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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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).

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

Fuze Berry Punch

I thought Coca-Cola's Fuze line made only various teas. To my surprise, I found out I was wrong. While delivering some mail 3 days ago, I decided to buy myself a cold drink at a 7-11 store I was at. They had 1 liter bottles of Fuze Berry Punch which I'd never seen before. I decided to try it and paid $1.20 for it.

I found it had a good punch flavor to it though I don't think it tastes a lot like berries. The punch taste would come from the pineapple juice, orange juice, pear juice and passionfruit concentrate they use in the product.

Calorie wise, the drink has 80 calories per 8 ounce serving (source: the bottle I bought).  Also, it provides 10% of the daily requirements for vitamins B6 and B12.

You do earn Coke rewards points for the product.

One problem if you want to try Fuze's Berry Punch is finding it. This was the first time I'd seen the product. During a number of visits to the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I haven't see it there though it could be in there cold drinks section by their restaurant. Also, I don't know if they offer the product in Coke's Freestyle drink machines. I'll have to check that the next time I buy a drink from one of those machines.

Overall, I thought it was a good product and, $1.20 for a 1liter bottle seemed like a reasonable price for it. If you want a punch type drink, you might want to give Fuze's Berry Punch a try if you can find it. Happy Drinking all!

Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas

I try to take a picture of each ship I sail on with Royal Caribbean. That way, I can better remember the ship. The top picture is of the Grandeur of the Seas while in port at the Dockyard in Bermuda. The second picture shows the Grandeur side by side with Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. The 2 ships met twice during my Caribbean cruise. The first time was in Philipsburg, St. Maarten and the 2nd time was in Labadee, Haiti. The picture you see of the 2 ships was taken at Labadee. It was interesting to see the differences between the 2 ships. The Freedom of the Seas ship is of the Liberty Class and, it was a LOT bigger than the Grandeur. The Grandeur is the 2nd smallest class ship Royal Caribbean has (the smallest is the Sovereign Class).

I found the Grandeur of the Seas a very nice. It had recently undergone a $48 million dollar renovation. It looked in fine shape. Interestingly, the day I boarded the ship for the first time in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard was on board and were putting the ship's crew through all kinds of tests. Initially, I couldn't get to my cabin because they were simulating a fire in the section where my cabin was. Later, the Coast Guard had the ship launch 7 of its lifeboats for unknown reasons. I was stunned when I heard of the fire on board the ship 2 and 1/2 weeks after I'd left it. From what I saw, the ship's crew shouldn't have had any problems dealing with the fire. From my experiences on board the ship, I gladly sail on it again and recommend it to anyone.

Scooters in Bermuda

During my 3rd excursion in Bermuda, the tour stopped in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda. I walked around a little and noticed this huge collection of scooters parked in a parking lot for them by the harbor. Scooters make sense in Bermuda. The maximum allowed speed in Bermuda is 30 miles per hour (so I was told) which is within the range of a 49cc scooter. Gas is expensive in Bermuda and, scooters get great gas mileage. My first motorbike was a Yamaha Vino Classic i.e. scooter and, it got at least 82 miles to the gallon. Also, scooters are very affordable compared to a car. I paid top dollar for mine and, it came to around $3,000. I know you can get one for a lot less than that though I don't have any idea what they cost in Bermuda. Still, they have to be cheaper than a car. Also, you can carry a fair amount of stuff on a scooter. The storage compartment underneath my Vino Classic could hold a bag and a half of groceries and, you could install an additional storage compartment behind the seat. The only downside I can see to a scooter is you are exposed to the elements however, I think the sun shines a lot in Bermuda so, this wouldn't be a problem. I was tempted to rent one however, that was pricey. I heard prices of between $55 and $80 an hour plus, you had to fill up the tank when you were done. Still, I think it would be fun to ride one in Bermuda. It would be a great way to see the island. I wanted to show off my TMAX there so bad but, my TMAX wouldn't be allowed in Bermuda because the engine is too big. I heard there was a law limiting the size of the engines there to 150cc though the police have a waiver and have motorcycles that have 700cc engines. One of the tour guides there told me scooter accidents are a problem in Bermuda as apparently riders go too fast for the conditions and, car drivers don't pay enough attention for scooters. I suspect the 2nd reason is a problem here in the United States too.

If you make it to Bermuda, you might want to consider seeing Bermuda by scooter. I think it would be a fun way to see the island. Happy riding all!

Arundel Mills Costco Optometrist

To appease my doctor somewhat at least, I decided to get my eyes checked by the Arundel Mills Costco optometrist. Why go there? For a couple reasons, 1) convenience - it's easier for me to see the optometrist there than it is to try to see one at a military clinic even though I will have to pay for it out of pocket and 2) it isn't that expensive.

I found out the Arundel Mills Costco has a new optometrist. Here name is Dr. Julie T. Tran. She's a new optometrist. According to the certificates on one of the walls at her offices, she graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2010 and completed her residency at a Veteran's Affairs facility in Palo Alto, California in July 2011.

I found Dr. Tran to be really nice and very professional. It was easy to deal with her and, I felt she gave me a very thorough eye exam. She was also kind enough to make a copy of the exam so, I could give that to the clinic I use to be put in my medical records. The exam cost $49.

Dr. Tran offers 2 other services which cost $20 each. One is a pupil dilation procedure when enables her to better exam the patient's eyes to see if there are any signs of glaucoma or other potential problems. I did this one and, I found it easy enough barring my dilated eyes being more sensitive to the sun after the exam until the eyes drops she used to dilate my pupils wore off. Sadly, I forget what the other test/exam was though I remember it too could help detect glaucoma. Obviously, I didn't have this one done. Dr. Tran didn't think it was necessary.

Overall, I was very pleased with this very nice lady and optometrist. I felt her fees were very reasonable. I'd gladly go back for another eye exam by her and would recommend her to any of my readers out there.

A correction was made to this post after an anonymous commenter told me Palo Alto is in California. Many thanks to the commenter on this.

Bermuda's Dockyard

Bermuda's Dockyard was originally the main British Royal Navy base in the region after Britain had lost the American colonies. In time however, the base lost its importance and Britain eventually decided to close the dockyard. The Bermudan government apparently decided to change it into it's cruise ship terminal. Ferries from the dockyard take tourists to the islands capital Hamilton in 15 minutes (I think) and 45 minutes to its former capital in St. George. The dockyard has restaurants, various shops (the Bermuda Rum Cake Factory bakes its cakes here) and offices where a person can rent a scooter or book an excursion (booked a Segway tour here). Also, it has a museum where visitors can learn some of the maritime history of the area. This is where Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas tied up for 2 nights during my Bermuda cruise. I found it a nice facility. It was interesting overnighting in a port for the first time. Here are some pictures of the dockyard.

Minute Maid Apple Juice Review

One of the things Minute Maid is doing is putting out there various juices in small containers that make them easy to take on a trip. The latest packages they've been putting out is where the juice comes in a 15.3 fluid ounce bottle. The serving is big enough to give you a good drink of the juice while small enough to make it easy to carry in a lunch box or small cooler.

Yesterday, I decided to try their apple juice as well as couple other juices they put out. I'll publish reviews on the others later. I found Minute Maid's apple juice to be very good. It has a nice flavor and one 15.3 ounce bottle will give you 180% of your daily requirement for Vitamin C. The juice is pasteurized and made from concentrate (stated on the bottle). Each serving/bottle has 210 calories for the calorie counters. Cost wise, I paid $1.69 for the sample I tried. As I bought it in a mini-mart/convenience store, I suspect you could get it cheaper at a bigger supermarket or at a Costco or Sam's Club.

As Minute Maid is part of the Coca-Cola line of products, you will earn MyCoke rewards with one of these bottles. The code is on the underside of the bottle. Right now, MyCoke is giving a bonus of 3 extra reward points when you enter a code for one of the Minute Maid products. I don't think you earn MyCoke reward points for the bigger size containers (such as a half gallon). I will check into that and make a correction if I find out I'm wrong.

If you like good tasting juice and would like to be able to take it with you easily on a trip, this might be the way to go. For those who are health conscious, the juice would be better for you than a soda. It might also help keep you hydrated in the current summer heat. Happy drinking all!

Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe Review

I haven't been to the Baltimore, Maryland Hard Rock Café in months so, I thought I'd treat myself to lunch there today. Here's how my visit went.

I got a surprise when I walked in as the Baltimore Hard Rock Café underwent a $4.5 million dollar renovation (source: the bartender). The café looks a good bit different. The biggest change I noticed was at the bar area. Previously, there was a real Cadillac above the bar. They removed the car and put a good size multi-light fixture about the bar. There are also multiple tv screens there so patrons at the bar can easily watch the de rigeur rock videos (I particularly enjoyed the Night Shift video by the Commodores - great song).

Service at the bar was excellent. The bartenders never let my glass run empty and were very willing to get me some items I wanted from the gift shop.

Food wise, overall, it was very good. I wasn't wiped out with the taste of the strawberry basil lemonade. It just didn't taste very good to me and normally I like strawberry lemonade. Also, I wasn't wiped out with the price - $8.40. I had to 2 sides as well as their turkey burger. The skewered shrimp was very good. You got 6 medium size shrimp for $6.75. Also, since I like onion rings, I ordered some of those. They were a good size serving of them and came with a fine bar-b-que sauce to dip them in. They cost $5.75. The main course i.e. turkey burger was pretty good. It came with pepper jack cheese, avocado slices and tomato with an order of fries or salad on the side. I'd never had a turkey burger before and found it pretty tasty though I could tell the difference between it and beef. The cheese and avocado helped give it a nice flavor. The burger cost $14.95.

Gift shop wise, I found the folks there helpful though to be honest, there wasn't a while lot I wanted there. I already have 2 Baltimore Hard Rock Café t-shirts and don't need another. They had some nice hoodies but who needs a hoodie when it's 80 plus degrees outside. I think their selection could've been better.

Overall, I was very pleased with my visit to the Baltimore Hard Rock Café. I'd definitely recommend it. The service was great and, the food was very good. Also, they do participate in the new Hard Rock Rewards program so, you can earn points there toward your next award certificate. Bon Appetit all!

Son of Sobek Review

I'd been thinking about getting an e-reader for a while. I've heard they're handy on trips. You can download tons of books, magazines, travel guides and games on them which can keep you occupied while you're waiting in the airport for your flight or on the flight itself. I heard of the Son of Sobek short story but, it had a drawback in that it would be initially only available with the paperback version of The Serpent's Shadow. I'd already bought the hard bound version and, I didn't care to buy the book again. When I found out that there would be an e-book version of Son of Sobek, I decided it was time to get an e-reader - that Rick Riordan actually reads the story was an added bonus. The e-book cost me something like $3.36 from Barnes & Noble I think isn't very expensive though it is a short story (30 some pages). It's the first story where Riordan has 2 of his main heroes i.e. Percy Jackson and Carter Kane from 2 different mythology series i.e. Greek Gods and Egyptian Gods join forces against a monster someone unleashed on the border of their 2 respective turfs. It's told solely from Carter Kane's point of view and shows how the 2 different characters would have problems relating to each other as their respective mythologies are very different. There weren't any demigods in Egyptian mythology and, Greek mythology wouldn't have recognized some of the Egyptian weaponry as gets pointed out when Percy asks what kind of sword that Carter has.

Overall, I thought the short story wasn't great but, it was nice. It was neat having Riordan read it. As an added bonus for those who bought the e-book version, you received what I suspect is the first chapter of House of Hades - Riordan's eagerly (or at least in my case) awaited 4th book in the Lost Heroes of Olympus series. That chapter was nice BUT, I want the whole book which sadly, I have to wait till October for. :-( For those of us who are fans of Riordan's Percy Jackson character, the short story is worth buying in my opinion and more so if you can get the e-version so, you can get the first chapter of House of Hades. Happy Reading all!!!!!!

Ship Insignia Drawings

I promised in an earlier blog I would post the pictures I took of the area where they painted the insignia of warships that made port in Bermuda. Here are the pictures with some commentary.

 

 

This was the longest stretch that was covered with ship insignias. It was interesting to see the ship's names, where they were from and when they were in Bermuda. The majority of the ships were from Great Britain (no surprise there) but, there were ships from other countries.

 

 

 





I believe the ship insignia F-458 was from Greece. I remember seeing another ship insignia that was of a United State submarine. The last picture (below) shows the insignia off HMS Trafalgar which I suspect was the name for the base based on the dates i.e. 1805 to 2005.

 

 

I thought this bit of tradition pretty neat. Next, I'll post some pictures of the Dockyard where Grandeur of the Seas tied up at. Stay tuned!

 

West End Horse and Buggy Excursion

I haven't posted much of my Royal Caribbean cruise to Bermuda so, here is a post on 1 of the excursions I did there. Enjoy.

You have technically 2 days to see what you can on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas cruise to Bermuda. One drawback to the cruise is you arrive at 3 p.m. in Bermuda on the 3rd day of your cruise. The late arrival makes it hard to try to fit in some tours there on that first day there. Thankfully, Royal Caribbean does offer a very nice West End Horse and Buggy Tour.

The tour covers the West End part of the island. This part is where the British had a major military presence including the impressive Naval Dockyard where the ship ties up. During the tour, we got to see some former Army barracks, the old military cemetery and where they would leave a drawing of a ship's coat of arms when they made port in Bermuda (I'll have to post a picture I took of that). The tour also takes in some scenic bits with some pretty small beaches.

The drive/tour guide is a pro at these tours as he's been doing for most of his life. He gives an informative dialog as the tour goes along telling about particular shops in the Dockyard as well as some of the history of the places you get to see and what life is like in Bermuda (I found this interesting). Also, he makes it a point to stop at various places so folks can take photos. For those who are curious, the horses names are Sugar and Spice and, they were some very nice horses. They looked well cared for.

The tour lasted over an hour and started and finished in the Dockyard. I forget what it cost though I don't think it was terribly expensive. For those who are going to do the Segway tour, I wouldn't recommend you do this tour as you'll end up covering the same area. When I did the Segway tour, the guide was surprised when I told her a lot of the stuff I learned on this tour. I found most of the information the guide gave to be accurate with the one exception being the price of gas in Bermuda. He said it cost $30 a gallon but, it apparently costs around $9. Strangely, Bermudan gas stations don't show the price of gas like they do in the United States. I don't know why.

Overall, I found this a very nice excursion and a nice way to start one's first visit to Bermuda. I would strongly recommend it to those who are going to do a Royal Caribbean cruise there as it'll enable you to do something your first day there (barring taking in the Dockyard) and thus take advantage of the limited time you have there. Happy travels all!

Yamaha TMAX V-Belt Change

Recently, I got a nasty surprise concerning my Yamaha TMAX motorbike. I finally put over 12,500 miles on my bike. At that point, you're supposed to get the v-belt checked on the bike and replaced if needed. The v-belt is critical to the bike as it's what changes gears on the bike vice the rider doing it. I found out the v-belt will cost you roughly $198 alone and, it'll take at least 2 hours of labor to have them replace it. Also, it sounded like it's pretty standard to replace the belt every 12,500 miles. So, any TMAX riders will be in for a hefty service bill when they hit 12,500 miles. Barring the v-belt, the service charges on the bike haven't been too bad. Oil and filter changes won't be cheap because the stuff is so jammed in there on the bike. I remember when I had to get the battery changed on my TMAX. That's when I found out how complicated things can be on the TMAX. To change a battery on a car is nothing but, on the TMAX, they have to take off the mirrors, the windshield and the face place just to be able to get to the battery! With the v-belt, it would be worse as they have to get to the engine and take it apart.

FYI, on a different subject concerning the TMAX, Yamaha realized its 2014 motorbike line-up in the United States. To my surprise, they're still selling the 2011 version of the TMAX. Yamaha has come up with an updated version of the bike which they're selling in Europe where they increased the power of the engine by 30cc's. Big whoop in my opinion. I still hope Yamaha will eventually come out with a 750cc version of the TMAX. Until then, I don't think it's worth whiled for any TMAX owners to trade it their 499cc TMAX for the 530cc version.

Rojo's Authentic Six Layer Dip Classic

One food product that Costco sells that I particularly like is Rojo's Authentic 6 Layer Dip Classic. The dish is composed of a layer of re-fried beans, a layer of spicy Rojo's salsa, a layer off guacamole, a layer of tangy taco cream, a layer of seasoned sour cream and a layer of jack and cheddar cheeses hence the name 6 layer dip. The product comes in a 2 pound 12 ounce plastic container and sells for $8.49 (the price I paid at the Arundel Mills Costco May 12th and May 30th, 2013). The product has a reasonable shelf life depending on how fresh it is when you buy it at Costco or some other store that sells it. The one I bought on May 30th states it should be used by June 30th which is just over a month. The product should be refrigerated as it is highly perishable. Due to considerable quantity of the dip you get in the 2 pound 12 ounce size, this would be ideal for parties, potlucks and other big gatherings. The dip is somewhat spicy but no overly so. It shouldn't burn your mouth though you will notice some zing to it. Those who wanted a bit more heat could always put a slice of jalapeno on top of the dip.

Overall, I think this is an excellent product who want something a little different from the standard salsa or cheese sauce. It has a lot of really good things in it like the cheeses, guacamole and re-fried beans. Also, I think it comes at a very reasonable price considering how much you get. I'd definitely give it 2 thumbs up. Bon Appetit all!

Dasani Strawberry Flavored Water

As I like collecting My Coke reward points but, I don't need all the calories from their sodas, I decided to try some of their Dasani flavored waters. Dasani offers 3 of them - strawberry, lemon and grape. Each of the of the flavored waters has zero calories. They do that by using aspartame and sucralose. The strawberry flavored water does have a decent enough strawberry flavor to it. The bottle states it comes with other natural flavors as well as strawberry. Why does the strawberry flavored water need other flavors besides strawberry in it? The water comes in 20 fluid ounce plantbottles (plastic bottles that have up to 30% plant material in them). A 20 ounce bottle of the water costs $1.69 at the Crofton, Maryland Wegmans store. I've found a number of stores DON'T carry the Dasani flavored waters for unknown reasons (the plain Dasani drinking water is widely available). I had to search to find them at the Crofton store. I believe you can get the flavored waters from the Coke Freestyle machines. My Coke reward point wise, you'll get 3 points for a 20 ounce bottle of the flavored water. One thing I don't understand is why Coke doesn't offer the points on the bottles of regular Dasani water (the exception being the 24 pack which you'll get 20 points for).

Overall, I thought the Dasani strawberry flavored water was good, not great. Some folks might not be wiped out that the water is just twice filtered vice being spring or mineral water. Another drawback to the water is that as far as I know, it isn't widely available. You'll have to really look around to find this product. Happy Drinking All!

Energizer Glow Stick

While shopping at my local base exchange, I noticed that had Energizer Glow Sticks for sale for $4.99 each. I thought they seemed pretty neat so, I bought one. This is a product review on their glow stick.

The Energizer glow stick comes in at least 3 colors - red, green and blue (those are the ones I remember seeing). It offers 3 different light functions. Click the power button the first time and, the standard flash light at one end comes on. Click the power button again and the glow stick comes on in whatever color the stick has. Click the power button one more time and the glow stick flashes on and off. Click one last time and, the glow stick turns completely off.

The glow stick uses 3 A76 (now called 357) cell batteries. Changing the batteries on the glow stick is a bit of chore. You must have a very small Philips screwdriver which you use to unscrew a single small screw in the glow stick. Then, you unscrew the glow stick from the handle. After you've detached the glow stick, you lightly tap the handle while pointing the open end down so, the part of the assembly that has the glow stick light and battery holder can fall out. The assembly holding the cell batteries has an opening to where you can push one of the batteries out making it possible to get the other 2 out. Make sure you put the 3 new batteries in the same direction with the negative end facing away from the glow light end. Put the assembly back in the handle, screw the glow stick back into the handle and screw the small screw back into the handle.

Note: I bought 3 new 357 cell batteries at a Weis Supermarket and, they cost $4.99 so, it could end costing you as much to buy a new glow stick as it would to replace the batteries on your old one.

Overall, I found the Energizer Glow Stick a nice product which should help someone in the dark with an emergency or to make sure they're seen in the dark. I thought the $5 price tag reasonable. I don't have any idea how long a set of batteries would last on the glow stick. This is a product you might want to carry in your emergency road kit. Safe travels all!

Cheerwine Review

At the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans store, I noticed Cheerwine for the first time. I'd never heard of the soft drink before. I had no idea what kind of soft drink it was. Finally, a week ago, I decided to try it and see if it's any good. I found out it's a cherry flavored soft drink. I probably should've guessed that as the company has 3 small cherries made into the old fashioned glass bottle they sell the drink in. The soft drink first came out in 1917 when a man named L.D. Peeler of Salisbury, North Carolina came up with a unique soft drink that included cherry syrup. The soft drink was a hit and slowly spread through out the state and on to other parts of the United States.

I found that Cheerwine has a nice cherry taste to it. It is a little more expensive than more mass produced soft drinks like Coca Cola. A four 12 ounce bottle pack will cost you $3.99 or a cold one from the cold drinks section at Wegmans will cost you $1.69. Still, the drink uses real sugar vice corn syrup. One drawback I found to it is the drink does have caffeine added which probably gives the customer a little energy boost. The drink also comes in a diet version and may be available in cans though I've only seen it in glass bottles at Wegmans.

Overall, Cheerwine is a good soft drink with a nice cherry flavor. If you like cherry soda, this is a drink you should try. As near as I can tell, you should be able to find the soft drink at Wegmans supermarkets. I haven't checked to it if it's available at other stores.

Grandeur of the Seas

This past Friday, I returned to Baltimore after spending 16 consecutive nights on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. I enjoyed myself so much, I didn't want to leave and, I'm already working on my next cruise on Grandeur. That'll be to Maine and Canada in either September or October of this year.

Concerning the ship, I found it in outstanding shape. The ship's crew is doing a great job of maintaining the ship. When we were in port, I saw them touching up spots with a fresh coat of paint. The décor of the ship was very nice and, there were a number of pieces of art placed throughout the ship. All areas of the ship were very clean and, there were lots of hand sanitizer dispensers so people could avoid catching and spreading norvovirus (I think that's its name).

I stayed in an inner cabin for the first time because of a good deal I was offered on the cabin. I found the cabin small but, I managed fine in it. My room attendant Hylton was outstanding. At the end of the 2nd cruise, I gave him an extra tip on top of the regular one because I was so pleased with the job he did.

Crew wise, I found every one very helpful. I was particularly impressed with Francis Vasconcelo, the ship's fitness center director who I took 3 yoga and 3 pilates classes with. There was a charge for these classes but, you got your money's worth from Frances. By the end of each class, you were sweating and knew you'd gotten a work out. Another person I'd like to commend is Pumza, the Ionithermi treatment specialist. This was the first time I'd ever used one of Royal Caribbean's spas and, I was very impressed with it. Pumza was very professional and really strove to help me reach my health goals.

Food wise, I found myself unimpressed with the main dining room. They didn't serve anything that really wiped me out barring the lobster tail on the fisherman's platter. I was particularly disappointed that they didn't have escargot like they normally do. I found it more convenient to eat at the Windjammer Café as I could get my food immediately. The Windjammer Café offered a good choice of entrees and desserts. The only problem I encountered with the Windjammer was trying to get a table at times.

Excursion wise, the shore excursion desk was very helpful and, the ship offered a good selection of excursions at what I thought were reasonable prices. I got to do a number of firsts for myself on these 2 cruises. I rode a Segway, an ATV and a jet ski for the first times. I did a walking tour of Labadee, Haiti that was particularly good as I learned a good bit about Haiti from the tour. The drive around tour of Tortola offered some great views of the island. The 5 hour bus tour of Bermuda was extremely good. The group I was with got particularly lucky in that the person driving the bus was the bus driver's union vice president who was driving a bus for the first time in 6 months. Normally, he's busy dealing with paperwork. This driver/guide was particularly awesome as he was very knowledgeable and funny. Plus, he seemed to know every one of the 65,000 people who live on Bermuda!

Ports of call wise, I thought the itinerary on my first cruise, the re-positioning cruise was particularly good as we made port 6 days in a row before spending 2 days at sea en-route to Baltimore, Maryland. The Bermuda cruise was interesting in that it was the first cruise I'd ever overnighted at a port. The dockyard facilities were very good and, there were regular ferries that would take you to the capital Hamilton for a charge (I don't know how much it was)

Baltimore Cruise Ship Terminal wise, I found it very convenient. It's easy to get to and, the people processed you very quickly. The people at the terminal were courteous. The ship was late boarding (Noon) the 2nd of my 2 cruises and yet, the terminal got them through so quickly, we were still able to depart on time i.e. 4 p.m. I was surprised how close the ship gets at high tide when it sails under the Francis Scott Key Bridge. I swear we made it by just inches. There's no way they can bring in a bigger cruise ship unless they move the terminal some where past the bridge.

One unique highlight of my 1st cruise was as we were sailing in to Baltimore. Grandeur of the Seas was returning for the first time since departing Baltimore in 2009 (I think) and was given a special welcome. Baltimore's one fire fighting boat shot off its 4 water cannon as we sailed in and supposed the state's governor welcomed the arrival of the ship. News helicopters repeatedly flew around the ship. I don't know if they got the best side of my profile.

I only had 1 persistent problem during my 2 cruises. Twice, I submitted my discount coupon for the ship's WiFi service and both times, I wasn't credited my 15% (I'm a Platinum level Crown & Anchor member) discount. I caught the problem both times but on the 2nd time, the officer spoke with at Customer Service didn't keep their word about fixing the problem. I forgot to double check my final account statement at the end of the 2nd cruise until I got home and found out she failed to solve the problem. I would recommend people watch out for this. I know I will be when I sailed on Grandeur in September/October.

Overall, I had a fantastic time on Grandeur of the Seas. I'd gladly sail on this ship again (and I will be) and would recommend it to others. It's a very nice ship with a great crew. Baltimore is a very convenient port to sail out of barring it can take you a while to get to the Caribbean or Bermuda (1 and 1/2 days out, 2 days coming back).

Update July 27, 2014: I didn't end up doing the September cruise on Grandeur. I will be doing a cruise up to Maine and Canada this September on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas, the same ship I did the Panama Canal cruise on. I hope to cruise on Grandeur again in 2016 to Bermuda with a couple friends I've made at the Extended Stay Hotel I live at.

Update: August 4, 2021 Grandeur of the Seas was moved to a port in Texas by Royal Caribbean. Their ship Enchantment of the Seas which was previously homeported in Baltimore will move back to Baltimore when Royal Caribbean starts sailing out of Baltimore again. I haven't seen a date when that'll be.

Oscar Meyer Turkey Bacon

Recently, I bought some Oscar Meyer turkey bacon for the first time. I wanted to try it out and see if it was any good. Today, I cooked up my first batch of it. I found out Oscar Mayer lives up to its claim of NO GREASE. After cooking an entire 12 ounce package of the stuff, there wasn't any grease in the skillet I used. If I'd cooked regular pork bacon, I would've been scooping bunches of it. I suspect the reason there isn't any grease is because the bacon is already fully cooked according to the package. This would also explain how it supposedly has HALF the fat of regular pork bacon. You'll still need to cook the turkey bacon in order to make it nice and crispy. The bacon also does have a smoky flavor to it which Oscar Mayer adds during its processing. Price wise, a 12 ounce package of the bacon will set you back $3.49 (price quoted at Columbia, Maryland Wegmans store). That seems reasonable enough to me and, you may be able to save more buying the stuff at Sam's Club due to being able to buy it in bulk. They sell the bacon in boxes containing three 12 ounce packages. The only thing that didn't impress me about the bacon was the flavor. While it does have a smoky flavor to it, I wasn't crazy about it. When its fully cooked, their turkey bacon looks like cooked pork bacon and has the same texture but, it doesn't have the same taste.

Overall, I wasn't super wiped out with this product though it does offer various advantages such as less fat, probably fewer calories (just 35 calories per slice) and no religious restrictions for the the Jewish and Islamic faiths as there isn't ANY pork in the product. For those who want to enjoy bacon without some of its drawbacks, Oscar Meyer's turkey bacon may be the way to go. Bon Appetit!

Fuze Half and Half

Recently, while shopping at the nearby base commissary, I found out Fuze puts out a second iced tea I'd call their half and half. It's half iced tea and half lemonade. I thought I'd try it so, I bought their 12 ounce 12 can refrigerator pack. I believe it cost me $2.70. I think it would cost more at regular stores.

I found the half and half tastes like a very lemony iced tea. The iced tea part cancels out the lemonade flavor but, the lemonade part does give it a more lemon flavor than you would normally get with Fuze's regular iced tea. Calorie wise, the half and half is low in calories compared to sodas. A 12 ounce can has just 70 calories. Fuze does use REAL lemon juice in the drink. The can I had this morning states it has 1% juice in it. The drink is low in sodium according to the can. It doesn't state how much caffeine you might get from the iced tea part though I suspect you won't get much.

Container size wise, I've only seen this product in 12 ounce cans. I don't know if Fuze sells it in 2 liter bottles like they do their regular iced tea.

Like all Coca Cola's 12 ounce can 12 packs, you'll get 10 MyCoke reward points for purchasing the refrigerator pack vice 3 points for the 2 liter bottles. Do make sure you pull off the code part from the pack carton. Coca Cola makes this easy to do.

Overall, I thought Fuze's Half and Half was a decent product. It should be a refreshing drink on a hot day if you like iced tea. Also, it's reasonably priced.

Baltimore Cruise Ship Terminal

Today, I made it to the Baltimore Cruise Ship Terminal finally to take some pictures. It was something to be able to drive to a cruise ship terminal vice having to go through all the hassle of flying and then catching a shuttle to the terminal. Key roads leading to Baltimore and the terminal had signs reminded folks of the exit 55 (last exit before you go through the Harbor Tunnel on your way to New York). Things were busy at the terminal as Carnival's Pride ship was departing for a 7 night cruise to the Bahamas. The Pride is approximately 57 feet longer than Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas which will start sailing out of Baltimore on May 3rd. Also, it carries slightly more passengers - 175 more. For those who like Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas, this coming Saturday will be its last time to depart from Baltimore as it sets off on a 12 night cruise finishing in Port Canaveral, Florida.

The cruise ship terminal was supposedly a converted warehouse. Also, I suspect they had to install a boarding ramp as pictured below.

The terminal does have parking for those who want to drive to the terminal and leave their car during the cruise. According to the terminal website: http://www.cruise.maryland.gov/content/parking-rates, parking is $15 a day payable upon arrival by cash, credit card or traveler's check. Here's a picture of the parking:

The terminal can get busy on the day a ship is sailing as shown in this picture of cars lined up to get in.

Three cruise lines currently sail out of the Baltimore Cruise Ship Terminal - American Cruise Line (smallest of the 3 lines, carries no more than 100 passengers) which sails up and down the East Coast, Carnival which sails to the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean and Royal Caribbean which sails to Canada, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. For more information on the terminal please check out the terminal webpage at: http://www.baltimorecruiseguide.com/cruise-terminal.html.

Update posted on 8/5/13. Carnival announced on June 27, 2013 that the Carnival Pride will redeploy to Tampa, Florida December 2014. They haven't said anything about a ship replacing the Pride. Royal Caribbean stated on July 17, 2013 that it would continue to run cruises out of Baltimore on it's Grandeur of the Seas.

Update posted on 7/27/2014: In a press release from the Maryland Governor's office dated January 20, 2014 which you can find on www.cruise.maryland.gov, Governor O'Malley announced that Carnival would continue to offer cruises out of Baltimore. The plan according to the press release is for the Carnival Pride to redeploy to Tampa, Florida in October 2014 at which time it'll receive upgrades including scrubbers to reduce emissions. The ship will return to Baltimore on March 29, 2015 and resume cruises out of Baltimore.

Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas did begin offering cruises out of Baltimore on May 3, 2013 and continues to offer them at the time of this post. I did the May 3rd cruise on Grandeur and had a great time. I hope to sail on the Grandeur again in 2016.

Rick Riordan Book Release Dates

As I haven't made it down to the Baltimore Cruise Ship Terminal to take some pictures of it to post on my blog, I decided to forward on to my readers book release dates that Rick Riordan posted on his blog Myth & Mystery (http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/) on March 25th, 2013 along with various comments by myself.

The Serpent's Shadow

Riordan states that the paperback version will be released in the United States on May 7th with one special feature. The book will contain the first ever Percy Jackson/Carter Kane story called The Son of Sobek. This would be a very tempting offer BUT, I already have the hardbound edition. :-( For those who don't want to have to buy a 2nd copy of the book, on June 18th, 2013, Disney-Hyperion will release an electronic e-single version of the story with a special plus. The e-single will include an audio version where Riordan himself reads the story. Interesting! Riordan states the e-single version will be cheaper than the paperbook (you would think so) though I'd have to buy a Kindle thingy to use the e-single thing with. I've been thinking about buying one of those any way and, this does give me more of an incentive to get one. It would be very cool to hear Riordan read one of his stories. We'll see on this.

The House of Hades

Fans of the Heroes of Olympus series will be more titillated on May 31st, 2013 when Disney-Hyperion releases the cover for The House of Hades book. Then, according to Riordan, they'll release more sneak peaks during the summer (like we really need those or do they like torturing us while we impatiently wait for the dang book). Finally, on October 8th, 2013, they'll release the hard cover edition which I'll be pre-ordering so (when we can do that), I can get mine ASAP and finally find out what happens to Percy and Annabeth after they fall into Tartarus and how the other demigods - Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel and Leo get them out of there.

That's all the news I thought worth forwarding on about Riordan's books. Like many other of his fans, I'm waiting very impatiently for The House of Hades book. Riordan did far too good a job of writing a cliffhanger at the end of Mark of Athena. Plus, I'm curious to see how the prophecy of the seven plays out though I don't think we'll find that out till the last un-named fifth book comes out presumably in October 2014. Happy reading all!