Jason

What better way to explore an assortment of culinary creations than dinner in the complimentary dining room. Nothing in the cruise contract indicates you’re limited to one appetizer, entree or dessert at dinner. Feel free to order multiple dishes. If you can’t decide between the chicken cordon blue or the beef Wellington, order both. Same goes for appetizers and desserts, too. If no entree is calling out to you, then choose a few appetizers to serve as your entree. Don’t think you can finish a second entree? Then share it with your table mate. I typically can’t eat more than one entree, but I do like to order an extra side to share with my husband. Ordering multiple menu items is the perfect way to try new dishes!

One of the great benefits of my husband’s recent retirement is his enthusiasm about making me a homemade lunch each day, lovingly packed into my L.L. Bean lunch bag and accompanied by a yellow note containing a game, puzzle, quiz or some other “assignment” to pass away the lunch hour. Today’s note contained blank lines numbered 1 through 12, headed by the title, “Name the 12 Days of Christmas.” I am nobody’s poet and not the most creative girl in the world, but I decided to give it a shot with my own twisted lyrics, sung to the famous classic tune, “The 12 Days of Christmas.”  Please be kind ...

Ready, let's sing ...
On the FIRST day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  A cruise on a tropical sea. On the SECOND day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the THIRD day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Three shore excursions, Two credit cards, and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the FOURTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the FIFTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Five pairs of shoes  — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the SIXTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Six sexy swimsuits — Five pairs of shoes — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the SEVENTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Seven travel buddies, Six sexy swimsuits — Five pairs of shoes — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the EIGHTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Eight airline tickets,  Seven travel buddies, Six sexy swimsuits — Five pairs of shoes — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the NINTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Nine frozen mudslides,  Eight airline tickets, Seven travel buddies, Six sexy swimsuits - Five pairs of shoes — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the TENTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Ten trashy novels, Nine frozen mudslides, Eight airline tickets, Seven travel buddies, Six sexy swimsuits — Five pairs of shoes — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the ELEVENTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Eleven margaritas, Ten trashy novels, Nine frozen mudslides, Eight airline tickets, Seven travel buddies, Six sexy swimsuits — Five pairs of shoes — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea. On the TWELFTH day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:  Twelve tubes of sunscreen, Eleven margaritas, Ten trashy novels, Nine frozen mudslides, Eight airline tickets, Seven travel buddies, Six sexy swimsuits — Five pairs of shoes — Four bingo cards, Three shore excursions, Two credit cards and A cruise on a tropical sea!
Happy Holidays!

It's a new year - March, already - and a belated Happy New Year! I hope everyone here at CruiseCrazies is in good health and has at least one cruise on the 2018 horizon! 
I'd like to say I made resolutions for the new year, but that would be a lie because I never keep them. However, if I could put together a personal plan - an UN-resulotion, so to speak - it would involve three components: (1) cruise more, (2) cruise more and (3) cruise more ... oh, wait, that's the cruiser in me coming out, and I'm sure that's what we all here would resolve to do. What I meant to say was (1) ORGANIZE my time better, (2) BLOG more, and (3) CRUISE more, of course! 
Let's start with the first - organize my time. I am a planner. I excel at travel planning. I keep a stellar household budget. My desk, for the most part, is neat - a place for everything and everything in it's place. What I CAN'T seem to get a grasp on is budgeting my time. I have ideas in my head, but I don't write anything down. So I start one project, then start another, and finally another, all without completing any. I'm a terrible multi-tasker. Even now, I have five desktop windows and ten tabs in my browser open because my thoughts jump from one idea to the next. I overthink some plans and totally blow off others. A-D-D? Who knows, maybe. I think it's just a time management issue. My plan for 2018 will be to actually keep a written list or schedule in a reliable place, which is clearly not my head.
Next - I want to Blog more. I do love to write, and while I'm not a great writer by any stretch, I do write what I love. Whether due to writer's block, lack of interesting content, or disorganization as outlined above, my blogs - my two here on CruiseCrazies - and those elsewhere, have all been sadly neglected. I think that sometimes because I haven't been anywhere or done anything exciting, I simply have nothing to share. I do have ideas, though, about many things travel related - but, again, I don't write them down as I think of them. Therefore, my Blogging plan for 2018 will be to jot ideas down on paper or note them in my smartphone, and ultimately create some profound prose. 
Third and last - CRUISE more! This is far easier said than down. First, I would have to quit my main job as an administrative assistant, and this is not yet possible because I need the money to - you guessed - CRUISE! However, my boss has been very forgiving of the 3-week vacation policy, now turning into 6 weeks or more, so I'll run with it. My husband's love of slot-playing - or should I say the amount of money he has "gifted" to the local casino - has resulted in some very cheap Norwegian cruises for us - once or twice a year. This has made a big advancement in my plan to cruise more - thank you, David! However, there are still oceans full of beautiful ships and so little time, and I would like to get a cabin on as many as I can before I die. For the first time in December, I cruised alone. I didn't have to wait for my husband's limited school-year schedule for that window of cruise opportunity. I just went without him - and I had a great time. So, my third and final plan for 2018 is to hop aboard a ship, alone if I have to, tell the boss I'm taking yet another week, and set sail when I want. 
So, now that you are all witness to my personal plan, or my Un-Resolutions for 2018, let's see how I go. It's a little late for announcing new plans, three months into the year and all, but better late than never, right? Who knows, maybe by June, I'll post my belated "Best of" 2017 travel moments!
Happy Cruising!
 
 

Travelers with knee, hip or other joint replacements have another reason to hate flying: airport security. 
When being discharged from the hospital after a total knee replacement last December, one important piece of advice was missing from the pile of recovery plan papers I received from the staff - how to get through airport security without setting off the alarm and the resulting embarrassing pat-down, both of which has happened to me several times in the months since my surgery. A member of airport security in Boston finally offered me some helpful advice which I hope will assist other "bionic" travelers at the airport.
There used to be a time when the doctor would give you a note to show at airport security informing them of your joint hardware. This is no longer the case, and in fact most physicians rarely bother to offer a note for security clearance, as the FAA no longer accepts this type of proof. Whether you have a note or even display your surgical scar to the security agent makes no difference. When you pass through the metal detector, the alarm will sound, and you will require a full and thorough pat-down. To avoid this, try the following tricks:
If there is the option for a full body scanner, choose it, as it will be much easier. There is no need to announce your artificial joint to security personnel. While metal will still be detected, the scanner will clearly show that the metal is in the bone. If a full body scanner is not present, be sure to tell a security agent that you have joint hardware BEFORE going through the metal detector. You will still most likely have to undergo further screening, but less intrusively, with either wand or a quick frisk.

Another year has gone and it's time, once again, to lay out my annual Top 10 travel experiences of the year. Since the big summer trip for my husband and I this year was a Mediterranean cruise, many of the following favorites are destinations resulting from that 11-night sailing. Here are my top 10 favorites for 2014:
#10) Flying First Class. On a selfish whim, I decided to splurge and upgrade our usual economy seats on Aer Lingus between Boston and Rome. Aer Lingus has a bidding system for first class upgrades, and since I find enormous pleasure in bidding for a good deal (Ebay, Priceline and so on), I thought, what the heck. We was paying a ridiculous amount for tiny seats with no leg room - why not pay a little more for a little luxury. Well, when all was said and done, it was an obscene amount we shelled out for a first-class upgrade. Was it worth it? In retrospect, probably not. At the time, however, when we were drinking free wine from real glasses, dining on “gourmet” airline food with real napkins, china and linen napkins, enjoying copious amounts of leg room and reclining all the way flat for sleeping, we said “Hell, yeah, this is TOTALLY worth it!”
#9) Weekend Cruise aboard Disney Magic. A 3-night Martin Luther King Weekend cruise on a Disney cruise ship proved to me why Disney is a cut above the rest in terms of family cruising. From a “welcome aboard” fit for a queen to nighttime fireworks off the deck, the experience was truly magical - for young and old alike.
#8) 9/11 Memorial: On a beautiful spring day, we rode Amtrak to New York City to spend a couple of nights seeing the sites. Though we have been to NYC numerous times before, one must-see on our list this time around was the 9/11 Memorial at the site of the newly designed World Trade Center. We paid our respects and reflected on the names etched in stone and the great human loss of that day in 2001. I commend those who created the concept and design for this solemn place with the reflecting pools and new “Freedom Tower” as a backdrop, for it was a peaceful and moving experience.
#7) Wellfleet, Mass. This quaint, picturesque town along a stretch of Outer Cape Cod has been a favorite family summer getaway over the last 30 years. This year was extra special because we introduced our 1-year-old grandson to the wonders of bayside cottage life, as well as my brother and his wife. Spread out between two twin adorable bayside cottages, we enjoyed some precious family time among the dunes. It was so much fun, we’ve booked the same for summer 2015.
#6) Amalfi Coast, Italy. We joined six other people from our cruise ship for a private excursion through the hills and winding roads along this beautiful stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula. We stopped at picturesque, artsy towns along the way - Positano, Ravello and Amalfi, and though we would have liked more time in just one town instead of only a brief time in three, we experienced some of the most amazing scenery of our port stops on the cruise. Ravello was an especially enjoyable respite from the crowds, as the big tour busses don’t include it on their itinerary. We’ve made a mental note to explore Ravello further the next time we return to Italy.
#5) Hotel Albergo Del Senato, Rome: Hotels don't usually make my top 10 list, but this charming hotel is the exception. With a killer view overlooking the Pantheon and Piazza Della Rotonda, we could simply slide open the shutters, open the big windows, and take in the beauty and character of Rome before ever leaving our room. Our own Roman Holiday!
#4) Santorini, Greece - A cruise excursion brought us by boat to an awaiting motorcoach for a ride to the beautiful village of Oia, the most beautiful and picturesque place in Santorini. Located on top of a massive cliff, visitors experience charming houses in narrow streets, blue-domed churches and a spectacular ocean view. With limited time in town, we immediately found ourselves at a seaside cafe and a table with an incredible view. Notably, Oia is also famous for the most fabulous sunsets. Timing from our cruise ship did not allow us to view the sunset from the island, but we enjoyed a gorgeous Santorini sunset from our cruise ship.
#3) Ephesus, Turkey. I won't lie ... it was as hot as the guidebooks said it would be when we visited in August. Fortunately, we hired a private guide who picked us up at the cruise port in a large minivan and delivered us to the ruins of this ancient city in air conditioned comfort. Armed with bottles of water and umbrellas for shade, we made our way through the stone covered streets and barren landscape imagining what life was like in those times. We were introduced to the magnificent Library of Celcus, an ancient brothel, some very interesting public toilets, the theatre where St. Paul preached, and other age-old structural remains.
#2) The Colosseum. To see the Hollywood version with Russell Crowe is indeed entertaining, but to see this enormous ancient amphitheater in person is simply spectacular. With a tour guide and small group, we were able to get a good history, think about the labor it took to build such a place, and close our eyes and imagine gladiator combat, wild animal fights, and the roar of the blood-thirsty crowd. In the movie, gladiator Maximus boldly shouts to the crowd, “are you not entertained?” We were indeed.
#1) Sistine Chapel/Vatican Museums: No visit to Rome is complete, of course, without a tour of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. To be in the presence of such famous frescos, tapestry and sculpture was humbling and made even more special with an early morning private tour of the Sistine Chapel before opening to the public. With a small group of 6 others and very few people in the Chapel, we could fully appreciate the magnificence of Michelangelo’s famous ceiling in this incredible place without the massive crowds that would appear later.

Most cruise ships offer a choice for evening meals between fixed seating or the ‘freer’ MyTime dining arrangement.
I don’t really like dining at 6pm (too early) or 8.30pm (too late) so the flexibility of choosing my dinner time is welcome by me. Fixed seating times usually also mean being with the same table companions the whole cruise. I like to have the option of dining with my wife or joining other couples or individuals we meet along the way.
MyTime dining also provides a more flexible option for planning your dinner time around other possibilities on board eg attending a show, listening to some relaxing music before dinner or just meeting up for a quiet drink.
Most cruises ships offer a small number of specialty dining options (usually with a small additional fee) or your can repair to the more casual buffet style restaurant.

The shopping arcade on any cruise ship is a mecca for many passengers. Most ships have a range of shops selling goods ranging from clothing, watches, jewellery, souvenirs to cameras and duty free alcohol. In generak I have found the quality of merchandise is good with brand names a feature. Often there is a gallery selling ( or auctioning) art works although in my view much of it is pretty ordinary.
It is fascinating to watch the passengers searching for that special item to take home. There is a pattern to the selling of goods with strategically arranged discounts and sales with prices gradually declining during the cruise.
Towards the end of the cruise special sales are held with prices on items such as watches and jewellery heavily marked down so it is worthwhile waiting until the final days - but beware the sales become a 'feeding frenzy' for many passengers. I bought a nice watch for $10 on the last day which was nearly $100 at the start of the cruise.
Duty free alcohol is a great bargain and your purchases are delivered to your cabin the night before disembarkation. My wife likes gin and she was able to buy top brands like Tanqueray and Bombay at low duty free prices on all the ships we sailed on in the past year.

When I heard the Carnival Destiny was going to be “Sunshined”, I thought it sounded pretty cool. Then when I heard it was coming to New Orleans, I was REALLY excited. I don’t know why, but I really wanted to sail on that ship! New Orleans was doable. SO, while on the Magic last May, I booked a cruise on the Sunshine and went skipping (literally… I skipped) back to my cabin.
Once we were home, I patiently waited for it to set sail in Europe. Then I started reading how everyone hated the ship. It seemed everyone had something negative to say about the Carnival Destiny and the general “online” consensus was the Sunshine was going to suck just as bad…. I didn’t get it. The reviews made it sound like a half finished, overcrowded, leaking, cesspool floating on the seas. Ugh… How could that be true?! The pictures looked so beautiful!
Now… I in NO WAY told Mark or my Mom about these negative reviews… There are some things there is just no point in sharing with some people. Bad reviews of the ship you have booked them on and plan on driving 9+ hours to get to… that’s one of them. I kept it all quietly to myself and finally resolved, just not to read anymore. I follow a few “professional cruisers” online. They liked the ship and gave honest opinions which made me feel better. Any complaint they had or problem they noted, I felt was manageable. I ordered us some shirts and happily went to counting down the days.

This was our first time cruising out of New Orleans and I certainly felt like a fish out of water! I did so much research on the ship and booking excursions… I didn’t pay a lot of attention to New Orleans. We managed in Miami. We manage in Galveston… how different could New Orleans be? Ha!
I did ask a couple of people their opinion. Everyone always loved the French Quarter and suggested a ca-zillion places to eat … at NO point did anyone mention... “Good luck driving a car down there.” “Fat chance in hell of finding a parking spot.” “They have street signs, but the actual street names aren’t on them.” Just for the record… that information would have been useful!

Regardless, after Mark practically jumped out of the moving van and stopped a stranger walking down the sidewalk for help, we survived. We had dinner at the Crazy Lobster. It was located in the port and we were able to watch the Royal Caribbean ship leave.
The food really was fantastic. I had the fish tacos. The atmosphere was awesome. The service was absent ? Not so much for the lack of employees... there were plenty of them around... just didn't seem to be working. They were friendly and engaging when they were at our table though. We corresponded more with the other customers at the tables near us. We were in no hurry so no big deal, but perhaps not the place to eat if you are watching the clock.
Embarkation: We stayed the night in Kenner, LA at the Double Tree Hotel. It said Double Tree Airport… but I saw no airport. Anyhoo. This hotel did offer free parking for up to 14 days. We took a taxi which ended being $14 a person…. Probably should have just paid for parking. It all worked out okay though. We love Hilton hotels and this one had an awesome fitness room (though you also had to pay for breakfast). I have officially been spoiled by the Hampton Inn’s.
We arrived to the port around 10:30-10:45. The porter was there to take our luggage. I was a little apprehensive leaving it with him as they only had dollie looking thing and not the big luggage carts we are used to. We walked in and found our way to the priority boarding line for the xray scanners…. And stood there. It wasn’t moving. Finally we ducked under the ropes and joined the regular line. We moved right through…. Until Mark attempted to go through the scanner.
Beep. “Do you have anything in your pockets?” No. Beep. “Sir, we are going to need you to take your belt off.” Beep. “Could you please take your hat off.” Beep. “Sir, we are going to need you to take your boots off.” Beep. Mark: “You better figure it out ‘cause I’m not taking my clothes off!” … We were allowed to go through.
It did not get much better after that as they seem to have moved the check in desk. You now have to walk through people waiting in the chairs, stepping over feet and carry-on luggage to get to the check in line. There was no clear cut path for you. That priority line did not move there either. We stood stationary for probably 20 minutes before 1 person was called to go to the next attendant. We finally got our S&S cards… trudged back through the chairs, feet and luggage and into the line to board the boat. By the time we got this accomplished they were boarding Zone 6 so we just grouped in with them.
*Our personal experience with the Port of NO was not good on embarkation or debarkation (that will be at the end of the blog). I do want to add a statement that several people I have met, cruised with, and trust their opinion have stated this is not how it always is. However, I am not sure I will sign up for a round 2.*
The boat is coming up next ....

Those who have cruised before know what a popular place the ship's buffet is on embarkation day. It's as though 3,000 cruisers arrive on board and haven't eaten in days. Eager, hungry vacationers line up at the door, squirt the required antibacterial lotion into the palms of their hands, fill their plates, and search for the grand prize: a seat at which to enjoy their lunch - all while carefully and steadily balancing plates and cups along the way. Depending on the ship and venue, it can be a very organized affair in a spacious area, or it can be a crowded and confusing place, overrun with fellow diners in search of food and table.
Instead of beginning your cruise flustered from the crowds bumping to and fro, why not head to the dining room for a leisurely lunch . Most ships have at least one dining room or other alternative dining area open for those who would like a more relaxed meal.
For instance, when cruising on the larger Princess ships, my husband and I like to grab a bite to eat at the International Cafe after boarding and eat in the nearby Piazza, while listening to the string quartet or jazz ensemble that might be performing. We're not really interested in filling ourselves with a lot of food at the moment we board. After all, there will be plenty more where that came from in the days ahead!

In 2013, David and I were blessed with another year of amazing travel firsts - first time to Alaska, first time to San Francisco, first time to the Grand Canyon, first time in a tiny 6-seater plane, and other notable moments of first glimpses. New and different sights and opportunities always produce an abundance of fresh stories and photos to share. Here, in no particular order, are our top 10 most memorable travel experiences of 2013, followed by photos I took:
Flightseeing in Ketchikan, Alaska. While aboard the Grand Princess on an Alaska cruise, we spent a large stack of bills on this privately-booked floatplane flight to see bears in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, the bears did not come out to play with us, but the ride was exciting nevertheless, landing and takeoff smooth as silk, and the view from the sky was beautiful. My initial fear of taking off in a tiny plane was replaced by sheer excitement, and the ride was worth every precious penny we paid.
The Grand Canyon, Arizona. The thought of cold and snow at the South Rim made me really hesitant about visiting the Grand Canyon in February. However, I was so glad we did. Thankfully, the forecasted major snowstorm, which threatened to create a traveling mess, never materialized. Instead, we were left with a fine layer of fresh powder and sun. The effects of natural light and snow-layered rims of the canyon enhanced the beauty and splendor of this natural wonder. As we drove and stopped for photos at several points along the rim trail, I lost count of the number of “Ahhhh” moments where words could never describe what lay before my eyes. The quiet solitude of the canyon in winter was a gift, making me wonder why anyone would want to fight the heat and crowds in summer.
Cathedral Rock Hike in Sedona, Arizona. On our drive back from the Grand Canyon to Phoenix for our flight home, we stopped for a night in Sedona. The drive through the winding, mountainous roads blessed us with some of the most beautiful snow-covered vistas we’d ever seen, and as we drove closer to Sedona and caught our first glimpse of grand red rocks, the scene took our breath away. As with the Grand Canyon, the light layer of snow against backdrop of red proved to enhance the beauty of these majestic rock formations. We are not the adventurous or active sort, but we managed to hike our old, tired legs a short way up the trail in the lightly falling snow toward the grandest of the red rocks, Cathedral Rock. Our hiking shoes were caked with red mud, but it was well worth the experience.
Glacier Bay, Alaska. This is what we came to Alaska for and why we chose a cruise with Glacier Bay as part of the itinerary. We were blessed with a gorgeous, sunny day when we sailed in, and as she ship slowly guided past the great ice, we marveled at the majestic splendor of the glaciers and mountains reflected in the calm, blue water of the Bay.
Muir Woods, California. A visit to the stately redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument was part of a post-cruise day tour of Sausalito and Marin County. Although the sections of the park were crowded with noisy tourists, there was plenty of opportunity for quiet tranquility on the walk through this forest of old, beautiful redwoods. The towering, majestic trees were simply stunning and I couldn’t help but feel small and inconsequential next to such natural beauty.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. We had several opportunities to see the bridge, both on a pre-cruise city tour when we stopped for the obligatory photo ops and again on a post-cruise tour when we traveled over the bridge to explore the Marin County area and Muir Woods. It seemed that the bridge appeared different each time we gazed at it. At times the bridge was barely visible in the foggy mist, other times it was shrouded in clouds. On our final day in San Francisco, the fog lifted and a blue, sunny sky revealed the bridge in all its glory. But perhaps the most dramatic Golden Gate Bridge moment was gliding beneath the bridge aboard the Grand Princess on our way out of the Bay to Alaska. You could almost hear a collective sigh as the bridge approached then disappeared above us, and the applause that followed by all the cruisers on deck said it all.
Dim Sum in Chinatown, San Francisco. Chinatown in this amazing city is a huge area of kitschy souvenir shops mixed in with authentic Chinese art, sculptures, crafts and other unique wares. There is a never-ending feeling of hustle and bustle here, and it was nice to stop at a small restaurant along the way for dim sum – good, inexpensive appetizers and tea to hold us over until dinner time while resting our weary feet.
Alcatraz, San Francisco. I’d always been curious about this old prison since seeing Burt Lancaster as the Birdman of Alcatraz, and I wasn’t disappointed. A steep hike up to the prison from the pier was well worth the informative self-audio tour. Listening to the voices of former inmates tell of their time behind bars, stories of attempted escapes, the famous criminals imprisoned here, and what life was like at the prison made for a very interesting – and a little bit haunting - experience.
Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Photo Safari, Juneau Alaska. This was a 5-hour ship-sponsored excursion while aboard the Grand Princess on an inside passage cruise from San Francisco. Unlike many large group shore excursions, this one was refreshingly different. We were part of a small group of 12 other shutterbugs, both experienced and point-and-shoot type of travelers, and were led on a nature hike at Mendenall Glacier followed by an amazing small boat ride to search for whales. This tour did not disappoint. We saw amazing whale activity, enjoyed breathtaking views of Mendenhall Glacier, experienced beautiful plant and animal life, and learned some helpful photo tips along the way.
Japanese Hot Rock at Izumi, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. My daughter, with whom I traveled on a cruise to Canada aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, is an avid fan of Japanese food. So it was only natural we had to try Izumi, the newly-added Japanese restaurant to the ship’s roster of onboard eateries. I decided to be adventurous and try grilling my own dinner right at our table, all by myself, with just a 550-degree blazing hot rock, some steak, vegetables and a spatula. Like the waiter said, if it came out bad, I had only myself to blame. Not much of a griller at home, and steak not being my specialty, I was a little intimidated. However, it turned out to be lots of fun and the highlight of my onboard dining experience.
 

Hey, y'all! Happy Thanksgiving! You know today is one of the coolest holidays we celebrate here in the United States. I know many traditions have grown over the years on this iconic day. Many watch the Macy's Day Parade, some may slave over a stove for hours while the bargain shoppers may start plotting when they're going to hit up their favorite retail stores to catch some Black Friday deals. But my understanding of this day is to come together with those we love and begin to think on the things we're thankful for...well at least that's what I thought it was?
As many did this morning, I got on my social media networks this morning and saw many people wishing each other "Happy Turkey Day!" Now I'm not trying to get too deep here, but have we as a society reduced a day that is supposed to be a day set aside to give thanks to a day where we honor a bird? Really? Please say it ain't so! This ain't no gobble 'til you wobble holiday (even though y'all know The Wobble is my favorite line dance)... I'm just a little lost here...
There are so many people who would KILL to be in your shoes, have your annoying kids, be with that lazy spouse of yours, drive your trouble-causing car and even sleep in that home of yours with the leaky roof. So many people around the world go without many of the everyday luxuries we're blessed to have. We're in good health, connected to people whom we love and even have access to things like warm homes, shoes and fresh, clean water... but we want to reduce this day-when we could be thankful for the many things I just mentioned-to a elevating a bird above anything else?
That my friends is what I call an American Tragedy. Let's do a heart and mind check friends and really think about how we name this day when wishing well ones to one another because I'm pretty sure the heart of it does not revolve around a turkey. Happy Thanksgiving (a day of thanks, not turkey), cruise friends and may you always count your many blessings and share hope with those who need it most! Until we talk ship again--Shon!

You might think that after the Costa Concordia tragedy in January 2012, people would have more respect for the muster drill. For the most part, on the majority of our cruises since that time, I have noticed an alertness among the passengers that wasn’t necessarily there before. Passengers WANT to know what to do in case of a ship emergency. Ships have stepped up their drills and passengers are paying attention.
At least that’s what I’d observed – until I boarded Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas last month. As we stood in our respective lines out on deck, I was stunned by the rudeness of others. While the captain’s voice came over the loudspeaker with detailed emergency instructions, people were thoughtlessly talking all around me, paying no attention whatsoever, and making it impossible to hear anything. I left the drill not knowing any more than I did when I arrived. Imagine how frustrating that would be for a first-time cruiser.
Fortunately, there are detailed instructions outlined in the cabin literature, as well, so it’s a good idea to review these with your cabin mates on the first day. However, there’s no substitute for a good visual presentation.
If you think you’ve experienced enough muster drills and are only there because it’s mandatory – like many of us, please at least have the common courtesy to remain quiet so your fellow cruisers – those who REALLY want to know the emergency procedures – will be able to listen to and hear the instructions.

Progreso is becoming our home away from home ?
The first time we went to Progreso I wasn’t really impressed, but drink enough tequila and corona and really what does it matter? Unless you are a man trapped in a chicken fighting contest with other men thanks to your lovely wife and her big mouth.
The next time we returned to Progreso, the drunken tequila drinking on the beach days were still haunting Mark so we set out for some hotter than hell culture at the Mayan ruins during July. Clearly a better time than the one before… but still not really impressed.
Third time was a charm. We repeated the culture of the Mayan ruins (5 years later) in December instead of July and we got back on the boat thinking… that really wasn’t so bad. That actually was an enjoyable experience.
5 months later we found ourselves back in Progreso. Well, hell. What are we going to do now? Looking through the excursions nothing stood out. We didn’t want to do Corona beach. We had tackled the Mayan ruins twice now. Saw a bicycle excursion that looked fun… but let’s be honest here. Have you seen the roads in Mexico? Better yet, have you seen the bicycles? I am not so sure I want to spend $89.99 a person to experience either one.
I researched online through cruise groups and facebook and finally decided. Family: “We are getting off the boat and going into town. We’ll see what happens there.” There were no grumblings or alternate suggestions so that was that.
*Sometime in the wee hours of the morning before daylight my eyes flew open. It was dark. I was still on the boat, rocking gently back and forth. I was comfy and snuggled in the bed. Mark and Trenton were snoring. Instinctively I knew something was very wrong. There was a pain in the back of my throat. I didn’t feel well at all. My head was congested. “Oh no! This cannot be happening!” Panic washed over me as I stumbled to the bathroom and flipped on the light. I frantically searched through my bathroom organizer where everything including my kitchen sink from home is artfully stashed in small, sample size packets. I know I have a packet of EmergenC… a small bottle of Zycam. Where are they? I am tossing packets of medication… Pepto, Benadryl, Advil, stuff I don’t even really know what it is… I just know what it isn’t… It isn’t going to solve this war going on inside my head! I am officially under-prepared… On the Triumph no less. I felt defeated. There was nothing I could do other than drink some water, say a prayer and crawl back in bed.
The next morning I didn’t feel wonderful… but I didn’t feel perfectly awful either. I made sure to eat a good breakfast, took some vitamins, packed some tissues in our backpack and we set off to explore Mexico.
Important Stuff About Progreso ---> At the end of the port area they have buses that run every 20 minutes (they say), but there were 4 lined up there to pick people up. We didn’t get off the boat super early… 10ish or so. Yea for no wait! The buses are FREE and they take you directly into town and drop you off at the local market. Free! What an awesome deal!! As we were getting ready to get off the bus they were offering tours (all inclusive with food and drink) to a beach resort on the other side of town $35 per person. We said no thank you and off through the market we went.
There were a hundred tables or so with various clothing, sunglasses, jewelry, wood carvings, chess sets, vanilla, etc… and here is how the conversation went. “No, No Thank You, Not right now, Nope, Uh Uh, No, No Thank you, Already bought one, No, Nope, No Thank You” … All Day. Mark avoided it like the plague! Mom, Trenton and I ventured through and bought some trinkets. One lady literally pulled me by my arm into the sunlight so I could get a better look at the 12 bracelets she quickly draped across my arm… totally ignoring that I said I was not interested. She was sure the sunlight would change my mind ? She was wrong. Finally I said… “Hey, you should ask my Mom. She’s the lady over there in the blue shirt” and then Trenton and I ducked down the other aisle ? He He He

We then walked downtown. The shops down there were actually cheaper and not pushy. We met some local police and Trenton loved the Domino’s pizza he found … and a pay phone! I am not sure he believed me that they actually existed ? Of course, he had to touch it and stick it up to his head which sent me digging for the antibacterial hand gel! We also walked through their “market” with fresh vegetables. Behind that is the meat market. Raw meat… just hanging around in the open air… flies buzzing by. Mark WAS hungry. He quickly walked though, sat on the bench and declared he had lost his appetite ?

After walking around and taking in the sights of downtown Progreso we thought we would venture over to the beach and let Trenton play for a bit. As we were heading back into the market we were stopped by someone offering tours. He had a deal we couldn’t refuse. $15 per person… $10 for Trenton. They promised a tour of Progreso on an air conditioned bus, they would take us to their “best” beach and then bring us back. We said sure.
Let me tell you what this little excursion entailed…..
A tour of downtown Progreso. (Actually informative) We saw the “Poor” side of town where people literally lived in cardboard boxes… it was a whole community all the way to the “rich” side of town with police checkpoints outside. Then they took us out to the salt mines. We got out and viewed how sea salt was obtained. Got a little education and then the tour guide actually dug up some sea salt and produced little baggies so we could bring some home. *A few strange birds on our bus actually tasted it and confirmed it was in fact salt. I am cool with taking their word for it.
3. Next we saw the pink flamingos and learned they are actually born white they get their pigmentation by eating bacteria that stains them pink.
4. A little further down the road to some Mayan ruins. It wasn’t anywhere as big as the ones we went to last time, but they were different…. Allowed you to climb them. It was a win-win. *They do offer a rest room here so if you take this tour please note: They do have a potty. They do not have potty seats or toilet paper. Ladies you will need to pack some tissues and strengthen up those thigh muscles for the hover maneuver. Soap… it’s pretty much a given that the sink didn’t have soap. At that point I was just impressed as all get out that there was a sink!

5. Back in the van and on down the road to the Technohotel. It is a little resort. You can purchase a wrist band here for $20 to get you unlimited food and alcoholic drinks if you want. Otherwise everything is free. Free beach (better than the one near the port). Free swimming pool. Trenton played in the ocean, sea shells were in abundance and finished his time off in the pool. There were plenty of beach chairs to go around and lots of shaded tables, chairs and huts by the pool. Music playing… It was a great atmosphere and lots of fun. Mom got some food and drinks. It was good. We opted to wait and eat on the ship. You could get a massage on the beach here for $25.

~> We tipped our van driver $2 per person and he took us straight back to the ship. Otherwise, they will take you back into town and you catch the free bus back to the ship. We were exhausted and the $2 was well worth it!
*We were probably half way back to the ship when I sneezed for the first time that day. It was that one simple little sneeze and then I felt like the plague washed over me. I dug out the rest of the tissues… suddenly thankful Mark and Trenton were boys and did not consume them all trying to potty in Mexico. My nose turned into a faucet. My head was throbbing. I felt weak. It was awful. By the time we reached the port I was sure I was going to die. I had Mark and Mom check every shop for their little pharmacy to see if there was any sinus-cold medication, vitamin C type meds and the answer was No. I’m doomed. You can purchase antibiotics, meds for diabetes, estrogen replacement, arthritis, pain and impotence … but if you have a sinus infection or a cold you are pretty much screwed.
Somehow we made it back on the boat… I really do not recall and up to our room. I missed dinner this night. I could not even get out of bed. The pressure and pain in my face was so bad I thought for sure the bone under my eye had fractured. Mark headed to the medical deck to try to fix me. Sometime around 2 am he asked me if I wanted him to try to cancel our scuba diving excursion for the next day. No … I’ll be fine in the morning … Death will be the only thing that stops me.
He didn’t look so sure….
Clearly I am still alive… So here’s my thought of Progreso. Is it getting better? Are we just getting older? We all had a fabulous day. I don’t know that I will ever book an excursion there again unless some new found adventure opens up. $15 a person you can NOT beat that deal! Carnival could sell that excursion for $89 a person… easy. Don’t you guys dare suggest that to them and ruin it for me next time!! LOL
I am still sitting at home wondering how I walked out of Progreso a fan!

Hey, y'all! Thanks for coming back this week to get the full 411 as to why I picked Carnival Breeze and Norwegian Epic as my two favorite cruise ships afloat. I was reading some of your comments from last week's post and saw an overwhelming love and support for ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. So is it safe to assume that 1.) Many of you are happy I'm gonna be sailing Grand Princess for the holidays and 2.) Many of you are experts at "Escaping Completely" and can help a brotha out? I'll definitely be asking for your input as I prepare to sail with Princess in just less than two months... stay tuned, y'all!
Alright, so here's why I picked Carnival Breeze and Norwegian Epic... it boils down to two words: food and entertainment. It seems these two things get the most hype when sailing the high seas now-a-days, right? Let's see... which ship should I start with? I'll keep things in ABC order, so Carnival Breeze is on deck first. Between Breeze and Epic, I'd have to give the food award to Breeze and the entertainment honor to Epic. On Carnival Breeze, you've got so many options to pick from (dare I say this), it has a Norwegian Cruise Line feel (I know, I felt the Earth stop spinning for a second too). There's the Blue Iguana Cantina serving up some great burritos, Guy's Burger Joint dishing out the best burgers I've ever had (which is by far my fave aboard), freshly made sushi, and of course the Carnival staples of 24/7 pizza and ice cream. They've got stations for salads, Asian favorites and even tandoori cuisine on lido; but the reason I love lido on Carnival Breeze so much is because they have a special area just for deserts (perfect for my fellow sweet teeth cruisers). In addition to the two dining rooms aboard -- Sapphire and Blush -- you'll also find palate satisfaction at SeaDogs (hot dogs) and Fat Jimmy's (BBQ)!
When it comes to the entertainment capital of the high seas (which is what many refer to Epic as), The Blue Man Group, Second City Comedy Troupe, Legends Live in Concert, and many other entertainment acts head-line every night on-board keeping passengers of all ages asking for more. Norwegian Epic also sails with Nickelodeon at Sea on-board! This is a great addition allowing kids of all ages to see some of their favorite cartoon characters. Norwegian Epic does require something other ships within the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet do not, and that is reservations in excessive amounts. In order to attend any of the fabulous shows I mentioned above, dine in one of the specialty restaurants, attend the circus, or chill-out in the 17 degree ice bar, reservations are needed.
And that is why I named this blog post as, 'Carnival Epic or Norwegian Breeze' because for me, the perfect cruise ship would be a hybrid of the two. Have any of you sailed on either of these ships? Do you have two ships you like a lot and would love to sail if a hybrid version existed? Which ones are they? Feel free to tweet me or post your thoughts in a comment below! Until we talk ship again, keep cruising and grooving!

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 in size. Combine that with the number of locals and land tourists, and you can expect large crowds and exceedingly long waits for the most sought-after sights that you and every other tourist want to see.
While I don't choose a cruise based on the number of ships in port, I do like to check sites such as www.cruisetimetables.com or www.cruisereport.com - or, better yet, the individual port websites themselves - to find out what I can expect in terms of port congestion and how far ahead I should book an independent tour or otherwise arrange my day. For example, I might choose an off-the-beaten-track tour if I know there will be an overly large number of people in town.
Simply look up your port and the date on which you ship will be docked there, and you will learn how many ships will be docked and their arrival and departure times - especially useful if your ship is first to arrive and you want to get a head start to beat the crowds. Knowing in advance how many people will be competing for tours can be a deciding factor in how you plan your day in port.

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 ship?" I've answered this question in an interview I did back in January of this year with Cruise Line Talk and named 3 ships as my favorites: Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Star and Carnival Breeze. Today, I'd just narrow that to Carnival Breeze and Norwegian Epic. No offense to the Star, but Epic and Breeze are truly my favorites at the moment!
I haven't been on any of the Voyager or Oasis class vessels with Royal Caribbean, so I can't speak from those ships' perspectives (but all my friends who have never shut up about 'em... ever LOL - and that's not a bad thing)! Let's not even begin to talk about the Quantum class ships! Many of you may remember I toured Norwegian Breakaway last month and guess what? I'll be sailing her twin sister, Norwegian Getaway at the top of 2014! And let's not forget my 16 day adventure on Grand Princess approaching in just under 2 months! So with all that said, there are plenty of ships who could captivate the top spot in my heart... but for now, Epic and Breeze will sail at the number one spot.
So what are your favorite cruise ships? Why do you like those particular ships more than any other vessel? I'll share the details as to why I like Carnival Breeze and Norwegian Epic in my next update so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, share with me your favorite high seas' resorts - I'd love to know which ones you may suggest I try, too! ? Until we talk ship again, keep cruising and grooving! Much love always--Shon!

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 will think less of you.
A few years ago when our two teen daughters accompanied us on a cruise, they wanted to climb up Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica. As I always do when trying something new for the first time, I read reviews of the falls and listened to others’ own experiences. It sounded like a thrilling experience – for the healthy, physically fit person. However, for someone with not-so-great knee joints and a previous ankle fracture several years previous, I had my concerns. The girls wanted me to go with them, and with the reassurances from others that it’s no so difficult, I decided to give it a go.
I knew from the moment I started down the stairs to reach the bottom of the falls that I was going to have problems, and this was affirmed when the guide put me first in line for the trip up the waterfall – where they usually put the little kids who need help. Stairs are one thing – but the steepness of the rocks was too much, and the guide had to literally pull me up each step of the way. Meanwhile, the little kid behind me is vaulting over the rocks like an Olympic champion. I bowed out at the first emergency exit, wishing I had picked something more suitable to my limitations.
Cruise line excursions include helpful information in their descriptions as to the level of activity, number of steps, amount of walking and other information to help you decide if it’s the right one for you. If you choose an independent tour company, be sure to know before you go. With some careful planning and being honest with yourself about your limitations, you can have fun and be safe at the same time.

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 generally I'd say these missteps, mispronunciations, misreads, mistakes, brain freezes and blunders have increased with each new gray hair and wrinkle that appears. I think it started when I was about 40, when I decided to try eyeglasses with progressive lenses. I must have tripped over a hundred things just trying to get acclimated. Since then, I always blame the eyeglasses for every mom moment – or senior moment that comes my way.
I could write a book, but here are just a few "mom moments" from our most recent cruise.
The Elevator. So it would figure that on the first day just after embarkation, I would press the button for the elevator when the thing was already there beckoning in front of me with its doors wide open. Must be my glasses, I said aloud. My daughter immediately jotted this down as #1 in her notebook of mom's cruise moments.
Caution: Wet Floor. Most people watch where they're walking. Not me. I was looking around the Windjammer, admiring the room and figuring out which buffet food station to begin my grazing, and WHAM! I walked right into one of those tall, yellow cones in the middle of the floor marked in big black letters, "Caution: Wet Floor". Why they needed to place it there I don’t know. The floor wasn’t wet. Fortunately, just the cone fell over – and not me. The only thing that was bruised was my dignity. There could only be one possible explanation - must be my glasses.
The Jock. This wasn't a blunder of any kind, but just an unfortunate situation that adversely affected the rest of my cruise experience - and eyeglasses had nothing to do with it. I decided I was going to continue my daily at-home exercise regimen of 25 minutes on an exercise bike here in the ship's fitness center. I got on the bike, set the machine on automatic, set the tension to "it's so easy an ape could do it" and off I pedaled. I had a nice conversation with trainer, Six-Pack Steve, about workouts in general and how biking keeps my knee arthritis in check. OK, Steve wasn't his name, but the six-pack abs reference definitely fit. I finished my 25 minutes, left the gym and went about my day, returning to the room for a catnap before dinner. I woke up, and my knee had blown up like a balloon and I couldn't straighten it or bend it. I quickly raided my first aid bag, called for some ice, filled my handy Ziploc bags, and iced up the knee and limped off to dinner. With the help of some Jacuzzi time in the morning, some ice at night, a bottle of Advil and one of those stretchy knee braces, I was able to make my way around the ship and even in port, but just a lot slower. So ended my well-intentioned shipboard fitness plan.
I had never cruised at any time other than summer, and was not accustomed to so many older people. Make no mistake - I counted myself among them on this cruise, and by day 2, and I was beginning to feel and appear like the oldest of the old, folks ambling about the ship with canes and walkers. In other words, I fit right in.
As a side note, I was worried that 26-year-old daughter Jenn would feel out of place with this crowd. In fact, one gentleman, while waiting for the elevator, asked her “What’s a young thing like you doing on this ship?” To the contrary, she was very flattered being the youngest at the table every night. She wound up being the go-to person for advice on movies, science fiction, Facebook and the Internet.
The Juggling Act: Get me a job on a cruise ship, because I can juggle! Too lazy to wait for an elevator, I was making my way down a flight of stairs one afternoon with two cups of coffee and a plate of pastry. Hey, it was only one flight and my bum knee could certainly make the trip. The only problem was I had only two hands - the plate in one and the two cups - one on top of the other - in the other hand. No hand left to hold onto the rail. I was doing great until my heel caught on a step, and sent my cups wobbling back and forth and my hand sliding around feverishly in order to compensate. Had to be the eyeglasses. In the end, I saved the coffee and my wits. Better yet, I didn't fall.
Look Before Crossing. Something happened to me after I double-fractured my ankle on another vacation seven years ago. That's right - I was as clumsy then as I am now. I am a magnet for mishaps. Memories of a double ankle fracture on Cape Cod as well as a trip and fall, landing face first on a sidewalk in Savannah, Georgia, make stepping off sidewalks and traversing a street equivalent to walking on eggs. I don't want to risk breaking another ankle, nor do I want to fall down in the street and get run over. So, of course, there I was shopping with my daughter in Portland, Maine, last week, and while one side of my brain is concentrating on my footwork in navigating the sidewalk, the other side has failed to inform me of the approaching car. My daughter grabbed my arm and stopped me in my tracks. As I said before, it must be the eyeglasses.
Three things I have learned from this cruise: (1) Get the knee fixed. (2) I can't be trusted to travel alone, and (3) Lose the glasses and look into contact lenses.
For details of our cruise, read my review: Boston to New England/Canada Aboard Brilliance, Oct. 6, 2013

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 will be had and it's officially National Cruise Vacation Month (NCVM)! Yeah, I promise I didn't make that up; October is indeed NCVM! How are you celebrating? I hope by either booking a cruise or sailing on one... yes? I'm celebrating by beginning to pack for my 16 day voyage coming up in just 2 months (okay, I'ma gonna be honest... the only packing going on will be in my head... at least for now, hehe).

Last week I shared with y'all a little taste of my day on Norwegian Breakaway and I have some new content to share! You can check out my picture album from the ship by clicking here and see all the footage I shot onboard by clicking one of the links below. You'll find pics of me pretending to be one of the Rockettes, getting "read my rights" for putting ketchup on a hot dog by a native New Yorker and even a few casual pics of me hanging with the cast of Spongebob Squarepants including Patrick, Squidward, Sandy and the yellow-boxed man himself!
CM3K's Day on Breakaway (2:16)   Norwegian Breakaway and CM3K (1:25)   CM3K's Farewell to Norwegian Breakaway (1:28)   Hot Dog Cart Fail on Norwegian Breakaway (1:13)   I hope you guys enjoy all the cruise coverage from Norwegian Breakaway above! I've got many more great things on the horizon for The Cruisetacular Weekly, so keep it locked here every Monday for some great updates! Until we talk ship again, keep cruising and grooving! I've got nothing but love for you all--Shon!

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 well as from the Garden Cafe (Norwegian's version of Lido). The coolest thing was walking around Ocean Blue on the Waterfront (an area of the vessel) and running right into a hot dog cart - how cool is that? I have a super funny video of some New Yorkers "shunning" me for putting ketchup on my hot dog which apparently is crime in the Empire State (they thought I was from Florida because apparently that's what people from Florida do...)? I may have even tried getting Norwegian Breakaway's Godmothers, the Rockettes, to let me do the can-can with them? Okay, that was all in my head.
I also got to check out the spa, gym, water park (which is Spongebob themed for the Nick lovers), ropes course and even the ice bar! There's so much to share, and I don't have all my pictures and videos edited at this time, but they will be forthcoming - I promise! Norwegian Breakway was truly everything I thought she would be and then some. Innovative. Revolutionary. Gorgeous. Any word you can dish out to describe a ship, she's that, the bag of chips on the side and free drink to compliment the combo!
Be sure to keep it locked to my Twitter Feed, Youtube Channel as well as Facebook and Instagram sites for so many pictures, videos and a cruisetacular insight about this fantastic vessel! Also, while in New York, I was able to see Aida Cruises' AIDAluna in port and got some video and pics with and of her as well! Lots of great content is on the way, so don't change the cruise channel just yet! Until we talk ship again, keep cruising and grooving!

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 convince you, join me on the high seas for a few days... but be careful, my inner cruisetacular party animal may catch ya and have you leading the way (I promise to follow)!
When I was in the dollar store before a cruise a few months back, it was during graduation season and so there were a lot of yard signs in stock. You know, the signs that say "The Party Is Here" and "Party's This Way." Then I had this humungo cruise ah-ha moment in the store and said, "I could use these on the ship in the club, at sailaway and for the welcome aboard picture." Oh, but I didn't stop there - I added whistles, glowsticks and leis to the mix! Oh yes, we were decked out and I think you should go all out too!

But let me just warn you now. Everyone on the cruise is gonna want to be with your group (so bring extras to share with others). I was tossing glow sticks faster than hot cakes on a Sunday morning in the night club. I told my fam on the next cruise, I'm gonna open up shop in my cabin (CASH ONLY - lol). So for your next cruise be sure to pack a whistle and add a little glow to your evening wear - it'll take your cruise to cruisetacular heights! Don't forget that optimistic attitude and a few clothes too! Until we talk ship again next week, keep cruising and grooving! Oh, before I go, let me give my sis Heather Forrester (@itsme_Heather) a special shout-out as she gets ready to sail Norwegian Breakaway to Bermuda this weekend! Shout-out to everyone on a cruise right now, too! I hope you're living it up, eating my share and hitting the wrong... I mean right notes in karaoke! Peace and much love--Shon!

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 having 2 feet?” Well, I kinda like that idea. Or, “What do you think about living in our home instead of being homeless under a bridge?” Well, I kinda like that idea too. So when he calls me at work to ask “What do you think about taking another cruise?” I got a little frustrated. “Babe, listen. I’m a little busy up here. You know the answer to that. What exactly are you getting at?”
This is when he tells me some friends of ours were thinking of taking their first cruise… in December. It was just a little 4 day trip to Cozumel on the Carnival Triumph, but it was over a weekend and all 4 of us could go for what we normally pay for just 1. (Hmmm…. My wheels started turning. We could all take off from work. 4 days was doable. The price was good. Trenton would only miss 2 days of school. We have never cruised in December…) And then he says “It will almost be Christmas time so instead of exchanging gifts for you and me, we could just get ourselves a cruise”. YES PLEASE. SOLD. DONE. BOOK IT. NOW… Seriously, hang up the phone and call Carnival and give them our credit card number.
We’re going to Cozumel in December! Texas will be getting cold.… we will be getting our tan on…. Ecstatic was an understatement!
I had to work the day we left to go down to Galveston and had been up since 5am. Mark got the job of finishing all the packing and loading the van. SO, after the long drive down to Galveston, followed by the sleepless night with Trenton being sick, we were a little exhausted. Since the boat was having propulsion issues Carnival gave us the choice to cancel the cruise and get a full refund. We were so looking forward to this cruise and when the doctor said he was not contagious we decided to just go ahead and go. All the emails said we could get onboard at 6pm, so we called the porter at 4:30 to come load our luggage and take us to the pier. AFTER the luggage is packed the porter says… “Oh, we aren’t taking anyone to the port right now. The shuttle won’t actually come until around 6pm to take you.” WHAT?! I want to go right now! This is when the first real emergence of Mark’s horns came out. I saw his eyes squint at me and the glare come out…. Here we go. ?
They went ahead and took our luggage and we attempted to file back in our rooms. Since it was after the initial check out time our keys no longer worked and we were locked out! Aaaah, perfect. Mark looks at me and says “I am going for a walk.” Mom looks at me and says “I am going to find something to eat.” … and then there were 2. SO, Trenton and I called the front desk and had new keys delivered.
We didn’t actually get on the shuttle until almost 7pm! We had been waiting in the lobby with 50 or so other guests for over an hour. The whole day was gone! By the time we arrived to the port the line to get into the terminal was outside the building and all the way down the sidewalk. It appeared all 2000 passengers were in line. This was our first time to purchase the Faster to the Fun. Thankfully we were able to walk around the perimeter, skip the 2 hours of waiting and get up to the counter. There was 1 family in front of us. However, they had about 7 children (no joke)… NO ONE had passports… and 1 adult had checked her birth certificate IN HER LUGGAGE. So we waited…. Forever.
Now, my optimistic personality says… we just skipped 2 hours of waiting in that long line. I can wait here for 30 minutes while they figure out this hot mess in front of us. Half the kids were running around in circles bumping into everyone, the other half were crying and screaming. The adults were oblivious to the fact they even HAD children. It really was not a pleasant situation. It seems Mark had lost his optimistic personality about 2 hours ago. So after standing there for 15 minutes or so he asked another rep if someone else could check us in and in Mark’s defense the guy rudely said NO. That didn’t go over well. PLEASE just let us get on the boat! It was not until AFTER we were finally checked in and received our cards that we got the paper telling us we were no longer going to Cozumel, but Progresso instead. Oh yeah…. Mark HATES Progresso. We have already been twice and only once on purpose. At this point I decided we should all play a game… “The we don’t know Daddy game.” No one objected. ?
We finally made it on the boat, our cabin was ready. Mark dumped his bag and thankfully took off to go calm himself down. About this time the room steward knocks on the door and is delivering our luggage. I am thinking “Now this is service!” Only the room steward says “Ma’am, you might want to check your bag. Something inside spilled and it’s all wet.” Huh? What do you mean? I didn’t pack anything that could spill. Then he pushes Mark’s suitcase in the door and it is practically dripping with something…. And it reeks! Seriously… what is that? It couldn’t have spilled on anyone else’s suitcase? Are they just trying to pick on the pissed off guy? Cheese and crackers… this is gonna suck! So, I open the bag and yep all his clothes are wet. I called my mom and said “Come smell this bag.” She initially says No!, but consented and seconds later all 3 of us were in the floor of our cabin sniffing the suitcase. Mom comes up with the logical answer… Red wine. Bad Red Wine. By some luck… this foul smelling business is only on Mark’s dark clothes. All the light ones were good.
Trenton says “Mom, what are you going to do?”
Me: “Um, hello… not tell him!”
Mom: “Really… you don’t think he is not going to notice smelling like foul red wine for the next 3 days?”
Me: “Fine. How many quarters do you have?”
Well… I’ve got the answer for you. Not enough!
Now, I COULD have gone down to guest services, but the lobby was a disaster because we were still embarking so I chose to stand in the hallway and beg for quarters…. Don’t judge. I was exhausted and desperate. By this time you could smell the suitcase in the hallway and people were more than willing to donate for a worthy cause. 8pm laundry started!
This is certainly NOT the way to start a quick winter get a way. Propulsion issues, vomiting child, long lines, Progresso, Mexico, clothes drenched in someone else’s red wine and laundry. We all want to do laundry the first day of vacation.
By now it is time to head to the muster drill. Mark was still MIA. Mom had gone for a drink and when we arrived Trenton and I had different muster stations. This did not go over well with me. He isn’t standing over there by himself and if this boat goes down … the way this trip is starting off that is a good possibility… you can bet your biscuits he won’t be getting in a different lifeboat than me! So, we got escorted inside to the handicap waiting and took a seat in the chairs. Perfect.
My phone goes off with a text message from Mark “Where are you?” Silly me. I thought Mark was at our muster station and looking for us. Nope. He would be hiding in the bathroom drinking a beer. “Seriously?! Something is wrong with you!” He says, Nope. Something’s about to go down and I don’t want to miss it. You will thank me later. Hmpf
~ Disclaimer: I fully respect and understand the importance of muster drills. No need to send me emails explaining them. I attended… you can send them to my husband ?
Well, he was right. Something did go down. Apparently he found someone having a worse day than him! This couple had paid $3000 to get married that afternoon… only the boat wasn’t here for that to happen. When they did let them on board with all their guests, they had 20 minutes for the wedding and reception. The ice sculpture was melted, the food was cold, they were supposed to have a suite and somehow were downgraded to only a balcony, the bride was in tears… and then the security guard got head butted ... By the tiny little 100 pound bride. She lost her ever loving mind! LOL … and Mark had the front row view peeking out from the bathroom!
Somehow, she did not get into trouble for this little incident and Carnival agreed to refund her money she had paid for the wedding, but what was done was done. Upon reflection, she says she doesn’t even remember it! She said she has never done anything like that before and all she remembers was she just kept getting madder and madder… and then her head hurt!
That my friend’s was Day 1 of our “Wheels fell of the train” very first (and possibly the last) 4 day cruise. Don’t worry. One day doesn’t make or break the Hunt family. We were all dancing and gambling away by the end of the night and determined to have a good time. Until we got back to the cabin and Mark says… Ugh, what is that smell…. And where are all my clothes! ? Shhhh

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 between us, okay?)! I douse it on just about everything - popcorn, spaghetti, and even fried alligator (yes, I do eat fried alligator)! It also adds a nice kick to a sandwich I have from time to time. I'll never forget when my family and friends sailed Carnival Glory at the peak of summer this year; I showed up a little late to the dinner table one night BUT for very good reason - I turned back to my cabin to get my bottle of hot sauce (I don't play)! And I'm glad I did because that bottle of hot sauce got passed around more than the salt and pepper! LOL
You can even see my bottle of hot sauce likes to photo-bomb photo shoots onboard, too! One of the main reasons I LOVE sailing from ports closer to my home - Baltimore, New York and Norfolk - is the very reason that I don't have to fly. Meaning I can bring my bottle of hot sauce without extra drama, ya know? Now don't get me wrong, I love flying , but I'm not a fan of the liquid ounce restrictions. When I fly, I pack light so I never have to check my bags (which means everything I bring has to get through security... including the liquids) Many may find it inconvenient not being able to bring an expensive bottle of cologne, that "special" bottle of shampoo or even a bottle of hot sauce... oh wait, did someone say hot sauce? LOL
Yeah, I always shed a tear when I have to part with my bottle of hot sauce for a few days... but the FIRST thing I start doing once I'm on "the other side" of security is the hot sauce collection raid! When I went on my last cruise, a coworker of mine knew I was gonna need/want my hot sauce while away, so she went to a fast food joint and grabbed a few extra packets of the addictive stuff for me. Then it hit me: that's how I'll get around this! So now I literally hit every fast food restaurant inairport concourses collecting hot sauce with NO SHAME to ensure I don't have to go without it when sailing the high seas... ever! I know... it's odd... it's strange... but it's me! Stay tuned for an introduction to another cruising BFF of mine soon! Keep cruising and grooving until we talk ship again! Much love always--Shon.

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 on water.

The pessimist in me (or “negative nanny” as the hubby affectionately calls me) immediately came to surface, as I thought to myself … are these little winged vehicles safe? Is our will up to date? Is our insurance going to cover if the plane goes down? What if the plane breaks down and we miss the ship? What if the weather’s bad? Will I be able to get my arthritic knees up the ladder into the seat? Will my beefy husband fit? You can see where I was going with this. I found the idea a little unsettling, to say the least.
When I am presented with any potentially new experience, I turn to my best friend, Google. I immediately opened up the iPad and began researching small Alaska floatplanes, the best companies, and the best places to see bears from Ketchikan, one of our ports of call. The more I read, the more I liked the idea. “Hey, this could be fun!” I tried to convince my skeptical side.
My search revealed several well-recommended flight companies, so I began making some calls. Two viewing locations for bears in Ketchikan were recommended – Anan Creek or Traitor’s Cove. Both involved a half-mile trail through rainforest to a viewing platform overlooking a creek. Traitor’s Cove provided a guide to the viewing area. Anan Creek did not – once the plane landed, you were on your own, alone, at the mercy of any bear encountered along the trail. Since our comfort level regarding meeting any large 4-legged wildlife in the woods is pretty low, we opted for the safety and reassurance of a guide and Traitor’s Cove.
The next consideration was price. Like many tours involving travel to locations in the Alaskan wilderness, a flightseeing trip would mean expenditure of a small fortune. Geez, I thought. I could buy another cruise for that money - a short one – but a cruise nonetheless. But, hey, this is Alaska. A ride on a small plane would be an adventure well worth the price. After reading some very positive travel reviews, we finally settled on a small family aviation business. Run by a young couple with two very cute kids (according to website photos anyway), Dad was the pilot and Mom ran the office, and they owned just two planes. Mom was very kind and friendly on the phone, patiently answered all my questions, took my credit card deposit, and we were good to go!
I had read stories of bad Alaska weather – rain, cold and thick fog – conditions that could possibly hinder the view from the plane, or preventing the plane from even taking off, for that matter. As luck would have it, we were blessed with a perfect day for our flight from Ketchikan, with no rain in the forecast.

I won’t lie, though … I was really nervous. My stomach was doing flips, and I ate very little that morning. We were picked up as scheduled on the dock, driven to the DeHavilland Beaver 6-passenger floatplane, shown a brief safety video while we all settled our account, and led to the plane, along with our 4 other flight mates.

Now, remember when I mentioned the family owned two planes? Well, as we’re walking to the plane, Mom apologizes for running a little late – that one plane had to go rescue some passengers stranded by their other plane that had developed a small mechanical problem out on a Misty Fiords run. After registering the look of alarm on my face, she assured us that all was fine with the plane sitting in the water in front of us. Dear, God – I thought – I hope you’re right.
It was time to board, and pilot Dad assigned us our seats. David and I were seated side by side in the row behind the pilot. It was a little tricky maneuvering up the ladder and in and out of the seats, but the pilot was happy to assist, and I am happy to report that we all fit just fine.

Once the engine started and we began to take off, my worries melted away, replaced by excitement, and I felt perfectly at ease. Take off was very smooth, and we hardly felt a thing.

Even better was the view. In a six-seat small plan like this, everyone has a window with a view, and we gazed in wonder at the mountains in the distance and the beauty of the islands and forestry below.

After about 20 minutes of breathtaking scenery, with pilot Dad narrating into our headsets as we flew, we landed effortlessly at the dock. A guide greeted us and brought us for a short walk to the van that would drive us into the rain forest.
Close to the van was a small outhouse, and I was reminded of a YouTube video I recently watched showing a woman held captive for some time by a curious bear pacing outside the door of the outhouse she was using at another bear viewing location. I really had to go, and I prayed that wouldn’t be me. Thankfully, no bears came calling.
After a short ride in the van and some preliminary instruction in the event of an encounter with a bear on the trail, we hiked along the half-mile dirt path, marveling at the quiet solitude and beauty of the lush rainforest, with our guide pointing out some exquisite plant life along the way.

As it turns out, we didn’t run into any bears in our pathway, but we did find some fresh bear poop (yes, you could even see the red berries he had recently eaten!) indicating to us that one may have been recently nearby.
A walk in the woods is not complete without a photo op. Ours would be a scenic overlook from a bridge, with two people fishing nearby to provide prospective.

We finally reached an observation deck overlooking a creek, where we all had our eyes peeled to the running water below in the hopes of seeing a bear or two come and feast on spawning salmon.

We quietly waited and waited – for anything … a bear, a porcupine, a moose – something to start our cameras rolling. Other than a few salmon in the running water in the creek below, there was no sign of life – at least none that we could see with the naked eye. Finally, just when we began to give up hope of seeing any animal life, two bald eagles flew low overhead through the trees, landed and posed for pictures. These two majestic birds flew around, landed here and there, and otherwise kept us entertained for the rest of the time at the creek.

Come to find out, the recent spell of unseasonably warm, dry, sunny weather in the area - while great for the tourists - had not been so good for bear sightings. The water levels in the streams were low, with far fewer salmon running, resulting in fewer bears showing up for dinner.
In the end, no bears were seen on this trip. The only photograph showing evidence of bears at Traitor’s Cove was a detailed picture of bear poop! Although we were disappointed that the bears did not come out to play that day, we thoroughly enjoyed the ride!
And as a bonus, upon flying back into port, we got a great photo of our ship.

See more photos from our flightseeing excursion in my Web Album

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 cruising after HE specifically said “no way, no how, not ever”…. So, we arrived in Galveston pissed off and not speaking to each other. Through some online travel/hotel thing I had booked a deal for a “Hotel on the Seawall”. What we got when we pulled up was something equivalent to the Motel 6 in the “hood” about 6 blocks away from the seawall. Perfect….just Perfect. But hey! They offer a free shuttle to the port ?
We checked in and hauled our bags up the stairs to the second floor. The room was okay… in a motel-ish sort of fashion. We decided the only thing that was going to improve this night was to just go see the ocean and get a beer. So we called a cab and headed out.
Down at the seawall, apparently there is not much of a “night life” so to speak. Every place we went was about to close at 10pm!! We gave up, called our cab and detoured through a convenience store for a 6 pack of beer and headed back to our “Hotel/Motel in the hood”.
Upon arriving back at our room we heard scuffling outside the door. It appears the 3 people in the room next door were having somewhat of an argument/mild domestic disturbance. They were quite friendly to us and were more than willing to share their dirty laundry, so we took our beer outside…. Sat down and watched the show. (Our front row seats to the knock off Jerry Springer show involved 1 girl, 2 boys … and shall we say “a sword fight”. Anyhoo…. We played Dr. Phil for a while and called it a night ? Suddenly, we were feeling much better about ourselves.
Another time we headed down to Galveston early and were cruising with our son and both of our mothers. That’s right … 2 MIL’s, me, hubby and a kid…. All in 1 van, headed down the road for a 5 hour trip. Approximately 3 hours into this little road trip my husband’s mother CALMLY says…. “I forgot my passport at home.” …. YOU MUST BE KIDDING?! Nope. There is nothing like turning around to go back home after 3 hours on the road. Our 5 hour road trip turned into 11!! (Side note) My mother in law claims to be psychic….. and you didn’t see that coming?! On this same trip she also left $400 worth of souvenirs on an excursion when she LEFT them on the tour bus! Now, I love my MIL and my parents aren’t perfect either… but scatter brained is putting it mildy! Thank goodness her son hasn’t inherited any of those traits….. yet.
Once again we attempted to go to Galveston early and it was like the wheels fell off the train! I got off work early so we were heading out earlier than planned. We were avoiding the high traffic times. Everyone was in a good mood… which never, ever happens! This was unheard of!
Then, 30 minutes down the road I checked my email and there it was… an email from Carnival. The boat is having propulsion issues and won’t arrive back in Galveston until 3:30pm. Do not proceed to the pier until 6pm. HOLY BANANAS! It was only a 4 day cruise and now we are basically missing almost a whole day! We had even purchased the Faster to the Fun so we could get on board as early as we could to start enjoying our vacation. So the grumbling ensued in the van. We decided to continue on instead of turning around and going back home. We had already booked an awesome hotel… The Hilton ON the seawall and got a room with a view of the ocean. (I was sure of it this time). We would just spend the day in Galveston… visit the beach, go to some museums… we’d make a day of it. Everyone was happy again... somewhat.
We arrived in Galveston at 10pm. Naturally, everything was closed. We even asked the young looking kid who took up our luggage “So where do you guys hang out for fun?” He just shrugged his shoulders. OK… “Where can we get something to eat?” His response… “You could order a pizza.” Perfect… we’ll do that. Pizza ordered. Trenton and Maw-Maw headed to their room. Hubby and I piled on the bed and turned on the TV to wait for our pizza. Phone Rings. It’s my mom saying the words you NEVER want to hear when you are on vacation. “Trenton is throwing up.”
WHAT!? What did you do to him!? He was fine 15 minutes ago!
So I go collect the kid and sure enough he is throwing up… every hour… all night long. He’s not normal by the way. He doesn’t act sick. He isn’t laying there lifeless. He is watching TV, playing on his ipod… keeping me awake and then “Oh… hold on. I’ll be right back.” So 7am comes, Trenton’s back in the bathroom and my husband looks at me and says “So what are you going to do?”
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!!
Like… I am the only one with the ability to solve this situation? I said “What are YOU going to do?” He says… “I am going to go to sleep.” HMPF
Fine. I called the front desk and asked for the nearest emergency clinic. There’s only 1 on the island. Awesome. Could you call me a cab please. (Mom is in her room with the car keys and not waking up) I jumped in the shower… then threw Trenton in to hose him off a little. Got us dressed and grabbed the trash can liner going out the door to go meet the cab. Bless that little cab driver’s heart. He took 1 look at Trenton, saw me carrying the trash can bag and kicked it into high gear! I am certain the cab was airborne at times. In no time at all we came to a screeching halt right in front of the door to the clinic ? We were in luck. There was NO wait. Went right in and thankfully the doc said he ate something bad the day before and should be at the end of the course. Thanks Roadhouse ?

We were cleared for cruising! He gave me a prescription of anti-nausea medicine just in case and sent us on our way! After that Trenton took a 4 hour nap at the hotel… Clearly we had time ? And was fine ever since.
So the REAL adventure came next. Our little 3 and now ½ day cruise upon the Carnival Triumph turned out to be one of the strangest of all. Complete with line cutting, head-butting, broken bottles of wine (none related to the other) …. And a really good time! ?
To Be Continued….