Jan115

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

What a great way for a band to tour! I know many musicians and music teachers - including my husband - who have played in a variety of community bands. I wish I could them all on a cruise ship! By the way, I would have loved to see all you guys performing as the three bears - must have been hysterical!

Too funny, Tim! Though we haven't left an entire bag of accessories behind, we do at least one pit stop somewhere in port on each cruise for batteries, a digital card or a charging cable for whichever we forgot. You're right. I faithfully follow the Crazies packing list, but all it takes is one deviation from the plan to mess it all up.

We'll be stopping at Saint John, NB on the Brilliance in October. I've got a tour planned with a local guide, so this will make for good conversation!

Here's another question for you: Do you find you have any trouble fitting a 20" spinner overhead on a smaller jet and forced to check it? I am noticing my 20" spinner is actually the same height as a 22" rollerboard when you take into account the extra length from the spinner wheels.

A Bon Voyage message from my Crazie friends makes it all so real - thanks!

Cruise ships are floating resorts, where passengers can get a massage, gamble through the night or check out a Vegas-style show without ever setting foot on land. So with so much to do, do you really need a room with a balcony? "I think it's usually worth it,'' says Mike Driscoll, editor of industry newsletter Cruise Week. "But that depends on the cruise itself, and why you're going." Of course, seafarers have to figure out if a balcony is in the budget. But Driscoll says price may not be the deterrent it once was. A few years ago, he says, "you'd be paying double to get a balcony." Now, cabins with balconies on a standard, seven-day cruise generally cost $100 more than those with a window, and between $150 and $200 more than a stateroom inside the ship. If you're sailing in the Mediterranean or to another scenic destination, the view is definitely worth the money, Driscoll says. "If you're doing an Alaska cruise, it's so nice out on the balcony, watching the glaciers," he says. "You see all the people on their balconies watching the beauty go by." There are those vacationers who have little use for a private deck because they're only in the cabin when it's lights out. And a balcony may not matter much to them. "They'll be out in the casino and running about most of the time," Driscoll says. "For them, it really isn't as important." TRIP LENGTH A FACTOR Marshall Jackson, a blogger for “BoardingArea” who lives in Atlanta, opts for a balcony depending on the length of the trip. If it's at least seven nights, he says, there's more time to relax in your own outdoor space, particularly on days the ship is not in port. But if the cruise lasts only three or four days, Jackson says, he rarely bothers to get one. "(It) just seems like you spend so little time in your stateroom on shorter itineraries that a balcony is a waste of money," he says. Ellen Davis doesn't go much for big cruise ships, preferring river cruises where balconies are the norm. And she's not sure a balcony on a large cruise ship is worth the extra cash just to gaze out at an endless blue sea. "Not that it's lacking in its own beauty," she says of the sea. "But it falls a little flat compared to watching castles float by on the Danube, or seeing children washing down their water buffalo on the Nile." Davis, who works in marketing and lives in Peachtree City, Ga., says, "I'd rather enjoy the ocean from the shore, watching the waves crashing, than pay extra on a big boat." THE BENEFITS Others disagree and say that having more than a window to the sea has benefits beyond aesthetics. Brian Matos, director of sales for a supply chain services company based in Frisco, Texas, is one, saying he enjoys having his own piece of the outdoors, away from the crowds. "It really limits the claustrophobia that sometimes comes with small cabins on a cruise ship," Matos says. "(It's) great to be able to sit outside late at night with a glass of wine, looking at the sea and stars." William Rodgers, of Martinsburg, W.Va., couldn't agree more. "It's usually said that the stateroom on a cruise matters little as one is never there," he says. But he found out differently when he and his wife, Judy, decided to book a cabin with a balcony on a cruise to the western Caribbean, including Grand Cayman Island and Belize City. "We spent more time in the stateroom than we ever expected," Rodgers says. While his wife slept in, Rodgers says, he would order from room service, then sit on the balcony "reading my book, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the sun rise. "After we returned to the stateroom in the evening, my wife and I spent time together on the balcony. It was, in her words, a beautifully romantic moment each time we were there." Now they're hooked, he says. "We will never cruise without a balcony again." By Charisse Jones, USA Today ("Is Paying Extra for a Balcony Cabin on a Cruise Worth It? ~ April 9, 2013) For more cruise news & articles go to http://www.cruisecra....com/index.html Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more http://www.cruisecrazies.com View full article

It's Tuesday, once again! Be sure to check out today's travel tip.

Finally! We’re down to the final days before our long-awaited Alaskan cruise. As much as I would love to spend the time daydreaming about glaciers and wild animals, I am busy with final preparations – last minute shopping, packing and confirming of reservations. If that weren’t enough, there are other necessary pre-vacation tasks to attend to in order to avoid coming home to chaos and a mountain of projects. Don’t overlook the chores and responsibilities that need to be completed before you leave – both at work and at home. It’ll ensure a relaxing vacation and a stress-free return home. Start by writing a detailed, prioritized to-do list of everything that needs to be done before you leave. With the most critical jobs at the top of the list, you will be certain those are taken care of. If you run out of time for the less important chores at the end of the list, it won’t matter as much if they don’t get done. I generally make two lists. One is for me and tasks I need to complete before vacation can commence: pre-pay the bills, notify the credit card companies, stop the mail and newspaper deliveries, and other routine things. The second list is for the family member or friend who has the distinct honor of watching the house while we’re gone. If it’s a current resident manning the fort, say your young adult offspring, there are additional reminders – take out the trash, lock the doors, close the windows, feed the cat, clean up after yourself … and, of course, no wild parties. Those are just the must-do jobs on the home front. Work is another matter with responsibilities to complete, deadlines to meet, and so forth. If this is the case and you find yourself overwhelmed and wondering how you’ll ever finish, ask your co-workers for a little help. Just remember to bring them a nice souvenir from your trip or offer to take them to lunch when you return.

Love that idea! It's a great alternative to the duct tape strips.

She is a very smart girl!

I absolutely LOVED cruising out of Dover. We were the only ship in port that day, on the small Ocean Princess, and we literally stepped out of the car, walked into the terminal, right to the reservation desk and onto the ship. How refreshing! We didn't go to Belfast, so I can't help you there. For Dublin, I highly recommend the green "Hop On and Hop Off" busses (also called HOHO). They are inexpensive and convenient. You can book ahead on line for a discount. Just be sure to wear or carry rain gear in case you're outside on the top deck. Free shuttles should be available right at the port for the ride into the city. For Glasgow, we did not actually see Glasgow. We opted for a private excursion to Loch Lomond, Luss & Stirling (the "Rob Roy" tour with Great Scot Tours. I don't know if you are traveling with others, but the more people on your tour, the more you save. We saved a lot off the price of a similar tour from the ship and had a more personalized experience. Read more in my full review of our Ireland & Scotland cruise. You'll also find a few pics in Days 4 and 5 of My Blog. Have a great time!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll visit often, ask questions, share your experiences and join in the conversation.