​⛴️​ LIVE from Allure ​🎠​ out of Galveston - Ozark_Kid and brillohead team up for a duo-thread: Jan 22, 2023

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

 

There's a monopoly skating show that gets mixed reviews. Professional-ish skaters doing stuff along with a loose story line. That is what you need reservations for (or not, may be stand by availability). I don't know about any games at the rink.

 

They did have some ice skating sessions available when we were on. First come, first serve. Check the daily schedule. My teens went. You need long pants. 

Quest is held in Studio B... The skating venue. 

[George C]

4 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

That is a decent looking sandwich (just missing the au jus and horseradish).  Finally a piece of beef that is not half fat.

The roast beef sandwich I had last year looked just like that , glad we skipped CK for lunch, that was far superior.

[Sunshine3601]

9 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Yes and looks like we were sitting on the same side.  Wish we noticed each other.  It would of been fun sitting together.  

Here is a pics of the balancing guys you mentioned. 

 

 

 

 

Amazing what they do and on a moving cruise ship😀

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, slyster said:

 

Thank you so much for checking!  I'm glad it was confirmed the solarium has made-to-order omelettes.  Didn't realize it would be tricky to find.  I will be honest...I have never been in the solarium bistro for any reason before LOL.  Now I have a reason!

You doubted me. 😮‍💨

Edited January 24, 2023 by Ocean Boy

[Sunshine3601]

6 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I was waiting for her to say that she hooked up with the random dude and they are now engaged to be married.  🤯

Debbi does not work as a barista as far as I know 🤣

[LATTELOVE]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

Chatted with @Ozark_Kid for a couple of hours up on Deck 16, then decided to get my sea day salad at Park Cafe:

 

 

And while I was there, I figured I should get a Roast Beef Sandwich to post on this thread:

 

 

For people curious about the freeze damage in Central Park and for those who claim that all the plants are in pots, here's a pic of an empty area, and also an area with plants that are very obviously NOT in pots (unless you're calling the huge square containers of dirt "pots").

 

WOW!!

Sad, I have not seen Central Park looking

so bad.  Time to replant quickly.

 

[BonTexasNY]

8 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Amazing what they do and on a moving cruise ship😀

I was just going to post that.  It seems whenever I want to post something, someone beats me too it.  I think I need to come in here more often. 🤨

[Sunshine3601]

Just now, BonTexasNY said:

I was just going to post that.  It seems whenever I want to post something, someone beats me too it.  I think I need to come in here more often. 🤨

I know what you mean.   That happens to me a lot too😀     I like to think of it as "great minds think alike".

[bobmacliberty]

19 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

That is a decent looking sandwich (just missing the au jus and horseradish).  Finally a piece of beef that is not half fat.

 

Eh.  Better than the normal fatty pieces, that's for sure, but still far short of the real thing.  Don't know why they don't get a deli slicer and make them look/taste better.

 

[LATTELOVE]

16 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Quest is held in Studio B... The skating venue. 

Not sure if the Quest is back since Covid hit.

We love that game show.

[DavidMutchler]

On 1/23/2023 at 3:22 PM, brillohead said:

Yes, they had these new menus last week, too.

They have French Onion Soup and Shrimp Cocktail offered on several nights, but not every night.

I have not cruised in about 15 years, but it used to be that on Royal Caribbean, if you wanted something from the previous day's menu, all you had to do is ask.  Is that no longer the case?  (It was also unlimited filet mignon back then.  My 8 year-old ordered filet mignon every night!)

[Ourusualbeach]

17 minutes ago, LATTELOVE said:

Not sure if the Quest is back since Covid hit.

We love that game show.

Started back up about a month ago

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, DavidMutchler said:

I have not cruised in about 15 years, but it used to be that on Royal Caribbean, if you wanted something from the previous day's menu, all you had to do is ask.  Is that no longer the case? 

Hasn't been that way in years.

[George C]

24 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Eh.  Better than the normal fatty pieces, that's for sure, but still far short of the real thing.  Don't know why they don't get a deli slicer and make them look/taste better.

 

The best beef on wick I ever had was at bar-bills outside Buffalo and they had one person hand carving them as fast and as thin as a machine, have seen that at some New York City delis also. 

[Ozark_Kid]

44 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Amazing what they do and on a moving cruise ship😀

And there was extra movement going on.  Earlier there we some rising out of the water with other on their shoulders and you could see the extra movement was having an impact. 

[dwHokie]

6 hours ago, brillohead said:

I've been booking exclusively with Let's Go Roatan Tours for a couple years now. Josue Elias, the owner, meets you right outside the security gate and sets you up with your own personal driver for the day.  

You can customize your trip with any add-on activities you want -- tour of the island (including chocolate and rum tours), monkeys and sloths, canopy ziplines, ATV or horseback riding, etc.  

In my case, since I've been there so much and my true love is snorkeling, he just takes me to the beach and I plop my bag on the sand and spend the day snorkeling.  But there are also beach clubs where you can rent a lounger for the day for $15-$40 per person plus food/drinks a la carte.  (Higher price is for the Infinity Bay resort, which includes a big pool.) 

 

@brillohead, sorry to bother, but also planning for a day in Roatan (never been there) and love to snorkel.  We were looking at Infinity Bay given we'll have others in the party that would like to lounge by the beach/pool and I was hoping to snorkel offshore there with our older boys.  Is your recommended snorkeling spot near there / walkable?

 

We'll have at least 8 in our party and maybe 11.  I'm assuming there may be a more cost effective way to just get to Infinity Bay / West Bay Beach for a large group vs. $20pp, but would love any insights there as well.

 

Appreciate you both tag teaming on this live review, fun to re-live our recent trip on Allure (we were also on the frigid return to Galveston when all the CP plants were damaged).  They did try to cover and even remove some of those "planters" to take indoors, but obviously it wasn't enough.

 

[Ozark_Kid]

Here is another one not playing in Central Park.  😂 

 

 

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Debbi does not work as a barista as far as I know 🤣

Oh that is well done!!! 

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, LATTELOVE said:

Not sure if the Quest is back since Covid hit.

We love that game show.

Quest is back!

[George C]

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Here is another one not playing in Central Park.  😂 

 

 

You just can’t beat rccl oasis class for entertainment, there are some negatives but entertainment is a big factor for me to pick the cruise.

[Ozark_Kid]

44 minutes ago, George C said:

You just can’t beat rccl oasis class for entertainment, there are some negatives but entertainment is a big factor for me to pick the cruise.

This guy is really good.  We got to to Giovanni's early so got to listen for awhile.  He was still going when we were leaving.  There is good music all over this ship. 

[brillohead]

2 hours ago, dwHokie said:

@brillohead, sorry to bother, but also planning for a day in Roatan (never been there) and love to snorkel.  We were looking at Infinity Bay given we'll have others in the party that would like to lounge by the beach/pool and I was hoping to snorkel offshore there with our older boys.  Is your recommended snorkeling spot near there / walkable?

 

We'll have at least 8 in our party and maybe 11.  I'm assuming there may be a more cost effective way to just get to Infinity Bay / West Bay Beach for a large group vs. $20pp, but would love any insights there as well.

If you contact Josue Elias through his website, he can discuss group rates for transportation -- he's very easy to work with, and you can customize it to include a tour of the island, or a stop at the big ROATAN letters for pictures, etc. 

The snorkeling area is indeed close to Infinity Bay, and even Bananarama or Paradise Beach Club are very close walking distance (and cheaper than Infinity Bay).  

[brillohead]

Tonight's menu is supposed to be "Italian Night":

 

Tonight's bread bowl:



 

Polenta fries (which were actually triangles, but they were tasty):

 

 

Caesar salad:

 

 

Chicken parmesan for my entree, with a side of broccoli that would have fed an entire rugby team:

 

 

 

And chocolate hazelnut cake for dessert:

 

I normally get the lemon curd tartlet for dessert, but last week it was kinda bland, which really defeats the whole point of being LEMON flavored, so I went with the cake this week. 

Back to my room to do some reading before turning in -- I have a long day of snorkeling planned for Roatan tomorrow -- and I was sooooooooo happy to see that little light turn green and hear the "click" when my key card opened my room door tonight!  

 

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by brillohead

[dwHokie]

27 minutes ago, brillohead said:

If you contact Josue Elias through his website, he can discuss group rates for transportation -- he's very easy to work with, and you can customize it to include a tour of the island, or a stop at the big ROATAN letters for pictures, etc. 

The snorkeling area is indeed close to Infinity Bay, and even Bananarama or Paradise Beach Club are very close walking distance (and cheaper than Infinity Bay).  

 

Thank you, much appreciated!

[taznremmy]

9 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I've had the same thing happen to me...except that in my case I had had too much to drink and went to the right cabin but wrong floor.  Wonder what thoughts were going through the minds of the people inside the cabin as they hear someone trying top open their door.

Hmmmm Ken, was that you?? 😂