GregD Posted February 27 Author Report Share Posted February 27 We spent a little time driving around Galveston looking at nice houses etc. There was a marathon or something going on that day so we didn't really stop anywhere. We eventually hit Starbucks for second coffee. I handed the girl my purple star class card...she wasn't amused. On advice from friends we headed over to Moody Gardens This is a large property with hotel, convention center etc, but what we were after is that they have three pyramids. One holds an aquarium, another a rainforest, and the third is a discovery museum. We first visited the aquarium. This was lots of fun, and done well. They have all sorts of exhibits from penguins, to jellyfish, a touch pool with rays, and all sorts of things in between. This guy looked like I felt They even had the Homo sapiens diver fish! MaryS, Lovetocruise2002, SweetPea and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 27 Author Report Share Posted February 27 After the aquarium, we went over to the rainforest pyramid. This one was very cool. Inside they had planted a small rainforest. There were trees and plants native to the amazon, and there were multiple animals and birds that had free rein of the building. Everywhere you went random things would cross your path. I understand that for some of you cough cough...you know who you are...that would be terrifying, but we all really enjoyed it. There were two levels of paths that you took, one was up high in the canopy, and then down low along the floor. ' This guy stopped and posed for pictures. There were plenty of staff around to remind guests not to get too close. You will have to take my word for it, but the brown blob in the back is a sloth. HEY IM WALKIN HERE!!! asquared17, JohnK6404, Ampurp85 and 4 others 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 27 Author Report Share Posted February 27 Certain creatures were in their own enclosure because they could kill you like this guy, a Komodo Dragon Fruit bats and vampire bats WAAAYTOOO, MaryS, JohnK6404 and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 27 Author Report Share Posted February 27 Instead of posting pictures of all the creepy bugs we saw, I'll post Orchids and flowers instead. MaryS, WAAAYTOOO, She Sails Away and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 lydia!!!!! my girl!!!!! she wore the boots!!!!!!!!!!!! She Sails Away, Ampurp85, MaryS and 2 others 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She Sails Away Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 11 hours ago, OCSC Mike said: For the record, I enjoy the tag shout outs, but I am not the only one who likes food porn. I'm beginning to get a complex, lol. I am not ashamed to talk about how much I enjoy eating on cruises but I'm starting to think I've portrayed myself as some gluttonous sloth of a man who does nothing but eat all day. So for the record, I spend plenty of time with my wife in the Solarium (no, not eating), playing some trivia, going to shows, going to game shows, listening to people butcher karaoke, and usually going on one long-ish excursion per cruise besides CocoCay. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming... Now that you mentioned it, you DO tend to get called out for all food-related happy plates. Love that Luis bag! OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 4 minutes ago, She Sails Away said: Now that you mentioned it, you DO tend to get called out for all food-related happy plates. Ya think? By the time my March 17th cruise gets here, I’m either going to skip the live blog entirely or post nothing but food porn with zero commentary. I’m still deciding. PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO, She Sails Away and 3 others 1 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She Sails Away Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 Appreciate the non bugs. Where are you cruising to on the 17th? Did I miss it? You probably already mentioned this. I will be cruising at the same time! (But on a different line, so I can't share here.) I will look forward to your next blog! This has been so much fun. Thank you for bringing us along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 1 minute ago, She Sails Away said: Where are you cruising to on the 17th? Did I miss it? You probably already mentioned this. I will be cruising at the same time! (But on a different line, so I can't share here.) I will look forward to your next blog! This has been so much fun. Thank you for bringing us along! This isn’t my blog, this is @GregD’s. I just interrupt a lot. Mine aren’t remotely this fun, trust me. Cactus527, Lovetocruise2002, She Sails Away and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She Sails Away Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 Oh, right! Sorry, I lost track for a second. OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She Sails Away Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 3 hours ago, GregD said: Certain creatures were in their own enclosure because they could kill you like this guy, a Komodo Dragon Fruit bats and vampire bats By the way... do we want to know what that is hanging out of his mouth? It looks like a tail or possibly a chicken leg. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 9 minutes ago, She Sails Away said: By the way... do we want to know what that is hanging out of his mouth? It looks like a tail or possibly a chicken leg. Nothing that exciting, just his tongue She Sails Away 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 26 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Ya think? By the time my March 17th cruise gets here, I’m either going to skip the live blog entirely or post nothing but food porn with zero commentary. I’m still deciding. I’m here for the nothing but pictures OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 Back at it! The best part of our day, was after lunch. We stopped at their restaurant and ate at the buffet. It was nothing exciting and not even worth pictures but it was edible if you end up here, it’s a solid choice over the other cafes. We went back to the Aquarium, and got to meet Marley! Marley is a 20 year old rock hopper penguin who really enjoys doing meet and greets with people. She was constantly doing her excited call. While with her we learned all about their exhibit, conservation efforts, how the penguins are cared for, etc etc. While there, Marley made us some art that we got to keep. It was a really fun way to finish our day there. We also got a small peek at their newest king penguin chick, just poking out from behind its parents. Lovetocruise2002, JohnK6404, MaryS and 3 others 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 PENGUINS j’adore Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 I love how spicy Marley is, I just love penguins. I hate bugs but we went to the bug museum in New Orleans, and I was a little scarred from the experience. asquared17 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 3 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said: I love how spicy Marley is, I just love penguins. I hate bugs but we went to the bug museum in New Orleans, and I was a little scarred from the experience. The bugs were really creepy. Plenty of roaches, weird stick bugs and spiders. PPPJJ-GCVAB, WAAAYTOOO and Ampurp85 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 Houston hotel: We called an audible the morning of the cruise for our post cruise stay. After a night of listening to the freeloaders complain about who was touching who, who was taking up too much space etc, we decided we needed a bigger room. The room by the airport was going to be the same arrangement we were just in. We expanded our hotel search space and ended up at a Homewood Suites Houston/clear Lake/NASA. The room was a 1 king, 2 dbl beds 2br, 2 bath suite. This was perfect. Everyone had their own space, and the freeloaders were on the other side of the room from us. The locations was great too. It was just off I45 midway between Houston and Galveston. With a late morning flight we had plenty of time. Here is the main living room Freeloaders room Freeloader Bathroom Kitchenette Master Bed Master bath, my only complaint here was that to get to the shower/toilet you had to come completely out of the bedroom and cross that space. minor gripe. That door to the right of the mirror leads to the master BR. The drive to Hobby the following morning was only 20 minutes, so not bad at all. HBCcruiser, Ampurp85, JohnK6404 and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 24 minutes ago, GregD said: and ended up at a Homewood Suites Houston/clear Lake/NASA. That's the good thing about Homewood suites and Staybridge, etc. Not fancy, but great for families and extra space. You forgot to tell us...did you ever make it to Next Criuse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 36 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: That's the good thing about Homewood suites and Staybridge, etc. Not fancy, but great for families and extra space. You forgot to tell us...did you ever make it to Next Criuse? I did not…..but fear not, I’m watching releases like a hawk. I think @TheBoss518 is really interested in Utopia for NYE Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 Final dinner in Houston: Lydia wanted some Texas BBQ while we were here. I reached out to some friends who live here and the overwhelming response was Killen’s BBQ. They have a location in Pearland which is a suburb south of Houston. It was a 15 minute drive from the hotel, and worth every minute. They have all the typical BBQ things and we did not leave disappointed. Food porn lovers enjoy! I had brisket and ribs with a side of green beans and brussel sprouts. The Boss and Johnny split some ribs, pulled pork with Mac and cheese and coleslaw. They also got a baked potato that was monstrous. Freeloader #2 got a BBQ quesadilla that was filled with brisket, cheese, onions and peppers and came with sides of beans and rice. The pickles are house made and really good. Also on the menu for the carnivores out there were beef ribs. I had considered ordering one, but opted for the brisket. I saw a table nearby that had some, and they were massive! Their menu is online. The restaurant is counter service, with tables to sit at after you order and pay. Prices are reasonable as well. She Sails Away, JohnK6404, Sweety and 8 others 8 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 33 minutes ago, GregD said: Food porn lovers enjoy! This one did! Makes me want to go to our local BBQ place but I can't break my pre-cruise diet. Maybe I'll put BBQ sauce on my grilled chicken breast tonight and pretend it's the same thing. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Sweety and GregD 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 1 hour ago, GregD said: I did not…..but fear not, I’m watching releases like a hawk. I think @TheBoss518 is really interested in Utopia for NYE I am already booked! You know who to text lol UT 12/29/2025 GregD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said: This one did! Makes me want to go to our local BBQ place but I can't break my pre-cruise diet. Maybe I'll put BBQ sauce on my grilled chicken breast tonight and pretend it's the same thing. This "diet" you keep speaking of - your cruise is March 17th. Mine is March 11th. I'm packing it in to get to the point where I can eat everything. You shouldn't limit yourself, you should expand yourself, like I am! PPPJJ-GCVAB, OCSC Mike, Lovetocruise2002 and 2 others 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 46 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: I am already booked! You know who to text lol UT 12/29/2025 I'll keep you posted! Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 57 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: This "diet" you keep speaking of - your cruise is March 17th. Mine is March 11th. I'm packing it in to get to the point where I can eat everything. You shouldn't limit yourself, you should expand yourself, like I am! Everyone's body is different. Your method does have merit though. I think competitive eaters eat a bunch of lettuce or something leading up to a competition to expand their stomachs. For those scoring at home, Saturday night's BBQ bacon cheeseburger with bottomless fries was my last bad meal before the cruise. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527, WAAAYTOOO and 2 others 1 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 Monday morning we headed home. Breakfast was included at the hotel, nothing special, typical hotel fare. The drive to the airport was uneventful. We dropped the luggage at the southwest counter, and headed through security. 45 minutes from leaving the hotel to through security, including the stop for gas, and shuttle from the rental lot to the airport. I somehow got an exit row seat!! We had a connection at BWI airport. We even ran into my Aunt who was on the same flight to Albany with us. She was coming back from California where my cousin is for his special spinal cord injury rehab. The travel day was actually pretty easy. The connection in Baltimore was a little tight because we left Houston a little late, but we, and our luggage made it in time. Our puppers was retrieved from puppy camp, and all is right in his world again She Sails Away, Lovetocruise2002, Ampurp85 and 9 others 8 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 Looks like my fur baby. I am always saying to her stop sniffling like this is a new place. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 2 hours ago, GregD said: Final dinner in Houston: Lydia wanted some Texas BBQ while we were here. I reached out to some friends who live here and the overwhelming response was Killen’s BBQ. They have a location in Pearland which is a suburb south of Houston. It was a 15 minute drive from the hotel, and worth every minute. They have all the typical BBQ things and we did not leave disappointed. Food porn lovers enjoy! I had brisket and ribs with a side of green beans and brussel sprouts. The Boss and Johnny split some ribs, pulled pork with Mac and cheese and coleslaw. They also got a baked potato that was monstrous. Freeloader #2 got a BBQ quesadilla that was filled with brisket, cheese, onions and peppers and came with sides of beans and rice. The pickles are house made and really good. Also on the menu for the carnivores out there were beef ribs. I had considered ordering one, but opted for the brisket. I saw a table nearby that had some, and they were massive! Their menu is online. The restaurant is counter service, with tables to sit at after you order and pay. Prices are reasonable as well. Ribs look amazing. I gave up pork for Lent. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 Final thoughts. We really had a great time on this cruise. Cruising is really fun when you get to share it with other people especially when they are your neighbors, neighbours? We did enough with Dan and his family to really have a good time together, but also enough of our own thing too to have our own experiences as well. Food: We felt the food was good on this cruise. Sabor was a big miss, but we gave it the college try. I cant remember if I mentioned this before, but when Harmony goes in for her next dry dock, Sabor and Mini Bites are out and Playmakers and El Loco Fresh are in. Sateroom: We really love the ATS. The large balcony and space is great. At the rate that pricing is going though, sadly I don't know how many more that we can do. We are suite snobs for life so some hard decisions need to be made. Our attendant, Made, was really good. Super friendly and was like a ninja with getting the room clean. While some may be better at the number of towel animals they produce, we still had enough to keep the kids happy. I cant really think of anything else right now. Thank you everyone for following along. Our next one will be NYE on Allure with the crazy Canuck PPPJJ-GCVAB, Lovetocruise2002, OCSC Mike and 5 others 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 9 minutes ago, GregD said: Sabor and Mini Bites are out and Playmakers and El Loco Fresh are in. Big upgrades to me... and I actually like Sabor... but I like Playmakers more... and Mini Bites was my least favorite included food venue ever while I can always grab a taco at ELF. 11 minutes ago, GregD said: crazy Canuck Don't start spelling neighbor like her. I joke about that with my UK friends who use that same spelling... that extra U just doesn't need to be there. Lovetocruise2002, WAAAYTOOO and GregD 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 1 hour ago, GregD said: At the rate that pricing is going though, sadly I don't know how many more that we can do. We are suite snobs for life so some hard decisions need to be made. As a recovering Suite Snob, let me offer some hope. There was a time when I thought I could never go “back” to GenPop cruising. I was wrong. It definitely takes an attitude adjustment, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I miss the big suites - don’t get me wrong - but not as much as I thought I would. For us, the decision was simple: either learn to enjoy the simple life or find another hobby. We chose #1 and we found that we still enjoy cruising ! Hopefully you won’t have to choose. Ampurp85, OCSC Mike, HBCcruiser and 7 others 7 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 1 hour ago, GregD said: Our next one will be NYE on Allure with the crazy Canuck Can’t wait! We’ll all board with our matching Beis! 1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said: Don't start spelling neighbor like her. I joke about that with my UK friends who use that same spelling... that extra U just doesn't need to be there. Since we have so many American friends here, I will refrain from commenting WAAAYTOOO, Ampurp85 and Cactus527 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 I am glad you had a wonderful time; I know what you mean when you say you enjoy sailing with friends and family. I enjoy when I cruise with the vintages, they provide me with so much entertainment. I just got a text about buying bear repellant for our Alaskan cruise in sept. Did Dan book another cruise already? OCSC Mike and Cactus527 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 3 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Can’t wait! We’ll all board with our matching Beis! Since we have so many American friends here, I will refrain from commenting I grew up in the Midwest. When it's cold outside, you put on your toque to keep your head warm. At least, that's what I grew up saying, not realizing it's a Canadian term for yarn hat/beanie. My family laughs at the Canadian words. 1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said: I just got a text about buying bear repellant for our Alaskan cruise in sept. How to close to a bear is the person who texted you thinking you're going to be?!??? You DID tell them bears aren't permitted as cruise ship guests, right? MaryS, WAAAYTOOO, Jax and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 5 hours ago, GregD said: Our next one will be NYE on Allure with the crazy Canuck Lucky you! We will be getting off her on a B2B over Xmas a couple days before you guys board. One of these days I will get a chance to cruise with @Lovetocruise2002 but until then we may have to meet on land post my cruise and pre her cruise. Lol Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 58 minutes ago, Jax said: Lucky you! We will be getting off her on a B2B over Xmas a couple days before you guys board. One of these days I will get a chance to cruise with @Lovetocruise2002 but until then we may have to meet on land post my cruise and pre her cruise. Lol We will definitely try for that! Jax 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 5 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said: As a recovering Suite Snob, let me offer some hope. Is there a 12 step program or something I can enroll @TheBoss518 in? Maybe a patch or some sort of gum? 5 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Can’t wait! We’ll all board with our matching Beis! YES!!! I wonder how much overpacking there will be on our side 2 hours ago, Ampurp85 said: Did Dan book another cruise already? He is looking, and at suites, but is also turned off at the prices. He might have an easier time going back to gen pop. He has also cruised other lines, so may go that route too. 1 hour ago, Jax said: then we may have to meet on land post my cruise and pre her cruise. Lol How long will you be in FL after the cruise? There is a strong possibility we will be coming down the 27th. WAAAYTOOO and Ampurp85 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 28 minutes ago, GregD said: Is there a 12 step program or something I can enroll @TheBoss518 in? Maybe a patch or some sort of gum? Not that I am aware of, but maybe I will conjure a voodoo trinket or something….maybe if that sells I’ll be able to go back to Star Class. Oh wait….that doesn’t seem to be very supportive of my recovery program…I guess I need more time… Lovetocruise2002, GregD, Cactus527 and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 8 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said: As a recovering Suite Snob, let me offer some hope. There was a time when I thought I could never go “back” to GenPop cruising. I was wrong. It definitely takes an attitude adjustment, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I miss the big suites - don’t get me wrong - but not as much as I thought I would. For us, the decision was simple: either learn to enjoy the simple life or find another hobby. We chose #1 and we found that we still enjoy cruising ! Hopefully you won’t have to choose. Best advice…thanks Raye! And I like the wording GenPop soooo much more than “the poors”! WAAAYTOOO and asquared17 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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