Think yours was the cruise from hell? Here are some REAL signs you're on a really bad cruise:
1. Upon embarkation, you hear a computer voice calmly announcing that “this ship will self-destruct in 5, 4, 3 ….”
2. The Captain’s name is Jack Sparrow, and he wants to know, “Where’s all the rum gone?”
3. The Atrium resembles a waiting room, with a sofa, folding chairs, and a coffee table containing a copy of “The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship Disasters Ever”.
4. “Stewart”, you’re ca
Carnival Triumph is my new favorite ship and Progreso is my new favorite port…
OK…OK... So the thought about Progreso might be a little drastic… but we did have a FANTASTIC time. That blog is still in the making!
First, let’s chat about the Triumph. I love this ship! LOVE IT! Our first time on her was a disaster. We had thruster issues on that cruise and lost almost an entire day. We also missed our scheduled port, Trenton ended up with food poisoning on the way down to Galveston (he w
The number of ships in port on any given day can have a significant impact on your cruise experience. The more ships in port, the heavier the crowds and the greater the demand for popular attractions. The number of ships can affect everything from available taxis to seating at popular restaurants. A super-mega ship like Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas carries 5,400 passengers alone, and if it is joined in port by two or three other modestly size ships, that number can double or even triple i
And here we are in another week of the year... in fact, this is the 43rd week of the year (but I'm not counting or anything, hehe) and you've let me go all this time without having this conversation. It's really cool getting to meet many readers of my blogs. Many times, some want me to show them some dance moves, many believe I hate Royal Caribbean for some odd reason (still not sure how this one started), and then there's the world's most popular question, "Shon, what's your favorite cruise shi
Don’t be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone when choosing shore excursions, but at the same time, be aware of your physical limitations. It’s fun to try new experiences, but if you tire easily or get short of breath when walking long distances, the strenuous hiking trail is probably not for you. Likewise, if you’re afraid of heights, perhaps ziplining isn’t the right choice, either. If you’re uncomfortable snorkeling in water over your head, don’t be tough guy - ask for a vest. No one wi
My daughter and I just returned from a cruise from New England and Canada aboard the Brilliance of the Seas - or should I say from just Canada, since I already live in New England, and it seems strange to say I returned from a place in which I already live. I thought I would share a few amusing personal cruise episodes, things that my kids fondly refer to as "mom moments." People of a certain age prefer to call them “senior moments”.
I've always been a little clumsy and absent minded, but g
Hey, y'all! How are things going? I pray the weekend was well to all and the week has got off to a great start for ya! To all my Canadian cruise friends and followers, HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY; and to my fellow Americans, Happy Columbus Day! It seems holidays are for the sharing in North America today and so is some heavy news (unfortunately)...
Many of you by now have probably heard the news coming from the cruisesphere about the 6 year old boy who drowned in the mid-ship Lido deck pool aboa
Happy October, cruisetacular readers! I cannot believe we are already in another month, but hey... that's good news, right? We're getting closer to the holidays, getting closer to a new year and for many, closer to the next high seas adventure! In addition to nearing the end of 2013, celebrations of Breast Cancer Awareness Month will be happening (I'll be tweeting in pink all month long - just in case the picture didn't give it away, hehe), the leaves will be changing, many pumpkin spice lattees
Hey, y'all! If you read The Ocean Escape (my other blog) on Friday, then you would have seen I had a "big reveal" to make this past weekend of a cruise ship I would be on. If you followed me on the numerous social media sites I have over this past weekend, you may have noticed I broke away from Baltimore to visit, tour and have a blast on Norwegian Breakaway! It was so much and yes, she is truly all that and then some! I got to sample food from five of the specialty dining facilities onboard, as
With thousands of ports around the world, no wonder choosing a cruise itinerary is such an overwhelming task, especially if you’re setting sail for the first time. Here are a few guidelines for choosing your cruise destination:
Personal Style: First, ask yourself a few questions. Do you prefer tropical islands, the beach, sun and water sports found in the Caribbean? Do you want to experience the rich history of Europe? Have you been longing to see the glaciers and wildlife of Alaska? Do you
It's sad looking at this picture. Knowing that this time next year, Carnival Pride will be on her way leaving us in MD. Such a cruise industry tragedy, you know? Okay enough of that... now for today's post! You know all this blogging about my cruising bffs got me thinking of other things I like bringing with me when on the high seas. I am as extrovert as they come on the high seas and could careless about what someone thinks about me, my noise or the way I party. If my Youtube videos don't conv
When I told my husband I would be cruising without him come October, he was less than enthused. We have enjoyed seven previous journeys at sea together, one being with Carnival, another on Norwegian, and the rest with Princess. I was itching to try another line, not because I disliked the other three, but simply because I want to say that I’ve sailed every major cruise line, at least once.
David and I discovered cruising fairly late in life, at age 47. Why we waited so long to sail away on
When boarding a cruise ship – especially if it’s your first – you’ll gaze in wonder with your head in the clouds at your surroundings. However, once you have come down to earth, it’ll be time to get down to the business of reviewing a few safety measures to make your cruise a safe and enjoyable one.
Begin by taking a tour of the ship. Gather your family or traveling companions together and take a walk around the ship. I know – given the size of some of today’s super mega vessels, this coul
We will be heading out on the Triumph again at the end of this month. I am curious to compare the two cruises... before and after the red bags and bathrobes debacle. ?
So here goes...To Be Continued… Part II
To catch you up on our “Wheels falling off the train cruise”. We had just returned from our summer trip aboard the Carnival Valor. I was at work one day when Mark calls and says “What do you think about taking another cruise?” Now, that is similar to asking “What do you think about
Many of you may remember a post I wrote earlier in the year talking about one of my cruising, elastic best friends. Yeah, those swimming trunks are still around as a high seas sure thing for me, but I almost forgot to tell you all about another one I have. If you follow me on Twitter or watched a few of my YouTube videos, you may already be hip to which BFF this post is about.
I am a HUGE hot sauce LOVER! If you didn't know, hot sauce and I have a thing going on (let's just keep this betwee
I am a planner, a researcher, a thinker. The majority will call it having an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I like to refer to it as just being prepared. What I have learned over my years of vacation planning is no matter how hard I try… nothing ever goes the way I plan it. (That in no way deters me from attempting another time. I am quite stubborn and persistent…. To put it mildly)
Our first trip to Galveston was our first cruise ever. The one where I totally tricked my husband into cruisi
Are you craving an hour or two of pampering at the spa while on your next cruise, but not sure if you want to spend that much money on yourself? With all the exotic treatments now available, spa beds are filling up, especially on sea days when passengers look for ways to fill their time with relaxing activities.
While spa appointments can conveniently be booked in advance from the comfort of your own home, you might be wise to wait until you arrive on board. Port day specials - one price fo
Cruise ships are floating flaming death traps of incendiary Hell, according to the media lately. Since nobody has actually died during all these cruise ship fires, they’ve switched to reminding us that after all these cruise ship fires good people are left stranded in cabins full of feces. We cruisers know how absurd all that crap is (pardon the pun). But fire is indeed the greatest threat to safety on ships, now as it has always been. Allow me to share the extent of fire team training on ships:
Happy Monday, cruisetacular peeps! I hope you all have been enjoying the cruising stories I've shared over the past few weeks. I'm gonna take a break from them today, but know I'll have many more in the weeks and months ahead. In fact, I just finished my blog-writing schedule last night for the duration of 2013 and it's hard to believe another year is getting ready to close on us. Whew! Time is flying, wouldn't you say?
I noticed a trend on my side of town and was wondering if you all have
As an avid amateur photographer and blogger, I love to return home with photos of the ship including public areas. Readers like to know everything about a ship before its their turn to cruise, and what better way than through pictures. They want to see it all, including the cabins, pools, restaurants, the atrium and every other onboard detail. Whether its good, bad or ugly people need to know.
The absolute best time to shoot pictures is immediately upon boarding, and in order to get the bes
Happy Labor day, cruisetacular peeps! Ready for another story from this summer's highs seas adventures? Alrighty, here we go. This one comes from when I sailed Carnival Glory from Norfolk with my family and friends. If you watched The Post-Cruise Show: Carnival Glory on my YouTube Channel, you may remember me briefly talking about this story. But just in case you missed it, this is what went down...
So there we are. Night one of our cruise having a blast and we decided as one big group we w
A cruise to Alaska isn’t about standing at the railing watching the scenery. Don’t get me wrong; you’ll see some amazing scenery from the deck of a cruise ship – wildlife, panoramic vistas and glaciers. No, to really experience Alaska, you’ll need to get off the ship and venture out into the wild and commune with nature.
My husband came up with the idea first – a flightseeing trip to see black bears in their natural habitat. I’d seen pictures - tiny planes that fly relatively low and land o
Let's just throw this out there. I only have 1 child, I am an only child, and I come from an only child. None of it was planned that way... It's just how life happened. A house over run with children is foreign to me. Martha Stewart in the kitchen, I am not.
So Trenton says "Mom, can *Sheldon and *Leonard spend the night?" (*Names have been changed to protect the innocent) "BOTH of them? Like... At the same time? (insert excited little face from your only child) Well, ok...". And so it bega
