Jan115

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies, Margojay. So glad you found us! Please see what this friendly site has to offer, share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

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So sorry to hear about Zoe. Losing a beloved pet is truly heartbreaking. May she rest in peace.

Sounds like a refreshingly glass-half-full experience of the ordeal on Triumph. I like it already.

Need to renew your passport, sign up for a new passport, or get your family their own passports? National Passport Day is this Saturday, March 9, giving busy travelers and work-life balancers an opportunity to check off this important to-do. Do note, however, that due to the budget sequestration, Department of State Passport Agencies will not be participating and will be CLOSED on Saturday, March 9. However, many Non-Department of State Passport Acceptance Facilities, such as post offices, clerks of court, and libraries will still participate. National Passport Day happens twice a year and was set up to make getting or renewing passports a little simpler. On this day, U.S. citizens can forgo the required appointment and simply stop by their local passport agency to sign up or renew their passport. According to the U.S. Department of State, "Convenient Saturday hours ensure most parents don't have to miss work to apply for their child's U.S. passport. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to an agency or participating acceptance facility where there will be special activities for children." That's the good news. The bad news is that you're likely be waiting in line with plenty of others. To ensure you get in and out of there with enough time to salvage your Saturday, follow this advice: Go first thing in the morning or around lunchtime, when most families are eating or in the middle of their weekend activities. Make sure you have printed out everything you need before you arrive: identification, proof of U.S. citizenship, expired passport (if necessary), passport photos, and your passport fee. If you're a first-time passport applicant, visit the State Department website for a checklist of items you'll need to bring. For more information, or to find the closest acceptance facility to you, go to: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_5535.html Source: U.S. Dept. of State and Boston.com

I have lost count the number of times my dear husband has made a spectacle of himself. One involved karaoke, but the best - and I believe this is in my blog somewhere - was the time he was voted "Mr. Grand Princess" on the ship of the same name. A big-bellied, middle-aged, bearded and balding man chosen from a selection of buff young and really hot studs, parading with crown and scepter before his newfound - shirtless?? I don't know - I've tried to block out all the specifics. I just know the alcohol was flowing that night.

Good question, Margojay! GottaCruz is absolutely right. The short cruises in the Bahamas or the Caribbean would be an ideal way for your husband to try out your sealegs. Book an inside cabin, low in the center of the ship, where there will be the least amount of movement just to be on the safe side. If he's brave, try an outside cabin with a window. If it makes him feel better, tell your husband that it took my brother 61 years to finally go on a cruise. As a kid, he was prone to motion sickness, mostly in cars, and would never get on any kind of a boat. Last summer, I finally convinced him to come on a cruise around Ireland & Scotland. It wasn't even an ideal cruise for someone testing their seaworthiness, either. It was a smaller ship with some choppy surf. But you know what? He was perfectly fine and had the time of his life. He brought several kinds of remedies just in case but never used any of it. In fact, he and his wife are joining us again this summer in Alaska. So tell your husband he has nothing to worry about. He'll love it!

Thankfully no one was hurt.

We do play slots on board, and while my husband likes to say he frequently wins due to his sunny disposition and how the machine senses this (what a crock-LOL!), I have nothing but rotten luck, both on land and at sea. I was relieved when the casino was closed nearly the entire time on our recent cruise 'round the British Isles.

Shari - I just happen to have the 2013-14 Europe/Mediterranean overview for Princess. The new Regal Princess will be in the Med. in 2014. https://book.princess.com/pdf/onesource/pc/2014EuropeMedOverView%20(022213).pdf

Have a great time on Monarch of the Seas next week! Are you all packed?

Congratulations on your upcoming first cruise! I remember my first cruise - how exciting it was - and how much planning I did. You've come to the right place - you'll find all the answers you need here.

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies, jaTate! So glad you found us! Please see what this friendly site has to offer, share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

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Congrats, Carole - what an awesome honor! Your port guides are a valuable resource here. Thanks!

I just dumped our overpriced cruiseline's one night hotel/transfer package (one each for our booking and my brother's) in exchange for a 2-BR, 2-bath suite at Staybridge Suites at the airport in San Francisco. We will spend big $$$ to stay in the city 3 nts pre cruise and wanted to save money somewhere and figured we just needed a place to chill before our flight home the next morning. Even if we have to pay $50 for a cab from the ship, we're coming out way ahead: 2-BR suite-$273.41; 2 cruise pkgs-$876. Reviews were good, includes free wifi, breakfast and shuttle to airport or BART. Just had to share! Look for my review when we return.

Chris, In that case, could you cut your 18-hour drive down to 5 by driving to Chicago or Kansas City and flying the rest of the way, maybe even non-stop? By the way, my husband is a big man. He is losing but currently still brings his own seatbelt extender. He has never had an issue or been required to buy an extra seat on SW or any other airline. I sit next to him in the middle seat so a stranger doesn't have to compete with shoulder room, and when he travels alone - seat mates have never complained - at least not aloud. Air travel has become such a headache!

For diehard Disney fans, they offer a great cruise experience. But if you can live without Mickey and friends, then there are definitely more affordable options.