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

[brillohead]

5 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Wednesday and when I open the app some message pops up and says, Sorry to see you go......🙄.  Are they kicking me off?  

 

LOL, that's just the debarkation plans!

[anankae]

40 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I mean 4k.  Not to talk to much tech.  

Ah you're talking resolution. I meant the entire size of the file. I'll  ask my hubby, he's the IT guy, he'll know what you mean.

[BonTexasNY]

2 hours ago, brillohead said:

Another "it could only happen to Brillo" story:
 

I have a two-top table by myself along the window, and there's another two-top right next to me with a young married couple seated there.   I read my Kindle while I eat, only picking up my phone to take a picture of the menu and each course, then setting the phone down, face down, and continuing to read my Kindle.  

I have a Kindle Paperwhite (because it's waterproof, so I can read it in the pool or hot tub when I'm cruising) -- it's not a tablet, it doesn't play videos or music or play games, it's JUST an e-reader, black and white.

After my entree was placed on the table, I moved my Kindle from the right side to the left side, because the plate with the roti was on that side now.  As I'm doing so, I feel a tap-tap-tap on my right shoulder, and I look over and it's an older gentleman standing there, and he says, "Can you turn that thing down?  It's playing right into my hearing aids and I can't hear what they're saying to me at my table."  

I've never seen this man before in my life (I'm usually one of the first seated in our section of the MDR, and my back is to his table), and I thought maybe he was just being "cute" and kinda teasing me because I am reading every night at dinner.  I smiled at him, and then I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't joking.  I asked him, "Are you SERIOUS???"

He said, "Yes, I can't hear anything because it plays right into my hearing aids!"

I'm just dumbfounded at this point.  "It's a KINDLE -- I'm READING -- it doesn't make any noise!"

Geezer:  "Well you were doing it last night, too!"

Brillo:  "I've only been reading, silently, on my Kindle, every single night for the last two cruises! I don't know what you're hearing, but it's not coming from me!"

The geezer looked like he didn't believe me, but he went and sat back down.  At this point, the younger gal at the next table said, "I thought he was kidding, too!"  I asked them if they'd heard me making ANY noise this week.... wondering if maybe I'd developed a habit of singing to myself or moaning as I eat or something, but they both said they hadn't heard a peep out of me, other than when I speak to the wait staff.  

We looked all around to the tables in the vicinity, but we couldn't tell what the geezer might have been thinking was coming from me.  There's a large group people, what I assume is a family traveling together, at the two big tables closest to our two-tops, and none of them are using electronics other than snapping the occasional picture.  They even have a developmentally disabled gal in their group, but she sits and eats with the rest of the family members, no tablet to entertain her.  And there are no families with young kids who might be using electronics to keep the kids busy during dinner.  

The only thing I can think of is that the geezer isn't used to being in a large, loud environment with all kinds of sounds coming from multiple directions, and so he just assumed that it was coming from behind him?  Because it *is* loud in the MDR.... but not because of my Kindle!  

 

Ya know, stuff like this never happens to me when I'm not doing a LIVE thread on Cruise Critic.... this just might be a one-and-done for me, ya'll are bad juju!!!

 

I hope you don't mean that.  Hiding bad juju here!

 

Your geezer experience is so funny!  My hearing aids are blue tooth compatible so I can "receive" phone calls right into my hearing aids.  This can only be done if I program my hearing aids to my phone.  Apparently the geezer assumed music or noise was coming out of your kindle. As you said, you were right behind him and an easy mark.

 

I'm loving the effort you and John are putting into this wonderful thread. Totally enjoyable.

[FionaMG]

7 hours ago, brillohead said:

I'd love to, because they tend to hit the ABCs.... but I'm cheap and don't want to pay the extra airfare to PR!  LOL

Look for 8- and 9- nighters out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We did a 9-nighter out of Miami on Navigator back in 2018 that went to all three ABCs. Our tablemates raved about the snorkeling in Bonaire.

[h20skibum]

6 hours ago, brillohead said:

So I finally get an elevator down to Deck Four for the MDR tonight, and what do I see as I walk out of the elevator bank? 

Someone in a scooter did a burnout!  

 

How is that even possible?????? LOL

Since you asked, and since we are currently looking at snow here.

 

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by h20skibum

[Sunshine3601]

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

Tonight is Caribbean Night.... even the room attendants were dressed in tropical shirts.  

 

 

 

The always delicious bread bowl:

 

 

 

Coconut shrimp:

 

 

 

 

Asian pork tacos:

 

 

 

Caesar salad:

 

 

 

 

Chicken Korma:

 

 

 

Royal chocolate cake:

 

 

This was my first time trying the Chicken Korma, and to be honest, the sauce tasted EXACTLY like the Lamb Kofta that I had last week.  Everything else was as expected.  

 

Did you like the chicken karma?   

I love coconut shrimp.  Sometimes I ask for a salad and 2 orders of the shrimp and make that my entree.

[Sunshine3601]

11 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Seriously, that doesn’t work on most ships most of the time.

I was on several cruises in 2022 and DL coffee machine worked just fine on all my cruises.    Hopefully the days of broken machines are over.

[h20skibum]

5 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I was on several cruises in 2022 and DL coffee machine worked just fine on all my cruises.    Hopefully the days of broken machines are over.

I have yet to encounter a broken one.   Now, having to wait for them to turn it on in the morning, that is another thing.

 

We always take a bottle of Carmel with us to add flavor to our lattes. 

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, h20skibum said:

I have yet to encounter a broken one.   Now, having to wait for them to turn it on in the morning, that is another thing.

 

We always take a bottle of Carmel with us to add flavor to our lattes. 

It was a bit annoying on Allure that the machine was all set up but they kept it roped off until 7AM. All that accomplishes is giving a line of people time to form and contributes to congestion in the area. 

[skiiergirl]

15 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Yes, you can book in the cruise planner on the website. 

Thanks! 

13 hours ago, brillohead said:

I don't remember how far out, probably a month or more.  I booked all mine on the Cruise Planner online rather than the app.
 

Thanks!

14 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Ours were available at least a month out. We used our app and when we did they showed in the Cruise Planner. We did not try the cruise planner to make reservations so I am not sure.  Maybe someone else can let us know. 

Thanks!

[BonTexasNY]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Did you like the chicken karma?   

I love coconut shrimp.  Sometimes I ask for a salad and 2 orders of the shrimp and make that my entree.

Debbie, you beat me to it again.  I was poised to respond that I would order 2 shrimp appetizers and make it my entree too.  With a salad also.  We are so in sinc!

[xpcdoojk]

15 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Wow, I just scrolled through my pictures and can't believe I never took pictures inside the DL. 😐

Why would you?  Except on the Oasis and Allure it is a horribly bland space on most ships.  

[xpcdoojk]

6 hours ago, FionaMG said:

Look for 8- and 9- nighters out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We did a 9-nighter out of Miami on Navigator back in 2018 that went to all three ABCs. Our tablemates raved about the snorkeling in Bonaire.

Bonaire is a lovely place to dive and snorkel.  Better than most places in the Caribbean.  

[xpcdoojk]

38 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

It was a bit annoying on Allure that the machine was all set up but they kept it roped off until 7AM. All that accomplishes is giving a line of people time to form and contributes to congestion in the area. 

Yes, the Allure has been doing this since 2020.  Stupid.  

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I was on several cruises in 2022 and DL coffee machine worked just fine on all my cruises.    Hopefully the days of broken machines are over.

Nice thought, but we were also on several cruises in 2022 and that was not our experience. Obviously you picked the right ships.

 

Other people on other ships have also reported getting vouchers to coffee shop which was our experience.

[dani negreanu]

11 hours ago, brillohead said:

"It's a KINDLE -- I'm READING -- it doesn't make any noise!"

 

As my DH is a long-suffering "hearing aids" when there is a lot of noise around him [many people talking at the same time], he suggested that next time you'll be accosted, just switch it off for 2 seconds, and ask "what now"? 😉

[anankae]

helicopter landing on the ship

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, xpcdoojk said:

Why would you?  Except on the Oasis and Allure it is a horribly bland space on most ships.  

We are talking about Allure. I guess that still didn't make me think it was worth a picture. 

[brillohead]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Did you like the chicken karma? 

 

It was okay...the sauce tasted exactly like the sauce that was on the lamb kofta last week.

[Ocean Boy]

36 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

As my DH is a long-suffering "hearing aids" when there is a lot of noise around him [many people talking at the same time], he suggested that next time you'll be accosted, just switch it off for 2 seconds, and ask "what now"? 😉

Or pretend to switch it off and ask "what now". Would be very interesting if the problem went away. 

[BecciBoo]

18 hours ago, anankae said:

The Gulf Stream

I believe if you look it up, The Gulf Stream does not flow in a westerly direction but in a northerly/easterly direction : 

This deep water flows to the Gulf of Mexico until it warms enough to resurface and flow back north as the Gulf Stream.

[BecciBoo]

15 hours ago, brillohead said:

I'm curious to see if any of the videos or pictures that I took with John's GoPro turn out.

The real problem is light.  If you take a light canon with you, the colors will come out spectacular, you can rent these too.  We used to scuba a lot.

[RobInMN]

54 minutes ago, anankae said:

helicopter landing on the ship

 

Do you know for sure that it actually landed? From this, you can't actually see any landing.

From other threads on this board, the general consensus (from some very knowledgeable people) is that the "helipads" on the front of many RC ships is really just a designated (medical) evac location for a basket.  That helicopters don't actually land, and supposedly actually can't land as the ships structure won't actually support the weight. Again, this is not from anything I know personally, just what I've read here over the years.

The video could be showing a helicopter coming in for such a basket evac as opposed to actually landing, you really can't tell either way.

 

Still a cool video though! Thanks for posting it.

Edited January 26, 2023 by RobInMN

[lenquixote66]

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Did you like the chicken karma?   

I love coconut shrimp.  Sometimes I ask for a salad and 2 orders of the shrimp and make that my entree.

I also love coconut shrimp.A restaurant around the corner from me had the best that I ever ate but unfortunately it went out of business.

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, c-leg5 said:

Nice thought, but we were also on several cruises in 2022 and that was not our experience.

The machines in both lounges on Odyssey were broken and we watched them try to fix it in Diamond lounge..no luck.  Very disappointing.  The Concierge watched with us so she knew.  Never got my morning coffee!😥

Edited January 26, 2023 by BecciBoo