Jan115

Thanks for joining us happysails2u! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

I have never sailed HAL, but friends of mine recently booked their first cruise ever, and they chose Amsterdam to Alaska. They will be very glad to hear this news!

Why would a ship need guns? Modern day pirates. Call me crazy, but you hear about a cruise ship encountering them once in a great while, and I would feel better knowing that the ship is providing some sort of armed protection against those who want to do harm to the crew and passengers.

Thanks for joining us MaylottCruises! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

People in their jammies, undies or even less(!) looking for a snack in the wee hours will be more than happy to pay the surcharge. I for one will be snoring by 11 pm due to the day's excursions and our habit of waking early.

Thanks for joining us bigboy123_! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us bsmccoy_! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

I like it - "Land of the Lost". Exactly how I feel when venturing into new cruise territory.

Congrats to Sarge on the new blog. I look forward to reading (even if I did sneak peak your entry before it was officially announced - shame on me )!

You've got our attention, tell us more!

Yes, Shari. The snorkel boat was gracious enough to refund our money. I wrote a letter to Carnival and they gave us OBC to use on our next cruise. We didn't cruise again until 2 years later, returning to Princess, and in fact never sailed Carnival again. The bad day in Belize did not sour me very long on indie tours. I still am a fan of booking with local tour guides and have had all great experiences. Look further down my blog - specifically our Scottish Highlands tour - to see what I mean.

Thanks for joining us jeb407! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us AustinMiles! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us Hollyberry! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

Thanks for joining us Cupcake! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

I am a sore loser. Love playing the slots but feel bad about all the money I flushed down the can. And I never come out ahead! I began playing only in recent years so never experienced the jingling of coins. So the card works fine for me. Only thing is ... the whole credit system makes it way too convenient to overspend a lot!

Dance the night away and have a great cruise!

From one Jan to another - welcome to CruiseCrazies and congrats on your first cruise - you will have a blast! :) I hear you. Packing makes me crazy. The rule of thumb for packing is fill up the suitcase and then take out half. Of course, I tried it and it doesn't work, because I always find more stuff to add at the end. Try compressing things in plastic bags - it makes more room in the luggage and less wrinkles. For formal wear, I take one black skirt & 2 tops. No one is going to care if I wear the same skirt twice. I travel size bottle of Downy wrinkle release or Febreze will freshen up clothes so you're more likely to wear them more than once. I had a double ankle fracture 6 years ago, and that has solved the problem of what to wear on my feet. Flats. That's it! Comfortable walking shoes for excursions, sandals for all the time, and dressy flats or sandals for dress-up nights. They don't take up much room in the suitcase, either. I bring travel size toiletries and depend mostly on the ship's soap, shampoo and lotions which are more than satisfactory. I minimize the makeup on a cruise - except for maybe formal night. My husband is a light packer, so we can manage to get all our stuff in one check-in bag. Important note! Be sure to keep all your important documents, a change of clothes and a swimsuit in your carry on bag in case your bag gets lost or is late getting to your cabin. Documents go without saying, but the swimsuit means you can go hang by the pool in your bikini even if your luggage has not arrived yet. I once met a couple who were getting married on the ship. They arrived to port with just a carry on between them, and she had her wedding dress slung over her shoulder. So, I guess it can be done and depends on what you're willing to live without. Enjoy!

Absolutely, Rose. That was the best part of the whole day - the ship nearly to ourselves!

Congratulations on your new blog, Sarge! As you know, I am sailing on the same ship in October and look forward to reading about your experience. In the meantime, it'll be very interesting for our readers to compare our notes as we blog our individual takes on the ship, don't you think? A Battle of the Brilliance Blogs, I call it - LOL!

I thought I would update this non-cruising board and post a review which I contributed to TripAdvisor last March. The trip was nearly a year ago, but I think it is probably still relevant. So, sit back and read my take on Harry Potter, butter beer and some tips on how to improve the whole experience if you decide to visit. I visited the Wizarding World with my two adult daughters, one of whom was on college break. We purchased a Universal package which included a nearby hotel (Holiday Inn Express, Universal), a 3-day base ticket to both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, early park entry each day, and breakfast at the Three Broomsticks. I cannot stress enough the importance of buying the Universal package with early park entry. We were in the front of the line at the Wizarding World's entry at 8:00 am, and sprinted directly to The Forbidden Journey ride, the most popular ride in the park. We got right on, absolutely loved this very magical ride, and went next to Dragon Challenge, Flight of the Hippogriff, and then Olivander's for the wand exhibit. By the time we got to Olivander's, it was mid-morning and the Wizarding World was packed and the line queues hours long. If your main objective when visiting Universal is the Wizarding World, I recommend purchasing at least a 2-day flexible pass, where you can visit multiple parks in one day. This way, you can visit HP each morning with early park opening in order to avoid waiting in line for hours (3 hours in some cases) for Hidden Journey and Dragon Challenge, and save the rest of the parks for the afternoon. Better yet, do the Studios in the afternoon, because it does not get nearly as crowded over there. The rest of Islands of Adventure can be done anytime, though the lines for the popular rides will be much longer mid-day. Two things I would do better next time: fly to Orlando early morning, so I can fully utilize my 3-day ticket, and check the closing times of the parks before arriving. The park closed at 7 pm our first day, and because we only got to our hotel at 4:00, we lost a whole day. We did manage to make it up somewhat on the last day, when we returned to HP for the breakfast at Three Broomsticks before catching our flight home. As for Three Broomsticks, it was good, all about atmosphere, and offers a great view of Hogwarts from the restaurant patio, but I probably wouldn't do it again. That time could be utilized better beating the lines at the rides, I think. One other recommendation: many rides at the parks don't allow you to bring any bags or packages on. If it doesn't fit comfortably in your pocket, you must give to a friend to hold or lock it up. Don't use the lockers available right at the ride. This is especially true for Forbidden Journey. The locker room is tiny, crowded and confusing. The lockers are electronic and the system is chaotic. If you have stuff to lock up, use the lockers at the front of the park just inside the entry. If you buy anything, have it shipped to the entrance where you can pick it up when you leave. Visited March 2012

Thanks for posting this, and reminding us all to stay vigilant in preventing contamination. I am a frequent hand-washer and it really is the best way to avoid getting sick. I am not fanatic, but any means, but nevertheless, I do find myself carrying a small pack of disposable disinfectant wipes around with me - the casino slot machines come to mind. I don't know if it does anything for prevention, but I can't help but think of the number of hands on those machines all day long.

Thanks for joining us jrm50! I'd like to climb aboard the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation.

Great writing, CruiseMan. I never leave home for a cruise without my stretchy elastic waistbands!