Miscellaneous(part 3....or is it 4?)

[Breeze]

Aw, come on, Rita ... You expect a couple of SofE to behave? What do you think we are ... RCs?D

San - You'll be happy to know that I helped your stock today. I actually spent $21. in WalMart! Didn't get exactly what I wanted, but it's close enough.

Almost time to head for the Grill and a nice cold beer. It's 81 here right now, so I think beer would be appropriate. They're saying that we may hit 90 on Saturday. Even for me, that's a bit too soon!

 

[sanjoseca]

Hi Rita:

It's quite a job to keep up with all the price changes that RCCL makes......some of it seems to be smoke and mirrors.....but hey, every little bit helps.

Thanks for the Walmart purchase, BB....every little bit helps II

Hey PQ....come on and become a SotE

 

[powderqn]

I would like to apply for membership in the SotE society. I am not an RC, in fact have only been on three RCCL cruises(out of 14 cruises). My qualifications are that I like cruising Carnival, which we all know is the scum of the cruise lines

Hi guys...just a quick note before going to work. No school today for kids, but teachers have inservice...right...don't know how may will be at school. Spring break begins next week, and this year 12-month employees are mandated to take their vacation time during the shut down, or not be paid. I do have a full week planned, though, as I'm trying to get Gary back in the workforce. Nothing like a determined wife to find a job for her "stay at home" husband. :lol

Hope I'm accepted into the SotE club...I hope there's no hazing....

Off to work I go....

 

[Breeze]

OK, PQ - You get my vote for membership in SofE. We need all the members we can get to balance us off against the RCs. Sort of like Democrats & Republicans ... If one group has too many members, the other group gets $crewed!!:lol
Oh, and by the way, we're doing a Carnival cruise next week. Good luck with finding Gary a job. It's no fun out there these days. Have fun (NOT) at work!!! I didn't realize the kids were off today too. Missy and the boys are flying to Texas tomorrow for the week to check out the area that Jimmy now works in.

And how is Grumpy this morning?

 

[sanjoseca]

Yep PQ, you are now accepted as a member of SotE. Congratulations.

The people are coming today to prepare for concrete to be poured tomorrow for our new patio.....it's going to be a mess out there for a few days.....but it'll be worth it when it's done......Now I need to buy a patio table and chairs.

Enjoy your week off, PQ. And good luck with finding a job for Gary.

BB, We need one more SotE.....just so we can be sure and get our way on here 100% 0f the time, huh?

 

[ritag35]

Hey Tony, you must be happy with the RCI announcement today. No more CL access for D's, only D+ and Suite guests.

I think its' going to pi** off a lot of loyal customers, and I think they'll get some cancellations. I do feel sorry for the C & A reps who have to put up with all the calls from angry Diamond members. I didn't see anywhere in the announcement about any kind of free drink program for D's, just that they will no longer has CL access starting July 1st. Won't make Marcia & Carl happy, as I don't think they are D+ yet.

Rita

 

[powderqn]

Thank you for accepting my application for membership into the all-mighty...all knowing SotE club. :king

Actually, the job opportunities are looking better than a couple of weeks ago...at least there are jobs to apply for...applied for several at Univ of Florida online (the only way you can apply) and dropping off an application at the community college near UF on Monday. At least he's able to collect unemployment, as the state of Florida says that it was a personality issue...not a workmanship issue.

I will enjoy my time off...hope to get some projects around the house done and spend a couple of days enjoying what's available here..fishing on the boat, visit to Disney and seeing Chicago in concert down at the Hard Rock.

Rita - hope your clients don't beat you up too bad over the changes RCCL is making.

BB - remind me what cruise you are going on...

 

[sanjoseca]

Uh, don't get carried away there PQ......we're not "all knowing"..........we're only running at about 99.9%......but getting better.

I never heard about the announcement until you said it Rita. I agree, it's really going to cause an uproar with Diamonds........but, you know, I sometimes think that it's mostly Cruise Critic type people that really get caught up in things like this. I'm sure that RCCL knows what there average load of Diamonds is per ship.....while some are really high, I bet the average isn't so large. I wonder how long it will be before they allow Diamond =s to get to too high a number.

We'll take care of Marcia and Carl in September

 

[Breeze]

BB, We need one more SotE.....just so we can be sure and get our way on here 100% 0f the time, huh? How about our inviting bOB? I think he'd make a great SotE!!! Besides, he's got lots of clout around here!!
So what do you say, bOB? Wanna join our group?

PQ - We're on the Carnival Pride a week from tomorrow. We did the Pride right after it came out and was based at Port Canaveral. It's our favorite Carnival ship, or at least it was at that time. Curious to see if we still feel the same way.

Rita - I know another couple who will be pi$$ed about not being able to use the CL - J&J! Joanne already said that if they can't use the CL and diamond members don't get compensated in some way, they'd go back to Carnival. I'm sure there will be many others who will feel the same way and cancel booked cruises. I wonder how many RCs it will affect. Nice to know some of us SotE will still be welcome there!
Got a question for you though -What about the larger ships that have the Diamond Lounge? Seems like that would be a lot of room for a limited number of D+ers.

 

[ritag35]

BB, ships that have the Diamond lounge will continue to have the perk for the D and D+ guests. So, if you are diamond, and you want to use a CL, you need to book Freedom class or Oasis and Allure. Stinks. Don't know if the "enhanced" amenity list will include free drinks for the diamond guests or not.....which would probably go a long way toward soothing some of the hard feelings. Also, who knows what's in the "enhanced" coupon books....they took out the free picture and the free $6 in slot play and replaced them with coupons for discounts on turning your pics into a CD, and the free slot money was replaced by those stupid coupons that give you a chance at a key chain! Never did see anyone win anything more than a keychain with that stuff. Seems to me like it's a lose/lose situation for them.....they are alienating some of their best customers.........no profit if you don't sail with an almost full ship.

Overcrowding was a big problem in the CL, but this may cause a bigger problem. I am wondering, however, if this is just a trial balloon.......see how much resistance they get and then come back with maybe 2 free drinks a day for D coupon books....that's what happened when they took away the NC combination of benefits.....they got so much flack they at least let you combine the benefits if you had booked a NC before Jan. 09. I don't think they'll grandfather in the current diamonds....that wouldn't solve the problem...but I can see them doing something like free drink coupons to partially appease the D's. If you read some of the comments, lots of folks are mad that they can't use the CL during the day for a "quiet" place or to get coffee. I don't know what they can do to make everyone happy.......it won't happen.

 

[Breeze]

They sure are ranting and raving over on CC about this topic, Someone brought up a good point -With Ds no longer allowed to use the CL, that is going to drastically cut the concierge's tips. After getting their salary cut in half, this is a double wammy to them!

 

[powderqn]

Sorry San...maybe I should have said all "noing"....

BB - The Pride was the first ship we sailed on after moving to Florida - went May 2002, we loved the size and decor of the ship. Was a great cruise...there were 10-15 couples that were doing B2B on the cruise, all the guys had worked at Ground Zero for 6 months straight and the cruise was their down time...talk about a party crowd.

Well, weather's very breezy...supposed to go to a car show and out to dinner with friends...then back home for a neighborhood social...wonder how far we'll get.

Have a great Saturday.

 

[Breeze]

PQ - The Pride was the first ship that we had a balcony cabin. Sure hooked us but good!

That must have been one heck of a cruise with all those who worked at Ground Zero. They certainly deserved to let their hair down after what they had gone through.

That wind is something else, isn't it? It's like a steady 20 mph with higher gusts. Definitely a bad hair day!! They're still calling for 90 degrees, but I don't think that's ever going to happen today. It's in the mid 70s now and I doubt it will get much higher.

 

[sanjoseca]

Yeah, bOB is very welcome to become a SotE.

Lots of noise on CC about the Diamond changes. I tend to think that 99% of the grief that RCI is going to get over this will come from members of that site. I also think that it is just a matter of time before they have to change the rules on access to the Diamond Lounge. There has to be another foot that is going to be dropped.....that one will be to change how credits are earned in order to slow down creation of more diamonds etc. That's going to get just as controversial for the 3 and 4 dayers as this change has been. Maybe they will go back and remove diamonds who were created just because they claim the same address as a Diamond member.

 

[Breeze]

Just got back from dinner and hanging out with friends at the Grill. It was so beautiful there tonight. It's still 79 degrees. I just wish the wind would die down. It could blow you away out there tonight! Also a chance of some t-storms overnight, so that should be fun ... NOT!!!

Time to go see what Bert has on TV. Bet it's an action movie!

 

[sanjoseca]

Wow, how things have changed.......first, Royal Champions were the bad guys.....now Diamond Pluses are too. Poor Rita, she gets it for being both.

Speaking of that........Rita.....aren't you a "coat tail" RC?

 

[Breeze]

Ha Ha ... A coat tail RC! Maybe she'd like to be a coat tail SotE too!:lol

Pretty quiet weekend on here. Guess things will pick up again now that Monday is here.

Making a turkey with all the fixins today for the MMs tonight. That should keep me busy most of the afternoon, I guess.

 

[sanjoseca]

Good morning.

Had quite a bit of family stuff this weekend.

The patio was replaced and looks a thousand times better than the original. Made a mess of the backyard, but the landscaper will fix that when the forms are removed.

Have to catch up on administrative stuff today. I will do our taxes this Wednesday.

Cell phone died yesterday....have to get a new one........funny thing was, I became eligable for a free upgrade on Friday.

 

[Breeze]

We had a tragedy here over the weekend ... TV in bedroom died! I had just put it on when suddenly the picture went out and it started to spark and make a snapping sound. Scared the crap out of me. I was afraid it was going to go on fire! Once unplugged, everything was fine. That set is at least 15-18 years old, so all I can say is it should RIP! Now we have to decide whether to move the one from the family room into the bedroom and get a new one for the family room - or - Just get a smaller screened one for the bedroom. Decisions, decisions, decisions! Not going to do anything until after we come back from next week's cruise. I guess it will depend on how much we win[size=x-small]or lose[/size] in the casino!

Glad the patio came out so well, San. Bet you can't wait to get everything back in order out there. As K2 would say, don't forget to take pictures to show us. I like that doing "administrative" stuff line. Does that also include taking out the garbage to keep the queen happy? I would think so!!

 

[sanjoseca]

I like that doing "administrative" stuff line. Does that also include taking out the garbage to keep the queen happy? I would think so!!

No, not administrative......that's the slavery part of my role around here.

OK, here's what I think........if the TV in the family room is a decent size.....like over 40" and a flat screen.....I think that one should go in the bedroom.......then a new 60" flat screen should be bought for the family room. Not that you asked me

Rita....tell Bill not to take me so serious......