Idle Musings

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SuziQ
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Idle Musings

Post: # 2122Post SuziQ »

Apologies if I've stumbled into the wrong place to post this. LOL still trying to find my way around in this forum. Oh well, Drib will hopefully move this to the appropriate place.

I often wonder about people I meet in my everyday life and many I encounter online in forums who waffle on ad nauseum about their great love of family. Their wonderful children and their even more wonderfuller grandchildren when, in fact they rarely see any of them.

"Oh son and his wife and 3 grandies live on the other side of the country ... or daughter and her husband and 2 grandchildren live in another country but we adore them and are very much in touch with Skype or Facetime, etc., etc., etc. And we get together (as long as I pay their way) on family trips, or cruises, or whatever." Our family is just wonderful and we love them soooo much (as long as we don't have to get our hands dirty doing the day to day crap).

Mmmm makes you wonder why the kids have moved so far away, right?

Look, I'm nothing, I'm nobody and to quote that old song ... I've got plenty of nuthin', etc., etc., but I'm so happy and thankful that my grandies live about 45 minutes away from me and I get to be involved in their upbringing from the time they were born. Yep, sometimes it's a pain. Small children can be very trying when you've reached a certain age, but hard work, crying babies, "pooh-mageddon" nappies (or diapers if you live in that part of the word), upchuks down the back of your neck while trying to bring up the wind after a feed and all those lovely, delightful joys of small babies and toddlers who seem to delight in making a total mess wherever they go.

And that's all part of the bonding process, isn't it? How in hell can one bond with grandchildren when you hardly ever see them? Wonder what those small people are told before the "distant" grandparents come to visit?

Oh I shudder to think.

And I apologise for this post. It's got nothing to do with cruising but tomorrow is another granny day for me ... yep I love them to bits but sheesh, they're high maintenance! Here's hoping I can actually get up from the hands and knees games I'm forced to play! :twisted: And of course I will - think I get more fun than the grandies ... just sayin'. :D

Chill the wine darl, I'm gonna need it tomorrow night after I get home! :lol:

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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2125Post drib »

This is as good of forum as any for idle musings. There is a Jot Idlings forum too - which is an homage to the once vibrant Idle Jottings thread on that other message board. But Jot Idlings here is password protected as a way to shield you from the moronic postings of the infantile American president.

The only posts I might move from one forum to another are those that mention river cruising. I am required to do that by some archaic law, I am told.

After college, I moved 3000 miles away from my mother - and then my son did the same thing to me after he graduated - so I'm in no position to complain about it. In his case, he moved to New York City for a girl - and he wound up marrying a different girl there - who has many family ties on the right coast such as now I expect he is there permanently. My middle son had stronger roots here on the left coast, but then he had a job offer he couldn't refuse - so he's in another state now, but not too far away.

The hardest blow was that my youngest, my daughter - who as of this writing has our only grandchild - lives with her family in Florida, where my son-in-law is doing his residency in ophthalmology. (I don't recall if I ever mentioned that to iamheisenberg, who has some bizarre interest in ophthalmologic jelly!) So that's just temporary, and it remains to be seen where they will move to - I'm pretty sure they won't stay in Florida, though.

I would post a photo of my grandson here, but he's just too cute, and I'm not sure if my server can handle all the extra traffic that his image might generate.

San Diego is a great place to live - we have the best weather of anywhere - but it's expensive to live here. We would be okay leaving if we had grandchildren someplace inhabitable. In the meantime, we just visit the kids as often as we can, and sometimes try to coordinate the visit with a cruise.

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bodogbodog
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2128Post bodogbodog »

SuziQ wrote: Mon Nov 19, 2018 2:42 am Chill the wine darl, I'm gonna need it tomorrow night after I get home! :lol:
Love it - you've made an old man, in exile from CC, very happy :drink:

He seems to be fixated on calling some posters by his two favourite names - as if he thinks that people would create "fake" ID's on a public forum - shame on him!
Email - bodogodog@gmail.com

Future Cruises - who knows if cruising ever resumes? But maybe they’ll include these ones
May 2022 - Silversea Silver Muse - Tokyo to Vancouver - 21 days - nope Japan was closed
Dec 2022 - RSSC Explorer - Singapore to Sydney
Feb 2023 - Silver Muse - Cairns to Singapore
September 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Vancouver to Tokyo
December 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Sydney to Auckland
Dec 2023 - Crystal Symphony - Auckland to Melbourne - 16 days - nope Crystal went belly up

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bodogbodog
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2129Post bodogbodog »

drib wrote: Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:19 amThe only posts I might move from one forum to another are those that mention river cruising. I am required to do that by some archaic law, I am told
Are you trying to put us all too sleep?

and where's the pictures of the Officers? and why isn't Penny holding up a plate of food?

You've got a long way to go to fill those spin shoes....
Email - bodogodog@gmail.com

Future Cruises - who knows if cruising ever resumes? But maybe they’ll include these ones
May 2022 - Silversea Silver Muse - Tokyo to Vancouver - 21 days - nope Japan was closed
Dec 2022 - RSSC Explorer - Singapore to Sydney
Feb 2023 - Silver Muse - Cairns to Singapore
September 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Vancouver to Tokyo
December 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Sydney to Auckland
Dec 2023 - Crystal Symphony - Auckland to Melbourne - 16 days - nope Crystal went belly up

SuziQ
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2130Post SuziQ »

Oiy Bodogodogodogodog ... or whatever. GET AWAY FROM MY CHILLED WINE! It mine I tellsya *hic*, MINE!!!!!!!!! Get ya mits off it you naughty boy (or girl, whatever)? :naughty:

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Post: # 2131Post bodogbodog »

:bow:
Email - bodogodog@gmail.com

Future Cruises - who knows if cruising ever resumes? But maybe they’ll include these ones
May 2022 - Silversea Silver Muse - Tokyo to Vancouver - 21 days - nope Japan was closed
Dec 2022 - RSSC Explorer - Singapore to Sydney
Feb 2023 - Silver Muse - Cairns to Singapore
September 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Vancouver to Tokyo
December 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Sydney to Auckland
Dec 2023 - Crystal Symphony - Auckland to Melbourne - 16 days - nope Crystal went belly up

SuziQ
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2132Post SuziQ »

Oh all right then Bodog, you can have half a glass. Or would you prefer a very large gin & tonic? Don't drink too much though - we don't want you falling off your bike. :shifty:

Malestew
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2350Post Malestew »

Thanks David for getting me back on here. I lose passwords all the time🤔.

Ok my musings. I painfully read the king of Crystal’s blogs and made a few comments that were not in violation of CC TOS in any way so I made a few general comments and not attacking him at all. He knows who I am and had me banned. I think he is a shill moderator and wants to control the content of CC. I have been cruising Crystal long before him in the Harmony days. His goal is nothing but to boost his post count and surpass the guy that has over 110K posts.

His posts are so redundant and unnecessarily lengthy with run on sentences.

K uses our TA who we introduced him to in 2009 and she knows now how we dislike him. He is her client and just deals with him. I wish I had never introduced him.

Suzi, Keith loves to be photographed with officers and hardly any of their so called friends or any other guests in the background. He is such a narcissistic man and looks like he is severely anorexic. He needs meet and greet at all points like airports and embarkation and disembarkation. We wish we could do a WC but I still have family to take care of and our loving dog. We certainly enjoyed our cruise with with Terry and Kerry and all their friends.

Sorry to be so windy here.

Cheers,
Miles

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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2351Post drib »

Welcome back, Malestew!

And congratulations on winning the Red Boot of Courage for the second time!

One reminder, since we hold on to many restrictions out of habit, that you can talk about travel agents by name on drib critic, as I did here.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=20&p=94

Just keep it 100; that's all I ask.

Malestew
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2353Post Malestew »

David we have worked with Cruise Professionals for ten years and Terry has worked with his for a long time. CP is now Tully Luxury Travel. I’m sorry to hear about the charge but if you are referred by a friend they will waive it. Gerri Grant handles all our cruise plans and Sarah Stern all our African travels they truly are a multifaceted agency handling all luxury travel. If I had referred you and I have done many that charge would be credited or waived.

We are very close friends of Mary Jean and have traveled extensively with her and her husband Brad privately. MJ listened to me when I told her she should change the name from CP to Tully Luxury and she agreed and such the name change. I’m sure Terry gets similar treatments from his agent/agency. As far as rebates we get our check at the end of the cruise but it is always there when we arrive home. For Crystal I think it is about 8% from the agency plus your early payment if you choose to do so. Tully has changed their management team immensely and in a good way. Her team now is well honed and you always have communication with them either by e-mail or phone. The consortiums we have dealt with in the past have diminished their reputation.

Terry nor I would steer you or anyone but you have two good options. Thankfully we can chat about this here without repercussions. BTW, Keith is swaying people privately and I know this for a fact through his travel site so he is circumventing CC rules. I know all the people,personally through our travels. I just listen to others and say maybe you should talk to other agents and if they ask about ours I tell them. It’s a take it or leave it. I speak only from a clients point of view.

Leaving for Africa in a month and can’t wait.

Miles

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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2356Post drib »

My issue with Cruise Professionals wasn't about the fee. It wasn't even about their failure to disclose it, because maybe they did and I was wrong. My issue was my agent's certainty that she had disclosed it, despite it not be in writing anywhere. (And later that they said they kept recordings of phone calls and couldn't produce that one.) Otherwise, my agent was pretty good, and I was happy with the deal I had received on my {cancelled} cruise.

There are a lot of Travel Agents in the sea.

I would enjoy seeing your photos from Africa. I would enjoy them even more posted on drib critic.

Malestew
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2359Post Malestew »

I have so many but will be happy to contribute new photos. We love Africa. Check out Royal Malewane in the Kruger.

SuziQ
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2360Post SuziQ »

Malestew wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 6:34 am ......Suzi, Keith loves to be photographed with officers and hardly any of their so called friends or any other guests in the background. He is such a narcissistic man and looks like he is severely anorexic. He needs meet and greet at all points like airports and embarkation and disembarkation. We wish we could do a WC but I still have family to take care of and our loving dog. We certainly enjoyed our cruise with with Terry and Kerry and all their friends.

Sorry to be so windy here.

Cheers,
Miles
LOL Malestew, I've noticed that too. It reads to me a bit like "Aw Mummy, I'm fwightened, all these signs, all these people! It's scary Mummy." *inserts thumb into mouth at this point and hopefully doesn't pee his pants* "Hold my hand Mummy and get me outta here". :lol:

Malestew
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2362Post Malestew »

As he has pointed out he needs the concierge to escort him on and off the ship and must be the first to board and first off. He also needs to be the first in at Waterside or Market Place or any venue to avoid all our deadly germs. They attend every cocktail Crystal Society party and Captains quarters. We did that twice and thought it was a bore. Who does laundry at 3AM? Heck I’m barely back from the Avenue. Looking at his time stamp posting he hardly sleeps. Does anyone watch the show Fear The Walking Dead? I have more musings. Later

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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2363Post drib »

Inasmuch as this is a free speech board, posts (or musings) that are no more than childish attacks, will not be deleted, redacted, nor censored by any person or persons administering the board.

But expect to be called out for it.

And I expect the same from you as to my posts (or musings).

SuziQ
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2366Post SuziQ »

Drib, noticed the little saying on the drib critic banner today ....

What makes the hottentot so hot? May I add to that ...

What puts the ape in apricot?
Whatta they got that I ain't got?
Courage!
Hee hee, ya can say that again.

Thanks for that Drib, it made me smile. :)

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bodogbodog
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Late to the Party!

Post: # 2367Post bodogbodog »

Late to the party I'm afraid as I hadn't realised there was a real lot of chit chat happening

Good to see some activity - how long has it been Drib? although Suzi and Miles are returning after an absence

What news do I have? not a lot but I do have friends on Mahler at the moment who wont be cruising to Budapest as there is a lock that a Viking ship ran into a week ago that will take another week to fix - so no navigating the Main - not crystals fault at all and they've dealt with as best they can - guests will be flown from Frankfurt to Budapest and put up in the Kempinski hotel. Plus theyre offered a very healthy discount for a future river or ocean cruise - something Crystal really didn't need to do but will create very good goodwill

Now of course I couldn't put that on the Crystal forum as its river related......so its buried away on the River forums

Cruise Critic is definitely going downhill after their "upgrade" - and the Crystal Society Family Facebook page is getting good traffic - short and sharp posts and great photos (I know Dave and Miles aren't FB folk)
Email - bodogodog@gmail.com

Future Cruises - who knows if cruising ever resumes? But maybe they’ll include these ones
May 2022 - Silversea Silver Muse - Tokyo to Vancouver - 21 days - nope Japan was closed
Dec 2022 - RSSC Explorer - Singapore to Sydney
Feb 2023 - Silver Muse - Cairns to Singapore
September 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Vancouver to Tokyo
December 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Sydney to Auckland
Dec 2023 - Crystal Symphony - Auckland to Melbourne - 16 days - nope Crystal went belly up

Malestew
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2374Post Malestew »

The prolific poster on Crystal is at his redundant musings again. None of us need to be continually lectured. I see David is making some comments...thank you! Oh, and that evil cat from Regent will soon be on Crystal. I hope she brings some kitty litter with her.

This was his last nauseating post if you have not read it.

I agree. There is no reason for people to be questioning the motivation of others. And that includes whether or not they will right an impartial review.

Please remember, that the only opinion that matters is your own. And remember that in the end there will be some who have sailed both lines who like one over the other or both equally and their reasons might not be the same.

No different than other comparisons. Even on the same cruise line some like one ship over another or one restaurant over another or one type of food (I guess spicy over the other) or even one type of room over the other.

This is why I believe in the end you can read 1,000+ comparisons as to which line someone considers better but it won't matter until you try it yourself and reach your own conclusion.

If we all shared the same opinions there would be very few cruise lines other than driven by cost and there would be very little choice from food to clothes to most every type of product.

And finally I have a view which is not to waste time comparing one cruise line with another. When I cruise on a line we haven't cruised before I do not spend one moment comparing it to another line. Why waste valuable time dong that? After weI return home Anne Marie and I will reflect on what we enjoyed most about the cruise, with items we were indifferent about and any items we didn't like. We also realize that no two cruises are the same and that includes cruises on the same cruise line.

I see it on this board and other boards all the time. On this cruise they liked the enrichment or entertainment or even the food and on the next cruise maybe something else stands out as a positive and maybe something they liked wasn't as enjoyable on that cruise. Many factors come into play from the duration of the cruise, mix of ports and sea days, the entertainers and enrichment personnel on-board the chefs, the weather, fellow guests, overall occupancy rates, and a myriad of other things. Same thing can happen on land whether at a resort or even a restaurant one frequents. The experience isn't always the same.

Again it's nice to hear what others have to say but on something like this there will never be consensus and often opinions that contradict one another. Just ask on this board what people think about Silk or pretty much any of the restaurants and you will get a wide range of opinions. Would I make my dining decisions based on this? No way. I would want to experience it myself. And in the case of Silk it took us a few visits till we figured out the menu and how we preferred the food to be sequenced. Glad we kept an open mind.

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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2375Post drib »

I did see that, Malestew, but I won't be replying to that there. I meant what I wrote, that I was going to state my case and then leave.

That's a play on Mel Brooks' movie "The Twelve Chairs," where they are trying to locate the chairs in the old USSR, and look for help at the Bureau of Bureaus and Chairs. There's a sign at the Bureau: "State Your Case And Leave," or something like that.

And speaking of the Department of Redundancy Department, welcome back again, Malestew!

Malestew
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Re: Idle Musings

Post: # 2376Post Malestew »

Hi David, I hope you are enjoying the rest of your cruise. I personally don’t care if someone copies my post here and sends it to K. I for now refuse to rejoin the fake news on CC and their heavy handed censorship and unnecessary banning of people who think outside the box. We still love Crystal it we have seen over the years some declines in food. I can’t blame the wonderful crew as they have little or no control. For us the crew make a big difference and the ambiance of the ship itself.

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