My 2 November Royal Caribbean Cruises

I got back late Saturday night from my 2 Royal Caribbean cruises out of Venice, Italy on their Splendour of the Seas. While there were some disappointments, overall, I had a great time and, I'll be counting the days till I go on my next 2 cruises in early Spring of this coming year.

During my cruises, I got to visit the following places:

Alberobello, Italy
Bari, Italy
Paleokastritsa, Corfu
Acheilleon Palace, Corfu
Island of Delos
Kusadasi, Turkey
Cavtat, Croatia
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Fera, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Ephesus, Turkey
Olympia, Greece
Katakolon, Greece

What were some of the highlights? Exploring the ruins on Delos. The was the sight of the 2nd most sacred place in Ancient Greece. It was claimed the sun god Apollo was born here with his twin sister Artemis. Over 30,000 people lived on the island at one time. Another highlight was wandering the walled city of Dubrovnik. At 1 time, it was a trading power that challenged Venice. Another was visiting the incomparable Ephesus. You can see the 24,000 seat amphitheater where Saint Paul preached and was challenged by those selling souvenirs of the temple dedicated to Artemis. Also, I did the All Access tour on the ship. This tour allows guests on the ship to visit where the crew eat and party, where trash is disposed, the engine room that powers the ship, the ship's theater (the only time I'll be on the stage vice sitting before it), the ship's galley and the bridge of the ship (awesome views). The tour was awesome!!!!!! Lastly, it was great to get to visit Venice again. The place still shines in my book.

I did have some learning experiences. I found out about the bus parking lot on Venice and, I used their People Mover (1 Euro each way) twice so, I could go to and from the bus parking lot and walk on to P. Le Roma where I caught at waterbus to the Rialto Bridge and back from the Piazza San Marco. I found out where the waterbus and Alilaguna stops were at Marco Polo International Airport were as well as the cost of 24 hour tickets on both (20 and 30 Euros as I remember respectively). Also, I did have a bit of a time finding the Best Western Hotel Sant Elena. The hotel was deserving on its reputation of a fine hotel. I'd gladly recommend it.

Lastly, the crew on the Splendor of the Seas were outstanding. I had a great head waiter from India named Alick. There was a fantastic bartender named Zoltan from Hungary and a nice cabin steward named Patricia (forget what country she was from). Customer Service were solid with a great rep named Nikolay. I got to make my first ever cruise reservations at ship's Crown & Anchor desks with Johanna. Many thanks for that. And lastly, many thanks to the unsung awesome cooks on board the ship who every day fixed such fantastic food. I had to show considerable willpower to keep myself to 1 plate per meal. I didn't want to leave as cargo at the end of the 2 cruises.

If you like cruising or are interested in cruising, you should give Royal Caribbean a look. They do a consistently fine job. I've done 7 cruises with them and, I've been pleased with them every time. Also, the have an excellent frequent cruiser program (Crown & Anchor) making it very worth whiled to do a lot of cruises with them. Happy travels all!!!!!!!

Arrived in Italy

Yesterday, I arrived at Marco Polo International Airport from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The flight was uneventful barring the flight being delayed 3 times which meant we got in an hour later.

It's been years since I was last in Venice. This time is unique in a number of ways. First, I took the water shuttle (Alilaguna) from the airport to Lido Island and later took it to the cruise ship terminal so, I could scout it out in advance. I wanted to know where exactly I had to go this Saturday.

Second, I've stayed overnight in Venice. Best Western has a very nice hotel called the Sant' Elena which is off the path of the tourist crowds but within 5 minutes by waterbus from St. Mark's Square. The hotel is in a converted convent and has nice rooms, free WiFi and a fine breakfast buffet which I tried this morning.

Third, this will be the first time I've ever sailed out of Venice or done an European cruise. Yesterday, Oceania and MSC cruise lines had ships in port at the cruise ship terminal. It looks like a very nice facility and millions of people have done cruises out of Venice thanks to it. It was something to see the MSC Armonia sail down the Guidecca Canal on its way out to sea last night all lit up. Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas is supposed to sail at 4:30 p.m. (the ship I'll be on) and should have some awesome views of Venice as we sail out. Stay tuned for some pics on that.

Fourth, I'll get to sail on a different class of ship for the first time. It's Royal Caribbean's Vision Class ship. It's the 2nd smallest class ship they have. I'm looking forward to exploring it and finding out what it offers. Royal Caribbean has another Vision Class ship called Grandeur of the Seas which will sail out of Baltimore beginning in May 2013 and, I'd really like to do a cruise on that ship. So, it'll be handy to know the layout of the ship as each of the ships of a particular class are pretty much the same.

That's all to tell for now. I'll leave you with a picture I took of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice yesterday while exploring. Happy travels all!

Wegmans Organic Fruit Punch

A couple weeks ago, I visited the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans. I checked the coupons they send me in the mail and, I found 1 for that week that would get me a free 8 pack of Wegmans Organic Fruit Punch if I spent $10. I decided to try it. Their 8 pack has 8 6.76 ounce tetra pack containers. The fruit punch is 50% fruit juice and each container has 50 calories of punch. The punch is lactose free, gluten free and meets the requirements for vegetarians. Thanks to their small size, you could easily pack one of these in a lunch box and, they don't have to be refrigerated until they're opened. Also, they have a good shelf life - approximately 6 months. Price wise, I think they were priced around $2.50 though I'm not certain on that.

Taste wise, the punch didn't taste that fruity. I did think I could taste some of the juice but, I wasn't impressed with the drink overall. I've had better fruit punch. Also, I didn't like their small size. 6.76 ounces isn't a whole lot stuff to drink. Kids might like their small size but, I don't think an adult would. I did like the tetra pack thing as this makes them handy on a trip since you don't need refrigeration. Still overall, I wouldn't recommend this product. I wasn't impressed with it.

The Mark of Athena Review

Rick Riordan's "The Mark of Athena" book was released on October 2nd. The The book is the 3rd in a 5 book series called The Heroes of Olympus. The book features 7 demigods: Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Annabeth and Percy. Percy and Annabeth would be familiar to readers of Riordan's books as they were featured in his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Each of the demigods are the children of different Roman and Greek gods. 3 of them are from the Roman gods and 4 are from the Greek gods. The Roman and Greek gods were actually the same. The only difference was the Romans changed the Greek gods to reflect their thinking which was different from the Greek way of thinking. Example: The Greek god Poseidon became the Roman god Neptune. While the Romans respected Neptune, he was never as prominent in Roman civilization as he was in Greek civilization because the Roman's weren't a great seafaring people like the Greeks were. Rome was predominantly a land power.

Anyway, in The Mark of Athena, the 7 demigods come together for the first time and set off for Rome (and will ultimately head to Greece) in order to defeat the giants and the earth Goddess Gaea. Riordan throws in all kinds of surprises along the way including possessing spirits, treacherous old gods, evil nymphs and a battle with the twin giants Ephialtes and Otis as well as bits of information and dreams our heroes must figure out in order to prevail. Also, they must deal with their own inner doubts as well as their relationships with their other demigods. It makes for an an interesting tale.

Riordan does a great job of moving the story along. It never gets dull or tedious. He finds a good balance between the different demigods so, we can see what each of them are going through and thinking. One concern I've heard is that there is apparently a rumor that one of the demigods dies in the book. This doesn't happen. I do think it'll probably happen later in the series. The reason I say that is because I believe Riordan hints at it in the Son of Neptune book. Also, we learn in The Mark of Athena that the Doors of Death must be closed on both sides i.e. someone is going to have to stay on the side that is in Tartarus to close them on that side and be trapped there with all of Gaea's monster minions. We don't find out who that'll be in The Mark of Athena as our heroes at the end of the book finish their adventures in Rome in a great climactic finish and head to Greece where they'll struggle to close the Doors of Death in the 4th book of the series The House of Hades which is due out the Fall of 2013 (sigh).

Overall, the book is another outstanding read by Riordan. It moves really well. It has lots of unexpected twists and turns certain to keep the interest of his readers while occasionally showing some of Riordan's great sense of humor (I bet Coach Hedge had fun digging the coconuts out of the Argo II's hull.). I would highly recommend this book to any fans of the previous books in the series or of the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series. My only complaint is I'll have to wait a YEAR till they come out with the 4th book. I'll be wondering how will Percy and Annabeth make it to the Doors of Death on the Tartarus side past all of Gaea's monster minions. What new weapons will Leo come up with now that he has the Archimedes sphere. How will our heroes close the Doors of Death and prevent the Roman and Greek camps of demigods from fighting each other while preventing Gaea from awakening. They have just 1 month to accomplish all of this in the next 2 books. It guarantees lots of action with plenty of surprises thrown in by Riordan. Happy reading all!

Wegmans Rotisserie Roasted Chicken

Recently, while visiting the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans store, I decided to try their rotisserie roasted chickens. They were advertising them for $4.99 which seemed a good price. One thing I discovered while looking them over is Wegmans offers their chickens in 5 different flavors - plain, barbecue, lemon pepper, roasted garlic and Caribbean lime. As I like Caribbean stuff (see my recent review on Jamaican style spicy beef patties), I decided to try their Caribbean lime. I found it was a nice flavor and, the chicken was nicely cooked. The meat was tender and, the chicken was reasonably packed in its container. The only drawbacks I saw is you are paying a slightly higher price for the different flavors and, you don't get as much chicken for your money. Sam's Club recently lowered the price on their 3 pound roasted chickens to $4.88 (this was the price at the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club on October 17th, 2012) which makes them slightly cheaper and, Wegmans roasted chickens weigh in at 2 pounds 2 ounces so you don't get as much chicken for your money as you do at Sam's Club. Still, it is nice to be able to choose among the different flavors. I look forward to trying their barbecue and lemon pepper flavors. If you want to try something a little different chicken wise, you might want to try Wegmans rotisserie roasted chickens. You'll find them in the prepared foods section of the store. Bon Appetit!

Update January 11, 2015: Sam's Club roasted chicken's at the Laurel, Maryland store are $4,98 now. Today, I bought one and, that is how I know the current (as of this update) price. They are still 3 pounds.

Jamaican Style Spicy Beef Patties

One food item I've bought a number of times at Sam's Club is Caribbean Food Delights Jamaican Style Spicy Beef Patties. To folks in the U.S., a pattie is a hamburger. These patties aren't hamburgers. These are basically Jamaican style beef turnovers. They're spiced beef stuffed in a corn meal type shell. Caribbean Food Delights fully bakes the turnovers so all the consumer has to do is heat them up and serve them. I have a 1300 watt microwave and, I can heat 2 of the turnovers at the same time in 2 and 1/2 minutes. I don't know how authentic the turnovers are but, they are tasty and convenient. Concerning the spices that are used in the turnovers, I personally haven't found them that hot. They're definitely not on par with Mexican food I've had. The only drawback I see with the turnovers is you must keep them frozen until you're ready to heat them up. Price wise, a box of 10 individually wrapped turnovers will cost you $10.99 (price quoted is good as of the time of this post for the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club).

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this product. They're easy to prepare, not exorbitantly expensive and keep to keep as long as you have a freezer of some time. If you like Caribbean food, you might want to try this product. Bon Appetit!

Mega Chicken Laurel Maryland

I drive and ride on Maryland-198 a lot. As a result, I've passed by a restaurant called Mega Chicken (address 3485 Ft. Meade Rd i.e. Maryland-198) a number of times. The restaurant claims to sell charcoal cooked chicken Peruvian style. As I have fond memories of my Globus tour of Peru, I've been wanting to try out their chicken for a while. Today, I decided to treat myself to some. I bought their half chicken meal for $7.25 which comes with a small standard salad (iceberg lettuce and shredded carrot pieces) and a choice of either rice, standard french fries or yucca (sweet potato) fries. Also, they include 1 small cup each of an unidentified yellow sauce and an unidentified green sauce.

The salad was nothing to get excited about and came with a small cup of a salad dressing I couldn't identify. As I wanted to try something different, I went with the yucca fries and was glad I did. I didn't find them very sweet but, they were pretty good. I enjoyed them more than having the standard french fries. I dipped the yucca fries in the 2 different sauces. I found the yellow sauce all right and very mild. The green sauce reminded me of a dining mishap I had in Peru. During my tour there, on our way back from Paracas, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. They served a salad with the meal I ordered. There was a slice of what looked standard green pepper. I promptly stuck the whole thing in my mouth and munched it. I found out very quickly that was a big mistake. It wasn't your standard green pepper. It had plenty of zing and, I had tears coming down from the fire in my mouth. I'm pretty certain the unidentified green sauce is made with the same green pepper I had in Peru. In regards to the chicken, I found it tasty and tender. It readily came off the bone and, it was easy to eat.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with Mega Chicken. Parking was good, service was prompt and, the food was pretty good (better than good). I thought it was reasonably priced too. I particularly liked the yucca fries which is something you can't find routinely here in the U.S. I saw on the menu they offer fried plantains which I've tried once in St. Lucia and, I'd like to try again. Also, they sell the national soft drink of Peru i.e. Inca Kola. They offer it in 16 ounce plastic bottles for $1.25. This isn't the best deal as down the street at Shoppers Food Warehouse, you can get a 2 liter bottle for $1.59 I believe. I like Inca Kola but, I will warn soft drink drinkers, it tastes VERY different from your standard cola drinks (more like bubble gum). If you would like to try some Peruvian charcoal cooked chicken, this place is worth checking out.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Excursions

On Royal Caribbean Cruises webpage, you can create a log-in for their My Cruises page. This page enables you to see what cruises you've purchased or held, what ones you've saved and what cruises you've completed. Also, it allows you to access the webpage where you can reserve excursions for your upcoming cruise in advance. What's the advantage of doing that? The biggest one I can think of is avoiding having to pay for all those excursions at the end of the cruise or getting a big charge card bill afterwards. You're already going to have a few bills from souvenirs, meals you may have had at their pay restaurants or at one of the ports you made, charges for using their WiFi network on board the ship as well as any alcoholic drinks you had on board. Another plus is it guarantees you'll get on the list for the excursion instead of trying to sign up when you get on board the ship and possibly finding out the excursion is fully booked. Also, it helps you avoid the LONG lines that happen at the beginning of the cruise when EVERY ONE else wants to sign up for their excursions.

I've heard from others that you may be able to get the same excursions cheaper when you make port but, that costs you time in port having to find a place that sells the excursions though often excursions vendors will be close to where the cruise ships pull in. Also, you have to see what excursions the different companies offer vice being able to see a complete list offered by Royal Caribbean. Lastly, if you reserve your excursions in advance with them, you'll find your excursions tickets waiting for you in your cabin at the beginning of the cruise. Should your excursion for whatever reason cancel, Royal Caribbean will automatically refund you your money by giving you a credit on your SeaPass account.

Another plus if you book your excursion through Royal Caribbean is that they are obligated to wait for you if your excursion is late returning to the ship. After all, they chose the company for the excursion and, they would've told the company when you HAD to be back. If you book on your own with some other company, you're taking a chance though the company should know when you need to be back. Still, I wouldn't like the thought of the ship leaving without me. It would be a HUGE hassle to try to catch up with the cruise ship at your next port of call.

Lastly, Royal Caribbean does offer a good choice of excursions that should have something for everyone. I've gotten to go salmon fishing in Alaska through them as well as see a Tlingit Indian song and dance show. I got to see the Mayan city of Tulum while in port at Cozumel, Mexico and a sea turtle farm in Grand Cayman.  They offer scuba diving excursions at every Caribbean port I believe. In Europe, they have excursions where you can wine taste some of the local wine (I'll be doing 1 in Italy and 1 in Greece). If nothing else, checking out the excursions on the Royal Caribbean website gives you an idea of what will be available during your cruise as well as the cost. Knowing the potential costs makes it easier for you to budget for the excursions. I think this service is really handy and, I've used it myself 4 out of the 5 cruises I've done with Royal Caribbean (I wasn't aware of the service on my 1st cruise with them). Yesterday, I used it to book all the excursions I'll take for my 6th and 7th cruises in November.

FYI, the website is also useful for pre-paying for any spa services, pay restaurants or drink packages You'd like. I particularly like pre-paying for the unlimited soda package. The unlimited soda package is useful in regards to avoiding a charge on your SeaPass account for EVERY soda you drink. However, I think you have to drink 3 sodas a day to get your money's worth out of it. So, there is a trade off.

That's all for this post. Happy cruises all!

Disclaimer: I'm not in any way connected with Royal Caribbean Cruises or their parent company. Concerning my claim that Royal Caribbean will wait for you if you book your excursion through them, you might want to double check that though as far as I know, it's true. I've personally seen them do it.

John Howe Autographed Books

Yesterday, I received my latest order from WETA, the folks that create the sets for the Hobbit movies as well as the costumes, swords, armor and special effects. WETA does some incredible stuff. My order consisted of 3 books of maps that John Howe illustrated - The Road Goes Ever On and On which contains the map of Tolkien's Middle Earth, West of The Mountains East of the Sea which contains a map of Tolkien's Beleriand (a land that existed in Middle Earth's 1st Age) and There and Back Again which contains the map for Tolkien's The Hobbit. All 3 books were autographed by John Howe. Howe and Alan Lee are the 2 artists that have really defined how people envision Tolkien's Middle Earth. When Peter Jackson decided to do the Lord of the Rings movies, he hired these 2 artists to help him show what Middle Earth looked like. I think you can say that Jackson's vision of Middle Earth really is what Howe and Lee imagined it as. Howe is the artist who created the image of Bilbo Baggin's home at Bag End. The rooms that viewers saw of it in the Lord of the Rings movies and will see in The Hobbit movies were created by Howe. His vision of Middle Earth is beautiful and stunning. I wish I could afford to buy a work of his of Middle Earth. I remember seeing one at the Lord of the Rings film exhibition in Indianapolis, Indiana many years ago. It was gorgeous. Unfortunately, it had an $800 plus price tag with it which terrified my wallet. For now, I'll content myself with these 3 neat books. FYI, WETA sells the 3 book set for approximately $84 U.S. Shipping from their New Zealand warehouse was an additional $17.88 U.S. You'll earn 8 WETA dollars with your purchase. The WETA dollars are a nice bonus from shopping at WETA. They can save you real money. I used 32 of mine which knocked the price down to approximately $51 U.S. Remember too, if you spend $500 in 1 year at WETA, they upgrade you to Gold level which gets you an extra 10% more WETA dollars getting you an even better deal. Happy reading all!

Venice Italy

This is a photo I took of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy in 1996. I was in the Air Force at the time. I got tagged to do a temporary duty assignment to Italy. On my free time, I decided to take a train to Venice. I was glad I did. I found the place incredible. It's only town I know of that you would need a motorboat to get around. Also, it gives a whole new meaning to the word alleyway. I tried walking from the train station to the Piazza San Marco and took numerous wrong turns ending in canals cutting me off. The Venetians did this intentionally for defensive purposes. As Venice doesn't have any walls to protect it, it would've been easy enough to invade. But, would be invaders would've quickly ran into the same canals cutting them off like I did. Only a native Venetian would've known where the bridges were that linked all the various islands.

Venice was the capital of the Republic of Venice. This republic was a rich and power state for many centuries. It was the link between Europe and the Far East. It got very rich off the spice trade. The glory of that was the most serene republics as it was called can still be seen in the stunning buildings like the Ducal Palazzo and Basilica of Saint Mark in Venice.

Why did I bring up this old photo? Because to my great delight, I'll finally get to see Venice the beginning of November of this year. I'll fly in, have a free day to explore and remember my visits back in 1996 and then, I'll get to sail out of Venice for the first time on my first ever European cruise. During the cruise and its sister cruise, I'll get to explore the Greek Islands as well as visit Athens for the 1st time. I've heard Athens is dirty but, I still want to see the birthplace of democracy. Plus, it'll be something to see the stunning Acropolis. I'll make sure I post pictures on my blog so, you my readers have some interesting posts to look forward to. Happy travels all!

Laurel California Tortilla Closed

This may be old news to some but, I thought I'd post on it any way. A couple weeks ago while I was delivering mail in the Contee Road and Route 1 area, I noticed that the Laurel California Tortilla was closed. Their outside sign had been removed and, I didn't see any activity inside the former restaurant. I was saddened by their closure as I felt they sold good food which was prepared quickly. I was curious why they closed as from I'd seen, they did a good bit of business.

I found a post by California Tortilla's Marketing Manager on www.yelp.com dated July 5, 2012 stating that the restaurant franchisee had been unable to come to suitable terms with the landlord regarding the future use of the property. California Tortilla corporate tried to put in a new owner for the restaurant but failed. So, the restaurant was permanently closed. The marketing manager also stated that California Tortilla hopes to return to Laurel soon. Anyone who has any further questions about the closing can email California Tortilla at: skane@californiatortilla.com.

I hope the chain succeeds in opening a new Laurel restaurant. I liked them a lot. I thought their chicken honey lime burritos were particularly good. Also, I liked their turkey chili. I'll let my readers know if I hear anything more on California Tortilla re-opening in Laurel. Happy dining all!

Reminder HRC All Access Ends September 30th

Greetings all! I wanted to remind any readers I have that Hard Rock Cafe's All Access club ends September  30th. After that, any rewards you've earned will be trashed. Today, I visited their Baltimore cafe just so I could use up the $140 in rewards I'd earned and saved up. An FYI for you, you can't exchange your rewards for a Hard Rock Cafe gift card. I tried that so I wouldn't have spend my rewards. The system wouldn't take it. So, I ended buying various things in the merchandise shop like their cards and chip set and a fleece I could use this fall. Also, apparently the powers that be at Hard Rock Cafe are keeping word of their new reward program under wraps. I asked the sales guy in the merchandise shop what he'd heard. He knew as much as me. It remains to be seen what the new program will be like. I know it'll have 1 feature I'll like i.e. I'll be able to earn rewards at ALL the cafes, not just the ones corporate owns as it is with All Access. However, Hard Rock has mentioned a possible fee for a certain tier. That isn't good for me as at times, I don't visit their cafes that much. Today's visit to the Baltimore cafe was my first visit since I visited their Aruba cafe last November. We'll see what works out with their new program. I'll post whatever I find out as soon as Hard Rock Cafe gives me the info. Keep on rocking all!

Demigod Diaries Review

I thought I'd write a book review on Rick Riordan's Demigod Diaries. The book takes its name from the first story in the book about a diary Luke Castellan starts keeping. Luke is the demigod that goes bad in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series before redeeming himself at the end by stopping Kronos, King of the Titans. The story tells of Luke and Thalia on one of their early adventures and how they meet up with Annabeth. The book also has stories involving Percy and Annabeth; Jason, Leo and Piper and a story by Riordan's son Haley. Haley is the reason the Percy Jackson books were written. Riordan created the character to entertain his son and, I think to encourage him with his ADHD which made it hard for him to read. Haley's story is interesting and well written. It tells of what happens to a demigod that fought on the side of the titan's. I confess I was curious what happened to those though I thought most of them would show up at Camp Halfblood after the deal Percy worked out with Zeus and the other major gods and goddesses. Lastly, the book has some small games in it like a word search and a scrambled name game where you have to figure out the names on the 7 demigods that will go on the quest to Rome and on to Greece. Anyone who has read the first 2 books of the series The Heroes of Olympus should know who they are.

Overall, the book is nice. For me, it served as a tide me over till the book I'm really waiting for comes out in October i.e. Mark of Athena. That's when the action will start building in The Heroes of Olympus series. Riordan gave some hints about what'll happen in that book on his blog as well as some in the Son of Neptune book. Fans of Riordan's Percy Jackson books should enjoy Demigod Diaries. It even has some pictures of their heroes such as Thalia, Percy, Annabeth, Piper and Jason (I think they've used the Piper and Jason pics before as I saw them some where else). Happy reading all!

Royal Caribbean Wi-Fi Update

Recently, Adam Goldstein, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International posted on AnsweritRoyally (http://www.answeritroyally.com/blog/?p=5043) about how Royal Caribbean is trying to connect with social media such as Facebook. Goldstein asked for comments on how people use social media to share their vacation experiences as well as how they disconnect from their normal world while on vacation with Royal Caribbean. Also, there was a link to an interview Goldstein did with Travel Weekly (http://www.travelweekly.com/In-the-Hot-Seat/Royal-Caribbean-Internationals-Adam-Goldstein/). This article is noteworthy because Goldstein mentions how Royal Caribbean is working on offering faster Wifi connections. Royal Caribbean will be partnering next summer with a company called O3b who has a satellite network that will offer "speeds normally available only on land" with their Oasis of the Seas ship in the Caribbean. This should deal with one of the complaints customers have had about slow connection speeds. It remains to be seen if Royal Caribbean will expand this service to other ships and what the cost of the new service will be.

Concerning cost, Mr. Goldstein was kind enough to answer a comment of mine about Wi-Fi rates on his Splendour of the Seas ship. I'll be cruising on Splendour of the Seas this November and, I wasn't sure if the Wi-Fi rates in Europe would be the same as they are in Alaska and the Caribbean. Mr. Goldstein referred me to an FAQ page Royal Caribbean has on their website (http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/whatToKnow/topTenFAQs/detail.do?pagename=top_10_faqs&pnav=4&snav=2&faqId=310&faqSubjectName=Top+10+FAQ&). My take on this page is that there is a FLEET WIDE standard rate for Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi service. One note I have to make about this page is that a number of Royal Caribbean's ships offer Wi-Fi throughout the ship vice in 6 designated hot spots as the webpage states. Based on the number of ships Royal Caribbean has upgraded in this way, I think Wi-Fi will eventually be available throughout the entire ship on all of Royal Caribbean's ships if it isn't already. I believe this would increase the number of people using the service as it'll be more convenient. It is a bit of pain having to haul your laptop to a hotspot.

On the cost again, I'm looking forward to finding out in November if Platinum Crown & Anchor Society members get a better discount on the ship's Wi-Fi. I know Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members from August 2011 to February 2012 received a coupon in their value booklet for 45 minutes of free time on the Internet as well as a coupon for 25% off on any Internet package. This is one of the ways it can pay to be a member of their frequent cruiser program i.e. Crown & Anchor Society. Happy surfing all!

Update: September 11th, 2013

Crown & Anchor Platinum members do get a better discount. You get an extra 5% off on pre-paid packages. I forget if you got a better set dollar amount off with the coupon. Later this month, I'll get to sail as an Emerald member for the first time and, I'll get back with this post and let you know if you get a better discount as an Emerald member.

Also, Royal Caribbean is upgrading all its ships to where Wi-Fi will be available throughout the ship. However, the upgrade won't take place on each ship till it goes in for re-fit so, it could take a while before it's available ship wide fleet wide.

Update April 30, 2016: Please see my update on my first post about Royal Caribbean's WiFi. It tells about comments made by Royal Caribbean Chief Executive Office Michael Bayley and about them installing their new VOOM WiFi system on all their ships.

Costco Member Prescription Program

Yesterday, while I was collecting my latest Propecia refill at the Arundel Mills Costco, I found out they have a new member prescription program. The lady at the prescription counter was kind enough to tell me about it and enroll me. The program doesn't cost anything to Costco members and can save them between 2 and 40% on their prescriptions. However, the program isn't available to all Costco members. If you have prescription drug coverage or receive benefits from either Medicare or Medicaid, you're not eligible. Also, not all Costcos offer the program. If want to find out if your Costco does off the program, you need to call Costco at 1-800-806-0129. In regards to my Propecia, the program saved me $7. A 90 day supply of the drug normally costs $214 but thanks to the program, my refill cost me $207. Not a great savings but better than nothing. I would recommend Costco members check into the program if they think they're eligible. With money tight now a days, the savings in this program can help.

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas Video

When I did my 2nd cruise with Royal Caribbean, I received an unexpected bonus with my cruise. As luck would have it, the Oasis of the Seas was in port the same day my ship Navigator of the Seas was leaving. This gave me a chance to see the ship for the first time albeit at a distance. The ship is very impressive. The ship is unique (barring its sister ship Allure) in that the interior of the ship is open to the elements and changes what would've been interior cabins. Guests on board the ship can look out on either the only class of ships to have a park with real plants growing (over 15,000 of them!) or watch a show put on by the Aqua Theater (it has the largest and deepest pool on a cruise ship - 1 million gallons of water and 16 feet deep!) from their balconies. I'd heard about a video that was made showing the behind the scenes goings on with the Oasis and tried finding to no avail. Then, to my great surprise, the unofficial Royal Caribbean blog (http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/) posted it on August 4th. The video is over 46 minutes long and shows various goings on during the maiden cruise of the Oasis. It's filled with all kinds of facts like how much the ship cost (over $1 Billion dollars), how much luggage they have to deliver to the various cabins (over 15,000 pieces) or how much stuff (21 truck loads) they have to load on the ship to accommodate its passengers (over 1,000 rolls of toilet paper alone!). The ship's captain Captain Wright correctly states the ship was intended to WOW people and, it clearly succeeds. It and its sister ship the Allure are the largest cruise ships in the world. They can accommodate 5,400 passengers and over 2,000 crew. The ship is over 1,000 feet long and 154 feet in width (which helps its stability). The video also shows what Royal Caribbean did in conjunction with various agencies to prepare for the ship like the massive upgraded cruise ship terminal at Ft. Lauderdale or the dredging at the main port in the Bahamas.

Overall, the video is really fascinating though I will warn you, it will tempt you seriously to do a cruise on the Oasis. I hope to do 1 some day but, I'm not in any hurry because of the ship's itineraries. On its or the Allure 7 days cruise, you can expect to spend 3 days in port and 3 DAYS at sea. That'll give you plenty of time to explore the ship but, I'd rather be exploring some port I've never been to. At the time of this posting, a friend from work and his wife are sailing on the Oasis. They'll get to visit the new port of Falmouth (built with the Oasis class in mind), Royal Caribbean's resort at Labadee, Haiti and make port at Cozumel, Mexico which I got to visit on the same cruise I saw the Oasis. It's a decent cruise but, I'd prefer to do either the cruises I'll do in November when I visit 10 ports in 14 days (none of which I've ever been to before) or the 2 cruises I did this past November when I visited 9 Caribbean islands in 14 days. I cruise to see stuff not check out all the stuff on the boat though that can impress too like Royal Caribbean's Voyager class ship having an ice skating rink on the 3rd deck. A reminder, the video can be found at: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/ Happy viewing and dreaming of far away places!

Update: September 15, 2013

This video can also be found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyaJ2cUX6K0. I watched it again today and, it remains a really interesting video of the ship's operations. It's like the All Access tour I did on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas but, you get to see the ship's personnel actually in action whereas on All Access tour, you see some of the behind the scenes things.

Pre-order Demigod Diaries

Rick Riordan's Demigod Diaries are available for pre-order with Books-a-Million and presumably with Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Books-a-Million are offering the book for $10.98 plus shipping. If you belong to their Millionaires Club, you get free Express shipping with your order. The book will be available August 14, 2012.

The book has stories by Riordan on adventures by Thalia, Luke and Annabeth (before the Percy Jackson adventures began), adventures by Jason, Leo and Piper, an adventure with just Annabeth and Percy and finally a really intriguing one by Riordan's son Haley. The story tells of what happens to a demigod that fought for the titans in Manhattan and survived the battle. Personally, I doubt that demigod's fate would be good as the gods aren't going to be kind to one who fought against them. Also, it was Haley who caused the whole Percy Jackson thing to begin as Riordan created it for his son Haley. Lastly, this book will be a good way for those of us who are hooked on Riordan's books to assuage our addiction till Mark of Athena comes out in October (I'm getting a little tired of re-reading Son of Neptune).

Maryland Columbia & Crofton Wegmans Hiring

I signed up for emails from Wegmans which tells me of various promotions. To my surprise, on July 30th, I received one saying they were accepting applications i.e. hiring full time restaurant cooks and various part time positions at its Columbia, Maryland store and, at its future Crofton, Maryland store which will according to the email open in October 2012. While I don't have any interest in working for them (I have all the hours I could want at my post office), I thought this would be worth passing on to my Maryland readers with the job situation out there.

According to the email, Wegmans has been rated as 1 of the top 100 companies to work for the last 15 years. As I don't have any friends nor have I ever worked at Wegmans, I can't say how reliable this ranking is. Also, it claims competitive pay, flexible scheduling and growth i.e. promotion opportunities. In regards to these claims, I have no idea how valid they are.

My only experience with Wegmans is shopping at their Columbia, Maryland store. I've found the store clean, well organized, has good prices and has helpful staff. Shopping wise, I'd heartily recommend them. Work wise, I can't make any recommendation. Still, if you need a job, I think they'd be worth a look. In regards to getting an application, here is the link they gave in their email:

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&identifier=CATEGORY_533&sc_cid=em_FNSA_RecruitmentCrofColu073012&em_uid=31303595

Best of luck to you if you decide to apply.

Limited Edition Mark of Athena

Yesterday, I decided to check Rick Riordan's blog Myth & Mystery (http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/). He posts some interesting stuff there for those who are fans of his books. There was a new post dated July 21, 2012 that caught my interest. Riordan mentioned he was doing his weekend homework. His homework was to sign 1,000 title pages from his future Mark of Athena book. These special title pages will be inserted into 1,000 special edition Mark of Athena books by the U.S. printer as the books are being made. As Riordan mentions, it sounds pretty cool.

The special edition Mark of Athena book will come in a deluxe slipcase with special color artwork by John Rocco. Rocco has done all the book covers for the Percy Jackson books in the United States. The special edition does have a few drawbacks however. First, there is the shipping date. The Mark of Athena is supposed to be released on October 2nd, 2012. The special edition won't come out till 2 weeks later on October 16th, 2012. Second, there is the price. The regular hardbound will cost you $11.04 from Amazon. The special edition will cost you an extra $47 plus at $58.89 (Barnes & Noble offers it at this price too). Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer free shipping. Barnes & Noble has a discount card which would save you an additional $5.88. Not all book sellers are apparently discounting this book as I checked Books-a-Million website and found them offering it for $110! Yikes!!!!!!

Still, if you're a fan of Rick Riordan's books, I think it would be cool to have an autographed copy of one of them. I have an autographed copy of Alan Lee's Lord of the Rings sketchbook which I think is pretty neat. In time, I hope to get a book signed by John Howe, another outstanding Lord of the Rings illustrator. So, it would be neat to have a book signed by Riordan to add to my Lee book and future Howe book.

Warning! If you intend to get 1 of these special edition books, you should order as soon as possible. Remember, there will be only 1,000 copies of this book in the United States. Riordan expects there to be a special edition in the United Kingdom. Also, he stated on his blog that he'd signed a number of title pages for a special Taiwanese edition. However, if you don't want to go through all the hassle of buying a book from the United Kingdom or Taiwan and you live in the United States, you should get your order in soon. I know I plan to. Happy Reading all!

Royal Caribbean Deploys Freestyle Machines

Today, I received this information from Royal Caribbean's blog on http://www.answeritroyally.com so it's hot off the press. Royal Caribbean announced that it's begun deploying Coca Cola's freestyle machines on its ships. For those who don't know what Coca Cola's freestyle machines are, they're soda machines that can make 125! different Coca Cola products. That alone would make these machines pretty neat but, it's even better for those who like to sail on Royal Caribbean's ships. Due to lack of bar space, Royal Caribbean can't offer all of Coca Cola's products. For me, this is a real bummer because while they offer Sprite (I don't care for Coke), I like Barq's root beer and Fanta's orange soda too. This machine solves that problem. The machine should help Royal Caribbean in another way in that it can be easily operated by the person wanting a soda vice needing someone to run the soda machine.

One problem Royal Caribbean had to work out with Coca Cola was how to be able to check people's souvenir glasses to make sure they purchased the unlimited soda package they offer. Royal Caribbean plans on using the souvenir glasses that come with the package for the machines. Right now, whenever someone goes up to get a soda at the drinks stand, they have to show their seapass to prove they bought the unlimited soda package (and the DO check) otherwise they have to pay (was $2 a glass when I sailed in November) for each class of soda (bit of a pain). Royal Caribbean and Coca Cola worked out a radio frequency identification thingy that will be attached some how to the souvenir glasses that the machine will be able to check to make sure the customer has bought the package.

I believe the freestyle machines will cause more people to buy Royal Caribbean's unlimited soda package because of the greatly improved choices the machines will offer as well as being more convenient for the customer (they won't have to wait for a bar person to pull them a soda from the soda machine). Royal Caribbean should benefit in another way as this will free up some of their staff that have to work behind the drinks bar.

According to the blog post (http://www.answeritroyally.com/blog/?p=4971#comment-80778), Royal Caribbean deployed the machine to their Majesty of the Seas and will continue to deploy it to its U.S. based ships this year. Royal Caribbean said they'll continue to deploy the machines in 2013 presumably to its ships overseas though this isn't stated. I would hope they'd be able to do that. Sadly, in my case, I won't get to try out one of these really cool machines until next year when I hopefully do a few cruises based out of the U.S. Happy Sailing All!!!!!