Carnival Cruise’s Newlywed and Not-So-Newlywed Game

Carnival Cruise's Newlywed and Not-So-Newlywed Game

On Carnival Cruises trips, the Cruise Director hosts the hilarious Newlywed and Not-So-Newlywed Game. Usually, the Cruise Director chooses three couples from among the audience: the most newly wed couple (chances are that there might be a couple that got married during the cruise), the couple that’s been married the longest, and a couple a married that’s been married for about 25 years.

  • “Where and when did you first meet?”
  • “What day of the week did you get married? “
  • “Rate your first kiss from 1 to 10.”
  • “Ladies, what does your husband resemble when getting out of the shower: (1) a stretch limo, (2) a pick-up truck, or (3) a Volkswagen Bug with two flat tires?”
  • “Which of your wife’s (or husband’s) relatives do you dislike the most?”
  • “Was last night in your cabin like: (1) Fourth of July – all fireworks, (2) Thanksgiving – a dead turkey, or (3) Memorial Day – honoring the dead?”
  • “You haven’t seen ugly until you have seen my wife’s (or husband’s) _____”
  • “If a parrot were to live in your bedroom, what would it learn to say or what sounds would it learn to make?”
  • “Whoopee hasn’t been the same since we did it _____ (where)”
  • “When you wife bends over what do you see and think of?”
  • “When it comes to your husband being macho, is it: (1) In the bed, (2) out of the bed, (3) in his head?”

Carnival Cruises

  • “What was the first thing that your husband (or wife) grabs in the morning?”
  • “If you were stuck in traffic, which one of your wife’s (or husband’s) relatives would you least like to be stuck in traffic with?”
  • “What type and color of underwear is your husband (or wife) wearing?”
  • “What animal does your husband (or wife) best resemble and why?”
  • “What is your husband’s favorite condiment?”
  • “Who was your husband’s (or wife’s) last girlfriend (or boyfriend) and what is one word that best describes her (or him)?”
  • “The ugliest thing about my wife (or husband) is _____”
  • “What movie best describes your love life: (1) Love Story (2) Gone With the Wind (3) Wild Thing?”
  • “The strangest place you have made whoopee is _____”
  • “What is your wife’s bra size?”
  • “What is your husband’s (or wife’s) most disgusting habit?”
  • “How many times a week do your bed springs squeak?”
  • The Newlywed and Not-So-Newlywed games tend to end with, “If your husband was stranded on a desert island, would he want to be there with a missionary or a hooker?” Consistently, the cruise director who hosts game show sets up the answer of the last husband and makes the audience believe that the last husband would want to be with a hooker in missionary position, much to the amusement of the entire audience.

All three couples win a bottle of champagne courtesy of the captain of the Carnival Cruise ship.

New York Landmark Katz’s Delicatessen turns 125

Katz's Delicatessen, Kosher-style Delicatessen

A short time ago, we visited New York City landmark Jewish deli Katz’s Delicatessen and devoured its signature dish, the pastrami sandwich on rye with mustard, along with hot dogs, sauerkraut, dark green barrel pickles, and Dr. Brown Cherry sodas.

Pastrami Sandwich on Rye with Mustard at Katz's Delicatessen

Katz’s Delicatessen Turns 125

This kosher-style delicatessen recently turned 125! Katz’s Delicatessen has been serving from its location on the southwest corner of Houston and Ludlow streets in the Lower East Side of Manhattan since 1888. Katz’s address is 205 E. Houston St. (Ludlow St.) Manhattan, NY 10002. Locals and tourists often regard Katz’s Delicatessen’s corned beef, pastrami sandwiches, and hot dogs among New York’s best.

History of Katz's Delicatessen, New York City landmark Jewish deli

Katz’s Delicatessen commenced serving customers in 1888 originally as “Iceland Brothers.” In 1903, the Katz family joined partnered with the founders and changed the name to “Iceland & Katz.” By 1910, the Katz family fully owned delicatessen and changed its name to “Katz’s.”

Jake Dell of the Dell family that purchased this Lower East Side landmark in 1998 recently claimed, “Over the course of the week, we can go through about 8,000 pounds of corned beef, maybe 15,000 pounds of pastrami, and 4,000 hot dogs.”

“When Harry Met Sally” at Katz’s Delicatessen

Scene from When Harry Met Sally was made in Katz's Delicatessen

One of the most memorable scenes of the 1989 romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally” was made in Katz’s Delicatessen. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal filmed their fake orgasm scene on a table marked with a sign that is now labeled, “Where Harry met Sally… hope you have what she had!” This phrase refers to a famous line rendered in the movie by a woman on an adjacent table who observes the character played by Meg Ryan and comments, “I’ll have what she’s having!” Often, patrons of Katz’s re-enact the scene at the table to the amusement of patrons and attendants alike.

The Black Madonna Icon of Czestochowa in the Jasna Gora Monastery, Poland

Czestochowa, Poland

Outside Czestochowa, in an industrial area, is the Jasna Gora Monastery that houses the famous Black Madonna Icon. Over the years, this famous shrine to the Virgin Mary in Poland has become the most important center of pilgrimage for the Polish people and for Roman Catholics.

Legend has it that this portrait of the Black Madonna icon traces its origin to Luke the Evangelist. St. Luke is believed to have painted this portrait of the Blessed Virgin on a bench that was produced by Jesus when Jesus was a trainee-carpenter learning under the guidance of St. Joseph. Following the crucifixion of Jesus, this bench was brought to the Holy City of Jerusalem. After Jerusalem fell to the invading Romans, some Christian monks hid the Black Madonna icon during their itinerant travels.

Empress Helena, the wife of Emperor Constantius and the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great discovered this bench in the fourth century when searching for the relics of the True Cross and brought the picture to Constantinople, modern Istanbul. From the third century to the eighth century, this portrait remained in Constantinople.

Jasna Gora Monastery, Czestochowa

In the eight century, during the rise of Islam in the Middle East and the following the siege of Constantinople, some Christian holy men carried the portrait to Belsk in east-central Poland. During the looting that followed the 1382 Tartar invasion, the portrait remained hidden because a mysterious cloud enveloped the chapel that housed this portrait. After the Tartars abandoned their siege of Belsk in 1384, a Prince of Belsk took the Black Madonna icon to a then-obscure parish called Czestochowa and entrusted it with the Pauline monks of St. Paul of the Desert at the Jasna Gora Monastery near Czestochowa. Over the course of time, Jasna Gora became a centre of pilgrimage for Polish Christians and Catholics.

In 1430 The Hussites attached Czestochowa and embezzled the Black Madonna icon. Legend has it that as the Hussites were leaving Czestochowa, their horses mysteriously halted at the edges of the village and they could not be spurred to move forward without abandoning the Black Madonna portrait. When the Pauline monks found the portrait stained by mud and blood, they could not find any water in the wells of the village because the all the water had been used to fight a big fire incited by the invading Hussites. Then, a miraculous fountain initiated itself to aid the monks. This spring is said to have magical powers.

Kaplica Cudownego Obrazu, Chapel of Our Lady

After the Hussite invasion the Poles fought for three hundred years with the Teutonic Crusaders, and all the decisive victories won by the Polish nation in these battles are attributed to the miraculous help of the Holy Virgin. Thus the safety of the shrine of Czestochowa is identified with the very safety and independence of the whole nation.

In the seventeenth century, the Black Madonna icon is credited with saving the Jasna Gora Monastery when the Swedish army took siege of Czestochowa for more than six weeks during The Deluge. Even though this event is not significant from a military perspective, the event inspired the Polish unity and independence over the centuries. On 1-Apr-1656, the King of Poland Jan Kazimierz consecrated Poland to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron of his kingdom and acclaimed her the Queen of Poland. That preserved Czestochowa’s reputation as the spiritual capital of the nation of Poland.

Black Madonna Icon of Czestochowa

The Jasna Gora Monastery is a functioning Monastery inside which the ‘Kaplica Cudownego Obrazu’, or the Chapel of Our Lady, holds the venerated Black Madonna Icon, Poland’s most revered icon. The unveiling ceremony is held at 06:00 and 13:30 on the weekdays and at 06:00 and 14:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. The veiling ceremony is held at 12:00 and 21:20 on the weekdays and at 13:00 and 21:20 on Saturdays and Sundays.

A museum holds, among many artifacts, arsenals, and religious objects of interest, the medal from the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize received by Lech Walesa, the Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist.

History and Operations of Delta Airlines’ Scissors Hub at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT)

Delta Airlines Scissors Hub at Tokyo Narita

Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200 aircraft in Tokyo Narita Airport

Delta Airlines operates a scissors hub at Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) Delta inherited a majority of its Tokyo Narita operations in 2008 following its merger with Northwest Airlines. Before the merger, Delta Airlines had been operating flights from the United States to Tokyo since 1987. Currently, Delta also operates flights from the United States and Asia-Pacific to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND,) Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO,) and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport (KIX.)

Northwest Orient Airlines Advertisement: Great Circle Route

History of Northwest Airlines and Flights to Japan

Northwest Orient Airlines (as Northwest Airlines marketed itself for these routes) had first established its service to Japan and onward in 1947 as part of its ‘Great Circle’ route between the United States and Asia. Northwest Orient initially formed its hub in Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND, then Haneda Air Force Base,) and operated flights to China, South Korea, and the Philippines.

Northwest Orient Airlines Advertisement: Orient Express Route

  • On 15-Jul-1947, Northwest made flew a Douglas DC-4 aircraft named “The Manila” from Wold-Chamberlain Field (formerly part of the full name of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport MSP) in Minneapolis, via Blatchford Field in Edmonton (Calgary,) via Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage (Alaska,) via Eareckson Air Station (then Shemya AAF) in the Aleutian Islands (Alaska,) landed in Haneda Air Force Base, and continued to Lunghwa Airport in Shanghai and onward to Nichols Field at Manila.
  • On 20-Oct-1947, Northwest flew between Tokyo and Seoul’s Gimpo Airport.
  • On 16-Nov-1947, Northwest made a transit stop in Okinawa’s Naha Airport on its way to Manila’s Nichols Field.
  • On 3-Jun-1950, Northwest added Taipei’s Songshan Airport on the Tokyo-Okinawa-Manila route.
  • In 1951, Northwest helped found Japan Air Lines (JAL) by supplying aircrafts on lease and crewmembers to the new airline.
  • In 1952, a bilateral aviation accord between the United States and Japan made Northwest Airlines and Pan American World Airways as two US-based airlines allowed to fly from the United States to Tokyo. As part of the bilateral agreement, Northwest also procured fifth-freedom rights to carry passengers between Tokyo and Seoul (Korea,) Busan (Korea,) Taipei (Taiwan,) Manila (Philippines,) Hong Kong, Bangkok (Thailand,) Singapore, and the US territories of Guam and Saipan.
  • In 1978 when the New Tokyo International Airport (now called the Narita International Airport NRT) opened as the principal international airport in Tokyo, Northwest shifted its hub from Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport to Narita.

Delta Airlines Flights from United States to its Tokyo Narita Hub

Delta Flights from Various United States Cities to Tokyo Narita

  • Atlanta to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 295 operates from Delta’s hub in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flight is Delta 296. The aircraft used on this route is usually a Boeing 747-400. These flight numbers also operate between Tokyo Narita and Taipei, Taiwan.
  • Detroit to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 275 operates from Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flight is Delta 276. Delta’s Boeing 747-400 aircraft usually fly DL 275 and DL 276. Detroit is Delta’s primary Asian gateway hub. Delta also flies to Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) from Detroit.
  • Honolulu to Tokyo Narita. Delta flights 579 and 639 operate from Honolulu International Airport (HNL) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flights are Delta 578 and 638. DL 579 and DL 578 are operated using Delta’s Boeing 767-300ER aircraft while DL 639 and DL 638 are operated using Delta’s Boeing 747-400 aircraft.
  • Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 283 operates from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flight is Delta 284. Delta currently uses Boeing 777-200LR on this route. Flights DL 283 and DL 284 are also used for flights between Tokyo Narita and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Delta also flies to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND) from Los Angeles.
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 621 operates from its hub Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flight is Delta 622. This route is presently operated using a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. Further, these flight numbers are also used for Delta’s flights between Tokyo and Singapore.
  • New York to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 173 operates from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK,) it’s gateway hub in New York City, to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flight is Delta 172. Delta usually flies a Boeing 747-400 on this route.
  • Portland to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 617 operates from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flight is Delta 618. This 4822-nautical mile route is flown using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.
  • San Francisco to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 209 operates from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) DL 209 and the return flight, DL 208, are currently operated using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.
  • Seattle to Tokyo Narita. Delta flight 155 operates from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT.) The return flight is Delta 156. Delta usually uses a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft between Seattle and Narita. Delta also flies to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND) from Seattle.

Delta Airlines Flights from its Tokyo Narita Hub to Asia-Pacific

Delta Flights from Tokyo Narita to Various Destinations in Asia-Pacific

  • From Tokyo Narita to Bangkok, Thailand. Delta flight 284 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK.) The return flight is Delta 283. Delta’s Boeing 777-200LR currently operate between Tokyo and Bangkok.
  • From Tokyo Narita to Beijing, China. Delta flight 618 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK.) The return flight is Delta 617. Currently, Delta uses a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft between Tokyo and Beijing Capital. Note that Delta also operates Boeing 777-200 aircraft non-stop between Detroit and Beijing and another 767-300ER between Seattle-Tacoma and Beijing Capital airport.
  • From Tokyo Narita to Guam. Delta operates two flights from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM.) DL 97 and DL 649 operate on the outbound and DL 96 and DL 648 operate the inbound. All four flights of Delta’s flights between Tokyo and Guam are operated using Boeing 757-200 aircraft. Delta also operates 757-200 from Guam to Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport (KIX.)
  • From Tokyo Narita to Hong Kong. Delta flight 156 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG.) The return flight is Delta 155. Currently, this route is operated using a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. These flight numbers are also used for Delta flights between Seattle and Tokyo.
  • From Tokyo Narita to Manila, Philippines. Delta flight 172 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL.) The return flight is Delta 173. Delta usually flies a Boeing 747-400 on this route. Delta also operates another Boeing 747-400 between Manila and Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO.)
  • From Tokyo Narita to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Delta flight 297 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Saipan International Airport (SPN.) Saipan is the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States. The return flight is Delta 298. Delta also operates flights 287 and 288 on this route. Delta operates its Boeing 757-200 aircraft between Tokyo and Saipan. Delta also flies between Saipan and Nagoya (NGO) using a 757-200.
  • From Tokyo Narita to Shanghai, China. Delta flight 296 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport (PVG.) The return flight is Delta 295. Currently, an Airbus 330-300 operates between Tokyo and Shanghai. Delta also operates a non-stop Boeing 777-200 service between Shanghai Pudong and Detroit.
  • From Tokyo Narita to Singapore. Delta flight 622 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN.) The return flight is Delta 621. Delta currently uses Boeing 777-200LR on this route. Currently, these flight numbers are also used between Narita and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
  • From Tokyo Narita to Taipei, Taiwan. Delta flight 276 operates from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE.) The return flight is Delta 275. Delta’s Boeing 747-400 aircraft usually fly DL 275 and DL 276; the same flight numbers are used on the flights between Tokyo Narita and Detroit. From Taipei, Delta also flies the Delta’s Boeing 747-400 aircraft directly to/from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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