I like thousand island salad dressing and when I saw the Wegmans brand thousand island salad dressing, I decided to give it a try. I know Wegmans makes good stuff. I found that their thousand island salad dressing lived up to their name. It has a good thousand island flavor and wasn't very expensive. A 1 pint (16 ounce) bottle sells for $1.99. Diet wise, the dressing is gluten free, lactose free and trans fat free. It does have a bit of fat in it. A 2 tablespoon serving will provide you with 17% (11 grams) of your daily allowance for fat (based on 2,000 calorie diet). Also, it has a bit of salt as the same serving has 260 milligrams of sodium (11% daily allowance). Calorie wise, 2 tablespoons of the dressing has 130 calories with 100 fat calories. (Source for nutrition information: one of the bottles of the dressing I bought).
Overall, I thought it was fine salad dressing. I don't know how it stacks up price wise compared to bigger name brand dressings like Wish Bone or Kraft. I plan to check that out some time and will post an update on it here. Happy dining all!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Calbee Shrimp Chips Review
While stationed in England, I discovered prawn (shrimp to those in the Unites States) flavored crisps (potato chips to those in the United States). I thought they were pretty cool. I munched many a bag of prawn flavored crisps. While searching through the snacks sections on Wegmans webpage, I discovered they offered Calbee Shrimp Chips. They reminded me of England and, I decided to try them.
The chips are different from prawn flavored crisps in that they have ground up shrimp in them. For those who are allergic to shellfish, you'll want to avoid these. The crisps have a shrimp flavor to them. As they're baked not fried, they're not as fattening as crisps (potato chips). The chips have no cholesterol or trans fats. A 1 ounce serving has 5 grams of total fat and 130 calories. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 4 ounce bag for $1.99. The only down side to see to this tasty snack is they use Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in them. I don't like MSG and, I think they put it in too many processed foods.
Overall, I liked Calbee's Shrimp Chips. They remind me of England even though they're made in California. Strangely, Wegmans stocks them in the International Food section. I don't know why. I'd definitely recommend them if you like shrimp. Happy snacking all!
The chips are different from prawn flavored crisps in that they have ground up shrimp in them. For those who are allergic to shellfish, you'll want to avoid these. The crisps have a shrimp flavor to them. As they're baked not fried, they're not as fattening as crisps (potato chips). The chips have no cholesterol or trans fats. A 1 ounce serving has 5 grams of total fat and 130 calories. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 4 ounce bag for $1.99. The only down side to see to this tasty snack is they use Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in them. I don't like MSG and, I think they put it in too many processed foods.
Overall, I liked Calbee's Shrimp Chips. They remind me of England even though they're made in California. Strangely, Wegmans stocks them in the International Food section. I don't know why. I'd definitely recommend them if you like shrimp. Happy snacking all!
Monday, December 23, 2013
E- book Review of Cruise Ships Ports and Tips - An Under and Over View by Steve Duell
Beginning in August of 1992, Steve Duell began working on various cruise ships as a singer and guitar instrumentalist. After many years, he wrote an e-book titled Cruise Ships Ports and Tips - An Under and Over View. This is a review of that e-book.
Judging from the title of Duell's e-book, you would assume it's about various ports and tips to travelers cruising to them. While Duell does give information on some of the 30 ports he traveled to while working on cruise ships, in my opinion, the book isn't so much a book about those ports as it's a glimpse into what it's like to work on a cruise ship. This is what really interested me about the 93 page e-book. As my readers know, I did an All Access tour on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas. I found the tour really interesting because you get to see what goes on behind the scenes. In Duell's e-book, you get to read about what it's like from someone who actually worked on at least 10 different cruise ships. It isn't all wine and roses. There are long hours and long separations from family. Another thing that is trying for those who work on the cruise ships is they work for set time contracts - 6 month minimum up to a year (I believe). After that, you out-process from the ship, go home and wait to see if they offer you another contract. This part of working on the ships would really dissuade me from working on them. For Duell, I suspect it wasn't a problem because he's used to working from gig to gig. For him, it would be a plus in a way in that he would have 6 months of guaranteed gigs plus room, board and the chance to travel thrown in.
The only negative I have about Duell's e-book was I felt it needed more editing. I found misspelled words and missing words in other sentences. These imperfections however are minor compared to the interesting information he shares. Also, Duell's e-book isn't expensive. Barnes & Noble sells it for $2.99 and, it doesn't take that long to download it.
Overall, I thought it an interesting and affordable short read. If you want more information on Duell, his website is: www.onebusyguy.com Happy reading all!
Judging from the title of Duell's e-book, you would assume it's about various ports and tips to travelers cruising to them. While Duell does give information on some of the 30 ports he traveled to while working on cruise ships, in my opinion, the book isn't so much a book about those ports as it's a glimpse into what it's like to work on a cruise ship. This is what really interested me about the 93 page e-book. As my readers know, I did an All Access tour on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas. I found the tour really interesting because you get to see what goes on behind the scenes. In Duell's e-book, you get to read about what it's like from someone who actually worked on at least 10 different cruise ships. It isn't all wine and roses. There are long hours and long separations from family. Another thing that is trying for those who work on the cruise ships is they work for set time contracts - 6 month minimum up to a year (I believe). After that, you out-process from the ship, go home and wait to see if they offer you another contract. This part of working on the ships would really dissuade me from working on them. For Duell, I suspect it wasn't a problem because he's used to working from gig to gig. For him, it would be a plus in a way in that he would have 6 months of guaranteed gigs plus room, board and the chance to travel thrown in.
The only negative I have about Duell's e-book was I felt it needed more editing. I found misspelled words and missing words in other sentences. These imperfections however are minor compared to the interesting information he shares. Also, Duell's e-book isn't expensive. Barnes & Noble sells it for $2.99 and, it doesn't take that long to download it.
Overall, I thought it an interesting and affordable short read. If you want more information on Duell, his website is: www.onebusyguy.com Happy reading all!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Owings Mills Mall Review
Yesterday, I visited the Owings Mills Mall for the first time. From the outside, it looks like a nice mall. However, when I walked in, I got a serious shock. Owings Mills Mall is a mall that is dying. I walked around and saw a number of empty shops in the mall. It reminded of Laurel Mall which slowly died before they finally tore it down. I don't know why this mall is doing so poorly. It looks like it's in good shape. It has plenty of parking. Yet, it clearly isn't drawing the business it needs. Unless it has a store you need something from and it's close to where you live, I'd pass on this one.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Pilot G2 Gel Pen Review
A.C. Nielsen claims that Pilot's G2 gel pen is the #1 best selling gel pen in America. I don't know if that's true or not. I do know Pilot makes a good gel pen that comes in a very nice array of colors. Before I get started on my review, I have to clarify just which G2 pen I'm reviewing. There are 6 different categories of G2 pens. They are:
- Breast Cancer Awareness pen
- G6 which is a bigger G2 pen
- G2 Pro
- G2 Limited
- G2 mini
- regular G2 pen
The Breast Cancer Awareness Pen, it comes in Black and Pink ink in fine point though you can only buy the black ink pen from their United States website: www.pilotpen.us. I don't know if various stores sell the pink ink pen. This pen as far as I know is the same G2 pen with the only difference being it has the pink ribbon emblem on them symbolizing breast cancer and every purchase of these pens causes a contribution to be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A set of 2 will cost $4.41 on Pilot's U.S. website.
The G6 is a larger version of the G2 and comes in blue, black and red ink (not nearly the great range of colors the standard G2 has) in fine point only. It comes singly ($2.88), 2 pack ($5.69) and 12 pack ($32.40). Note: Prices quoted are from the Pilot's U.S. website.
The G2 Pro is a more stylish sleek pen which comes in 3 different barrel colors (red, black and blue) with black ink and a fine point. It comes in single packs and sells for $5.15.
The G2 Limited is a high end G2 pen which comes in a metallic finish in fine point with black ink. It sells in single packs for $15.
The G2 Mini is the smaller version of the G2. It comes in fine point with blue, black, red and green inks. The 3 pack sells for $4.50 (no green pen). The 4 pack sells for $6 (all 4 colors or just black). The 12 pack sells for $17.76 (just black or blue).
The regular G2 pen comes with 4 different points: ultra fine, extra fine, fine and bold. For ultra fine, extra fine and bold, you have a choice of just 4 colors: black, blue, red and green. For the fine point, there are an incredible 15 colors. They are:
- Black
- Blue
- Red
- Green
- Purple
- Pink
- Turquoise
- Navy
- Burgundy
- Hunter Green
- Orange
- Teal
- Periwinkle
- Lime Green
- Caramel
One thing I found that confounds me a bit is Pilot's G2 20 pen fine point set. The G2 20 pen set contains ALL 15 colors as well as 4 additional black pens and 1 additional blue pen. The Pilot website doesn't offer this pen set for sale and yet, you can buy it at Sam's Club for $16.24 and higher on Amazon and Ebay. I don't understand why that's the case. If you want to get all 15 colors on Pilot's Internet store, you'll have to buy the 12 pen assorted box ($25.68 - doesn't include shipping) AND the 4 pen set that contains Teal, Periwinkle, Lime Green and Caramel ($8.61 - doesn't include shipping). Shoppers would do better to buy the 20 pen set at Sam's Club or on-line at Amazon or Ebay.
Another plus about the 20 pen set is it comes in a decent case that you can store the pens in. This keeps them from getting beat up.
Another issue I have with Pilot and their G2 pen is their claim that it's refillable. This is only partially true in the United States (U.S.). If you need a refill for a black, blue, red, green or purple pen, you're in luck. If you want any of the other colors except Hunter Green (they apparently don't offer that color any more in the United Kingdom), you'll have to order the refill from a British website. I found 2 that offer 14 of the color refills for L1.15 without Value Added Tax (VAT) and L1.38 with VAT. I don't know what they charge for shipping to the U.S. though both state they ship there. The 2 British websites where you can buy the refills are:
- www.tigerpens.co.uk
- www.cultpens.com
Writing wise, I found the regular G2 pen to write fine. It glides across paper smoothly enough. I don't know if Pilot's claim that it lasts twice as long as other gel pens is true. The ink cartridges do seem to have the normal amount of ink in them.
Overall, I like Pilot's G2 pens. I particularly like the regular fine point pen because of the array of colors it comes it. I think that's a big plus compared to other gel pens. If it weren't for that option, I don't think the pen is any better than other gel pens on the U.S. market. Happy writing all!
Update January 3, 2016: I've tried 3 different nib/point sizes with these pens so far. I didn't realize they had an ultra fine point (yes, I know I mentioned it in this blog entry but, it's been a while since I wrote it). I plan to buy an ultra fine point G2 pen to see how well it writes. Of the broad (1mm), fine (.7mm) and very fine (.5mm) point sizes, I've found the broad and fine points write very smoothly. Conversely, it feels like the very fine point scratches the paper when I write with it. Because of that, I don't like writing with it as much as I like writing with the other 2 point sizes. The broad point lives up to its name in that it does have a broad line. One last bit of information for this post: I had to buy a 4 pack of the broad point pens at the Laurel, Maryland Staples to try one of them out. The 4 pack cost me $7.99 (just to give you a current price on the pens). Stay tuned for another update once I get an ultra fine point pen and see how well it writes.
Update April 30, 2016: I've tried the G2 ultra fine point nib i.e. .38mm and, I feel it scratches the paper too like the .5mm does. On a different subject, I've found out Pilot produces G2 fine point pens in metallic colors - silver, gold, blue, green, purple and pink. The set also came with a black pen and a white ink pen. I don't think I've seen these in many stores. I had to buy my set through Ebay. Also, they sell outside the United States a set of pastel colored G2 pens - green, yellow, pink, purple and blue. This set came from an Ebay seller in Greece. I've never seen these pens in the United States. I continue to be pleased with these pens though I like Pilot's erasable Frixion pens too (see my recent review on those).
Update May 18, 2016: From now until June 5, 2016, Sam's Club has a special on G2 pens for Advantage Plus members. You can buy up to 3 fourteen pen packs of either black or blue fine point pens for $11.43 vice the normal price of $14.43. Also, you can buy up to 3 twenty pen packs of assorted colors (has all 15 colors in it, I checked!) for $13.98 vice the normal price of $16.98. I think this is a particularly good deal compared to the black or blue pen packs. You're talking getting 6 more pens for just $2 more. One slight downside with the 20 pens packs is they have the nice carrying case they used to have. I really like the carrying case and, I think it's a bummer they don't have it anymore at Sam's Club.
- Breast Cancer Awareness pen
- G6 which is a bigger G2 pen
- G2 Pro
- G2 Limited
- G2 mini
- regular G2 pen
The Breast Cancer Awareness Pen, it comes in Black and Pink ink in fine point though you can only buy the black ink pen from their United States website: www.pilotpen.us. I don't know if various stores sell the pink ink pen. This pen as far as I know is the same G2 pen with the only difference being it has the pink ribbon emblem on them symbolizing breast cancer and every purchase of these pens causes a contribution to be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A set of 2 will cost $4.41 on Pilot's U.S. website.
The G6 is a larger version of the G2 and comes in blue, black and red ink (not nearly the great range of colors the standard G2 has) in fine point only. It comes singly ($2.88), 2 pack ($5.69) and 12 pack ($32.40). Note: Prices quoted are from the Pilot's U.S. website.
The G2 Pro is a more stylish sleek pen which comes in 3 different barrel colors (red, black and blue) with black ink and a fine point. It comes in single packs and sells for $5.15.
The G2 Limited is a high end G2 pen which comes in a metallic finish in fine point with black ink. It sells in single packs for $15.
The G2 Mini is the smaller version of the G2. It comes in fine point with blue, black, red and green inks. The 3 pack sells for $4.50 (no green pen). The 4 pack sells for $6 (all 4 colors or just black). The 12 pack sells for $17.76 (just black or blue).
The regular G2 pen comes with 4 different points: ultra fine, extra fine, fine and bold. For ultra fine, extra fine and bold, you have a choice of just 4 colors: black, blue, red and green. For the fine point, there are an incredible 15 colors. They are:
- Black
- Blue
- Red
- Green
- Purple
- Pink
- Turquoise
- Navy
- Burgundy
- Hunter Green
- Orange
- Teal
- Periwinkle
- Lime Green
- Caramel
One thing I found that confounds me a bit is Pilot's G2 20 pen fine point set. The G2 20 pen set contains ALL 15 colors as well as 4 additional black pens and 1 additional blue pen. The Pilot website doesn't offer this pen set for sale and yet, you can buy it at Sam's Club for $16.24 and higher on Amazon and Ebay. I don't understand why that's the case. If you want to get all 15 colors on Pilot's Internet store, you'll have to buy the 12 pen assorted box ($25.68 - doesn't include shipping) AND the 4 pen set that contains Teal, Periwinkle, Lime Green and Caramel ($8.61 - doesn't include shipping). Shoppers would do better to buy the 20 pen set at Sam's Club or on-line at Amazon or Ebay.
Another plus about the 20 pen set is it comes in a decent case that you can store the pens in. This keeps them from getting beat up.
Another issue I have with Pilot and their G2 pen is their claim that it's refillable. This is only partially true in the United States (U.S.). If you need a refill for a black, blue, red, green or purple pen, you're in luck. If you want any of the other colors except Hunter Green (they apparently don't offer that color any more in the United Kingdom), you'll have to order the refill from a British website. I found 2 that offer 14 of the color refills for L1.15 without Value Added Tax (VAT) and L1.38 with VAT. I don't know what they charge for shipping to the U.S. though both state they ship there. The 2 British websites where you can buy the refills are:
- www.tigerpens.co.uk
- www.cultpens.com
Writing wise, I found the regular G2 pen to write fine. It glides across paper smoothly enough. I don't know if Pilot's claim that it lasts twice as long as other gel pens is true. The ink cartridges do seem to have the normal amount of ink in them.
Overall, I like Pilot's G2 pens. I particularly like the regular fine point pen because of the array of colors it comes it. I think that's a big plus compared to other gel pens. If it weren't for that option, I don't think the pen is any better than other gel pens on the U.S. market. Happy writing all!
Update January 3, 2016: I've tried 3 different nib/point sizes with these pens so far. I didn't realize they had an ultra fine point (yes, I know I mentioned it in this blog entry but, it's been a while since I wrote it). I plan to buy an ultra fine point G2 pen to see how well it writes. Of the broad (1mm), fine (.7mm) and very fine (.5mm) point sizes, I've found the broad and fine points write very smoothly. Conversely, it feels like the very fine point scratches the paper when I write with it. Because of that, I don't like writing with it as much as I like writing with the other 2 point sizes. The broad point lives up to its name in that it does have a broad line. One last bit of information for this post: I had to buy a 4 pack of the broad point pens at the Laurel, Maryland Staples to try one of them out. The 4 pack cost me $7.99 (just to give you a current price on the pens). Stay tuned for another update once I get an ultra fine point pen and see how well it writes.
Update April 30, 2016: I've tried the G2 ultra fine point nib i.e. .38mm and, I feel it scratches the paper too like the .5mm does. On a different subject, I've found out Pilot produces G2 fine point pens in metallic colors - silver, gold, blue, green, purple and pink. The set also came with a black pen and a white ink pen. I don't think I've seen these in many stores. I had to buy my set through Ebay. Also, they sell outside the United States a set of pastel colored G2 pens - green, yellow, pink, purple and blue. This set came from an Ebay seller in Greece. I've never seen these pens in the United States. I continue to be pleased with these pens though I like Pilot's erasable Frixion pens too (see my recent review on those).
Update May 18, 2016: From now until June 5, 2016, Sam's Club has a special on G2 pens for Advantage Plus members. You can buy up to 3 fourteen pen packs of either black or blue fine point pens for $11.43 vice the normal price of $14.43. Also, you can buy up to 3 twenty pen packs of assorted colors (has all 15 colors in it, I checked!) for $13.98 vice the normal price of $16.98. I think this is a particularly good deal compared to the black or blue pen packs. You're talking getting 6 more pens for just $2 more. One slight downside with the 20 pens packs is they have the nice carrying case they used to have. I really like the carrying case and, I think it's a bummer they don't have it anymore at Sam's Club.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Jules Destrooper Butter Biscuits Review
While shopping recently at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I stumbled upon some Jules Destrooper Butter Biscuits. The biscuits come in a neat retro looking tin so, I decided to buy some and see how good they are.
The biscuits are made in Lo, Belgium by the Biscuiterie Jules Destrooper N.V. which was founded in 1886. According to the tin, they've won gold medals at expositions in Paris (1911) and Ghent (1922). For those of us who in the United States, we wouldn't consider the biscuits to be biscuits. They look more like waffle wafers to us. They're thin and have a criss cross design on them. The biscuits are different from what Americans are use to but, they're still pretty good. The neat tin they come in makes them even cooler in my opinion. However, the tin and the fact they're imported from Belgium make them more expensive. A 240 gram (approximately 8 and 1/2 ounces) tin sells for $11.99 at Wegmans.
If you can't make it to a Wegmans, you can buy the biscuits on-line at the following website: http://julesdestrooper.elsstore.com/. They're called butter crisps at the website and sell for $5.79 for a 6.1 ounce box (this price doesn't include shipping). However, you can't get the biscuits/crisps in the tin from the website. Happy munching all!
The biscuits are made in Lo, Belgium by the Biscuiterie Jules Destrooper N.V. which was founded in 1886. According to the tin, they've won gold medals at expositions in Paris (1911) and Ghent (1922). For those of us who in the United States, we wouldn't consider the biscuits to be biscuits. They look more like waffle wafers to us. They're thin and have a criss cross design on them. The biscuits are different from what Americans are use to but, they're still pretty good. The neat tin they come in makes them even cooler in my opinion. However, the tin and the fact they're imported from Belgium make them more expensive. A 240 gram (approximately 8 and 1/2 ounces) tin sells for $11.99 at Wegmans.
If you can't make it to a Wegmans, you can buy the biscuits on-line at the following website: http://julesdestrooper.elsstore.com/. They're called butter crisps at the website and sell for $5.79 for a 6.1 ounce box (this price doesn't include shipping). However, you can't get the biscuits/crisps in the tin from the website. Happy munching all!
Shorai LFX Battery Review
As I previously reported, I've had problems with my Yamaha TMAX battery dying on me in cold weather or when I accidentally ran it down. Because of this, I decided to get a better battery for my bike. The battery Heyser Cycle recommended to me was the Shorai LFX battery. The battery is supposedly a lot tougher and wouldn't have any problems starting my bike in the winter. It would be over 6 months before I'd get to find out how true that was.
We had a really bad patch of cold weather here in Maryland where I wasn't able to ride my TMAX for 2 weeks. I hadn't forgotten my previous battery problems and so was concerned when I was finally able to ride my bike again. Initially, it looked like my fancy new battery was going to fail. The electronics flickered on my bike and, I thought "oh shit!" Then, the bike kicked over. The new battery had proved itself worth the money. I'm certain that if I'd had the old battery in the bike, I would've had to re-charge it. If you're going to ride your TMAX in the winter, you might want to think about getting a Shorai LFX battery for it. It sure beats the hassle of having to re-charge a dead battery. Happy riding all!
We had a really bad patch of cold weather here in Maryland where I wasn't able to ride my TMAX for 2 weeks. I hadn't forgotten my previous battery problems and so was concerned when I was finally able to ride my bike again. Initially, it looked like my fancy new battery was going to fail. The electronics flickered on my bike and, I thought "oh shit!" Then, the bike kicked over. The new battery had proved itself worth the money. I'm certain that if I'd had the old battery in the bike, I would've had to re-charge it. If you're going to ride your TMAX in the winter, you might want to think about getting a Shorai LFX battery for it. It sure beats the hassle of having to re-charge a dead battery. Happy riding all!
Sunday, December 08, 2013
Calbee Snapea Crisps Review
While doing my weekly shopping at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I came across Calbee's Snapea Crisps in the condiment aisle. They sounded different so, I decided to try the 3 varieties as well as their Lentil Snaps which are just like the Snapea Crisps.
What are Snapea Crisps? They're baked green pea pods (or lentil pods in the case of the lentil snaps). Apparently baking the pods can make them nice and crunchy and Calbee adds 4 different flavorings (salted, ceasar, black pepper and tomato basil for the lentil snaps) to give them some kind of taste. The flavorings aren't overbearing and don't contain any monosodium glutamate (big plus in my book). The crisps/snaps offer a big plus over regular potato chips in that they have less fat, more fiber and less sodium than regular potato chips. They're an easy way to get your veggies (no cooking involved) which everyone needs.
Price wise, the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans sells the 4 different kinds for $1.99 for each 3.3 ounce bag (3 ounces for the lentil snaps). Compared to potato chips, this does make them a little pricey though any veggie snack as far I know isn't going to be cheap barring potato chips.
Taste wise, I found they taste fine. They advertise the tomato basil as Zesty. I found it tame.
Overall, I think they're a nice natural snack that is better for you than potato chips or corn chips. Also, I like that they are a very easy way for me to get my veggies. Do remember if you're interested in these crisps that you'll find them in the condiment section vice the snack section. I think they do that because they are veggies. Wegmans puts pickles, olives, peppers and pickled okra in the condiment section too. Bon appetit all!
January 5, 2014 Update: From January 2, 2014 to January 26, 2014 Costco is offering 20 ounce resealable bags of Calbee's Lightly Salted Snapea Crisps for $5.39 (after they take off $1.50 for the promotion). This is a great deal if you like these crisps. You're talking paying about getting the same product for less than half the cost - 60 cents an ounce at Wegmans vice 27 cents (rounded up) an ounce at Costco. The only down side I see to this deal is you can only get it in the lightly salted flavor. For those who like these crisps, this is a deal they should take advantage of while it lasts.
What are Snapea Crisps? They're baked green pea pods (or lentil pods in the case of the lentil snaps). Apparently baking the pods can make them nice and crunchy and Calbee adds 4 different flavorings (salted, ceasar, black pepper and tomato basil for the lentil snaps) to give them some kind of taste. The flavorings aren't overbearing and don't contain any monosodium glutamate (big plus in my book). The crisps/snaps offer a big plus over regular potato chips in that they have less fat, more fiber and less sodium than regular potato chips. They're an easy way to get your veggies (no cooking involved) which everyone needs.
Price wise, the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans sells the 4 different kinds for $1.99 for each 3.3 ounce bag (3 ounces for the lentil snaps). Compared to potato chips, this does make them a little pricey though any veggie snack as far I know isn't going to be cheap barring potato chips.
Taste wise, I found they taste fine. They advertise the tomato basil as Zesty. I found it tame.
Overall, I think they're a nice natural snack that is better for you than potato chips or corn chips. Also, I like that they are a very easy way for me to get my veggies. Do remember if you're interested in these crisps that you'll find them in the condiment section vice the snack section. I think they do that because they are veggies. Wegmans puts pickles, olives, peppers and pickled okra in the condiment section too. Bon appetit all!
January 5, 2014 Update: From January 2, 2014 to January 26, 2014 Costco is offering 20 ounce resealable bags of Calbee's Lightly Salted Snapea Crisps for $5.39 (after they take off $1.50 for the promotion). This is a great deal if you like these crisps. You're talking paying about getting the same product for less than half the cost - 60 cents an ounce at Wegmans vice 27 cents (rounded up) an ounce at Costco. The only down side I see to this deal is you can only get it in the lightly salted flavor. For those who like these crisps, this is a deal they should take advantage of while it lasts.
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Another Generic Propecia Enters the U.S. Market
This past September, Camber Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated based out of Piscataway, New Jersey announced it would begin selling generic Propecia in the U.S. market. The company will be offering the drug in the 1 milligram pill in 30 count and 90 count containers. (Source: http://camberpharma.com/news/camber_PR_New%20Products%20copy.pdf) This breaks the exclusivity that Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited had at the beginning of the year when they entered the U.S. market in what I believe was the first offering of generic Propecia.
I found out about this when I bought my latest Propecia refill and found out it was made by Camber Pharmaceuticals. Also, I found out that the new generic is apparently cheaper than that for sale by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. Sam's Club is offering the new generic in 90 count form for $72.53 (that's the price I paid at their Laurel, Maryland store on December 6, 2013) which is over $30 less than the generic (which was probably Dr. Reddy's) back in September (see my September 4, 2013 post). Please note that to get this price at Sam's Club, you must have an Advantage Plus membership.
The cost difference between the generic Propecia and name brand Propecia is now such that you can buy a 9 month supply of the generic for the same price approximately as you can for a 3 month supply of the name brand. This is a HUGE savings. Personally, I hope the generics continue to bring the price down on this once expensive drug.
Update March 9th, 2014: The price on this generic is holding steady. Last week, I bought a 3 month refill at Sam's Club for $72.50. Do remember you must have an Advantage Plus level membership to get this price.
Update June 6th, 2014: The price on this generic has apparently gone down a little. I bought my latest 3 month refill yesterday and, it cost me $64.43.
I found out about this when I bought my latest Propecia refill and found out it was made by Camber Pharmaceuticals. Also, I found out that the new generic is apparently cheaper than that for sale by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. Sam's Club is offering the new generic in 90 count form for $72.53 (that's the price I paid at their Laurel, Maryland store on December 6, 2013) which is over $30 less than the generic (which was probably Dr. Reddy's) back in September (see my September 4, 2013 post). Please note that to get this price at Sam's Club, you must have an Advantage Plus membership.
The cost difference between the generic Propecia and name brand Propecia is now such that you can buy a 9 month supply of the generic for the same price approximately as you can for a 3 month supply of the name brand. This is a HUGE savings. Personally, I hope the generics continue to bring the price down on this once expensive drug.
Update March 9th, 2014: The price on this generic is holding steady. Last week, I bought a 3 month refill at Sam's Club for $72.50. Do remember you must have an Advantage Plus level membership to get this price.
Update June 6th, 2014: The price on this generic has apparently gone down a little. I bought my latest 3 month refill yesterday and, it cost me $64.43.
Thursday, December 05, 2013
EZ Pass Review
As I mentioned in my review on the Starbucks at Trump Plaza Boardwalk, this past Sunday, I drove up to Philadelphia and Atlantic City. The trip brought back memories when my travel friend Harvey and I drove to Atlantic City and stay at least 1 night at the Trump Taj Mahal. The drive ended being an adventure as neither of us were prepared for all the toll roads we hit going to and coming back from Atlantic City. Repeatedly, we had to stop at toll booths and dig out change or small bills to pay the various tolls. Later, when I drove to a hotel I stayed at not far from Dulles International Airport, I got caught by surprise again and remember counting nickels to pay the tolls on my way to the hotel. Those trips (to and back) got me interested in the EZ Pass program.
The program is simple enough. You buy a transponder from 1 of the participating state agencies (prices vary depending on the transponder), pay in advance enough money to pay for 1 month of tolls and set up an account to where you can recharge your account ensuring you always have money in it to pay for the various tolls.
The toll booths in the participating states will have lanes where you can pay with your EZ Pass. You drive into the lane, an antenna picks up your transponder and your account is charged. Most of the time, you can drive right through the lanes without having to stop saving lots of time. On my recent trip, I would've had to stop 9 times to pay over $28 in tolls. The EZ pass was priceless in this way. One downside to the EZ Pass is you will be charged a $1.50 a month service fee if you don't use the pass for that month. Still, if you're going to be driving on toll roads on the following states, it is really worth getting an EZ Pass.
The following states participate in the EZ Pass program:
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
New York City
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Virginia
West Virginia
For information on each of these state's particular EZ Pass program, go to the following webpage and click on the appropriate state: https://www.ezpassmd.com/en/about/facilities.shtml
Overall, if you're going to be driving on the various toll roads in the previously mentioned states, EZ pass can save you lots of hassle and time. I was really glad I had mine on my trip north. I'd definitely recommend the program to those who have to drive on the mentioned toll roads. Safe travels all!
The program is simple enough. You buy a transponder from 1 of the participating state agencies (prices vary depending on the transponder), pay in advance enough money to pay for 1 month of tolls and set up an account to where you can recharge your account ensuring you always have money in it to pay for the various tolls.
The toll booths in the participating states will have lanes where you can pay with your EZ Pass. You drive into the lane, an antenna picks up your transponder and your account is charged. Most of the time, you can drive right through the lanes without having to stop saving lots of time. On my recent trip, I would've had to stop 9 times to pay over $28 in tolls. The EZ pass was priceless in this way. One downside to the EZ Pass is you will be charged a $1.50 a month service fee if you don't use the pass for that month. Still, if you're going to be driving on toll roads on the following states, it is really worth getting an EZ Pass.
The following states participate in the EZ Pass program:
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
New York City
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Virginia
West Virginia
For information on each of these state's particular EZ Pass program, go to the following webpage and click on the appropriate state: https://www.ezpassmd.com/en/about/facilities.shtml
Overall, if you're going to be driving on the various toll roads in the previously mentioned states, EZ pass can save you lots of hassle and time. I was really glad I had mine on my trip north. I'd definitely recommend the program to those who have to drive on the mentioned toll roads. Safe travels all!
Monday, December 02, 2013
Starbucks Trump Plaza Boardwalk Wi-Fi Review
Yesterday, I drove to Philadelphia and Atlantic City so, I could visit the Hard Rock Cafe's there. I wanted to get them added to my Hard Rock travel map and get closer to earning my first reward for visiting so many different cafe's. You get the first one when you visit 10 different cafe's.
While in both cities, I visited Starbucks so I could use their free Wi-Fi to post updates on my travels on Facebook. For me, the biggest reason I visit Starbucks is because of the free Wi-Fi. I have to use Wi-Fi to access the Internet when I use my Nook e-reader. Accessing the Internet this way is way easier than carrying my laptop around. I use a Sprint USB modem I own to access the Internet on my laptop.
I thought all Starbucks shops offered free Wi-Fi barring the small ones in airports as I found out in the Miami airport. To my surprise, the one in Trump Taj Mahal doesn't have Wi-Fi (according to the lady who was working behind the counter). So, I went in search of another Starbucks. I figured there had to be another one some where in Atlantic City.
To my delight, I found another Starbucks at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. They confirmed they have free Wi-Fi. I tried connecting and, it requested a password. They told me the password is starbucks (makes sense). I entered the password and, my nook e-reader waited and waited and waited and waited for an IP address that never came. I asked the folks there what might be the problem. First, they said try turning the Wi-Fi off and on. It didn't help. Then, they suggested I completely shutdown my e-reader and bring it up. That caused me to get constant Wi-Fi errors stating that the network was overloaded and, I couldn't connect. The people at the Starbucks assured me their Wi-Fi worked but, I was never able to connect there. Later, a saleslady at the Under Armour Outlet store said she'd had the same problem. As luck would have it, there is a Starbucks at 120 North Michigan Ave which is less than a block from the Under Armour store. I tried to connect to their Wi-Fi and, my e-reader connected immediately. Also, I didn't have any problems connecting to the Starbucks Wi-Fi at the Philadelphia shop on 12th and Maple (I believe that's the address) I visited. Because I didn't have any problems elsewhere and the lady at Under Armour experienced the same problem, I have to believe there is some kind of problem with the Wi-Fi at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. I definitely wouldn't recommend the place because of this.
Note: there are Starbucks located at the Showboat, Caesar's, Golden Nugget, The Borgata, Tropicana Casino and Resort and Tropicana Marketplace which MAY offer Wi-Fi. As I didn't know about these other locations, I didn't visit them to try them and see if they offer or how well the Wi-Fi works at these places.
While in both cities, I visited Starbucks so I could use their free Wi-Fi to post updates on my travels on Facebook. For me, the biggest reason I visit Starbucks is because of the free Wi-Fi. I have to use Wi-Fi to access the Internet when I use my Nook e-reader. Accessing the Internet this way is way easier than carrying my laptop around. I use a Sprint USB modem I own to access the Internet on my laptop.
I thought all Starbucks shops offered free Wi-Fi barring the small ones in airports as I found out in the Miami airport. To my surprise, the one in Trump Taj Mahal doesn't have Wi-Fi (according to the lady who was working behind the counter). So, I went in search of another Starbucks. I figured there had to be another one some where in Atlantic City.
To my delight, I found another Starbucks at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. They confirmed they have free Wi-Fi. I tried connecting and, it requested a password. They told me the password is starbucks (makes sense). I entered the password and, my nook e-reader waited and waited and waited and waited for an IP address that never came. I asked the folks there what might be the problem. First, they said try turning the Wi-Fi off and on. It didn't help. Then, they suggested I completely shutdown my e-reader and bring it up. That caused me to get constant Wi-Fi errors stating that the network was overloaded and, I couldn't connect. The people at the Starbucks assured me their Wi-Fi worked but, I was never able to connect there. Later, a saleslady at the Under Armour Outlet store said she'd had the same problem. As luck would have it, there is a Starbucks at 120 North Michigan Ave which is less than a block from the Under Armour store. I tried to connect to their Wi-Fi and, my e-reader connected immediately. Also, I didn't have any problems connecting to the Starbucks Wi-Fi at the Philadelphia shop on 12th and Maple (I believe that's the address) I visited. Because I didn't have any problems elsewhere and the lady at Under Armour experienced the same problem, I have to believe there is some kind of problem with the Wi-Fi at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. I definitely wouldn't recommend the place because of this.
Note: there are Starbucks located at the Showboat, Caesar's, Golden Nugget, The Borgata, Tropicana Casino and Resort and Tropicana Marketplace which MAY offer Wi-Fi. As I didn't know about these other locations, I didn't visit them to try them and see if they offer or how well the Wi-Fi works at these places.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Haddon House Smoked Mussels Review
I like mussels and so when I saw Haddon House Smoked Mussels for sale at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I decided to try them.
According to the box which holds the 3 ounce tin of smoked mussels, the mussels are farm raised in China. They are packed in a tin, covered with sunflower oil with some salt added. Each 3 ounce tin holds approximately 2/3 of a cup of mussels. Calorie wise, a 1/3 cup serving of the mussels has 95 calories with 45 of those coming from fat. The mussels do have some saturated fat but no trans fat. Also, they have 50 milligrams of cholesterol. Interestingly, a single serving of the mussels can supply a person with 40% of their daily requirement for iron (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). Price wise, a tin of the mussels will cost you $1.99 which isn't too exorbitant. Taste wise, the mussels were bland though I think that's typical of mussels. Shelf life wise, they seem to have a good shelf life. They box I bought said they were good till April 2014 which would give them at last a 5 month shelf life (I bought the ones I sampled last month).
Overall, I thought the mussels were ok. They didn't wow me though they are a convenient way to have them. You don't have to cook them. You can eat them right out of the can like I did. If you like mussels, you might want to give them a try. Bon Appetit all!
According to the box which holds the 3 ounce tin of smoked mussels, the mussels are farm raised in China. They are packed in a tin, covered with sunflower oil with some salt added. Each 3 ounce tin holds approximately 2/3 of a cup of mussels. Calorie wise, a 1/3 cup serving of the mussels has 95 calories with 45 of those coming from fat. The mussels do have some saturated fat but no trans fat. Also, they have 50 milligrams of cholesterol. Interestingly, a single serving of the mussels can supply a person with 40% of their daily requirement for iron (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). Price wise, a tin of the mussels will cost you $1.99 which isn't too exorbitant. Taste wise, the mussels were bland though I think that's typical of mussels. Shelf life wise, they seem to have a good shelf life. They box I bought said they were good till April 2014 which would give them at last a 5 month shelf life (I bought the ones I sampled last month).
Overall, I thought the mussels were ok. They didn't wow me though they are a convenient way to have them. You don't have to cook them. You can eat them right out of the can like I did. If you like mussels, you might want to give them a try. Bon Appetit all!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Atlantis Resort Tour Review
I thought it was time for another travel blog entry. As any of my readers know, I visited Nassau, Bahamas twice this past September. On my second visit, I did the Discover Atlantis tour. The tour cost $39 as I remember. Here is a picture of the resort:
As far as I know, the Atlantis resort is the most famous one in the Bahamas. It was built with an Atlantis theme and features the largest open water aquarium in the Caribbean. Here is a picture of some of the fishes in their tank:
The tour guide my group had was very good. She was funny and knowledgeable. I don't know about others in the group but, I was shocked when the guide told us how much the Michael Jackson suite was. The suite goes for $25,000 a night with a minimum 4 night stay. Supposedly, a butler is included. I still can't imagine a hotel suite being worth $25,000 a night. Also, there is supposedly a 6 month waiting list for the famous suite. I think those folks don't have better things to spend their money. The resort has some impressive artwork that artists created that was supposed to have been created by the Atlanteans. Here are 2 examples:
Overall, the resort was impressive though I don't have any desire to stay there. It's too expensive. Also, to me, the Bahamas are just another sun and sand Caribbean island. Plus, I didn't find some of the Bahamians very friendly. I found the people in Bermuda to be nicer. However, if you're going to visit Nassau, I would recommend you do the Discover Atlantis tour. I was very pleased with this tour and would highly recommend it.
Correction: the cost of the Discover Atlantis tour is $59 not $39. I got the price mixed up with the Hemingway walking tour I did in Key West.
As far as I know, the Atlantis resort is the most famous one in the Bahamas. It was built with an Atlantis theme and features the largest open water aquarium in the Caribbean. Here is a picture of some of the fishes in their tank:
Overall, the resort was impressive though I don't have any desire to stay there. It's too expensive. Also, to me, the Bahamas are just another sun and sand Caribbean island. Plus, I didn't find some of the Bahamians very friendly. I found the people in Bermuda to be nicer. However, if you're going to visit Nassau, I would recommend you do the Discover Atlantis tour. I was very pleased with this tour and would highly recommend it.
Correction: the cost of the Discover Atlantis tour is $59 not $39. I got the price mixed up with the Hemingway walking tour I did in Key West.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Creative Snacks Company Green Bean Chips
While shopping at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, if I see something that catches my eye, I'm prone to seeing what it is and if I like it, I'll try it. Such was the case with Creative Snacks Company's Green Bean Chips. The chips are actually green beans that have been cooked in canola oil. They come in a 5.25 ounce plastic bowl container and sell for $5.99. As far as snacks go, the $5.99 price makes them a bit pricey. Plus, while I suspect the chips are a lot better for you than potato or corn chips, I doubt kids are going to be very enthusiastic about eating them.
Calorie wise, the chips come in at 130 calories for a 1 cup serving. Each bowl container holds 5 servings. A serving contains 3 grams of fat with no saturated or trans fats. They also contain 3 grams of fiber which is always a good thing.
The chips have a good shelf life. I bought the ones I sampled this month and according to the container, they'll stay good till mid April 2014 i.e. 5 months.
Overall, I think they're a decent and nutritious snack though pricey. They don't have any noticeable flavor to them. They're not something I would go rushing out to buy. I don't know how widely available this product is. Bon appetit all!
Calorie wise, the chips come in at 130 calories for a 1 cup serving. Each bowl container holds 5 servings. A serving contains 3 grams of fat with no saturated or trans fats. They also contain 3 grams of fiber which is always a good thing.
The chips have a good shelf life. I bought the ones I sampled this month and according to the container, they'll stay good till mid April 2014 i.e. 5 months.
Overall, I think they're a decent and nutritious snack though pricey. They don't have any noticeable flavor to them. They're not something I would go rushing out to buy. I don't know how widely available this product is. Bon appetit all!
Maryland Veterans Cemetery Crownsville
A couple years ago, Richard A. Medema, a church friend died of inoperable liver cancer. I wasn't able to attend the funeral because I was traveling. I think I was doing an Alaska cruise on Radiance of the Seas. I kept meaning to visit the Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville where he is buried. I remember seeing one of the direction signs as I passed through Crownsville on my way to the Maryland Renaissance Festival.
Today, I finally drove out there to see his grave and to say a prayer for him. The cemetary itself is all right. It isn't as impressive as Arlington or the American Cemetery at St. Laurent by Omaha Beach. It has a small memorial chapel as well as neat rows of square tombstones inlaid in the ground.
Initially, I tried to find my friend's grave on my own but came to realize how big the cemetery is. Thankfully, they have a small office across from the memorial chapel where there's a database machine you can punch in the deceased's last name and find out where they're interred. The office also has maps of the order of the cemetery. These proved very helpful too.
I finally found his tombstone. I remembered him. Richard Medema was an extremely fine man. He had a wonderful family and was a great christian. He died when he was just 55 years old which seems to me to be too early. He should've had more years to live. His youngest child was just 7 I think and his oldest was in her first year of college.
The cancer was terrible in that you could see it slowly killing him. He gradually wasted away. It had to be hell for his wonderful mother who had to bury him. He was her favorite son. It has to be very hard for a parent to bury one of their children.
After saying a prayer for him and his family at his grave, I walked back to my car. Next week, I'll go back to church and, I'll hear them sing the church songs I used to sing with him and his family during church. They'll remind me of him. I know he's at peace and thankfully isn't suffering from the cancer that caused him so much pain. Still, I wish he was alive. He was a very fine person and a blessing to all who knew him.
Today, I finally drove out there to see his grave and to say a prayer for him. The cemetary itself is all right. It isn't as impressive as Arlington or the American Cemetery at St. Laurent by Omaha Beach. It has a small memorial chapel as well as neat rows of square tombstones inlaid in the ground.
Initially, I tried to find my friend's grave on my own but came to realize how big the cemetery is. Thankfully, they have a small office across from the memorial chapel where there's a database machine you can punch in the deceased's last name and find out where they're interred. The office also has maps of the order of the cemetery. These proved very helpful too.
I finally found his tombstone. I remembered him. Richard Medema was an extremely fine man. He had a wonderful family and was a great christian. He died when he was just 55 years old which seems to me to be too early. He should've had more years to live. His youngest child was just 7 I think and his oldest was in her first year of college.
The cancer was terrible in that you could see it slowly killing him. He gradually wasted away. It had to be hell for his wonderful mother who had to bury him. He was her favorite son. It has to be very hard for a parent to bury one of their children.
After saying a prayer for him and his family at his grave, I walked back to my car. Next week, I'll go back to church and, I'll hear them sing the church songs I used to sing with him and his family during church. They'll remind me of him. I know he's at peace and thankfully isn't suffering from the cancer that caused him so much pain. Still, I wish he was alive. He was a very fine person and a blessing to all who knew him.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Wegmans Pepper Jack Cheese
Once every 2 months, I receive coupons from Wegmans that get me either $3 off a $15 purchase or $5 off a $25 purchase. They'll also include coupons where you can get $1 off a $5 purchase in either the dairy, bulk section or frozen section. I decided to use the dairy coupon. I looked for something to try besides milk. I found Wegmans offers 12 ounce, 16 slice packages of Pepper Jack cheese. They use 2% milk in the cheese which presumably reduces the fat in it though it still has 25 fat calories per slice and 50 calories overall. They state the cheese is medium spicy though I found it to be low spicy in my opinion. The 12 ounce packages cost $2.99 at their Columbia, Maryland store.
Overall, I wasn't really impressed with their Pepper Jack cheese. The biggest advantage I found to it was it comes in individually wrapped slices which makes ideal for adding on sandwiches. Otherwise, I think there is better Pepper Jack cheese out there. I don't know how it stacks up price wise compared to other brands. I plan on buying a bulk kind of Pepper Jack I've bought before and see how it stacks up price wise. Stay tuned on this.
Overall, I wasn't really impressed with their Pepper Jack cheese. The biggest advantage I found to it was it comes in individually wrapped slices which makes ideal for adding on sandwiches. Otherwise, I think there is better Pepper Jack cheese out there. I don't know how it stacks up price wise compared to other brands. I plan on buying a bulk kind of Pepper Jack I've bought before and see how it stacks up price wise. Stay tuned on this.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Royal Caribbean Solo Cruisers Get Double Cruise Points Starting October 2013
I've been meaning to post a blog entry about this since I was able to confirm this. I first heard about this on the unofficial Royal Caribbean blog which mentioned a 9 October 2013 article by Franz Neumeier on http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.cruisetricks.de/royal-caribbean-mehr-status-punkte-fuer-alleinreisende/&langpair=de|en&hl=de&ie=UTF8. The article states that solo cruisers who have to pay double to have their own cabin on Royal Caribbean will receive double cruise points starting October 3rd.
I tried to get Royal Caribbean to confirm this information on their Facebook page but, they never answered me. Later, I looked on Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor page which shows the benefits for each level in their frequent cruiser program and, I found the following:
14 One Cruise Point for each completed night of sailing and an extra Cruise Point per night when you purchase and sail in suite accommodations (categories RL, RS, PS, SL, TS, A1, A2, A3, CL, OS, FS, GS, JS) and/or sail in any category and pay a single pricing type for double occupancy staterooms. All other rates including Travel Agent rates, as well category SI and SB, are excluded from single price type extra point promotion. Cruisetours are included as an additional night per each day on the cruise tour. Points will be awarded by rate paid not rate berthed, for example, in the instance of an upgrade from an outside to a suite category.
This confirmed the German cruise article. Also, Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society did post a blurb in their news section saying the change would take effect October 4th.
For me, this is mixed news. As I always cruise solo, it's a nice little plus for having to pay double. However, I'm a little irked in that Royal Caribbean didn't as far as I know give any heads-up that this change was coming. I would've changed my September cruises to October if I could have so I could have gotten the extra 7 cruise points and made Diamond with their frequent cruiser program. As it is, I'll have to wait until I do my April 2014 Panama Canal cruise with them before I can make enough points to finally make Diamond. Stay tuned for posts on that. Happy cruising all!
Update April 26th, 2014: I am finally able to personally confirm the awesome rule change for solo cruisers. I completed the April Panama Canal cruise I mentioned above on April 16th. It was very nice and, I'll be posting some blog entries about it later. Concerning the double cruise points, I did run into one unexpected problem. Initially, I received half my promised points. Finally, I contacted Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society about the missing cruise points. They're the ones who handle such issues and have the authority to issue missing points. It turned out my reservation had been coded wrong. Because of that, their system didn't know to give me the double cruise points. The lady I chatted with expertly fixed the problem and, I had my missing points before we closed our chat. So, 1) watch for your cruise points, if you don't get all of them, this could be why in which case 2) contact Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society who can fix the problem like they did in my case. It is worth the hassle. Remember, the rewards get nicer as you go higher with Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program. Happy cruising all!
I tried to get Royal Caribbean to confirm this information on their Facebook page but, they never answered me. Later, I looked on Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor page which shows the benefits for each level in their frequent cruiser program and, I found the following:
14 One Cruise Point for each completed night of sailing and an extra Cruise Point per night when you purchase and sail in suite accommodations (categories RL, RS, PS, SL, TS, A1, A2, A3, CL, OS, FS, GS, JS) and/or sail in any category and pay a single pricing type for double occupancy staterooms. All other rates including Travel Agent rates, as well category SI and SB, are excluded from single price type extra point promotion. Cruisetours are included as an additional night per each day on the cruise tour. Points will be awarded by rate paid not rate berthed, for example, in the instance of an upgrade from an outside to a suite category.
This confirmed the German cruise article. Also, Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society did post a blurb in their news section saying the change would take effect October 4th.
For me, this is mixed news. As I always cruise solo, it's a nice little plus for having to pay double. However, I'm a little irked in that Royal Caribbean didn't as far as I know give any heads-up that this change was coming. I would've changed my September cruises to October if I could have so I could have gotten the extra 7 cruise points and made Diamond with their frequent cruiser program. As it is, I'll have to wait until I do my April 2014 Panama Canal cruise with them before I can make enough points to finally make Diamond. Stay tuned for posts on that. Happy cruising all!
Update April 26th, 2014: I am finally able to personally confirm the awesome rule change for solo cruisers. I completed the April Panama Canal cruise I mentioned above on April 16th. It was very nice and, I'll be posting some blog entries about it later. Concerning the double cruise points, I did run into one unexpected problem. Initially, I received half my promised points. Finally, I contacted Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society about the missing cruise points. They're the ones who handle such issues and have the authority to issue missing points. It turned out my reservation had been coded wrong. Because of that, their system didn't know to give me the double cruise points. The lady I chatted with expertly fixed the problem and, I had my missing points before we closed our chat. So, 1) watch for your cruise points, if you don't get all of them, this could be why in which case 2) contact Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society who can fix the problem like they did in my case. It is worth the hassle. Remember, the rewards get nicer as you go higher with Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program. Happy cruising all!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Coco Cay Bahamas
Here's the first of my travel pictures I took while on my back-to-back cruises to the Bahamas and Key West. This first one shows one of the beaches on Royal Caribbean's private island resort Coco Cay. Interestingly, the island belongs to a marine biologist who has a home on the island he and his family visit occasionally. Supposedly, the biologist signed a 99 year lease with Royal Caribbean. I bet he got some serious bucks!
Another interesting feature of the island is its iguanas. You can see one in this picture. There's a small cove they like to frequent. When I visited, I saw 5 of them laying around on the ground and in the trees. My travel friend Harvey thought they were so neat, he bought a t-shirt that featured the iguanas. Supposedly, people can feed them pieces of banana though I didn't try it.
Last Day of 2013 Maryland Renaissance Festival
I was determined to make it to this year's Maryland Renaissance Festival. It's the only place I know that I can buy leather gauntlets. What would a person need leather gauntlets for you ask. For riding my Yamaha TMAX motorbike I reply. The gauntlets give good hand protection while riding and thanks to their length, they go over the cuffs of various coats I wear during the winter time preventing cold wind from going up my sleeves thereby helping me keep warmer while riding. They're actually quite practical in that way though they don't come cheap. My new leather gauntlets cost me $63 this time. Any way, back to my tale of my visit to the festival.
I decided to depart around 11 a.m. this morning for the festival which was a BIG mistake. Traffic to get to the festival was backed up all the way to Maryland 97. It would take me over an hour to go 5 miles approximately to the parking fields of the festival. Traffic was still backed up when I left at 2:30 though not as bad. It was backed up to the Generals Parkway then.
The festival got a great turn out its last day. I had to park in the far back fields and walk about a block or more to the ticket booths and gate. Cost was $22 for 1 adult. I don't remember what the prices were for kids or seniors.
Once I got in, I made a straight line for where I thought the Potomac Leather shop would be. Thankfully, things don't change much shop wise at the festival. It was where I thought it would be. I told a saleslady there what I wanted and, she directed to the lady behind the register who helped me find a pair of gauntlets that would fit. I might've been able to buy the gauntlets over the web but, with my long fingers, I wanted to make sure they would fit right i.e. try a couple different sizes to see the difference. I did find a pair to my delight that fit well and subsequently bought them.
Then, I went in search of a belt and strap for my wooden Samurai sword. There's a shop that sells them at the festival. It's really nice. For years, you could bring your wooden sword into the festival and wear it. Sadly, a new security guy took over this year and, he banned anyone from carrying such swords. So, I decided to pass on the belt. I hope this rule gets changed next year.
Turkey legs were calling me. They are a tradition for me at the festival. They're very good though the price seems to keep going up on the dang things. This year, my delicious turkey leg cost me $6. Ouch!
While munching on my scrumptious turkey leg, I walked around the festival eventually finding my way to the jousting field where the Fight School folks were doing a show called Big Toys for Big Boys. It should various siege and missile weapons for the Medieval period to Civil War times. One of the neat things about the Fight School folks is they put on a good show while teaching you something too. In that show, I learned why we aren't using bows and arrows in warfare vice guns. You would think the answer would be obvious but, it wasn't in the Middle Ages. During the show, their professional archer competed against a man firing a crossbow and match arquebus, a gun of that period. During a 1 minute period, the archer was able to fire 14 arrows to the 5 crossbow bolts and 4 lead bullets. You would think based on that, that the longbow would've won the contest war wise. It didn't due to as Hamish from the show pointed out - economics. It takes a lifetime to produce a really good archer. You can fire an arquebus some what proficiently in a DAY. It's only gotten worse as guns have improved since. That's why guns ultimately won out over the longbow.
After the Fight School show, I made my way to the Art of Fire booth. The Art of Fire booth is a shop that produces beautiful hand blown glassware. The man who made the piece as I watched is a master glassblower. It was something to watch him produce a stunning piece of glassware that any one would've been proud to have in their home. I don't own one of their pieces YET. BUT, I will in time. Due to an April Panama Canal cruise, today was not the day to be buying a piece of expensive glassware.
Lastly, I decided to treat myself to an ear of sweet corn ($3) and a raspberry smoothie ($3.50). The corn was good and, the smoothie sucked. It was too icy. I had to wait till it melted a good bit so, I could drink the whole thing.
Overall, the festival was very nice. One particularly nice thing about going at this time of year was it was cooler. I don't like going to the festival when it opens in late August because it is still so hot then. It can be 80 degrees plus then. I don't envy the knights with all their heavy armor trying to joust then. I would definitely recommend the festival though you'll have to wait till late August 2014 for the next one. Cheers all!
I decided to depart around 11 a.m. this morning for the festival which was a BIG mistake. Traffic to get to the festival was backed up all the way to Maryland 97. It would take me over an hour to go 5 miles approximately to the parking fields of the festival. Traffic was still backed up when I left at 2:30 though not as bad. It was backed up to the Generals Parkway then.
The festival got a great turn out its last day. I had to park in the far back fields and walk about a block or more to the ticket booths and gate. Cost was $22 for 1 adult. I don't remember what the prices were for kids or seniors.
Once I got in, I made a straight line for where I thought the Potomac Leather shop would be. Thankfully, things don't change much shop wise at the festival. It was where I thought it would be. I told a saleslady there what I wanted and, she directed to the lady behind the register who helped me find a pair of gauntlets that would fit. I might've been able to buy the gauntlets over the web but, with my long fingers, I wanted to make sure they would fit right i.e. try a couple different sizes to see the difference. I did find a pair to my delight that fit well and subsequently bought them.
Then, I went in search of a belt and strap for my wooden Samurai sword. There's a shop that sells them at the festival. It's really nice. For years, you could bring your wooden sword into the festival and wear it. Sadly, a new security guy took over this year and, he banned anyone from carrying such swords. So, I decided to pass on the belt. I hope this rule gets changed next year.
Turkey legs were calling me. They are a tradition for me at the festival. They're very good though the price seems to keep going up on the dang things. This year, my delicious turkey leg cost me $6. Ouch!
While munching on my scrumptious turkey leg, I walked around the festival eventually finding my way to the jousting field where the Fight School folks were doing a show called Big Toys for Big Boys. It should various siege and missile weapons for the Medieval period to Civil War times. One of the neat things about the Fight School folks is they put on a good show while teaching you something too. In that show, I learned why we aren't using bows and arrows in warfare vice guns. You would think the answer would be obvious but, it wasn't in the Middle Ages. During the show, their professional archer competed against a man firing a crossbow and match arquebus, a gun of that period. During a 1 minute period, the archer was able to fire 14 arrows to the 5 crossbow bolts and 4 lead bullets. You would think based on that, that the longbow would've won the contest war wise. It didn't due to as Hamish from the show pointed out - economics. It takes a lifetime to produce a really good archer. You can fire an arquebus some what proficiently in a DAY. It's only gotten worse as guns have improved since. That's why guns ultimately won out over the longbow.
After the Fight School show, I made my way to the Art of Fire booth. The Art of Fire booth is a shop that produces beautiful hand blown glassware. The man who made the piece as I watched is a master glassblower. It was something to watch him produce a stunning piece of glassware that any one would've been proud to have in their home. I don't own one of their pieces YET. BUT, I will in time. Due to an April Panama Canal cruise, today was not the day to be buying a piece of expensive glassware.
Lastly, I decided to treat myself to an ear of sweet corn ($3) and a raspberry smoothie ($3.50). The corn was good and, the smoothie sucked. It was too icy. I had to wait till it melted a good bit so, I could drink the whole thing.
Overall, the festival was very nice. One particularly nice thing about going at this time of year was it was cooler. I don't like going to the festival when it opens in late August because it is still so hot then. It can be 80 degrees plus then. I don't envy the knights with all their heavy armor trying to joust then. I would definitely recommend the festival though you'll have to wait till late August 2014 for the next one. Cheers all!
Monday, October 07, 2013
Columbia Maryland Wegmans Wi-Fi
I found another reason to like the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans supermarket. They offer fine free Wi-Fi there. I checked their website before going there with my Nook e-reader and, it says they offer it. I hooked up in their dining area. I don't know if the Wi-Fi signal is available throughout the entire store. Their dining area was a pleasant area to enjoy a little meal, snack or drink while checking your emails or posting something on Facebook. It's another reason (like I need them) to visit this Wegmans which has good prices and service. Happy surfing all!
Tyson's Corner Center Wi-Fi
For a long time, I could've cared less about Wi-Fi hotspots but now that I have a Nook e-reader where I can surf the web via Wi-Fi, I am trying to find out if various places offer free Wi-Fi. One such place is the Tyson's Corner Center in McLean, Virginia. The mall is BIG with a huge selection of shops. The mall offers free Wi-Fi at it's food court on the 3rd level close to the AMC movie theater. You click on ShopTysons, a waiver comes up saying we offer the service as is and accept no responsibility for anything bad happening if you use it and, you connect. I found the Wi-Fi worked fine there.
Also, the Barnes & Noble store in the mall offers free Wi-Fi though I didn't try to connect there so, I don't have any idea how well it works.
If you're at the mall/center, you might want to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. I saw the food court had a playground and train kids would enjoy. You could surf the web there while they have fun riding the train or playing in the playground. Happy surfing all!
Also, the Barnes & Noble store in the mall offers free Wi-Fi though I didn't try to connect there so, I don't have any idea how well it works.
If you're at the mall/center, you might want to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. I saw the food court had a playground and train kids would enjoy. You could surf the web there while they have fun riding the train or playing in the playground. Happy surfing all!
Sunday, October 06, 2013
Delta Airlines Wi-Fi
I remembered seeing that Delta Airlines had begun offering Wi-Fi on their aircraft. I decided to try it on my 2 flights going to Miami, Florida for my recent back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas and, my 2 flight coming back.
I found out I could pay for the service on Delta's website when I checked in or even before that. They offer services you can add such as priority boarding and Wi-Fi. If you buy the service on the website, you only have 1 option you can sign up for. That's the 24 hour pass for $14. When you fly on the aircraft they give you 4 options. You can buy a 30 minute pass for $4.95 (I think), a flight segment pass i.e. for your particular flight for $7.95, a 24 hour pass like the one you can buy on their website for $16 and an unlimited 1 month pass. I don't remember what the price was for that pass. It was something like $40 or $50. (Note: When I fly again in April, I will make sure I get the in-flight prices and post them here.) After my trip, I found out you can purchase the Internet packages from Gogo who run the service on their webpage (http://www.gogoair.com). Their prices are: 24 hour pass - $14, monthly unlimited on 1 airline - $39.95 and monthly unlimited on all airlines that carry their service - $49.95.
The Wi-Fi service is available on 3,000 of Delta's flights every day. Only the following aircraft don't offer it at this time though Delta plans to offer it on them as - Boeing 747, 757, 767-300ER and 400ER, 777 and the Airbus 300. The service is available on select aircraft of these types - DC9-50 and Boeing 757-800. (Note: I know there is a discrepancy here concerning the Boeing 757 aircraft. I'm taking this information from the Gogo website.)
In regards to the service itself, I found it worked great. Once the aircraft reaches an altitude of 10,000 feet, it can connect to the Gogo Wi-Fi network. According to the Gogo website, it can deliver 5 Mbps of connection speed. I was able to use both my laptop and my Nook e-reader (considered an Android 4 device) on the service though not at the same time. There are some limitations on the service. You can't use Skype, live video or audio streaming.
Overall, I was very pleased with the Wi-Fi service. I definitely plan to use it again when I fly. I would definitely recommend it. It was awesome being able to email, post stuff on Facebook and check stuff on the web while flying. It definitely helped make the time go by. Happy travels all!
I found out I could pay for the service on Delta's website when I checked in or even before that. They offer services you can add such as priority boarding and Wi-Fi. If you buy the service on the website, you only have 1 option you can sign up for. That's the 24 hour pass for $14. When you fly on the aircraft they give you 4 options. You can buy a 30 minute pass for $4.95 (I think), a flight segment pass i.e. for your particular flight for $7.95, a 24 hour pass like the one you can buy on their website for $16 and an unlimited 1 month pass. I don't remember what the price was for that pass. It was something like $40 or $50. (Note: When I fly again in April, I will make sure I get the in-flight prices and post them here.) After my trip, I found out you can purchase the Internet packages from Gogo who run the service on their webpage (http://www.gogoair.com). Their prices are: 24 hour pass - $14, monthly unlimited on 1 airline - $39.95 and monthly unlimited on all airlines that carry their service - $49.95.
The Wi-Fi service is available on 3,000 of Delta's flights every day. Only the following aircraft don't offer it at this time though Delta plans to offer it on them as - Boeing 747, 757, 767-300ER and 400ER, 777 and the Airbus 300. The service is available on select aircraft of these types - DC9-50 and Boeing 757-800. (Note: I know there is a discrepancy here concerning the Boeing 757 aircraft. I'm taking this information from the Gogo website.)
In regards to the service itself, I found it worked great. Once the aircraft reaches an altitude of 10,000 feet, it can connect to the Gogo Wi-Fi network. According to the Gogo website, it can deliver 5 Mbps of connection speed. I was able to use both my laptop and my Nook e-reader (considered an Android 4 device) on the service though not at the same time. There are some limitations on the service. You can't use Skype, live video or audio streaming.
Overall, I was very pleased with the Wi-Fi service. I definitely plan to use it again when I fly. I would definitely recommend it. It was awesome being able to email, post stuff on Facebook and check stuff on the web while flying. It definitely helped make the time go by. Happy travels all!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Majesty of the Seas Coca Cola Freestyle Machines
One highlight of my recent 2 cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas was getting to use the ship's Coca Cola Freestyle machines. I know it's a little stupid to get excited about these machines but, they're a huge improvement over what Royal Caribbean normally offers. On a normal cruise, you'll get a choice of 6 different sodas. With the machines, you get a choice of 117! different drinks. They offer the regular version of the drinks AND the diet version. They offer Coke's Powerade which you would normally have to buy in the bottle at $3 a pop (I think). Here's some info for those who might sail on Majesty of the Seas and might want to use the machines.
Cost wise, it cost me $22.43 for the 3 night cruise and $29.90 for the 4 night cruise. You can pay for the unlimited soda package on-line at the Royal Caribbean website as long as you have an account with it. Otherwise, you'll have to purchase the package the first day of the cruise on deck 4 when you first board the ship (I think they offered them there) or deck 11 just outside the Windjammer Café.
Use wise, only those that buy the unlimited soda package the first day (or on Royal Caribbean's website) and get the souvenir glass (if you buy the package on the website, your glass will be waiting for you in your cabin) can use the machines. The machines will limit you to 1 glass of whatever drink you choose every 15 minutes. I found this out personally when I decided to chug a glass of orange powerade and then had to wait 15 minutes exactly before it would let me get another.
The many options the machines offer make the unlimited soda package a real deal even though you do have to drink a lot of Coke product to get your money's worth. Hopefully, Royal Caribbean will continue to deploy these awesome machines throughout their fleet so, I can enjoy their many choices on all of Royal Caribbean's ships. Happy drinking all!
Cost wise, it cost me $22.43 for the 3 night cruise and $29.90 for the 4 night cruise. You can pay for the unlimited soda package on-line at the Royal Caribbean website as long as you have an account with it. Otherwise, you'll have to purchase the package the first day of the cruise on deck 4 when you first board the ship (I think they offered them there) or deck 11 just outside the Windjammer Café.
Use wise, only those that buy the unlimited soda package the first day (or on Royal Caribbean's website) and get the souvenir glass (if you buy the package on the website, your glass will be waiting for you in your cabin) can use the machines. The machines will limit you to 1 glass of whatever drink you choose every 15 minutes. I found this out personally when I decided to chug a glass of orange powerade and then had to wait 15 minutes exactly before it would let me get another.
The many options the machines offer make the unlimited soda package a real deal even though you do have to drink a lot of Coke product to get your money's worth. Hopefully, Royal Caribbean will continue to deploy these awesome machines throughout their fleet so, I can enjoy their many choices on all of Royal Caribbean's ships. Happy drinking all!
Majesty of the Seas Wi-Fi
Yesterday, I got back from Miami and my 2 back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. Royal Caribbean to their credit made some excellent changes to the Wi-Fi rates on the ship. They are as follows:
Unlimited minutes on 2 devices at the same time - $129.95
Unlimited minutes on 1 device - $95.95
24 hours of continuous connection - $49.95
1 hour of use (can be used continuously or in segments) - $29.95
The Wi-Fi hot spots remain the same.
As you can see, this is a LOT better deal then the previous plans they offered. If you're on the Internet a LOT, you can get the unlimited plan and, it will save you over $300 over the 1,666 minutes pre-paid plan they offered before.
Connection wise, I found I still had problems. One night during my first cruise, I tried repeatedly and couldn't get it to hook up. Since I was using my free minutes for being a Diamond Crown & Anchor member, I wasn't very upset. I would've if I had paid for minutes.
FYI, for those who are Diamond Crown & Anchor members, you'll get either 1 free hour of Wi-Fi or $29.95 you can use toward one of the other three plans.
Happy web surfing all!
Original entry below
Here is the promised blog entry on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas Wi-Fi. For those who haven't read my previous posts. Last Friday (September 27th, 2013), I finished 2 back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. While cruising on the ship, I did use it's Wi-Fi during the 2nd cruise. I tried to use it the first cruise but, it wouldn't let me hook up. I checked with the ship's customer service and, they said they were having satellite problems at that time.
First, the ship's Wi-Fi rate:
You can pay as you go in which case you will pay 75 cents a minute to use their Wi-Fi. The ship offers pre-pay plans which offer cheaper per minute rates. They are the following:
38 minutes for $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents per minute
90 minutes for $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents per minute
208 minutes for $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents per minute
555 minutes for $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents per minute
1,666 minutes for $399.99 which breaks out to 25 cents per minute
In regards to these plans, the 1,666 minute plan is ridiculous unless you have a family which shares the account. For 1 person, that person would have to spend 27 HOURS on the Internet to use up all their minutes. Keep in mind, the Majesty of the Seas only does 3 and 4 night cruises. I can't imagine anyone spending an entire day on the Wi-Fi during one of these cruises. Remember, you lose any minutes you don't use up by the end of the cruise. I asked if I could carry over minutes I had remaining from my first cruise to my 2nd cruise and, they said NOPE!
Second, Majesty of the Seas hasn't received the upgrade other Royal Caribbean ships have. By this, I mean that you CAN'T access the ship's Wi-Fi throughout the ship. You can only access it at certain hot spots. They are:
Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 14
Windjammer Marketplace on Deck 11
Spectrum (Disco) on Deck 8
Conference Center on Deck 7
Boleros Bar on Deck 7
Schooner Bar on Deck 7
One bit of outdated information that the Majesty's flier states is that only the Freedom class of ships offer Wi-Fi throughout the ship. This is totally erroneous.
Another problem with the ship's Wi-Fi is it will drop out. Twice during my 2nd cruise, I was connected and unexpectedly the connection broke. I don't know why. One time, it didn't come back till the next day.
If you're a Crown & Anchor member, you can get a discount on the overall cost or a percentage of the cost of the pre-paid plans. As a Gold level member, I received a coupon for $10 off (I think) or 10% off a pre-paid plan. As a Platinum or Emerald member, I received $10 off or 15% off a pre-paid plan. I don't know what discount you would get if you're a Diamond, Diamond Plus or Pinnacle member. I do know at one time that Diamond Plus members received a coupon that got them 45 minutes of free Internet time. I met a Diamond Plus member during 1 cruise who showed me the coupon.
There are cheaper alternatives to using the ship's Wi-Fi providing you have either a laptop or a Wi-Fi capable device such as a Nook e-reader.
During the 3 night cruise, you make port in Nassau, Bahamas. There is a Starbucks coffee shop on
Charlotte Lane (it's across the street from the Hard Rock Café) which is just outside the gate of the compound which you go through to get to the ship. The shop offers Wi-Fi for $3 an hour.
During the 4 night cruise, you also make port in Key West, Florida. Key West has a small Starbucks on Duval Street which offers FREE Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi on Majesty of the Seas can be handy WHEN it works. I used it to check in and print (I have a mobile printer) my boarding passes the night before we arrived back in Miami saving a bunch of hassle at the Miami International Airport. However, as you can see, it is expensive. More so than on other Royal Caribbean ships as far as I know unless they've come out with new pre-paid plans for those ships.
The short cruises on Majesty of the Seas can be a real plus for those who want to cruise but can't get the time off for a longer cruise. However, for those who want to use the ship's Wi-Fi, they can create some problems because you can't use up all the minutes on the more affordable per minute pre-paid plans. Remember, any minutes you don't use during your cruise, you lose. For my 2 cents worth, you might want to look at the alternatives I've suggested in this case as they could save you some serious money. Happy web surfing all!
Update: Last month, it was announced by Royal Caribbean International that Majesty of the Seas will be transferred to Pullmantur in 2016. Pullmantur is one of five cruise lines including Royal Caribbean International that belong to Royal Caribbean Limited (I believe). Majesty of the Seas last cruise with Royal Caribbean will be April 29, 2016. (Source: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com)
Update: Today (July 6, 2015), Royal Caribbean announced it has reversed its decision and will be keeping Majesty of the Seas in its fleet. For WiFi users, the announcement has a huge surprise. The ship will be fitted with its new VOOM system and will offer FREE and UNLIMITED Internet to all its customers on the ship. This is a huge change with them. No other ship in their fleet offers totally FREE WiFi. Folks will be able to try the new free WiFi starting May 27, 2016 when the ship starts sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida vice its old port Miami.
Update March 27, 2016: Royal Caribbean reversed its decision to offer free WiFi on Majesty of the Seas and won't be offering it any longer. They've been changing a number of their plans for the ships which is annoying. Personally, I think this decision is dumb. On this ship's short cruises (3 and 4 nights), you can get by without the WiFi. Remember, Starbucks offers it for a small fee in Nassau, Bahamas and for free in Key West, Florida. During my 4 cruises on this ship, I never signed up for it. With their inept handling of this, I'm glad I most likely won't ever sail on this ship again.
Unlimited minutes on 2 devices at the same time - $129.95
Unlimited minutes on 1 device - $95.95
24 hours of continuous connection - $49.95
1 hour of use (can be used continuously or in segments) - $29.95
The Wi-Fi hot spots remain the same.
As you can see, this is a LOT better deal then the previous plans they offered. If you're on the Internet a LOT, you can get the unlimited plan and, it will save you over $300 over the 1,666 minutes pre-paid plan they offered before.
Connection wise, I found I still had problems. One night during my first cruise, I tried repeatedly and couldn't get it to hook up. Since I was using my free minutes for being a Diamond Crown & Anchor member, I wasn't very upset. I would've if I had paid for minutes.
FYI, for those who are Diamond Crown & Anchor members, you'll get either 1 free hour of Wi-Fi or $29.95 you can use toward one of the other three plans.
Happy web surfing all!
Original entry below
Here is the promised blog entry on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas Wi-Fi. For those who haven't read my previous posts. Last Friday (September 27th, 2013), I finished 2 back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. While cruising on the ship, I did use it's Wi-Fi during the 2nd cruise. I tried to use it the first cruise but, it wouldn't let me hook up. I checked with the ship's customer service and, they said they were having satellite problems at that time.
First, the ship's Wi-Fi rate:
You can pay as you go in which case you will pay 75 cents a minute to use their Wi-Fi. The ship offers pre-pay plans which offer cheaper per minute rates. They are the following:
38 minutes for $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents per minute
90 minutes for $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents per minute
208 minutes for $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents per minute
555 minutes for $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents per minute
1,666 minutes for $399.99 which breaks out to 25 cents per minute
In regards to these plans, the 1,666 minute plan is ridiculous unless you have a family which shares the account. For 1 person, that person would have to spend 27 HOURS on the Internet to use up all their minutes. Keep in mind, the Majesty of the Seas only does 3 and 4 night cruises. I can't imagine anyone spending an entire day on the Wi-Fi during one of these cruises. Remember, you lose any minutes you don't use up by the end of the cruise. I asked if I could carry over minutes I had remaining from my first cruise to my 2nd cruise and, they said NOPE!
Second, Majesty of the Seas hasn't received the upgrade other Royal Caribbean ships have. By this, I mean that you CAN'T access the ship's Wi-Fi throughout the ship. You can only access it at certain hot spots. They are:
Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 14
Windjammer Marketplace on Deck 11
Spectrum (Disco) on Deck 8
Conference Center on Deck 7
Boleros Bar on Deck 7
Schooner Bar on Deck 7
One bit of outdated information that the Majesty's flier states is that only the Freedom class of ships offer Wi-Fi throughout the ship. This is totally erroneous.
Another problem with the ship's Wi-Fi is it will drop out. Twice during my 2nd cruise, I was connected and unexpectedly the connection broke. I don't know why. One time, it didn't come back till the next day.
If you're a Crown & Anchor member, you can get a discount on the overall cost or a percentage of the cost of the pre-paid plans. As a Gold level member, I received a coupon for $10 off (I think) or 10% off a pre-paid plan. As a Platinum or Emerald member, I received $10 off or 15% off a pre-paid plan. I don't know what discount you would get if you're a Diamond, Diamond Plus or Pinnacle member. I do know at one time that Diamond Plus members received a coupon that got them 45 minutes of free Internet time. I met a Diamond Plus member during 1 cruise who showed me the coupon.
There are cheaper alternatives to using the ship's Wi-Fi providing you have either a laptop or a Wi-Fi capable device such as a Nook e-reader.
During the 3 night cruise, you make port in Nassau, Bahamas. There is a Starbucks coffee shop on
Charlotte Lane (it's across the street from the Hard Rock Café) which is just outside the gate of the compound which you go through to get to the ship. The shop offers Wi-Fi for $3 an hour.
During the 4 night cruise, you also make port in Key West, Florida. Key West has a small Starbucks on Duval Street which offers FREE Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi on Majesty of the Seas can be handy WHEN it works. I used it to check in and print (I have a mobile printer) my boarding passes the night before we arrived back in Miami saving a bunch of hassle at the Miami International Airport. However, as you can see, it is expensive. More so than on other Royal Caribbean ships as far as I know unless they've come out with new pre-paid plans for those ships.
The short cruises on Majesty of the Seas can be a real plus for those who want to cruise but can't get the time off for a longer cruise. However, for those who want to use the ship's Wi-Fi, they can create some problems because you can't use up all the minutes on the more affordable per minute pre-paid plans. Remember, any minutes you don't use during your cruise, you lose. For my 2 cents worth, you might want to look at the alternatives I've suggested in this case as they could save you some serious money. Happy web surfing all!
Update: Last month, it was announced by Royal Caribbean International that Majesty of the Seas will be transferred to Pullmantur in 2016. Pullmantur is one of five cruise lines including Royal Caribbean International that belong to Royal Caribbean Limited (I believe). Majesty of the Seas last cruise with Royal Caribbean will be April 29, 2016. (Source: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com)
Update: Today (July 6, 2015), Royal Caribbean announced it has reversed its decision and will be keeping Majesty of the Seas in its fleet. For WiFi users, the announcement has a huge surprise. The ship will be fitted with its new VOOM system and will offer FREE and UNLIMITED Internet to all its customers on the ship. This is a huge change with them. No other ship in their fleet offers totally FREE WiFi. Folks will be able to try the new free WiFi starting May 27, 2016 when the ship starts sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida vice its old port Miami.
Update March 27, 2016: Royal Caribbean reversed its decision to offer free WiFi on Majesty of the Seas and won't be offering it any longer. They've been changing a number of their plans for the ships which is annoying. Personally, I think this decision is dumb. On this ship's short cruises (3 and 4 nights), you can get by without the WiFi. Remember, Starbucks offers it for a small fee in Nassau, Bahamas and for free in Key West, Florida. During my 4 cruises on this ship, I never signed up for it. With their inept handling of this, I'm glad I most likely won't ever sail on this ship again.
Majesty of the Seas Cruises Review
Sadly, I got back this past Friday from my 2 cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. I had a great time. My only complaint would be I wish the cruises were longer. The 3 night and 4 night cruises would be good for people who can't take much time off (I met 1 such person during my 2nd cruise) or can't afford a longer cruise.
The ship itself is in excellent shape. I couldn't find anything wrong with her. I saw a number of times where it's crew performed maintenance on her while I cruised. The ship's crew is excellent. My room attendant did a fine job both cruises. The food was very good and plentiful. I had to show willpower and limit myself to just 1 plate every meal in the Windjammer Café. I particularly enjoyed the Coca Cola Freestyle machines. They particularly rocked. I enjoyed many a glass of PowerAde and liked being able to try out various Coca Cola products I'd never tried before. I didn't watch any of the free shows so, I don't have any idea if they're any good or not. The ship's shops were fine though I didn't really check them out. I'm not into shopping though I did buy myself a ship's magnet and some pens to show I'd sailed on her. The ship's Wi-Fi was unreliable. Twice, I couldn't connect at all and twice, I got bumped off it after I connected. Also, it's more expensive then on other Royal Caribbean ships. I'll be posting a separate blog entry where I'll list the prices for its Wi-Fi. The ship has a nice little gym with 12 aerobicycles, 6 treadmills, 1 rowing machines, various weight machines and a small floor where they hold yoga, pilates and stretching classes. I don't know if they do Zumba. I never met the gym director though I did read his bio and, it sounds like he is very competent. I thought it cool that he's from South Africa. I haven't forgotten Pumba, one of the ladies who works in Grandeur of the Seas spa. She's from South Africa and, she is totally awesome! The ship has a spa but, I didn't try it this time due to its prices. They're not cheap and, I needed to watch the bucks this time.
In regards to the ports of call, I thought they were pretty good. Coco Cay is a nice resort. They have some pretty beaches and offer snorkeling, scuba diving, jet ski riding and parasailing. You can also take a ride on a glass bottom boat. I did that and, I really enjoyed it. They offer a nature walk where they tell you of Bahamian bush medicine. I found it interesting and funny. Funny in that all the medicines apparently had to taste bitter in order to work. You couldn't add sugar to make them taste better. Lastly, Royal Caribbean holds a lunch bar-b-que buffet every time it stops there. I found it a decent buffet. All passengers have to be tendered to Coco Cay. Royal Caribbean has 5 small boats at the island that can ferry/tender people to the island. Their crews were very competent. There are a few Bahamian gift shops on the island where you can buy various Bahamian souvenirs.
Nassau, Bahamas is nice. I did a very good city tour where I got to visit 2 forts, the Queen's staircase and a couple other locations. The Queen's staircase stood out as it's very pretty with a very neat waterfall and plants along the walkway. The other excursion I did was the Discover Atlantis tour. The tour guide for the tour was outstanding. She was funny and know her stuff about the resort. The resort itself is impressive and worth checking out though I don't have any desire to stay there. It strikes me as too pricey. It has a special suite that costs a whopping $25,000 a night with a minimum of a 4 night stay! Supposedly, there is a 6 month waiting list to stay in it. One downside I saw was there were a lot of Bahamians that had their hands out for tips. Some of them were really absurd in my opinion. After I'd finished my Discover Atlantis tour, we had a 15 minute bus ride back to the cruise ship terminal. The driver didn't hesitate to ask for a tip. In my opinion, he hadn't done squat to deserve one versus the outstanding tour guide at Atlantis. Also, I found some Bahamians curt. I visited the Hard Rock Café gift shop there and, they weren't very friendly. I was glad to get my t-shirt and get out of there.
Key West, Florida was very nice. Some of the homes there are stunning with some huge prices to match. It has a lot of history. I did a walking tour of Ernest Hemingway's home and Sloppy Joe's. The guide for the tour was very good. He had lots of interesting information, was friendly and helpful. The tour of Hemingway's home was awesome. A guide at the home gave the tour. She really knew her stuff. I'd highly recommend this tour. It was fascinating. I wouldn't mind going back to Key West some time and seeing some of the sights I didn't have time for this visit.
Miami, Florida was nice. I did a hop on hop off tour there which was good. The location where we got on the bus was convenient as it's at the Bayside Marketplace which is within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal (2 miles I think).
Overall, the 2 cruises were very nice. I would recommend them if you can't get a lot of time off or are short on funds but, you want to do a cruise. Otherwise, I'd recommend you do a longer cruise so, you get the real cruise experience. The 2 short cruises were more party cruises in my opinion which was a little irksome.
The ship itself is in excellent shape. I couldn't find anything wrong with her. I saw a number of times where it's crew performed maintenance on her while I cruised. The ship's crew is excellent. My room attendant did a fine job both cruises. The food was very good and plentiful. I had to show willpower and limit myself to just 1 plate every meal in the Windjammer Café. I particularly enjoyed the Coca Cola Freestyle machines. They particularly rocked. I enjoyed many a glass of PowerAde and liked being able to try out various Coca Cola products I'd never tried before. I didn't watch any of the free shows so, I don't have any idea if they're any good or not. The ship's shops were fine though I didn't really check them out. I'm not into shopping though I did buy myself a ship's magnet and some pens to show I'd sailed on her. The ship's Wi-Fi was unreliable. Twice, I couldn't connect at all and twice, I got bumped off it after I connected. Also, it's more expensive then on other Royal Caribbean ships. I'll be posting a separate blog entry where I'll list the prices for its Wi-Fi. The ship has a nice little gym with 12 aerobicycles, 6 treadmills, 1 rowing machines, various weight machines and a small floor where they hold yoga, pilates and stretching classes. I don't know if they do Zumba. I never met the gym director though I did read his bio and, it sounds like he is very competent. I thought it cool that he's from South Africa. I haven't forgotten Pumba, one of the ladies who works in Grandeur of the Seas spa. She's from South Africa and, she is totally awesome! The ship has a spa but, I didn't try it this time due to its prices. They're not cheap and, I needed to watch the bucks this time.
In regards to the ports of call, I thought they were pretty good. Coco Cay is a nice resort. They have some pretty beaches and offer snorkeling, scuba diving, jet ski riding and parasailing. You can also take a ride on a glass bottom boat. I did that and, I really enjoyed it. They offer a nature walk where they tell you of Bahamian bush medicine. I found it interesting and funny. Funny in that all the medicines apparently had to taste bitter in order to work. You couldn't add sugar to make them taste better. Lastly, Royal Caribbean holds a lunch bar-b-que buffet every time it stops there. I found it a decent buffet. All passengers have to be tendered to Coco Cay. Royal Caribbean has 5 small boats at the island that can ferry/tender people to the island. Their crews were very competent. There are a few Bahamian gift shops on the island where you can buy various Bahamian souvenirs.
Nassau, Bahamas is nice. I did a very good city tour where I got to visit 2 forts, the Queen's staircase and a couple other locations. The Queen's staircase stood out as it's very pretty with a very neat waterfall and plants along the walkway. The other excursion I did was the Discover Atlantis tour. The tour guide for the tour was outstanding. She was funny and know her stuff about the resort. The resort itself is impressive and worth checking out though I don't have any desire to stay there. It strikes me as too pricey. It has a special suite that costs a whopping $25,000 a night with a minimum of a 4 night stay! Supposedly, there is a 6 month waiting list to stay in it. One downside I saw was there were a lot of Bahamians that had their hands out for tips. Some of them were really absurd in my opinion. After I'd finished my Discover Atlantis tour, we had a 15 minute bus ride back to the cruise ship terminal. The driver didn't hesitate to ask for a tip. In my opinion, he hadn't done squat to deserve one versus the outstanding tour guide at Atlantis. Also, I found some Bahamians curt. I visited the Hard Rock Café gift shop there and, they weren't very friendly. I was glad to get my t-shirt and get out of there.
Key West, Florida was very nice. Some of the homes there are stunning with some huge prices to match. It has a lot of history. I did a walking tour of Ernest Hemingway's home and Sloppy Joe's. The guide for the tour was very good. He had lots of interesting information, was friendly and helpful. The tour of Hemingway's home was awesome. A guide at the home gave the tour. She really knew her stuff. I'd highly recommend this tour. It was fascinating. I wouldn't mind going back to Key West some time and seeing some of the sights I didn't have time for this visit.
Miami, Florida was nice. I did a hop on hop off tour there which was good. The location where we got on the bus was convenient as it's at the Bayside Marketplace which is within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal (2 miles I think).
Overall, the 2 cruises were very nice. I would recommend them if you can't get a lot of time off or are short on funds but, you want to do a cruise. Otherwise, I'd recommend you do a longer cruise so, you get the real cruise experience. The 2 short cruises were more party cruises in my opinion which was a little irksome.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
McDonald's Sweet Tea Review
While buying some $1 McDonald's McDouble hamburgers from their dollar menu, I saw they offered a large glass of sweet tea for $1. I decided to try it. I found it was pretty good tea. It isn't what those in the Southern United States would consider sweet tea. As I understand it, their sweet tea has have the consistency of syrup. This isn't that but, it is sweet and has a good taste. I think it's large size for a dollar is a deal. I would definitely recommend it to those who like tea. Happy drinking all!
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Sam's Club Generic Propecia
Today, I bought Sam's Club's generic Propecia for the first time. The reason I did it was for 1 reason - price. If you have a Sam's Club Advantage Plus membership, you can get a great deal on the drug. I was able to buy a 3 month supply of generic propecia for $103.57 That's over $47 cheaper than the generic Propecia at Costco. The savings is such that with 1 filling of the prescription, you can nearly pay for the increased cost of the Advantage Plus membership versus the regular Advantage membership. For a long time, I held off upgrading but, the money advantage concerning their generic Propecia was too much to pass up.
As to who makes Sam's Club generic Propecia, I couldn't find out from the literature included with my prescription who the manufacturer is. The pills look exactly the same at the ones I bought from Costco who are put out by Dr. Reddy's Lab and, I believe are made in Israel.
In regards to its effectiveness, I can't tell you that at this time as I haven't started taking it yet. However, if it works like the Costco generic Propecia, it should work fine. I've been taking that for nearly 9 months now and, I haven't noticed any difference between the generic and the name brand in effectiveness.
One important note about Sam's Club. If you have the regular Advantage membership like I did. You'll pay more for the generic Propecia at Sam's Club than you will at Costco. That was one thing that confounded me a bit. Between the 2 regular memberships, Costco offers the better price with a $20 advantage. It's when you have the Advantage Plus membership with its higher price that you get the better savings at Sam's Club. I confess I'm not thrilled about paying Sam's Club $100 a year for my Advantage Plus membership but, in this case, the savings are such they'll pay for the higher cost membership in no time.
For those men who take Propecia, you might want to look into the advantages of Sam's Club's generic Propecia. It could save you a LOT of money over the years.
FYI, I don't work for Sam's Club and, I'm not 1 of their biggest fans either. I have memberships at Sam's Club and Costco, both of which I pay for out of my own pocket just like other people out there. I find each club has its advantages. I'm aware of another club called BJ's but, I only shopped there once years ago and don't have any idea how they compare with Sam's Club or Costco.
As to who makes Sam's Club generic Propecia, I couldn't find out from the literature included with my prescription who the manufacturer is. The pills look exactly the same at the ones I bought from Costco who are put out by Dr. Reddy's Lab and, I believe are made in Israel.
In regards to its effectiveness, I can't tell you that at this time as I haven't started taking it yet. However, if it works like the Costco generic Propecia, it should work fine. I've been taking that for nearly 9 months now and, I haven't noticed any difference between the generic and the name brand in effectiveness.
One important note about Sam's Club. If you have the regular Advantage membership like I did. You'll pay more for the generic Propecia at Sam's Club than you will at Costco. That was one thing that confounded me a bit. Between the 2 regular memberships, Costco offers the better price with a $20 advantage. It's when you have the Advantage Plus membership with its higher price that you get the better savings at Sam's Club. I confess I'm not thrilled about paying Sam's Club $100 a year for my Advantage Plus membership but, in this case, the savings are such they'll pay for the higher cost membership in no time.
For those men who take Propecia, you might want to look into the advantages of Sam's Club's generic Propecia. It could save you a LOT of money over the years.
FYI, I don't work for Sam's Club and, I'm not 1 of their biggest fans either. I have memberships at Sam's Club and Costco, both of which I pay for out of my own pocket just like other people out there. I find each club has its advantages. I'm aware of another club called BJ's but, I only shopped there once years ago and don't have any idea how they compare with Sam's Club or Costco.
Minute Maid Fruit Medley Review
While shopping at the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club, I discovered a product I hadn't seen there before. It's Minute Maid's Fruit Medley. Minute Maid's Fruit Medley is a fruit tasting drink with grape, pineapple, pear and apple juices in it. All totaled, it's 5% of the various juices. The drink isn't a high calorie drink as it has 100 calories per 8 ounce glass. The sample I tried came in a plastic 1 gallon jug. Cost wise, the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club sold the 1 gallon jug for $2.88 which I thought reasonable.
My 1 disappointment with the drink was that it doesn't earn MyCoke reward points like a lot of Coca-Cola products do. I don't know why. Perhaps, it's just related to the size of the container. I'll have to see if you earn points with smaller portions of the drink.
Overall, I was very pleased with the fruit drink. I think it's a good one and reasonably priced. If you like fruit drinks, you might want to try this one. Happy drinking all!
My 1 disappointment with the drink was that it doesn't earn MyCoke reward points like a lot of Coca-Cola products do. I don't know why. Perhaps, it's just related to the size of the container. I'll have to see if you earn points with smaller portions of the drink.
Overall, I was very pleased with the fruit drink. I think it's a good one and reasonably priced. If you like fruit drinks, you might want to try this one. Happy drinking all!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Wegmans Peanut Butter Pretzels Review
While shopping at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans store, I stumbled upon their peanut butter pretzels. These aren't pretzels with peanut butter inside. They're pretzels covered by peanut butter, like chocolate covered pretzels. I thought they might be interesting to try so, I bought a little more than a quarter of a pound of them.
I found them good though not great. The peanut butter coating does taste like peanut butter. Price wise, they are expensive. They sell for $8.49 a pound in one of the bulk foods sections at the store. I don't know how long they'll stay fresh though considering how long they're likely to stay in the dispenser at the store, I would think they have a decent shelf life. One thing I did discover to my annoyance is like chocolate covered pretzels, you had better be sure you don't store them in a hot area. They peanut butter coating will melt and, you'll end up with a big glob of peanut butter pretzels which you'll have to pry apart like I did. Also, Wegmans does offer coupons with the coupon booklets they send out where you can get a $1 off any $5 bulk item purchase. They would save you a little money with them.
If you like peanut butter and pretzels, you might want to give these a try. Happy munching all!
I found them good though not great. The peanut butter coating does taste like peanut butter. Price wise, they are expensive. They sell for $8.49 a pound in one of the bulk foods sections at the store. I don't know how long they'll stay fresh though considering how long they're likely to stay in the dispenser at the store, I would think they have a decent shelf life. One thing I did discover to my annoyance is like chocolate covered pretzels, you had better be sure you don't store them in a hot area. They peanut butter coating will melt and, you'll end up with a big glob of peanut butter pretzels which you'll have to pry apart like I did. Also, Wegmans does offer coupons with the coupon booklets they send out where you can get a $1 off any $5 bulk item purchase. They would save you a little money with them.
If you like peanut butter and pretzels, you might want to give these a try. Happy munching all!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Latest Rick Riordan House of Hades Info
I'm setting a record for myself blog wise today. 5 posts in 1 day! WO!!!!!!!
If you didn't buy the e-book version of Son of Sobek and thereby get to read the first chapter of House of Hades, you're in luck. On Facebook, Rick Riordan announced that the 1st chapter of House of Hades is now available free on his blog. http://rickriordan.blogspot.com. I tried out the link and, it works.You'll find it dated August 8th.
The blog entry also gives dates and places for the book tour that will follow House of Hades. To the delight of those who live in and around Washington D.C., Riordan will be coming to D.C. on October 11th, 2013. Riordan references the
Politics and Prose Bookstore/Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington D.C.
20008
Phone numbers: 1-800-722-0790/202-364-1919
Website: http://www.politics-prose.com
I checked their calendar of events and this is what I found out about Riordan's visit. He'll be appearing 7 p.m. at:
Wilson High School Auditorium
3950 Chesapeake St NW
Washington D.C.
20016
This will be a ticketed event. They didn't give any further information on the tickets though they did say further information will follow. If you want to see the calendar page yourself, you can find it at: http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/rick-riordan-house-of-hades.
The House of Hades will still be released on October 8th. 57 days and a wake up (a term from my Air Force days) as of this post. At least it's getting here thankfully.
Lastly, I saw something on the bookstore's website where they mentioned about being able to arrange having a visiting author sign a book for you if you purchase it through them. I'm going to check into this more and see if it'll apply to Riordan. If so, I may finally get my first book signed by him. I wimped out on ordering the special signed edition of Mark of Athena. I'll post what I find out. Stay tuned.
Update 8/14/13:
Tickets went on sale for the event the day I posted this. 1 ticket will cost you $5. If you want more than 1 ticket, you'll have to buy a book or books depending on how many you want. Seating is first come, first served. All books will be signed by Riordan prior to the event. NONE will be signed afterwards. As I understand it, if you want a signed book, you must buy the book through the bookstore i.e. you can't bring one to be signed. You can take pictures during the event BUT, there won't be any posed pictures with Riordan. Riordan will speak at the event then open it up for questions and answers. The event is expected to last between 45 minutes and an hour. (Source: event webpage mentioned earlier in this blog entry).
Also, I checked the Wilson High School website (http://www.wilsonhs.org) and, the auditorium can hold 750 people. I couldn't find out how much parking the school has.
Update 9/8/13:
Per a couple anonymous commenters, I checked the Politics and Prose webpage and, it states that the Rick Riordan event is sold out. However, if you want an autographed book by him, you can still order one through their website. Be sure to specifically ask that you want it autographed. Remember, you must buy the book through them to get it autographed by Riordan at this event.
Update 10/20/13:
The event I blogged about above is over and as far as I know (I didn't go), it went fine. House of Hades was released right on time and, I believe has gone to Number 1 in its category on the New York Times best seller list. I bought the book myself a week after it came out and read it. It's another fine book in the series and won't disappoint any of Riordan's fans. At the end of the book, Riordan disclosed what the title will be for the final book of the series. It'll be called Blood of Olympus. It should be a huge climax as things continue to build up. The Roman demigods are circling around Camp Halfblood and, all the giants are free again in the world. I plan to write a blog review about the book so, I won't disclose any more about it in this entry.
If you didn't buy the e-book version of Son of Sobek and thereby get to read the first chapter of House of Hades, you're in luck. On Facebook, Rick Riordan announced that the 1st chapter of House of Hades is now available free on his blog. http://rickriordan.blogspot.com. I tried out the link and, it works.You'll find it dated August 8th.
The blog entry also gives dates and places for the book tour that will follow House of Hades. To the delight of those who live in and around Washington D.C., Riordan will be coming to D.C. on October 11th, 2013. Riordan references the
Politics and Prose Bookstore/Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington D.C.
20008
Phone numbers: 1-800-722-0790/202-364-1919
Website: http://www.politics-prose.com
I checked their calendar of events and this is what I found out about Riordan's visit. He'll be appearing 7 p.m. at:
Wilson High School Auditorium
3950 Chesapeake St NW
Washington D.C.
20016
This will be a ticketed event. They didn't give any further information on the tickets though they did say further information will follow. If you want to see the calendar page yourself, you can find it at: http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/rick-riordan-house-of-hades.
The House of Hades will still be released on October 8th. 57 days and a wake up (a term from my Air Force days) as of this post. At least it's getting here thankfully.
Lastly, I saw something on the bookstore's website where they mentioned about being able to arrange having a visiting author sign a book for you if you purchase it through them. I'm going to check into this more and see if it'll apply to Riordan. If so, I may finally get my first book signed by him. I wimped out on ordering the special signed edition of Mark of Athena. I'll post what I find out. Stay tuned.
Update 8/14/13:
Tickets went on sale for the event the day I posted this. 1 ticket will cost you $5. If you want more than 1 ticket, you'll have to buy a book or books depending on how many you want. Seating is first come, first served. All books will be signed by Riordan prior to the event. NONE will be signed afterwards. As I understand it, if you want a signed book, you must buy the book through the bookstore i.e. you can't bring one to be signed. You can take pictures during the event BUT, there won't be any posed pictures with Riordan. Riordan will speak at the event then open it up for questions and answers. The event is expected to last between 45 minutes and an hour. (Source: event webpage mentioned earlier in this blog entry).
Also, I checked the Wilson High School website (http://www.wilsonhs.org) and, the auditorium can hold 750 people. I couldn't find out how much parking the school has.
Update 9/8/13:
Per a couple anonymous commenters, I checked the Politics and Prose webpage and, it states that the Rick Riordan event is sold out. However, if you want an autographed book by him, you can still order one through their website. Be sure to specifically ask that you want it autographed. Remember, you must buy the book through them to get it autographed by Riordan at this event.
Update 10/20/13:
The event I blogged about above is over and as far as I know (I didn't go), it went fine. House of Hades was released right on time and, I believe has gone to Number 1 in its category on the New York Times best seller list. I bought the book myself a week after it came out and read it. It's another fine book in the series and won't disappoint any of Riordan's fans. At the end of the book, Riordan disclosed what the title will be for the final book of the series. It'll be called Blood of Olympus. It should be a huge climax as things continue to build up. The Roman demigods are circling around Camp Halfblood and, all the giants are free again in the world. I plan to write a blog review about the book so, I won't disclose any more about it in this entry.
Sam's Club Toscano Salame Review
Two or three weeks ago, I visited the Sam's Club in Laurel. While there, I noticed they some traditional looking salami that I'd never tried before. I decided to buy some and see how it was.
The label on it calls it Slow-cured Salame. However, when it's rung up, it's called Toscano salame. It's supposed to be like the old fashioned salami you would find in Europe though the product is made in the United States of America. The salami comes unsliced in 18 ounce packages and sells for $7.98 (which breaks out to $7.09 a pound approximately) at the Catonsville and Laurel, Maryland stores. I don't know if it would be the same price at other Sam's Clubs. The salami has one big plus in my book in that it doesn't have any monosodium glutamate (MSG). A 1 ounce serving has 90 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat and 430 milligrams of sodium (probably from the sea salt used) as well as 7 grams of protein. As it is a sausage like product, it is made of pork. There are the preservatives sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. The product has a long shelf life as it says on the package that it should be sold by March 6th, 2014. Refrigeration wise, once the salami has been opened, it must be refrigerated. Also, there is a collagen casing on the outside of the salami that must be peeled off of each slice. The salami is made by Daniele Incorporated in Pascoag, Rhode Island.
Taste wise, I thought this salami to be particularly good. It does remind me of the luncheon meats you would find over in Europe. Also, I don't think it's terribly expensive considering the quality you're getting.
Overall, this is one Sam's Club product I'd definitely give a thumbs up to. It is a very good salami in my opinion though I'm no expert on salami. Bon Appetit!
The label on it calls it Slow-cured Salame. However, when it's rung up, it's called Toscano salame. It's supposed to be like the old fashioned salami you would find in Europe though the product is made in the United States of America. The salami comes unsliced in 18 ounce packages and sells for $7.98 (which breaks out to $7.09 a pound approximately) at the Catonsville and Laurel, Maryland stores. I don't know if it would be the same price at other Sam's Clubs. The salami has one big plus in my book in that it doesn't have any monosodium glutamate (MSG). A 1 ounce serving has 90 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat and 430 milligrams of sodium (probably from the sea salt used) as well as 7 grams of protein. As it is a sausage like product, it is made of pork. There are the preservatives sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. The product has a long shelf life as it says on the package that it should be sold by March 6th, 2014. Refrigeration wise, once the salami has been opened, it must be refrigerated. Also, there is a collagen casing on the outside of the salami that must be peeled off of each slice. The salami is made by Daniele Incorporated in Pascoag, Rhode Island.
Taste wise, I thought this salami to be particularly good. It does remind me of the luncheon meats you would find over in Europe. Also, I don't think it's terribly expensive considering the quality you're getting.
Overall, this is one Sam's Club product I'd definitely give a thumbs up to. It is a very good salami in my opinion though I'm no expert on salami. Bon Appetit!
Casio G-Shock Solar Powered Watch Review
Back in April, I was having a run of bad luck with watch batteries dying on me. To make matters worse, as my readers would know, I was leaving on 2 back-to-back cruises with Royal Caribbean. Knowing what the time is can be particularly important on a cruise. You've got to be back to the ship by a certain time otherwise the ship might leave without you and, you'll have the hassle of trying to catch up with the ship and your stuff.
Initially, I planned on buying another one of Royal Caribbean's cheap electric pocket watches. They cost around $25 I think and make a nice souvenir of the ship as they have the ship's name on them as well as metallic drawing of a ship on the outside cover of the watch. However, I couldn't find one of those though later to my annoyance, the staff found some and put them out. Grrrrrr!!!!!!!
So, I checked out the fancy watch shop each ship has. In my Platinum discount booklet, I had a coupon for 10% off which I figured would help some though the watches in the watch shop tended to be pricey - $400 and up!!!!!! I know about Citizens automatic watches which sounded nice as you never have to replace batteries with them. With the battery problem I'd had, I decided to look for 1 of those. I found those all right but wasn't wowed by them though their prices got my attention. The saleslady mentioned some solar powered watches. I didn't know they made such things. I looked them over really well and settled on a Casio GW-7900B model.
The watch has a number of features. It gives a tide time table which to be honest I didn't need and don't know anyone who would need it. It has a night light function, stopwatch function, alarm function, a second time function, a moon phase display (I don't need to worry about the moon either) as well as a way to be updated from various Atomic clocks around the world. The biggest plus about the watch is that you won't have to mess with batteries though in time, you will have to replace the solar cell on it. Another plus in my opinion is the watch is cheaper than automatic watches. The watch retails for $150 though I was able to get 10% off on the ship. I bought the one with a black wristband and, I've been using it continuously since. Lastly, the watch is water resistant to 20 BAR (whatever that is). So, you don't have to worry about water hurting the thing though I don't think you can take it scuba diving.
I've been very pleased with the thing barring having to place it on my room's window ledge at night so, it can pick up the atomic clock signal so, it can stay accurate. The watch has a indicator that tells you if it has picked up the signal or not. The small booklet that comes with the watch tells where the various places are that the watch can get its time recalibrated from.
I don't have any idea how long the watch's solar cell will work though I suspect by the time it starts to wear out, I'll be ready for a new watch. One thing you do have to make sure is the watch gets enough sunlight to stay charged. The watch has an indicator that tells you if it has a low - medium or high charge. Supposedly, the watch will run for 9 months without any sunlight off 1 full charge. I make it a point that it is exposed to as much sunlight during the day as I can. If the watch runs down, supposedly it'll stop operating certain functions until it gets more fully charged (so said the booklet that came with it).
I would definitely recommend this watch if you don't watch to mess with replacing watch batteries or just want a cool watch. I've been very pleased with mine.
Initially, I planned on buying another one of Royal Caribbean's cheap electric pocket watches. They cost around $25 I think and make a nice souvenir of the ship as they have the ship's name on them as well as metallic drawing of a ship on the outside cover of the watch. However, I couldn't find one of those though later to my annoyance, the staff found some and put them out. Grrrrrr!!!!!!!
So, I checked out the fancy watch shop each ship has. In my Platinum discount booklet, I had a coupon for 10% off which I figured would help some though the watches in the watch shop tended to be pricey - $400 and up!!!!!! I know about Citizens automatic watches which sounded nice as you never have to replace batteries with them. With the battery problem I'd had, I decided to look for 1 of those. I found those all right but wasn't wowed by them though their prices got my attention. The saleslady mentioned some solar powered watches. I didn't know they made such things. I looked them over really well and settled on a Casio GW-7900B model.
The watch has a number of features. It gives a tide time table which to be honest I didn't need and don't know anyone who would need it. It has a night light function, stopwatch function, alarm function, a second time function, a moon phase display (I don't need to worry about the moon either) as well as a way to be updated from various Atomic clocks around the world. The biggest plus about the watch is that you won't have to mess with batteries though in time, you will have to replace the solar cell on it. Another plus in my opinion is the watch is cheaper than automatic watches. The watch retails for $150 though I was able to get 10% off on the ship. I bought the one with a black wristband and, I've been using it continuously since. Lastly, the watch is water resistant to 20 BAR (whatever that is). So, you don't have to worry about water hurting the thing though I don't think you can take it scuba diving.
I've been very pleased with the thing barring having to place it on my room's window ledge at night so, it can pick up the atomic clock signal so, it can stay accurate. The watch has a indicator that tells you if it has picked up the signal or not. The small booklet that comes with the watch tells where the various places are that the watch can get its time recalibrated from.
I don't have any idea how long the watch's solar cell will work though I suspect by the time it starts to wear out, I'll be ready for a new watch. One thing you do have to make sure is the watch gets enough sunlight to stay charged. The watch has an indicator that tells you if it has a low - medium or high charge. Supposedly, the watch will run for 9 months without any sunlight off 1 full charge. I make it a point that it is exposed to as much sunlight during the day as I can. If the watch runs down, supposedly it'll stop operating certain functions until it gets more fully charged (so said the booklet that came with it).
I would definitely recommend this watch if you don't watch to mess with replacing watch batteries or just want a cool watch. I've been very pleased with mine.
Review of Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report
I've been looking for publications that I'd like to read on my new Barnes & Noble Nook E-reader. One publication that looked worth checking out was Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report. The July 2013 issue was available and, it promised to tell about the Italian lake district and about Wales. Both sounded interesting so, I bought an issue of the publication even though its single issue price is $8.99 which I think is expensive.
The publication is aptly named as its about hideaways i.e. hotels where you can get away from it all. It gives a good review of each of the profiled hotels as well as very good pictures that will give a good idea of what the rooms are like at each hotel. In the July issue, Harper reviewed 12 hotels and 1 restaurant that offered rooms as well. Harper also reviewed 7 restaurants. As Harper has 35 years experience in the travel business and runs his own travel agency (there was a promo at the back of the publication for a New Zealand tour his company is offering as well as information on where to reach his agency), he has great knowledge on what makes a really nice hotel and was doesn't.
I found his reviews very well written and, the pictures nicely complimented them. However, there were drawbacks in my opinion to this publication. First, it is expensive. $8.99 for a single issue or $7.99 an issue for a subscription. Second, the hotels are very pricey. The cheapest room I saw in 1 of the hotels he reviewed was $340 a night and, they easily went over $500 or $600 a NIGHT! While all the hotels sounded luxurious and nice, that's way out of my price range. Third, the publication doesn't talk much about the sights around the hotels. It was very light in this way though that can be a good thing if you primarily want to know about upscale hotels in the regions he visits. However, my thing isn't hotels. I want to know about the sights worth seeing or to avoid. Harper did list some items shopping wise that were particularly noteworthy like a place where some Italian monks make some particularly good lemoncello but, this list was a 1 off in the publication.
Overall, I can't recommend this publication unless you're an upscale traveler looking for particularly upscale hotels to stay at. Some of the restaurants sounded good and might be reasonably priced but, that isn't enough to get me to want to subscribe to his expensive report. For me personally, I'd have to give this publication a thumbs down even though it is well written and has fine photos to support the reviews. Happy travels all!
The publication is aptly named as its about hideaways i.e. hotels where you can get away from it all. It gives a good review of each of the profiled hotels as well as very good pictures that will give a good idea of what the rooms are like at each hotel. In the July issue, Harper reviewed 12 hotels and 1 restaurant that offered rooms as well. Harper also reviewed 7 restaurants. As Harper has 35 years experience in the travel business and runs his own travel agency (there was a promo at the back of the publication for a New Zealand tour his company is offering as well as information on where to reach his agency), he has great knowledge on what makes a really nice hotel and was doesn't.
I found his reviews very well written and, the pictures nicely complimented them. However, there were drawbacks in my opinion to this publication. First, it is expensive. $8.99 for a single issue or $7.99 an issue for a subscription. Second, the hotels are very pricey. The cheapest room I saw in 1 of the hotels he reviewed was $340 a night and, they easily went over $500 or $600 a NIGHT! While all the hotels sounded luxurious and nice, that's way out of my price range. Third, the publication doesn't talk much about the sights around the hotels. It was very light in this way though that can be a good thing if you primarily want to know about upscale hotels in the regions he visits. However, my thing isn't hotels. I want to know about the sights worth seeing or to avoid. Harper did list some items shopping wise that were particularly noteworthy like a place where some Italian monks make some particularly good lemoncello but, this list was a 1 off in the publication.
Overall, I can't recommend this publication unless you're an upscale traveler looking for particularly upscale hotels to stay at. Some of the restaurants sounded good and might be reasonably priced but, that isn't enough to get me to want to subscribe to his expensive report. For me personally, I'd have to give this publication a thumbs down even though it is well written and has fine photos to support the reviews. Happy travels all!
Wegmans Salad Venetian Calamari Review
As any readers I have know, I like calamari i.e. squid. I have since I first tried it in Italy during an Air Force temporary duty assignment there.
Recently, I was going through my Wegmans coupon booklet and, they had a $1 off the purchase of $5 or more of fresh seafood. I decided to use the coupon as I like seafood. I looked through their Columbia, Maryland store and found their salad Venetian Calamari Salad. The salad is pricey, $9.99 a pound but, I decided to try it.
I found it was a good salad. It's packed with calamari as well as white beans, peppers and onions. The calamari itself was fine. It wasn't chewy like it can be at times. One serious drawback to the salad is its very short shelf life. The container said to use it up by the very next day after I bought it. I didn't do that. I finished it 5 days after I bought it. As far as I can tell, I didn't suffer any ill effects from keeping it that long but, I don't like the short shelf life. A plus to the salad is that it doesn't have any preservatives (probably why the short shelf life) or chemicals. It does carry a warning to those who are allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, sesame seeds, soy and shellfish as it is prepared in an area that is shared with such products.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with the salad though it isn't something I'll eat often due to the price. If you like calamari and, there's a Wegmans close to you, you might want to give it a try. Bon Appetit!
Recently, I was going through my Wegmans coupon booklet and, they had a $1 off the purchase of $5 or more of fresh seafood. I decided to use the coupon as I like seafood. I looked through their Columbia, Maryland store and found their salad Venetian Calamari Salad. The salad is pricey, $9.99 a pound but, I decided to try it.
I found it was a good salad. It's packed with calamari as well as white beans, peppers and onions. The calamari itself was fine. It wasn't chewy like it can be at times. One serious drawback to the salad is its very short shelf life. The container said to use it up by the very next day after I bought it. I didn't do that. I finished it 5 days after I bought it. As far as I can tell, I didn't suffer any ill effects from keeping it that long but, I don't like the short shelf life. A plus to the salad is that it doesn't have any preservatives (probably why the short shelf life) or chemicals. It does carry a warning to those who are allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, sesame seeds, soy and shellfish as it is prepared in an area that is shared with such products.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with the salad though it isn't something I'll eat often due to the price. If you like calamari and, there's a Wegmans close to you, you might want to give it a try. Bon Appetit!
Friday, August 09, 2013
Giant White Beans Product Review
Recently, I visited the Trader Joe's at 6610 Marie Curie Drive in Elkridge, Maryland (phone number 410-953-8139). Trader Joe's offers some very nice products. This trip, I decided to try their giant white beans. The beans are sort of like large lima beans. They're cooked in a light tomato sauce according to a traditional Greek recipe (so says Trader Joe's) and come from Bulgaria of all places. The beans come in a 12 ounce jar and sell for $1.99. The beans do have to be refrigerated after they've been opened.
I found the beans tasty. They can make a nice small side dish to some kind of Greek food if you're feeling in a Greek mood. The sauce wasn't heavy and the beans are nicely complimented by onions, carrots, chopped tomatoes and parsley.
Overall, I thought they were a fine dish that I'd gladly try again. If you like beans, you might like to try this Greek dish by Trader Joe's. Bon Appetit!
I found the beans tasty. They can make a nice small side dish to some kind of Greek food if you're feeling in a Greek mood. The sauce wasn't heavy and the beans are nicely complimented by onions, carrots, chopped tomatoes and parsley.
Overall, I thought they were a fine dish that I'd gladly try again. If you like beans, you might like to try this Greek dish by Trader Joe's. Bon Appetit!
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Picture of Norwegian Cruise Line's Dawn Ship
Here's a picture I took of Norwegian Cruise Line's "Dawn" ship. The ship was at anchor in the Dockyard at Bermuda. Due to an agreement Royal Caribbean has with the Bermudan government (I don't the particulars), they have priority at the pier. So, the Dawn had to anchor in the harbor. Passengers on the ship had to be tendered out to the ship. I think you can just see one of the tenders in the left of the picture. However, the Bermudan government is expanding the pier and, I suspect Norwegian Cruise Lines ships will be able to tie up at the extended pier some time in the future.
Bermuda Dockyard Ferry
This is a picture of one of the ferries leaving the Dockyard in Bermuda. The Bermudan government runs ferries every 20 minutes I believe from the Dockyard to Hamilton, the capital. Also, they did 5 runs to St. George's. I took one of those when I did the tour of St. George's, St. Catherine's Fort, the Chapel Royal and St. David's Lighthouse. The ferry was nice enough and pretty fast. I think it took something like 40 minutes to get to St. George's (not totally sure on that). Tickets for the ferries can be bought at the Dockyard. I don't know what they cost. My round trip ferry ticket was included with my excursion. This picture was taken from the Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas as I was watching the ferry leave.
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Snap Punch Mango Punch
A couple days ago, I stopped at the same 7-11 store and found out Snapple had another flavor in its Snap Punch line. It's called Mango Punch. In a lot of ways, it's very similar to its watermelon punch. Presumably, it has some mango juice in it to give it its flavor but, Snapple doesn't state that. It states on the bottle that it is flavored with other natural flavors and on the list of ingredients, all it says is natural flavors. The calorie count is the same, 140 calories per 12 ounce serving. Price is the same too - $1.19 for a 1 liter bottle. It does live up to its mango name in that it tastes like mangos. It doesn't offer any nutritional value but will supply you with 12% of your daily requirement for carbohydrates.
Overall, like Snap Punch's Watermelon Punch, it's a decent drink and, I think an affordable one. I don't know if it would be any better than a soda though you do get more of it than you would get in a bottle of soda. If you like mangos, this would be a drink worth trying though don't go out of your way for it. Happy drinking all!
Overall, like Snap Punch's Watermelon Punch, it's a decent drink and, I think an affordable one. I don't know if it would be any better than a soda though you do get more of it than you would get in a bottle of soda. If you like mangos, this would be a drink worth trying though don't go out of your way for it. Happy drinking all!
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
St. David's Lighthouse
The first sight I got to see on my tour of St. George's, Bermuda back in May was St. David's Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built between 1876 and 1879. It stands 55 feet tall and is made of Bermuda limestone. The lighthouse's beacon can be seen for 20 nautical miles. It's still in use today and serves as an important nautical beacon in Bermuda. (Source: plaque on the lighthouse) You can go inside the lighthouse and climb up to the top where the beacon is. I think there was something like 55 steps. It was also a bit narrow as I remember. At the top, there are some nice views of the area.
Sunday, August 04, 2013
Windows 8 SUCKS!!!!!!!!
I'm posting this after this piece of crap operating system caused me to lose my first writing of my entry on my September Majesty of the Seas cruises. That wasn't the first time the piece of crap has wiped out something I was working on. The operating system can be positively infuriating. It highlights shit when I don't want it to. It makes it necessary for me to back up everything I'm working on because it might wipe it out otherwise. It won't copy stuff when I do want to copy stuff. It kicks me out of whatever I'm working like it just did and then, it makes it very hard to me to get back to whatever I'm working on. I had to tap the friggin screen 3 times before the cursor finally showed back up. If I want to search for something on the Internet, I have to quickly type in something otherwise it won't let me type in whatever. The only nice thing I can say about it is I do like being able to scroll up and down in Facebook. Otherwise, the operating system is a piece of total crap. When I get my new long term laptop, I'm going to make sure it DOESN'T have Windows 8. I'd advise others to do the same. Otherwise, you're going to suffer a shit load of aggravation!
September 2013 Majesty of the Seas Cruises
I don't know if I posted anything on my September Majesty of the Seas cruises. On September 20th, I'll get to sail on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas ship. It'll be the first time I'll get to sail on their Sovereign class. The Sovereign class was at one time, the largest cruise ships in the world. Incredibly, they're now the smallest class in the Royal Caribbean fleet. Royal Caribbean transferred out Majesty's sister ship Monarch of the Seas and, I suspect Royal Caribbean will do the same in time to Majesty. It should be fun exploring the ship like it was on Splendour of the Seas last November.
There are other firsts for me with the 2 cruises. These will be the 2 shortest cruises I'll have ever done. The first is 3 nights; the second is 4 nights. I'll get to visit the Bahamas for the first time. I'll make port in Nassau, Bahamas and Royal Caribbean's private island Coco Cay, Bahamas both cruises. Also, I'll visit Key West, Florida for the first time. I'll sail out of Miami, Florida's cruise ship terminal for the first time. It looks like it has a nice cruise ship terminal. It'll be my first cruises as an Crown & Anchor Emerald member. I made that level thanks to my April/May cruises on Grandeur of the Seas.
Another plus is the ship has a Coca Cola Freestyle machine. I've already paid for my unlimited soda packages and, it looks like you pay a little premium for them on the Majesty. But, you get over 100 more choices with the machines. According to information I saw posted on the unofficial Royal Caribbean blog, only folks who buy the unlimited soda packages can use the machines. The soda cups has chips in them that tell a reader on the machine the cup owner has a valid unlimited soda package.
So stay tuned for more cruise updates. I'll make sure I take lots of pictures to post on here. I plan to post some more of things I got to see in Bermuda. I took some decent pictures of the Chapel Royal in St. George and St. Catherine's Fort (you pass it when you sail into Bermuda).
There are other firsts for me with the 2 cruises. These will be the 2 shortest cruises I'll have ever done. The first is 3 nights; the second is 4 nights. I'll get to visit the Bahamas for the first time. I'll make port in Nassau, Bahamas and Royal Caribbean's private island Coco Cay, Bahamas both cruises. Also, I'll visit Key West, Florida for the first time. I'll sail out of Miami, Florida's cruise ship terminal for the first time. It looks like it has a nice cruise ship terminal. It'll be my first cruises as an Crown & Anchor Emerald member. I made that level thanks to my April/May cruises on Grandeur of the Seas.
Another plus is the ship has a Coca Cola Freestyle machine. I've already paid for my unlimited soda packages and, it looks like you pay a little premium for them on the Majesty. But, you get over 100 more choices with the machines. According to information I saw posted on the unofficial Royal Caribbean blog, only folks who buy the unlimited soda packages can use the machines. The soda cups has chips in them that tell a reader on the machine the cup owner has a valid unlimited soda package.
So stay tuned for more cruise updates. I'll make sure I take lots of pictures to post on here. I plan to post some more of things I got to see in Bermuda. I took some decent pictures of the Chapel Royal in St. George and St. Catherine's Fort (you pass it when you sail into Bermuda).
Saranac Root Beer Review
One of the root beers I decided to taste test was Saranac's root beer. It claims to be a premium soft drink as well as hand crafted soft drinks. They state on their packaging that 30 years ago, they sought to bring back the tradition and quality of the original root beer they crafted back in 1888.
I found Saranac's root beer does have a very good taste to it. Also, as near as I can determine, it doesn't have any caffeine. I don't think root beer should have in caffeine in it. It doesn't make the root beer any better in my opinion. Price wise, a 6 twelve fluid ounce pack will cost you $4.99 at the Columbia, Maryland Wegman's. That is cheaper than other premium root beers such as Appalachian Brewing Company's (ABC) root beer which costs $5.99 for the same size 6 pack or the environmentally conscious Maine root beer which costs $6.49 for a 4 pack.
Where Saranac loses points with me is with their use of high fructose corn syrup. Corn syrup is typical of cheap brand root beers. Premium root beers use cane sugar. Also, I very much doubt that back in 1888, they were using corn syrup in their root beer. So while Saranac claims to be a premium root beer, in my opinion, it isn't. I do think it's better than Coca Cola's Barq's root beer or Wegman's name brand root beer but, it isn't on par with ABC or Maine. I would rate it as a medium grade root beer. Happy drinking all!
I found Saranac's root beer does have a very good taste to it. Also, as near as I can determine, it doesn't have any caffeine. I don't think root beer should have in caffeine in it. It doesn't make the root beer any better in my opinion. Price wise, a 6 twelve fluid ounce pack will cost you $4.99 at the Columbia, Maryland Wegman's. That is cheaper than other premium root beers such as Appalachian Brewing Company's (ABC) root beer which costs $5.99 for the same size 6 pack or the environmentally conscious Maine root beer which costs $6.49 for a 4 pack.
Where Saranac loses points with me is with their use of high fructose corn syrup. Corn syrup is typical of cheap brand root beers. Premium root beers use cane sugar. Also, I very much doubt that back in 1888, they were using corn syrup in their root beer. So while Saranac claims to be a premium root beer, in my opinion, it isn't. I do think it's better than Coca Cola's Barq's root beer or Wegman's name brand root beer but, it isn't on par with ABC or Maine. I would rate it as a medium grade root beer. Happy drinking all!
Costco Rogaine Alternative
For the last 6 months, I've been trying Costco's Minoxidil Foam to see if I could find any difference in performance between it and the Rogaine brand. From what I could determine, there wasn't any difference. They're both 5% Minoxidil foam. There is a good difference in price. A 4 month supply of Rogaine foam will cost you $49.99 at Costco. A SIX month supply of Costco's Kirkland brand Minoxidil foam will cost you $48.99. That means you get 2 months of Minoxidil foam for free if you buy Costco's product. To me, the better deal is the Costco product. If any readers I have out there disagree, let me hear from you and why you think Rogaine would be worth the extra cost.
Saturday, August 03, 2013
Snap Punch Watermelon Punch
I stopped by the 7-11 store on 12009 Laurel Bowie Road in Laurel, Maryland to deliver some mail today. While there, I decided to get some more Fuze Berry Punch (see my review on that). Sadly, they didn't have any. I did see they had some Snap Punch Watermelon Punch from Snapple. I like watermelon so, I decided to try it.
Snap Punch's Watermelon Punch does taste like watermelon. Reading the ingredients, I don't know if it has any watermelon juice in it. All it says is it has natural flavors but, it doesn't specify what they are. On the front of the bottle, they state under Watermelon Punch that it's flavored with other natural flavors. So, who knows what they are though the drink does have a watermelon flavor to it.
Price wise, a 1 liter bottle of the punch cost me $1.19 at the 7-11 store. Calorie wise, a 1 liter bottle has 420 calories (140 calories per serving and each bottle has 3 servings). (Source: the bottle of the punch I bought). Availability, I don't know how many stores carry this punch. Normally, I don't drink Snapple products. I don't have anything against them. I just prefer Coke products in part because of the MyCoke rewards program. I like earning points with that program. The product is apparently kosher as it has Kosher Pareve on it. The punch doesn't contain any vitamins or minerals and each serving has 36 grams of sugar or 12% of your daily requirement for carbohydrates. Each serving has 90 milligrams of sodium.
Overall, I thought Snap Punch's Watermelon Punch was decent. It isn't anything to rave about but, it isn't bad either. I think $1.19 for a 1 liter bottle of the punch is a good price. If you like watermelon, you might like this watermelon punch. Happy drinking all!
Snap Punch's Watermelon Punch does taste like watermelon. Reading the ingredients, I don't know if it has any watermelon juice in it. All it says is it has natural flavors but, it doesn't specify what they are. On the front of the bottle, they state under Watermelon Punch that it's flavored with other natural flavors. So, who knows what they are though the drink does have a watermelon flavor to it.
Price wise, a 1 liter bottle of the punch cost me $1.19 at the 7-11 store. Calorie wise, a 1 liter bottle has 420 calories (140 calories per serving and each bottle has 3 servings). (Source: the bottle of the punch I bought). Availability, I don't know how many stores carry this punch. Normally, I don't drink Snapple products. I don't have anything against them. I just prefer Coke products in part because of the MyCoke rewards program. I like earning points with that program. The product is apparently kosher as it has Kosher Pareve on it. The punch doesn't contain any vitamins or minerals and each serving has 36 grams of sugar or 12% of your daily requirement for carbohydrates. Each serving has 90 milligrams of sodium.
Overall, I thought Snap Punch's Watermelon Punch was decent. It isn't anything to rave about but, it isn't bad either. I think $1.19 for a 1 liter bottle of the punch is a good price. If you like watermelon, you might like this watermelon punch. Happy drinking all!
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Jake & Amos Pickled Red Beet Eggs
Recently, I visited the JR's Candy and Bulk Foods section at the Laurel, Maryland Pennsylvania Dutch Market on Maryland 198. While there, I saw they had Jake & Amos pickled eggs. They offer Red Beet Pickled Eggs and Jalapeno Pickled Eggs. I thought I'd try the Red Beet ones.
I found the eggs had a slightly different flavor which is hard to describe though it isn't bad. It was just different. Thanks to the beet juice used in the pickling, the eggs have a reddish lavender color to them. This reminds me of the Dr. Seuss story of Green Eggs and Ham.
Nutrition wise, according to the label on the jar, 2 eggs have 110 calories. Like all eggs, they are high in cholesterol. 2 eggs will give you 60% of your daily requirement for cholesterol. Also, 2 eggs have 1.5 grams of saturated fat for those who watch how much saturated fat they eat.
Price wise, a 32 fluid ounce jar will cost you $6.99 which seems like a fair enough price. They really pack the jar so, you get a lot of pickled eggs for your money.
Overall, I thought the eggs were ok. They weren't anything I'd rush right out and buy. If you're a pickled egg fan, you might like them. The Jake & Amos brand is a very good brand. I've been extremely pleased with their Spiced Dilly Beans and Pickled Asparagus. Bon Appetit!
A reminder, the Pennsylvania Dutch Market is only open Thursday thru Saturday each week. Also, you may experience some difficulty parking your car as the market is very popular in Laurel. There are parking spaces in front, in back and in the good size Home Depot store parking lot next to the market.
I found the eggs had a slightly different flavor which is hard to describe though it isn't bad. It was just different. Thanks to the beet juice used in the pickling, the eggs have a reddish lavender color to them. This reminds me of the Dr. Seuss story of Green Eggs and Ham.
Nutrition wise, according to the label on the jar, 2 eggs have 110 calories. Like all eggs, they are high in cholesterol. 2 eggs will give you 60% of your daily requirement for cholesterol. Also, 2 eggs have 1.5 grams of saturated fat for those who watch how much saturated fat they eat.
Price wise, a 32 fluid ounce jar will cost you $6.99 which seems like a fair enough price. They really pack the jar so, you get a lot of pickled eggs for your money.
Overall, I thought the eggs were ok. They weren't anything I'd rush right out and buy. If you're a pickled egg fan, you might like them. The Jake & Amos brand is a very good brand. I've been extremely pleased with their Spiced Dilly Beans and Pickled Asparagus. Bon Appetit!
A reminder, the Pennsylvania Dutch Market is only open Thursday thru Saturday each week. Also, you may experience some difficulty parking your car as the market is very popular in Laurel. There are parking spaces in front, in back and in the good size Home Depot store parking lot next to the market.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Minute Maid Strawberry Passion
I tried some Minute Maid Strawberry Passion this morning. Here are my thoughts on it as well as other info.
The drink does have the taste of strawberries though not as strong as I'd expect from a drink that is labeled Strawberry PASSION i.e ardent and strong. According to the label on the bottle, it has more pear juice that strawberry juice. What's up with that? Also, they claim to have put less than .5% of strawberry juice in the drink. It doesn't sound very passionate on strawberries to me based on that.
Calorie wise, the drink 210 calories per bottle which doesn't sound bad. Also, it offers 100% of your daily requirement for Vitamin C as well as 19% of the carbohydrates you need for the day.
Price wise, I believe it was $1.69 at the mini-mart I bought it at. You might be able to find it cheaper else where.
Availability, I haven't looked around various supermarkets to see how widely available it is.
You do earn MyCoke rewards if you buy the 15.2 ounce bottle. I don't know if it's available in larger sizes.
Overall, I don't think this product lives up to its name. It does have a strawberry flavor but, I doubt think it'll wow you. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy some of it. Still, I suspect it's better than a soda. Happy drinking all!
The drink does have the taste of strawberries though not as strong as I'd expect from a drink that is labeled Strawberry PASSION i.e ardent and strong. According to the label on the bottle, it has more pear juice that strawberry juice. What's up with that? Also, they claim to have put less than .5% of strawberry juice in the drink. It doesn't sound very passionate on strawberries to me based on that.
Calorie wise, the drink 210 calories per bottle which doesn't sound bad. Also, it offers 100% of your daily requirement for Vitamin C as well as 19% of the carbohydrates you need for the day.
Price wise, I believe it was $1.69 at the mini-mart I bought it at. You might be able to find it cheaper else where.
Availability, I haven't looked around various supermarkets to see how widely available it is.
You do earn MyCoke rewards if you buy the 15.2 ounce bottle. I don't know if it's available in larger sizes.
Overall, I don't think this product lives up to its name. It does have a strawberry flavor but, I doubt think it'll wow you. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy some of it. Still, I suspect it's better than a soda. Happy drinking all!
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