The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[Texas Tillie]

Happy New Year to all Crystal aficionados, but especially to Roy who keeps this thread going and going. Hoping 2022 is a better year for all of us, but especially Roy and his health. 🍾⛴️

 

Patty

[KenzSailing]

5 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

So no invite for "Moi".  I don't have COVID-19 and I would take a shower and put deodorant on.  Feelings are very hurt.  🥰

 

I was afraid the lack of an exercise facility here at the Chez would deter you.  Anyway, you and Anne Marie (a woman you clearly do not deserve) have plenty of time to make the brisket extravaganza on NYD.  I'll serve you the choicest slices myself.

[rafinmd]

14 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

Here at the Chez, I've set tomorrow's alarm for six AM to get up and throw a beautiful two-bone standing rib roast into the "hot tub" set to 134F. Vince and Roy, dinner's at seven.  You too Beav, Patty and May, although air crew shortages may prove a challenge. 

 

In any event, here's to 2022.  Gotta be better, right?  Right?

Thank you but I'm afraid I'll have to decline.  Between Omicron and my recent radiology (not sure what the effect is on my immune system but I'm sure it isn't helping) I'm laying pretty low right now.  I'm pretty sure my next special meal will be at Chops Steak House on a Royal Caribbean ship.  Not what I would choose for a vacation but I have a couple of credits that expire soon and both are within a few hours drive from home.  In particular, Enchantment OTS out of Baltimore (late February) is only about a 20 minute drive and a very stress free way to get into cruising.  Adventure (late May) is from Bayonne and not too bad a trip.  As they say, any day at sea is better than a day at home.

 

Roy

[ctjon]

Again, on the Millennium cruise on Symphony.  We had 2 new years celebrations - one of each side of the date line.  One was formal and the other Star Wars themed 

 

 

[Roland4]

As we prepare to kick 2021 to the curb with an even more imperious "Get out of here! Just leave for God's sake" than we used when we kicked 2020 to curb, we wish all our Crystal friends health, happiness and lots of cruises in 2022!!!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Edited December 31, 2021 by Roland4

[KenzSailing]

12 hours ago, BEAV said:

 

Fantastic. 

 

I take my room service coffee black w/stevia (two packets) at precisely 6:52am Jan 1. 

 

I’ve cancelled my room at Motel 6 and told Tom Bodette he doesn’t have to leave the light on. 

 

Excuse me sir, but this is Chez Kenz "A Mediocre Bistro."  The Inn at Little Washington is about 90 miles that way.

 

Hoo boy, the way this thing is going, I can't wait for Mr "I'll have the Hollandaise on the side" to check in with his bill of particulars.  Something tells me this weekend is going to be a little rough on the Chez's QAP numbers.  

[BWIVince]

5 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

Excuse me sir, but this is Chez Kenz "A Mediocre Bistro."  The Inn at Little Washington is about 90 miles that way.

 

Hoo boy, the way this thing is going, I can't wait for Mr "I'll have the Hollandaise on the side" to check in with his bill of particulars.  Something tells me this weekend is going to be a little rough on the Chez's QAP numbers.  

 

I'm sure you have suitable exercise facilities for this team!  The weights I lift on each cruise are full martini glasses. 😁 They do require frequent refilling in order to maintain adequate weight, unfortunately.

 

Chez Kenz, A Mediocre Bistro reminds me of the "Mediocre Chef" mashup skit that Top Chef did during the Texas season.  😁

 

In defense of my list of particulars, if I have to tell you not to broil your eggs benedict, then it _IS_ going to be a rough weekend on the Chez's QAP scores.  hehe

 

Happy New Year everyone!

 

Vince

Edited December 31, 2021 by BWIVince

[Keith1010]

Happy 2022.

 

Keith

 

 

[rafinmd]

I have a sunrise today from my Sierra Madre Express trip.  We  celebrated the millennium in an isolated scenic clifftop hotel away from electronics and all the trappings of modern life.  Not really much of a view of the sun but I loved the view looking down on the hotel roof.

 

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

21 hours ago, BWIVince said:

In defense of my list of particulars, if I have to tell you not to broil your eggs benedict, then it _IS_ going to be a rough weekend on the Chez's QAP scores.  hehe

 

Happy New Year everyone!

 

Vince

 

If Agatha Christie had ever written a review of breakfast on Crystal she would have titled it:

 

"Who Murdered Benny?"

[BWIVince]

10 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

If Agatha Christie had ever written a review of breakfast on Crystal she would have titled it:

 

"Who Murdered Benny?"

 

When it comes to breakfast in Waterside, there are many victims.  😢  There's a serial (cereal?) killer on the loose in the galley.

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

No worries at this time of the day (well night) to social distance.  Love the ship when it is quiet time.

 

Keith

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2014-15 New Years cruise on MS Ryndam.  On January 2 we visited Costa Maya.

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Another sunrise today from my Ryndam New Years Eve and my last ever sunrise from that ship.  January  3 was a sea day on the way back to Tampa:

 

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise really is today.  If it's a bit blurry it was taken from inside through the window on a very cold morning.

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

Roy, Vince,

 

How much snow did you folks get?  I think the system may have missed Vince completely.  Down here we got about 6 inches at the house.  But it was nasty stuff, as the first couple inches that fell melted before freezing beneath the continuing snow.  Gotta feel for those poor souls (one a US Senator) still stuck on I-95.  Feel for them, but this was all in the forecast.

[BWIVince]

2 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Today's sunrise really is today.  If it's a bit blurry it was taken from inside through the window on a very cold morning.

 

Roy

 

I'm kind of jealous -- we didn't get a single flake here.  😞 Everything stayed south and east of the hill on both of those sides of town.  It was 19 degrees F here this morning though, so I understand why you didn't go out just to take the pic!

 

Vince

[BWIVince]

34 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

Roy, Vince,

 

How much snow did you folks get?  I think the system may have missed Vince completely.  Down here we got about 6 inches at the house.  But it was nasty stuff, as the first couple inches that fell melted before freezing beneath the continuing snow.  Gotta feel for those poor souls (one a US Senator) still stuck on I-95.  Feel for them, but this was all in the forecast.

 

Oops, I just cross-posted.  Yeah, I was shocked at the I-95 coverage this morning...  At least emergency services looked like they were able to provide water/fuel/food/care from the HOV lanes in the center.  It looked like yesterday was just as bad of a mess on some MD roads too while the snow was falling, and shortly afterwards.   

 

Once I realized we weren't getting anything at all, I ventured out to Weggie's to stock up for the week.  In sharp contrast to everything being clean and dry, you could immediately tell which cars drove up from MoCo or down-county because they were CAKED with layers of snow and ice after they left home, which I hadn't seen for a long time.  It was warm enough, the snow was coming down fast enough, and they were driving slow enough, that the snow actually stuck to the cars as they were driving -- and still it was cold enough that it was freezing to each car and accumulating.  It looked like those folks were driving the shaggy van from Dumb & Dumber, because they were literally covered on all sides like they hadn't just driven there.

 

Vince

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is a lot more tropical than yesterday's.  It's from my 2019 Prinsendam Grand South America cruise, and was taken on our first day out of Fort  Lauderdale heading towards the Panama Canal.

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

On 1/4/2022 at 11:32 AM, BWIVince said:

 

I'm kind of jealous -- we didn't get a single flake here.  😞 Everything stayed south and east of the hill on both of those sides of town.  It was 19 degrees F here this morning though, so I understand why you didn't go out just to take the pic!

 

Vince

Actually, I did go out to take the pic but only in the area sheltered by my porch and I the sun was blocked by a nearby tree.  I did not go out any further because there was limited melting Monday   and any standing water was black ice.  That was something I wouldn't touch.  So sad about I95.  The longest I've been stuck like that was about 3 hours on the way a few years ago to visit my brother in Iowa.  That was bad enough.

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

It occurs to me that many of the threads on this board could be summarized by a light edit to a scene from "Guys and Dolls."

 

Big Julie: "I'm here to shoot craps.  Furthermore, I wish to be indemnified against any potential losses by Nathan Detroit, DBA as Crystal Cruises."  

[KenzSailing]

32 minutes ago, HarrytheHorse said:

 

That makes no sense since neither Detroit nor Crystal has any excess cash.

 

Good one anyway, Mr Perfect Record, thirty-three arrests and no convictions.

 

Neigh.

[Keith1010]

I love Paddle Tennis and that was the one thing Endeavor was missing.

 

My solution is if there is not going to be a helicopter I found the perfect place for Paddle Tennis.

 

 

 

Keith

[rafinmd]

The premise of today's sunrise may seem a bit strange.  In 2016 I too a Crystal Symphony cruise to Antarctica out of Buenos Aires.  Hesitant to fly from the Northeast in the middle of winter for a bucket list cruise I booked a January QM2 crossing to Southampton with a transfer to Queen Victoria to Fort Lauderdale, allowing me to catch a nonstop to Buenos Aires with little weather risk.  It turned out to be a good decision as Maryland got about 3 feet (1 meter) of snow the day I would have started a direct journey.  January 6 was one of my first sea days on QM2,

 

 

Roy

[May B]

4 hours ago, rafinmd said:

The premise of today's sunrise may seem a bit strange.  In 2016 I too a Crystal Symphony cruise to Antarctica out of Buenos Aires.  Hesitant to fly from the Northeast in the middle of winter for a bucket list cruise I booked a January QM2 crossing to Southampton with a transfer to Queen Victoria to Fort Lauderdale, allowing me to catch a nonstop to Buenos Aires with little weather risk.  It turned out to be a good decision as Maryland got about 3 feet (1 meter) of snow the day I would have started a direct journey.  January 6 was one of my first sea days on QM2,

 

 

Roy

Wow! What an itinerary you manufactured for yourself.