All I Got Was A Lousy T-Shirt. . .(SleepyD's WetnWild Shower Fan Club -16 Feb 07)

[DocLovesDis]

My cousin went on a RCL cruise to Alaska, only to be sent back to shore because she had a kidney stone. They wouldn't let her stay on the boat and just pass it. She is a nurse herself and she was FURIOUS. They did give them a nice compensatory discount towards a future cruise, but still.....can you imagine being on your way to Alaska and then being made to get off the boat?

Wow - that would make me mad especially because most people pass stones without problems. She could have just had a few specialty drinks of the day and would have done just fine

The one person the nurses told me about was a man who had an 80% O2 sat. They said he didn't want to get off the boat but they couldn't keep him at that low of a rate. I understand sending off someone who may need to be intubated, but the kidney thing.... just don't get that.
I hope the guy with the low O2 sat is doing ok.
I am glad that your cousin was at least compensated.
You can let her know that after living in Alaska for 4 yrs that the best way to visit is to fly in and then drive to places. Much better scenery and wildlife sightings.

 

[DeloreanGirl]

They were very nice and gave me a tour. They have a kid themed room, a few regular exam rooms, Xray, full labs that would rival most large doc offices/small hospitals, and a trauma room. They also have a room that is for ICU/critical patients and a few quarantine rooms. They told me that they don't just treat scrapes and twisted ankles/hips (occurred when trying to take a bath? ) but they often have very sick guests. They had 4 people that needed to be medically evacuated on the cruise before ours, including one with a very low oxygen level. They have had heart attacks, strokes etc. It seemed very efficient and state of the art. Made me feel very comfortable knowing that they have everything to handle any type of emergency.

Hope I didn't bore anyone too much. Any medical types will probably find it interesting... the rest of you... well thanks for reading.

Being a tad of a hypochondriac, I send thanks your way! I hope to never end up there, but I've never heard of anyone actually going down there and walking through it. It sounds MUCH more sophisticated than the other cruise lines I"ve heard about. Thanks!

 

[itgirl1002]

Hi Sleepy & Doc!

You guys are great at TR's! I loved the story of getting lost on the way to the restaurant the night before the cruise! Too darn funny! Have you made that call to Homeland Security yet?

Also, the tub incident is priceless!!!

I felt the same way about Animator's Palette. I figured it would be something really huge, but it wasn't all that great IMHO.

Keep the stories coming!!!

 

[Madisonznana]

Okay, so I am sitting here with 80 pages left to read on my book club book, which by the way needs to be done in 25 minutes, and what should I see but a new installment of This Lousy T-Shirt.
I wonder if Book club would mind if I just discussed your cruise??!! I have to say I am enjoying this TR much better then this month's book!

 

[sheridac]

Hell, I don’t look so good, period, but especially in the mornings.

I have just one question. You can say hell. But I can't say Speedo???

 

[firstmickey]

I tell my patients to exercise, I however do not heed my own words. So when Sleepy decided to go running, I wanted to continue a relaxing vacation with just that ... relaxation.

I had a good book and had read about the comfy padded Deck 4 lounge chairs. I decided to head there to curl up and read. The sky was a bit cloudy so being under some cover was going to be good.

On the way down the steps, I thought that I might take a quick detour. I am a curious person and wanted to see how the other half lives..... I wanted to see the medical clinic. Yes, you can take the doc on vacation but she will still be drawn to a medical clinic. I always say to patients - "the only people that like to be in a hospital are the docs and the nurses".

The medical clinic is on the 1st deck near where everyone departs the ship at ports (ie Nassau and CC). I slipped through the door marked "medical clinic" and had to wind my way through narrow corridors (wow the crew/maintenance areas are tight - like submarine tight). I ended up in a quaint little waiting area typical of most doc offices. There were 2 nurses chatting who quickly looked up and asked if I was ok. I said I was just fine, which did confuse them a bit. I then explained that I was a doc and wanted to see their facility if possible. They were very nice and gave me a tour. They have a kid themed room, a few regular exam rooms, Xray, full labs that would rival most large doc offices/small hospitals, and a trauma room. They also have a room that is for ICU/critical patients and a few quarantine rooms. They told me that they don't just treat scrapes and twisted ankles/hips (occurred when trying to take a bath? ) but they often have very sick guests. They had 4 people that needed to be medically evacuated on the cruise before ours, including one with a very low oxygen level. They have had heart attacks, strokes etc. It seemed very efficient and state of the art. Made me feel very comfortable knowing that they have everything to handle any type of emergency.

For your information, they do not just take care of the guests but they also provide the medical care for the crew. They have sick call first thing in the am. When I arrived at 9:30 ish, they had just finished all the sick call for that day. So in the future, if you have to go to the medical clinic for something other than a quick tour, you may want to wait until 10 or so.

I then went back to deck 4. The chairs were very comfy and my book very interesting. It was nice and relaxing for me. I did, however, get to observe the boat drill that Sleepy mentioned. The crew gathered at the muster stations, where they took 2 life boats out on the water to ensure they worked properly (I assume that they rotate through all the lifeboats on different cruises - I hope that they don't choose the same ones everytime - I wonder what that muster station was... we may need to choose our cabins based on a working muster station... but I digress ).
It was interesting to see how the crew drills. They have different horns to respond to, including one to abandon ship. Of course there is an announcement that guests should ignore the horns. I listened attentively and did not have any urge to fling myself off the ship just because of the whistle.
They then had a sub-captain (he was in white and seemed important - hence the title) who came around and grilled the crew about proceedures. They were questioned about what to do if the engine on the life boat didn't work, what to do if the steering went out, etc. Very cool to watch/hear.... it reminded me of how medical people practice for emergencies so we aren't fumbling around when it really counts.

It was then time for me to see where Sleepy went. I had seen him run by twice then disappeared. I hoped that I would not have to make a second trip to the medical clinic looking for a "dog" that collapsed . It did feel very secure knowing that the crew was very prepared to handle any emergency that may occur... medical or otherwise.

Hope I didn't bore anyone too much. Any medical types will probably find it interesting... the rest of you... well thanks for reading.

thanks! Im so mad at myself that I didnt think to do that! I would have loved to see that.....Hmmmmmm, wonder how many ICU nurses they need on that boat! :



Great report Doc......and Dog's wasn't too bad either!

 

[Holly&Joesmommy]

for the great TR's Dog & Doc

Hope I can get one more installment before I leave for my cruise tonight.......pretty pleeeeeeeeeeeze

I am going to go back and print your installments and make the rest of my family listen to me read them to them on the way to the airport!
They hate it when I do that
I wont let them just read it for themselves, b/c then I don't get to enjoy it w/ them....

You should see their faces when I say "oh, you guys,..I read this GREAT TR, .... here, let me read it to you!"


Anyway thanks for the great reading!

 

[Holly&Joesmommy]

ok,..word to the wise...DO NOT,..I repeat, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRINT THIS TR!!!

1- 500 sheet pkg of paper
2 - ink cartridges
1 - SMOKEN Printer! kids...."MOM,...WE SMELL SMOKE"

 

[FatherForce]

Oh yeah, only print TR's off at work.

I think that's a DIS Board rule, isn't it?


Have a fantastic cruise!

 

[curlybop]

Oh yeah, only print TR's off at work.
I think that's a DIS Board rule, isn't it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are correct!! Whenever you're having a slow day, just come to this thread & read. Only try to muffle the laughter so coworkers don't notice. Time passes much quicker.

 

[FatherForce]

So where's the next installment?
My wife's waiting for the next one so she prove I'm inferior once again.

 

[sleepydog25]

I know, I thought the same thing, all though his replies are alot of fun to read too...

Of course my first thought was WHAT A TEASE!!!

Well, that is true, as well. . .

As I am recuperating from surgery and anticipating my 4th Disney cruise, I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report. The 15 pages so far have been extremely entertaining to someone confined to bed with a laptop and TV!

I hope you are up and moving around soon! Being bed bound can't be much fun, and I'm glad to help you pass the time. Cool mini-video of the docking in your siggie!

Hurrying within the context of a 3 day trip report slated to be completed in somewhat under 300 days or so (at least we hope)
Just got off the Magic on Saturday and it's fun reading your report while cruisin' memories are fresh in my mind.
BTW, my 8 yr old DD took a bath and complained about the tub being too small!
'nuff said.
Great TR!

Hmm, a 100 to 1 ratio. That's good in some circles!
Your DD8 is obviously smarter than me.

...I am totally hooked on this AND FatherForce's Trip report. They are hilarious! We did a 7-day eastern in March, and hope to do another in early '08. But as time slowly passes till then, I love reading good trip reports...these are fantastic!! AND Here's for all the Captain Caveman fans out there!

Thank you sincerely! (Psst! Did you get that twenty I sent you?) You can't possible be old enough to remember him!

It's awesome to be an official CC member, isn't it? Can't wait to try ours out on our next cruise!

Well, we aren't official yet since our DVD came cracked. I hear they do that to those they may wish to weed out later. . .

OK you have hooked another....More Please!

Can you keep a secret? I sprinkle subliminal messages in my TRs. Just like with Coke or Pepsi or Lays, you always want just a li-i-i-i-tle bit more. . .

I am lovin your TR, but I think I still can't get over that you DIDN'T TAKE PRINCESS!!!........keep it coming and I will work on it

I think you need to see a shrink. . . In lieu of that, I promise to keep up regular episodes until I've told you all I know. . .don't say weren't warned. . .

"The red box hanging off Doc's neck is her Latte Alert button."

You mean someone else has one of those too?

Great installment! I ALMOST went for the hot stone massage. I might have to do that one next time. Next time, I will most likely end up spending half a year's pay in there.

Actually, .592697th of year's pay to be exact. . .

Hot stone massages are my favorites!!! Lucky you!

BTW - if you spent any late night time on Deck 4, you would have seen Chintana running! We saw her three out of the four nights on board!

Yes, and I want one now. Doc says she has a rock she can microwave and throw at me. I didn't see Chintana running, but I'll have to quiz her about that next time. Thanks!

They told me that they don't just treat scrapes and twisted ankles/hips (occurred when trying to take a bath? )

Oh, hardee, har, har. . .

OK, this TR sucked me in faster than dirt into my Dyson vaccum! Which is a big deal, you see, because I have dial up internet (AKA slowww...). I have read every post, and have happily neglected any work to be done. Now I am an official subscriber so I can read the posts as they come out, instead of 16 pages at one time.
(The tub fiasco was the best! My DH took one look at it on our cruise and called it a death trap for anyone taller than 3 feet, LOL)

Call me Hoover. . .and I'm beginning to believe I have a distance/depth perception problem. Did everyone see the tub as a masochist's dream but me?

I have been really enjoying your trip report.. am I going to get one more installment before I cruise saturday???

Maybe. . .if'n you're lucky. . .or unlucky as the case may be. . .

Great Trip Report!! Keep them coming!

Oh, I'm in for the whole schmi-holey now. If only I can find something to write about for the last 2 nights of the cruise. . .

Hi Sleepy & Doc!

You guys are great at TR's! I loved the story of getting lost on the way to the restaurant the night before the cruise! Too darn funny! Have you made that call to Homeland Security yet?

Also, the tub incident is priceless!!!

I felt the same way about Animator's Palette. I figured it would be something really huge, but it wasn't all that great IMHO.

I called Homeland Security--they were already aware of the gnome-drawn map and have taken steps to prevent such a recurrence--they're working on their own version of the map entitled, "Don't Leave Gnome Without It."

And I called DCL about the tub. Their response? "It's meant for show only, not actual bathing." Now they tell me.

AP was fine, don't get me wrong, but like a number of "can't miss" restaurants in WDW, it all depends on your expectations. I think ours was inflated. Thanks for subscribing!

Okay, so I am sitting here with 80 pages left to read on my book club book, which by the way needs to be done in 25 minutes, and what should I see but a new installment of This Lousy T-Shirt.
I wonder if Book club would mind if I just discussed your cruise??!! I have to say I am enjoying this TR much better then this month's book!

Tell them you know the author. And that I won't charge for using my work (now, if you charge them, I want my cut! ).

I have just one question. You can say hell. But I can't say Speedo???

Not unless you're Italian.

Great report Doc......and Dog's wasn't too bad either!

You are sooooo on my black list. . .

for the great TR's Dog & Doc

Hope I can get one more installment before I leave for my cruise tonight.......pretty pleeeeeeeeeeeze

I am going to go back and print your installments and make the rest of my family listen to me read them to them on the way to the airport!
They hate it when I do that
I wont let them just read it for themselves, b/c then I don't get to enjoy it w/ them....

You should see their faces when I say "oh, you guys,..I read this GREAT TR, .... here, let me read it to you!"

Anyway thanks for the great reading!

You're channeling my mom. . .and. . .you're scaring me. . .

ok,..word to the wise...DO NOT,..I repeat, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRINT THIS TR!!!

1- 500 sheet pkg of paper
2 - ink cartridges
1 - SMOKEN Printer! kids...."MOM,...WE SMELL SMOKE"

Okay, that's just funny!

Whenever you're having a slow day, just come to this thread & read. Only try to muffle the laughter so coworkers don't notice. Time passes much quicker.

. . .as long as they don't think you're belching. . .

So where's the next installment?
My wife's waiting for the next one so she prove I'm inferior once again.

Our wives are a lot alike, huh?

 

[FatherForce]

I'm going to slip out of sarcastic jerk mode and say how cool SleepyDg's TR is.
It is really cool.
Not only is it really well written and funny, it LOOKS good too.

I'm enjoying writing mine, but I don't have the patience to make mine look this good.

Add this to the my personal TR Hall of Fame with Grumpydude, Royal Vizhier, Verandah Man and, of course, Zweihund.

We are all just pretenders to her throne.

Keep it up Dog!

 

[sleepydog25]

I'm going to slip out of sarcastic jerk mode and say how cool SleepyDg's TR is.
It is really cool.
Not only is it really well written and funny, it LOOKS good too.

I'm enjoying writing mine, but I don't have the patience to make mine look this good.

Add this to the my personal TR Hall of Fame with Grumpydude, Royal Vizhier, Verandah Man and, of course, Zweihund.

We are all just pretenders to her throne.

Keep it up Dog!

FF, I appreciate your comments more than you know. Thank you. Sincerely. And, for any of you coming late to this TR who may have missed my earlier plug for FF, take a moment to link to his trip report. He's a lot more succinct than me, witty and erudite, too. Run, don't walk, to his trippie. Trust me.

 

[Amlee]

Ok now that you are both done plugging each others reports and doing the manly slapping each other on the back with a grunt here and a grunt there. Can you BOTH get going on your reports? It's been 2 days for you sleepydog with nothing and almost 24 hours from FF. Some of us are in withdraws already!!

 

[sleepydog25]

Day 3: Self-Indulgence 101—Palo, The Prelude​

Back in our room, we showered (yes, me too!), changed, and headed out to catch Triton’s for lunch. Our excellent servers were Charlie from Thailand and Vanessa from Trinidad and Tobago—for the record, she pronounced it Tuh-BAY-go—just another PSA for your edification. Doc ordered the tomato cream linguine w/scallops, shrimp, clams, and lobster—decadent but delicious. And there was enough to drop some by Father Force’s cabin to go with his extra steak he ordered at Triton’s the night before. For me, the Portobello risotto looked good, and it was. However, I had the chilled tuna appetizer along with it that was only average. It needed wasabi and pickled ginger. ALL fresh tuna dishes need wasabi and ginger. It ought to be a law.



Oh, I almost forgot an important development, and those of you following Father Force’s most excellent TR will want to pay close attention. As we flowed down the steps--like a peaceful stream in the mountains—after our Vista Spa massages, heading to the room to change, we encountered none other than Father Force and his lovely wife. We stopped to chat for a moment, and we learned two things:
A) They were headed to (or was it from?) the Vista Spa for Rasul-ing. . .the details on that, I’ll leave in FF’s capable hands.
B) They were in possession of tickets to the 3 p.m. wine tasting at Palo.



Now, that latter tidbit of information stopped us in our tracks. You see, we had tried signing up for the wine tasting our very first day only to be told it wasn’t happening on this cruise. The very helpful folks at the Guest Services desk made a few phone calls just to make sure. Thus, when we saw the tix our friends flashed at us, we were surprised, though pleasantly so. After agreeing to see them at the wine tasting, Doc and I bee-lined to the help desk, and the woman who had originally told us the event was cancelled was hanging up the phone when we popped up. She was calling to tell us the wine tasting was back on! We were elated, since it was one of the activities we were most looking forward to. Wine. Palo. Cruise. Cool. Game on! We had a little time between the end of lunch and the wine tasting, so we perambulated around the ship, exploring and taking a pic or two.

Now here, I must admit to being all screwed up on my timeline. Sometimes my notes aren't too clear, it seems. Some of the pics I'm about to show you actually took place earlier in the morning between breakfast and my run (Doc's visit to the med center). The Navigator does a good job of telling you when character greets are available, and we found that if you got to them slightly early, you could get great shots quickly. Anyhow, it really matters not when these pics were taken, but my executive editor wasn't going to allow me to lie. . .too much. . .

The characters were easily accessible and visible the entire cruise. This shot was taken from the Deck 4 overlook of the main lobby. Belle was lovely. I believe Beast was being served in Triton's that night.

While the princesses held court below, there were a few other mad characters about.

Doc went for the more sexually ambiguous types. . .

Of course, I wondered, "Where is Jasmine!?"

I should take a moment here to say that the character greets were plentiful and never terribly crowded, at least compared to the huge lines you often see at WDW. These same CMs do double duty elsewhere, too. For example, the CM playing Peter Pan was in every show, as were many of the characters, actually. The interaction was good; in fact, the interaction with the characters and their availability was better--in our experience--than anything we've seen at WDW.

Oh, yeah, Doc was REAL excited about this shot. . .but, where was Jasmine?!

1500 hours. Time for wine and our first glimpse of Palo. Now, I was a little disappointed that Palo was on Deck 10 aft, since I’m a huge Star Trek fan. I’d have much rather had Palo overlooking the bow of the ship so I could say, “we went to 10 Forward.” Trekkers will know what I mean. We walk into Palo and were immediately impressed by its ambience, even in broad daylight. It was also a bit chilly in there. DIGRESSION: I’m not easily chilled, but I have to say that I found several areas on the ship quite cool, including our stateroom. I actually had to turn our thermostat DOWN. Oh, but cool does not begin to describe Shutters. Tropical, yes. Cool, no. Absolutely the hottest place on the ship—don’t go there if you’re feeling ill, are sweating, or just to hang out. Get in, get out. You start growing mold on you in about five minutes. It does make an decent alternative to the saunas in the Vista Spa. And, please, do NOT reek of perfume or cologne should you stop by there. Just sayin’.



Back to Palo and the wine tasting. We walked in and found only one other couple there. However, within the next few minutes, a total of about 10 people wound up attending, including ourselves. But. . .not including. . .wel-l-l-l. . .I’ll let you ruminate on that one for a minute. You’re smart; you’ll figure it out.



The wine tasting was conducted by the lead sommelier whose name escapes me, but he was quite knowledgeable as one would expect a sommelier to be. There were five glasses of wine (each about 1/3 full) sitting in front of each person, including a Riesling, a Pinot Grigio, a Chardonnay, a Gamay Beaujolais, and a Shiraz. There was also a small plate of cheese and crackers on each table. If you don’t care for wine, it might be a boring presentation, but we really enjoyed noting the differences in the various whites and reds. We also got a sample of champagne from one of the nicer bottles they have on board. All in all, it was a fun, educational, and low key event. We even got a pin designating that we had attended the class. Cool! I recommend this event.



On the other hand, we were terribly disappointed in a function that really has nothing to do with DCL. We noted there was DVC reception in Wavebands starting at 4 p.m. We thought it might be nice to meet some fellow DVCers. Survey says? EEYAAHHH! Wrong answer. I’ve seen happier looking folks waiting for a root canal at the dentist’s. Holy crap! This was the dullest, deadest, most disheartening event I’d been to in years. It made watching a dripping faucet exciting by comparison. We were in the 7th level of cruise hell. I have seen wakes with more excitement. . .and lots better food. As it turned out, the DVC rep apparently either didn’t make to his/her own event. We’re still not sure what gives, and we were outta there faster than Richochet Rabbit.



It was time to go change for Palo. As I’ve stated earlier, we enjoy dressing up on occasion because it simply isn’t done on a regular basis anymore in most places, certainly not in our small town in the mountains of Virginia. We had brought dressy attire and were excited about the romantic evening that lay ahead. Even I had bought a new jacket, shirt, slacks, and tie just for this meal. I readied myself fairly quickly, avoiding the tub like the plague. Doc looked ravishing in her new little black number. Of course, she asked my opinion, and I gave her a hearty two thumbs up, despite the fact I had seen her model it at home a half dozen times before the trip and assured her she looked exceptional in it each time. Okay, here’s a tip for the female readers out there. You didn’t ask for it, but I’m gonna say it anyway. (I have this mental picture of the old Far Side cartoon where the cat owner is prattling away while the cat is only hearing “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” )

Women. Wives. Fiancées. Girlfriends. Boyfriends (if it fits). When we say, “you look good” in a particular outfit, we mean it—it’s our immutable creed of Rapid Reflexive Response. And if we don’t meant it, we sure as hell aren’t going to say so. “Why, no, hon, those stripes should be vertical.” Or. “That color is so-o-o-o-o not you.” Or. “That blouse/top is too low cut,” simply are statements we are not going to utter. We treasure our sanity. . .our lives, in fact. Besides. We do think you look beautiful. And. We know we are goobers when it comes to dressing up. Suits make us look like mini-versions of Lurch. We know and you know (and we know you know that we know) that you look better than us. It’s one reason why we married you—you make us look better with your radiance. (P.S. This same law of RRR generally holds true on such classic questions as “Do these pants make my butt look big?” Now, that is a black hole of a question if there ever was one. It is one of the top three least favorite questions EVER asked of a man. We break out in a sweat; we get the dry heaves; we change the subject. Please help us help ourselves and forego said question in the future.)



Anyway, we were ready. And did I mention how scrumptious and lovely my wife looked? One last check to make sure everything was in its proper place on our bodies and that we had a key to get back in later that night. Out the door we go, hang a left, and begin walking down the corridor to the stairs. As we top the first set of stairs, I feel something whacking against my pant leg. Raising my arm to look down, I notice that once again the maroonic bug had bitten me.

“It might be a good idea to get these tags off my clothes, don’t you think?” I queried. Oh, yes. I had not only walked out of the stateroom, but had passed dozens of people wearing tags that shouted, “I’m a doofus!” Oops. And with that incident emblazoned in my memory—and freshly de-tagged—we stepped into Palo once again. . .after a quick check to make sure no toilet paper was stuck to my new shoes. . .



Coming real soon, Day 3: Self-Indulgence 101—Palo, The Meal

 

[NJMermaid]

Ima lovin this trippie, love your humor, etc, keep going

 

[zweihund]

We know and you know (and we know you know that we know) that you look better than us. It’s one reason why we married you—you make us look better with your radiance.

You sound juuuuust like my husband
More more more!

 

[Disneygrl36]

I'm lovin every minute of your trippie. Going next weekend to buy my own little black number for Palo. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

Doc.........thanks so much for the low down on the clinic. I am a nurse & I found it very interesting as will my Mom who watched some show on cruises & how terribly unprepared they are for medical emergencies & yes she is coming with us on our cruise.

You guys are great.

 

[JDBlair]

Yay! Another great episode! It's the weekend so you should be able to post at least 2 or 3 more episodes, yes??