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About this blog

A selection of "if only I had known" hints, secrets and advice to avoid cruise and travel mishaps and assure smooth sailing! 
All content & select photos © Janice Neves/Seven Sea Journeys, CruiseCrazies Authorized Agent

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Entries in this blog

5 Ways to Survive a Port-Intensive Itinerary

A cruise with most or all of its stops spent in a new port each day can be a rewarding and enriching experience. It can also be an exhausting one. I love cruising Europe and being introduced to new scenery and cultures, but I also like my moments to kick back and relax. How does a cruiser enjoy a port-intensive cruise without burning out? Try one of these 5 remedies: 1. Instead of filling an entire day with a worldwind tour, focus on one or two particular attractions, or simply park yoursel
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Promptly Proof Your Cruise Confirmation

No matter how you book your cruise – whether with a web-only agent, an agency booking engine, with a live agent, or directly with the cruise line – once you have made your deposit, you will receive an email confirmation from the agency or cruise line laying out all the details of your cruise. As a paying guest, it is solely your responsibility to promptly and carefully examine the cruise confirmation with a fine-toothed comb and make certain that everything is correct. If you find any errors, it
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Is Middle Name Needed on a Flight Reservation?

One of the most confusing things for travelers when booking flights are the names on the reservation. As we all know - or should know, especially if booking our own flights - airline reservations require names to exactly match those on the guest’s passport or ID.  But what about middle names? According to theTSA and Homeland Security travel requirements, middle names are not required, even if the middle name is spelled out on the passenger’s passport or traveling ID. In fact, by omitting the mid
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For a Unique and Affordable Cruise, Re-Position!

Did you know? Repositioning cruises are a unique and affordable way to vacation and experience a number of ports around the world! Low prices, lots of relaxing sea days and interesting itineraries make a repositioning cruise an attractive vacation option. Most often taking place during the shoulder seasons of fall and spring, this interesting cruise option allows you to sail to unusual and off-the-beaten track locations when a cruise ship relocates to another region for the new season.
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Never Pack Necessary Documentation in Your Checked Luggage...including your Passport!

I once read a story of a teenager traveling with his family by car to board a cruise ship. When the group arrived at the ship for embarkation, the poor kid was not allowed to board because his passport had been packed in his checked luggage already aboard the ship. Sometimes passports and ID are checked at the outside gate to the terminal, where one could have the opportunity to retrieve their passport before boarding. Apparently, in this case passports were not checked until the family were ins
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Don't Forget to Mind the Kids

I see it all the time - parents who take the kids on vacation and then pretend they don't know them - or they do remember and bring them along to places off limits to kids, like the adult-only pool or hot tub, because - what the heck - "they're my kids, we're on vacation, we paid good money for this cruise and we'll do what we want." Yes, you're on vacation, but that doesn't mean you're on a sabbatical from parenting the kids you brought on your cruise. We all love children, but the antics of yo
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Prepare for Emergencies with Both a Passport and Trip Insurance

I have stressed in previous blogs about the importance of carrying both travel insurance and a passport while on a cruise vacation. An article on Yahoo’s travel page yesterday about a couple who cruised very recently without the benefit of either passport or insurance is a perfect example of what can happen if travelers don’t prepare for the unexpected. The couple were on a three-night cruise to the Bahamas when a sudden and serious illness necessitated a visit to the cruise ship doctor whi
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Love that cabin you selected? Make sure you keep it.

If you have your heart set on a certain cabin in a particular location of the ship, be sure to tell the cruise line or your agent to mark it as a "no upgrade". For instance, you love those peaceful and ever-so-popular "Aft" balcony cabins at the very back of the ship that overlook the wake, and you've just gotta have one. So you book the cruise as early as possible in order to snatch one up before someone else does. Then one day the "upgrade fairy" pays you a visit. You get a notice from your ag
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Coronavirus and Travel: What You Need to Know

Whether you normally travel for work or you’re just chomping at the bit to get away, you’ll want to consider how you will stay safe and healthy before planning your next adventure. Covid-19 travel bans are gradually being lifted and destinations are re-opening, and you’ll need to take precautions - and take them seriously - in making trip preparations. It may be a while before major cruise lines sail or Europe welcomes Americans back. As if travel weren’t stressful enough with planning, pac
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Don't Risk Missing the Boat: Fly to Your Ship a Day in Advance

It only takes a single episode of almost not making it to the port on time -- or missing the ship altogether -- to risk ruining a vacation. Flight delays are more common these days with unpredictable weather, overpacked planes and tighter security. One missed connection could mean the difference between sailing away with a margarita in your hand and waving goodbye to your ship as it sails without you. Who needs the stress! Whenever possible, fly into your port of embarkation a day or two early.
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