Jewel Day by Day Photo Review 11/16/2013 (Southern Caribbean)

[Familygoboston]

Orient Beach on our own

 

At about 9 we headed out to the pier and made our way to the cab stand.

 

(port at SMX)

 

 

 

 

 

(Welcome plaza at the pier)

 

 

 

 

 

(Shops at the pier)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There we shared a van with 4 others and one crew person ($6 pp, we paid $15 with tip)

 

We ended up with one who ended up in the wrong cab! He was a crew member who misunderstood where the cab was headed and once we got past Phillipsburg to the first circle, the cabbie had to turn around and bring him back to the Phillipsburg cab stand because we were headed in the wrong direction from where he wanted to go!

 

if you'd like to see photos of the cab stand; the cab prices and Phillipsburg- see the Allure review in my signature...when we visited St Maarten in April.

[Five5]

We are loving your review! Although we didn't do the meet and mingle, we unknowingly did Norman Island together!

[Familygoboston]

Orient Beach

Where I am generous enough to share my favorite "secret" beach

 

After the detour, we were dropped at Village Du Orient (VDO) cab circle, which is at the VDO shopping center and where the Bikini Beach club is located. The Bikini Beach Club was closed and under construction, for those who are Bikini fans.

 

When facing the ocean from the cab circle, you can go right, to the south side, where the large nudist colony is located, or head left, north, toward the Islet Pinel.

 

Now, I am going to share my favorite beach with you...you know how people are proprietary about their favorite places? They won't tell you about the best restaurant, or beach (or even aft cabins) in hope of decreasing the amount of folks competing for those as yet "undiscovered" gems! Well, I am not one of those people...I am willing to risk a slightly larger group of cruisers showing up at our favorite beach so that I can share with you a really terrific place!

 

 

Our "secret" beach is Coco (light blue umbrellas) Coco is not the cheapest place to get an umbrella and 2 chairs, but it's our favorite after a week long stay there a few years ago, for a couple of reasons:

-on the north part of the beach there is "more" beachfront; some of the other clubs are rapidly losing sand and you have to hop down a cliff to get to the water.

-some of the clubs on the north side charge less ($14 for 2 chairs and a couple of beers!) but the chairs are literally on top of each other; great if you are traveling with a big group, but not very romantic for a couple.

-Coco, doesn't pump out music from the building onto the beach, so you hear the ocean.

-Because Coco is the beach club located the furthest north, it requires a 1/4 mile walk to reach it. That walk thins the herd considerably, so we find "our" beach is never crowded!

 

So there, I have shared our special beach with you...if you don't mind a little walk and few extra bucks, you will see why we love it so much!! (Now you owe me!!;))

 

 

Normally, you would be charged $20 for 2 chairs and an umbrella; the beach boy service is very good and if you run a tab and/or buy lunch, they don't charge you for the chairs. We paid $3.50 USD for a fruit juice and 100 USD for lunch, so they did not charge us for the chair. You could eat lunch for less if you just get nachos or a burger.

 

 

We had lunch in the beach bar, which honestly, is usually the best food of the week, and it did not disappoint this year. DH had a burger, which the adorable but snooty waiter fully expected but I went for a tuna tagliatelle special, this lead to a raised eyebrow and I think I went up just a pinch in his esteem. The Tagliarani dish was tuna tartare on arugula with little dabs of caviar and fresh shaved parmesan cheese, (AT THE BEACH, I KNOW! It's cause it's French, even at the beach you get caviar and fresh shaved parmesan cheese, and the arugula that practically snapped it was so fresh, I mean , why doesn't everyone cook like these people!)

 

We enjoyed the beach, swimming in the surf, walks along the beach and I was able to buy a hat from a strolling vendor like the one my DD bought in SMX in April and I have since coveted.

 

 

(Coco- here I am at the beach restaurant in my new hat! Don't I look happy and squinty!)

 

 

 

 

(a look at the beautiful ocean view from the chairs)

 

 

 

 

What $20 get you at Coco- 2 chairs and an umbrella, and space between you and the next guys:rolleyes:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch, more reading and another swim, we walked back to where Bikini beach should be, and saw two cabbies - one with a giant SUV who likely would have held us captive till 4 more people showed up and a guy with a smaller car who was happy to leave right away for $18 bucks - we took the right away guy- time is money!

 

He was a wonderful Curaçao native who told us a story of leaving Curaçao for a two week vacation to come to St Marteen 33 years ago and calling his wife and telling her he was staying, and she could pack her bags and the two kids or not! :eek: Luckily, she did and he's still happily married and doing marriage counseling as a public speaker for his church around the island today. (It's great what you learn when you just talk to folks!)

 

We don't have many photos of Coco because snapping photos on a nude beach is generally frowned upon. The day we were there, there was very little nudity, a few topless folks walking by, but one likes to respect the "culture" of a place and we decided not to be snap happy since it's implicitly discouraged.

[Familygoboston]

Back on Board

 

We were back at the ship at 3 and we got a few photos for all of you of the port area, which is well organized and laid out. It's very open and new and it's very easy to find the cabs and the walking path or the water shuttle to Phillipsburg.

 

 

We had an ice cream in the Windjammer, which was hoppin' but as usual not too crowded (it breaks my heart to imagine they will "redesign" this beautiful space very soon to create specialty dining.)

 

We did the towel swap at the pool, texted DD at home, and had a (another) nap.

 

We watched sail away and there was a lovely sunset.

 

(most of the ports have a "working area" and these containers and cranes)

 

 

 

 

(Independence all lit up)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Sunset Phillipsburg, St Maarten)

 

 

 

 

 

(Sunset and Saba in the background)

[Familygoboston]

We are loving your review! Although we didn't do the meet and mingle, we unknowingly did Norman Island together!

 

No kidding!! Were you part of the crowd on the bow?? They were having a great time! We met several folks on that tour...did we meet?

[smeck]

Day 3 Saint Maarten

Jewel Meets her big sister, Independence

 

(Pano with Independence docked in port)

 

 

The weather got quite a bit rougher overnight, I kept waking because on the aft you really hear the stabilizers thunking, (or a door somewhere) and the cabin creaking. It's really to be expected on any ship, but I'm a light sleeper so I woke often even though I was able to fall back to sleep. We woke up early still making our way into SMX, as we arrived we docked alongside Independence on her first cruise out of FLL since making her TA from Britain.

 

(Independence and Jewel in port)

 

 

 

 

 

(the whole day, when some crew would have a break they would arrange to "meet" on the deck and "chat" across the pier to one another from Indy to Jewel. It was really fun to watch these friends who had probably worked together in the past, greeting each other after a long summer away)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our plan for the day was to go to our favorite little beach club out on Orient beach. During our last visit in April, we did a Segway tour in Phillipsburg with our girls, so we never got over to Orient Beach. We were happy to be going back!

 

We got our swim suits on and had a nice breakfast in the WJ, which was quite full. We didn't choose to have room service breakfast on the balcony because DH really enjoyed the selection at the WJ.

 

We did try RS one day when we had an early excursion; we put the menu out on the door around midnight, (well before the 3 AM deadline) but because our cabin was around the corner, it never got noticed by the RS crew. I am sure they just peered down the hall, saw no menus and left, but of course our room was around the corner at the very end, and they wouldn't have seen it hanging unless they walked all the way to the end. Luckily, we had set a walk up call, and didn't rely on RS arriving as our wake up call!

 

We have found that on this cruise it's quite comfortable to join others at a big table and often they don't speak the same language, so you don't feel obligated to converse beyond thank you and hello, unless you choose to. But we never had trouble finding a table because there are so many! We usually sent one person to sit and the other went to the buffet; this prevented us having to walk around with full plates of food looking for a table, but it did mean it was hard to "pace" the meal so we were both eating at the same time. The Jewel WJ has an eggs to order and omelet station, which is very nice!

 

As crowded as the Windjammer gets on the Allure you are seated by the staff which makes the buffet Experience a lot more tolerable. I hope they institute it fleet wide.

[Familygoboston]

Dinner; Ruining your own engagement moment and other coincidences

 

 

 

Day 3 dinner Pimento Menu:

 

Shrimp Insalata Mista

Lasagna

Garlic Tiger Shrimp

Chicken Marsala

Eggplant Parmigiana

 

We had dinner at 7 and sat near a lovely young couple from Britain, who got engaged on the first cruise of their back to back. We had a nice chat about engagements and DH's theory that every woman somehow ruins her own engagement moment (usually unknowingly!)

For example- I know I did begging off dinner because I was too tired, and my SIL who refused to walk to the "spot" where my BIL wanted to propose because she had her heels on. ( share your own with us to prove its true!!

 

Our theory proved true for this couple. The young couple told us that young man had the ring in his pocket when young lady fled the MDR with a touch of seasickness! Fortunately, all ends well and he did the deed on shore the next day to ensure she would have no "motion moment"! And it warmed my heart to hear them both say "that just gives us a better story to tell"...I think they are gonna make it!;):D I think they made loads of friends on board with their good news, and we hope they will share some wedding photos on Face Book after the big day!

 

We had another fun moment at dinner when the chef came around to introduce himself and get feed back about the meals. I let him know we liked the new menus because we do!

 

At the table next to us the Chef realized that the gentleman was his own cousin! When they stood up to shake hands and embrace, you could really see a family resemblance! The folks next to us didn't speak much English, but we understood that neither man realized that the other was on board, so it was a real coincidence! Later in the week, the Chef brought his cell phone out and had photo take with his cousin, no doubt to share with relatives back home (which I think was Montenegro!) It's a small world and none smaller than a small cruise ship- it's one of the things I love about a smaller ship!

 

I had garlic tiger shrimp and DH had lasagna, but it was the conversation and surprises that made the evening truly delightful!!

[Familygoboston]

This evenings entertainment....

 

On our way back to our cabin we met the captain on the stair, I expressed our delight about seeing the crew sharing greetings after a long summer apart from their friends, and he told us that many of them have become good friends over years of working together in the company.

 

We found Capt Gus friendly and accessible throughout the cruise. I've noticed that the newer Captains really have an amazing level of "customer service"; they truly seem to enjoy interacting with guests and hospitality seems to be an increasingly important second goal of their job (with the safe operation of the vessel being job one!)

 

Capt Gus spoke at the Crown and Anchor event on this evening, which we did not attend because it was at 7:45 PM and we had dinner at 7 PM. But another young couple we did an excursion with said Capt Gus did a talk about his background and rise to captain, that they felt was inspirational!! The young man we were with wanted him to come speak to his young son's hockey team!

 

That he made such an impression on newer cruisers tells me that Royal is right on with trying to entice younger and new folks into cruising by changing the experience to be something that younger folks are excited about. As many years as I have cruised, I really believe that to stay relevant and solvent; these travel companies have to stay current with the times! Changes such as more "hospitality" engaged captains, "virtual" coupons, more pervasive communications options on board, and flexible dining options, all move towards engaging a younger cruising public, and ultimately will help with the health of the industry.

 

I know I am on my soap box- but we saw a similar thing at the Senior Center where I have worked. When the boomers started becoming "seniors", we had to re think offering only "bingo" and trips to the chicken farm for dinner which didn't appeal to them and kept them away from the center. But when we created an active daily walking group and started offering art museum tours instead, those more active seniors started getting involved!

 

I'm a loyal Royal and think that choices which ensure the long time health of the company are good for me too because it means my favorite line will be around for a long time! And this is not to say I want the cruise line to push the "old style" cruising experience away. I think one of the things that the Royal does well is offering a wide range of activities to appeal to a wide range of people! (Okay, stepping off the soap box now...little help here, I'm not mid to late 40's anymore!)

 

The show tonight was the production show- West End to Broadway. It was offered at 7 and 9 PM. I had seen it in February and it didn't appeal to me, and I was pretty sure DH wouldn't find it interesting, and, of course, we had a big Monday Night Football game between the Patriots and Carolina to watch! Briefly, the best way I can describe it is that it is all the least memorable songs from your favorite musicals! The talent was fine when I saw it, I just didn't love the production.

 

(Pano of the Coral Theater from our balcony spot)

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner I changed into my Patriot's tee shirt and we picked our pole position in the Pit Stop for the MNF game. There was another good crowd

 

 

 

 

 

(Pit Stop)

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed stopping into the Pit Stop to check NFL scores, but 1/2 the lounge is smoking...which means the WHOLE lounge is smoking:rolleyes: Another recent change I am looking forward to...when the ships no longer allow smoking indoors. There weren't many smokers on this cruise relative to other cruises we've done, but with a wide open space between the smoking and non smoking casino and Pit Stop bar...pretty much the whole area is smoky, and it is just about the only way to make your way to the balcony area of the theater. if you are super sensitive, go through the Centrum on deck 5 and enter the balcony from the lower level of the theater. (disclaimer- I have nothing against smokers, I love several smokers...I just hate smoke...I have people I love who eat meat and I don't, but I'm never forced eat what's left of their pork rinds;))

 

If you are a smoker, Jewel has a very nice cigar bar on deck 13 in the Hollywood Odyssey Lounge. This lounge is more "enclosed" and includes an outdoor area near the rock wall, (which isn't used at night, obviously) for an outdoor smoke if you like. One can smell a little smoke in the elevator hall, but overall, the rest of the public rooms on that level are relatively smoke free.

 

(Cigar selection at the Hollywood Odyssey)

 

 

 

 

 

Back to our game...

It was a depressing last minute loss for our Patriots, on a weird official's call...so that was pretty unsatisfying, but at least it was entertaining, and we enjoyed watching with our new found fellow Patriots fans (and a couple of people who weren't really Carolina fans but just Patriots haters:p) Because the game was broadcast on Daylight Savings Time, it was after 1 AM before we got settled into bed!

 

So, that was a lot of opinions...I promised I wouldn't hold back! Up next the Day 3 Compii...

Edited December 5, 2013 by Familygoboston

[Familygoboston]

Cruise Compasses Day 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(babies and tots for the whole week)

 

 

 

 

 

I also scanned the kids and teens compii and will post that on another day! (I really hate the 6 picture limit per post!! I'd put a frownie face here, but I've tapped out my image limit for this post, I'd put a wink after that but...Oh, Never mind...roll eyes!)

[Familygoboston]

Lets just get this out of the way:

 

Many bits have been spilled here on CC about sailing out of SJ, some of it quite bigoted; complaints about Latin music, people not speaking English, crowds cutting in line or being to loud, even a recent review chastising overweight people. :rolleyes: Other people adore sailing from San Juan, (see CKrobyns thread and the folks who contribute there.) So there are plenty of bigots and boosters out there, but I'd like to concentrate on the differences I noticed on this itinerary and home port, and my own opinions about it.

 

PR is in the United States, but has a strongly influenced Spanish culture from 400 years of occupation by Spain (before the island was relinquished to the US about 100 years ago - see I was listening to the tour guides at El Morro!;)) so the people there speak Spanish. It's relatively inexpensive to sail from your home port since you don't need to fly, and so there are plenty of Puerto Ricans onboard, including some large families who probably find it a bargain to plan a reunion and not have to fly everyone to port.

 

 

The families on board from PR were not any different from how my own extended family might behave on a cruise; it takes a little while for everyone to collect and move around, people stop mid hallway and dither about which way to go, and who is going, and who is going to help wheel Abuela off the ship, or hold the 3 yo olds hand. There is lots of laughing, loud talking, horse play between preteen cousins and scolding of them by parents for misbehaving. This is probably not unlike the scene most of us experienced in our own homes on Thanksgiving just last week!

 

 

The announcements are offered in Spanish as well as English. The entertainment is geared in a dual way- you can find a lounge act ending his show with Lee *********'s "I'm Proud to be an American" in the Coral theater while the Latin band is playing in the Centrum. The CD is from Wales, her assistant translates everything to Spanish. The captain is an Argentinean whose first language is Spanish, but I found his English to be the most understandable of any captain we've had on any ship in 25 years of cruising.

 

I don't speak but a little Spanish, but I can read and understand most Spanish and the people around me were not discussing their fellow passengers, they were busy planning their own days and enjoying their own families! We met some delightful couples from PR and did our best to communicate in fractured English and Spanish. Conversational times were scheduled at the Schooner Bar in the Cruise Compass- I don't know how many people participated, but if you want to practice your Spanish or English, this would be a fun way to do it!

 

In addition to all our fellow American cruisers (from both PR and the mainland), this was a very international cruise. I know for myself when I am visiting a country far, far away, I like to fit in as many places as I can sample in the short time I'm there. I think it was the same for the Aussies, Brits, Dutch, Germans, Japanese and other international guests we had the pleasure of meeting. The appeal of a cruise with 5 ports in 6 days attracted a younger, more active, international crowd than cruises we've done from FL.

 

I found people to be better behaved on this cruise than many others I have done. So I am not even sure where the "I'm not judging, but people were rude" threads come from. Maybe we just got lucky with a great group of passengers who respectful of each other's limited differences, and preferred to focus on our many similarities and having fun!

 

ETA: I just noticed, that the name of the country star who sings "proud to be an American", got "starred" out by CC...does he sell cruises???;) If you don't know who he is (and I'm not sure how THATS possible if you live in the US!) you can google it!

Edited December 5, 2013 by Familygoboston

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for offering your opinion. It is not unlike the opinion I formed after our last cruise out of San Juan. To be perfectly honest I don't remember thinking anything about the demographics of the cruise except that it was nice to have such a diverse people getting along in one place. And the Latin music? We were in the Caribbean and it just added to the flavor of the cruise.

 

The only time I have ever felt the least bit uncomfortable with any of our fellow passengers was on the Explorer out of New Jersey. Like any cruise there were a large amount of people who live in that area. Most were lovely people, except for the bad behavior of some of our tablemates who would give any NY stereotype a bad name and would have probably embarrassed most of the good people from that area. It was so bad that we gave up the MDR after the third night.:mad: And music.....I did get a bit tired of hearing "New York, New York" played in every venue over and over again. That added nothing to the flavor of our Eastern Caribbean cruise.:rolleyes: BUT, we still had a wonderful cruise and I did not come back to CC and bash all of those "New Yorkers" because of a few bad apples (pun intended).:o

 

So yes, the cruise lines do cater to the area from which they depart. That's ok. If they could get a cruise ship up the Salt River in Phoenix we would be on it! And you never know how people may react to "those people from Arizona".;)

Edited December 5, 2013 by Sunny AZ Girl

[Familygoboston]

LOL, Ginny, it would be like that Disney Cruiseline ad where the ships plows across the country! And I have to laugh about your New York experience because although we could drive to the port there, DH says we won't survive going into "enemy territory" with all those Yankee, Giants, and Jets fans! So we haven't done a NY cruises ;) I'm considering Quantum, but I'm holding out to see where Anthem goes- I don't like the idea of 2-4 cold at sea days.

 

I agree 100% about wanting some of the culture of the place where you are to be onboard! Our French Polynesia cruise was so much better because the entertainment was French Polynesian dancing and drumming...that was part of what made it a great cruise- same with Europe or anywhere else, you want to have some local flavor I think!

 

I forgot to mention that I also noticed the some of the food in the WJ catered to a preference to "spicier" - more peppers, and hot sauce in some offerings, which for me was a big plus since my biggest gripe is usually that the buffet food is to "white and bland", not enough fresh, colorful and spice for me. The regular old stuff was there too, but for example, in addition to regular scrambled eggs, there jalapeño scrambled eggs (which DH loved)

[windjamming]

I found people to be better behaved on this cruise than many others I have done. So I am not even sure where the "I'm not judging, but people were rude" threads come from. Maybe we just got lucky with a great group of passengers who respectful of each other's limited differences, and preferred to focus on our many similarities and having fun!

 

I found the same on our cruise in May. In general, I found fellow passengers to be just nicer. Lots of smiles, holding doors open, and friendly conversation. There was a warmth and inclusiveness that I never felt anywhere else. I was ready to move to San Juan when we disembarked!

 

Of course…it may be I feel this way as comparison. I am from New Jersey, after all. : )

[MDSue]

Lets just get this out of the way:

 

Many bits have been spilled here on CC about sailing out of SJ, some of it quite bigoted; complaints about Latin music, people not speaking English, crowds cutting in line or being to loud, even a recent review chastising overweight people. :rolleyes: Other people adore sailing from San Juan, (see CKrobyns thread and the folks who contribute there.) So there are plenty of bigots and boosters out there, but I'd like to concentrate on the differences I noticed on this itinerary and home port, and my own opinions about it.

 

 

Loving your review!

 

We've sailed out of San Juan 3-4 times and it is my favorite port to sail from. I too, find some of the negative posts about sailing from San Juan a bit offensive. I love the diversity of the people from Puerto Rico and appreciate our similarities and differences. I also love some of the Latin entertainment that they offer on the ship on different nights. If people don't like Latin music, there are certainly many other entertainment options on the ship.

The ship definitely has a lot of native Puerto Ricans as well as many other nationalities, but that by no means affects the enjoyment of my cruise.

 

We think of San Juan as a bonus port and we always add a few days to our trip just to enjoy our time there. I hate it when people make comments that there is nothing to do at this port. I think it's great that it is different from every other port in the Caribbean and there is so much to see and do in Old San Juan.

 

 

Variety is the spice of life and one of the reasons I love to cruise!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

of course…it may be i feel this way as comparison. I am from new jersey, after all. : )

lol!:d

[The Big Booper]

First time I have read one of your reviews and it is great!

 

Are the two AW Nikons waterproofs? You seem to snorkel a lot and that would make sense.

 

Bosox and Patriot fans are a lot safer in NY then NY team fans in Boston. My DW is annoyed that you didn't mention the Mets in your post about why you won't sail from NY, she grew up in Queens a mile from Shea.

Edited December 6, 2013 by The Big Booper

[BillOh]

ETA: I just noticed, that the name of the country star who sings "proud to be an American", got "starred" out by CC...does he sell cruises???;) If you don't know who he is (and I'm not sure how THATS possible if you live in the US!) you can google it!

 

Hmm, I have to try that Lee *********. I wonder is it Green? I don't think so, wood? I also get amused when I mention the name of one of the days menus the SHEETALKA menu ****ake. And then I also find it amusing another forum that I frequent wouldn't let you use the word spoon because the last 4 letters of that were considered offensive back in 1932. That forum it was hard not to mention the spoon as a unit of measurement. I became a moderator of that forum just so I could change that ! Back to the review.

Edited December 6, 2013 by BillOh

[Familygoboston]

 

Of course…it may be I feel this way as comparison. I am from New Jersey, after all. : )

 

LoL! That sort of goes along with something I say all the time about a group I mat have been part of... "Everyone was so nice, there were no jerks...unless I was the jerk":eek:

 

 

Loving your review!

 

Variety is the spice of life and one of the reasons I love to cruise!

Amen, Sister...thanks for your kind words!

[Familygoboston]

First time I have read one of your reviews and it is great!

 

Are the two AW Nikons waterproofs? You seem to snorkel a lot and that would make sense.

 

Bosox and Patriot fans are a lot safer in NY then NY team fans in Boston. My DW is annoyed that you didn't mention the Mets in your post about why you won't sail from NY, she grew up in Queens a mile from Shea.

LOL! See? you guys are already getting up in my grill already;):D Yeh, the Mets!! My poor BIL is from LI, and is a Mets, Jets, & Rangers fan...despite the misery we cannot convert him!

 

Not long ago, we bought the small AW110 to replace an older AW100 that had a fogging problem. The new small one is much better about not fogging for sure and I really like to use it (I use it as my only camera when I cruise alone)

 

Shortly after we go that, DH saw that the AW 1 came out and he likes that its a more traditional camera, but water and shock proof. He loved using it, but we did have one small problem in Dominica. he stumbled coming in from the water and he landed on the camera on top of the black volcanic sand. The sand was forced into the shutter button and the sand made the shutter stay "partially" depressed and the camera couldn't be used. Fortunately, it was during the last 15 minutes of our tour and DH had brought the D800 too, so we didn't miss any shots. he was a little worried since it was brand new. As soon as we got it back to the cabin, he rinsed it in the sink and kept working the shutter, within a few seconds all the sand was out and in the bottom of the sink and the camera was perfectly operational again with no ill effects to the future images. He's very happy with the images and the better screen on the AW1. I was surprised that sand would affect it that way since it's built for the beach, but I guess it would be a better snorkel or shallow dive camera (I think it's 15 meters) and the AW110 would be better for a true, hanging on the sand beach experience. DH really feels it wasn't just becasue we were near "sand", it was that he went down on top of it and really fell with his weight onto the the camera. It was otherwise unaffected.

 

Hmm, I have to try that Lee *********. I wonder is it Green? I don't think so, wood? I also get amused when I mention the name of one of the days menus the SHEETALKA menu ****ake. And then I also find it amusing another forum that I frequent wouldn't let you use the word spoon because the last 4 letters of that were considered offensive back in 1932. That forum it was hard not to mention the spoon as a unit of measurement. I became a moderator of that forum just so I could change that ! Back to the review.

 

I have had that happen when discussing the mushroom menu myself!! I also had some real challenges trying to post about the signature bird of the Galapagos islands...I couldn't name them, but I could show pictures!!:p;)

 

The only thing I can think of is if there is some giant online company by that last name>???:confused: If there is I never heard of it until it got XXX'ed out:rolleyes:

Edited December 6, 2013 by Familygoboston

[Emdee]

On the issue of Puerto Ricans when cruising out of San Juan...

 

Love to watch them dance in the centrum - you can really feel the rhythm.

 

DD on the other hand was jabbed in the elevator and verbally assaulted for being one of the 'rude puerto ricans' when all she had done was enter the elevator. She responded that she was a Canadian! We are of East Indian origin so therein lay the confusion.

[Familygoboston]

On the issue of Puerto Ricans when cruising out of San Juan...

 

Love to watch them dance in the centrum - you can really feel the rhythm.

 

DD on the other hand was jabbed in the elevator and verbally assaulted for being one of the 'rude puerto ricans' when all she had done was enter the elevator. She responded that she was a Canadian! We are of East Indian origin so therein lay the confusion.

 

Oh, That's awful...and I don't "know" your DD, but based on how "proper" you are (and I mean that in a good way:D) Emdee, I can't imagine she was rude to anyone! You would hope that people could at least open their minds and not have pre conceived notions, even if they are totally ignorant (who can confuse a person of East Asian descent with a person of Latin descent? :confused: Maybe they've never met anyone who looks different from themselves, but don't they watch tv?????) Im sorry that happened to her, Im sure it was upsetting!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

DD on the other hand was jabbed in the elevator and verbally assaulted for being one of the 'rude puerto ricans' when all she had done was enter the elevator. She responded that she was a Canadian! We are of East Indian origin so therein lay the confusion.

There is no excuse for that! Before the person in question calls someone rude next time they need to take a look in the mirror.:mad:

[windjamming]

LoL! That sort of goes along with something I say all the time about a group I mat have been part of... "Everyone was so nice, there were no jerks...unless I was the jerk":eek:

 

So true. And niceness is contagious, well until it's not. I just got back from Disney, where every cast member just is the epitome of friendliness, from characters to hotel maintenance.

 

You can imagine my culture shock when I greeted a construction worker on Monday morning in NYC when I came back to work and was given an icy scowl! Lol.

 

And as for Boston, I went to school across the river, so I have a soft spot for the Sox.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Familygoboston]

So true. And niceness is contagious, well until it's not. I just got back from Disney, where every cast member just is the epitome of friendliness, from characters to hotel maintenance.

 

You can imagine my culture shock when I greeted a construction worker on Monday morning in NYC when I came back to work and was given an icy scowl! Lol.

 

And as for Boston, I went to school across the river, so I have a soft spot for the Sox.

 

 

I know just where you went, ;) It's a thing that people never say, they just say, "I went to school in Boston"! :D. Those of us who live near here, know the "code"! You are welcome to join the bandwagon of pink hats whenever you like!

 

I did find this Jewel staff to be friendly and personable, seems like a top down sort of attitude!

 

 

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I'm working on St Kitts today, hopefully can get that up later today!

[easy_123]

I was at Cxxxx (big box, membership required store) yesterday. The Nikon AW 110 on sale for $199.99 (100 dollars off). It appears that is waterproof to a depth of 59 feet for an hour.