8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC #15 /Life After the PC

[bellelinus]

Julie...

I'm glad your Father is recovering well from the triple bypass. Now-a-days folks who have this procedure do really well with good diet and exercise. We'll be sending tink with some pixie dust fer your Dad just the same to be sure things go right.

Thanks, Crash -- so far he is doing really, really well for an 80 year old . . .

I found out just before the cruise (while I was in California) that it looked like he might have to have this surgery, and checking in for news while on the cruise was really nerve racking, but luckily he was able to have the surgery after I returned and is doing very well so far.

A little "faith, trust, and pixie dust" never, ever hurts, so thanks for that!

 

[captaincrash]

The mystery meat inthe fridge.. I was so glad i emptied my fridge out before we left. I did however leave money for my daughter for when she got home. Needless to say.. it was still empty when we got home... but she had a gret time out for 2 weeks...i have this issue with drinking milk near its due date..lol It is so gross to drink spoiled milk and that smell never does go away.. I hope you soon recover from the ham.. but tell me waht that hambuger helper much better??

The ham wasn't technically ... BAD. It was just among the oldest things in the fridge. And it was purchased after our return. < chuckles > SO it wasn't all that BAD. It just wasn't all that FRESH. < wink >

And the Turkey stroganoff I made was yummy.... as usual.

​

 

[cruisin'Mike]

Also, for those that knew it.. I did my frist 5K on SATURDAY.. it was the BUD run so the beer was flowing after the race. I seriously cried when I crossed the finish line. Those that know what I have gone through over the last 11 yrs know what I mean.. for me to be able to walk... was a great challenge.. so never say never!! Now my sons tell me we can do the DISNEY 1/2 marathon in 2010. he is so funny...

Reenie,

I remember you telling us about your 5k at the PJ breakfast! Congratulations on finishing, and for having the guts to do it in the first place! Way to go!

 

[captaincrash]

Thanks, Crash -- so far he is doing really, really well for an 80 year old . . .

I found out just before the cruise (while I was in California) that it looked like he might have to have this surgery, and checking in for news while on the cruise was really nerve racking, but luckily he was able to have the surgery after I returned and is doing very well so far.

A little "faith, trust, and pixie dust" never, ever hurts, so thanks for that!

It's already on the way over....

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks, Crash -- so far he is doing really, really well for an 80 year old . . .

I found out just before the cruise (while I was in California) that it looked like he might have to have this surgery, and checking in for news while on the cruise was really nerve racking, but luckily he was able to have the surgery after I returned and is doing very well so far.

A little "faith, trust, and pixie dust" never, ever hurts, so thanks for that!

All the best for your father.

 

[Esteri]

That is funny - my parents were tracking on sailwx.info - at on 8-30 we were off the coast of India. Atleast we were out of the way of the hurricanes....

Then my MIL was calling ( I was not answering) are you guys coming home early.... yeah - let me jump ship and head right home. Then she called on the 31st to say my FIL had gone to Erie, PA to pick us up hope we are there. ummm... we were flying in on the 1st and into CLEVELAND. Quick call to FIL and he was at home and no plans on going to Erie

crazy.

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Our first DCL cruise in 2006... I had an active Indian visa in my passport. It had a paperclip on it, as that was my most recent trip, and it's nice to help out passport control.... Anyway, we were checking in, I hand over the passports, and she flips to the page with the paperclip. She gets a really quizical look on her face. "That's a visa for India." I explain. "But, we're not going to India." "Ah, but if the Captain changes his mind, I'll be ready, won't I?" Looks like I was ready two years too early....

Oh, here's a passport hint... uh.... for your next trip. Put everyone's first name on the cover of the passport (use a label maker) to make it easier to tell them apart. No, no one cares that you've got it on there. Yeah, yeah, better late than never.

I think one of the problems is people don't realize the area is so vast. On a map everything looks so close together but in reality it is not. Luckily, my DSis and DBIL have cruised in the Caribbean before and knew DCL keep us out of harms way.

So that's what make Mom's phone call so oddly weird... They were WITH US onboard in Aug 2006 for the infamous Western turned Eastern to avoid a hurricane. So she knew first hand what the DCL response to hurricanes is.

Speaking of hurricanes - I heard waiting to dimembark that the 5 day follow on had an itinerary change. Where'd it go?

You should be happy...

I got an e-mail from my Mom:

I just love the stop action of some of these:

Is that M with a drink in her hand?? Why am I not surprised? At least we've solved the puzzle of why the rum is always gone!

Are those the infamous sunglasses that Todd went diving for?

And... Who's kid walks on water??

.

 

[bellelinus]

All the best for your father.

Thanks, Andrew, so far so good . . .

 

[Esteri]

Nice name hope the crud goes,

If you want to join the Phantom Cruise there are 999 people on it and space for one more.

Cruise motto, ''DEAD DOGS DON'T WAG THEIR TAILS''

PS

Talking crud, ( as I often do!) was 16.3 on my return to the UK ( USA Translation ''HUGE'') , down to 15.9 today, ( USA Translation ''Less HUGE'' 8 pounds off )and still exercising.

Uh... What Phantom Cruise? And where do I find your chit chat about it?

so little time, so many threads...
.

 

[bellelinus]

Speaking of hurricanes - I heard waiting to dimembark that the 5 day follow on had an itinerary change. Where'd it go?


.

When we first checked in for the 5 night, we were told they had switched the Nassau and sea days, eventually though they switched them BACK (the night before) and finally we weren't able to make Castaway Cay on the last day, all due to the TS Hanna . . .

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

Hello everyone and I still miss being on the MAGIC with all of you... That said.. let me tell you about SYRACUSE NY TODAY...

Wind last night was so erie that it was HOT to go for a walk. Today we wake up to 49,000+ people in my area without power thanks to Hurricane IKE.. now we are in the middle of the state.. Yesterdays temp was 91.. today a VERY COOL 60... we had power so i didnt know to much happened.. No rain. but the wind got to about 59-70 mph... MY POOR tree outside.. well outside, inside, down the street..lol... I have a 66 mustang covered in the driveway... well, that cover was totally twisted off. My sons school district had a 2 hr delay.. He asked me to take him to school (goes outside the school district) on the way to his school.. they closed our area schools.. So we go down the road.. limbs, tent, cabanos shelters all over the road.. and than.. um mom.. you just drove over a downed wire.. I put the brakes on and stopped.. Why, I have no idea.. did I want to see if we really could fry??lol...No damage.... Lights out most of the way to the highway.. now his school is about 20-25 min away.. ABSOLUTLEY nothing on that part of town.. Its like they have a dome over their town..lol

So anyway.. my prayers to all those that had really strong winds and damage from these hurricanes.. never did we have such strong wind without rain before..

So since I was home and its quite here I had a wonderful morning watching the pics on the PIRATE ZONE.. thank you to MIKE, KIM, PDARRAH,ANDY, MONICA AND STEPH for all the great pics you posted. It was great to relive all the memories again..If I new how to do it.. I would post mine as well.. sorry, not that talented..

To FATHER MIKE... church just wasnt the same on Sunday without the BUENO VISTA THEATER as the back drop.. yet alone the 65 min service..lol

Since my sons school district is closed.. I do have to pick him up again at 245 today so there goes my nap today,.lol

Also, for those that knew it.. I did my frist 5K on SATURDAY.. it was the BUD run so the beer was flowing after the race. I seriously cried when I crossed the finish line. Those that know what I have gone through over the last 11 yrs know what I mean.. for me to be able to walk... was a great challenge.. so never say never!! Now my sons tell me we can do the DISNEY 1/2 marathon in 2010. he is so funny...

For those that i got to talk to, I love reading your posts .. I can hear you talking..lol ie SHELLY!!!

Doreen:

congrats on the 5K!!! My DH did the Bud run too on Saturday! We are just down the road in Radisson!

we had the wind last night too - I was up between 2 and 3 watching the trees bending - couldn't sleep through i!. Luckily the only damage was just inside our tree line!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks, Andrew, so far so good . . .

PS thank you for helping out on the other thread!

Uh... What Phantom Cruise? And where do I find your chit chat about it?

so little time, so many threads...
.

2010 thread,

The dates on the Baltic's do not tie up with the usual May and August REPO dates that DCL traditionally does, and I personally cannot see them coming all that way for a shorter season in the Baltic, they make their most money in the destination area, not on the REPO's so reducing the time doesn't make sense.

I have herd about a series of one way cruises, etc, so my conjecture is there is a phantom cruise or 2, in between the Repos and the Baltic's, IE the Phantom cruise I am talking about is late July or early August.

 

[discruiser]

Well Ike was a non-issue in Dallas anyway. Just a light sprinkle all day. No big winds or anything.
Hope Kim comes home to a non-issue too in Houston.

Thanks, Coral. We are still in San Antonio but are planning to return home tomorrow. (Six people in one hotel room for 5 days is more than enough!) My dad has been by our place, and surprisingly, we are in pretty good shape. We have some fence damage and minor roof damage, but that's about it. I was certain we'd have windows broken out or water in the house so I am very pleased. Galveston was just devastated! We have also been without power since Ike hit, which is why we haven't been in a hurry to get home. Apparently, power is slowly coming back on in the neighborhoods around us so hopefully it won't be long for us. My dad did get power back on today so we can stay with him for a couple days if we need to.

Oh, and our schools are closed "until further notice". I really hope they open up soon, but I'm pretty sure they'll be closed all week. Add in the 2 days they closed last week and we've got 7 days to make up. I hope they try to make them up before the standardized testing begins rather than push our last day of school out. We have plans to leave the day after school lets out for a trip to WDW with my family. We've booked a week in a 2 bedroom villa at the new Kidani Village building at the Animal Kingdom Lodge followed by 5 nights in a Beach Cottage at Vero Beach. I will not be happy if I have to change our vacation plans!

Kim

 

[lbgraves]

When we got off in Cartegena the cameras were rolling and flashes were going off so I made a note to check out the local papers when we got home. I just had the chance to do that and have found some articles from our visit there. Does anyone recognize these people?

The entire article and more pictures are here Magic in Cartegena

 

[bellelinus]

PS thank you for helping out on the other thread!

No problem -- I can't imagine not giving tips that last night when everyone else is -- I would be too embarrassed! I don't want a first time cruiser asking for information to end up thinking that many people don't give that last night, because in my experience it is a big deal seeing people give out the tips on that last night . . .

Generally I try to stay away from posting on the main cruise board because things get so weird there.

 

[lbgraves]

Here is another one.

Magic in Cartegena article

 

[lbgraves]

Thanks, Coral. We are still in San Antonio but are planning to return home tomorrow. (Six people in one hotel room for 5 days is more than enough!) My dad has been by our place, and surprisingly, we are in pretty good shape. We have some fence damage and minor roof damage, but that's about it. I was certain we'd have windows broken out or water in the house so I am very pleased. Galveston was just devastated! We have also been without power since Ike hit, which is why we haven't been in a hurry to get home. Apparently, power is slowly coming back on in the neighborhoods around us so hopefully it won't be long for us. My dad did get power back on today so we can stay with him for a couple days if we need to.

Oh, and our schools are closed "until further notice". I really hope they open up soon, but I'm pretty sure they'll be closed all week. Add in the 2 days they closed last week and we've got 7 days to make up. I hope they try to make them up before the standardized testing begins rather than push our last day of school out. We have plans to leave the day after school lets out for a trip to WDW with my family. We've booked a week in a 2 bedroom villa at the new Kidani Village building at the Animal Kingdom Lodge followed by 5 nights in a Beach Cottage at Vero Beach. I will not be happy if I have to change our vacation plans!

Kim

I have been looking for an update from you, Kim. Just read your note to DD and she is very glad that her new friend is safe. I would think that in situations like this the school district has the ability to change the required number of days for school. I have heard about them being lenient in the past and I hope that they are in your area this time.

 

[renknt]

Here is another one.

Magic in Cartegena article

Great photos but my spanish is not that good any translators?

 

[rillsung]

in my paper sorting yesterday I ran across a few notes I jotted down from the Food & Bev Q & A. I found them interesting:
There are 159 servers on board and 6 dining attendants

46 nationalities for the crew with the largest population being Phillipino

They make 4,000 chocolate chip cookies each day.....yes....DAY! And he made a point in telling us there were only around 600 kids on board so obviously the adults like them! LOL

They made 3500 chicken dinner every day

Pastry & Bakery works 24 hours a day

The food garbage is ground up and dropped under the propeller at sea (minimum of 12 miles out) Talk about Chum!

The 15 day menu was planned & ordered 8 months in advance

Due to very strict regulations on where they get their food products, the food picked up & put on board in Acapulco was trucked from California and the food picked up and put on board in Aruba was flown in from Florida

All Fish is frozen

Most popular items based on weight:
Lobster
Tenderloin
Chicken

as of the day of the talk they had used:
14,000 lbs of chicken
6,000 lbs of watermelon
3,000 lbs of tenderloin
430 gallons of vanilla softserve
320 gallons of choc softserve
1500 bottles of wine

They do alot of recycling onboard and the money received for it in Port Canaveral goes to the crew for recreation items

just thought I'd pass it on for anybody interested. We always love going to that talk to hear about it.

Wow, I didn't even think of taking notes! It'll be great to add this as captions to our personal website under the tour photos! Thanks for typing this in!

I also kept saying that most of the CM's must be Philipino. It sure seemed like it anyway... Our server and stateroom host both were.

When we got off in Cartegena the cameras were rolling and flashes were going off so I made a note to check out the local papers when we got home. I just had the chance to do that and have found some articles from our visit there. Does anyone recognize these people?

The entire article and more pictures are here Magic in Cartegena

Neat! Thanks for sharing.

 

[bellelinus]

Here is another one.

Magic in Cartegena article

Isn't that Joiseymom from this thread?????

 

[lbgraves]

THere are probably a lot of them if you google spanish translator. I am getting ready to log in for work.