unicorn

You're right. I've been on dozens of cruises, and never seen drug-sniffing dogs, much less getting ON the ship/leaving the US. (I did notice them when boarding) It was an easy target, but targeted it was. Much more common to see dogs sniffing on arrival in the US (and generally only at airports). There have been some drug deaths on these cruises, but having border protection and Miami/Dade County involved on a ship leaving port clearly indicates the ship was targeted. The documentation from Atlantis did warn us about that possibility, but not about the drug-sniffing dogs. I wonder if that'll be a defense. I know that when entering the US, one can be searched without needing probable cause. However, I don't think one can search without probable cause just because one is leaving the US (plus, our first stop was in San Juan, PR, USA, so we weren't even leaving the US at that point). All I can guess, however, is that people who've held onto those suites for years on end will make some suites available. They're having an advance sale for next year, and getting a suite is apparently a complex process.

Boy, is there ever enough entertainment to go around. Audra McDonald gave performances, for example. In case any of you don't know who she is, here's the start of her Wikipedia entry: "Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970)[1] is an American singer and actress. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories.[2] As of the 78th Tony Awards, she has earned a record-breaking eleven nominations . In addition to her six Tony Awards, she has received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards and an Emmy Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2016 from President Barack Obama, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2017..." . There was also a full production of Hairspray!, performances by Bianca del Rio, an ice skating spectacular, a production of the history of flight, complete with a cast member on an airplane riding through the theater, a spectacle of acrobats, divers, in a dance/water spectacular, a nude sexy acrobat production, and multiple drag queen and gay comedian performers. Of course, there's also the usual pool games, trivia games, bingo, and multiple dance parties (and a piano bar and other venues). Definitely not lacking for entertainment. And let's not forget the dick deck, deck 17, where open gay sex is encouraged. One would have to pay hundreds of $$ if one were to see those performers on one's own. Of course, there are those who come for the sex party atmosphere, but I didn't partake, and was amazed by the entertainment (definitely the best among the dozens of cruises I've taken).

The biggest problem for me is that the sying can lead to false assumptions and labeling. It can be fairly innocent, such as my asking the friend about Duesseldorf leading to the false assumption that I'm interested in going there. However, what if I ask about someone's experience in drug rehab, and getting labeled in the internet as a drug addict, for example. I should be able to have private conversations without having to leave my phone in another room, but I guess that's the way things are these days. If I want to learn more about Duesseldorf, I can figure out how to look that stuff up myself.

The WeHo Times went one better to totally shame the WeHo resident who got caught in the snare... https://wehoonline.com/west-hollywood-man-arrested-cruise-port-meta-onlyfans-creator/ "...Turns out Joshua Eddy, the West Hollywood man arrested Sunday at PortMiami before boarding a Royal Caribbean cruise is a Meta employee and OnlyFans creator with 306,000 Instagram followers. Joshua Eddy, 41, works as a Global Client Lead at Meta, according to a LinkedIn profile reviewed by The Advocate. The profile has since been removed or made private. Professional contact database RocketReach shows he also holds leadership positions at Instagram and Facebook and studied at both UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and UCLA School of Law, as well as Northwestern University. WEHOonline found California State Bar records show Eddy holds an active attorney license (Bar #292495) with an address listed as 1125 N. Fairfax Avenue, Unit 46102, in West Hollywood—the address of the West Hollywood Post Office. There’s no indication he currently practices law...". That post office is our nearest post office...

I could try to find out--though they probably wouldn't tell me at this point. I got these tix the first day they came available to prior Atlantis guests. The suites weren't available, and I learned later that you must call and ask them specifically for a suite, because some of them are "party-central," and I think they need to warn people of those suites. I usually get Junior Suites on Royal Caribbean, but for this cruise I just got the "extra-sized balcony."

We didn't upgrade. Too much trouble packing and repacking. I was tempted, though.

Although we'd been told that all cabins had been sold out for our cruise, we were surprised on the 2nd day of our cruise by the announcement that a number of suites were available for upgrade. "I wished I'd known before getting unpacked," I grumbled. Then there were rumors that 12 or maybe even 25 of the 5500 passengers got arrested, all carrying methamphetamines, and most with other substances as well. Then news stories got printed in a number of gay publications including Instinct and The Advocate, prompting some others to grumble at how our own publications were demonizing our own community. (I suspect that the sniffing dogs were trained to find meth, as those without meth didn't seem to get arrested). I found the story legitimately news-worthy, although it does portray the gay community in a bad light. It's too bad they had to specifically call out the arrestees, however. I suspect they'll be out of a job when they go back home... https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/atlantis-cruise-drug-arrests "...In a statement, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Joseph R. Peguero Rivera told The Advocate that deputies were called in around 6 p.m. Sunday to assist CBP with a drug enforcement operation at PortMiami. “MDSO arrested a total of nine individuals on various drug-related charges,” he said, involving MDMA or ecstasy, LSD, and cocaine. The arrest reports also reference ketamine, methamphetamine, and GHB precursor GBL, among the substances seized. Court records show those charged are Joshua S. Eddy, 41, of West Hollywood, California; Brad R. Kloha, 41, of Nashville, Tennessee; Adam Jones, 49, of Atlanta, Georgia; Hoi Le, 51, of San Francisco; Joshua Lee Jenkins, 39, of Tacoma, Washington; Ryan D. Medrano, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona; Tamar J. Wilson, 37, of Chicago; Daisuke Nakanoh, 40, of Chicago; and Ricardo Gabriel Junquera, 39, of Miami..".. https://instinctmagazine.com/tourists-arrested-gay-cruise/ "...On Sunday, as everyone was excitedly lining up to board the Symphony of the Seas, the usual pre-cruise chaos took an unexpected turn. Instead of the usual luggage checks and occasional confused tourist, trained dogs were on duty, sniffing their way through bags. And, let’s just say… these dogs weren’t there for the scent of sunscreen and sea air. So here are the alleged facts and charges in these arrests. Note: no one knows if they were carrying the drugs to use or to sell or both...". (Nb: the quantities for which these men were arrested suggests to me that sales would be involved) So do you think it's yellow journalism, just intended as click-bait, or legitimate news stories?

I now know for sure that our phones are spying on us, even when turned off. The couple we're traveling with are travel agents, and one of the luxury hotels in San Juan, PR, invited us to look at their property, and then for lunch. She asked about our prior travels to the enchanted island, and I talked about a trip my previous boyfriend and I had taken to Rincón, a town for surfers and scuba divers, which is 3 hours from San Juan, about 12 years ago. At the conclusion of the meal, one of my friends found ads about hotels in Rincón, although none of us had used to internet to look up anything related to that town in many years. Their phones were not on during the meal. Is there something one can do in Settings to prevent phones from listening in on conversations when they're not turned on? This feels disgustingly creepy to me. This seems to be a new phenomenon,, and I find it rather repugnant.

I doubt Republicans will do well in the midterm elections.

Which also reminds me of the story of a colleague of mine who went through a contentious divorce. His wife was rather nutty, and attacked him with a knife, prompting the divorce. Although she had a Ph.D., she demanded he fully support her, because a doctor testified that she was so obnoxious that she could never hold a steady job! 🫣🙄

I remember once as a physician asking how an apparently able-bodied woman ended up on social security (she was in her early 40s if I recall correctly). She said she was awarded social security simply because her personality was so obnoxious that she couldn't hold down any job in the US! 🫣😬

I'm wondering if these islands have any advantage over similar tropical islands such as Bora Bora or the Seychelles? I'd have trouble justifying going to an island in which homosexuality is punished with serious prison sentences, unless it provided a truly unique experience. There are other countries and islands which have overwater bungalows, so I would be more inclined to go there, all else being equal... https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g15333086-d21287095-Reviews-Nayara_Bocas_Del_Toro_All_Inclusive-Bocas_del_Toro_Bocas_del_Toro_Province.html https://www.sofitel-moorea-kiaora.com/ https://www.guestreservations.com/palafitos-overwater-bungalows-at-el-dorado-maroma-gourmet-all-inclusive-by-karisma-adults-only/booking?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=23351087656&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23351087656&gbraid=0AAAAADiMQMZBMKpzx0rDHcbO97XImSw-9&gclid=CjwKCAiAs4HMBhBJEiwACrfNZZGrQ0i9D7eJu27uwoZHn8KcNbOsaJMOLJesPmBvO5hq-kn7R35QixoC3L0QAvD_BwE&ctTriggered=true

Someone pointed out that people in Australia collect unemployment insurance for many years down there. I just wanted to point out that this situation doesn't occur in the US. If you don't find a job within about 18 months, you get nothing.