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.