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

[brillohead]

33 minutes ago, #1packerfan said:

@brilloheadat Maya Chan do they have loungers with umbrellas other than those hard wooden chairs?  It looked like they did from the pictures but want first hand confirmation. Those wooden chairs are a total dealbreaker for us but would love to try it there. 

 

We normally go to Nohoch Cay.

 

Thanks!!

The Adirondack-style chairs have a cushion on the bottom, and the backrest is also adjustable to a couple different angles.  There is also a daybed (mattress on a platform) in each palapa plus a hammock.  They also have lounge chairs if that's what you prefer.  I've even seen them take two lounge chairs out onto the floating raft for people to lay out on the raft in the sun.  

They are extremely accommodating!  

You can see some of the loungers with cushions in @Ozark_Kid's post here:
 

 

[Ozark_Kid]

46 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Mimi, I had a wonderful lobster tail in Puerto Rico when I was 18 years old.  After coming home, I went on a Blind Date with my girlfriend and her boy friend to a restaurant in Queens, called Stella D'Oreo...I ordered a lobster, expecting a lobster tail, and was horrified when an entire scary looking lobster was placed in front of me.  I said there's no way I will eat that!  Thank goodness my friend took charge and pulled the lobster apart for me!  Needless to say, I never saw that Blind date again, and will joyfully eat a whole lobster since the day my friend showed me how delicious an entire lobster is to eat!😁

Reminds me of when I was young we lived in Massachusetts for a year.  When friends and family visited dad would cook live Lobster at the house.  I have loved Lobster ever since. 

[#1packerfan]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

The Adirondack-style chairs have a cushion on the bottom, and the backrest is also adjustable to a couple different angles.  There is also a daybed (mattress on a platform) in each palapa plus a hammock.  They also have lounge chairs if that's what you prefer.  I've even seen them take two lounge chairs out onto the floating raft for people to lay out on the raft in the sun.  

They are extremely accommodating!  

You can see some of the loungers with cushions in @Ozark_Kid's post here:
 

 

Thank You!  Will have to think about that for the next time we may be in Costa Maya.  I appreciate your response. 

[Coralc]

2 hours ago, Luckynana said:

Mimi, I had a wonderful lobster tail in Puerto Rico when I was 18 years old.  After coming home, I went on a Blind Date with my girlfriend and her boy friend to a restaurant in Queens, called Stella D'Oreo...I ordered a lobster, expecting a lobster tail, and was horrified when an entire scary looking lobster was placed in front of me.  I said there's no way I will eat that!  Thank goodness my friend took charge and pulled the lobster apart for me!  Needless to say, I never saw that Blind date again, and will joyfully eat a whole lobster since the day my friend showed me how delicious an entire lobster is to eat!😁

 

We have been feasting on Dungeness Crab here! Since they finally opened crab season. Our neighbors gave us a couple, fresh off the boat. We bought a couple at the grocery store. And then on Thursday, crab was on sale for $3.99/lb.! So, we purchased 4 more and gave two to our neighbors, returning the favor. It has been a very good crab year so far. And dinner tonight. ☺️

[Coralc]

Sorry. Posted on wrong thread. I love shellfish. 😄

[perfect match]

On 2/2/2023 at 11:45 AM, Ozark_Kid said:

I love the pics.  What kind of camera did you use. 

My very old, beat up Olympus TG 2! That camera has been through a lot and it still takes good pictures! I keep saying I’m going to upgrade and buy a new model with features mine doesn’t have, but I can’t seem to justify it since it is still performing so well. 

[perfect match]

@brillohead, I’m glad you and your friends enjoyed Sky Reef. I haven’t booked my own Western Caribbean sailing yet because I’m also considering  southern one to get me back to the ABC’s, especially B and C. 
 

I have had both knees and both hips replaced, so I’m not the most graceful person getting in and out of the water in many situations. I loved the steps off the pier at Sky Reef. I sat on what I think was the second step with my feet on the step below to put my fins on, then just pushed off gently face first into the water. Getting out I swam to the stairs and swung myself around to sit on one of the stairs, took my fins off and put them on the pier behind me so my hands were free, then stood up and walked up the stairs. I completely agree with you that some kind of protective footwear is a really good idea at Shy Reef. There wasn’t much sand, what was there was really hot, and there were a lot of sharp shell fragments laying around. I used my flip flops to walk to the pier and found a safe spot to leave them so they wouldn’t get knocked into the water and left them there while I swam. Nobody bothered them. Next time I’ll be bringing my dive booties or water shoes and leave them on while I swim. Normally I can walk barefoot on just about any surface, but that one - not so much!
 

I think my cats 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛ are easier to herd than your Drunk 1 and Drunk 2 were. You went above and beyond the call of duty getting them safely back to port and back on board the ship with the lost cell phone. I can only hope they learned their lesson from the experience, and that the lesson was not that there will always be a Good Samaritan as kind and patient as you were to help them every time they get that drunk. They were very lucky that you were there and helped them. They may not be so lucky if they get so drunk again.

 

Thank you very much for doing this live report over the past couple of weeks! I have really enjoyed following along with both you and @Ozark_Kid. 

[brillohead]

Many thanks to @Ozark_Kid for the loan of his GoPro camera and to @Sea Dog for his video editing skills. 

This video is made up of clips I took while snorkeling off West Bay Beach in Roatan, Honduras.  
 

 

The Sergeant Major Damselfish (the white and yellow fish with black stripes as seen in the thumbnail above) were very friendly, and I was looking at them at around the 3:20 mark when the other big fish came right up to me and caught me off guard.  Every time I watch that clip, I'm amazed at the fact that I somehow held the camera steady, because it startled the crapola out of me at the time! 

If at times it looks like the fish were literally a few inches away from me, it's because at times the fish really were a few inches away from me.  

[perfect match]

Thank you @Ozark_Kidfor loaning your camera to Brillohead.

Thank you @brillohead for taking the video of your snorkeling at West Bay. I hope I can manage to get there myself some day.

Thank you @Sea Dog for putting together the final video presentation. I enjoyed watching it very much.

[ctnecruisers]

Nice video. We sail tomorrow. It’s been over 5 years since our last cruise so I am ready. 

[jbrinkm]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:20 PM, brillohead said:

We got to Sky Reef at the perfect time -- we were some of the first folks there, so we grabbed a few loungers and an umbrella right in the front row.  They each paid $20 to rent snorkel equipment and get a "free" drink, I have my own gear so I didn't have to pay.  I plopped my bag on a chair and headed for the water -- I was there to snorkel!  They settled in to read for a while.  

 

@brillohead curious about what kind of snorkeling gear you have?

[taznremmy]

@Ozark_Kid @brillohead @Sea Dog Thanks to the three of you for your collaborative effort. The video is stunning and the soundtrack is a perfect choice.  Bravo!

 

[Ozark_Kid]

@brillohead @Sea Dog 

Just made it home and I mirrored the video to my TV. Wow! It came out so good.  Brillo, no wonder you love hanging out so long snorkeling.  The view is beautiful.  It's amazing how close up some of the fish come.  The water is so clear at Roatan it makes the the lighting good for videos.  Billo, thanks for sharing and Greg, thanks for putting in the hard work of putting it all together for us.  You did a great job and lived up to the expectations. 

[Luckynana]

23 minutes ago, taznremmy said:

@Ozark_Kid @brillohead @Sea Dog Thanks to the three of you for your collaborative effort. The video is stunning and the soundtrack is a perfect choice.  Bravo!

 

+1 🥰

[Luckynana]

10 hours ago, ctnecruisers said:

Nice video. We sail tomorrow. It’s been over 5 years since our last cruise so I am ready. 

Bon Voyage!  Enjoy your cruise!🛳️

[Luckynana]

20 hours ago, brillohead said:

Many thanks to @Ozark_Kid for the loan of his GoPro camera and to @Sea Dog for his video editing skills. 

This video is made up of clips I took while snorkeling off West Bay Beach in Roatan, Honduras.  
 

 

The Sergeant Major Damselfish (the white and yellow fish with black stripes as seen in the thumbnail above) were very friendly, and I was looking at them at around the 3:20 mark when the other big fish came right up to me and caught me off guard.  Every time I watch that clip, I'm amazed at the fact that I somehow held the camera steady, because it startled the crapola out of me at the time! 

If at times it looks like the fish were literally a few inches away from me, it's because at times the fish really were a few inches away from me.  

Awesome video of your snorkeling, Deb.  Thank you for taking us along!  When the big fish came right up to you, it looked like it had a big smile for both you and the camera!!  Just beautiful!!

[brillohead]

12 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

@brillohead curious about what kind of snorkeling gear you have?

I bought this set a couple years ago (I don't use the carrying case).  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091CYTLNT

I prefer adjustable fins rather than full-foot.  I have an odd shaped foot, and the adjustable straps allow me to get a fit that works for me without giving me foot cramps.  They're also easier to put on, IMO, because I set them loose, slide in my foot, and then yank them tight.