Saturday, September 15, 2012

I am posting this early today.  It has been a busy day so far and will probably just get busier.  

This morning the Captain announced that in order to get ready for inspections in Boston tomorrow they would be having a series of drills and we might see people in fire fighting equipment, fire hoses out, etc. but that it was only a drill and would not affect the passengers.  Whenever they come back to the US after being away they have a series of inspections that they have to pass and they are preparing for the inspections to make sure everything is in top notch condition.  In fact they were late opening Chops this morning because they were having an inspection.

Shortly after the Captain made the announcement about the drills he came on and made another announcement that they had a medical emergency and were going to have to evacuate one of the crew.  A helicopter would be coming in shortly and he told us what areas of the ship were going to be closed to the public etc.  Shortly after that he made another announcement which we were not able to hear.  Someone told us that evidently the helicopter had refused to come (not sure why) and that we were going to meet a rescue boat towards Halifax, Nova Scotia.  It took a couple of hours for us to get there.  Within about the past 30 minutes or so the evacuation was completed and we had a perfect location to watch it right from our balcony.  The weather is beautiful outside and after the evacuation we even saw a whale!

I still need to start packing.  This is my least favorite part of the cruise.  Mary P is already packing and will probably be finished by the time I get back to the room.  We have to have our suitcases out in the hall no later than 11:00 pm tonight.  That is really early.  Usually it is by 1:00 am or so.  I am not sure if I will go to the show or not -- I still have money to spend in the casino!

I hope you have enjoyed following along on my trip.  We get to Boston tomorrow and will spend 2 nights there before coming home to Dallas, and after that, next stop Australia in December 2012!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Today we started the day once again with breakfast in Chops.  Most mornings there is only a handful of people in there and it is a place to have a very quiet relaxing breakfast.  This morning was quite different.  The place was packed and noisy.  We even saw a waiter in there that we had never seen before.  I think they must have called him in from someplace else to help out because the waiters in there were swamped and service was suffering.

About the only thing we did today was bingo and casino (besides eating).  Today was our day.  For morning bingo the very first thing, my name got drawn to be bingo commissioner.  This just means that I had to go up to the front and verify that all the bingo balls were there and that when the balls were dropped, all of them dropped down.  For doing this, I got the drink of the day, a bingo t-shirt, key chain, and Royal Caribbean cap.  That was an exciting start for the session.  In fact when he drew the name I wasn't even listening.  I'm not sure what I was doing but I realized he had called my name and I jumped up and ran up there.  After that excitement Mary P won bingo.  Unfortunately she had to split with someone but that was better than not winning.  We went back to afternoon bingo and Mary P won bingo again -- this time by herself.

We were supposed to have lunch at Portofino's.  Terry called a week ago to make reservations and we were told that today was the first day that there was availability so he made reservations for noon.  When he got there at noon the door was closed so he opened it and was told that our reservation was cancelled.  There was also another group of 8 who they cancelled and they had been cancelled yesterday also.  They failed to notify any of us.  Terry asked why it was cancelled and they said there was a Red Hat tea at 3:00 pm and they were having to set it up.  Well of course we complained to anyone that would listen to us because we weren't very happy.  The last person that we complained to said they cancelled us because they didn't have enough people to sign up to eat there.  After dinner and the show tonight when we came back to the room, there was a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine with an apology note.  I guess that is nice but we don't drink wine and we really wanted to eat there.

On our visit to the casino tonight Mary P won $75!

The show was very good.  It was Tony Tillman who opened for Bill Cosby at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for 10 years.  The show lasted about an hour and he got a standing ovation at the end.

Tonight was the Quest Odyssey Game Show.  People did a lot of crazy things.  They had to be drunk to be willing to do this.  At the end they had men in their underwear wearing a woman's bra and shoes carrying a purse with red lipstick on.  Most of the men had on boxer shorts but one of them had on white jockey underwear.  I don't know what he was thinking!

After the game show we decided to go check out the Solarium.  There was nobody there so we all decided to go for a swim.  The pool is indoors and heated and there is also a hot tub and a little restaurant that is open all night.  The hot tub was nice but the pool was over my head and i didn't like that.  Pat went to the little restaurant and got us all a cookie.  Around 1:00am we decided to call it a night and go to bed -- after all we have to be at breakfast at 7:30 am to get our table!

Good night all……..

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday except today I won another $75 in the casino.

The show tonight was a couple from Argentina doing the Tango.  They were really good and made me want to get up and dance but I was too tired.  We have been going from one thing to another all day without any rest.  This cruise is about to come to an end in a few days.  It has been a good one but I am ready for it to be over.  In fact I think we all are.  Usually we like the sea days but 6 days at sea without interesting activities is a bit much.

Also, I don't remember if I mentioned this earlier or not but I guess they lost the feed for CNN and they are showing reruns.  I saw today where Romney won the nomination at the Republican National Convention.  I am also seeing where Hurricane Issac is about to hit New Orleans.  Now that is a bit much.  We haven't even been able to get any weather or any news on the 2 hurricanes we have been trying to avoid -- Leslie and Michael………..

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Today has been another slow day filled with eating, bingo, eating, casino, bingo and eating.

However, tonight was different.  We were invited to a Cocktail Party given by the Captain and Hotel Manager in their living quarters.  The party was for the suite guests.  Of course we couldn't pass this up so we all went and met the Captain and Hotel Manager.  They both were very nice and hospitable.  The party was from 7:45 pm to 8:30 pm.  We were all escorted down by the Concierge.  When we went in we could go straight to the Hotel Manager's quarters or to the right to the Captain's quarters.  We visited both of them.  We had just finished dinner so we weren't hungry but had a drink so we wouldn't hurt their feelings.  We didn't stay the full time.  I was going from the Captain's quarters to the Hotel Manager's quarters and somebody thanked me for coming so I left.  I was ready to leave anyway.

The show tonight was a pianist.  I wasn't sure what to expect but he turned out to be one of the best entertainers we had seen.  They said he had been in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood (I think).  I think he is the only entertainer so far that had gotten a standing ovation.

Tonight was karaoke -- Superstars.  We always like to go listen because there are always people that are really funny.  However, there were only 5 people that signed up and they were all good.  At first all 5 sang and the audience judged the top 3.  After the audience picked the top 3 they sang 2 more songs and there were judges that picked the winners.  It was a good show and didn't last too long.

I think this is the latest that I have stayed up.  It is after midnight already and I am getting tired because it won't be long until time to eat breakfast!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Today is a slow day.  We started out our day as usual with breakfast in Chops.  Really not much going on today that we are interested in.  However, we did go to the casino this morning and I hit $75 2 times for a total of $150.  That was nice.  Then off to Bingo and no luck once more.

I won't bore you with what else we did.  Tonight's show was a ventriloquist and he was really good -- probably one of the best shows we have seen so far.  I would like to see more shows like it.

After the show we went to the Safari Club to see the Liars Club Game Show.  It was really crowded and we really didn't have very good seats and it was still 20 minutes before it was time for it to start.  We decided to leave and go check out the Solarium to see if it was crowded and possibly go for a swim.  So much for that -- they had drained the pool.  The hot tub was open and I guess we could have done that but we just went to our rooms.

Our daily program told us to turn our clocks back 30 minutes tonight.  Our dining room waiter told us that since we weren't going to St John's we were not to change our clocks tonight.  When we got to our room tonight our cabin steward left us a note to turn our clocks back 1 hour.  We set a wake up call.  I guess we will see in the morning what time they are waking us up.

The seas seem to have calmed down quite a bit.  The ship rocks some but not as much as it had been.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Today was a busy day.  We managed to keep going all day with very little rest.

As usual we started the day in Chops for breakfast.  They are used to us by now and we just walk in and sit at our usual table.  There is only one table for 4 at the window so we like to get there at 7:30 am when they open so we get the table before anyone else gets there.  This morning we managed to stay there until almost 9:00 am.

After breakfast we went and made our donation to the casino.  When we were in the casino we could tell the Captain was making an announcement but for whatever reason it could not be heard in the casino.  In the elevator on the way back to our room a lady told us that the Captain had announced that we would not be making our stop at St John's Newfoundland.  Evidently there are quite a few storms in the Atlantic and we are now going South and would wait for the storms to get north of us and then we will turn West.  They said we will be going about 600 miles out of our way to avoid the storms so there is no way we can substitute another port.

We were only back in our room for a short time when we realized that it was time to go to bingo and get good seats.  All these old people on the ship always seem to get places 30 minutes to an hour early so we have to beat them there.  We like to get a table to put our cards on and there are very few tables.  This morning I was lucky enough to get to yell bingo along with 5 other people.  I won $43.13!  WOW!  However, since there were so many of us that had to split, they also gave us a bingo t-shirt which gives us a free bingo card for the last game anytime you wear the bingo t-shirt to a bingo session.  They also gave us a free pack to use for the session later that day.  

It took a while for them to pay everyone for their big win so it was around 12:30 pm before we finished with bingo.  We went back to the room for a brief rest.  We had agreed after breakfast that we would meet at the dining room at 1:00 pm for lunch so it was time to go eat lunch.  We had an enjoyable lunch.  After lunch I had to take the voucher I had gotten for my bingo win to Guest Services to collect my winnings.  I had the choice of having it applied to my account or getting cash.  I got the cash so we could take it back to the casino.

There was another bingo session at 4:00 pm.  We wanted to get there early again for a good seat and when we got there they were having an Art Auction.  We sat and watched what they were doing and made sure we didn't make any movements where they would think we were bidding on anything.  I couldn't believe how high these pictures were and most of them I didn't care for anyway.  At the end of the auction they gave out prizes from drawing tickets that had been given out earlier.  Some of the prizes were pretty good.  We have decided that maybe we need to start going to future art auctions and try for some of the prizes.

We played bingo and weren't lucky this time.  At one time I thought I might win but it didn't happen.  

When bingo was over we took our earlier bingo winnings back to the casino.  It didn't take long before it was gone however it was time for -- Dinner!  By the time we got to the dining room it was open.  I wasn't even hungry but of course I ate.  For dessert Pat ordered the sugar free selection and it was absolutely terrible.  It was some time of mousse that was lime flavored with basil in it.  I don't know who in the world came up with that idea but they had to have been crazy.  I like basil but not in my desserts.

The show tonight was some violin playing woman.  She was born in Poland -- her father was Polish and her mother was French.  However she said that she had a Polish passport and a British passport.  She has homes in Poland, Scotland and Miami (I think I got that right).  I'm sure people that are into that type of music enjoyed it but I was ready for it to be over.

As soon as the show was over we headed straight to our cabin.  We had a busy day.  In fact while I am sitting here typing this, the TV is going, Mary P is acting like she is watching TV (she is laying there wearing her glasses) and I tried to ask her a question about something that we did and she is fast asleep and didn't respond to anything I asked her.

We haven't been to the Solarium yet (adult pool and hot tubs).  It is open 24 hours.  Pat suggested that we all go to the Solarium for a swim at 3:00 am when nobody else will be there.  There is also a Solarium Cafe that is open during the night and we could get a bite to eat (just like we need it).  After a swim she wanted to go work out at 6:00 am and then go eat breakfast at 7:30 am.  Sounds like fun doesn't it………….. I doubt that will happen tonight.

We are setting our clocks back another hour tonight.  I think we will then be 3 hours different than Dallas.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Today was our second day in Iceland.  After having room service for breakfast, our guide picked us up at 8:30 am.  He took us on a tour through a different part of Iceland than yesterday.  The scenery yesterday was full of waterfalls and greenery.  Today we saw lots lava beds, black sand beaches and more sulphur smelling geysers.  One interesting thing that he did show us was where they had lots of fish hanging to dry out.  We stayed inside the car with the windows rolled up and we could still smell the fish.  He said they used it for making fish jerky and also to make fish oil.

They have done several movies here in Iceland.  They said Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe recently were here.  We saw where one of them was filmed.  I believe it was Noah with Russell Crowe.

The main attraction today was a visit to the Blue Lagoon.  When we started planning this cruise and what to do, this was at the top of our list.  We read about the ship excursion to do this and we were afraid there would be too many people to deal with.  We did more research on the internet and found that The Blue Lagoon had an Exclusive Lounge which was more private.  We immediately decided this was what we wanted to do.  When setting up our tour with Eskimo Tour Company we asked if they could arrange this for us and they did.  Our tour guide escorted us in and got us checked in.  We then had an escort assigned to us to show us around and help us out with any special arrangements that we might need.

When we checked in they gave us a special bracelet which was our key to get in different areas.  Our bracelets were green and most others had blue bracelets (general public).  We had private dressing rooms with showers, towels, robes, and slippers.  The dressing rooms were upstairs and when we walked downstairs there was a special lounge with lounge chairs, coffee maker, lemon and lime water, and fresh fruit.  Down more stairs led us to where we would enter the Blue Lagoon.  It was nice and warm and had a special door that led to the outside.  The lounge was special because there were only 8 of us in there with a limit of 12 people.  Of course once we went outside there were 100's of people.  

The claim of the Blue Lagoon is it cures all that ails you and makes you look 10 years younger.  It did make me feel better.  With our entrance we got a special facial mask to put on and 1 free drink.  I opted for a Strawberry Smoothie which was good.  The mask was frozen and they told us to put it in the water for 1 second and then rub it on your face and let it stay on for 15 minutes.  After that we just washed it off.  My face felt like it was burning at first but later it felt ok.  There was another type of mask for the general population and we used that also.  When I finished both masks my face felt smooth.

There were spots of really hot water in the lagoon and none of the water was really deep.  In fact lots of it was only about knee high so we spent a lot of time crouched down in the water because it was really cold outside.  We stayed there about 3 hours and then it was time to go back to the ship.  

All aboard time was 4:30 pm and we got back around 4:15 pm so we were cutting it pretty close.  However, there were lots of other people getting there about the same time because the line to get on board was long.  Just as we got there it started raining.  We have been fortunate with the weather on all of our ports until now.  I think I mentioned in an earlier post that the Captain was monitoring the weather.  Well it seems they are still monitoring it.  He said we were going to have high waves and a lot of rocking of the ship tonight and in the future.  In fact there is a good possibility that we may miss our last port of St John's, Newfoundland.  We have a private tour booked there but we didn't have to pay in advance so that is good.  If we don't make the port, I will just email them and tell them what happened.  

We went to the show tonight and it was a Magic Show.  The magician is from Las Vegas -- Knight Magic (Kyle Knight & Misty).  They were pretty good.  We managed to go to the first show and the place was almost empty.  When we got back to the ship today we hadn't had lunch yet so went to have a snack and ended up eating way too much and weren't hungry for dinner.  However we did go to dinner but didn't eat very much so we could leave early and go to the show.

There are lots of activities planned for tomorrow.  The Captain is supposed to hold a question and answer session and to talk more about the weather and how it will be handled.  It's too bad it will be during Bingo and I won't be able to hear him.  However, I am sure the Rosga's will go so they can fill me in.

We set our clocks back an hour tonight so there will only be 4 hours time difference between the ship and home…………

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Today has been a busy day and I am totally exhausted.  We are in Iceland today and tomorrow.  After waking up early this morning and having room service for breakfast, we met the Rosga's at the Concierge's Lounge at 8:15 am.  We then proceeded to leave the ship that had just been cleared for us to get off the ship.

When we first exited the ship, we didn't find our tour guide waiting for us.  At first we were kind of nervous since this particular tour had required us to pay in full for the tour in advance.  Usually the tours request payment at the end of the tour.  Another guide asked who we were looking for and when we told him, he said that he hadn't seen them yet and where to go wait.  It was just a matter of minutes until he was there.

Our first stop was at a gas station in case we needed to use the restroom or get a snack.  I think our guide was getting his breakfast.  They had told us on the ship that places would take Euros there as well as their own money so we got Euros since the ship didn't have the Icelandic money.  The Rosga's tried to buy a cup of coffee with Euros and they didn't take them so now we have Euros with no place to spend them.  I am sure our tour guide will get them as a tip and he can figure out what to do with them.  

Our tour guide is 26 years old and was born in Connecticut.  His father was studying medicine in the states when he was born.  Both of his parents are from Iceland.  He is 26 years old and is very knowledgeable about what all we are seeing.  Of course I am not like Pat and don't take notes so I don't remember a lot of what we are seeing but I do enjoy it while there.

We saw some geysers erupting, geothermal springs, beautiful waterfalls and wonderful scenery all around.  To top it off we all went snowmobiling on a glacier and it snowed while we were there.

We stopped and had lunch at a cafeteria and I had fish stew which was served with mixed vegetables and rye bread that was cooked in the ground from geothermal heat.

We got back to the ship around 6:00 pm (dinner time).  Pat and I went to our respective cabins to drop our things off while Mary P and Terry went straight to the dining room with orders to get me some bread because I was absolutely starving.  Each night we haven't been eating any bread as a way to try and be good about what we were eating.  Tonight I had to have something until I got my food.  Nothing on the menu sounded good so I just asked the waiter for a recommendation.  I can't even tell you what he recommended, but it tasted good.

Our guide said we might have a chance to see the Northern Lights tonight and that they had seen a pretty good show last night.  The best time to see them is from 11:00 pm - 1:00 am.  I told Pat if they saw they to give us a call.  I doubt I will stay up that long because it is all I can do to stay away to type this.

I think I will sign off for now

Friday, September 7, 2012

Today was a slow day.  We were at sea and the ship was rocking and rolling all day.

This is what we did:

• Breakfast at chops with the Rosga's -- 7:30 am
• Went back to the room and slept
• Bingo at 11:00 am
• Lunch at the dining room with the Rosga's
• Went back to the room and slept
• Went to casino
• Went to dinner in the dining room with the Rosga's at 6:00 pm -- tonight was formal night
• Went to casino
• Went to show at 9:00 pm -- singers and dancers

Now we are back in the room and ready for bed.  Lots of time spent sleeping today and w gain an hour tonight.  We will be in Iceland the next 2 days and we have 2 full days booked.  We are also watching the forecast with 2 hurricanes heading our way.  Hopefully it won't affect the cruise.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Today we are in Faroe Islands and it started out with a bang -- literally.  We were in Chops Grille eating breakfast morning watching out the window as we were getting closer to where we would dock.  All at once the ship started making noises.  Terry explained to us what the ship was doing.  I don't remember the terminology that he used but it was more like they were putting on the brakes or trying to slow down or back up.  I didn't think much about it then someone came on the speaker and said something.  Our waiter said that it was a medical emergency on Deck 13.  We were all speculating what was going on then the Captain came on and said that the ship had hit a power line and a security guard had been injured.  Part of the ship was damaged and they would have to see how bad it was when we got into port.

I don't think we were late docking.  They made an announcement that the ship was cleared and we could get off the ship.  This was about 9:15 am.  This is a very small town and it looks like there isn't much here.  There is a free shuttle into town.  They said that in the center of town the locals had booths set up selling home made items.

Mary P and I didn't have our excursion until Noon so we decided to stay on the ship until then.  We weren't sure if we had time to go into town first.  We were doing a RIB Fast Boat.  Well let me tell you, I am not sure what came over me when I suggested we book this tour.  It did turn out to be fun but it was different.  These boats will hold 12 people.  We had 11 people on the tour.  They picked us up around Noon.  The tour before us got off the  van that we were getting on.  They said it was lots of fun.  Once we got to where the boat was they gave us these warm suits to put on.  They were really hard to move around in because they were so bulky.  

This boat looks like a big long inner tube with 2 seats on each row.  It was hard getting down into the boat because my leg didn't want to bend as much as it needed to.  They man had to bend it for me -- that was the easy part.  Then I had to straddle the seat.  I couldn't hardly get my leg over it -- another man (passenger) helped me hike my leg over the seat.  Once I get seated I was ready to go.  I forgot to tell you the most important part.  They made Mary P and I sit on the first row so of course we would get all the wind and water.  At one part I got a mouth and face full of salt water.  They asked us if we had back problems.  Well if you didn't before you got on it, you probably will afterwards.  There was one wave that he hit so hard I was in pain.

The ride lasted almost an hour which was long enough.  Once back on solid ground we had a choice of staying in town and catching the shuttle or coming back on the van we went in.  We came back to the ship.  I was starving so we went to the Windjammer to get a bite to eat.  It looked like everyone was there and we were lucky enough to find a seat as someone was leaving.

After we finished eating we went back to the room to rest up.  I decided to take a shower and wash my hair since I had a salt water bath today on tour.  After that I went to sleep and didn't wake up until it was time to go to dinner.  Mary P and I were first in line for the dining room.  We were glad they opened it up early.  Service was pretty slow tonight.  I have a new tactic to try and not overeat.  I study the menu and find something that I probably won't like and order it.  That way I won't eat all of it.  However, that doesn't work the the desserts because I like all of them.

After dinner we went to the casino until time for the show.  I was almost out of money and hit $75.  I cashed out and we went to get a seat for the show.  Tonight's entertainment was the comedy and vocals of Hilary O'Neil. She was pretty good.

Now that the show is over, the ship is rocking and rolling again.  I think it will be a rough night.  At least the ship is ok to continue on the trip.  They were outside working on it all day while we were in port.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

This morning we met the Rosga's at Chops Grille for breakfast at 7:30 am.  We were the only ones in there until somebody else came in around 8:40 am.  I guess everybody except for us slept in today because it was a sea day.  

There really isn't much to do on the ship today.  Mary P and I made a visit to the casino and then played Bingo and had no luck at either one.  The ship is rocking and rolling today and they said it may get worse.  Mary P wasn't feeling well so went to lay down.  I went to lunch with the Rosga's in the dining room.  We told them that we wanted a table for just ourselves.  They finally said ok and seated us at a table for 6 by ourselves.  We were happy and then they brought 3 other people to our table.  They didn't want to sit with us any more than we wanted to sit with them.  We just talked among our separate groups.  They weren't there long until they finished their salads and left.

After lunch I went to the Windjammer and found some crackers to take back to Mary P to see if they would help her.  She said she was feeling somewhat better so after resting some I went up to the Windjammer with her so she could get a bite to eat.  We then went back to the casino and had no luck once more.  

We are going on a RIB fast boat tomorrow in the Faroe Islands.  They said to dress warmly.  I don't really have any warm clothes so I went to the shops on board and found a sweatshirt to buy.  They were on sale for 50% off which is still more than it is worth but I didn't have much choice.

There was really nothing else to do.  We just waited until time for dinner.  Dinner was uneventful.  They changed the showtimes and we had to wait until 9:00 pm for the show.  We went back to our room for a bit after dinner and then headed on down to the showroom to get a good seat.  We got there 30 minutes early and there were lots of people there.  The show was good.  The group (man & woman) was Livewire.  They played celtic music.  I think I have seen them before but don't remember where.  

The ship had began rocking and rolling again pretty good as we staggered back to the room.  We had to get to bed because we had another early morning tomorrow.

Sorry this was so boring today.  Maybe the Faroe Islands will be more interesting.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Today we were in Dublin, Ireland.  They say we arrived in port at 5:00 am.   I wouldn't know because I was asleep.  We had room service for breakfast and took our time getting ready.  We watched as all 200 buses loaded up for ship tours.  We opted to see Dublin on our own.  We first had to stop by Guest Services to trade our British Pounds in for Euros since we were running low on Euros and would not need British Pounds at any more ports.  I have no idea if the exchange rate was good or not but it really didn't matter.  

We made our way downstairs around 9:30 am.  We had purchased tickets on a shuttle bus to take us to the center of town.  It took us about 20 minutes to get into town.  Once there we went straight for the Green Hop On Hop Off Bus.  We decided to go around 1 time first to see what there was to see and then go back around and get off at the places we wanted to see.  We got off at Trinity College Dublin to see the Book of Kells and got off at Dublin Castle.  When at Dublin Castle we ate lunch at the Tea Room.  Food was good and we sat outside overlooking the gardens and the Coach House.  It was beautiful weather.  I initially wore my coat in the morning but by the end of the day, I was able to take it off.

We also got off at the Art Museum but not to see art.  There was a grocery store there that I had seen earlier.  It was one of the bigger ones and I just knew that they would have Dr Peppers there.  To our disappointment, there was no Dr Pepper.  Once back on the bus we decided to ride back around and go ahead and take the shuttle back to the ship.  We were lucky that the shuttle was there when we arrived and we didn't have to wait for it.

Once back on the ship, I checked my email and posted my blog for yesterday.  I had tried this morning but for some reason the internet was down.  When checking my e-mail I had an e-mail from Pat telling me where they were in Dublin asking where we were.  That was around 2:30pm or so.  Then I got another one around 4:30 pm saying they were leaving.  I looked at my watch and saw that it was about 4:45 pm so I went back to my cabin and went out on the balcony to see who all was boarding the ship and there Pat and Terry were just getting off the bus.   We yelled at them and they actually heard us.  Pat took our picture.

They have a happy hour from 5:00 - 7:30 or so each night at the Concierge Lounge. The have snacks and free drinks.  We don't usually go to it since we have early dinner but the other day I saw someone coming out of there with canned cokes.  This afternoon Mary P went in there and asked for 2 Diet Cokes to take to the room, then about 30 minutes later I went in there and got 2 Diet Cokes to take to the room.  I can't believe we didn't realize they had canned cokes there.  We always thought you had to get alcoholic drinks in there so never bothered to go.  It is always so crowded in there.  In fact, some people get there an hour early just to get a seat.

Dinner was good tonight.  The table for 6 next to us got into our conversations even more tonight.  In fact at times, it almost got under control with all the talking and laughter between the 2 tables.  I told Pat that I thought maybe her and I should go get a table for 2 somewhere else.  There is a man sitting at a table for 2 on the other side of us and he doesn't have anyone dining with him.  He keeps to himself, drinks his wine, reads a book and eats.  I said I might sit with him!

After dinner there was an Enrichment Lecture in the showroom on Faroe Islands.  This is our next stop on Thursday.  They said that this will be the first time that Royal Caribbean has stopped there.  The guy that did the talk had never been there before and really didn't know much.  We are going on a RIB boat.  Not really sure what that is, but it is supposed to be some kind of fast boat or something.  We were also told that the temperature will be in the 40's and maybe snow on the mountains.  I sure hope I don't freeze to death since I didn't bring a lot of warm clothes.  

We don't leave until 11:15 pm tonight.  They are having another Enrichment Lecture later on tonight about Apollo.  I am going to sit that one out.  They are also having a sail away party at the pool (which is directly about our room) at 11:15 pm.  I don't think I will make that either.  I am tired after spending the day in Dublin and think I will just stay in the room the rest of the night.  I won't even be checking out the casino.  We are meeting the Rosga's at Chops in the morning at 8:00 am for breakfast.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Last night when we got to our room, our cabin steward had left us a card telling us to set our clocks back.  I didn't reset my watch thinking I would do it this morning.  We always ask for a wake up call.  We requested a wake up call at 6:30 am.  After I finished my shower, I looked at my watch and it was around 7:00 am.  Since I had not reset my watch, it should have said 6:00 am.  Thinking something wasn't quite right, we called the front desk and asked them if we were supposed to change our clocks last night and they said no.  So it seems our cabin steward gave us bad info.  I am just glad we set a wake up call with the ship instead of setting our own watches.  

We met the Rosga's in Chops Grille for breakfast.  I was the only one that didn't get anything hot to eat.  They had a buffet set up with cereal and fruit so I got my food from the buffet.  The service was good and it was quiet in there. After breakfast we went back to our rooms.  We were going on a ship excursion today and were to meet in the showroom at 10:15 so we had a little time to kill.

We decided to meet in the showroom a little before 10:00 am.  As always there were already quite a few people there.  They had already filled up one bus and we were on bus #2.  The took us to the bus right at 10:00 am and it was mad chaos.  We met on deck 5 and we had to exit on deck 3 (I think).  We traipsed halfway across the ship and down the stairs.  There was only one line to get off the ship so there was a traffic jam.  We finally made our way off the ship and to our bus.  Some people must have come down early because the bus was more than half full when we got there and we were at the front of the line leaving the showroom.

We went to Dublin Castle (with the blarney stone) and Woolen Mills Shop.  It wasn't too far from the ship and we had a nice narration on the way there.  Once to the castle there was a little walk from the bus parking lot.  Once inside the castle grounds we walked towards the castle.  We decided not to walk all the way to the castle.  There was a long line to go through it and to kiss the blarney stone you had to walk up 100 steps on a winding staircase which at times could be tight.  I didn't think I was up for that.  Mary P and I went back to the Woolen Mills Shop and looked around.  The Rosga's went to kiss the blarney stone.

The Woolen Mills Shop had 3 floors of things to look at.  I only went on 2 floors.  If you purchased 250 euros worth of stuff they would ship it free back to the USA but I didn't see anything I wanted and certainly nothing that would cost that much.  I did see some food that I was interested in but was afraid to buy it so I bought nothing.  After going through the shop we were sitting outside at some picnic tables and I noticed a man walking with a Dr Pepper.  Mary P went and chased him down and asked him where he had gotten it.  He got it near the castle.  After sitting there for a while we decided to walk back over there and check it out.  We each got 2 -- 1 for then and 1 for later.  It was so good.  I wish I  had gotten more but I am getting low on my Euros and don't want to have to purchase more.  

It was then time to go back to the bus.  We got there and found the bus but it wasn't open yet.  The bus driver finally found his way over there and unlocked it.  There was only one problem -- he didn't bother to turn the air on.  I was about to get back off the bus and the driver got on the bus and gave us air.  It still took a while for the bus to cool off.  

It was time for us to leave and there were still a lot of people missing -- including the Rosga's.  I was beginning to think all sorts of things because they are always on time if not usually early.  I was afraid Terry had fallen out on walking the 100 steps.  They finally came back and said it had taken them that long to get to the top because of the crowd.  That was the only thing they did -- walk to the top, Pat kissed the blarney stone and has her picture to prove it, and walk back down.  Terry didn't kiss the blarney stone because to do so you have to lay down on your back and turn your head back.  He said he was afraid he wouldn't have been able to get up.  

When we got back to the ship there was another long line to get back on the ship.  Once on board we went straight up to the Seaview Cafe to eat lunch because we were starved.  I think it was about 3:00 pm by then.  I got chicken fingers which came with one hot wing and fries. It was pretty good.  Of course it wouldn't be long until dinner.

We went to the dining room for the first time tonight.  We were assigned the table that Mary P and I were originally given with the Smith's.  It seems that this table has been vacant every night of the cruise and it took them 3 nights to notify us that the table was ours and we got to eat there on night 4.  Our waiters were very good.  We are sitting next to a table for 6 and the tables are so close together that it seems like we are at a table for 10.  Sometimes we will be carrying on a conversation within our table and the other table will comment on it.  So much for a small table!

After we finished dinner we went to the casino.  My card would not work once again but Mary P's did so I sat and watched her.  Finally we got someone to make a card for me to just use in the casino.  By the time I got the card it was time to go to the show.  We got there 30 minutes early and there were already a lot of people there.  The entertainment was a hypnotist.  It was funny to watch the people do crazy things.  I am not convinced that some of them were really hypnotized.  The show lasted over an hour which was a little long.

After the show was over we stopped by the casino since I didn't get to play earlier.  I played keno and hit 6 out of 7 for $75.00.  I was happy and cashed out and we came to the room to plan our day for tomorrow.  We will be in Dublin, Ireland tomorrow.  We cancelled out ship tour and are taking a shuttle into town and plan on doing a Hop on Hop off tour.  The Rosga's stuck with the ship tour.  I told them that it wouldn't be as much fun as being with us but they stuck to the ship tour.  We dock at 5:00 am in the morning and won't depart until 11:15 pm.  Our waiter said it had something to do with the tide and there were only certain times we could get in and out of port.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Today was another early day.  We were going on a ship excursion to Corfe Castle and to the Village of Corfe.  I don't really care for the ship excursions because there are so many people to have to deal with and it is sometimes hard to hear or see what was going on.  That seemed to be what happened today.  Our bus left at 8:15am for and hour and a half ride to Corfe Castle.  When we got there it was on top of this steep hill and we were told we had to walk to the top.  At first I said there was no way that I was going to do that.  Then I talked to our tour guide and she said it was a gradual incline and not too bad of a walk so I decided that I would go for it.  She was right.  It wasn't that bad of a walk plus I was at the end of the line behind a bunch of old people so that helped because we weren't walking that fast.  What I didn't realize when I signed up for the tour was that it was the ruins of a castle.  There were people who had little tents set up selling things.  I didn't even bother to look or go on in to the castle.  

The castle was in the center of town.  We were to meet our friend Diane that day at 11:45.  Unfortunately the tour company changed up the printed itinerary.  We were to get to Corfe Castle at 9:45 which we did.  By the time we walked to the entrance it was about 10:10.  We were told that we had to meet back at 11:10 am. when we would then go back to the bus for our way back to the ship.  The ride back to the ship was 45 minutes.  We were due back to the ship at 1:15 pm which in our calculations it meant that we would be leaving the village at 12:30 pm.  Besides seeing the castle we were to have 45 minutes in the village where we were to have met Diane.  

Well anyway, the bus pulled out about 11:30 am for our 45 minute ride back to the ship.  They drove us all over the place and took 2 hours to get us back to the ship.  Needless to say we weren't happy people.  Oh I forgot to tell you that when we were in the village they had a bakery there.  I went in there and bought a delicious looking loaf of Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese icing.  When we were trying to get in touch with Diane one of the pubs let us use their wifi to send her an email.  They had chocolate tortes for sale there so we got 2 pieces to take back with us.  

When we arrived back to the ship all 50 buses had arrived at the same time and the lines to get back on the ship were horrendous.  The line we were going through the metal detector went off on each person that went through there and they had to search us all.  I happily sent my stuff through the scanner and they promptly told me I was not allowed to bring food onto the ship.  I had always heard that you couldn't take food off the ship but never that I couldn't bring it on the ship.  We asked if we could just eat it and they said we had to leave the ship in order to do so.  Not really sure how that would work since we aren't allowed to take food off the ship.  I just told them that I hoped the crew enjoyed my food and just walked off.

We also checked on our dining arrangements this morning and they said there wasn't anything in the records about us requesting anything so they took down the request again and were to contact us by 4:30 pm.  It is now 5:54 pm and we haven't heard anything, so I guess we won't be eating in the dining room tonight either.  Not really sure why nobody will tell us anything.  Either tell us they have something or tell us they don't.  Instead they say nothing.

Tonight is formal night.  I don't think I will dress up.  We ate lunch late today so may not even eat tonight.  Last night the casino was so crowded we couldn't even get to a machine so we saved our money.  

It is now 7:45 pm.  We decided to go eat at the buffet.  I wasn't that hungry so didn't eat that much which was good because they really didn't have anything that I cared to eat.

After dinner we went to the casino.  It wasn't crowded and the machines we like to play were available.  There was only one machine that would accept our card to play.  We got someone to help us and they had the nerve to tell me that my card was demagnetized and I needed to go have a new one issued to me so I could play their stupid games.  I told him that was ok I would just save my money and that I was going to the room.  I know my card has not been demagnetized because I can still get in my room with it.  For some reason things have not been going so good today.

After we got back to our room we checked our account balance on the TV and they did refund us for half the cost of the excursion today which was nice.  We had complained to the concierge about it today and told him we wanted a refund.  I figured we wouldn't get anything so half back is good.

Tomorrow we will be in Cork, Ireland.  We have another ship excursion booked.  I hope it will turn out better.  We gain an hour of sleep tonight.  It seems like we lose an hour one night, gain an hour the next night and lose an hour the next night.  So it is now 8:00 pm which is really 7:00 pm the new time and we are in for the night.

Well here I am again.  Mary P called Guest Services again and asked them what the status was of our dining request.  They said the Maitre'd was supposed to have contacted us.  He transferred her to the Maitre'd and he told us he hadn't gotten around to calling us yet but that we now have our table for 4 at 6:00 pm dining with the Rosga's.  We have the table Mary P and I originally had.  I don't know what happened to the Smith's.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Today wasn't such an early day but it has been a long day.  We docked at LeHavre, France at 7:00 am.  We had booked a private tour of Normandy.  Our guide was Mathias with DDay Guided Tours.  He was a wealth of information.  In fact, it was information overload.  It took us an hour and a half to get to our first stop.  All along the way he was giving us a history lesson.  I never was much for history so a lot of it (most) of it went right over my head.  He said his family had lived in the area since the 1600's which I thought was interesting.  He also said that during World War II the Germans came and stayed in his grandparent's house and they had no choice but to let them.  They were farmers.  At some point his grandfather fought in the war.

We first stopped at a German cemetery.  He wanted us to see it so we could later compare it to the American cemetery.  There were over 20,000 graves there.  Most are buried at least 2 to a grave.  There are over 200 unidentified German soldiers buried there.  

After our brief stop there we went to Pointe du Hoc.  There we got to see some bunkers the remains of German artillery battery.  

From there we went to a restaurant to have a bite to eat.  The food was fresh and homegrown.  You all know that I don't like tomatoes.  Well they served me a salad with a whole tomato on it and I thought I would try it because when I went to St Petersburg several years ago I tried tomatoes that were out of this world.  I thought that perhaps I just didn't like American tomatoes.  Well I tried it and it was really good.  I also had quiche and some dessert with fresh peaches and fresh whipped cream.

After lunch he took us to Omaha beach where we got out and walked a little bit while we got another history lesson.  By the way, he even taught us history all throughout lunch.  He really loves his job and said he reads all the time to learn more about this.

After this brief stop we went to the American Cemetery.  It was much nicer than the German cemetery that we saw earlier in the day.  I don't remember how many are buried there but it was quite impressive.  He said this is the most visited U.S. Cemetery visited right behind Arlington National Cemetery.  

This was our last stop and then we had another hour and a half drive back to the port.  When we got back to LeHavre he drove us through the town so we could get a brief look at it.  

Once back on board we had to check on our dining arrangements since we still had not been told when we could eat in the dining room.  We have talked to the Dining Room people the first day, our cabin steward the first day and the Concierge this morning. They all told us we would be told something today.  We were expecting a voice mail when we returned, but there was nothing.  Mary P called Guest Services and explained it to them and the apologized and said that we could go to Chops Restaurant (steakhouse) at their expense. There is normally a $30 cover charge for this restaurant. We were able to go there at 6:30 and the food was very good and the service was good also.

After dinner we went to the 9:00 pm show.  The group performing tonight were Tenors Unlimited.  They had a great show.  I wouldn't mind see them again, but the only way I could do that would be to go to the 10:45 pm show tonight.  They are getting off the ship tomorrow.  Maybe I can catch them on another ship sometime.

Tomorrow we have an early day.  We will be docked in Portland (Dorset), UK.  We have a ship excursion booked and are going to Corfe Castle.  While there we are planning on meeting one of our friends that we have met on Facebook playing games.  She lives about 10 minutes away.  We look forward to meeting Diane.

While in Portland, the Paralympic Sailing events are going on.  We hope to see some of them from the ship.  From looking on-line, it looked like they would be right where we are docking.  

I will try to get more pictures posted in the next few days.