I've been meaning to post a blog entry about this since I was able to confirm this. I first heard about this on the unofficial Royal Caribbean blog which mentioned a 9 October 2013 article by Franz Neumeier on http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.cruisetricks.de/royal-caribbean-mehr-status-punkte-fuer-alleinreisende/&langpair=de|en&hl=de&ie=UTF8. The article states that solo cruisers who have to pay double to have their own cabin on Royal Caribbean will receive double cruise points starting October 3rd.
I tried to get Royal Caribbean to confirm this information on their Facebook page but, they never answered me. Later, I looked on Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor page which shows the benefits for each level in their frequent cruiser program and, I found the following:
14 One
Cruise Point for each completed night of sailing and an extra Cruise
Point per night when you purchase and sail in suite accommodations
(categories RL, RS, PS, SL, TS, A1, A2, A3, CL, OS, FS, GS, JS) and/or
sail in any category and pay a single pricing type for double occupancy
staterooms. All other rates including Travel Agent rates, as well
category SI and SB, are excluded from single price type extra point
promotion. Cruisetours are included as an additional night per each day
on the cruise tour. Points will be awarded by rate paid not rate
berthed, for example, in the instance of an upgrade from an outside to a
suite category.
This confirmed the German cruise article. Also, Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society did post a blurb in their news section saying the change would take effect October 4th.
For me, this is mixed news. As I always cruise solo, it's a nice little plus for having to pay double. However, I'm a little irked in that Royal Caribbean didn't as far as I know give any heads-up that this change was coming. I would've changed my September cruises to October if I could have so I could have gotten the extra 7 cruise points and made Diamond with their frequent cruiser program. As it is, I'll have to wait until I do my April 2014 Panama Canal cruise with them before I can make enough points to finally make Diamond. Stay tuned for posts on that. Happy cruising all!
Update April 26th, 2014: I am finally able to personally confirm the awesome rule change for solo cruisers. I completed the April Panama Canal cruise I mentioned above on April 16th. It was very nice and, I'll be posting some blog entries about it later. Concerning the double cruise points, I did run into one unexpected problem. Initially, I received half my promised points. Finally, I contacted Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society about the missing cruise points. They're the ones who handle such issues and have the authority to issue missing points. It turned out my reservation had been coded wrong. Because of that, their system didn't know to give me the double cruise points. The lady I chatted with expertly fixed the problem and, I had my missing points before we closed our chat. So, 1) watch for your cruise points, if you don't get all of them, this could be why in which case 2) contact Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society who can fix the problem like they did in my case. It is worth the hassle. Remember, the rewards get nicer as you go higher with Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program. Happy cruising all!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Coco Cay Bahamas
Here's the first of my travel pictures I took while on my back-to-back cruises to the Bahamas and Key West. This first one shows one of the beaches on Royal Caribbean's private island resort Coco Cay. Interestingly, the island belongs to a marine biologist who has a home on the island he and his family visit occasionally. Supposedly, the biologist signed a 99 year lease with Royal Caribbean. I bet he got some serious bucks!
Another interesting feature of the island is its iguanas. You can see one in this picture. There's a small cove they like to frequent. When I visited, I saw 5 of them laying around on the ground and in the trees. My travel friend Harvey thought they were so neat, he bought a t-shirt that featured the iguanas. Supposedly, people can feed them pieces of banana though I didn't try it.
Monday, October 07, 2013
Columbia Maryland Wegmans Wi-Fi
I found another reason to like the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans supermarket. They offer fine free Wi-Fi there. I checked their website before going there with my Nook e-reader and, it says they offer it. I hooked up in their dining area. I don't know if the Wi-Fi signal is available throughout the entire store. Their dining area was a pleasant area to enjoy a little meal, snack or drink while checking your emails or posting something on Facebook. It's another reason (like I need them) to visit this Wegmans which has good prices and service. Happy surfing all!
Tyson's Corner Center Wi-Fi
For a long time, I could've cared less about Wi-Fi hotspots but now that I have a Nook e-reader where I can surf the web via Wi-Fi, I am trying to find out if various places offer free Wi-Fi. One such place is the Tyson's Corner Center in McLean, Virginia. The mall is BIG with a huge selection of shops. The mall offers free Wi-Fi at it's food court on the 3rd level close to the AMC movie theater. You click on ShopTysons, a waiver comes up saying we offer the service as is and accept no responsibility for anything bad happening if you use it and, you connect. I found the Wi-Fi worked fine there.
Also, the Barnes & Noble store in the mall offers free Wi-Fi though I didn't try to connect there so, I don't have any idea how well it works.
If you're at the mall/center, you might want to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. I saw the food court had a playground and train kids would enjoy. You could surf the web there while they have fun riding the train or playing in the playground. Happy surfing all!
Also, the Barnes & Noble store in the mall offers free Wi-Fi though I didn't try to connect there so, I don't have any idea how well it works.
If you're at the mall/center, you might want to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. I saw the food court had a playground and train kids would enjoy. You could surf the web there while they have fun riding the train or playing in the playground. Happy surfing all!
Sunday, October 06, 2013
Delta Airlines Wi-Fi
I remembered seeing that Delta Airlines had begun offering Wi-Fi on their aircraft. I decided to try it on my 2 flights going to Miami, Florida for my recent back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas and, my 2 flight coming back.
I found out I could pay for the service on Delta's website when I checked in or even before that. They offer services you can add such as priority boarding and Wi-Fi. If you buy the service on the website, you only have 1 option you can sign up for. That's the 24 hour pass for $14. When you fly on the aircraft they give you 4 options. You can buy a 30 minute pass for $4.95 (I think), a flight segment pass i.e. for your particular flight for $7.95, a 24 hour pass like the one you can buy on their website for $16 and an unlimited 1 month pass. I don't remember what the price was for that pass. It was something like $40 or $50. (Note: When I fly again in April, I will make sure I get the in-flight prices and post them here.) After my trip, I found out you can purchase the Internet packages from Gogo who run the service on their webpage (http://www.gogoair.com). Their prices are: 24 hour pass - $14, monthly unlimited on 1 airline - $39.95 and monthly unlimited on all airlines that carry their service - $49.95.
The Wi-Fi service is available on 3,000 of Delta's flights every day. Only the following aircraft don't offer it at this time though Delta plans to offer it on them as - Boeing 747, 757, 767-300ER and 400ER, 777 and the Airbus 300. The service is available on select aircraft of these types - DC9-50 and Boeing 757-800. (Note: I know there is a discrepancy here concerning the Boeing 757 aircraft. I'm taking this information from the Gogo website.)
In regards to the service itself, I found it worked great. Once the aircraft reaches an altitude of 10,000 feet, it can connect to the Gogo Wi-Fi network. According to the Gogo website, it can deliver 5 Mbps of connection speed. I was able to use both my laptop and my Nook e-reader (considered an Android 4 device) on the service though not at the same time. There are some limitations on the service. You can't use Skype, live video or audio streaming.
Overall, I was very pleased with the Wi-Fi service. I definitely plan to use it again when I fly. I would definitely recommend it. It was awesome being able to email, post stuff on Facebook and check stuff on the web while flying. It definitely helped make the time go by. Happy travels all!
I found out I could pay for the service on Delta's website when I checked in or even before that. They offer services you can add such as priority boarding and Wi-Fi. If you buy the service on the website, you only have 1 option you can sign up for. That's the 24 hour pass for $14. When you fly on the aircraft they give you 4 options. You can buy a 30 minute pass for $4.95 (I think), a flight segment pass i.e. for your particular flight for $7.95, a 24 hour pass like the one you can buy on their website for $16 and an unlimited 1 month pass. I don't remember what the price was for that pass. It was something like $40 or $50. (Note: When I fly again in April, I will make sure I get the in-flight prices and post them here.) After my trip, I found out you can purchase the Internet packages from Gogo who run the service on their webpage (http://www.gogoair.com). Their prices are: 24 hour pass - $14, monthly unlimited on 1 airline - $39.95 and monthly unlimited on all airlines that carry their service - $49.95.
The Wi-Fi service is available on 3,000 of Delta's flights every day. Only the following aircraft don't offer it at this time though Delta plans to offer it on them as - Boeing 747, 757, 767-300ER and 400ER, 777 and the Airbus 300. The service is available on select aircraft of these types - DC9-50 and Boeing 757-800. (Note: I know there is a discrepancy here concerning the Boeing 757 aircraft. I'm taking this information from the Gogo website.)
In regards to the service itself, I found it worked great. Once the aircraft reaches an altitude of 10,000 feet, it can connect to the Gogo Wi-Fi network. According to the Gogo website, it can deliver 5 Mbps of connection speed. I was able to use both my laptop and my Nook e-reader (considered an Android 4 device) on the service though not at the same time. There are some limitations on the service. You can't use Skype, live video or audio streaming.
Overall, I was very pleased with the Wi-Fi service. I definitely plan to use it again when I fly. I would definitely recommend it. It was awesome being able to email, post stuff on Facebook and check stuff on the web while flying. It definitely helped make the time go by. Happy travels all!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Majesty of the Seas Coca Cola Freestyle Machines
One highlight of my recent 2 cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas was getting to use the ship's Coca Cola Freestyle machines. I know it's a little stupid to get excited about these machines but, they're a huge improvement over what Royal Caribbean normally offers. On a normal cruise, you'll get a choice of 6 different sodas. With the machines, you get a choice of 117! different drinks. They offer the regular version of the drinks AND the diet version. They offer Coke's Powerade which you would normally have to buy in the bottle at $3 a pop (I think). Here's some info for those who might sail on Majesty of the Seas and might want to use the machines.
Cost wise, it cost me $22.43 for the 3 night cruise and $29.90 for the 4 night cruise. You can pay for the unlimited soda package on-line at the Royal Caribbean website as long as you have an account with it. Otherwise, you'll have to purchase the package the first day of the cruise on deck 4 when you first board the ship (I think they offered them there) or deck 11 just outside the Windjammer Café.
Use wise, only those that buy the unlimited soda package the first day (or on Royal Caribbean's website) and get the souvenir glass (if you buy the package on the website, your glass will be waiting for you in your cabin) can use the machines. The machines will limit you to 1 glass of whatever drink you choose every 15 minutes. I found this out personally when I decided to chug a glass of orange powerade and then had to wait 15 minutes exactly before it would let me get another.
The many options the machines offer make the unlimited soda package a real deal even though you do have to drink a lot of Coke product to get your money's worth. Hopefully, Royal Caribbean will continue to deploy these awesome machines throughout their fleet so, I can enjoy their many choices on all of Royal Caribbean's ships. Happy drinking all!
Cost wise, it cost me $22.43 for the 3 night cruise and $29.90 for the 4 night cruise. You can pay for the unlimited soda package on-line at the Royal Caribbean website as long as you have an account with it. Otherwise, you'll have to purchase the package the first day of the cruise on deck 4 when you first board the ship (I think they offered them there) or deck 11 just outside the Windjammer Café.
Use wise, only those that buy the unlimited soda package the first day (or on Royal Caribbean's website) and get the souvenir glass (if you buy the package on the website, your glass will be waiting for you in your cabin) can use the machines. The machines will limit you to 1 glass of whatever drink you choose every 15 minutes. I found this out personally when I decided to chug a glass of orange powerade and then had to wait 15 minutes exactly before it would let me get another.
The many options the machines offer make the unlimited soda package a real deal even though you do have to drink a lot of Coke product to get your money's worth. Hopefully, Royal Caribbean will continue to deploy these awesome machines throughout their fleet so, I can enjoy their many choices on all of Royal Caribbean's ships. Happy drinking all!
Majesty of the Seas Wi-Fi
Yesterday, I got back from Miami and my 2 back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. Royal Caribbean to their credit made some excellent changes to the Wi-Fi rates on the ship. They are as follows:
Unlimited minutes on 2 devices at the same time - $129.95
Unlimited minutes on 1 device - $95.95
24 hours of continuous connection - $49.95
1 hour of use (can be used continuously or in segments) - $29.95
The Wi-Fi hot spots remain the same.
As you can see, this is a LOT better deal then the previous plans they offered. If you're on the Internet a LOT, you can get the unlimited plan and, it will save you over $300 over the 1,666 minutes pre-paid plan they offered before.
Connection wise, I found I still had problems. One night during my first cruise, I tried repeatedly and couldn't get it to hook up. Since I was using my free minutes for being a Diamond Crown & Anchor member, I wasn't very upset. I would've if I had paid for minutes.
FYI, for those who are Diamond Crown & Anchor members, you'll get either 1 free hour of Wi-Fi or $29.95 you can use toward one of the other three plans.
Happy web surfing all!
Original entry below
Here is the promised blog entry on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas Wi-Fi. For those who haven't read my previous posts. Last Friday (September 27th, 2013), I finished 2 back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. While cruising on the ship, I did use it's Wi-Fi during the 2nd cruise. I tried to use it the first cruise but, it wouldn't let me hook up. I checked with the ship's customer service and, they said they were having satellite problems at that time.
First, the ship's Wi-Fi rate:
You can pay as you go in which case you will pay 75 cents a minute to use their Wi-Fi. The ship offers pre-pay plans which offer cheaper per minute rates. They are the following:
38 minutes for $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents per minute
90 minutes for $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents per minute
208 minutes for $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents per minute
555 minutes for $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents per minute
1,666 minutes for $399.99 which breaks out to 25 cents per minute
In regards to these plans, the 1,666 minute plan is ridiculous unless you have a family which shares the account. For 1 person, that person would have to spend 27 HOURS on the Internet to use up all their minutes. Keep in mind, the Majesty of the Seas only does 3 and 4 night cruises. I can't imagine anyone spending an entire day on the Wi-Fi during one of these cruises. Remember, you lose any minutes you don't use up by the end of the cruise. I asked if I could carry over minutes I had remaining from my first cruise to my 2nd cruise and, they said NOPE!
Second, Majesty of the Seas hasn't received the upgrade other Royal Caribbean ships have. By this, I mean that you CAN'T access the ship's Wi-Fi throughout the ship. You can only access it at certain hot spots. They are:
Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 14
Windjammer Marketplace on Deck 11
Spectrum (Disco) on Deck 8
Conference Center on Deck 7
Boleros Bar on Deck 7
Schooner Bar on Deck 7
One bit of outdated information that the Majesty's flier states is that only the Freedom class of ships offer Wi-Fi throughout the ship. This is totally erroneous.
Another problem with the ship's Wi-Fi is it will drop out. Twice during my 2nd cruise, I was connected and unexpectedly the connection broke. I don't know why. One time, it didn't come back till the next day.
If you're a Crown & Anchor member, you can get a discount on the overall cost or a percentage of the cost of the pre-paid plans. As a Gold level member, I received a coupon for $10 off (I think) or 10% off a pre-paid plan. As a Platinum or Emerald member, I received $10 off or 15% off a pre-paid plan. I don't know what discount you would get if you're a Diamond, Diamond Plus or Pinnacle member. I do know at one time that Diamond Plus members received a coupon that got them 45 minutes of free Internet time. I met a Diamond Plus member during 1 cruise who showed me the coupon.
There are cheaper alternatives to using the ship's Wi-Fi providing you have either a laptop or a Wi-Fi capable device such as a Nook e-reader.
During the 3 night cruise, you make port in Nassau, Bahamas. There is a Starbucks coffee shop on
Charlotte Lane (it's across the street from the Hard Rock Café) which is just outside the gate of the compound which you go through to get to the ship. The shop offers Wi-Fi for $3 an hour.
During the 4 night cruise, you also make port in Key West, Florida. Key West has a small Starbucks on Duval Street which offers FREE Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi on Majesty of the Seas can be handy WHEN it works. I used it to check in and print (I have a mobile printer) my boarding passes the night before we arrived back in Miami saving a bunch of hassle at the Miami International Airport. However, as you can see, it is expensive. More so than on other Royal Caribbean ships as far as I know unless they've come out with new pre-paid plans for those ships.
The short cruises on Majesty of the Seas can be a real plus for those who want to cruise but can't get the time off for a longer cruise. However, for those who want to use the ship's Wi-Fi, they can create some problems because you can't use up all the minutes on the more affordable per minute pre-paid plans. Remember, any minutes you don't use during your cruise, you lose. For my 2 cents worth, you might want to look at the alternatives I've suggested in this case as they could save you some serious money. Happy web surfing all!
Update: Last month, it was announced by Royal Caribbean International that Majesty of the Seas will be transferred to Pullmantur in 2016. Pullmantur is one of five cruise lines including Royal Caribbean International that belong to Royal Caribbean Limited (I believe). Majesty of the Seas last cruise with Royal Caribbean will be April 29, 2016. (Source: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com)
Update: Today (July 6, 2015), Royal Caribbean announced it has reversed its decision and will be keeping Majesty of the Seas in its fleet. For WiFi users, the announcement has a huge surprise. The ship will be fitted with its new VOOM system and will offer FREE and UNLIMITED Internet to all its customers on the ship. This is a huge change with them. No other ship in their fleet offers totally FREE WiFi. Folks will be able to try the new free WiFi starting May 27, 2016 when the ship starts sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida vice its old port Miami.
Update March 27, 2016: Royal Caribbean reversed its decision to offer free WiFi on Majesty of the Seas and won't be offering it any longer. They've been changing a number of their plans for the ships which is annoying. Personally, I think this decision is dumb. On this ship's short cruises (3 and 4 nights), you can get by without the WiFi. Remember, Starbucks offers it for a small fee in Nassau, Bahamas and for free in Key West, Florida. During my 4 cruises on this ship, I never signed up for it. With their inept handling of this, I'm glad I most likely won't ever sail on this ship again.
Unlimited minutes on 2 devices at the same time - $129.95
Unlimited minutes on 1 device - $95.95
24 hours of continuous connection - $49.95
1 hour of use (can be used continuously or in segments) - $29.95
The Wi-Fi hot spots remain the same.
As you can see, this is a LOT better deal then the previous plans they offered. If you're on the Internet a LOT, you can get the unlimited plan and, it will save you over $300 over the 1,666 minutes pre-paid plan they offered before.
Connection wise, I found I still had problems. One night during my first cruise, I tried repeatedly and couldn't get it to hook up. Since I was using my free minutes for being a Diamond Crown & Anchor member, I wasn't very upset. I would've if I had paid for minutes.
FYI, for those who are Diamond Crown & Anchor members, you'll get either 1 free hour of Wi-Fi or $29.95 you can use toward one of the other three plans.
Happy web surfing all!
Original entry below
Here is the promised blog entry on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas Wi-Fi. For those who haven't read my previous posts. Last Friday (September 27th, 2013), I finished 2 back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. While cruising on the ship, I did use it's Wi-Fi during the 2nd cruise. I tried to use it the first cruise but, it wouldn't let me hook up. I checked with the ship's customer service and, they said they were having satellite problems at that time.
First, the ship's Wi-Fi rate:
You can pay as you go in which case you will pay 75 cents a minute to use their Wi-Fi. The ship offers pre-pay plans which offer cheaper per minute rates. They are the following:
38 minutes for $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents per minute
90 minutes for $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents per minute
208 minutes for $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents per minute
555 minutes for $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents per minute
1,666 minutes for $399.99 which breaks out to 25 cents per minute
In regards to these plans, the 1,666 minute plan is ridiculous unless you have a family which shares the account. For 1 person, that person would have to spend 27 HOURS on the Internet to use up all their minutes. Keep in mind, the Majesty of the Seas only does 3 and 4 night cruises. I can't imagine anyone spending an entire day on the Wi-Fi during one of these cruises. Remember, you lose any minutes you don't use up by the end of the cruise. I asked if I could carry over minutes I had remaining from my first cruise to my 2nd cruise and, they said NOPE!
Second, Majesty of the Seas hasn't received the upgrade other Royal Caribbean ships have. By this, I mean that you CAN'T access the ship's Wi-Fi throughout the ship. You can only access it at certain hot spots. They are:
Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 14
Windjammer Marketplace on Deck 11
Spectrum (Disco) on Deck 8
Conference Center on Deck 7
Boleros Bar on Deck 7
Schooner Bar on Deck 7
One bit of outdated information that the Majesty's flier states is that only the Freedom class of ships offer Wi-Fi throughout the ship. This is totally erroneous.
Another problem with the ship's Wi-Fi is it will drop out. Twice during my 2nd cruise, I was connected and unexpectedly the connection broke. I don't know why. One time, it didn't come back till the next day.
If you're a Crown & Anchor member, you can get a discount on the overall cost or a percentage of the cost of the pre-paid plans. As a Gold level member, I received a coupon for $10 off (I think) or 10% off a pre-paid plan. As a Platinum or Emerald member, I received $10 off or 15% off a pre-paid plan. I don't know what discount you would get if you're a Diamond, Diamond Plus or Pinnacle member. I do know at one time that Diamond Plus members received a coupon that got them 45 minutes of free Internet time. I met a Diamond Plus member during 1 cruise who showed me the coupon.
There are cheaper alternatives to using the ship's Wi-Fi providing you have either a laptop or a Wi-Fi capable device such as a Nook e-reader.
During the 3 night cruise, you make port in Nassau, Bahamas. There is a Starbucks coffee shop on
Charlotte Lane (it's across the street from the Hard Rock Café) which is just outside the gate of the compound which you go through to get to the ship. The shop offers Wi-Fi for $3 an hour.
During the 4 night cruise, you also make port in Key West, Florida. Key West has a small Starbucks on Duval Street which offers FREE Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi on Majesty of the Seas can be handy WHEN it works. I used it to check in and print (I have a mobile printer) my boarding passes the night before we arrived back in Miami saving a bunch of hassle at the Miami International Airport. However, as you can see, it is expensive. More so than on other Royal Caribbean ships as far as I know unless they've come out with new pre-paid plans for those ships.
The short cruises on Majesty of the Seas can be a real plus for those who want to cruise but can't get the time off for a longer cruise. However, for those who want to use the ship's Wi-Fi, they can create some problems because you can't use up all the minutes on the more affordable per minute pre-paid plans. Remember, any minutes you don't use during your cruise, you lose. For my 2 cents worth, you might want to look at the alternatives I've suggested in this case as they could save you some serious money. Happy web surfing all!
Update: Last month, it was announced by Royal Caribbean International that Majesty of the Seas will be transferred to Pullmantur in 2016. Pullmantur is one of five cruise lines including Royal Caribbean International that belong to Royal Caribbean Limited (I believe). Majesty of the Seas last cruise with Royal Caribbean will be April 29, 2016. (Source: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com)
Update: Today (July 6, 2015), Royal Caribbean announced it has reversed its decision and will be keeping Majesty of the Seas in its fleet. For WiFi users, the announcement has a huge surprise. The ship will be fitted with its new VOOM system and will offer FREE and UNLIMITED Internet to all its customers on the ship. This is a huge change with them. No other ship in their fleet offers totally FREE WiFi. Folks will be able to try the new free WiFi starting May 27, 2016 when the ship starts sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida vice its old port Miami.
Update March 27, 2016: Royal Caribbean reversed its decision to offer free WiFi on Majesty of the Seas and won't be offering it any longer. They've been changing a number of their plans for the ships which is annoying. Personally, I think this decision is dumb. On this ship's short cruises (3 and 4 nights), you can get by without the WiFi. Remember, Starbucks offers it for a small fee in Nassau, Bahamas and for free in Key West, Florida. During my 4 cruises on this ship, I never signed up for it. With their inept handling of this, I'm glad I most likely won't ever sail on this ship again.
Majesty of the Seas Cruises Review
Sadly, I got back this past Friday from my 2 cruises on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. I had a great time. My only complaint would be I wish the cruises were longer. The 3 night and 4 night cruises would be good for people who can't take much time off (I met 1 such person during my 2nd cruise) or can't afford a longer cruise.
The ship itself is in excellent shape. I couldn't find anything wrong with her. I saw a number of times where it's crew performed maintenance on her while I cruised. The ship's crew is excellent. My room attendant did a fine job both cruises. The food was very good and plentiful. I had to show willpower and limit myself to just 1 plate every meal in the Windjammer Café. I particularly enjoyed the Coca Cola Freestyle machines. They particularly rocked. I enjoyed many a glass of PowerAde and liked being able to try out various Coca Cola products I'd never tried before. I didn't watch any of the free shows so, I don't have any idea if they're any good or not. The ship's shops were fine though I didn't really check them out. I'm not into shopping though I did buy myself a ship's magnet and some pens to show I'd sailed on her. The ship's Wi-Fi was unreliable. Twice, I couldn't connect at all and twice, I got bumped off it after I connected. Also, it's more expensive then on other Royal Caribbean ships. I'll be posting a separate blog entry where I'll list the prices for its Wi-Fi. The ship has a nice little gym with 12 aerobicycles, 6 treadmills, 1 rowing machines, various weight machines and a small floor where they hold yoga, pilates and stretching classes. I don't know if they do Zumba. I never met the gym director though I did read his bio and, it sounds like he is very competent. I thought it cool that he's from South Africa. I haven't forgotten Pumba, one of the ladies who works in Grandeur of the Seas spa. She's from South Africa and, she is totally awesome! The ship has a spa but, I didn't try it this time due to its prices. They're not cheap and, I needed to watch the bucks this time.
In regards to the ports of call, I thought they were pretty good. Coco Cay is a nice resort. They have some pretty beaches and offer snorkeling, scuba diving, jet ski riding and parasailing. You can also take a ride on a glass bottom boat. I did that and, I really enjoyed it. They offer a nature walk where they tell you of Bahamian bush medicine. I found it interesting and funny. Funny in that all the medicines apparently had to taste bitter in order to work. You couldn't add sugar to make them taste better. Lastly, Royal Caribbean holds a lunch bar-b-que buffet every time it stops there. I found it a decent buffet. All passengers have to be tendered to Coco Cay. Royal Caribbean has 5 small boats at the island that can ferry/tender people to the island. Their crews were very competent. There are a few Bahamian gift shops on the island where you can buy various Bahamian souvenirs.
Nassau, Bahamas is nice. I did a very good city tour where I got to visit 2 forts, the Queen's staircase and a couple other locations. The Queen's staircase stood out as it's very pretty with a very neat waterfall and plants along the walkway. The other excursion I did was the Discover Atlantis tour. The tour guide for the tour was outstanding. She was funny and know her stuff about the resort. The resort itself is impressive and worth checking out though I don't have any desire to stay there. It strikes me as too pricey. It has a special suite that costs a whopping $25,000 a night with a minimum of a 4 night stay! Supposedly, there is a 6 month waiting list to stay in it. One downside I saw was there were a lot of Bahamians that had their hands out for tips. Some of them were really absurd in my opinion. After I'd finished my Discover Atlantis tour, we had a 15 minute bus ride back to the cruise ship terminal. The driver didn't hesitate to ask for a tip. In my opinion, he hadn't done squat to deserve one versus the outstanding tour guide at Atlantis. Also, I found some Bahamians curt. I visited the Hard Rock Café gift shop there and, they weren't very friendly. I was glad to get my t-shirt and get out of there.
Key West, Florida was very nice. Some of the homes there are stunning with some huge prices to match. It has a lot of history. I did a walking tour of Ernest Hemingway's home and Sloppy Joe's. The guide for the tour was very good. He had lots of interesting information, was friendly and helpful. The tour of Hemingway's home was awesome. A guide at the home gave the tour. She really knew her stuff. I'd highly recommend this tour. It was fascinating. I wouldn't mind going back to Key West some time and seeing some of the sights I didn't have time for this visit.
Miami, Florida was nice. I did a hop on hop off tour there which was good. The location where we got on the bus was convenient as it's at the Bayside Marketplace which is within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal (2 miles I think).
Overall, the 2 cruises were very nice. I would recommend them if you can't get a lot of time off or are short on funds but, you want to do a cruise. Otherwise, I'd recommend you do a longer cruise so, you get the real cruise experience. The 2 short cruises were more party cruises in my opinion which was a little irksome.
The ship itself is in excellent shape. I couldn't find anything wrong with her. I saw a number of times where it's crew performed maintenance on her while I cruised. The ship's crew is excellent. My room attendant did a fine job both cruises. The food was very good and plentiful. I had to show willpower and limit myself to just 1 plate every meal in the Windjammer Café. I particularly enjoyed the Coca Cola Freestyle machines. They particularly rocked. I enjoyed many a glass of PowerAde and liked being able to try out various Coca Cola products I'd never tried before. I didn't watch any of the free shows so, I don't have any idea if they're any good or not. The ship's shops were fine though I didn't really check them out. I'm not into shopping though I did buy myself a ship's magnet and some pens to show I'd sailed on her. The ship's Wi-Fi was unreliable. Twice, I couldn't connect at all and twice, I got bumped off it after I connected. Also, it's more expensive then on other Royal Caribbean ships. I'll be posting a separate blog entry where I'll list the prices for its Wi-Fi. The ship has a nice little gym with 12 aerobicycles, 6 treadmills, 1 rowing machines, various weight machines and a small floor where they hold yoga, pilates and stretching classes. I don't know if they do Zumba. I never met the gym director though I did read his bio and, it sounds like he is very competent. I thought it cool that he's from South Africa. I haven't forgotten Pumba, one of the ladies who works in Grandeur of the Seas spa. She's from South Africa and, she is totally awesome! The ship has a spa but, I didn't try it this time due to its prices. They're not cheap and, I needed to watch the bucks this time.
In regards to the ports of call, I thought they were pretty good. Coco Cay is a nice resort. They have some pretty beaches and offer snorkeling, scuba diving, jet ski riding and parasailing. You can also take a ride on a glass bottom boat. I did that and, I really enjoyed it. They offer a nature walk where they tell you of Bahamian bush medicine. I found it interesting and funny. Funny in that all the medicines apparently had to taste bitter in order to work. You couldn't add sugar to make them taste better. Lastly, Royal Caribbean holds a lunch bar-b-que buffet every time it stops there. I found it a decent buffet. All passengers have to be tendered to Coco Cay. Royal Caribbean has 5 small boats at the island that can ferry/tender people to the island. Their crews were very competent. There are a few Bahamian gift shops on the island where you can buy various Bahamian souvenirs.
Nassau, Bahamas is nice. I did a very good city tour where I got to visit 2 forts, the Queen's staircase and a couple other locations. The Queen's staircase stood out as it's very pretty with a very neat waterfall and plants along the walkway. The other excursion I did was the Discover Atlantis tour. The tour guide for the tour was outstanding. She was funny and know her stuff about the resort. The resort itself is impressive and worth checking out though I don't have any desire to stay there. It strikes me as too pricey. It has a special suite that costs a whopping $25,000 a night with a minimum of a 4 night stay! Supposedly, there is a 6 month waiting list to stay in it. One downside I saw was there were a lot of Bahamians that had their hands out for tips. Some of them were really absurd in my opinion. After I'd finished my Discover Atlantis tour, we had a 15 minute bus ride back to the cruise ship terminal. The driver didn't hesitate to ask for a tip. In my opinion, he hadn't done squat to deserve one versus the outstanding tour guide at Atlantis. Also, I found some Bahamians curt. I visited the Hard Rock Café gift shop there and, they weren't very friendly. I was glad to get my t-shirt and get out of there.
Key West, Florida was very nice. Some of the homes there are stunning with some huge prices to match. It has a lot of history. I did a walking tour of Ernest Hemingway's home and Sloppy Joe's. The guide for the tour was very good. He had lots of interesting information, was friendly and helpful. The tour of Hemingway's home was awesome. A guide at the home gave the tour. She really knew her stuff. I'd highly recommend this tour. It was fascinating. I wouldn't mind going back to Key West some time and seeing some of the sights I didn't have time for this visit.
Miami, Florida was nice. I did a hop on hop off tour there which was good. The location where we got on the bus was convenient as it's at the Bayside Marketplace which is within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal (2 miles I think).
Overall, the 2 cruises were very nice. I would recommend them if you can't get a lot of time off or are short on funds but, you want to do a cruise. Otherwise, I'd recommend you do a longer cruise so, you get the real cruise experience. The 2 short cruises were more party cruises in my opinion which was a little irksome.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
McDonald's Sweet Tea Review
While buying some $1 McDonald's McDouble hamburgers from their dollar menu, I saw they offered a large glass of sweet tea for $1. I decided to try it. I found it was pretty good tea. It isn't what those in the Southern United States would consider sweet tea. As I understand it, their sweet tea has have the consistency of syrup. This isn't that but, it is sweet and has a good taste. I think it's large size for a dollar is a deal. I would definitely recommend it to those who like tea. Happy drinking all!
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Sam's Club Generic Propecia
Today, I bought Sam's Club's generic Propecia for the first time. The reason I did it was for 1 reason - price. If you have a Sam's Club Advantage Plus membership, you can get a great deal on the drug. I was able to buy a 3 month supply of generic propecia for $103.57 That's over $47 cheaper than the generic Propecia at Costco. The savings is such that with 1 filling of the prescription, you can nearly pay for the increased cost of the Advantage Plus membership versus the regular Advantage membership. For a long time, I held off upgrading but, the money advantage concerning their generic Propecia was too much to pass up.
As to who makes Sam's Club generic Propecia, I couldn't find out from the literature included with my prescription who the manufacturer is. The pills look exactly the same at the ones I bought from Costco who are put out by Dr. Reddy's Lab and, I believe are made in Israel.
In regards to its effectiveness, I can't tell you that at this time as I haven't started taking it yet. However, if it works like the Costco generic Propecia, it should work fine. I've been taking that for nearly 9 months now and, I haven't noticed any difference between the generic and the name brand in effectiveness.
One important note about Sam's Club. If you have the regular Advantage membership like I did. You'll pay more for the generic Propecia at Sam's Club than you will at Costco. That was one thing that confounded me a bit. Between the 2 regular memberships, Costco offers the better price with a $20 advantage. It's when you have the Advantage Plus membership with its higher price that you get the better savings at Sam's Club. I confess I'm not thrilled about paying Sam's Club $100 a year for my Advantage Plus membership but, in this case, the savings are such they'll pay for the higher cost membership in no time.
For those men who take Propecia, you might want to look into the advantages of Sam's Club's generic Propecia. It could save you a LOT of money over the years.
FYI, I don't work for Sam's Club and, I'm not 1 of their biggest fans either. I have memberships at Sam's Club and Costco, both of which I pay for out of my own pocket just like other people out there. I find each club has its advantages. I'm aware of another club called BJ's but, I only shopped there once years ago and don't have any idea how they compare with Sam's Club or Costco.
As to who makes Sam's Club generic Propecia, I couldn't find out from the literature included with my prescription who the manufacturer is. The pills look exactly the same at the ones I bought from Costco who are put out by Dr. Reddy's Lab and, I believe are made in Israel.
In regards to its effectiveness, I can't tell you that at this time as I haven't started taking it yet. However, if it works like the Costco generic Propecia, it should work fine. I've been taking that for nearly 9 months now and, I haven't noticed any difference between the generic and the name brand in effectiveness.
One important note about Sam's Club. If you have the regular Advantage membership like I did. You'll pay more for the generic Propecia at Sam's Club than you will at Costco. That was one thing that confounded me a bit. Between the 2 regular memberships, Costco offers the better price with a $20 advantage. It's when you have the Advantage Plus membership with its higher price that you get the better savings at Sam's Club. I confess I'm not thrilled about paying Sam's Club $100 a year for my Advantage Plus membership but, in this case, the savings are such they'll pay for the higher cost membership in no time.
For those men who take Propecia, you might want to look into the advantages of Sam's Club's generic Propecia. It could save you a LOT of money over the years.
FYI, I don't work for Sam's Club and, I'm not 1 of their biggest fans either. I have memberships at Sam's Club and Costco, both of which I pay for out of my own pocket just like other people out there. I find each club has its advantages. I'm aware of another club called BJ's but, I only shopped there once years ago and don't have any idea how they compare with Sam's Club or Costco.
Minute Maid Fruit Medley Review
While shopping at the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club, I discovered a product I hadn't seen there before. It's Minute Maid's Fruit Medley. Minute Maid's Fruit Medley is a fruit tasting drink with grape, pineapple, pear and apple juices in it. All totaled, it's 5% of the various juices. The drink isn't a high calorie drink as it has 100 calories per 8 ounce glass. The sample I tried came in a plastic 1 gallon jug. Cost wise, the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club sold the 1 gallon jug for $2.88 which I thought reasonable.
My 1 disappointment with the drink was that it doesn't earn MyCoke reward points like a lot of Coca-Cola products do. I don't know why. Perhaps, it's just related to the size of the container. I'll have to see if you earn points with smaller portions of the drink.
Overall, I was very pleased with the fruit drink. I think it's a good one and reasonably priced. If you like fruit drinks, you might want to try this one. Happy drinking all!
My 1 disappointment with the drink was that it doesn't earn MyCoke reward points like a lot of Coca-Cola products do. I don't know why. Perhaps, it's just related to the size of the container. I'll have to see if you earn points with smaller portions of the drink.
Overall, I was very pleased with the fruit drink. I think it's a good one and reasonably priced. If you like fruit drinks, you might want to try this one. Happy drinking all!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Wegmans Peanut Butter Pretzels Review
While shopping at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans store, I stumbled upon their peanut butter pretzels. These aren't pretzels with peanut butter inside. They're pretzels covered by peanut butter, like chocolate covered pretzels. I thought they might be interesting to try so, I bought a little more than a quarter of a pound of them.
I found them good though not great. The peanut butter coating does taste like peanut butter. Price wise, they are expensive. They sell for $8.49 a pound in one of the bulk foods sections at the store. I don't know how long they'll stay fresh though considering how long they're likely to stay in the dispenser at the store, I would think they have a decent shelf life. One thing I did discover to my annoyance is like chocolate covered pretzels, you had better be sure you don't store them in a hot area. They peanut butter coating will melt and, you'll end up with a big glob of peanut butter pretzels which you'll have to pry apart like I did. Also, Wegmans does offer coupons with the coupon booklets they send out where you can get a $1 off any $5 bulk item purchase. They would save you a little money with them.
If you like peanut butter and pretzels, you might want to give these a try. Happy munching all!
I found them good though not great. The peanut butter coating does taste like peanut butter. Price wise, they are expensive. They sell for $8.49 a pound in one of the bulk foods sections at the store. I don't know how long they'll stay fresh though considering how long they're likely to stay in the dispenser at the store, I would think they have a decent shelf life. One thing I did discover to my annoyance is like chocolate covered pretzels, you had better be sure you don't store them in a hot area. They peanut butter coating will melt and, you'll end up with a big glob of peanut butter pretzels which you'll have to pry apart like I did. Also, Wegmans does offer coupons with the coupon booklets they send out where you can get a $1 off any $5 bulk item purchase. They would save you a little money with them.
If you like peanut butter and pretzels, you might want to give these a try. Happy munching all!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Latest Rick Riordan House of Hades Info
I'm setting a record for myself blog wise today. 5 posts in 1 day! WO!!!!!!!
If you didn't buy the e-book version of Son of Sobek and thereby get to read the first chapter of House of Hades, you're in luck. On Facebook, Rick Riordan announced that the 1st chapter of House of Hades is now available free on his blog. http://rickriordan.blogspot.com. I tried out the link and, it works.You'll find it dated August 8th.
The blog entry also gives dates and places for the book tour that will follow House of Hades. To the delight of those who live in and around Washington D.C., Riordan will be coming to D.C. on October 11th, 2013. Riordan references the
Politics and Prose Bookstore/Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington D.C.
20008
Phone numbers: 1-800-722-0790/202-364-1919
Website: http://www.politics-prose.com
I checked their calendar of events and this is what I found out about Riordan's visit. He'll be appearing 7 p.m. at:
Wilson High School Auditorium
3950 Chesapeake St NW
Washington D.C.
20016
This will be a ticketed event. They didn't give any further information on the tickets though they did say further information will follow. If you want to see the calendar page yourself, you can find it at: http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/rick-riordan-house-of-hades.
The House of Hades will still be released on October 8th. 57 days and a wake up (a term from my Air Force days) as of this post. At least it's getting here thankfully.
Lastly, I saw something on the bookstore's website where they mentioned about being able to arrange having a visiting author sign a book for you if you purchase it through them. I'm going to check into this more and see if it'll apply to Riordan. If so, I may finally get my first book signed by him. I wimped out on ordering the special signed edition of Mark of Athena. I'll post what I find out. Stay tuned.
Update 8/14/13:
Tickets went on sale for the event the day I posted this. 1 ticket will cost you $5. If you want more than 1 ticket, you'll have to buy a book or books depending on how many you want. Seating is first come, first served. All books will be signed by Riordan prior to the event. NONE will be signed afterwards. As I understand it, if you want a signed book, you must buy the book through the bookstore i.e. you can't bring one to be signed. You can take pictures during the event BUT, there won't be any posed pictures with Riordan. Riordan will speak at the event then open it up for questions and answers. The event is expected to last between 45 minutes and an hour. (Source: event webpage mentioned earlier in this blog entry).
Also, I checked the Wilson High School website (http://www.wilsonhs.org) and, the auditorium can hold 750 people. I couldn't find out how much parking the school has.
Update 9/8/13:
Per a couple anonymous commenters, I checked the Politics and Prose webpage and, it states that the Rick Riordan event is sold out. However, if you want an autographed book by him, you can still order one through their website. Be sure to specifically ask that you want it autographed. Remember, you must buy the book through them to get it autographed by Riordan at this event.
Update 10/20/13:
The event I blogged about above is over and as far as I know (I didn't go), it went fine. House of Hades was released right on time and, I believe has gone to Number 1 in its category on the New York Times best seller list. I bought the book myself a week after it came out and read it. It's another fine book in the series and won't disappoint any of Riordan's fans. At the end of the book, Riordan disclosed what the title will be for the final book of the series. It'll be called Blood of Olympus. It should be a huge climax as things continue to build up. The Roman demigods are circling around Camp Halfblood and, all the giants are free again in the world. I plan to write a blog review about the book so, I won't disclose any more about it in this entry.
If you didn't buy the e-book version of Son of Sobek and thereby get to read the first chapter of House of Hades, you're in luck. On Facebook, Rick Riordan announced that the 1st chapter of House of Hades is now available free on his blog. http://rickriordan.blogspot.com. I tried out the link and, it works.You'll find it dated August 8th.
The blog entry also gives dates and places for the book tour that will follow House of Hades. To the delight of those who live in and around Washington D.C., Riordan will be coming to D.C. on October 11th, 2013. Riordan references the
Politics and Prose Bookstore/Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington D.C.
20008
Phone numbers: 1-800-722-0790/202-364-1919
Website: http://www.politics-prose.com
I checked their calendar of events and this is what I found out about Riordan's visit. He'll be appearing 7 p.m. at:
Wilson High School Auditorium
3950 Chesapeake St NW
Washington D.C.
20016
This will be a ticketed event. They didn't give any further information on the tickets though they did say further information will follow. If you want to see the calendar page yourself, you can find it at: http://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/rick-riordan-house-of-hades.
The House of Hades will still be released on October 8th. 57 days and a wake up (a term from my Air Force days) as of this post. At least it's getting here thankfully.
Lastly, I saw something on the bookstore's website where they mentioned about being able to arrange having a visiting author sign a book for you if you purchase it through them. I'm going to check into this more and see if it'll apply to Riordan. If so, I may finally get my first book signed by him. I wimped out on ordering the special signed edition of Mark of Athena. I'll post what I find out. Stay tuned.
Update 8/14/13:
Tickets went on sale for the event the day I posted this. 1 ticket will cost you $5. If you want more than 1 ticket, you'll have to buy a book or books depending on how many you want. Seating is first come, first served. All books will be signed by Riordan prior to the event. NONE will be signed afterwards. As I understand it, if you want a signed book, you must buy the book through the bookstore i.e. you can't bring one to be signed. You can take pictures during the event BUT, there won't be any posed pictures with Riordan. Riordan will speak at the event then open it up for questions and answers. The event is expected to last between 45 minutes and an hour. (Source: event webpage mentioned earlier in this blog entry).
Also, I checked the Wilson High School website (http://www.wilsonhs.org) and, the auditorium can hold 750 people. I couldn't find out how much parking the school has.
Update 9/8/13:
Per a couple anonymous commenters, I checked the Politics and Prose webpage and, it states that the Rick Riordan event is sold out. However, if you want an autographed book by him, you can still order one through their website. Be sure to specifically ask that you want it autographed. Remember, you must buy the book through them to get it autographed by Riordan at this event.
Update 10/20/13:
The event I blogged about above is over and as far as I know (I didn't go), it went fine. House of Hades was released right on time and, I believe has gone to Number 1 in its category on the New York Times best seller list. I bought the book myself a week after it came out and read it. It's another fine book in the series and won't disappoint any of Riordan's fans. At the end of the book, Riordan disclosed what the title will be for the final book of the series. It'll be called Blood of Olympus. It should be a huge climax as things continue to build up. The Roman demigods are circling around Camp Halfblood and, all the giants are free again in the world. I plan to write a blog review about the book so, I won't disclose any more about it in this entry.
Sam's Club Toscano Salame Review
Two or three weeks ago, I visited the Sam's Club in Laurel. While there, I noticed they some traditional looking salami that I'd never tried before. I decided to buy some and see how it was.
The label on it calls it Slow-cured Salame. However, when it's rung up, it's called Toscano salame. It's supposed to be like the old fashioned salami you would find in Europe though the product is made in the United States of America. The salami comes unsliced in 18 ounce packages and sells for $7.98 (which breaks out to $7.09 a pound approximately) at the Catonsville and Laurel, Maryland stores. I don't know if it would be the same price at other Sam's Clubs. The salami has one big plus in my book in that it doesn't have any monosodium glutamate (MSG). A 1 ounce serving has 90 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat and 430 milligrams of sodium (probably from the sea salt used) as well as 7 grams of protein. As it is a sausage like product, it is made of pork. There are the preservatives sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. The product has a long shelf life as it says on the package that it should be sold by March 6th, 2014. Refrigeration wise, once the salami has been opened, it must be refrigerated. Also, there is a collagen casing on the outside of the salami that must be peeled off of each slice. The salami is made by Daniele Incorporated in Pascoag, Rhode Island.
Taste wise, I thought this salami to be particularly good. It does remind me of the luncheon meats you would find over in Europe. Also, I don't think it's terribly expensive considering the quality you're getting.
Overall, this is one Sam's Club product I'd definitely give a thumbs up to. It is a very good salami in my opinion though I'm no expert on salami. Bon Appetit!
The label on it calls it Slow-cured Salame. However, when it's rung up, it's called Toscano salame. It's supposed to be like the old fashioned salami you would find in Europe though the product is made in the United States of America. The salami comes unsliced in 18 ounce packages and sells for $7.98 (which breaks out to $7.09 a pound approximately) at the Catonsville and Laurel, Maryland stores. I don't know if it would be the same price at other Sam's Clubs. The salami has one big plus in my book in that it doesn't have any monosodium glutamate (MSG). A 1 ounce serving has 90 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat and 430 milligrams of sodium (probably from the sea salt used) as well as 7 grams of protein. As it is a sausage like product, it is made of pork. There are the preservatives sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. The product has a long shelf life as it says on the package that it should be sold by March 6th, 2014. Refrigeration wise, once the salami has been opened, it must be refrigerated. Also, there is a collagen casing on the outside of the salami that must be peeled off of each slice. The salami is made by Daniele Incorporated in Pascoag, Rhode Island.
Taste wise, I thought this salami to be particularly good. It does remind me of the luncheon meats you would find over in Europe. Also, I don't think it's terribly expensive considering the quality you're getting.
Overall, this is one Sam's Club product I'd definitely give a thumbs up to. It is a very good salami in my opinion though I'm no expert on salami. Bon Appetit!
Casio G-Shock Solar Powered Watch Review
Back in April, I was having a run of bad luck with watch batteries dying on me. To make matters worse, as my readers would know, I was leaving on 2 back-to-back cruises with Royal Caribbean. Knowing what the time is can be particularly important on a cruise. You've got to be back to the ship by a certain time otherwise the ship might leave without you and, you'll have the hassle of trying to catch up with the ship and your stuff.
Initially, I planned on buying another one of Royal Caribbean's cheap electric pocket watches. They cost around $25 I think and make a nice souvenir of the ship as they have the ship's name on them as well as metallic drawing of a ship on the outside cover of the watch. However, I couldn't find one of those though later to my annoyance, the staff found some and put them out. Grrrrrr!!!!!!!
So, I checked out the fancy watch shop each ship has. In my Platinum discount booklet, I had a coupon for 10% off which I figured would help some though the watches in the watch shop tended to be pricey - $400 and up!!!!!! I know about Citizens automatic watches which sounded nice as you never have to replace batteries with them. With the battery problem I'd had, I decided to look for 1 of those. I found those all right but wasn't wowed by them though their prices got my attention. The saleslady mentioned some solar powered watches. I didn't know they made such things. I looked them over really well and settled on a Casio GW-7900B model.
The watch has a number of features. It gives a tide time table which to be honest I didn't need and don't know anyone who would need it. It has a night light function, stopwatch function, alarm function, a second time function, a moon phase display (I don't need to worry about the moon either) as well as a way to be updated from various Atomic clocks around the world. The biggest plus about the watch is that you won't have to mess with batteries though in time, you will have to replace the solar cell on it. Another plus in my opinion is the watch is cheaper than automatic watches. The watch retails for $150 though I was able to get 10% off on the ship. I bought the one with a black wristband and, I've been using it continuously since. Lastly, the watch is water resistant to 20 BAR (whatever that is). So, you don't have to worry about water hurting the thing though I don't think you can take it scuba diving.
I've been very pleased with the thing barring having to place it on my room's window ledge at night so, it can pick up the atomic clock signal so, it can stay accurate. The watch has a indicator that tells you if it has picked up the signal or not. The small booklet that comes with the watch tells where the various places are that the watch can get its time recalibrated from.
I don't have any idea how long the watch's solar cell will work though I suspect by the time it starts to wear out, I'll be ready for a new watch. One thing you do have to make sure is the watch gets enough sunlight to stay charged. The watch has an indicator that tells you if it has a low - medium or high charge. Supposedly, the watch will run for 9 months without any sunlight off 1 full charge. I make it a point that it is exposed to as much sunlight during the day as I can. If the watch runs down, supposedly it'll stop operating certain functions until it gets more fully charged (so said the booklet that came with it).
I would definitely recommend this watch if you don't watch to mess with replacing watch batteries or just want a cool watch. I've been very pleased with mine.
Initially, I planned on buying another one of Royal Caribbean's cheap electric pocket watches. They cost around $25 I think and make a nice souvenir of the ship as they have the ship's name on them as well as metallic drawing of a ship on the outside cover of the watch. However, I couldn't find one of those though later to my annoyance, the staff found some and put them out. Grrrrrr!!!!!!!
So, I checked out the fancy watch shop each ship has. In my Platinum discount booklet, I had a coupon for 10% off which I figured would help some though the watches in the watch shop tended to be pricey - $400 and up!!!!!! I know about Citizens automatic watches which sounded nice as you never have to replace batteries with them. With the battery problem I'd had, I decided to look for 1 of those. I found those all right but wasn't wowed by them though their prices got my attention. The saleslady mentioned some solar powered watches. I didn't know they made such things. I looked them over really well and settled on a Casio GW-7900B model.
The watch has a number of features. It gives a tide time table which to be honest I didn't need and don't know anyone who would need it. It has a night light function, stopwatch function, alarm function, a second time function, a moon phase display (I don't need to worry about the moon either) as well as a way to be updated from various Atomic clocks around the world. The biggest plus about the watch is that you won't have to mess with batteries though in time, you will have to replace the solar cell on it. Another plus in my opinion is the watch is cheaper than automatic watches. The watch retails for $150 though I was able to get 10% off on the ship. I bought the one with a black wristband and, I've been using it continuously since. Lastly, the watch is water resistant to 20 BAR (whatever that is). So, you don't have to worry about water hurting the thing though I don't think you can take it scuba diving.
I've been very pleased with the thing barring having to place it on my room's window ledge at night so, it can pick up the atomic clock signal so, it can stay accurate. The watch has a indicator that tells you if it has picked up the signal or not. The small booklet that comes with the watch tells where the various places are that the watch can get its time recalibrated from.
I don't have any idea how long the watch's solar cell will work though I suspect by the time it starts to wear out, I'll be ready for a new watch. One thing you do have to make sure is the watch gets enough sunlight to stay charged. The watch has an indicator that tells you if it has a low - medium or high charge. Supposedly, the watch will run for 9 months without any sunlight off 1 full charge. I make it a point that it is exposed to as much sunlight during the day as I can. If the watch runs down, supposedly it'll stop operating certain functions until it gets more fully charged (so said the booklet that came with it).
I would definitely recommend this watch if you don't watch to mess with replacing watch batteries or just want a cool watch. I've been very pleased with mine.
Review of Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report
I've been looking for publications that I'd like to read on my new Barnes & Noble Nook E-reader. One publication that looked worth checking out was Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report. The July 2013 issue was available and, it promised to tell about the Italian lake district and about Wales. Both sounded interesting so, I bought an issue of the publication even though its single issue price is $8.99 which I think is expensive.
The publication is aptly named as its about hideaways i.e. hotels where you can get away from it all. It gives a good review of each of the profiled hotels as well as very good pictures that will give a good idea of what the rooms are like at each hotel. In the July issue, Harper reviewed 12 hotels and 1 restaurant that offered rooms as well. Harper also reviewed 7 restaurants. As Harper has 35 years experience in the travel business and runs his own travel agency (there was a promo at the back of the publication for a New Zealand tour his company is offering as well as information on where to reach his agency), he has great knowledge on what makes a really nice hotel and was doesn't.
I found his reviews very well written and, the pictures nicely complimented them. However, there were drawbacks in my opinion to this publication. First, it is expensive. $8.99 for a single issue or $7.99 an issue for a subscription. Second, the hotels are very pricey. The cheapest room I saw in 1 of the hotels he reviewed was $340 a night and, they easily went over $500 or $600 a NIGHT! While all the hotels sounded luxurious and nice, that's way out of my price range. Third, the publication doesn't talk much about the sights around the hotels. It was very light in this way though that can be a good thing if you primarily want to know about upscale hotels in the regions he visits. However, my thing isn't hotels. I want to know about the sights worth seeing or to avoid. Harper did list some items shopping wise that were particularly noteworthy like a place where some Italian monks make some particularly good lemoncello but, this list was a 1 off in the publication.
Overall, I can't recommend this publication unless you're an upscale traveler looking for particularly upscale hotels to stay at. Some of the restaurants sounded good and might be reasonably priced but, that isn't enough to get me to want to subscribe to his expensive report. For me personally, I'd have to give this publication a thumbs down even though it is well written and has fine photos to support the reviews. Happy travels all!
The publication is aptly named as its about hideaways i.e. hotels where you can get away from it all. It gives a good review of each of the profiled hotels as well as very good pictures that will give a good idea of what the rooms are like at each hotel. In the July issue, Harper reviewed 12 hotels and 1 restaurant that offered rooms as well. Harper also reviewed 7 restaurants. As Harper has 35 years experience in the travel business and runs his own travel agency (there was a promo at the back of the publication for a New Zealand tour his company is offering as well as information on where to reach his agency), he has great knowledge on what makes a really nice hotel and was doesn't.
I found his reviews very well written and, the pictures nicely complimented them. However, there were drawbacks in my opinion to this publication. First, it is expensive. $8.99 for a single issue or $7.99 an issue for a subscription. Second, the hotels are very pricey. The cheapest room I saw in 1 of the hotels he reviewed was $340 a night and, they easily went over $500 or $600 a NIGHT! While all the hotels sounded luxurious and nice, that's way out of my price range. Third, the publication doesn't talk much about the sights around the hotels. It was very light in this way though that can be a good thing if you primarily want to know about upscale hotels in the regions he visits. However, my thing isn't hotels. I want to know about the sights worth seeing or to avoid. Harper did list some items shopping wise that were particularly noteworthy like a place where some Italian monks make some particularly good lemoncello but, this list was a 1 off in the publication.
Overall, I can't recommend this publication unless you're an upscale traveler looking for particularly upscale hotels to stay at. Some of the restaurants sounded good and might be reasonably priced but, that isn't enough to get me to want to subscribe to his expensive report. For me personally, I'd have to give this publication a thumbs down even though it is well written and has fine photos to support the reviews. Happy travels all!
Wegmans Salad Venetian Calamari Review
As any readers I have know, I like calamari i.e. squid. I have since I first tried it in Italy during an Air Force temporary duty assignment there.
Recently, I was going through my Wegmans coupon booklet and, they had a $1 off the purchase of $5 or more of fresh seafood. I decided to use the coupon as I like seafood. I looked through their Columbia, Maryland store and found their salad Venetian Calamari Salad. The salad is pricey, $9.99 a pound but, I decided to try it.
I found it was a good salad. It's packed with calamari as well as white beans, peppers and onions. The calamari itself was fine. It wasn't chewy like it can be at times. One serious drawback to the salad is its very short shelf life. The container said to use it up by the very next day after I bought it. I didn't do that. I finished it 5 days after I bought it. As far as I can tell, I didn't suffer any ill effects from keeping it that long but, I don't like the short shelf life. A plus to the salad is that it doesn't have any preservatives (probably why the short shelf life) or chemicals. It does carry a warning to those who are allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, sesame seeds, soy and shellfish as it is prepared in an area that is shared with such products.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with the salad though it isn't something I'll eat often due to the price. If you like calamari and, there's a Wegmans close to you, you might want to give it a try. Bon Appetit!
Recently, I was going through my Wegmans coupon booklet and, they had a $1 off the purchase of $5 or more of fresh seafood. I decided to use the coupon as I like seafood. I looked through their Columbia, Maryland store and found their salad Venetian Calamari Salad. The salad is pricey, $9.99 a pound but, I decided to try it.
I found it was a good salad. It's packed with calamari as well as white beans, peppers and onions. The calamari itself was fine. It wasn't chewy like it can be at times. One serious drawback to the salad is its very short shelf life. The container said to use it up by the very next day after I bought it. I didn't do that. I finished it 5 days after I bought it. As far as I can tell, I didn't suffer any ill effects from keeping it that long but, I don't like the short shelf life. A plus to the salad is that it doesn't have any preservatives (probably why the short shelf life) or chemicals. It does carry a warning to those who are allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, sesame seeds, soy and shellfish as it is prepared in an area that is shared with such products.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with the salad though it isn't something I'll eat often due to the price. If you like calamari and, there's a Wegmans close to you, you might want to give it a try. Bon Appetit!
Friday, August 09, 2013
Giant White Beans Product Review
Recently, I visited the Trader Joe's at 6610 Marie Curie Drive in Elkridge, Maryland (phone number 410-953-8139). Trader Joe's offers some very nice products. This trip, I decided to try their giant white beans. The beans are sort of like large lima beans. They're cooked in a light tomato sauce according to a traditional Greek recipe (so says Trader Joe's) and come from Bulgaria of all places. The beans come in a 12 ounce jar and sell for $1.99. The beans do have to be refrigerated after they've been opened.
I found the beans tasty. They can make a nice small side dish to some kind of Greek food if you're feeling in a Greek mood. The sauce wasn't heavy and the beans are nicely complimented by onions, carrots, chopped tomatoes and parsley.
Overall, I thought they were a fine dish that I'd gladly try again. If you like beans, you might like to try this Greek dish by Trader Joe's. Bon Appetit!
I found the beans tasty. They can make a nice small side dish to some kind of Greek food if you're feeling in a Greek mood. The sauce wasn't heavy and the beans are nicely complimented by onions, carrots, chopped tomatoes and parsley.
Overall, I thought they were a fine dish that I'd gladly try again. If you like beans, you might like to try this Greek dish by Trader Joe's. Bon Appetit!
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Picture of Norwegian Cruise Line's Dawn Ship
Here's a picture I took of Norwegian Cruise Line's "Dawn" ship. The ship was at anchor in the Dockyard at Bermuda. Due to an agreement Royal Caribbean has with the Bermudan government (I don't the particulars), they have priority at the pier. So, the Dawn had to anchor in the harbor. Passengers on the ship had to be tendered out to the ship. I think you can just see one of the tenders in the left of the picture. However, the Bermudan government is expanding the pier and, I suspect Norwegian Cruise Lines ships will be able to tie up at the extended pier some time in the future.
Bermuda Dockyard Ferry
This is a picture of one of the ferries leaving the Dockyard in Bermuda. The Bermudan government runs ferries every 20 minutes I believe from the Dockyard to Hamilton, the capital. Also, they did 5 runs to St. George's. I took one of those when I did the tour of St. George's, St. Catherine's Fort, the Chapel Royal and St. David's Lighthouse. The ferry was nice enough and pretty fast. I think it took something like 40 minutes to get to St. George's (not totally sure on that). Tickets for the ferries can be bought at the Dockyard. I don't know what they cost. My round trip ferry ticket was included with my excursion. This picture was taken from the Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas as I was watching the ferry leave.
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