Tom-n-Cheryl

Us CC'ers, we're a diverse group - with a shared obsession. 🙂 Tom

You could get a ~12 oz Miller Lite with a splash of alcohol, or get a can (nearly 20 oz) of Hazy IPA at close to 7% alcohol. Apples to apples it ain't. Tom

Ugh... heading to Melting Pot this afternoon for a birthday (to pay to cook my own food). I'll keep a smile pasted on my face - LOL Tom

I don't think I've used mine in perhaps a year. They do work great for roasts, and a rib recipe I tried. The last one I tried was a major fail. As it turned out, the recommended temp for the beef roast recipe I went with was right at the low cut-off point (long/slow cook), and instead of a tender and succulent roast (hey, it may have been, but)... we managed to brew up a potent batch of lactobacillus - it had a very pungent odor when I opened up the bag. I suppose if this had happened during the year or so after I had COVID, I would have been unaware! Tom

I wasn't proposing that as being a savings, but it does come with some other perks as well - that some people will value, others not. Having a dedicated suite restraunt for THREE meals each day (no silly "brunch") is something we enjoy. Reserved seating at shows could be handy - we've used that a couple of times, allowing us to come shortly before a show a get a decent seat vs. having to arrive way earlier. Again, there's a cost to everything. Tom

I can't recall how that steak was served, other than it was ordered rare (probably an issue given the fat - should have allowed more to melt away)! But, the casino was paying for it, so it was "free"... LMAO... EDIT - oh, regarding cooking the steak cold, my first job was at a mall steakhouse (York Steakhouse) as a broiler chef. I easily had 10,000 steaks under my belt before I was 18 - all cooked cold. My favorite was a #4 - a hamburger (rare), and I'd trek over to the salad bar and grab thousand island dressing. Granted, that was mass market steak to be sure. Tom

Next, they'll be removing all the funnels from the fleet 😄 Tom

I had a steak similar to that at Prime (Bellagio), and honestly found it toooo marbled (fatty) to enjoy. I never thought I'd say that, but !!! Tom

I picked these up at Walmart (yes, you read that correctly) a couple of weeks ago, and broke in our new grill. These steaks (brought to room temp, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper) were as good as they looked - and that doesn't always happen. 10 out of 10 !! -- oh, and a generous portion of horseradish !! Tom

Oh, and they do - that's been brought up more than once! Tom

Yep, for everything, there is a price to be paid (sometimes in spades)! EDIT - OH, and I've never approached the 15 drink limit anyway ! Tom

Man - I wonder how thick the concrete under the ship must be !! Tom

I can't recall, do any other lines have daily limits? The thing I like about Royal is that, by being Diamond with them, they put 4 free drinks on your card/account every day - to use where you please. In addition to that, booking in a suite, I can get wine/beer throughout most of the day in the suite lounge - and, from something like 5-7pm (or 8?) they'll include mixed drinks in there too. With that scenario, I'd be hard pressed to consider adding in a drink package ! Celebrity is much the same - though booking a suite with them generally includes a premium beverage package to begin with, so... Yep - to some degree, the cost of those "included" drinks on both of those lines are built into the cabin pricing. I can see if someone is not a drinker, that they might feel they're paying for something they're not receiving any benefit from. Tom

I've really been enjoying your very detailed review! We'll be onboard 5/3 for a quick 3-nighter ... giving a Signature Suite a try. We really enjoy the Reflection. I was sad to learn from Sini & Liz that, on our cruise at least, the Lawn Club Grill will not be open for lunch (two days, two ports), so no specialty burgers for me. I was, on the other hand, pleased to see that they're going to have The Porch open those two port days (we're not planning on visiting Nassau or CocoCay). Mexologist - I like that! I'm kind of a lightweight, but I don't think I could manage 5+1 drinks then a swim, LOL !! Tom

I'd have to be very much in need to utilize their laundry service. We've used it on rare occasions, but don't send them anything you value (or don't want whites to turn slightly grey, etc). The fact that they now have the guest request/seek out most of the perks was a smart move. So much of the junk they give is something I'd either trash or give away anyway. Tom

FWIW - I'm not a fan of their brunch, especially what it's morphed into over the years. Good cost savings on their part though. And, to me at least, there's nothing about that meal (atmosphere/selections/etc.) that makes me want to mix in an adult beverage with it.

Correct - just a different set of rules. Tom

Yep - but I wonder if it's hot enough to boil water... lol

I wonder if these really work, and if Carnival would allow them onboard. Of course, there's that whole "is there bright sun on my balcony?" issue... LINK Tom

Carnival almost (ALMOST) "gave in" to popular demand. We had a presidential suite booked for the second sailing of the Mardi Gras - 8/7/21. I'd been keeping a close watch on various sites/pages trying to gather all the info I could. I was very pleased to see that, in that category at least, they were now listing a Coffee Maker as one of the features (that page was "current" as recently as 6/29/21). Wouldn't you know it... the one thing (I noticed) that they ended up pulling from the feature list - after appearing there for 2-1/2 years - with under a month before she set sail (updated page 7/13/21)? You guessed it ! I'm sure it was so that someone didn't accidently start a fire right above the bridge with the Ronco 😉 coffee pot they provided... right... Tom

True. Our youngest was Platinum when the program started - and never spent a penny (that wasn't mine). Tom

We've made a few trips to the Naughty Room. Once was when they spied a flat iron (hair) and said they would not allow it onboard. Let's just say, don't tell Cheryl she can't take her personal items (could have been the last time we sailed Carnival, but they came around). Another trip down there they thought they spied a knife in our suitcase... turned out to be a metal shoehorn. Actually, almost every trip down there (there have been several) were cases of overzealous screeners or misinterpretation of their own guidelines. I honestly can't recall ever being subjected to the same scrutiny on other lines. Some will hear that and cheer on Carnival, others will see it differently. 😉 Tom

Well, at least being Diamond, our laundry is covered. 😁

I've scratched my head regarding this for years. It's like the owl and the Tootsie Roll lollipop... The world may never know! To.

I wonder what makes Celebrity, NCL, Royal so different (wiring?) such that they offer kettles in some cabins (and coffee makers in many more). Heck, on NCL I was able to request a full size iron for use in our room. Tom