DrHemlock

Never having heard of a tomahawk steak, I looked it up: This glorious cut of meat is actually a large ribeye steak that is specifically cut with about 8-12 inches of the rib bone left on it. The bone is “Frenched”, a culinary term that means it is trimmed of fat and meat. The Tomahawk steak is meant to look like the handle of an ax. It’s the same technique that is used on a rack of lamb. The bone is intended to give it the “wow” factor however it also helps insulate the tender meat while it cooks. The Tomahawk steak is extremely tender and buttery, with beautiful marbling. It’s also relatively simple to make! So definitely not roasted prime rib, but apparently a big slice that's been grilled bone-in. Could be worse.

We had the same problem on our Iceland-Greenland cruise last summer. 😎

Occasionally guilty as charged, Your Honor, dependent upon the quantity of lubricant applied to the mental hinges.

Nailed it.

Didn't we already see that scene in "Five Easy Pieces"?

Wow. Well, now that the scales have fallen from my eyes, I can see it working two ways. A cruise line hires influencers to praise the line on its own CC board, while hiring other influencers to undermine competitors on their CC board. The grains of salt are adding up.

Really? Call me naïve but I never suspected that. If true, then I've learned my "something new" for today. You mean some posters are paid cash money by the cruise line or a trade group like ITB for posting? Or do you mean, say, a TA who posts positive reviews, "inside info", etc., in anticipation of future commissions from impressed readers?

Definitely that!

Just google what I wrote but change "teeth" to "comb"....and welcome to my teen-age world!

"Kookie....Kookie! Lend me your teeth." (For those who remember the 50s.)

We've never brought wine aboard for drinking with dinner because (1) we don't want to deal with schlepping it from home or departure port, and (2) because we only drink "medium-end" wines for which the $25 corkage fee raises the cost substantially percentage-wise. Besides, O's wine list is what OBC is for since we always seem to end up with a bunch of it. However, if we did want a bottle of whatever O plans to sell for $2,000 (or even $500) with our dinner -- given that O marks up all wines on their list by 300-400% over retail so those wines would cost, say, $125 to $500 ashore -- then suddenly a $25 corkage fee becomes a teeny-tiny markup and the schlepping begins to seem rather attractive. Or, they'll introduce variable corkage fees scaled to the price charged for the bottle. In which case...never mind!

Especially when served at dining room (not cellar) temperature!

"Well..." as Joe E. Brown said at the end of Some Like It Hot, "...nobody's perfect!"

Rest assured that whoever typed the line onto the website understands it perfectly. Now, it's up to us to intuit the meaning. 🤔

Or "eight quid." Merkins might not understand it, but Brits will.

Nope; have never used or considered using either one. They're just in our pocket for "in case." We don't travel deliberately to a troubled country or area, but circumstances can change quickly even in places considered generally safe. Take Washington, DC, for example....😎

Exactly. That's what it is, and Horizon is what it's called. Copied and pasted from their website, Horizon offers in addition to the regular MedJet med-evac service: 24/7 travel security response and evacuation services due to political threat, terrorism, natural disaster, pandemic and violent crime 24/7 crisis response to kidnap for ransom, disappearance, wrongful detention, blackmail and extortion. We have it; wouldn't be without it as most of our overseas travel is on our own.

The easiest way to get the AARP discount is to visit AARP's website, navigate to travel benefits, scroll down to MedJet Assist and click on it. That click will redirect you to the AARP discount membership page on MJA's own website where you can sign up knowing that your discount will be applied.

Didn't know about them. So there ya go, More Ports; two options!

MedJet Assist. Easily found online. They're not insurance, per se, as they are quick to point out. Strictly a travel evacuation company that offers "membership." Basic gets you medically evacuated to a hospital of your choice at home. (This assumes your hospital can take you; if not, then another one in your home town or closest available.) The political unrest evac is a supplemental add-on called "Horizon." Roughly another 20% cost. We learned about them on this forum; have been "members" for many years now; have never needed them. But who knows what tomorrow may bring?

"I coulda been a contendah!"

Now that I'd like to see. (...and be able to do! 🤣)

I remember probably those same casino bar pix from our first Riviera cruise in 2014. Picasso lithos (or faux copies) from what one might call his "priapic" period. We weren't offended by them but.....one needn't be a prude to sense they were out of place aboard an Oceania ship. There are about a jillion pieces of art extant that could be hung without actively offending even a few passengers. We did not venture to find out during our second Riviera cruise in 2022 whether they are still on display there. But as they were B&W, it wouldn't be surprising.

True dat, but wonderful is in the eye of the beholder. Based on our post-"Oceania Next" cruise aboard Riviera last October, one is compelled to mention that at least PW's stuff has some color to it. FDR has clearly gone down the "grey/white/black is the new color palate" rabbit hole. Yes, it's au courant, but it's like being inside a 1930s B&W "Flash Gordon" episode.

I would add, as a person who has booked via the same small-but-connected agency the past 20 years, that my agent is coming off of virtually no commissions during the Covid disaster. My pension and SS kept coming throughout, but her bookings did not. She's now in catch-up mode and it's my turn to help her by not expecting rebates or other financial goodies after all the great service she's provided (and continues to provide) for so long. As Lyn said, YMMV. If I were seeking a new agent for a first-time booking, my attitude might be different.