Harters

3 minutes ago, DoulaAnn said:

I had no idea there were differences in the oils

Very much so. We like a peppery one at home and, when it's available, buy a organic Palestinian one called Zaytoun.

My sister in law is married to a Spaniard and spent their early years together living in Mallorca. His father managed the family's olive groves (and citrus trees). There were two big food events in the year. One was the annual pig killing (where hams and salamis were prepared). It was a time for the whole family to get together to help out. And eat, of course. Some parts of the pig,  like offal, are eaten quickly and one classic dish of the island is fried liver, with peppers and fennel - known as frit de matances. That translates roughly as "slaughter fry" which doesnt sound too great so in tourist restaurants it's usually called by its Spanish name - frito Mallorquin

The  other was the olive harvest. The family would again gather. Sheets would be put down under each tree and then the branches shaken, so the ripe olives would fall off. After several days of this, the harvest would be taken to the agricultural collective in town where the olives were milled and turned into oil, mainly for home use but some was sold

Some 40 years on, it's a more sophisticated marketing business and the oil is sold by "Fet a Soller" (made in Soller - in the local dialect version of Catalan). 

https://www.fetasoller.com/en/mallorca-shop.php/products/olive_oil

On 4/2/2023 at 3:54 PM, Thejuggler said:

huge lines in U.S. airports which can add hours.

Long and very slow loving queue at Miami three weeks back. And I reckon only  two flights. It would hit the national press if such delays had been at a UK airport

On 4/11/2024 at 1:12 AM, WESTEAST said:

Would like to know if anyone pays such fees as news to us?

Never paid fees in the UK for cruise or landbased holidays booked through a TA (or even seen that such things might exist - which probably means they don't). I've no "in principle" objection to paying them so long as everything is transparent and I can compare bottom line pricing between agencies' offers. But it would seem an unusual departure from very long established business practice 

None have a traditional promenade deck. All have a smaller "walk round" deck area above the central area of the pool deck

10 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Not sure I'd trust a TA

Yes. Lesson learned.

I'd Googled the company and there was nothing to alert me that they were anything other than professional. Maybe it is the company, maybe it was just the driver. They'll obviously never get a second chance

56 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The CD is Peter (I have no clue to his last name)

Assuming it's still the same guy from the Miami/Rome part,  then it's Peter Tredgett. 

52 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The usual tableside oil/balsamic service is always lots of fun.

Is this a specifically American thing? Or does it happen in other countries? 

It's not something done in Italian restaurants in the UK, nor can I recall ever coming across it in Italy.

18 hours ago, harryw said:

On our Vista cruise, I found the poolside song rotation too repetitive.

Repetitive wasnt a problem on our recent Vista cruise. We didnt really stay long enough for it to become annoying. I don't like background music at the best of times, so may be prejudiced here. But I found the sound level irritating - loud enough to be obtrusive, not loud enough so I could properly hear what was being played. 

You're welcome, V. Hope it helps you to "cruise" better. 

On 8/20/2023 at 7:15 PM, Harters said:

I use it to make satay sauce

A co-incidence that this thread comes to life today, as I have just made a sauce to go with grilled pork tonight. This lot, mixed

125ml coconut milk

3tbsp peanut butter

2tsp brown sugar

1tbsp dark soy sauce

1tbsp fish sauce

1 lime juiced

22 hours ago, Seamus6 said:

much better than our meal at Jamie's Italian

This comes as absolutely no  surprise. Oliver's now closed land based restaurant chain of the same name was never good quality - even for a chain. Very much playing on his "celebrity chef" reputation without the substance behind it. 

V - as you know, whilst we cannot mention UK travel agents on the forum, Cruise Critic itself has no qualms about providing a list

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles/best-cruise-travel-agents

I'm sure if you start looking through that list, you'll see a company with a web address very similar if shorter to the one I've just given. Go fourth and you'll be almost there.

20 minutes ago, osandomir said:

I didn’t ask you to explain it to me

I'm sure yours was an entirely casual remark without the slightest hint of snide intended. 😀

3 hours ago, osandomir said:

don’t completely understand w

Let me try and explain my reason for you......

....... Nah, on reflection, I can't be arsed. 

1 hour ago, thebsinmiss said:

Casino credit ?  the question was asked in another post but never answered. 

I believe not. 

Have to say, I didnt really miss it for the cruise we've just finished. As I recall, there's nothing particularly useful that isnt on the emailed version. 

Now, if they want to save money, stop sending me almost weekly sales booklets. 

14 hours ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

have to ask the server to write 4 separate checks

I suspect bill splitting is not as common here in Europe as I think it might be in the States. Certainly, it's not something you often see in my country. When we have a family gathering, one will pay by card and the others will later reimburse that person by bank transfer. 

Alternatively, get one bill and present four cards, asking the server to charge X to each one. Obviously much easier if everyone is paying a quarter and not nit-picking over whether they had a second glass of wine or not. 

Just to round this off, we did book that 2025 cruise on board. All priced in sterling. There was an "on board" discount and some onboard credit. We could apply that credit to either the existing or new cruise. We chose existing as it would go some way to paying gratuities which, for the new cruise, are now included in the headline cruise price for customers in my part of the world. 

We left the ship happy with the deal but, also, in the knowledge that we could pass this booking on to a travel agent - either our existing one or another. The last couple of days have one of negotiation with three companies - our existing one, one that I know Vallesan uses, and a third who we liked the look of. In the event, we've gone with the offer from our existing one which, taken in the round, suited us best. Everything taken together, we've managed about a 12% discount on the Oceania website "promotional fare", so happy with that. 

Our travel agent had booked us a transfer from the port to Rome airport. It failed to turn up - in spite of speaking to the company once and the driver three times. First time, he said he was there (he wasnnt). Second time he said he'd be there in 5 minutes (he wasnt). Third time , he just shouted "taxi, taxi, taxi" (which we decided he meant he couldn't be arsed doing the job he'd been paid for and we should get a cab). So we did. It cost just under €200 on the cab meter. We had just enough cash to pay.

On the plus side, we've spoken to our TA today, who was very apologetic and is arranging a refund to us of the cab money.

Company to avoid - Samarcanda 

A quick related matter, Our travel agent had booked us a transfer from the port to Rome airport. It failed to turn up - in spite of speaking to the company once and the driver three times. First time, he said he was there (he wasnnt). Second time he said he'd be there in 5 minutes (he wasnt). Third time , he just shouted "taxi, taxi, taxi" (which we decided he meant he couldn't be arsed doing the job he'd been paid for and we should get a cab). So we did. It cost just under €200 on the cab meter. We had just enough cash to pay.

On the plus side, we've spoken to our TA today, who was very apologetic and is arranging a refund to us of the cab money.

Company to avoid - Samarcanda 

I used to enjoy the late night buffets on P & O during the early 90s. That's decades back and we only returned to cruising recently. That's been with Oceania which doesnt have late evening food except room service (you don't want a meal at that time, so no use). 

My late night snack at home would, most usually, be cereal. Muesli with yoghurt is a favourite.

1 hour ago, Techno123 said:

I do wonder why it is service staff who get tips and not other equally hard working and poorly paid staff?

It's historical. Goes back to the time that "hospitality" workers were indentured servants, rather than employees earning a wage. It's too lengthy a subject for discussion on this forum but Google will find you info. Here's a scenario.

In the middle of the 19th century, I'm a wealthy friend of the equally wealthy William Hanmer and visit him for the weekend at his home at Bodnant Hall. I havent brought my servants with me, of course, so I am "looked after" by his. On leaving, for my train back to Manchester from the new station at Llandudno Junction, I thank Hanmer's butler and slip him a small sum of money. And there you have the start of tipping service workers. 

It's an archaic practice I hope we eventually see consigned to history as other European countries have managed to do. 

31 minutes ago, Fox trotter said:

which is a Sunday

Bear in mind that Sunday is a day when work on the track and signalling often takes place, so trains may be slower, or be diverted onto a different route. 

Personally I would always travel to a cruise port the day before (if in the UK) or two  days (if outside the UK). We've just booked a cruise from/to Southampton for next year. We'll drive down the day before. When we last did this (2018), we found a lovely hotel near Winchester which really set us up for the cruise. 

2 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

When we travel to another country, we try to understand what is expected and standard in tipping

Agreed. It's almost a duty to try and understand the place.  you're visiting. 

I have a friend who practices law in Kentucky. Much of his practice relates to "workers rights". He explained the need to tip in accordance with American norms, otherwise you can actively financially harm the server. My recollection of what he said was that your tax authorities would assess a server's income tax liability partly based on the assumption of how much they are likely to have earned in tips. So, at its most basic, let's say I tipped at the usual UK rate of 10%, the tax authority may well assume that,  for the hours worked over the period, the server would have received tips at the usual American 20% going rate and tax accordingly. 

FWIW, I used to play on a now defunct food forum where most contributors were American. Tipping often cropped up as a subject for angst and the need to be seen to be doing the right thing. Not something that would ever happen on a European led forum. Different cultures as I said. 

It can be tricky in Europe. There isnt a common tipping practice. Some countries have a tipping culture, other don't . Belgium is a country I've visited regularly and it used to have both cultures. In the French speaking parts, tips were not expected, as in France. But, in the Dutch speaking parts, tips or around 10% were common as then in the Netherlands. The area I visited was near the "border" between the two language areas, so it was always necessary to know exactly where you were when you stopped for lunch. 

1 hour ago, Vallesan said:

I assume your pre-cruise stay wasn’t much better than ours!

It was fine. We stayed the two nights to avoid any possible SNAFU with flights. Also meant we'd adjusted to local time by the time we were boarding the ship. We had a nice time - walked round the botanical gardens which were lovely. Walked on the Beach. Bought sandwiches for lunch and ate them in a park opposite the hotel. A couple of nice dinners. 

Our next cruise (2025) is a Southampton round trip so no flights involved which really appeals. Booked it on board and am in negotiation with the TA you hinted at a while back (and a couple of others).