are you in NZ? I already said hi to Ricardo for you since I knew you'd want me to.

 

No sign of noro; nobody talking about it. Hoping it was just a rumor.

 

Later.

 

Arlene

 

Hello from "Smokey" Melbourne, Australia. As we were landing this morning into Melbourne, the haze over the city and country isde from the ragging forest fires is unbelievable!!!

 

In 4 hours time I will have finally arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand and then another 2 hour drive to Timaru!....It is currently 7:50am on Dec 14th here in Melbourne.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[Carolyn R]

Arlene, Can you ask if Hristo is still a waiter on the Sun? He was the best! So much fun. We traveled last year with 23 woman from JUGs and kept us all very happy. The best waiter I have ever had. One of our group had to cancel at the last minute. One of the girls brought her picture along every night and put it in the middle of the table. Every night we ordered all the courses for "Flat Karen". Of coure we all helped her finish her meal as she was not a big eater. Corny I know, but Hristo and Ramona went along with all our shenanigans.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Hi Arlene,

Sounds like you are biding your time and waiting to win the big prize at Trivia......the leather luggage label:D :D

Many thanks for your postings.Great to hear about the Sun.It is coming downunder next year instead of Pacific Princess,and I have friends booked on the 28 day "Around Australia"cruise.Hope the cabins are not too small for them.Not good to hear about the Noro.......just keep on washing your hands .

 

We will be bringing the ship down next September:D

Cannot wait to get back to AU even though it willonly be a couple of days - we spent 5 weeks travelling around the East coast last year and fell in love with it, being from South Africa it felt so much like 'home'.

[mississauga]

Arlene,

Just dropping in to say good morning and to let you know I am enjoying your postings. Your stop in Curacao brings back fond memories of my very 1st cruise over 30 years ago. I remember it as being very picturesque with all the different colored buildings......and I walked a lot too. lol.

 

Mary

[arlenemilt]

Good Thursday morning, and good it is. Will get to the excitement later.

First, we won. Finally. Really tough afternoon trivia, but beat them all and got passport wallets. Gave them to our friends at dinner. We still have "leftovers" at home from other cruises. And dinner......all my favorites; i.e. escargot, french onion soup and scallops. Trouble is, too hot to eat. I'll start at the beginning.

Once upon a time it was departure time from Curacao. Unfortunately when it was time to go we were delayed because the Royal Carib ship had to come back in. Medical emergency. When our turn came, something went wrong with the motor. (Don't know ship engineering terminology, but you get the point). So there we were sitting around until the engines could start. Finally departed about 2 hours late and will arrive late this morning into Isla Margarita. Anyhow, along with the engine problem came electrical problems and every minute it kept getting hotter and hotter. You got it.........NO AIR CONDITIONING! :( Getting dressed for dinner was difficult; especially makeup. Eating dinner was more difficult. I was so uncomfortable that I left the diningroom, went back to my cabin, opened the balcony door and collapsed. If ever there was a time to have a balcony, this was it. After two showers and lying around naked as a jaybird (not pretty) I finally fell asleep. Milt fared a little better, but he's a restless sleeper at best and knew that the A/C did come on around 2 AM. Speaking to others this morning, I heard that the outside decks were overloaded with people who found their inside and outside cabins intolerable. We know that electrical power is being shared throughout the ship and that refrigeration is having some difficulty. Stay tuned. I really don't want to get stranded on some remote island.

Does anyone know what happened with the Caribbean Princess? Our head waiter told us it turned back to FLL on the 2nd day out. More noro?

So here I am at almost 9AM, doing fine. Air here in the IC is wonderfully pumping away.

Interesting observance this morning in the Horizon Court. Usually there is always a cart being wheeled around with OJ, coffee, tea, etc. This is the first morning that they're doing it. I wonder why we didn't have it the preceding three days????

Off to trivia. We have an early one today and that area fills very quickly. There are probably more than 100 people playing at every session.

See ya..............

Arlene

[dobie]

Arlene, hang in there! If we had no air I don't think I would have fared as well as you did....my hot flashes combined with actual heat would have been intolerable! I am loving your posts...