Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Saga Ruby]

Wow - 50 books on your Kindle - that is a lot of reading material! Did I mention that my daughter had given me an IPad, which she recently took to Costa Rica? She said I can put all my travel research, as well as books, on it, so I have a lot of research to do into IPads.

 

I travel for the same reasons, to see what's out there. Although I'm not nearly as adventurous as you are. On review, I was surprised to discover all of my cruising has been one way, including the one I'm currently planning.

 

Excuse me, pardon me, that is spelled iPad. Steve Jobs is quite persnickety about his Apple i-World. But what a lovely gift from your daughter!

 

I carry my Kindle and a flash drive (thumb drive) and my iPhone. I drop the flash drive into my purse - it contains all the confirmed reservation emails from my destinations plus booking numbers. In Fiumicino, I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at the airport, was told that my res had been canceled as I was a "no show." Blah blah blah can you prove it? I handed over my flash drive, told them to look for my booking number and I had a room in 10 mins. Saves me from hauling all that paper around.

 

One-way cruises? I think that's what I do - Point A to Point Z. Buying "open jaw" airline tickets is second nature to me and a bit expensive. I wish I could buy round-trip tickets but . . . .

 

Being Down Under, do you ever tire of the return flight hours home? To get home from Cape Town, it's LHR to DFW. A one-way long haul of about 23 hrs. Uggghhh! They would have to take me off the plane in a gurney!

 

Ruby

Edited June 28, 2011 by Saga Ruby

[MMDown Under]

 

Being Down Under, do you ever tire of the return flight hours home? To get home from Cape Town, it's LHR to DFW. A one-way long haul of about 23 hrs. Uggghhh! They would have to take me off the plane in a gurney!

 

Ruby

 

Oh yes, but not just flying home, but going over as well. Now, I look for the most direct route, and least layover time en route. In addition, I have always included at least 3 nights' accommodation, following flights, in my planning, as I suffer badly from jet lag.

 

When I flew to Europe last time, I flew Qatar, the 5 star airline, because it flew the shortest route from Australia to Europe (22 hrs), with the shortest layover. (To fly with them, we drove to Melbourne, then I took the train from Frankfurt to Hamburg.)

 

Coming home, I flew from Vancouver to Sydney 14 hour direct flight.

 

Coming home this time, I have Qantas ff tickets from JFK, New York, via LAX. Not my favourite route, but I make allowances for free flights. :)

[Saga Ruby]

Wow - 50 books on your Kindle - that is a lot of reading material! Did I mention that my daughter had given me an IPad, which she recently took to Costa Rica? She said I can put all my travel research, as well as books, on it, so I have a lot of research to do into IPads. Including the one I'm currently planning.

 

About my Kindle - it is my own personal library. Instead of going to a bookstore and picking out a book or trolling thru the ship's library, I can meander thru the list on my Kindle for a book to suit my mood. I have 50+ books on the Kindle because, when I find an author I like, I buy the series. A new delish find is Louise Penny who writes the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series which are set in a rural town in Montreal. The newest book comes out on Kindle the day before I leave for my cruise. Yay!

 

A question about your iPad - how will you carry it? I throw my Kindle and iPhone in my purse and walk off but I haven't figured out how to carry an iPad.

 

Coming home, I flew from Vancouver to Sydney 14 hour direct flight.

 

Now, see? You talk so easily about a 14-hr direct flight. From my side of the lily pond, that is one honkin' long flight! The LAX to SYD or Auckland were long hauls to me. And the Cape Town to DFW flights(s) give me pause. But your acceptance of long-haul flights give me encouragement. If Marion can do it, etc.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Did any of you see the online news article last week about expectations for a rocketliner by 2050 that would fly from Tokyo to Paris in 2.5 hours? Just our luck that the next generation will enjoy short flight times while we must suffer 14- or 22-hour intercontinental flights!

 

Donald.

[MMDown Under]

Did any of you see the online news article last week about expectations for a rocketliner by 2050 that would fly from Tokyo to Paris in 2.5 hours? Just our luck that the next generation will enjoy short flight times while we must suffer 14- or 22-hour intercontinental flights!

 

Donald.

 

Now wouldn't that be wonderful, Donald.

 

I just saw two x 20 minute flights from Sydney to Brisbane (typo).

 

I would have liked to have been a member of the generation which flew around the world in an airship, making lots of stops at unspoilt exotic places.

[MMDown Under]

About my Kindle - it is my own personal library. Instead of going to a bookstore and picking out a book or trolling thru the ship's library, I can meander thru the list on my Kindle for a book to suit my mood. I have 50+ books on the Kindle because, when I find an author I like, I buy the series. A new delish find is Louise Penny who writes the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series which are set in a rural town in Montreal. The newest book comes out on Kindle the day before I leave for my cruise. Yay!

 

A question about your iPad - how will you carry it? I throw my Kindle and iPhone in my purse and walk off but I haven't figured out how to carry an iPad.

 

Ruby

 

My daughter said she just carried the iPad in her purse. Her iPad has a lid.

 

I know your kindle is perfect for travel, but do you miss real books?

 

I just love the feel and smell of new books. I just took out a pile of books on East Timor, from the library. I added "Australian Peacekeeping - 60 years in the Field", solely because it was new! Whilst I won't read it, I'll enjoy skimming through it and finding interesting titbits to add to my research.

[Saga Ruby]

I know your kindle is perfect for travel, but do you miss real books?

 

Literally (nyuck, nyuck) everyone asks me the same question. I bought the Kindle to take on my Black Sea cruise in 2009, assumed I would put it away when I got back. Exactly the opposite was true. This past week, I read a hardcover book, Ian Rankin's The Complaints, and missed my Kindle so much that I came close to downloading it as an e-book.

 

The cast of characters was complicated and, when I would read a name I barely remembered, I wanted to Search This Book to refresh my memory. When a plot point was made, I wanted to Highlight. When I didn't understand a British (Scottish) idiom, I wanted to use Dictionary. I missed my Kindle soooo much! And no one is more surprised than I am. As an avid reader of books all my life, this was quite a surprising change in my reading life. The one thing I miss is the lovely book covers in colour. So I'm waiting with baited breath for the inevitable colour Kindle to come out.

 

Ruby

[MMDown Under]

Literally (nyuck, nyuck) everyone asks me the same question. I bought the Kindle to take on my Black Sea cruise in 2009, assumed I would put it away when I got back. Exactly the opposite was true. This past week, I read a hardcover book, Ian Rankin's The Complaints, and missed my Kindle so much that I came close to downloading it as an e-book.

 

The cast of characters was complicated and, when I would read a name I barely remembered, I wanted to Search This Book to refresh my memory. When a plot point was made, I wanted to Highlight. When I didn't understand a British (Scottish) idiom, I wanted to use Dictionary. I missed my Kindle soooo much! And no one is more surprised than I am. As an avid reader of books all my life, this was quite a surprising change in my reading life. The one thing I miss is the lovely book covers in colour. So I'm waiting with baited breath for the inevitable colour Kindle to come out.

 

Ruby

 

That is interesting, Ruby. I didn't realise the kindle had so many extra features.

 

When I see the rare film at the theatre, I miss the "extras' which you get on a DVD. Often I enjoy the "extras" more than the actual film.

[Kapricorn]

Kindle does sound handy. My partner David has been using Kindle for the past year or so. He is a voracious reader. The problem is that now I can't buy books to give him for Christmas any more. :(

 

I'm reading Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. An interesting novel about the Spanish Civil War, but I find the varying sizes of the chapters annoying ... some are 6 pages in length, others are 30+ pages long. I prefer consistency in a book.

 

Saga Ruby, you be sure to have a great Fourth of July! Us in Canada are celebrating our Canada Day national holiday tomorrow, July 1. I will be joining a few friends for BBQ and a rummoli game.

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

Saga Ruby, you be sure to have a great Fourth of July! Us in Canada are celebrating our Canada Day national holiday tomorrow, July 1. I will be joining a few friends for BBQ and a rummoli game. Donald.

 

And a happy Canada Day to you and all Canadians, Donald. When you return home and are full of BBQ, 'splain to me what rummoli is. Cards, die, tiles, what?

 

Do you define BBQ as meat cooked on a grill or a specialized ribs-with-tomato-based-sauce kinda thang?

 

Ruby

[Saga Ruby]

Hmmmm. Is no one in this forum allowed to be at the top of the page but the thread for Viking China? They seem to be the 800 lb. gorilla. Oh well. Quantity is not always quality.

 

Ruby

[MMDown Under]

Hmmmm. Is no one in this forum allowed to be at the top of the page but the thread for Viking China? They seem to be the 800 lb. gorilla. Oh well. Quantity is not always quality.

 

Ruby

 

We do our best, Ruby.

 

Happy Canada Day and Happy 4th July long weekends. At lease your celebrations are in the middle of the year. Ours is swallowed up in January, at the end of our long summer school holidays.

[Kapricorn]

I can see how Australia's national holiday can be swallowed up at that time of year. Canada's and USA's are at the start of the summer holiday season.

 

As for rummoli: players sit around a board that has 9 spaces on it. Each of us places 10 cents on each space (meaning 90 cents from each player each time). We are dealt from a deck of cards. We start play at the lowest card and build up.

 

Those who have cards corresponding to what are shown on any of the 9 spaces (e.g. Ten of Spades, King of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds, etc) wins the 90 cents on that space. The round ends when one player has laid down all of his/her cards, and this winner collects 10 cents from each card still held in the hands of the other players. Money still left on a space builds up for the next hand.

 

The next player then shuffles and deals the cards, and so on around the table. Our group usually plays three, four or five rounds. At the end, if there is any money left on the squares, each of us are dealt five cards and the one with the highest poker gets the money.

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

Good news from Silversea - the Alaskan segment of my Silver Shadow cruise is sold out and has been for six months. The agent said that many people are avoiding the civil crises in the Med and they choose the peace and quiet and beauty of Alaska.

 

The second segment from Seward to Seoul is 77% full. A big Whew! from me as the May repo had 94 pax (out of 382). I like to dine in the evening at a large table and, with a minimal passenger count, it would have been mostly couples at 2-tops. For me, a table of 6-8 diners allows for companionable dining chit-chat and meeting folks. The next night, it's a whole 'nuther set of nice folks. And those 2-top tables are usually so close together that the couples seem to be dining with other couples.

 

It is amazing how many people I meet at the dinner table. By the time the cruise is over, I will have met a majority of the passengers onboard which I consider lagniappe.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Do you define BBQ as meat cooked on a grill or a specialized ribs-with-tomato-based-sauce kinda thang?

 

BBQ can be any meat or fish cooked on a outdoor grill. This year we are having hamburgers. There will be nine of us, with each are bringing something pot-luck style - salad, dressings, buns, cake, etc. I am bringing a large bottle of red wine.

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

Marion and Barry, what do you usually do on Australian national day?

 

Ruby, any plans for the Fourth of July?

 

It is just after 1pm now, and I will be at the BBQ party in two hours. It is still overcast with dark clouds and quite cool. :(

 

We probably will eat and play rummoli indoors. Oh, well, at least the company will be convivial after a few drinks and once the game gets underway. :)

 

Donald.

[MMDown Under]

BBQ can be any meat or fish cooked on a outdoor grill. This year we are having hamburgers. There will be nine of us, with each are bringing something pot-luck style - salad, dressings, buns, cake, etc. I am bringing a large bottle of red wine.

 

Donald.

 

Marion and Barry, what do you usually do on Australian national day?

 

Ruby, any plans for the Fourth of July?

 

Donald.

 

Sounds like your BBQ is like ours - on top of the BBQ plate, Donald. Do you use the expression to "bring a plate"?

 

Migrants wonder why their hosts would want them to bring an empty plate!

 

I have never gone to a private Australia Day party. Most of our celebrations are city/town based, or charity fund raisers. I'm usually in Melbourne for the Australian Open on Australia Day and love their city's celebrations.

 

Of course, when our daughters are living overseas, they go all out on Australia Day - rubber thongs, shorts etc. in mid winter - lamingtons, vegemite, and everything Australian!

 

Pleased to hear the numbers are building up on your Silversea cruise, Ruby. We prefer large tables also, as you meet such interesting people cruising.

Edited July 2, 2011 by MMDown Under

[Kapricorn]

I won $25.15 in dimes tonight from the rummoli game! :):):) We played three rounds among the nine of us. We sat outside our friend's home. It was comfortable as long as we wore jackets or sweaters. Not quite summer weather yet.

 

Marion & Barry, here in Canada we don't bring a empty plate. By "pot luck" each of us brings something to eat or drink, and either the host or someone else will bring the paper plates and plastic forks, knives and spoons. How is it done in Australia - everyone brings a empty plate and the host serves all of the food?

 

Ruby, congatulations on the numbers of passengers on your cruise! That will add to your enjoyment of meeting different varieties of people during your sojourn. :) Will you be bringing a camera this time? In Iceland you mentioned that everyone was either stunningly handsome or beautiful, but you had no photographs to show us ... not that we doubt your word.

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

Sorry, it was $25.30 that I won. Impossible to have $25.15 in dimes ... I had multiplied 3 additional dimes by .5 instead of 1. Arithmetic isn't too good after a few glasses of wine ... whoopsie-oopsie! :o

 

Donald.

[MMDown Under]

 

Marion & Barry, here in Canada we don't bring a empty plate. By "pot luck" each of us brings something to eat or drink, and either the host or someone else will bring the paper plates and plastic forks, knives and spoons. How is it done in Australia - everyone brings a empty plate and the host serves all of the food?

 

Donald.

 

When someone asks you to bring a plate in Australia that means to bring food to share. :)

[Kapricorn]

When someone asks you to bring a plate in Australia that means to bring food to share. :)

 

Yes, that's what Canadians call "pot luck," as I believe also do Americans.

 

Speaking of food, my friend who was on Century with me told the others that in his opinion, Celebrity has the better food over the other cruise lines on which he has sailed. :)

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

This morning's newspaper reported that Century was among the 15 cruise ships with a perfect 100 score from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding sanitation. :)

 

The worst? Queen Mary 2 with a score of 84!

[MMDown Under]

This morning's newspaper reported that Century was among the 15 cruise ships with a perfect 100 score from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding sanitation. :)

 

The worst? Queen Mary 2 with a score of 84!

 

Thanks for that wonderful news, Donald. I'm looking forward to cruising on Century, as it seems to be my kind of ship.

[Saga Ruby]

We sat outside our friend's home. It was comfortable as long as we wore jackets or sweaters. Not quite summer weather yet.

 

[heavy sigh]

 

Ruby, will you be bringing a camera this time? In Iceland you mentioned that everyone was either stunningly handsome or beautiful, but you had no photographs to show us ... not that we doubt your word. Donald.

 

In the past decade, I have moved into a non-camera world. My iPhone 3G does a good job outside but the i4 has a much better camera and flash. On the other hand, the i5 is due this September with an even better camera so I'll wait until after the first of the year to get the new iPhone5. It is rare that I take pix on tripx. In 1981, a friend and I went all over New England touring the fall foliage (when The Old Man in The Mountain was still in one piece). He snapped many rolls of film, I was thrilled to get a set, then never looked at them again. After that, I took few photos other than my darling family.

 

Thanks for that wonderful news, Donald. I'm looking forward to cruising on Century, as it seems to be my kind of ship.

 

Remind me of when are you on Century? And wasn't that a disgrace that the relatively-new QM2 failed her CDC inspection? Booking in advance for this ship would make it impossible to ascertain her sanitary status upon future embarkation. Not good.

 

My plans for the Fourth of July are zilch which suits me down to the ground. Staying out of the heat, enjoying my Kindle inventory, cooking fine food - sounds like a holiday to me!

 

Ruby

[MMDown Under]

 

Remind me of when are you on Century? And wasn't that a disgrace that the relatively-new QM2 failed her CDC inspection? Booking in advance for this ship would make it impossible to ascertain her sanitary status upon future embarkation. Not good.

 

Ruby

 

You haven't missed it, Ruby, as I haven't booked yet. However, I've decided mentally to cruise with Century. I wanted to support Celebrity, because they offered Australians a senior discount.

 

Yes, QM2's rating was a disgrace. Whoever was responsible should be ashamed.

 

MSC Poesia also got 100% CDC inspection rating, which is important to me. Staff cleaned non stop on that ship.

 

(I originally chose MSC for their TA cruises, because they offered Australians 2 for the price of 1 promotions from inception. They were the first to offer Australians "a fair go".)