Monday, December 15, 2008

Cash is a thing of the past!

I liked this stainless steel sculpture, called Freedom.(Note the gingerbread town behind it.)
This is me, just after I got through entertaining on the piano! (HAHAHA) It is a beautiful white piano though.

This is the Christmas City made of gingerbread. I did not get to eat a bite of it.


Yesterday was Sherry's Baby's birthday. Happy Birthday Mark. Born in Kirksville, Missouri. Dec 14, 1961. He never reads the log but we called. Sherry and I have this thing about calling and singing Happy Birthday. Sherry started it years ago. Now her family calls her and sings on her birthday.



Now more Cruise for Today.............


With 3000 tourists and 850 crew members have you ever wondered how they know if they are leaving anyone in port? How do they keep track of how much each guest spends aboard? How about which attendants receive tips?


Friends, it is all done with one little card. Yes when we checked aboard we were asked how we were paying our bill. Says I, ‘Tis all paid sir!”




Says he as he smiles, ‘Oh, dear (naïve) tourist, you must set up a cash account with us or give us your credit card number. You will surely want to buy something aboard, or at least leave your gratuities for the hard working crew. Cash is not accepted aboard ship. You must use the ships card’.


Says I, ‘we are wealthy Americans we deal in cash.’


Says He, ‘Then proceed to guest relations, get in that really long line, then give them a little of 'your cash' to set up your cash account.



My wise mate asks, ‘BUT sir, What if we use the credit card?’


Says He (Smiling REALLY big), ‘Then I can take care of it RIGHT here and you can proceed to the 11th deck for our free welcome aboard buffet.’


Reluctantly I handed the man my GOLD Aluminum PLATINUM & Tin VISA!
Asks He, puzzled, “Surely You both will not be using the same card?”


‘YOU BET WE WILL’, says SHE. (In other words sir, this boy ain’t buying nothing by hisself!”


One minute later we were on our way, each with a NEW plastic card called a ‘Sea Pass’.



The card is neat. It is your stateroom key, tells the dining room and table at which you will be seated; has your file number and some other secret stuff (that only they know about.)



Anytime you leave the ship they scan the card, and when you return they scan the card. Therefore electronically canceling out each other. The crew does the same. That way the captain knows she has everyone safely back on board. (NO! I have no idea what they do if they are missing someone.)


You can insert you card into a machine and gamble with it, give it to a waiter to click up your latest round of drinks on it. Your gratuities can be electronically taken care of. All monitored by one little card. (BUT EVERY PENNY CHARGED TO THAT CARD WILL BE PAID BEFORE YOU DEPART THE SHIP)


It really amazed me, and after it was all over, I liked having it all handled that way. At first it just seemed a little over controlled to me.



Everyone aboard was extremely nice. I ate watermelon and pineapple at every meal.
Let me know if you hear of a cheap cruise.

Nite Shipslog
PS:
TEACHER: Debbie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.

LITTLE DEBBIE: Me! (Is she a love or what?)

9 comments:

shirl72 said...

Looks and sounds like you had a swell time.
You know me what would I have done, no one gets
my credit card? I am spending your inheritance money. As a matter of fact I think I will go
shopping.

Shirl

Sheila Y said...

That was a swell all around, all-in-one card. Do you and Sherry head back to NC for Christmas or do you stay in Florida?
Take care, Sheila

Randy said...

Hello Mr. Jack,

What did we do before computers?? They keep up with everything. When We enter and leave the plant where I work we have to scan our badges because the goverment wants to know who has been in our plant and how long we stayed and when we leave. It is all documented. I guess it was kinda the same thing. Sounds and Looks as if you guys had a great time.

God Bless

Randy

jun said...

I dont have a single credit card. i suppose i would want to tip the wait staff. I could resist the shopping though.
If I ever go on a cruise it will be to enjoy the food and shows and other activities. I havent thought of going on one until you said how much y'all really enjoyed this one.

betty said...

Happy belated birthday to your son!!

loved the pictures from the cruise

if you think about it, they have a good "scam" going with taking your credit card and using it for "incidentals" while you are on the cruise. Its a wonderful service and saves a person from having to carry cash with them, just that handy dandy card, but unless they are keeping a running calculation in their head or on paper, they have no idea how much they are spending until the end of the cruise. Years ago they did the same thing at a Santa's Village we went to in Colorado; it was neat just presenting a card to pay for things......until......we left and saw how much we had spent.But I would do the same if I was on a cruise :)

finished Sticky last night! good book! held my interest through the whole book. will write a review on Amazon today :)

betty

Lucy said...

Sounds like you are having a great time wherever you are. Wow, that is something with thecard.!! Magic?? My grandson just left from scooping us out for now. Don't you wuis
h you were here, you could make snowballs, snow men, snow aNGELS, snow ice cream. lol. Lucy

Terri said...

Happy Birthday Mark!

Love the pics Jack...and believe it or not today at work while I was slaving away..lol I was thinking about ya'lls cruise and thought to myself...when they make the stops at different places how in the world do they keep up with everyone....thanks for answering that...I love reading all about how things are handled....in case we ever do decide to go on one...

Hugs
Terri

Paula said...

Happy birthday to Mark. My youngest was born in 1961 too. Those new fangled way with the card might make this country girl nervous.

Debbie said...

Happy Birthday to Mark!

Well I guess if I was a wealthy American I would be stuck in that cash line for awhile. Never had a credit card and have no intentions of ever applying for one. I can see where it would come in handy on a cruise or something like that but it would be too tempting for alot of folks who are having so much fun they aren't paying attention to the cost. I bet lots of folks cry the blues once the bill comes in.
Oh eventually you won't be allowed to use cash for anything that way the powers that be can keep track of every penny you spend. I have a friend who lives here in KY and stopped for gas and the station wouldn't accept cash as payment. I don't see how they can do that and I can just see Gary argueing his point when he shows them the money. On all your currency it says This note is legal tender for all debts public and private.
Years ago Gary and I went shopping at one of our local stores. We had coupons and they were having a clearance on some mens shirts. I was in a checkout paying for our stuff when I heard Gary a few checkouts over telling the clerk "that's what the coupon says" anyway the clerk called the manager, the manager looked at the coupon, looked at the price of the shirt, and told the clerk Gary was right. He got his shirt for a nickel, that's what our sales tax was here at the time, the coupon discount was enough to cover the price of the shirt, hahaha.
Debbie

P.S. Gotta love Blogger now you have two entries showing up on my dashboard. Gonna go read your latest one.