KWong

I think this. And also, the US needs to start on a downward trend on new cases/day, and keep going down. I simply don't see the CDC even considering letting cruising start from US ports before then.

If it makes you feel any better I had to schedule an interview as the final step in my NEXUS renewal (which includes GE. If you cross the US/Canada border often NEXUS is absolutely worth the $50). I think they reserve the right to interview you but it seems like for all intents and purposes they're trying to make sure that you are who you say you are.

Best xiaolongbao (soup filled dumplings) - Asian Legend here in Toronto. I know Din Tai Fung has the pedigree, and I've never been able to make it over to the HK location with the Michelin Star, but the one I tried in the Arcadia, CA location wasn't as good. Best street tacos - 100% Taquito in Houston. Being that it's off the Southwest Freeway it's a little out of the way for anyone heading from IAH to Galveston, but the food has some great flavour, to the point where I don't even mind the cilantro (and I HATE cilantro). Best pho - Well, it WAS Lac Viet Bistro in Orlando. But they've closed down and now I gotta figure out a new "best" place. Their pho was really flavourful without tasting too salty. It was a go to for us whenever we went to visit The Mouse. I will give a shout out to Saigon Noodle though. They got some shine on DDD a while back, and it's certainly deserved. Smoked Meat - I keep trying to think of a place I liked better than Schwartz in Montreal, because that's almost a copout statement. And yet, it's really good stuff.

Look man, it's not an addiction. I can quit whenever I want to.

I cheat and use the premade dough (the ones in bags, not the one in tubes), but I agree - it's tasty, you can put what you want on there, and the kids have fun doing it. OT, but I've also made garlic knots and sticky buns using the premade dough.

Ah, that explains why there's second breakfast and elevenses...

I know the chefs work hard at crafting a balance of meat, veg and starch with the daily entrees, but I wouldn't mind some sort of build your own thing (Column A | Column B | Column C) for the "Classic" ones. I'd like to see more Asian dishes, and hopefully they can refrain from making them too sweet.

Not that high a bar to clear.

That is barely pizza, imo. If I were to rank chain pizza places I'd go: 1. Pizzaiolo (Toronto area chain) 2. Pizza Nova, Hut, -ville 3. Pizza Pizza (my replacement level) 4. Mamas. Little Caesar's ... (Indeterminate ranking) Week old leftover pizza. ... Infinity + 1. Domino's and Papa John's Actually, the closest you're going to get from a chain is Little Caesar's "Deep Deep" pizza. The look is meant to be recognizable as a Detroit-style, but the taste is definitely Chain Pizza Place.

Here is a good article describing it tl;dr: It's a pan pizza with a puffy dough, "light" crunchy crust and cheese that goes all the way to the edges.

I found it good on Allure and Indy. On Harmony, it was what I call "replacement level" pizza - basically, it's that Chain Pizza Place (I'll not dignify them by saying "pizzeria") that you go to. Not because it's great pizza, but because it's convenient and you do not object to eating there. I guess what I'm saying is that I had zero objections to eating it. Kind of wish they had Detroit style though.

Low stakes is definitely a thing that sucks people into playing slots. And if that's a major factor for someone, who am I to dissuade them from playing? Me, I just can't do it

Like I said, I love the smoke free casinos. Nice to walk through the Fallsview and not choke on a haze of smoke. In terms of returns, you're correct. But I'd guess that many of the cruisers are very casual gamblers or relatively low stakes players like myself. In both cases, a slight increase in house edge isn't significant. If you're dropping 3 digits or more per bet, different story. And I despise slots. If given the choice between losing money at a table or in front of a machine, give me the table every time. At least I can chat it up with other people there.

I agree with you about craps and roulette. Hard to enjoy craps without rolling the dice. But they can probably utilize a small UV light to sanitize 5 dice. And you take away from the experience if you're not tossing bets everywhere on the table. And yet it makes too much sense to take the physical chip out of circulation for health and safety precautions.

With regards to clothing I think that many of us try to pack as light as possible, so that means reusing clothes, and mixing and matching. I don't know if spraying your stuff with Febreeze or something more "natura;" in between uses would be a viable solution, but... maybe? I'm all for smoke free casinos. I'm also wondering if chips are going to get phased out in favour of touch screens that can be easily wiped down in between uses. I rather like the feel of chips in my hand, but I can understand if they take that away.

I think Chops is pretty good, but it's not at that high-end Ruth's/Morton's/Hy's level. Not sure what the equivalent is in the US but in Canada we've got a mid-level steakhouse chain called The Keg, and I feel like Chops sits right around that level. Essentially you're gonna get a very good steak, but will it be the best steak you've ever had? Probably not. In terms of value, I don't see it as being worth the extra whatever for a one-off splurge. As part of the unlimited dining package? Now you're talking. In terms of Chops vs. Giovanni's, I'd probably go with Giovanni's. But I'd definitely choose Chops over Jamie's (and not just because we still have a couple of Jamie's in Toronto)

It's an interesting idea. Perhaps there's some sort of regulation that requires you to be physically aboard the ship? Well, we don't know if they will ask difficult questions. Maybe they'll just ask if you watched the video. Maybe they'll make you memorize five words and repeat them a few minutes later.

Favourite card/board games to bring with you? We love Exploding Kittens and Coup.

Cruise Planner - Paper or App? Any advice to win RoyalUp bids without overpaying?

I trust the SHIP. But I guess the thing is that there are thousands of people on board, and can you trust all those people to do the right thing? Especially when the majority of passengers come from a country with the most cases of COVID-19 and hasn't even plateaued? With that said, you can probably say the same thing for the hundreds of passengers on a packed flight, but I suppose that it's easier to do checks and follow-ups with smaller numbers.

So what's next? Kangaroos on the loose in Fort Lauderdale?

I really need to get out of IT and find out more about jobs like "Hibachi Connoisseur".

I think you will enjoy this tour. It is hot though, and if you can, convince the tour guide to do some of the lectures in the shaded areas around the ruins (there are a few, but not many).

I haven't been on any of these, but I would factor in the distance to/from the cruise ship on any of these. Labadee has always looked like fun, but I think traversing amongst the trees and doing multiple zips probably brings more adventure to the excursion.

Thanks! Been a bit of a roller coaster for me the past few months (employment and kids related, no sickness), so was posting less in general. Hopefully I'll be more of a presence even though I've no idea when I'll be cruising (or even traveling) again.