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

[GoVolsTB]

I am also interested in how your stop in Costa Rica will be. We will be on the Radiance in April and have elected NOT to get the vaccine. We do have the international certificate issued by the health department stating that the vaccination is contraindicated because of "advanced age". From what I have read, Costa Rica waives the requirement for the vaccination for people over 60. Hopefully this will be enough. Will be waiting to here how you all do.

[mikeblum]

carol and the south american gang i've been reading all of your updates during lunch and i'm very very jealous of 46 days...we get our chance on the mariner on march 15 but only for 7...carol i was able to see your pic's at 10pm and 11pm and the ones at 10 you were still in day light...some day i dream of 46 staright days on a ship...it's got to be just FANTASTIC...CAROL YOU'VE BEEN GONE SO LONG THAT THE PHILLIES WON ANOTHER WORLD SERIES AND CHUCK BARKLEY IS BACK WITH THE 76'ERS AND DR J IS THE COACH...

[jbrambach]

Wow, what a great thread! I have been reading it non stop (almost) for 3 days. This trip just made it onto my to do list. Cindy's blog was great to read also; can't wait for the rest of the story.

 

Carol and all the Diva's of the Deep, thank you for letting us tag along;):)

[AF-1]

Thanks to all who are posting from this fabulous cruise. I am enjoying reading what everyone is doing. For those who are freezing up north, it's nice to see people in bathing suits.

Cheers

[croosieloosie]

Does anyone know if the dining times on the 3rd leg will be the same as any other cruise? There was some talk that it may be later than the regular time. Also, does anyone know when the formal nights will be?

[Lynn the Cruiser]

Well Carol...all the Philly schools were closed today.....and where are you now??????:D:p Someplace WAAAAAAY better than where I am!!

[jillybabes]

Does anyone know if the dining times on the 3rd leg will be the same as any other cruise? There was some talk that it may be later than the regular time. Also, does anyone know when the formal nights will be?

 

Check back on the Around the Horn thread, Paul answered your question...

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

I'm so enjoying this thread. It takes me back to our Splendout BtoB last Mar/Apr. We had fairly calm weather around the Horn hope you do too.

I'm off on a quick Indie cruise to the Carib in the Am. Will try to ketchup when I return.

[xpcdoojk]

jc....How do you go about finding all the guides and plan all the activities on your own. Do you use any specific web sites? It sounds as if you really know how to go about finding out how to travel and not pay through the roof.:p

 

Gosh, it isn't hard, CC and other sites like cruise travel talk and Fodors and tripadvisor and the people you meet are all key. These places are full of experts and a million not even sane people!:D I spend a lot of my time reading books and talking to people I have identified as experts, there are several of them involved in this thread, trust me. I have learned as much from roll-call threads as anywhere. For South America I booked the cruise almost 2 years before we went on the trip. I plan my trips a long long ways out. Big trips 2 years, I have a 5 year plan in the back of my head (this plan is fully adjustable, but a guide), short trips 6 months. Once, I decided to go to South America, I knew I would have to figure out how to get around. So a lot of internet searches later, I had found a few US based travel agents that seemed to specialize in South America. Had read at least a half dozen guide books and everything on reputeable web sites. It would take me a hundred pages to describe it all, but some of the best stuff was just doing it. For example in Buenos Aires, my lovely wife has a co-worker who is married to a wonderful girl from Argentina. We invited them to dinner (they are about 15 years younger than us). I only expected to get a sense of what I should try to include in my trip. I was shocked when she told me her aunt Rosa who had lived in Paris, Lebanon and BA was currently working as a tour guide in BA. She speaks at least 5 languages and had lived all over the world, to say she was a good guide would be like saying Everest is a really tall mountain. We had a private excursion that is truly the one against all others I will always compare to, and the others will all come up lacking.

 

Another bit was just following the cruiseship choices and doing it on my own... ie Peru and Chile.

 

Peru, is a very unworldly place. Spectacular, but not modern. Train tickets to Macchu Picchu are a real complication. You must pick up your tickets the day before you take the train, because the office isn't open at 5am when the train heads off to MP. The day before our trip was a major national religious holiday. Everything (pretty much) was closed. The streets were full of pilgrims in Chile. Anyway, so we arrive and the train office is closed. So, the next day we go to MP, how to get the tickets. I developed a decent relationship with the ticket agent, he offered to take my tickets that I couldn't pay for with a credit card to my hotel and leave them with the concierge... This was months before our cruise. I had to do a direct bank transaction with the train company. Nothing was simple. You have to realize that this is a leap of faith... booking planes, trains, hotels and everything based on the single hope that someone on the internet would do what they promised. Don't get me wrong, there are advantages to booking with the cruiseline. :D

 

Anyway we show up in Cuzco, check into the hotel......

 

The girl at the desk handed me our keys and an envelope with a nice personal note from the man at the train company. A person who probably will never make $5000 in a single year in his life.

 

There are more stories about my SA trip and booking than I can recount without taking away from all of the wonderful people that are living this once in a lifetime trip. I am so envious of my friend Carol and Rick's wife Bobbie!

 

If I ask my DW what was the best vacation we have taken. Our 25 days in South America is going to be either one or two. I can't imagine how great it has been to not have to change hotel rooms and catch airplanes for 56 days!

 

If anyone needs any help from me anytime my email addy is in my sig. Good travels:cool:

 

jc

[xpcdoojk]

I'm going to bat for Bobbie with corporate over the lack of a sufficient refund. There are some very unhappy campers aboard!!

 

As the details of what everyone was suppose to have been able to enjoy, I'm getting reports of letter writing to the manager or Shorex........so we will see in the end what is the final outcome.

 

Knowing the time commitment just for flying there and back is almost 4 hours. Just a little over 1-3/4 hours each way! That is out of 8-1/2 to 9 hours allotted..........and they had almost 3 hours taken away......that would have been spent at the Falls..........to see what they paid for.

 

Carol must be talking to different people than I am.......as the one's that are privately emailing me.......are NOT thrilled!!:cool::mad:

 

On to happier subjects!! Like it's not too many hours now, and the ship will be rounding the horn............and then we get to hear what kind of weather..............sits on the other side!! Stay tuned!!:D

 

Rick

 

Rick, when we rounded the horn it was sunny, snowing, wind at 35 knots, and the seas were flat. I know it was odd to say the least. Anyway, the next morning, I am asleep at 6:30AM in my cheap inside middle lowest deck cabin (I anticipated seas much worse than they were). Suddenly, I am literally rolling over on top of Krystal. I am like what the heck is going on. This is a downside of an inside cabin. So we turn on the tv and go to the camera facing the bow of the ship. Holy crapola, the waves were crashing over the bridge. This lasted for about an hour and a half, and we snuck back into some of the fjords. I just knew I was going to get seasick my DW was like this is just the coolest thing ever. :D

 

jc

[TheMiz]

I am also interested in how your stop in Costa Rica will be. We will be on the Radiance in April and have elected NOT to get the vaccine. We do have the international certificate issued by the health department stating that the vaccination is contraindicated because of "advanced age". From what I have read, Costa Rica waives the requirement for the vaccination for people over 60. Hopefully this will be enough. Will be waiting to here how you all do.

 

 

 

I believe you should be in good shape.

I guess it you might want to ask us this after we return from C.R

[Rancher Dave]

Dave............you have one day to fix everything and come join us!! :D

 

Still counting on your coming..........but like everything......there are stoppages where we least expect it.

 

The people on my deal today..........which died.........were a coupld of thiefs..........and were bold about it.

 

Life goes on.

 

Talk to you tomorrow.

 

Rick

 

 

Somewhat better off this afternoon regarding the one couple...added a new client with great connections in business and government.

 

So we wait and see if in 48 hours it all comes together...oh yeah I probably have to check drop dead date as far as RCCL is concerned for booking the cruise part. I don't think it will all fall in place but its possible. :)

[rednancy1]

Somewhat better off this afternoon regarding the one couple...added a new client with great connections in business and government.

 

So we wait and see if in 48 hours it all comes together...oh yeah I probably have to check drop dead date as far as RCCL is concerned for booking the cruise part. I don't think it will all fall in place but its possible. :)

 

 

Dave,

 

If you and your DW take the 1 day pre Inaugural cruise and go to Las Vegas afterwards we won't be there. :(

 

We are booked on the Inaugural Mariner cruise from LA on Feb 22.

 

Another time. Another place. :)

[Merion_Mom]

The seas were calm, the sky was blue and full of beautiful clouds, the air was crisp, the wind came and went, sometimes gusty sometimes calm.

 

Warm-weather-dwelling people were dressed up like Eskimos and still shivering. Normal people had an extra layer and long pants and were fine.

 

:D

 

The sights and views were spectacular and indescribably beautiful.

 

I will let my pictures speak for themselves.

[wrp96]

Okay Carol, since when are you characterized as normal?;):p:D

[Cruiserccl]

The seas were calm, the sky was blue and full of beautiful clouds, the air was crisp, the wind came and went, sometimes gusty sometimes calm.

 

Warm-weather-dwelling people were dressed up like Eskimos and still shivering. Normal people had an extra layer and long pants and were fine.

 

:D

 

The sights and views were spectacular and indescribably beautiful.

 

I will let my pictures speak for themselves.

Thanks for keeping us updated! I cant wait to see your pictures! Have a GREAT cruise! :D

[dirtgirl]

The seas were calm, the sky was blue and full of beautiful clouds, the air was crisp, the wind came and went, sometimes gusty sometimes calm.

 

Warm-weather-dwelling people were dressed up like Eskimos and still shivering. Normal people had an extra layer and long pants and were fine.

 

:D

 

The sights and views were spectacular and indescribably beautiful.

 

I will let my pictures speak for themselves.

 

OK, I burst out laughing with that comment!!! Count me as normal people! :D I'm Canadian!:rolleyes:

[PhoenixCruiser]

OK, I burst out laughing with that comment!!! Count me as normal people! :D I'm Canadian!:rolleyes:

 

And I would be dressed up like an Eskimo :p ;)

 

###

[Merion_Mom]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Captain took one of the small, yellow "rescue" boats over to the Cape and visited the family that tends the lighthouse and lives nearby, in this incredibly isolated spot. He took Abe and a couple of videographers and sailors, and has promised us movies in our cabins.

 

 

 

[Lynn the Cruiser]

Thanks for the great pics, Carol.:D

[wl2cruise]

those are really great pics

[sbalax]

All onboard Mariner--

 

I am really enjoying following you guys around South America. We will be behind you on Radiance in April doing B2B from Buenos Aires to San Diego.

 

If you run into Dick or Andree Hindorff from Arizona tell them that Frank and Norm in Santa Barbara say hello. We sailed with them on a Constellation T/A.

 

Smooth seas,

 

Frank in warm and dry SBA:cool:

[Merion_Mom]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cruiserccl]

WOW! GREAT pictures! What a cruise you guys are having! :D:D:D

[Merion_Mom]