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The Cruise Ship: a glimpse at life below decks - July 19, 2014 by Mr HomeBuilder

Theres no doubt Royal Princess is a good-looking ship. Its decor, contemporary and with generous use of marble and glass, stops just the right side of bling. Art deco flourishes and lacquered panelling add a classic cruise-liner feel. Cabins appear understated to the point of bland but I soon came to appreciate the thoughtful design features: light restful colours, plenty of mirrors, ample storage and heavy curtains. A female passenger in the programme praises the lighting around the mirror.

The showpiece of Royal is the three-floor atrium (the lines largest), a voluptuous swirl of spiral staircases and curved balconies. What sets it apart, explains Rai Calouri, senior vice president for operations, is the piazza concept: a multi-functional hub of bars, cafes and boutiques configured around a marble floor for dancing and entertainment.

In the television series we see popular entertainer George Evans rarely seen without a coterie of sexagenarian groupies singing on the stairs or at the piano, and people hanging over balconies to watch. Evans, with his coiffed hair and silver bow-tie, and who has been crooning around the Caribbean for five years told me: Entertainers need love. I go out there every night with the goal of having everyone in the room fall in love with me.

I need that; I actually need that.

I found it impossible to pass the atrium without loitering and indulging in a snack a gelato, a cup of tea (a tea sommelier can advise on the 50 different varieties) or a shot of iced vodka. Mind you, getting to the atrium was not always easy.

Like new girl Kelly Woods, 21, one of the spas hairdressers (who viewers will see tonight seeking comfort from the ships mother hen Liz), I found the ships layout confusing: not all lifts are beside staircases, not all staircases lead to all decks and there is no same-level full-circle promenade deck. I often found myself hitting a blank wall (like Kelly) or walking into the gym heck, how did that happen? when on course for lunch.

The best place for lunch is the Horizon Court and Horizon Bistro, the self-service cafeterias that segue into one another other than the colour scheme I never grasped the differences between them. Astonishingly, Horizon seats 900 plus more on the terrace, a lovely quiet space for breakfast and there were no queues. In the opening episode we saw the executive sous chef and food and beverage director look on anxiously as hundreds of just-boarded, passengers test Horizons capacity.

It copes partly because its a larger space than that found on other Princess ships, and partly (I later found out) because lighter food choices are separated from full meals. Also, drinks are served at table, so theres no waiting as a ditherer chooses between orange or apple juice or fathoms out the machine.

True, the central pool area was packed on sunny sea days, but it was good-humoured crowd. Tiered decks make good use of space and if I wanted to dial down the volume I headed to the adults-only Retreat Pool, with its shaded areas. Princess is big on wow factors; sophisticated rather than sensational.

On Royal you wont find climbing walls and water slides. But you will find a 16-treatment-room spa with vast thermal suite; a massive outdoor movie screen, and gourmet dining options, including the Chefs Table Lumiere (guests are seated at the centre of the restaurant, behind a circular curtain of light) and a Wine Makers Dinner. The latter includes a behind-the-scenes galley experience plus personal service from the executive chef (with a hefty $115/67 price tag).

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The Cruise Ship: a glimpse at life below decks

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P-25 Too Good To Be Replaced by James Dunnigan July 18, 2014 - July 19, 2014 by Mr HomeBuilder

More Books by James Dunnigan

The U.S. Navy is upgrading 66 of its A/S32P-25 (or "P-25" for short) fire trucks. These compact vehicles are used on aircraft carrier flight and hanger decks. The upgrades include more powerful pumps, engines and other mechanical components. These four wheel firefighting vehicles have seating for two and a main tank with 3,000 liters (750 gallons) of water, plus a tank with 340 liters (86 gallons) of foam plus three portable, 9 kg (20 pound) Halon fire extinguishers (for small electrical fires) and 91 kg (200 pounds) of Halon. The 8.6 ton vehicle also carries hoses (a 2,000 liter per minute vehicle mounted hose and a 400 liter per minute hand held hose) and pumps and the vehicle are diesel powered. The vehicle is 4.9 meters (190 inches) long and the two man crew sits in uncovered seats.

The idea behind the P-25 is to have a fully equipped vehicle that can quickly reach, and put out fires anywhere on the flight or hanger decks. Many of the deck crew are trained to fight fires and know how to use the gear carried by the P-25 (now the P-25A). On large carriers two of these vehicles must be on the flight decks during aircraft operations.

The U.S. Navy is upgrading its P-25As because there seemed no point in trying to develop a replacement vehicle. The P-25 is the result of decades of evolution and experience and the current design is pretty solid. So it was no surprise when China commissioned its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in 2012 and one of new items seen on the flight deck were several firefighting vehicles. These looked like clones of the P-25. The Chinese may have built their firefighting vehicles simply by using publically available documents about the P-25 or they might have used technical date stolen electronically via the decade old Chinese Internet based espionage effort. Its hard to tell, and the truth may not be known for a long time.

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P-25 Too Good To Be Replaced by James Dunnigan July 18, 2014

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DiaborMagics: Let’s Play Tekken Card Tournament Part 46 – Just Using Randomish Decks – Video - July 17, 2014 by Mr HomeBuilder

DiaborMagics: Let #39;s Play Tekken Card Tournament Part 46 - Just Using Randomish Decks
Hey guys, just having fun here (sort of) so I hope you enjoy the part! :D.

By: 2-Cousins

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Patio Decks Designs – Video - July 17, 2014 by Mr HomeBuilder

Patio Decks Designs
roof deck design deck roof designs deck roof ideas roof deck designs roof decks patio deck designs deck and patio designs patio decks designs patio designs p...

By: boed indoz