cravingthis
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Posts posted by cravingthis
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On 3/27/2020 at 11:44 PM, Organized Chaos said:
Another handy dandy feature is being able to adjust the size of the image without having to edit it in photo editing software. When you attach the image inside your post editor (before actually posting it), just double click the image to bring up the image editor box. There you can adjust the size of it. Be sure to check the box for "Keep original aspect ratio." That way when you do adjust the width, it'll automatically adjust the height so as not to warp the image. After you've chosen a size, click the "Update" button at the bottom of the image editor. If the size isn't to your liking, repeat the steps.
It's been a while since I posted a picture, worked perfectly. It also gave me a review of the photo. When I hit attach, the photo just appeared at the bottom, rather than in my post!!! Great tip!
Is there a specific size preferred here? I'm thinking of posting a review with tons of pics. Thanks! -
5 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:
We do.
We're in Southern Ontario so it's likely we won't look at flights till MUCH closer to sailing. Normally we'd book them right when the dates opened by Southwest.
Fortunately (depending on how you view driving lol) we can make the drive to port in about 21 hours if need be. (Port of Miami) We've done the drive to Florida several times now with the kids, they know the deal.
Thanks for the response. We wouldn't be able to drive to Miami in January, too risky with the weather. Our final payment isn't until October, but still want to start planning now, in case we decide to cancel. We'll lose some money for sure. No one knows how the situation will be when the colder weather starts up. Stay safe and healthy!
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On 3/30/2020 at 3:08 PM, NateUpNorth said:
We’re booked in December, right around “wave 2 Covid” predictions. If the ship sails, we’ll be on it. If not, we’ll take the 125% if it’s offered. If prices go up maybe we’ll come out even. If prices go down maybe we’ll hop on a longer or 25% more expensive itinerary!
Hi there, we're booked for Jan 2021 (NFD). Just wondering, we usually book flights at least two months prior. Do you need to book flights for your sailing?
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15 hours ago, tvlworm said:
Thank you—all pictures were with an iPhone X.
Wow, I have the same phone, but perhaps I didn't have sufficient lighting during our sailing.
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Thanks for the great review so far and pictures. What type of camera or phone did you use for the CocoCay pictures?
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1 hour ago, SG65CB said:
It would be interesting to hear from people who have a booking for 2021 to go back and see what has happened to the price for the same class of cabin. Or if you have been watching a specific cabin class on a specific sailing in 2021 check to see what has happened with the price.
unfortunately the cabin class I booked for 2021 is now sold out so I can't make this comparison.
If you are thinking of cruising in 2021 you should probably book soon. I know that the FCC won't be issued for 30 days, but I'm pretty sure you can book a cruise now and apply the FCC to the balance later so people who are canceling are going to start booking new cruises today.
Good idea!
BTW, I just checked the price for our 2021 sailing, and it's about $127 less, not a huge difference.-
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On 3/4/2020 at 4:39 PM, Anita Latte said:
We went to CocoCay on December 1 while sailing Mariner. This was prior to South Beach and the Beach Club being open. We went to the Snack Shack that was located on the beach behind the Oasis Pool area, next to what would be the Beach Club. The funnel cake was already made, waiting to be served, and smaller than my opinion of what a funnel cake should be. Powdered sugar only and no sauce.
At the Snack Shack on South Beach in February, the funnel cake was made fresh and HOT and was bigger than the previous one...as big as it should be IMO. Enough surface area to have that crunch and enough thickness to have that soft chew. We were offered chocolate, caramel or strawberry toppings. We picked caramel (anyone who knows my DH knows he has a thing for caramel). The sauce was thick and difficult to squirt out of one of those old fashioned plastic squeeze bottles, which just meant that the dude likely had a bit of hand cramp because the thin stream of caramel drizzled all over the funnel was perfect. And the added bit of vanilla soft serve was amazing.
I share extra because I'm not sure that the product is consistent...but I sure was excited and pleased to see the improvement from December to February and hope that my February experience is the new standard.
That is strange about the consistency. I hope it remains the same too! And, I hope they have the sauces and soft serve at the location near Chill Island next time! Now I'm craving one or two!!!!
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2 hours ago, Anita Latte said:
At the Snack Shake on South Beach, we received a cup of vanilla soft serve with our funnel cake! Didn't ask for it...didn't even know it was an option. It wasn't a big cup...like a mini-cup size. Still...SO GOOD.
And sorry to one and all that think it's wrong to add a sauce...we had caramel drizzle on ours and it was FAB.
I didn't know that at all? Thanks Anita!
Edited: You mentioned South Beach, we stayed on the other side ... Chill Island
It was good, but I found it too plain imo. I'm all for sauce too! Don't tell me they had the caramel drizzle at Snack Shack too??! -
16 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:
Get the funnel cake. This is mandatory. 😉
OMG, that funnel cake, I miss it so much! I had second thoughts about walking over to Chill Grill to get some soft serve to put on top, but I couldn't get up ... it tastes great when it's hot!
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2 minutes ago, BlueHerons said:
Don't stay out by the airport for two nights or if you actually want to see any of Miami.
Downtown, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne or out on the beaches would be my choice.
Thanks, yes, changed my mind from when I first posted this! Much appreciated!
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On 2/19/2020 at 10:42 AM, Flymia said:
Find a hotel in Brickell or Downtown Miami. Don't sweat the cruise shuttle. You can split some Ubers for $10/each. The port is basically in Downtown Miami. Hampton Inn Brickell is a very popular choice, always great reviews and fantastic location.
For 12-people, again you are talking about 2-3 Ubers/Taxis. Maybe two taxis if you ask for two large SUV/Van taxis. The SUV/van cost the same as a regular sedan.
If you want to enjoy Miami at all, don't stay by the airport to try to save $50 on transport.
Thank you. It would be nice to experience Miami, can't find rates for Hampton Inn Brickell yet (we're too far out), but I have it bookmarked!
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31 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:
Not that we noticed. We always get a sheet to cover any furniture in the room.
It is more of a - we don't know when was the last time it was cleaned and how it was cleaned so we prefer just to cover any furniture where we might sit while not being fully clothed with sheets.
Thanks for clarifying!
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On 1/23/2020 at 5:22 PM, DaKahuna said:
On embarkation day, we have a couple of things that we like to convey to our stateroom attendant. We normally hand him a $20.00 and inform him of our wish list (ice twice a day, extra towels, sheets to cover the sofa and any chairs, etc.)
Just chiming in here with a different question. Our sofa appeared to be extra dusty, and I'm allergic, so we used our lint roller. Was your sheet to cover the sofa for a similar reason?
Thanks!
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On 2/8/2020 at 7:37 AM, saharaga said:
Brickell or Biscayne area hotels may be best for you then. The Residence Inn Miami Airport is within walking distance of CVS and a great Latin restaurant, but not much else. There is a smaller local shopping center one or two blocks away but not the best spot if you're planning to do major shopping.
Thank you!
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On 2/8/2020 at 2:58 PM, Graciesmom2 said:
If you are flying, I would go with Lauderdale. Miami airport is a mess. Lauderdale much more civilized and organized. Flew into Miami several times and each time swore, never more. Pier is a short hop from Fll airport, 10 min with traffic. Travel from port Of Miami to Miami airport is nuts. IMHO.
Thanks. I was considering that. We sailed out of FLL once and it was great, loved the area. I've never experienced Miami airport, but was thinking the same thing as you.
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On 2/7/2020 at 12:18 PM, LittleMissMagic said:
Awesome!! Let me know how you like the lens!
My Flickr is https://www.flickr.com/gp/vshingleton/L5V325
You can just click on any of the photos in this thread, and there should be active links that take you straight to that photo on Flickr with the image stats.
I didn't get the lens in time for our cruise, but I think I did ok with just my iPhone. I only used the dslr in San Juan and on balcony for CocoCay. I've been very sick since returning. I'll let you know about the lens! Thanks for your link!
On 2/17/2020 at 7:51 PM, LittleMissMagic said:
We met our waiter, and I'll just say, she was not our biggest fan. "Where have you guys been all week?" We told her that we had specialty dining, and we felt her judgement. She was very respectful in asking if we had other reservations that we were in a hurry to get to, so Rachel told her about our 9PM reservation (to Wonderland!!), and she told us that she would get us out in time to make it.
Stove is smiling in this photo, but the reason I took it is because he was complaining about the butter. "What happened to the real butter?" I think he may have been remembering Princess Cruise Lines, or one of the cruise lines that serves fresh butter in a cold dish. Or maybe we're just specialty dining snobs now.I've read this many times, why are the MDR waiters offended when we have specialty dining reservations? They are still paid their gratuities?
The description on the butter was too tiny to read! What exactly is it? I found it was difficult to open.
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On 1/22/2020 at 3:55 PM, LittleMissMagic said:
I used the Tamron 17-50 mm lens for almost every shot you see here (exceptions are the super wide photos taken from my balcony in Costa Maya - I pulled out the Tokina 11-16mm for those). If you're curious about what equipment was used for each photo, you can click the link to my Flickr, and it actually shows what camera body, lenses, and whether or not I used an external flash. I love the Tamron lens. It is my go-to. It has a fixed f/2.8 aperture, so you can open the aperture really wide, even when it's at 50 mm. It also comes at a very affordable price point. I've had the lens since 2013 - it's been through a lot, and it's still going strong!
Hi again, I finally found time to check out the lens. It sounds like it's the right lens for me, however, the sales agent said there is a used lens he could sell me for $300. I'm hoping it will come in before we sail, but it would be good to look at the condition and save some $$$. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks again for the recommendation!
BTW, I couldn't find the link to your Flickr (I went on your website)
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22 minutes ago, JohninDC said:
Flights are a challenge, but you should be able to book rooms now with reservations that can be cancelled without penalty - then keep shopping! 😉
Flights are stressful John! Our flights to Orlando (non-stop) were over $1,000 each! We were able to use our WJ rewards.
I'll keep looking for some good hotel deals and book as you said 🙏👍 -
4 minutes ago, JohninDC said:
Major airlines, such as United & Delta, should have availability out to your dates along with most Hotels. Southwest and other discount airlines will not post Jan 2021 flights for several months.
I have rewards with WestJet, but it's not showing dates yet. I'll check in a few more months. I normally book our cruise about 6 months out. This is the first time I've booked this far out (for me at least)! Thanks again!
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2 hours ago, JohninDC said:
When do you cruise? The $300+ room in Feb can go for under $100 in August.
We've had great times in Coconut Grove in the past. With 2 days I would look at Miami hotels, no matter where you fly into, and maybe spend most of a day riding the hop-on/off bus tour of Miami and Miami Beach.
Not until January 24, 2021, but I'm trying to get an idea of how much things cost now, for budgeting. We've never been to Miami before. I actually like cruising out of Fort Lauderdale. Next week, we'll be on Harmony!
Thanks for asking John. It might be too soon to look at hotels.
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11 hours ago, BlueHerons said:
I would stay in the Las Olas or Beach area if you are spending three days pre cruise.
Honestly, I would bite the bullet and stay in Miami. Look at Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. Less expensive than South Beach or downtown/Brickell and very gorgeous areas.
We're down to 2 days due to budget. I will look at those two areas. It would be nice if we could experience Miami for the first time. Hopefully, I can find some good hotels that are budget friendly! Thank you!
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56 minutes ago, JohninDC said:
www.sunny.org offers lots of FLL area hotel and tourist info.
It was in one of the other threads you were participating in.
Oh my bad, yes thanks for the reminder. I thought I missed something here ...lol
I've bookmarked that site! -
1 hour ago, JohninDC said:
The site I have you includes maps. For one night I would stay in the downtown/17th street area, with lots of restaurants within walking distance (Embassy Suites, Hyatt, etc.)
Did I miss the site you mentioned above John?
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15 minutes ago, Gatortim1996 said:
I’v done both times of year and the number of kids should be the same since florida schools are in session during both sailing to me the main difference will the ships decor December will have Christmas trees and gingerbread houses throughout the ship and January will not
Sounds great, I just heard the week of Martin Luther King is busy with kids as well, and the Jewish faith who don't celebrate Christmas.
How to attach a Pic
in Need Help Using the Forums? Check Here!
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I'll do some tests in the test forum. My original photos are huge, like 4032 x 3024 pixels for example. I use a software program to export them to 800 pixels, so they should be a nice size, not too big. Thanks!