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

[cruisingator]

Afternoon everyone. Working from home this afternoon. The weather up here today is overcast and in the low 60's. Very nice. Love this time of year.

Go for my MRI next Tuesday. Will be glad to finally get that over with. Of course there is still the appointment with the surgeon on the 27th.

Be back later.

 

[sanjoseca]

Yeah, my brother on the west coast SOMETIMES steers me right. Once in a while he does get to be a pain, but not as much as in the past. He's mellowing as he gets older!:clap:

When the hell did I ever try to steer you right, BB? Ever since I was first born and I saw you standing over my crib with that evil look in your eyes I have been trying to lose you. I remember locking you in an old abandoned refrigerator once, but somehow you escaped. Bert must be a real saint.

It's finally fall here in Gilroy.....nioce time of year for us......almost the whole time we were on SR it was in the 90s and 100s here....glad we missed it.

 

[PH8]

send us some of that cooler weather,Gordon..............I want my windows back open!

 

[verosnowbird]

BB, we didn't have any Platinum Diamond brunch. All we had was a P/D cocktail party. We didn't have any P/D event on Jewel, either, and that was 12 nights. I'll have to speak to the Hotel Director about that oversight!

Had lobster salad sandwich for lunch today.....yummy!

Weather is perfect......high 60's blue sky, light wind, white puffy clouds, but tomorrow rain! Knew it couldn't last!

3 weeks from today we board Jewel for 13 days. Then a few days in FLA, then home, then back to FLA for Thanksgiving and another cruise. Did get my Vero house rented for a year.......at least that gives us a chance to see if home prices improve! One less thing to worry about.

Gordon, good luck with the MRI.

Enjoy the afternoon! BB, keep cracking that whip!

Rita

 

[PH8]

so what cruise is after Thanksgiving,Rita??? I know about your JW ones,but guess Im not caught up with that one..

 

[sanjoseca]

BB, we didn't have any Platinum Diamond brunch. All we had was a P/D cocktail party. We didn't have any P/D event on Jewel, either, and that was 12 nights. I'll have to speak to the Hotel Director about that oversight!

Sometimes I think we're missing the point that I think RCCL is trying to make. I think they want the more senior C&A members to move on so that they can concentrate on new cruisers with families to fill the mega/fat ships who won't notice the lower standards and takeaways. Celebrity has five Solstices to fill, so we need to help them out. They have cut out the canapes for the third formal night too.

We did have a P,D,D+ cocktail party on SR, but we didn't go.......can't stand platinums and diamonds anymore......they're low lifes.....heh, heh, heh!

 

[verosnowbird]

San, I think you are right, RCI is trying to move the D and D+ over to CEL, and I think they are probably succeeding. I have no interest in sailing on the mega ships, except maybe if we take the kids on Allure (probably sometime in 2011 when the youngest is old enough for the Adventure Ocean program). I also hope the D+ will be Elite+ on CEL, even if they do make it 30 cruises. We only went to the cocktail party, they had nice h'ors d'oerves and you could order any drink you wanted.

PH, my RCI Business Manager has invited the owner of our agency and me to sail one of the pre-inaugurals on Oasis, Nov. 27-29, so we are going (Bill is going with me, the owner's wife hasn't made up her mind). We have two balcony cabin (don't know if it's an outside balcony or a balcony overlooking Central Park, really don't care). We haven't decided how we'll get to FLA as yet, we are waiting for the formal invitation to come before we make any travel arrangements, but the owner if flying down on November 27, but we will probably go earlier, as Thanksgiving is the holiday the kids spend with their in-laws, and Christmas is the holiday they spend with us. I know it will probably arrive while we are onboard Jewel, but the owner will e-mail me with the details. I really want to see it, but I think 2 days will just not be enough time to really experience what it has.......still, we are looking forward to seeing the ship!

Rita

 

[Breeze]

When the hell did I ever try to steer you right, BB?

Now that I think about it, you have NEVER steered me right. You've always been a pain about things like my going shopping, going on Carnival cruises, etc. Just because you're older doesn't make you right all the time, you know.:no:

Looks like they really took care of us on our EN cruise when it came to the P/D/D+ brunch. It was 11:30-12:15. As you got off the elevator, you had this huge colorful spread in front of you. Bert was actually hoping it would have been the kinds of food they have nightly in the CL. My favorite was a chocolate dipped slivered almond basket filled with custard and topped with fresh fruit. Almost too pretty to eat! Only weird thing was that no one got up and spoke, no captain, and no CD. Loyalty Ambassador was there, but did not come around talking to people. He just stood at the front of the room. Really kind of strange. We had a different concierge than you, Rita. We had Gonzalo. Not the friendliest, but very efficient and thoughtful. Made sure you never had an empty glass nor ever had the sun in your eyes. Did you have the full CL spread the morning you got off the ship? I was surprised to see that. Usually the coffee machine is off on departure morning. It was a pleasant surprise that it wasn't.

 

[verosnowbird]

BB, we went to the DR for breakfast the last day, and by the time we got to the CL we could leave, so I don't know what we had to eat. However, the only one time we went to the CL at cocktail time, the hors d'eroves were better than I've seen in any other CL. Some were the same, but some were different and better than the usual. I don't remember the name of the concierge we had (memory is definitely gone), but I do know we never had anything like the spread you described.

At the cocktail party no one spoke, not the LA, nor the Captain. I thought it was strange. But on the Jewel at the P/D party, the cruise director spoke along with the hotel manager.......not the LA, Inga. Inga was getting off to go on vacation, so maybe she didn't want to be bothered.

Rita

 

[Breeze]

Looks like they might be playing with several different concepts and are trying to see which works best. Bert was going nuts with all the goodies they kept sending to us in the GS. Even on the last night, when most times it's like you're old news, we received a plate of chocolates. Bert wasn't happy, but I sure was. A true chocoholic never gets enough chocolate!!

Lucky you, Rita, to be going to check out the Oasis! Think I could get a job as a TA now and hope the boss would send me? LOL Yeah, I could dream!!! I'm really not that interested in cruising on Oasis. I'm just curious to see what she will look like. Does that make sense?

 

[PH8]

Congrats Rita...........boy,would I love to go too...........only cuz I could get outta Thanksgiving........hahaha

That food sounds yummy,BB................

 

[PH8]

Good morning and WAKE UP!!

Speaking of D parties.friend of mine called me last night..........he was the one who was on the EN same time as Rita.......that was the last leg of his b2b2b2b.anyway,when he got off that Monday,he went on the MJ......and told me the D party is ONLY from 5-6pm! Thats sucks,doesnt it?? I would think all ships would be the same.............

oh BB.meant to ask....did they replace the French press with a real coffeemaker in the GS?? Thats one thing I LOVE about the suites(well,actually I love being able to make hot tea in the morning with the electric kettle)...............even since I had one of those a year or so ago,I bought one.........

Happy Hump Day all

 

[Breeze]

Morning!

No French press in our GS. It was a single serve Mr. Coffee. The coffee was awful! It was the round Seattle's Best packet and you made it directly into the cup. No matter how much sugar or creamer you put in, it still was way too strong. I told Bert the last day that we really should have been using the kettle and making tea instead. Only thing the coffee was good for was to jump start your system!

Bert's out painting the lanai, so I guess I better get busy around here too.

 

[sanjoseca]

So BB, why didn't you just pour more water through the coffee to make it a little weaker?

BTW, you're in excellent company when it comes to not getting invites to preinaugural sailings. RCI gives me nothing anymore....atleast you got an upgrade on EN.

Rita, the horse dovers in the CL [overflow] were excellent on SR and much improved from before. Must be tied to the improved amenities for suite guests.......I just didn't eat many of them.

An interesting thing happened on this past cruies, the head waiter stopped us one night on the way out of the dining room. He had tried to be friendly to a guest at our table a couple of nights before, but he fell flat on his face and knew it. He was asking us how he could get on the good side of this guest because he said that they had received a message that there was a "service failure" on another ship regarding this couple. Interesting that the ships share this type of information, but, I guess, understandable. The same couple demanded a new cabin later because of noise in their OV.....they moved them to an E1 Balcony.....then she bitched about losing square footage.....which didn't make sense.

 

[PH8]

I had heard the ships share info.........its probably on the guest reservations when they book..........thats unreal though,huh?? Sounds like those people just want more,more,more and not pay for it.


Dont feel bad....seems only those with 100 credits got invited.......that or be a TA(like Rita) or win the trip(like Janet)........there are a few exceptions that i read about where some only have a few.......tsut me,I let my displeasure known to the higher ups at RCCL,along with a few other people who I wont name(they also wrote RCCL)

Had to sign in here again ,along with all my other sites............hate that when that happens..

Just watched the Good Wife(I had recorded it).........anyone else see it?? Its a good show,IMHO

 

[Cruisemates2]

Whew---I just came from another board, and now I am really worried about our Monarch cruise----seems the food isn't so good to most people that have been on her recently. Our son really bets on good meals on a cruise, so I am a little--actually a lot concerned. I know everyone has different tastes, but, so far I am not reading any good comments. I hope someone is taking notice if the cruisers are saying anything about it on comment cards. Oh well, I guess it is what it is! I'm sure we will have a good time anyway! Kathy, did you find the food to be very good ?

Janet

 

[PH8]

I have found it be pretty good,Janet.........however the last time,it was just ok................

I think those posters are talking about recent cruises where Nestor,the head chef is off the ship..........he'll be back by the time you go,

 

[Cruisemates2]

I hope you are correct Kathy. Worst case senario---we lose weight on the cruise
Thanks for your answer. We went on a two day on the Navigator and the food was just so so, but, on the seven day on her the food was great! You never know!

 

[PH8]

No,you dont know...........its hit or miss.......but then again,I have never gone hungry........or lost weight.....

 

[Cruisemates2]

I'm with you Kathy--I always come home with five to seven pounds extra baggage I always claim water weight, but, truth is I always eat too much. Seven day cruises kill me. We are getting very excited though. It is always good to be with our family on a cruise. Our daughter in law doesn't cruise, so, our son doesn't get to go on many. Hopefully the weather will cool a little for us. Today was another monster! Gordon won't help us out any. He is hogging the cool weather all for himself.