Tom-n-Cheryl

Nope - same bucket, anyway you look at it!

Not really - it all goes into the same eventual big bucket!

It's all Carnival, accept it 😉

They are a lot more generous with their "Drinks on Us Everywhere" "bribery" program though. 😁 I recall, pre-Covid, the only way to get (what was essentially) free CHEERS was to book an Elite cruise. Now virtually all my casino offers include it. I will say, that is a carrot worth several hundred! Tom

We've enjoyed it three times on the Reflection, and will be back for a 4th time tomorrow evening! We didn't see any kids during our prior meals there. I found the food to be very good - though sometimes, when it's busier, the service can slow a bit (understandably). Tom

I sailed through them once - and, due to circumstances, played way less than my average. Needless to say, that didn't go over well - but mainly resulted in termination of contact/offers from them for years. They've since started emailing me again. I assume you had some documented losses to offset that? --- Regarding BCC, I used to get 60% off suites, now I'm down to 5%. I think, however, booking though them yields a refundable deposit? I just called them this morning, as the Sky Suite I had booked on the Beyond for later this year (for 1 of 2 legs) went from $9,300 to $4,700... that was quite the savings, just for a phone call !! Tom

Quite possibly !! The TRS-80 was the "biggie" on my Christmas list one year. Only years later, after realizing the adjustment for inflation, did I realize how big an ask that was of my parents. Late 70's, I was that kid in high school who was in the chess and computer clubs... yeppers... Tom

Lest we forget those who > Cruise Carnival as they would NEVER sail with that "uppity" Royal Caribbean >Cruise Royal Caribbean as they would NEVER sail on that "Walmart cruise line" Carnival. Yep - people cruise for almost as many reasons as there are cruisers ! Tom

(Mentally) going back to my internet beginnings. We'll, I should back up a bit and admit that my first computer was a TRS-80... early model (4K ram, cassette recorder/drive). I never went as far as to build a kit computer though. I subscribed to BYTE magazine (should have kept issue #1, lol). HECK, why didn't I keep all that stuff... and my baseball cards too ! ! ! Tom

I can't say I've ever heard of that 🙂 Tom

Us CC'ers, we're a diverse group - with a shared obsession. 🙂 Tom

You could get a ~12 oz Miller Lite with a splash of alcohol, or get a can (nearly 20 oz) of Hazy IPA at close to 7% alcohol. Apples to apples it ain't. Tom

Ugh... heading to Melting Pot this afternoon for a birthday (to pay to cook my own food). I'll keep a smile pasted on my face - LOL Tom

I don't think I've used mine in perhaps a year. They do work great for roasts, and a rib recipe I tried. The last one I tried was a major fail. As it turned out, the recommended temp for the beef roast recipe I went with was right at the low cut-off point (long/slow cook), and instead of a tender and succulent roast (hey, it may have been, but)... we managed to brew up a potent batch of lactobacillus - it had a very pungent odor when I opened up the bag. I suppose if this had happened during the year or so after I had COVID, I would have been unaware! Tom

I wasn't proposing that as being a savings, but it does come with some other perks as well - that some people will value, others not. Having a dedicated suite restraunt for THREE meals each day (no silly "brunch") is something we enjoy. Reserved seating at shows could be handy - we've used that a couple of times, allowing us to come shortly before a show a get a decent seat vs. having to arrive way earlier. Again, there's a cost to everything. Tom

I can't recall how that steak was served, other than it was ordered rare (probably an issue given the fat - should have allowed more to melt away)! But, the casino was paying for it, so it was "free"... LMAO... EDIT - oh, regarding cooking the steak cold, my first job was at a mall steakhouse (York Steakhouse) as a broiler chef. I easily had 10,000 steaks under my belt before I was 18 - all cooked cold. My favorite was a #4 - a hamburger (rare), and I'd trek over to the salad bar and grab thousand island dressing. Granted, that was mass market steak to be sure. Tom

Next, they'll be removing all the funnels from the fleet 😄 Tom

I had a steak similar to that at Prime (Bellagio), and honestly found it toooo marbled (fatty) to enjoy. I never thought I'd say that, but !!! Tom

I picked these up at Walmart (yes, you read that correctly) a couple of weeks ago, and broke in our new grill. These steaks (brought to room temp, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper) were as good as they looked - and that doesn't always happen. 10 out of 10 !! -- oh, and a generous portion of horseradish !! Tom

Oh, and they do - that's been brought up more than once! Tom

Yep, for everything, there is a price to be paid (sometimes in spades)! EDIT - OH, and I've never approached the 15 drink limit anyway ! Tom

Man - I wonder how thick the concrete under the ship must be !! Tom

I can't recall, do any other lines have daily limits? The thing I like about Royal is that, by being Diamond with them, they put 4 free drinks on your card/account every day - to use where you please. In addition to that, booking in a suite, I can get wine/beer throughout most of the day in the suite lounge - and, from something like 5-7pm (or 8?) they'll include mixed drinks in there too. With that scenario, I'd be hard pressed to consider adding in a drink package ! Celebrity is much the same - though booking a suite with them generally includes a premium beverage package to begin with, so... Yep - to some degree, the cost of those "included" drinks on both of those lines are built into the cabin pricing. I can see if someone is not a drinker, that they might feel they're paying for something they're not receiving any benefit from. Tom

I've really been enjoying your very detailed review! We'll be onboard 5/3 for a quick 3-nighter ... giving a Signature Suite a try. We really enjoy the Reflection. I was sad to learn from Sini & Liz that, on our cruise at least, the Lawn Club Grill will not be open for lunch (two days, two ports), so no specialty burgers for me. I was, on the other hand, pleased to see that they're going to have The Porch open those two port days (we're not planning on visiting Nassau or CocoCay). Mexologist - I like that! I'm kind of a lightweight, but I don't think I could manage 5+1 drinks then a swim, LOL !! Tom

I'd have to be very much in need to utilize their laundry service. We've used it on rare occasions, but don't send them anything you value (or don't want whites to turn slightly grey, etc). The fact that they now have the guest request/seek out most of the perks was a smart move. So much of the junk they give is something I'd either trash or give away anyway. Tom