Ret MP

Ya think!

Right next to Truth Or Consequences, NJ. But, biology wasn't my best subject in school.

I paid about .63 cents a dozen at Aldi's about 5 months ago. Today, well over 4 dollars. In Sam's Club two or three days ago, over $8.00 for 18 eggs. We eat a lot of eggs, carb diet and all. It's getting tough. Yes, there are a lot of sites that will give statistics about how much food is consumed on a ship. It's amazing how much a ship like the Oasis Class ships use per voyage. I don't remember how much but it was in the 10s, or maybe even 100's of thousands. It's amazing.

I almost made a post like this yesterday. You covered it well. Although I've indicated that I really like Tex-Mex, and I do but, I'm not savvy enough to have three or four tacos in front of me, all basically the same, and told to taste each and indicate what region of the country(ies) they came from. Nope, can't do it. The big difference for me is the little things on the menu and ingredients in the recipe. For example, I really like cheese enchiladas with diablo sauce. I like them with chopped onion cooked IN the cheese. Some regions do it automatically and others don't. When I have to ask for the onions and diablo sauce (not queso. Even though I love Queso and chips), I sometimes get that look, like are you crazy. LOL. BTW, my favorite two Mexican Restaurants in the world are Mi Tierra's and Las Margarita's, both in San Antonio, market place and both owned by the same family.

My question for those that cruise various cruise lines throughout the year, does the other cruise lines do any better. Can they commit to you that a foreign company will provide a service like excursions 3, 6, 9, 12 months out. Especially since a lot of those companies didn't survive the COVID debacle and the cruise industry is still struggling to get contracted with new or restarted excursion companies, many of which are just Ma & Pa businesses. I honestly think all the cruise lines in the same category as RCCL are having the same issues. I could be totally wrong but that is my feeling. The good news, things are and have been coming back to normal and maybe, just maybe, we will be able to see excursions much further out.

You should have you own late night TV show. You couldn't do any worse! That's for sure!

Well, we aren't much of seafood eaters. I really only like Shrimp (just about any style, but battered and deep fried is my favorite), Lobster, and "Fish & Chips". My wife likes Lobster and fried clams. The dislike for seafood may have influenced my awareness of "Fish Tacos" on menus. But, you can bet that I'll be noticing from now on. If I see "Fish Tacos" on the menu, from now on, I may ask if the fish is cooked like "Fish & Chips", if it is, I'll give it a try. Psychologically, for me, fish and toco just don't seem to be like soup & sandwich or horse and carriage. But, we'll see, I guess.

WHAT! Well, shut the front door. No way. Shirley, you jest!

This brings up one of my recurring thoughts in here. And I know you know this, Snipe, so it isn't intended towards you, but the SHIP doesn't cook the food, the kitchen staff does. So, like I keep on saying if you don't like the food on the Garbage of the Seas this week, it will probably improve in a very short time when the kitchen staff rotates out of the Garbage of the Seas and a new kitchen staff takes over. I've recently read several reviews, critiques of the food served on the Oasis, and it ain't been good. Makes me think that the kitchen staff (the head chef) may not be the best in the industry. If we see the critical review stop in a week or two or three...... then we know. Chances are, the same situation will pop-up on another ship after that chef/kitchen crew have their contract break. JMHO

I like to separate "complaining" from "critical critiquing". There is a lot of each going on in this social media site and many, if not all, others. I don't care for complaining just for the sake of complaining. However, I think critical critique or maybe "review" is a better word, is a necessity. If everybody just stayed silent, nothing would improve and services, quantity, hospitality, variety and quality would suffer, or only go down hill. There are many talented writers in here that do a great job of reviewing their recent cruises. They point out what was good, what provided the expected, what was above what was expected, and what was less than expected. It's done without a hint of vitriol, retribution, or wanting something for nothing (that's what lawyers are for, LOL). Just honest review and a review that, if the mothership read it, would take note. I only hope that the talented writers in here and others use that talent to inform the hierarchy at the mothership(s). When I spot a post in any social media forum that is obviously someone complaining for the sake of complaining, I usually SMH and move on, not always, but generally. And as one that used to receive customer comments at a corporate office, I can tell you that the complainers had a special place in the circular file. Honest and helpful reviews were passed up the chain.

That's probably more true!

And you are welcome to your own tastes and opinion.

One more sarcastic/wise guy comment from me. The more I think of it, I think without exception, every Mexican Restaurant, the local version, Ma & Pop, not big box, I've eaten at was authentic Mexican Food. The people in the kitchen, the owner(s), the servers <for the most part, were all authentic Mexican. The young may have been born in the U.S.A. but offspring of authentic Mexicans make them authentic Mexican as far as I'm concerned. Now, they may have adjusted some recipes a little for the American taste. I love 'em.

I hear ya. Storage is an issue for me too. But, I do what I feel I must. LOL I've been thinking of making my own Apple Cider vinegar w/mother as I drink about 2 tablespoons every morning. But, from what I've read, it takes a lot of patients and space. So, I'll just by a gallon jug every few weeks.

I use a lot of vinegar in my cloths washer, I work out a lot (I walk, speed walk (a 71 year old's version of "speed walk" LOL) about 3.5 miles a day). We by vinegar by the 2 one gallon box at Sam's club. So, I always have plastic gallon bottles around. I make 6 gallons, one gallon at a time and they lasts for over a month. That's 3 gallons for me and 3 for my wife. I used to buy that Citrus cleaning stuff from Amazon. But, I've found that a couple of cups of vinegar and the rest of water to the fill line works just as good. Heat to boiling, put the top back on, unplug, and let it rest for 24 hours. Clean as a whistle. EDITED IN: BTW, this may sound crazy but I use Zero Water filtered water to start with.

Will you adopt me, please?

Okay the pictures are viewable now in the post. Thanks BecciBoo. However, that still bugs me. On an iPhone, if you view a picture on the phone, isn't there a way to just capture the screen and save it as a jpg? I know that on my Android phone, I just hold down the volume and on/off key for a second and it's saved as a jpg, I believe. Then post it in the/a site. Or does Apple make it tough, as usual, and save it as that file I've never heard of before and won't work on an Android device or non-Apple laptop/desktop unless converted? However, my daughters send me photos from their iPhones without a problem, on their part or mine.

Based upon some of the comments, you'd thing that all the food on RCCL is Spoiled

Thanks Fred. But, that's exactly what I don't want to do. Call me too cautious but I don't want to get a program that I have to sign-up for and then do a few other things just to see a picture that is too easy to just right click > Copy Image> than right click> Paste.

I can't find a way to see specific excursions on specific ship(s), and specific itineraries. Even if you purchase a cruise, the farther out you are from embarkation, the less excursions you will see. I'm guessing that RCCL, et al, doesn't stop looking for excursions to offer its passengers until about 30 days out. So, until just before embarkation day, it's a never ending process and it's possible that not all excursions are offered until they are sure they can't contract any more. So, until about 30 days out, it's kind of a crap shoot as to making a decision about an itinerary/ship. Good luck.

Is there anyway you can post an actual picture. This is an unknow type file, at least to me, that has to be saved to a drive rather than showing in the post without saving to a drive.

I understand! My landlord in Germany, 1977 - 1980, used to kill his meat, (rabbit, hog/pig, whatever (not cow though)), in the driveway and butcher them there too. My daughters would get a kick out of watching it. It never bothered them, even when the guy washed out the intestines. They'd ask what that was for, I said it was the skin of sausage. Again, didn't bother them a bit. Me either. I always loved German Worst, all kinds.

You too. I like that show. Things sure have changed since I was a LEO. They have a lot more patience than I would have. But, then, they know the camera is on them.