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

[dna1990]

8 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

That helicopters don't actually land, and supposedly actually can't land as the ships structure won't actually support the weight.

 

We have seen a helicopter land on Brilliance-class, stayed for about 30 minutes.  But basket drops can be good methods as well, perhaps at night or in rough seas.

[BecciBoo]

13 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

helicopters don't actually land

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJSYv8_cOhw

They do, We watched on one Liberty.  If the ship is equipped with a helipad with the big circle they will support a chopper easily.

[Luckynana]

5 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

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.

I'm going to be having coconut shrimp tonight at Pinchers in Naples.  They have the best fresh string beans, as well as delicious garlic mashed potatoes.  Not to mention their Sangria!!!😉

[lenquixote66]

3 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

I'm going to be having coconut shrimp tonight at Pinchers in Naples.  They have the best fresh string beans, as well as delicious garlic mashed potatoes.  Not to mention their Sangria!!!😉

The very first time I saw you post that you have a residence in Naples I thought it was Italy as I never heard of Naples,Fl.

Enjoy your dinner tonight,Maryann.

[Ozark_Kid]

12 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!!!

It may be his hearing aids paired with a near by device.  If he just changed channels it would stop. 

[Ozark_Kid]

12 hours ago, brillohead said:

 

LOL, that's just the debarkation plans!

I thought it might be the cookie cutter I bought at the last stop. 

 

BTW, I have not found a can opener in the room!  RC, when are they going to stop! 

[Ozark_Kid]

4 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

   

I love coconut shrimp

At Roatan the gang went to a restaurant which I think is called Beachers while Brillo and I was still snorkeling. Sharon brought back the BEST coconut 🥥 shrimp 🦐 I have ever had.  The pic does Not do it justice.  The shrimp was 3x wider than the ship shimp and the breading was perfect. 

 

They were sooo good I continued with shrimp in the MDR.  I remember @Ocean Boysaying eat all the shrimp you can for your health!

Coconut shrimp from the MDR. 

 

And then garlic shrimp.  I Know, had to believe I would eat garlic. 

 

I should of waited until I forgot how good the first shrimp at Roatan tasted. 

[Rogueperson]

8 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.

 

We might do one in 2024.  I think flights hopefully will settle down by then.  This year is Greenland, so its unlikely i will do one before that.  I need to actually visit the islands this time around.  Technically, I only missed Labadee and Curacao.

[Ozark_Kid]

We made it to Maya Chan.  Here is the traditional feet pic.   

 

 

After taking it I thought 💭 I needed to take a special one for the ladies from @dani negreanu and @John&LaLa.

 

The service here is so good and they are super friendly! 

[Ozark_Kid]

Falling behind sharing pics.  I have several from yesterday to share and already several from here. So much to do.  We are now headed to the all you can it buffet.  I guess they know they need to take care of us starving cruisers. 

[John&LaLa]

13 hours ago, brillohead said:

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!!!

 

Live reviews are not for everyone😉

[Sea Dog]

41 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

We made it to Maya Chan.  Here is the traditional feet pic.   

 

 

After taking it I thought 💭 I needed to take a special one for the ladies from @dani negreanu and @John&LaLa.

 

The service here is so good and they are super friendly! 

 

Where are you at?

[Ozark_Kid]

24 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Where are you at?

The port is Costa Maya.  The place is the one Brillo introduced.  Maya Chan. You would love it.  As soon as your drink is about empty they are there asking what they can get for you. If you are sitting without a drink insight the owner stops by.  She looks around and says, Are you not being taken care of?  So if you come I recommend to always have a drink.  It wasn't on the drink list but they are making us Miami Vice when we ask... 

[Husky1987]

Love Maya Chan...our go-to in Costa Maya

[GetToLivin]

13 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Maya Chan

How's the water/seaweed situation? 

[Ozark_Kid]

19 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

Love Maya Chan...our go-to in Costa Maya

 

12 minutes ago, GetToLivin said:

How's the water/seaweed situation? 

 

This place is great!  I bet we will do it again the next time we are here.  It is compact but I don't think it is over crowded and the greatest service. 

 

When we arrived they let us know that a strong storm hit early this morning.  This has caused the water to be muddy.  We got here early and they already had a couple of guys out raking up the seaweed.  As you go out past your waist you step on some but it's not annoying bad. 

I will post pics later.  I had to charge my phone so the pics of them raking seaweed were taken with the 360.

[Ozark_Kid]

After the Roatan visit, Brillo posted that she did not have any pics and that I took them. When I read that I thought 😲.  I only took a couple.  Later I reviewed the 360 video I made from where we were snorkeling back to where we had chairs.  I found out I can pull picks from the video.  Like they say, Shot now, frame later.  I will not know much about the locations so I plan to number them and if you have questions maybe Brillo will know. 

[BecciBoo]

I love coconut shrimp

If there is a shrimp anywhere around, I'm eatin it!  Coconut for sure!

[Ozark_Kid]

@Sea Dog I am still learning the camera. I know these pics are not ones you would want to enlarge and print but they will work posting here. 

 

1.  This is the area we started our snorkeling. 

 

Most of the rest Billo will need to describe.  This is the walk back to Bananarama where we had seats. 

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

5. A mooring pic. 😂 

[Ozark_Kid]

There was a guy harvesting coconuts. 

6.

 

7.

 

8.

 

9.

 

10.

[Ozark_Kid]

And this is where it ended.  We had seats here. Not much room between the chairs and the water. 

11.

 

This pic was taken by my phone while sitting.  The area had a lot of people roaming around trying to sell stuff.  The local police came and started checking for sale permits.  One guy selling bracelets threw them under his hat and took off. 😂 Another selling pineapple 🍍 took off and left his fruits floating on a kayak. 

[Sea Dog]

@Ozark_Kid Pics look awesome! Colors are amazing. Only question can it shoot in landscape mode 16:9 or horizontal? I don’t care for the aspect ratio. Up and down

[Ozark_Kid]

I hope my new world of pics from the x3 are looking alright on your viewing device. 

[EcruiserKS]

1 minute ago, Ozark_Kid said:

And this is where it ended.  We had seats here. Not much room between the chairs and the water. 

11.

 

This pic was taken by my phone while sitting.  The area had a lot of people roaming around trying to sell stuff.  The local police came and started checking for sale permits.  One guy selling bracelets threw them under his hat and took off. 😂 Another selling pineapple 🍍 took off and left his fruits floating on a kayak. 

This is the exact area we are looking to visit. For the snorkeling, is it super far out and deep? I know my two girls will want to snorkel and trying to decide how it is.

Thanks!! Love following you and Brillo, so fun.

[LATTELOVE]

26 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

@Sea Dog I am still learning the camera. I know these pics are not ones you would want to enlarge and print but they will work posting here. 

 

1.  This is the area we started our snorkeling. 

 

Most of the rest Billo will need to describe.  This is the walk back to Bananarama where we had seats. 

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

5. A mooring pic. 😂 

WOW!!

So beautiful.

 

Love, love the Coconut Shrimp from Beachers,

looks so scrumptious!!