2chiefs

11 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Right from Royal’s website. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/blog/a-very-royal-recipe-ranger-cookies/

 

This is interesting. When I checked for recipes on line years ago, the ones I found always called for praline paste which is expensive and hard to find. Also, most had finely chopped almonds.

If this is the official recipe, it seems easy and doesn't even call for almonds! I'll have to try this next time. Way easier than the one I did.

T

11 hours ago, island284 said:

Will you please share the recipe?  Those are the only cookies I will eat. 

This is the one I used.

https://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/coconut-ranger-cookies/

With our last cruise cancelled and the next one not coming till December, I decided to try my hand at making Ranger Cookies.

I found a recipe on line that substituted Heath toffee chips for the praline paste which is almost is impossible to find.

They turned out very well and taste just like the real thing!!

T

On 5/10/2020 at 2:19 PM, cruise kitty said:

 

How are they allowing people inside buildings without masks?  Distancing? Absolute madness, things are definitely not like that here.  

And yet it's worse in LA than Arkansas ....  What does that say about the so-called experts?

Madness is staying locked up in the house and letting the economy die on the vine.

Madness is sending infected people "home" to their senior centers....

Madness is the watching the talking heads telling us to stay home when they seem to be enjoying their salaries ....

Madness is allowing the big box stores to thrive and leaving the small business owners to sacrifice

Madness is allowing me to buy a shrub from the Home Depot Garden center while letting our local nursery file bankruptcy

Madness is being able to buy an oven from Lowes but not Best Buy.

Yep, seems like madness is more contagious that Covid 19.

Just sayin'

1 hour ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Maybe we are jumping the gun a bit.. had a fleeting thought we would book a cruise. Darn a sweet thought but may have to wait...Time will tell.

Book now. Since they are fully refundable with no extra cost, the only thing you lose is the use of your deposit money for a while. You can cancel before final payment and get refunded (assuming the cruise line is still in business).

T

Go Pack!!

On 5/10/2020 at 7:48 AM, Georgia_Peaches said:

<<<SNIP>>>

What will it take?  An act of Congress, perhaps...

This will be a long, long time....

53 minutes ago, Argo. said:

This is one of the few ports open at this time:

I'm in port right now since you mention it

T

6 hours ago, davekathy said:

The ones I've gone to haven't had a lot show up. The Captain and the CD have hosted the ones I've attended.  The date and time will be posted in the Cruise Compass and at GS. 

It's hit & miss. Sometimes they're well attended, sometimes not.

On our last cruise they had an informal get-together at the schooner bar everyday at noon. It was not sponsored by or headed up by the crew. Just a simple get together someone decided to put together. I didn't find out about it till the last day. I had neglected to look at the bulletin board at guest services where it was posted. It was not published in the Plan of the Day (Cruise Compass).

Lesson learned: Always check the BB at GS on the first and second day of the cruise for possible events not published of the Compass.

T

1 hour ago, di T said:

Hi everyone! Just checking my credit card balance and a lovely surprise! Celebrity have refunded my cancelled June cruise, it’s been in my account for 4 days so I’m very relieved. I got 4 separate payments which when added up were $100 short of my fully paid up cruise. I’ve emailed my agent to see if they have made a mistake, but hey at least I’ve got all the rest. 
This cruise was cancelled in the last round and I requested a refund on the 17th of April, so under a month, that to me is acceptable in the circumstances, I hope you are all getting your refunds soon.Dianne

Under a month is good. We are over 50 days now and counting.... (Royal).

14 hours ago, davekathy said:

Better late than never, as today is Armed Forces Day. 🍻

Thanks and cheers to you.

45 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

I applied for the savings but was told the price I paid was too low to discount it further and I would need to pay the current price for the discount to be applied!  This would end up costing me more.

That's true.

It's happened to us on a cruise that we really got a good deal on.

On 5/6/2020 at 4:35 AM, chemmo said:

 

Well said!

 

Coping with the present also reveals people who always have a cup half full and those whose cup is half empty...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmm...  I just thought the cup was poorly designed.

17 hours ago, RETNAVY1996 said:

They send them to bed the night before now, initiation is over at midnight.  To make you all feel even worst about what has happened, a local CPO mess is ordering staplers to sell with the deck plate chiefs emblem.  Made me cry.

I am proud that I was able to be a "judge" for several initiations. It's sad that it's gone. The current crop probably don't miss it now but those CPO's that were on active duty during the transition must have been devastated.

T

41 minutes ago, zonacruiser25 said:

Just drove by the Golden Coral buffet in my area and is has sign out that it is opening on May 25.  Might have to finally try it just to see how they manage the buffet

Wow, I'm surprised. I thought they might go the way of Sweet Tomatoes and just fold up and call it quits.

T

Comparing food on ships is generally not constructive. Everybody's tastes are different.

(One man's ceiling is another man's floor)

Just sayin'  

T

3 hours ago, Erik101 said:

I’ll be glad to book a cruise on Virgin and I’m in my 40s.  Their selling points for me are no kids and their food venues that are very different from other cruise lines. Very curious about the Korean bbq restaurant. 

Love Korean BBQ. We ate it all the time when we lived in Hawaii. We have lots of them here in the Atlanta area too so we still frequent them often.

T

3 hours ago, ownedbypets said:

 

The average age for currently booked cruisers on Virgin is 48.  

Oh. I figured it would be lower.

On 5/11/2020 at 8:53 PM, Iamcruzin said:

You had me at No Kids. 

Agreed!!!   ... 

Except that the cruising demographics for Virgin is "older kids" (in my mind-compared to me anyway). They are the first cruise line to have a tattoo parlor on board...  LOL  I don't believe there will be much of a 50+ crowd.

T

On 5/11/2020 at 10:26 AM, WI-Cruiser said:

SNIP

Nothing compared to my Chief initiation though. 

SNIP

 

Open the breech.

Inspect the breech.

The breech is dirty sir.

Clean the breech.

Load the breech.

Close the breech.

Ready on the left, ready on the right, ready on the firing line.....

20 hours ago, djjoe said:

The pic of the racks brought back memories. In 1963 I started on the USS Independence (CVA-62), had a top rack on 03 level directly under flight deck. The first time I heard an F4 Phantom land was an experience not to be forgotten.  Went to the Belknap (DLG-26) in '65 after ET, Crypto, and test equipment school. I was discharged in 1969 as an ET1. I always thought the best rack was the middle. After many cruises on Royal Caribbean, they inducted us into the Officer's Club AKA Pinnacle last August. The Senior Chief in the photo is Mark Sette, PNCS, USN Retired. He's a great guy and loves to meet former Navy, actually all veterans at his gathering aboard a cruise ship.

Thanks for Mark's name. 

1 hour ago, hannibal54 said:

Don't forget the overhead buffer.

Oh. I forgot.

Did someone mention the mail buoy watch?

56 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

This is why it is good to have kids aboard the ship, all the buttons are already pushed for you.

The key word being ALL!!

On 4/30/2020 at 11:34 AM, sparks1093 said:

My Navy friends will understand...going to the bo'sun's locker for 50 feet of shore line, going to the Engine Room for relative bearing grease or a BT punch, going to the fo'csle to see a sea bat.

There was also a bucket of steam and 50 feet of chow line.

1 hour ago, 2chiefs said:

We are both retired Navy:

Sallie: HMC retired in 1995 San Diego, Great Lakes, Hawaii

Terry:  EMCM retired in 1988 - 3 tours Vietnam (MST-2 - Seal Support), San Diego, Norfolk, Greece, Sardinia, Great Lakes, Hawaii.

Arrrggg... I forgot to put Sallie's 2-year tour in Japan at the Yokosuka Naval Base hospital...  I'm in trouble. (Also, she went to boot camp in Orlando).

Here's a picture from a Memorial Day celebration on the Freedom in 2015. The HR manager (I can't remember his name) aboard Freedom was a retired Senior Chief so he wore his uniform. Here is the Senior Chief, Sallie and the Captain. The oldest and youngest vets that cut the cake were a WWII Army veteran and an active duty Airman.

We are both retired Navy:

Sallie: HMC retired in 1995 San Diego, Great Lakes, Hawaii

Terry:  EMCM retired in 1988 - 3 tours Vietnam (MST-2 - Seal Support), San Diego, Norfolk, Greece, Sardinia, Great Lakes, Hawaii.