LIVE LIVE LIVE from the MARINER with MERION MOM for 53 DAYS!!!

[rubrrick]

So............all upgrades are gone for the last leg. I hope that everyone got what they wanted!!

 

All of the inside cabins are gone as well..........Are we going to have a mixture of Red Hot Chile Peppers.........the real deal........aboard with us???

 

Hey folks..........it a new way to get the illegials into the country (just kidding)!!

 

Tomorrow afternoon and evening are going to tell the story of whether the Mariner becomes an immersion cruise!!

 

Rick

[suziehmkr]

Carol - Caipirinha's are one of my fav's!! I make mine with simple syrup instead of the granular sugar that some bars use. Blends better and makes is much smoother. Love that cachaca!!

 

Be very savvy if you buy from a "clearance sale". The companies that buy up the in-store inventory are notorious for raising prices to full or even above retail, and then discounting slightly from there. You can find deals, but be sure to always check your prices against other reputable sources before you buy.

 

Theron

 

No doubt! A friend of ours went in to CC before Christmas and was eyeing a TV... at that time it was $1200... went in after Christmas hoping for a year end bargain - it was UP to $1300. Went into CC yesterday to look at the same TV that is now supposed to be liquidated and it was UP to $1400. He was ticked, to say the least!

[critterchick]

Jim........let me see if I can dig up the owners name for you.......and just let him know that Rick and Bobbie miss them!! Do you have a thread where everyone is signed up over on Carnival.

 

Please start one in our honor............with pictures please!!

 

In all honesty...........I think I would rather be sailing on the Mariner, this according to Bobbie who was on the Paradise a couple of years ago for a girls cruise!!

 

Carol and I will try to time your day in Ensenada........and hoist one in everyones honor that have made the trek!! Would noon time be about right..........for us to hoist one in your honor???:D

 

Is Celia going????

 

Rick

 

Celia won't be on the cruise - John can't make it (why that stops her from joining us I don't know:p). So our small but mighty CC group will carry on. We'll take our Monarch Refugees picture and email it to Miami (and to Terry, who requested a copy).

 

Make your toast about 1:00 Pacific time - Don and I are having 90 minute massages at 11:00, so will be stumbling down Av. Lopez Mateo to El Pueblo after that.:)

[Aplmac]

Be very savvy if you buy from a "clearance sale".

The companies that buy up the in-store inventory are notorious for raising prices to full or even above retail,

and then discounting slightly from there. You can find deals,

but be sure to always check your prices against other reputable sources before you buy.

I checked in various Photo Magazines about a year old

and noticed the Sigma 10-20 offered at $499.00

Nowadays it seems to be $569, I think,

so chances are you'll get it somewhere in that price range..depending.

 

I paid 320 Pounds for mine -in the UK- back in Sept.2008

 

 

______________________________________

B&H in NYC seems to be a good and reputable source.

Quick delivery too, from what I've heard ..from a lady in Montreal

[HRHPrinceJim]

Hi, Jim, I wish that you WERE here! :)

 

It would have been fun to do that.

 

By the way, is Danney onboard?

[rubrrick]

It would have been fun to do that.

 

By the way, is Danney onboard?

 

 

I keep stealing Carols thread:D Jim.......the answer is no, he is not. Melissa is the LA...........I think that Carol pointed that out in one of her pictures........with Adolf, the F&B manager.

 

If anyone knows what had (or is) happening with Danney....I think many would like to know.

 

I can tell you that he was extremely unhappy aboard the Mariner of the Seas, and asked for a transfer back to the Monarch. Beyond that....it seems quiet. I have written to him, at his personal email address, and have not had a response.

 

Rick

[critterchick]

Danney went to Rhapsody, according to some posters here. That was the original plan before they diverted him to Mariner.

 

Speaking of personnel shifts, when MM mentioned her good friend FB, I was thinking that I know who could whip her into shape. I wonder if Miss Trudy will be transferring there? One can only hope!

[friend of Eeyore]

Watch out, Mariner, Gail and I will be on you together!!!!!! :eek:

 

For those of you who don't know, Gail and I sailed together ONCE before.

 

On the Crown Princess.

 

In July 2006.

 

WHEN SHE LISTED OVER!!!!!!!

 

(karma karma karma karma................................)

Hi Carol! Wish I could join you and Gail for this cruise - but the three of us on a cruise would probably be too much for Karma to ignore.....

 

I was on a holiday cruise (Coral Princess), and so missed the fact that this had started - and been too busy since to do more than read the first five pages, but I'm determined to catch up! I'm SOOO jealous of you - with me still teaching, I can only handle vacation-break cruises, but I'd love to go around the Horn someday! (Have you retired, then??)

 

I hope you're having lots of fun!

[Aplmac]

..looking up to Heaven

 

[NorbertsNiece]

aplmac: that's rendered me speechless.... what a fabulous pic....

[Aplmac]

aplmac: that's rendered me speechless.... what a fabulous pic....

Don't blame me - it's a fabulous ship.

 

All I did woz take da pictures!

[Laurie12820]

Hi Merion Mom- what an adventure... I will be on the Mariner 5/24 with adult children and their signifigant others... Can you do me a favor and check locations of our rooms. My son and gf got room- interior 7637, my dd and bf got a promenade room 7595 and we(DH and I )got a balcony 7554. Can you see if any are too close to elevator or something... For the promenade room- is it close to the bridge so their view would be obstructed? Any help would be appreciated. We live in Montgomery Township (Horsham/Lansdale area). Used to live in Overbrook Park 25 years ago- love the Main Line. My DD was also born in Lankenau.

Snow is falling, Eagles lost. Have a great trip- that is a once in a lifetime trip!

 

Nadia

 

We had Promenade room 7611 on the Mariner last May, you can find my pictures in this thread: Promenade Rooms

[cruisenfever]

Today is THE DAY.................did Mariner become immersed or not???? Inquiring minds want to know.:D

[rednancy1]

And the one that you've been waiting for; Carol and Gunnar. <sigh>

 

 

 

Way to go Carol. :D You are my new hero!! :cool::cool::cool:

[rednancy1]

Ya know Carol, I have a feeling those of us who have been to Guest Relations a few times know exactly what "FB" means without having to email you. Kinda like anyone with their little sphere of "power". "FB" is exactly the word, Lol!

 

Carol, I just emailed you privately about FB and the meaning. MY DH just told me what it was. :eek:

 

I guess I'm loopy on meds.

 

I'd love to be a 4th on another Divas cruise someday. :) Retired and can go anywhere anytime. :cool: As long as DH and I don't have a cruise planned. :)

[rednancy1]

Kind of figured that out when I seen the list of entertainers

Marty Allan

too many Big Band such as a Dorsey Brother. Or was it Harry James no wait it was

Glen Miller.

 

I heard Benny Goodman was seen in the promenade. :eek::eek::cool:

[cctn]

Nice pic of Carol and Gunnar - love the twins and their dad. Corkey Carol

[rednancy1]

I keep stealing Carols thread:D Jim.......the answer is no, he is not. Melissa is the LA...........I think that Carol pointed that out in one of her pictures........with Adolf, the F&B manager.

 

If anyone knows what had (or is) happening with Danney....I think many would like to know.

 

I can tell you that he was extremely unhappy aboard the Mariner of the Seas, and asked for a transfer back to the Monarch. Beyond that....it seems quiet. I have written to him, at his personal email address, and have not had a response.

 

Rick

 

Rick,

Danney moved to the Rhapsody and is closer to his family. I read this on the CC "Danney League Fan Club" thread. :)

 

I know he is one of our favorites. :)

[whirlybird3]

OK this one's a bit different...

 

 

While we were enjoying the most delicious lunch in Chops Grille

along comes this Skywalker dude (what else can I call him, huh?)

washing the windows with his hose an all

 

You wouldn't believe the response from my group of travel agents!

Everyone whipped out their camera/s and started taking pics of this guy 'on the outside' !!

 

_____________________

He was the star of the show!

Talk about yer 15 mins. of fame - this was his time :D

 

Lunch at Chops??? I thought the specialty restaurants are only open for dinner.

[whirlybird3]

We were told to meet in Studio B at 9:15 for our ship's four hour tour of Salvador. There are only two ship's excursions here - a two hour with no walking where you stay in the bus the whole time, and a four hour with bus transportation to the main area, then a fair amount of walking to and in historic places, then a bus ride back to the port, seeing other stuff along the way.

 

Most of the ship was doing our tour, and there were LOTS of buses. We were given a sticker as we approached Studio B, which was one of several colors, and a number. Then they called the groups by this code.

 

I had never taken a large ship's excursion before. This was pretty chaotic, as only so many buses could pull up to the sidewalk out front at a time. We finally got going on our tour around 10.

 

Salvadorans are very proud of their city, which has a very long history. It was the first area settled and was the colonial capital for about 300 years. We toured beautiful churches, saw lovely cobblestoned streets and charming streetscapes. There were many vendors, selling various touristy things. Many found them more annoying and pushy than the people in Jamaica, but I didn't. It is what it is.

 

There is an upper and a lower town, and they are connected not only by roads, but by a huge elevator. We didn't get a chance to ride it, although I asked our guide about doing so.

 

Everyone on our bus wanted to be taken back to the port, but I opted to be dropped at the Mercado Modelo, which turned out (as it had looked from above) to be very close to the terminal anyway. Cindy and I went to this large building which houses many stalls that sell not only typical t-shirts and souvenirs, but jewelry, linens, clothing, carved wood items, etc. It was quite a frenetic atmosphere! Cindy had a Skol beer, and found a shirt that she liked. I helped her bargain down the price - there's nothing like walking away to get a guy to come running after you and agree to take the amount that you had offered.

 

It was VERY hot in Salvador. It IS the middle of their summer, and we ARE very far south. It's on a lovely bay, with nice beaches and warm waters. I don't convert C to F very well, but our guide said that it was about 94 degrees. I've been in Naples and Pompeii in August, so I can stand just about anything, but many others were wilting.

 

All in all, in was nice to get on the land again, and Salvador was worth seeing..........once.

 

What kind of wood carvings did they have? I love collecting local crafts and mask.

[whirlybird3]

Now you know what a longish HAL cruise is all about. Who else has the money and the time to do these longer trips.:D

 

No kidding! I went on a two week Baltic cruise with HAL cruise. Great cruise, not so much nightlife on the ship.

[whirlybird3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just stunning photos!!! What are those round things that look like coconuts under the tent like wood?

[irb33785]

This is the most wonderful cyber experience. All the posts are informative and the pics are amazing. I just want to go on a cruise with Carol and the other Divas because they would make any cruise fun (even a HAL). Sorry about remark but they do go to bed early.

[flames]

Carol, what wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing, and so far a great review from day to day;)

 

Carol:)

[wrp96]

Lunch at Chops??? I thought the specialty restaurants are only open for dinner.

 

 

Aplmac was onboard the ship for a day stop only, so they had a special lunch in Chops.