BillHoo

Generally, I hear they are fed a vegan feed pellet. The fish eats the pellet which is not completely digested as it passes thru them and comes out.... as a pellet that smells somewhat like a vegan feed pellet to the other fish who are all crammed together in a pen and say "What the heck! I'll give it a try!" So then, the Tilapia fish are harvested and served at places like cruise buffets and passengers see Tilapia on the menu and say "What the heck! I'll give it a try!" https://lakewaytilapia.com/Tilapia_Myths.php Myth: Tilapia eat poop. Fact: Tilapia are plant eaters; they do not eat poop unless they are being starved. Truth: The rumor that tilapia prefer poop stems from an episode of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel in which the host, Mike Rowe, visited a fish farm that raised hybrid striped bass. Mike unknowingly exposed the cruelty of the farmers, as they starved their tilapia into eating the wastes of the more valuable bass. Some time later, after a public outcry, the farm reported that the tilapia were only being used as "cleaners" and were never intended for human consumption. Still not nice, but whatever. Other investigations into the tilapia farming practices in Honduras, Vietnam, Indonesia and China, have reported that it is not uncommon for fish farmers to starve tilapia into eating hog manure. Surprisingly, this practice does not have to be disclosed when the tilapia filets are imported for sale in US grocery stores. This is actually true of all imported fish. To be safe, you should only eat fish raised in the United States. By the way, we use the word "starve" loosely to mean "not supplying any legitimate aquatic species food source". Tilapia have very strong strike and graze instincts, and will "nibble" on just about anything that enters their water, including fingers and toes.

I'll look for the honey stung chicken on Anthem this month. Is it served hot and fresh out of the fryer, or is it sitting under heat lamp and already kinda, less crispy? If it's not there, do you think I could request it in the WJ or MDR?

I'm not too keen of veggie curries (is dahl makani considered a curry? I do like that). I like a good goat, mutton, or lamb curry. West Indian Beef curries are also great. chicken curry is OK. I steer clear of fish curries. Especially Tilapia - On fish farms, they eat their own poo!

Small side. I posed a similar question on another thread about portion size in the MDR and someone answered, they are very generous portions! I guess, it's all in the eyes of the person eating. On the other hand, if you are a nutritionist, a steak portion should be about the size of a deck of cards, a carb sidedish should be about the size of an ice cream scoop. But veggies would be unlimited.

The waiters are more than happy to put a funnel down your throat and force feed you the whole menu if you'd like! As long as you tip well, they won't mind you not finishing your veggies and there is no such thing as a glutton!

What format are the VCR/Players in the rooms? VHS or BETA? Can I bring tapes?

Thanks. Alas, my OBC has not yet been posted where I can view it. I'm guessing my travel site will put it up as cruise time gets closer? I'm expecting 500 points from my travel site.

Where do I look on the Cruise Planner to check for OBC? How long does it take to validate? I just got the RCCL Visa and have not yet had a billing statement for it. My cruise is toward the end of this month.

A lot has been said on the forums about the great Indian curries one can get in the WJ or have brought to the MDR. I'm doing a Bermuda cruise on Anthem in June and was wondering if they ever make Caribbean style curries? Curried goat (or lamb) chicken, or beef (oxtail), Jamaican Peas and Rice or Stew peas? Brown Stew Chicken... Two Tail Stew?

I'm expecting if I order Hassenpfeffer, that I might see Yosemite Sam in a chef's hat and wielding a meat cleaver chasing Bugs Bunny around the ship!

I might just bring a watch and set the time for 2 minute intervals and sit down in front of a slot machine. Scan my seapass and make pull every 120 seconds? So for a $1 machine, I'm only losing $30 an hour? Wonder what I might get as a comp? An RCCL keychain?

Videos

...And then Dock Security yells, "Hey you! YOU! With the bag of shrimp! STOP RIGHT THERE!" Got any horsradish sauce?

I think I've just invented a new way to be an annoying cruiser --- SLOT HOG! Yes, you come upon an empty slot machine (except for a towel slung over the top). No one has apparently been using it for hours. You are about to scan your Seapass card and make a bet when an angry passenger confronts you - "Hey! I was using that machine! Can't you see the towel!"

Oh, you mean fishing off a pier or something? I thought you were considering fishing off the balcony of your room. Otherwise, if your room is facing dockside, just fill a baggy with shrimp and have your spouse wait for you on the dock and you can throw a bag of shrimp toward them, then debark yourself with your fishing instrument. Or better yet. Tie the small bag of shrimp to the fishing line and cast it out to your spouse. That way, if you happen to miss and it falls in the water, you can reel it up and try again. Also, if Dock Security comes out, your spouse can run and you reel up the shrimp and disappear inside the ship - what are they going to do? board the ship? Heheh

I have one. Caught a rainbow trout on it in a stocked creek three weeks ago!

So, in theory, I can put my towel on a slot machine, scan my Seapass card for the lowest bet possible and walk away and maybe come back several hours later?

MDR, Windjammer, Solarium Bisto, Doghouse, Sorrentos, 270, are probably your main venues for complimentary. There are others, but half the fun is exploration of the ship and finding these gems!

Casino Tracking via Seapass card. How much play time, throws, or money before you get some kind of comp? I hear they don't have comp'd drinks either.

Barbancourt Rum in Haiti. Some kinds of voodo dolls if you are into that kind of thing. Caution: Some of the voodo dolls come with instructions that you must make regular offerings and perfume them regularly, or they will turn on you and make your life a living hell. Otherwise they promise good luck if you welcome them into your home.

I hear many cruises do not allow this....but it's been done. There's a YouTube video of someone doing it (not successfully) I think I also read a thread where someone was ticketed and fined at a port for fishing without a license. Crew and staff are known to fish from the lower loading decks (without getting caught). That said. I plan on bringing one of these with me ;) Maybe get some shrimp from the salad bar as bait! http://www.cabelas.com/product/EAGLE-CLAW-PACK-IT-TELESCOPIC-SPIN-COMBO/2418589.uts?productVariantId=4961113&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04662479&rid=20&gclid=COaTrOvT9NMCFYtMDQodwtoAoQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

I think the standards that are on the menu every day are; Broiled Salmon, Grilled chicken breast, NY strip steak, or beef spaghetti bolognase. You could also arrange with your server the night before to have something special like a cheeseburger or chicken fingers, or pizza if the kids/wife are picky. Maybe even have something they served the night before (and enjoyed) prepared on the Lobster night.

Look around any military base. I think there are about three Korean restaurants near Ft. Bragg / Fayetteville.

I've seen videos of the WJ where they have had Congee - Chinese rice porridge with fixins (some pork, chicken, scallion, maybe some chinese pickles or turnip - but I doubt they would have thousand year old egg)

Yes. Reduced service hours - some breads, sandwich meats, soup, salad fixins, fruit and simple desserts (vanilla ice cream, chocolate and yellow sheet cakes). Or just - 24 Hour Pizza Bar - everyone likes pizza! Otherwise, you run into the other cost effectiveness dilemma - rather than why run a few items all over the ship?... why keep a whole kitchen open for a few late diners?