Jan115

Don't pay $4.00 for that bottle of water the crew will try to sell you at the gangway to your awaiting excursion. Even worse, don't be an environmental hog and bring a huge case of water from home, like I've seen some people do. It's wasteful, and those bottles are bad for the environment. Instead, go green! Pack a reusable water bottle and fill it in your stateroom sink before you head out for the day. Don't worry. The ship's water supply is purified, perfectly safe to drink, and tastes as good as any bottled water. For some occasional variety and flavor, mix in a travel packet of Crystal Light. It's much easier and less expensive than packing cases of soda - and less environmentally wasteful, too!
For more ways to save money on your cruise, visit my article: 10 Ways to Avoid Getting Nickel & Dimed on Your Cruise

Don't pay $4.00 for that bottle of water the crew will try to sell you at the gangway to your awaiting excursion. Even worse, don't be an environmental hog and bring a huge case of water from home, like I've seen some people do. It's wasteful, and those bottles are bad for the environment. Instead, go green! Pack a reusable water bottle and fill it in your stateroom sink before you head out for the day. Don't worry. The ship's water supply is purified, perfectly safe to drink, and tastes as good as any bottled water. For some occasional variety and flavor, mix in a travel packet of Crystal Light. It's much easier and less expensive than packing cases of soda - and less environmentally wasteful, too!
For more ways to save money on your cruise, visit my article: 10 Ways to Avoid Getting Nickel & Dimed on Your Cruise

First of all, welcome! Over the past years of cruise and land travel, I have had many "if-only" moments. If only I had reserved that excursion ahead of time, or if only I remembered to pack my water shoes. I have also gathered many helpful hints and much welcomed advice from experienced cruisers I've met over the years. I thought it would be great to have a blog or column just to share some of these morsels of knowledge with my fellow travelers.
Some of the travel tips I share here will seem obvious to seasoned travelers, who will be thinking - "yeah, no kidding - I knew that already." Please be patient. My goal is to offer advice to young people just beginning their traveling adventures or new cruisers embarking on an ocean journey for the first time. If my well-traveled friends learn something new in the process, or perhaps a refresher of something old and familiar, all the better!
Feel free to respond or offer feedback. This is a community - that's why we're here!
And so ... my first and probably best tip to begin this blog:
Have a Great Cruise - But Don't Expect Perfection.
Stuff happens. No vacation is perfect. Sometimes a meal might not be cooked to perfection. Or an evening show proves to be less than entertaining. Or your toilet clogs up. When I read poor or scathing passenger reviews of cruises, they are more often than not from first-time cruisers with unreasonably high expectations and ill prepared. Other times they seem to have been voiced by chronically picky people or folks who just like to hear themselves complain. Do your homework, learn about the cruise line, the ship and the destination. When choosing your cruise, make sure you and your ship are a good match. If you don't like crowds, long lines and belly-flop contests, pick a smaller ship with a more sedate crowd. Likewise, if you find sitting in a chair and staring out at the sea beyond boring (is that even possible?), pick a super mega-ship with non-stop entertainment. Most of all, be prepared for anything, and approach any mishaps with a positive attitude and calm demeanor. You and everyone around you will be much happier, resulting in a better cruise experience.

The Grand Princess ... our floating paradise for 10 days this summer ... has now been repositioned to it's new home port of San Francisco for it's spring and summer itineraries. It would be so cool to drive there to meet our ship. However, let's be realistic. We live on the East Coast. Since a leisurely cross-country drive to the ship is quite out of the question, we'll have to fly.
We have two choices - book our preferred flights on our own, independently, or choose a cruise air package with the cruise line.
At one time, this was a no-brainer. Book our own flights, and we can choose our own seats and otherwise have complete control, most likely at a lower fare. The cruise lines, on the other hand, would traditionally buy seats in bulk very early on, according to their needs, and the airline would assign the tickets 30 days out. Being the one in the family who meticulously maps out each and every vacation detail well in advance, knowing the details of our flight details only mere weeks before we leave causes my heart to race wildly and my blood pressure to skyrocket. That's just way too much uncertainty for me.
Now, however, cruise lines are becoming more in tune with the needs and preferences of the picky passenger and have re-worked their air & sea programs. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, for example, offer the Choice Air program, while Princess Cruises makes their EZ Air available to their clients. Generally speaking, when you book your cruise and include one of these air add-ons, you have the ability to choose from one of their selected flight times. Likewise, for more money (in most cases), you can choose a cancel-any-time flight, if you think your plans might change.
In fact, cruise lines recently have been offering attractive package deals which include discounted or free air packages to lure customers. One disadvantage, nevertheless, to cruise air is the noticeable absence of non-stop flights among the choices, an important feature for some travelers. On the other hand, if you have booked your cruise on short notice and are having trouble finding a flight this late in the game, a cruise air package could be your ticket to the ship, perhaps at no greater cost than it would be if you could find a flight on your own. The other nice advantage to cruise air is that your transfers and luggage handling are included in the deal, making for a convenient, carefree trip to the ship.
Even with cruise air packages however, lengthy airline delays can result in literally missing the boat. A common misconception is that when your airline ticket is purchased through the cruise line that they are responsible for getting you to your ship. While the cruise line will work closely with airlines to re-route passengers to the original or next port of call in case of a disruption, it is ultimately the job of the airline to see you to your ship, most likely at the expense of the passenger. This is where travel insurance can be your friend.
Three steps to assure a smooth flight to your awaiting cruise ship:
 
1) Compare cruise air vs. independent air. Begin monitoring air prices for your cruise several months before your cruise. Calculate the cost and convenience of flights available, as well as cancellation policies and fees, both for for independently flights and those with the cruise line.   2) Consider flying in at least a day before your cruise. Not only will arriving early to your city of embarkation lessen the chances of missing your ship due to flight cancelations or delays, but it will also give you the opportunity to reach your ship in a calm, rested state of mind, instead of all frazzled and disoriented. What's more? You will have the opportunity to extend your vacation by spending some time exploring the port city. After all, they will appreciate your hard-earned money, too!   3) Purchase Travel Insurance! If you encounter added out-of-pocket expenses for flight delays or changes, you will be very grateful. Insurance, including “trip delay” coverage pays for itself if you encounter any of these problems.  
So what have we decided? In the case of our flight to San Francisco, we booked well in advance and found reasonable non-stop flights from Boston. Since that time, Princess has tempted us with a discounted air promotion, but not tempting enough to beat our less expensive, non-stop flights.
One way or another, you'll reach your ship. All you need to do is a little homework.

Many of the places on our newly created bucket list involve land destinations, and I recently came to realize this could have serious implications on our quest to see the world before we die from the deck of a cruise ship. We may have to choose one or the other from time to time, dividing our time between land and sea, in order to fit everything in.
So I thought I would use this opportunity to stage a different kind of comparison of cruise vacation vs. land vacation - a boxing match of sorts.
I used to think I would be happy just traveling the world by cruise ship. After all, what could be better than sitting on my balcony as our floating chariot leads us to far away places. Then, in 2011, we gathered the entire family together and ventured to Portugal, the land of my husband's ancestors. His parents spent time there as children, and we thought it was far past time we made the journey. It was an incredible experience, renting a car and traveling all over the place, visiting the tiny rural village where his father was born, as well as the home where his mother spent her girlhood, its facade long abandoned and somewhat broken, but still standing.
This made me think about other destinations in the world we have yet to see, particularly in our own country. Several days ago we returned from a week in Arizona, visiting Grand Canyon and Sedona, just a sampling of places we would like to see in this country before we're too old to enjoy them.
The contenders in the ring will be my Ireland/Scotland cruise last summer ("Cruise") and a theoretical similar land tour of the same area ("Land"). The tourists in this bout will be a family of six in a rental vehicle - I call the family "ours", but it could be anybody's.

Besides the obvious - the inability for a cruise ship to go far enough inland for, say, the Grand Canyon, here are some differences I've noticed in my own limited travel experience.
We'll go five rounds.
Round 1: The Journey
Cruise: It's a very relaxing, picturesque ride around the Isles when the driving is left to our brave and noble captain. We lounge on our balcony watching the world go by. Family members are having fun exploring the ship.
Land: Driving long distances can be tiring, not only for the driver but for weary passengers, as well, when confined to a car loaded with an excessive amount of luggage - not to mention the backseat driver who wants to control the driver and the kids whining "Are we there yet?"
And the The Winner of Round 1 is: Cruise
Round 2: Convenience
Cruise: Our bags appear as if by magic at our cabin door on the first day. We unpack, lay our stuff out neatly in the drawers, making it a painless process to get dressed every day, and don't think about luggage until the end of our time at sea.
Land: Each family member hauls their own over-stuffed bags into the rental car, where it is soon discovered there is not enough room for all this luggage in the trunk. Holy crap! Mom (yours truly) decides the only way to solve the problem is to toss out some of her least favorite articles of clothing, merge the rest with everyone else's stuff, and leave the excess bag behind, asking the hotel clerk to kindly do what they will with it. We schlepp our luggage in and out of each hotel along the way. Certain members of the family have organized each day's outfit into plastic baggies for easy management. The rest of us go on a daily fishing expedition.
And the Winner of Round 2 is: Cruise
Round 3: Bang for our Buck
Cruise: For one price, we get our transportation, meals, entertainment, on-board activity, recreation, atmosphere, fresh air, a daily change of scenery, a new place to land our feet every day, and a room with a view (a window at the very least will be required for that last one). The best part? Everybody in our party can pretty much do and eat where they want, choosing from the obscene number of dining and entertainment options on board.
Land: The package put together by the travel agent might include air, hotels and a rental car, but that's about it. Or you might try to be creative and piece your own vacation puzzle together. Either way, be prepared to dish out lots of British pounds or Euros for bangers & mash, haggis, Irish stew, fish & chips, and all that Guinness you'll drink. And don't forget the park and castle entrance fees. Oh, and that part in the cruise where everyone goes there own way? No way. Since there is only the one car, we are all forced to stick together like glue, and we all must mutually decide on a place to eat, which can be a bit challenging when Dad wants a big juicy steak, and Junior wants a Happy Meal.
And the Winner of Round 3 is: Cruise
Round 4: The Sites
Cruise: The ship will take us to different fabulous ports throughout the sea journey, where we can get a brief look at the city or town it covers, from several hours to a full day - and occasionally an overnight in each port. Planning ahead is important in order to make the best of the limited time in port. A couple of hours may be fine for one port, and not nearly enough for another.
Land: Freedom is the word here. It's our itinerary, created by us, and we can plan it any way we want. We're not on someone else's schedule (unless, of course, your husband runs a tight ship with everyone on his schedule). We can choose to spend three days in a city to get a real flavor of it, an overnight in another, an hour or two at an Irish pub, or simply pass through town. With a car, we can go anywhere, whenever we want. This is very important when visiting a destination with a particular purpose in mind, i.e. family heritage.
And the Winner of Round 4 is: Land
Round 5: Freedom
Cruise: There is nothing that says we need to get off the ship when it docks in a port in the itinerary. If we feel like staying on board, we may even have the pool to ourselves. If we prefer to do nothing, we can take comfort in the fact that no one will think less of us. We are are on a cruise, and that's what we paid for. Have we ever stayed on board in lieu of visiting a port? No. The world is too big and time is too short to ignore a destination. But it's still an option.
Land: The whole family is packed into the car, we've paid good money to see SOMETHING and are going to have to drive to get to the places we came to see. No, there will be no "doing nothing" on this land tour. We're on a mission. We have a lot to see and limited time to see it.
And the Winner of Round 5 is: Cruise
There you have it. The Cruise has taken the championship title, just as I knew it would.
Will this stop us from vacationing by land? No, of course not. Land vacations still have their special place in the world of travel, especially since the kids are grown, and it's just the two of us now. It just means that we now make sure the rental car is the right size for our luggage!
Do I still prefer cruising? Absolutely!
To read more of my personal cruise and travel stories, visit my blog: Seven Sea Journeys at CruiseCrazies.com

Many of the places on our newly created bucket list involve land destinations, and I recently came to realize this could have serious implications on our quest to see the world before we die from the deck of a cruise ship. We may have to choose one or the other from time to time, dividing our time between land and sea, in order to fit everything in.
So I thought I would use this opportunity to stage a different kind of comparison of cruise vacation vs. land vacation - a boxing match of sorts.
I used to think I would be happy just traveling the world by cruise ship. After all, what could be better than sitting on my balcony as our floating chariot leads us to far away places. Then, in 2011, we gathered the entire family together and ventured to Portugal, the land of my husband's ancestors. His parents spent time there as children, and we thought it was far past time we made the journey. It was an incredible experience, renting a car and traveling all over the place, visiting the tiny rural village where his father was born, as well as the home where his mother spent her girlhood, its facade long abandoned and somewhat broken, but still standing.
This made me think about other destinations in the world we have yet to see, particularly in our own country. Several days ago we returned from a week in Arizona, visiting Grand Canyon and Sedona, just a sampling of places we would like to see in this country before we're too old to enjoy them.
The contenders in the ring will be my Ireland/Scotland cruise last summer ("Cruise") and a theoretical similar land tour of the same area ("Land"). The tourists in this bout will be a family of six in a rental vehicle - I call the family "ours", but it could be anybody's.

Besides the obvious - the inability for a cruise ship to go far enough inland for, say, the Grand Canyon, here are some differences I've noticed in my own limited travel experience.
We'll go five rounds.
Round 1: The Journey
Cruise: It's a very relaxing, picturesque ride around the Isles when the driving is left to our brave and noble captain. We lounge on our balcony watching the world go by. Family members are having fun exploring the ship.
Land: Driving long distances can be tiring, not only for the driver but for weary passengers, as well, when confined to a car loaded with an excessive amount of luggage - not to mention the backseat driver who wants to control the driver and the kids whining "Are we there yet?"
And the The Winner of Round 1 is: Cruise
Round 2: Convenience
Cruise: Our bags appear as if by magic at our cabin door on the first day. We unpack, lay our stuff out neatly in the drawers, making it a painless process to get dressed every day, and don't think about luggage until the end of our time at sea.
Land: Each family member hauls their own over-stuffed bags into the rental car, where it is soon discovered there is not enough room for all this luggage in the trunk. Holy crap! Mom (yours truly) decides the only way to solve the problem is to toss out some of her least favorite articles of clothing, merge the rest with everyone else's stuff, and leave the excess bag behind, asking the hotel clerk to kindly do what they will with it. We schlepp our luggage in and out of each hotel along the way. Certain members of the family have organized each day's outfit into plastic baggies for easy management. The rest of us go on a daily fishing expedition.
And the Winner of Round 2 is: Cruise
Round 3: Bang for our Buck
Cruise: For one price, we get our transportation, meals, entertainment, on-board activity, recreation, atmosphere, fresh air, a daily change of scenery, a new place to land our feet every day, and a room with a view (a window at the very least will be required for that last one). The best part? Everybody in our party can pretty much do and eat where they want, choosing from the obscene number of dining and entertainment options on board.
Land: The package put together by the travel agent might include air, hotels and a rental car, but that's about it. Or you might try to be creative and piece your own vacation puzzle together. Either way, be prepared to dish out lots of British pounds or Euros for bangers & mash, haggis, Irish stew, fish & chips, and all that Guinness you'll drink. And don't forget the park and castle entrance fees. Oh, and that part in the cruise where everyone goes there own way? No way. Since there is only the one car, we are all forced to stick together like glue, and we all must mutually decide on a place to eat, which can be a bit challenging when Dad wants a big juicy steak, and Junior wants a Happy Meal.
And the Winner of Round 3 is: Cruise
Round 4: The Sites
Cruise: The ship will take us to different fabulous ports throughout the sea journey, where we can get a brief look at the city or town it covers, from several hours to a full day - and occasionally an overnight in each port. Planning ahead is important in order to make the best of the limited time in port. A couple of hours may be fine for one port, and not nearly enough for another.
Land: Freedom is the word here. It's our itinerary, created by us, and we can plan it any way we want. We're not on someone else's schedule (unless, of course, your husband runs a tight ship with everyone on his schedule). We can choose to spend three days in a city to get a real flavor of it, an overnight in another, an hour or two at an Irish pub, or simply pass through town. With a car, we can go anywhere, whenever we want. This is very important when visiting a destination with a particular purpose in mind, i.e. family heritage.
And the Winner of Round 4 is: Land
Round 5: Freedom
Cruise: There is nothing that says we need to get off the ship when it docks in a port in the itinerary. If we feel like staying on board, we may even have the pool to ourselves. If we prefer to do nothing, we can take comfort in the fact that no one will think less of us. We are are on a cruise, and that's what we paid for. Have we ever stayed on board in lieu of visiting a port? No. The world is too big and time is too short to ignore a destination. But it's still an option.
Land: The whole family is packed into the car, we've paid good money to see SOMETHING and are going to have to drive to get to the places we came to see. No, there will be no "doing nothing" on this land tour. We're on a mission. We have a lot to see and limited time to see it.
And the Winner of Round 5 is: Cruise
There you have it. The Cruise has taken the championship title, just as I knew it would.
Will this stop us from vacationing by land? No, of course not. Land vacations still have their special place in the world of travel, especially since the kids are grown, and it's just the two of us now. It just means that we now make sure the rental car is the right size for our luggage!
Do I still prefer cruising? Absolutely!
To read more of my personal cruise and travel stories, visit my blog: Seven Sea Journeys at CruiseCrazies.com

y
An engine fire ... a cruise ship dead in the sea without the power to provide the basic of needs. A pleasant ocean escape to the Caribbean becomes a bad cruise to nowhere. Such was the picture on board the Carnival Triumph on its 4-day sailing last week.
The unpleasant details of life on board that cruise need not be repeated here. We've all seen the video footage and heard the news reports. When the disabled ship finally reached the dock in Mobile, Alabama, greeted by 200 Carnival personnel who would assist in getting the tired passengers home, TV cameras were on hand to fill us in with more images and interviews of anyone willing to talk, providing sensationalized news coverage at its best - playing off other people's misery. The sorry thing is that the general public sitting at home on their couch eats this stuff up, only encouraging more of this. Such is journalism, I guess.
Who do I feel sorry for the most? The first-time cruiser. Imagine you're embarking on your first cruise. You've been on the fence for a long time about cruise travel, but you decide to make the leap, choosing a nice, short 4-day Caribbean cruise to get your feet wet, so to speak. You're all relaxed, you've found your way around the ship, having a great time, thinking - yeah- this is pretty nice. Suddenly, you learn that a small fire has broken out in the ship's engine room. Although it has been quickly contained, the fire has knocked out most of the electrical power to the ship. The vessel has crawled to a halt, aimlessly adrift, and you soon discover that there is no air conditioning, no running water, no working toilets, and no hot food. The ship is slowly being towed to dock in Mobile. It's an agonizingly slow process, with wind, sea currents and a busted tow line impeding the way. You are told it will take days to reach land. Gone is your dream cruise vacation. Instead, you find yourself on a floating sewage barge. Some first cruise. You tell yourself you should have trusted your instincts and picked that all-inclusive resort. Here, on this ship, there's no escape.
Despite what some passengers have said to the contrary, Carnival seems to have fairly and adequately compensated its passengers. Each passenger was given a full refund, paid transportation home, and a future cruise credit. I don't know what else they could have done to satisfy their passengers, short of giving them a fully-paid cruise - on Carnival or any other line the customer chooses.
The real shining stars of this cruise are the crew of Triumph. Stories abound of crew members who never ceased to smile, offered words of comfort, remained professional, and otherwise made the best of a bad situation. They are to be commended and, I hope, appropriately compensated for their efforts.
The same cannot be said for Carnival. Assuring the safety and comfort of its paying customers is, or should be, the cruise line's #1 priority. Regrettably, Carnival dropped the ball on this one. It was unnecessary and inexcusable for cruise passengers to be exposed to the foul conditions caused by the power failure. It was reported at one point that there were five working toilets for 4,000 souls on board - far from comfortable.
What could Carnival have done to better assist its passengers during this unfortunate journey, and what steps could the line take to prevent another incident like this in the future? Dare I say that some of the following suggestions may seem elementary and overly simplistic, but I can't help myself.
Perhaps the cruise line should have reconsidered evacuation of passengers, even if some risk was involved. Surely, somewhere a ship could be found to make the transfer, at least giving passengers the option of getting away.
Portable toilets. It sounds like a ridiculous idea onboard a mega ship, but I have to ask. Why don't cruise ships have a supply of porta potties stored away on board for emergencies such as this? Not possible? Drop 'em in by helicopter.
Portable generators - huge ones. I don't pretend to know the inner workings of getting electrical power to all areas of the ship. I only know that when average Joe Homeowner has a power outage, he powers up his portable generator. There must be a large-scale way to do the same on a super-sized cruise ship.
Lifeboats. Why are they there, if not for evacuation of cruise ship passengers. Bobbing at sea in a lifeboat at sea might be preferable to conditions on the ship - at least to some folks - no matter how risky it might be.
Above all, an emergency back-up plan. With each new ship comes bigger sights, bigger sounds, bigger everything - requiring big power. It would seem that cruise lines would have in place adequate back-up power relative to the size of the ship it is selling to its customers.
In the meantime, while the potential for litigation brews, investigation of Triumph's engines are under way. Reports of past engine problems have prompted discussions of whether or not the ship should have sailed in the first place. Time will tell. Just as the Costa Concordia forced changes to safety and security all throughout the cruise industry, so may Carnival re-examine its response to shipboard emergencies as relates to passenger safety and comfort. At least I would hope so.
What about that first-time cruiser? Will he choose to cruise again, or has this hellish five-day cruise to nowhere turned him off to cruise vacations forever? If you were to pole the veteran cruisers on board that cruise, asking if they would continue to cruise, I would bet the majority would say "hell, yeah!" Hundreds of ships sail every year without a single major incident. Nevertheless, just like any other form of travel, incidents and accidents sometimes occur. Some of them may be simple annoyances, some may be terrible ordeals, and every now and then one may even result in fatality. Each one can be a learning experience for all involved. For the cruise line, it is a way to change, improve and correct that which is faulty.
Just as the old hippy expression says: ***t happens. There is an abundance of seaworthy ships, and there are fascinating places to explore. Opportunities for new discoveries are as endless as the sea. So get back out there, trump the Triumph travesty, and choose to cruise!
To read more of my personal cruise and travel stories, visit my blog: Seven Sea Journeys at CruiseCrazies.com

y
An engine fire ... a cruise ship dead in the sea without the power to provide the basic of needs. A pleasant ocean escape to the Caribbean becomes a bad cruise to nowhere. Such was the picture on board the Carnival Triumph on its 4-day sailing last week.
The unpleasant details of life on board that cruise need not be repeated here. We've all seen the video footage and heard the news reports. When the disabled ship finally reached the dock in Mobile, Alabama, greeted by 200 Carnival personnel who would assist in getting the tired passengers home, TV cameras were on hand to fill us in with more images and interviews of anyone willing to talk, providing sensationalized news coverage at its best - playing off other people's misery. The sorry thing is that the general public sitting at home on their couch eats this stuff up, only encouraging more of this. Such is journalism, I guess.
Who do I feel sorry for the most? The first-time cruiser. Imagine you're embarking on your first cruise. You've been on the fence for a long time about cruise travel, but you decide to make the leap, choosing a nice, short 4-day Caribbean cruise to get your feet wet, so to speak. You're all relaxed, you've found your way around the ship, having a great time, thinking - yeah- this is pretty nice. Suddenly, you learn that a small fire has broken out in the ship's engine room. Although it has been quickly contained, the fire has knocked out most of the electrical power to the ship. The vessel has crawled to a halt, aimlessly adrift, and you soon discover that there is no air conditioning, no running water, no working toilets, and no hot food. The ship is slowly being towed to dock in Mobile. It's an agonizingly slow process, with wind, sea currents and a busted tow line impeding the way. You are told it will take days to reach land. Gone is your dream cruise vacation. Instead, you find yourself on a floating sewage barge. Some first cruise. You tell yourself you should have trusted your instincts and picked that all-inclusive resort. Here, on this ship, there's no escape.
Despite what some passengers have said to the contrary, Carnival seems to have fairly and adequately compensated its passengers. Each passenger was given a full refund, paid transportation home, and a future cruise credit. I don't know what else they could have done to satisfy their passengers, short of giving them a fully-paid cruise - on Carnival or any other line the customer chooses.
The real shining stars of this cruise are the crew of Triumph. Stories abound of crew members who never ceased to smile, offered words of comfort, remained professional, and otherwise made the best of a bad situation. They are to be commended and, I hope, appropriately compensated for their efforts.
The same cannot be said for Carnival. Assuring the safety and comfort of its paying customers is, or should be, the cruise line's #1 priority. Regrettably, Carnival dropped the ball on this one. It was unnecessary and inexcusable for cruise passengers to be exposed to the foul conditions caused by the power failure. It was reported at one point that there were five working toilets for 4,000 souls on board - far from comfortable.
What could Carnival have done to better assist its passengers during this unfortunate journey, and what steps could the line take to prevent another incident like this in the future? Dare I say that some of the following suggestions may seem elementary and overly simplistic, but I can't help myself.
Perhaps the cruise line should have reconsidered evacuation of passengers, even if some risk was involved. Surely, somewhere a ship could be found to make the transfer, at least giving passengers the option of getting away.
Portable toilets. It sounds like a ridiculous idea onboard a mega ship, but I have to ask. Why don't cruise ships have a supply of porta potties stored away on board for emergencies such as this? Not possible? Drop 'em in by helicopter.
Portable generators - huge ones. I don't pretend to know the inner workings of getting electrical power to all areas of the ship. I only know that when average Joe Homeowner has a power outage, he powers up his portable generator. There must be a large-scale way to do the same on a super-sized cruise ship.
Lifeboats. Why are they there, if not for evacuation of cruise ship passengers. Bobbing at sea in a lifeboat at sea might be preferable to conditions on the ship - at least to some folks - no matter how risky it might be.
Above all, an emergency back-up plan. With each new ship comes bigger sights, bigger sounds, bigger everything - requiring big power. It would seem that cruise lines would have in place adequate back-up power relative to the size of the ship it is selling to its customers.
In the meantime, while the potential for litigation brews, investigation of Triumph's engines are under way. Reports of past engine problems have prompted discussions of whether or not the ship should have sailed in the first place. Time will tell. Just as the Costa Concordia forced changes to safety and security all throughout the cruise industry, so may Carnival re-examine its response to shipboard emergencies as relates to passenger safety and comfort. At least I would hope so.
What about that first-time cruiser? Will he choose to cruise again, or has this hellish five-day cruise to nowhere turned him off to cruise vacations forever? If you were to pole the veteran cruisers on board that cruise, asking if they would continue to cruise, I would bet the majority would say "hell, yeah!" Hundreds of ships sail every year without a single major incident. Nevertheless, just like any other form of travel, incidents and accidents sometimes occur. Some of them may be simple annoyances, some may be terrible ordeals, and every now and then one may even result in fatality. Each one can be a learning experience for all involved. For the cruise line, it is a way to change, improve and correct that which is faulty.
Just as the old hippy expression says: ***t happens. There is an abundance of seaworthy ships, and there are fascinating places to explore. Opportunities for new discoveries are as endless as the sea. So get back out there, trump the Triumph travesty, and choose to cruise!
To read more of my personal cruise and travel stories, visit my blog: Seven Sea Journeys at CruiseCrazies.com

y
An engine fire ... a cruise ship dead in the sea without the power to provide the basic of needs. A pleasant ocean escape to the Caribbean becomes a bad cruise to nowhere. Such was the picture on board the Carnival Triumph on its 4-day sailing last week.
The unpleasant details of life on board that cruise need not be repeated here. We've all seen the video footage and heard the news reports. When the disabled ship finally reached the dock in Mobile, Alabama, greeted by 200 Carnival personnel who would assist in getting the tired passengers home, TV cameras were on hand to fill us in with more images and interviews of anyone willing to talk, providing sensationalized news coverage at its best - playing off other people's misery. The sorry thing is that the general public sitting at home on their couch eats this stuff up, only encouraging more of this. Such is journalism, I guess.
Who do I feel sorry for the most? The first-time cruiser. Imagine you're embarking on your first cruise. You've been on the fence for a long time about cruise travel, but you decide to make the leap, choosing a nice, short 4-day Caribbean cruise to get your feet wet, so to speak. You're all relaxed, you've found your way around the ship, having a great time, thinking - yeah- this is pretty nice. Suddenly, you learn that a small fire has broken out in the ship's engine room. Although it has been quickly contained, the fire has knocked out most of the electrical power to the ship. The vessel has crawled to a halt, aimlessly adrift, and you soon discover that there is no air conditioning, no running water, no working toilets, and no hot food. The ship is slowly being towed to dock in Mobile. It's an agonizingly slow process, with wind, sea currents and a busted tow line impeding the way. You are told it will take days to reach land. Gone is your dream cruise vacation. Instead, you find yourself on a floating sewage barge. Some first cruise. You tell yourself you should have trusted your instincts and picked that all-inclusive resort. Here, on this ship, there's no escape.
Despite what some passengers have said to the contrary, Carnival seems to have fairly and adequately compensated its passengers. Each passenger was given a full refund, paid transportation home, and a future cruise credit. I don't know what else they could have done to satisfy their passengers, short of giving them a fully-paid cruise - on Carnival or any other line the customer chooses.
The real shining stars of this cruise are the crew of Triumph. Stories abound of crew members who never ceased to smile, offered words of comfort, remained professional, and otherwise made the best of a bad situation. They are to be commended and, I hope, appropriately compensated for their efforts.
The same cannot be said for Carnival. Assuring the safety and comfort of its paying customers is, or should be, the cruise line's #1 priority. Regrettably, Carnival dropped the ball on this one. It was unnecessary and inexcusable for cruise passengers to be exposed to the foul conditions caused by the power failure. It was reported at one point that there were five working toilets for 4,000 souls on board - far from comfortable.
What could Carnival have done to better assist its passengers during this unfortunate journey, and what steps could the line take to prevent another incident like this in the future? Dare I say that some of the following suggestions may seem elementary and overly simplistic, but I can't help myself.
Perhaps the cruise line should have reconsidered evacuation of passengers, even if some risk was involved. Surely, somewhere a ship could be found to make the transfer, at least giving passengers the option of getting away.
Portable toilets. It sounds like a ridiculous idea onboard a mega ship, but I have to ask. Why don't cruise ships have a supply of porta potties stored away on board for emergencies such as this? Not possible? Drop 'em in by helicopter.
Portable generators - huge ones. I don't pretend to know the inner workings of getting electrical power to all areas of the ship. I only know that when average Joe Homeowner has a power outage, he powers up his portable generator. There must be a large-scale way to do the same on a super-sized cruise ship.
Lifeboats. Why are they there, if not for evacuation of cruise ship passengers. Bobbing at sea in a lifeboat at sea might be preferable to conditions on the ship - at least to some folks - no matter how risky it might be.
Above all, an emergency back-up plan. With each new ship comes bigger sights, bigger sounds, bigger everything - requiring big power. It would seem that cruise lines would have in place adequate back-up power relative to the size of the ship it is selling to its customers.
In the meantime, while the potential for litigation brews, investigation of Triumph's engines are under way. Reports of past engine problems have prompted discussions of whether or not the ship should have sailed in the first place. Time will tell. Just as the Costa Concordia forced changes to safety and security all throughout the cruise industry, so may Carnival re-examine its response to shipboard emergencies as relates to passenger safety and comfort. At least I would hope so.
What about that first-time cruiser? Will he choose to cruise again, or has this hellish five-day cruise to nowhere turned him off to cruise vacations forever? If you were to pole the veteran cruisers on board that cruise, asking if they would continue to cruise, I would bet the majority would say "hell, yeah!" Hundreds of ships sail every year without a single major incident. Nevertheless, just like any other form of travel, incidents and accidents sometimes occur. Some of them may be simple annoyances, some may be terrible ordeals, and every now and then one may even result in fatality. Each one can be a learning experience for all involved. For the cruise line, it is a way to change, improve and correct that which is faulty.
Just as the old hippy expression says: ***t happens. There is an abundance of seaworthy ships, and there are fascinating places to explore. Opportunities for new discoveries are as endless as the sea. So get back out there, trump the Triumph travesty, and choose to cruise!
To read more of my personal cruise and travel stories, visit my blog: Seven Sea Journeys at CruiseCrazies.com

y
An engine fire ... a cruise ship dead in the sea without the power to provide the basic of needs. A pleasant ocean escape to the Caribbean becomes a bad cruise to nowhere. Such was the picture on board the Carnival Triumph on its 4-day sailing last week.
The unpleasant details of life on board that cruise need not be repeated here. We've all seen the video footage and heard the news reports. When the disabled ship finally reached the dock in Mobile, Alabama, greeted by 200 Carnival personnel who would assist in getting the tired passengers home, TV cameras were on hand to fill us in with more images and interviews of anyone willing to talk, providing sensationalized news coverage at its best - playing off other people's misery. The sorry thing is that the general public sitting at home on their couch eats this stuff up, only encouraging more of this. Such is journalism, I guess.
Who do I feel sorry for the most? The first-time cruiser. Imagine you're embarking on your first cruise. You've been on the fence for a long time about cruise travel, but you decide to make the leap, choosing a nice, short 4-day Caribbean cruise to get your feet wet, so to speak. You're all relaxed, you've found your way around the ship, having a great time, thinking - yeah- this is pretty nice. Suddenly, you learn that a small fire has broken out in the ship's engine room. Although it has been quickly contained, the fire has knocked out most of the electrical power to the ship. The vessel has crawled to a halt, aimlessly adrift, and you soon discover that there is no air conditioning, no running water, no working toilets, and no hot food. The ship is slowly being towed to dock in Mobile. It's an agonizingly slow process, with wind, sea currents and a busted tow line impeding the way. You are told it will take days to reach land. Gone is your dream cruise vacation. Instead, you find yourself on a floating sewage barge. Some first cruise. You tell yourself you should have trusted your instincts and picked that all-inclusive resort. Here, on this ship, there's no escape.
Despite what some passengers have said to the contrary, Carnival seems to have fairly and adequately compensated its passengers. Each passenger was given a full refund, paid transportation home, and a future cruise credit. I don't know what else they could have done to satisfy their passengers, short of giving them a fully-paid cruise - on Carnival or any other line the customer chooses.
The real shining stars of this cruise are the crew of Triumph. Stories abound of crew members who never ceased to smile, offered words of comfort, remained professional, and otherwise made the best of a bad situation. They are to be commended and, I hope, appropriately compensated for their efforts.
The same cannot be said for Carnival. Assuring the safety and comfort of its paying customers is, or should be, the cruise line's #1 priority. Regrettably, Carnival dropped the ball on this one. It was unnecessary and inexcusable for cruise passengers to be exposed to the foul conditions caused by the power failure. It was reported at one point that there were five working toilets for 4,000 souls on board - far from comfortable.
What could Carnival have done to better assist its passengers during this unfortunate journey, and what steps could the line take to prevent another incident like this in the future? Dare I say that some of the following suggestions may seem elementary and overly simplistic, but I can't help myself.
Perhaps the cruise line should have reconsidered evacuation of passengers, even if some risk was involved. Surely, somewhere a ship could be found to make the transfer, at least giving passengers the option of getting away.
Portable toilets. It sounds like a ridiculous idea onboard a mega ship, but I have to ask. Why don't cruise ships have a supply of porta potties stored away on board for emergencies such as this? Not possible? Drop 'em in by helicopter.
Portable generators - huge ones. I don't pretend to know the inner workings of getting electrical power to all areas of the ship. I only know that when average Joe Homeowner has a power outage, he powers up his portable generator. There must be a large-scale way to do the same on a super-sized cruise ship.
Lifeboats. Why are they there, if not for evacuation of cruise ship passengers. Bobbing at sea in a lifeboat at sea might be preferable to conditions on the ship - at least to some folks - no matter how risky it might be.
Above all, an emergency back-up plan. With each new ship comes bigger sights, bigger sounds, bigger everything - requiring big power. It would seem that cruise lines would have in place adequate back-up power relative to the size of the ship it is selling to its customers.
In the meantime, while the potential for litigation brews, investigation of Triumph's engines are under way. Reports of past engine problems have prompted discussions of whether or not the ship should have sailed in the first place. Time will tell. Just as the Costa Concordia forced changes to safety and security all throughout the cruise industry, so may Carnival re-examine its response to shipboard emergencies as relates to passenger safety and comfort. At least I would hope so.
What about that first-time cruiser? Will he choose to cruise again, or has this hellish five-day cruise to nowhere turned him off to cruise vacations forever? If you were to pole the veteran cruisers on board that cruise, asking if they would continue to cruise, I would bet the majority would say "hell, yeah!" Hundreds of ships sail every year without a single major incident. Nevertheless, just like any other form of travel, incidents and accidents sometimes occur. Some of them may be simple annoyances, some may be terrible ordeals, and every now and then one may even result in fatality. Each one can be a learning experience for all involved. For the cruise line, it is a way to change, improve and correct that which is faulty.
Just as the old hippy expression says: ***t happens. There is an abundance of seaworthy ships, and there are fascinating places to explore. Opportunities for new discoveries are as endless as the sea. So get back out there, trump the Triumph travesty, and choose to cruise!
To read more of my personal cruise and travel stories, visit my blog: Seven Sea Journeys at CruiseCrazies.com

It was August of 2003. We were joyfully embarking on our second cruise, this time a 5-day voyage on the cruise ship Imagination, one of Carnival's smaller vessels. After our rookie sailing the previous summer on the Grand Princess, we simply couldn't wait to share our newfound love of the cruise experience with our two daughters, ages 16 and 11, and hoped they would be as thrilled as we were.

Our destination would be the Western Caribbean, the ports of Belize and Key West, and two relaxing days at sea. We happily crammed our family of four into a 160-square-foot inside cabin, and off we sailed to paradise!
Look at all that space - very cozy, wouldn't you say?

Everything was going great. The girls were having a blast, reveling in this great new way to vacation. "What? We CAN eat all day and all night?" They spent the first two days joyfully grazing the culinary treats that awaited them - the buffet, ice cream, pizza, sushi, and every other delectable delight. After all, where else could they eat anything they wanted and not have to empty their pocket change! David and I, in turn, spent time immersing ourselves in all manner of onboard activity and otherwise getting to know the both the ship and the world of Carnival.
Two days after embarkation we arrived at our our first port of call - the country of Belize on the eastern coast of Central America. Belize was a fairly new cruise port at the time, if I recall, featuring not much else besides tacky tourist shops. Today, if I were to return to Belize, Mayan ruins would be at the top of my list of things to see, but 10 years ago, ancient artifacts were not at the top of must-see attractions for our family.
As this was their first time at sea, we wanted to do something the kids would enjoy, so we chose a snorkeling trip. I was determined to save our family lots of money, avoid the overpriced ship excursion, and spent many months prior researching various independent tours. We finally settled on a well-recommended vendor in the cruise community. We communicated with the company back and forth, being certain that the timing would work with the ship schedule. It was a well-thought-out plan, and we were ready for snorkeling. I patted myself on the back for my incredible tour-planning skills. However, as sometimes happens in life, things don't always go according to plan.
For starters, Belize was a tender port. Our meeting up with the tour at the appointed time would depend on the arrival of the ship into port on time and the ability to be on the first tender. Carnival had a seemingly organized method of issuing tender tickets, and an announcement was made to head to an appointed area to pick up tickets, specifically at 9:00 a.m. and, as they firmly stated, not a moment before. No Ma'am, they would not jump the gun and play unfair. How noble, I thought.
We arrived at 8:40 a.m. expecting a line of eager tender passengers. What we found were many people with tickets already in hand well before we arrived. So much for fair play! Needless to say, we only landed tickets for the second tender. We arrived to the dock just after 10:30 a.m., and our snorkel boat was nowhere in sight.
After asking around at the pier, we sadly discovered that the snorkel trip had left just minutes before we arrived. The boat was gone!

My heart sank, and I felt as small as a mouse. David and the girls knew how bad I felt and bravely tried to cheer me up, my two patient girls bravely hiding their disappointment. Sure, there were other vendors pedaling their tours. However, I was in a strange new land and a bummed-out state of mind, and was not ready to risk another bad decision. We walked around the ports - and, yes, much moping on my part was involved. We checked out a few shops, discovered we really weren't having much fun, and then headed back to the ship.
Yeah, this is about all I remember from Belize ~

On the upside, the ship was very enjoyable without the crowds, and we had the pool to ourselves.
Why, you might ask, didn't we just call the snorkel boat when we knew we would be late?
I have no answer. I suspect we had no cell phones at the time. I did call the company upon return home to find out what happened, and they apologized, saying they had other people on the boat and, unfortunately couldn't wait any longer. They were nice enough to refund our deposit, even though it was not their policy to do so. Absolutely no complaints there.
So - Belize was a bust - at least for us in that moment of time. I immediately vowed never to book another independent cruise tour ever again, especially one with a tender port. Of course, I didn't listen to me and, in fact, went on to book several fine local tours in the years ahead with smooth sailing and no issues.
By the way, our interest in ancient ruins has blossomed since then, having seen the magnificent structures by the sea at Tulum, and we hope to one day return to Belize for another more interesting look at what the country has to offer.

It was August of 2003. We were joyfully embarking on our second cruise, this time a 5-day voyage on the cruise ship Imagination, one of Carnival's smaller vessels. After our rookie sailing the previous summer on the Grand Princess, we simply couldn't wait to share our newfound love of the cruise experience with our two daughters, ages 16 and 11, and hoped they would be as thrilled as we were.

Our destination would be the Western Caribbean, the ports of Belize and Key West, and two relaxing days at sea. We happily crammed our family of four into a 160-square-foot inside cabin, and off we sailed to paradise!
Look at all that space - very cozy, wouldn't you say?

Everything was going great. The girls were having a blast, reveling in this great new way to vacation. "What? We CAN eat all day and all night?" They spent the first two days joyfully grazing the culinary treats that awaited them - the buffet, ice cream, pizza, sushi, and every other delectable delight. After all, where else could they eat anything they wanted and not have to empty their pocket change! David and I, in turn, spent time immersing ourselves in all manner of onboard activity and otherwise getting to know the both the ship and the world of Carnival.
Two days after embarkation we arrived at our our first port of call - the country of Belize on the eastern coast of Central America. Belize was a fairly new cruise port at the time, if I recall, featuring not much else besides tacky tourist shops. Today, if I were to return to Belize, Mayan ruins would be at the top of my list of things to see, but 10 years ago, ancient artifacts were not at the top of must-see attractions for our family.
As this was their first time at sea, we wanted to do something the kids would enjoy, so we chose a snorkeling trip. I was determined to save our family lots of money, avoid the overpriced ship excursion, and spent many months prior researching various independent tours. We finally settled on a well-recommended vendor in the cruise community. We communicated with the company back and forth, being certain that the timing would work with the ship schedule. It was a well-thought-out plan, and we were ready for snorkeling. I patted myself on the back for my incredible tour-planning skills. However, as sometimes happens in life, things don't always go according to plan.
For starters, Belize was a tender port. Our meeting up with the tour at the appointed time would depend on the arrival of the ship into port on time and the ability to be on the first tender. Carnival had a seemingly organized method of issuing tender tickets, and an announcement was made to head to an appointed area to pick up tickets, specifically at 9:00 a.m. and, as they firmly stated, not a moment before. No Ma'am, they would not jump the gun and play unfair. How noble, I thought.
We arrived at 8:40 a.m. expecting a line of eager tender passengers. What we found were many people with tickets already in hand well before we arrived. So much for fair play! Needless to say, we only landed tickets for the second tender. We arrived to the dock just after 10:30 a.m., and our snorkel boat was nowhere in sight.
After asking around at the pier, we sadly discovered that the snorkel trip had left just minutes before we arrived. The boat was gone!

My heart sank, and I felt as small as a mouse. David and the girls knew how bad I felt and bravely tried to cheer me up, my two patient girls bravely hiding their disappointment. Sure, there were other vendors pedaling their tours. However, I was in a strange new land and a bummed-out state of mind, and was not ready to risk another bad decision. We walked around the ports - and, yes, much moping on my part was involved. We checked out a few shops, discovered we really weren't having much fun, and then headed back to the ship.
Yeah, this is about all I remember from Belize ~

On the upside, the ship was very enjoyable without the crowds, and we had the pool to ourselves.
Why, you might ask, didn't we just call the snorkel boat when we knew we would be late?
I have no answer. I suspect we had no cell phones at the time. I did call the company upon return home to find out what happened, and they apologized, saying they had other people on the boat and, unfortunately couldn't wait any longer. They were nice enough to refund our deposit, even though it was not their policy to do so. Absolutely no complaints there.
So - Belize was a bust - at least for us in that moment of time. I immediately vowed never to book another independent cruise tour ever again, especially one with a tender port. Of course, I didn't listen to me and, in fact, went on to book several fine local tours in the years ahead with smooth sailing and no issues.
By the way, our interest in ancient ruins has blossomed since then, having seen the magnificent structures by the sea at Tulum, and we hope to one day return to Belize for another more interesting look at what the country has to offer.

The dream Alaska cruise is booked, air fare reserved and pre and post-cruise hotel stays arranged. Now comes the hard part - deciding what to see and do when we get to the Last American Frontier. With only a day in Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau, the choices won't be easy.
While I enjoy touring famous cities and landmarks from the comfort and safety of a vehicle, as I grow older and cruise more, I find myself wanting to experience sightseeing in a more active and thrilling way. This is a big leap for an indoor girl with a fairly sedentary lifestyle. Since my travel bucket list has grown longer than my life expectancy, I want to make certain each tour is special and an event to remember. It must be the kind of activity that rises above and beyond my comfort zone, which currently sits on a pretty low threshold. Just as I fear being in the limelight (see my previous post "No, I don't want to be a volunteer ..."), I am a huge whimp when it comes to trying new things - especially when they invite potential injury. However, with the encouragement of my husband David, who is not at all afraid to venture into new territory, I am learning to spread my wings.
 
I could plan a cruise excursion the easy way, by simply viewing the line's glossy tour booklet, choosing and booking a pre-planned excursion. All neatly packaged, wrapped and available for every cruise passenger, they are the ultimate in convenience. But what fun is that? After all, last year I planned a small private group tour of the Scottish Highlands with 14 fellow passengers, and it turned out to be the highlight of our cruise. So you see, I have discovered alternative ways, albeit involving many hours of research and, in my case, obsessive rumination over very detail of the tour.
This is not to belittle cruise lines for providing a valuable service. I have taken advantage of several cruiseline excursions, and they have more than satisfied my growing thirst for adventure. The first such cruise excursion we took part in was Swimming with Stingrays in Grand Cayman over 10 years ago. This sounded like just the adventure David and I were looking for, so I promptly reserved the boat to Stingray City the minute it opened for booking on the web. The booking process was simple alright, but it still left me with lots of questions about stingrays, in general. I spent every spare moment for months reading everything I could get my hands on to find the answers to my most pressing questions: "What if I step on one? Will it bite me? Will it stab me to death with that stinger?". Keep in mind, this was before the famous Steve Irwin a/k/a Crocodile Hunter incident. As a result, I spent months perfecting the "stingray shuffle" in my living room.

If that weren't enough, to fully appreciate these mysterious, graceful aquatic creatures, I needed to learn how to snorkel. All summer long, I practiced in our backyard pool until I could breathe through that tube without drowning myself, a hurdle I am proud to say I soon overcame. All my anxiety over stingrays, I am happy to say, was for naught. The experience was very cool and I survived unharmed. On a second trip to Stingray City with my daughters on a later cruise, I even did the obligatory stingray-kissing photo op - how touristy!

The second must-do-before-I-die adventure would be horseback riding. Not that I knew how to ride a horse. Everything I knew about horses I learned from TV's "Mr. Ed." Oh, I had been on small ponies as a child - you know, the country fair type ride, where someone leads you and your little pony around a circle the size of a hula hoop. I always wanted a horse (didn't every little girl?) and remember begging my dad to dig up his prize vegetable garden to build a horse barn. Of, course he didn't, but I could dream! I was overjoyed to see the excursion listed as available through the ship while docked in St. Maarten. However, I was not feeling the love when I read of disappointing experiences through the ship. I decided that this was one I was going to plan on my own for myself and two daughters. So, once again, I was on a mission to find the best stables on the island with the grandest of horses and the friendliest of guides - one with a lot of patience for a novice like myself.
After months of research, I found a highly recommended stable outfit on the French side of the island. Our family rented a minivan and headed off to the stables. My husband who is highly allergic to most animals watched from a distance as we were fitted for head gear and a horse suited to our weight and size. My horse was huge! Funny how they don't look that big in the movies. How do those guys in the westerns leap on and off their horse with so little effort? I couldn't even reach my foot high enough for the stirrup - my arthritic knees don't bend that way! "Ummm ... Excuse me," I timidly said. "I am going to need some help here." After some initial shock, the young stable hand lead my gallant animal and I over to the big stepladder, and I climbed up to the saddle. I felt more than a little foolish while the other few people in our party simply saddled up with very little assistance. Even my girls, who had never been within a mile of a horse in their lives, made it look so easy. With some brief instruction on how to maneuver the animal, off we went on our equine adventure. The horse was very gentle and knew the trail well, so thankfully I didn't have to do much with the reins. Slowly riding along wooded trails and gorgeous beaches - nudist beaches, I might add - it turned out to be one of the most thrilling things I had ever done!

This brings me to our third planned outdoorsy thing on the list: Bears - or observing them in their natural habitat as they fish for salmon in Alaska water. And because the only way to get to the rainforest creek to see the bears is by air, we will need to fly in a floatplane to get there! A double feature - two brand new exciting and thrilling experiences in one shot! Are you sensing a theme here? Yes, animals and wilderness. This indoor girl is getting off the couch and into the wide open world!
... And now the search for bear and flight begins! Stay tuned ...

The dream Alaska cruise is booked, air fare reserved and pre and post-cruise hotel stays arranged. Now comes the hard part - deciding what to see and do when we get to the Last American Frontier. With only a day in Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau, the choices won't be easy.
While I enjoy touring famous cities and landmarks from the comfort and safety of a vehicle, as I grow older and cruise more, I find myself wanting to experience sightseeing in a more active and thrilling way. This is a big leap for an indoor girl with a fairly sedentary lifestyle. Since my travel bucket list has grown longer than my life expectancy, I want to make certain each tour is special and an event to remember. It must be the kind of activity that rises above and beyond my comfort zone, which currently sits on a pretty low threshold. Just as I fear being in the limelight (see my previous post "No, I don't want to be a volunteer ..."), I am a huge whimp when it comes to trying new things - especially when they invite potential injury. However, with the encouragement of my husband David, who is not at all afraid to venture into new territory, I am learning to spread my wings.
 
I could plan a cruise excursion the easy way, by simply viewing the line's glossy tour booklet, choosing and booking a pre-planned excursion. All neatly packaged, wrapped and available for every cruise passenger, they are the ultimate in convenience. But what fun is that? After all, last year I planned a small private group tour of the Scottish Highlands with 14 fellow passengers, and it turned out to be the highlight of our cruise. So you see, I have discovered alternative ways, albeit involving many hours of research and, in my case, obsessive rumination over very detail of the tour.
This is not to belittle cruise lines for providing a valuable service. I have taken advantage of several cruiseline excursions, and they have more than satisfied my growing thirst for adventure. The first such cruise excursion we took part in was Swimming with Stingrays in Grand Cayman over 10 years ago. This sounded like just the adventure David and I were looking for, so I promptly reserved the boat to Stingray City the minute it opened for booking on the web. The booking process was simple alright, but it still left me with lots of questions about stingrays, in general. I spent every spare moment for months reading everything I could get my hands on to find the answers to my most pressing questions: "What if I step on one? Will it bite me? Will it stab me to death with that stinger?". Keep in mind, this was before the famous Steve Irwin a/k/a Crocodile Hunter incident. As a result, I spent months perfecting the "stingray shuffle" in my living room.

If that weren't enough, to fully appreciate these mysterious, graceful aquatic creatures, I needed to learn how to snorkel. All summer long, I practiced in our backyard pool until I could breathe through that tube without drowning myself, a hurdle I am proud to say I soon overcame. All my anxiety over stingrays, I am happy to say, was for naught. The experience was very cool and I survived unharmed. On a second trip to Stingray City with my daughters on a later cruise, I even did the obligatory stingray-kissing photo op - how touristy!

The second must-do-before-I-die adventure would be horseback riding. Not that I knew how to ride a horse. Everything I knew about horses I learned from TV's "Mr. Ed." Oh, I had been on small ponies as a child - you know, the country fair type ride, where someone leads you and your little pony around a circle the size of a hula hoop. I always wanted a horse (didn't every little girl?) and remember begging my dad to dig up his prize vegetable garden to build a horse barn. Of, course he didn't, but I could dream! I was overjoyed to see the excursion listed as available through the ship while docked in St. Maarten. However, I was not feeling the love when I read of disappointing experiences through the ship. I decided that this was one I was going to plan on my own for myself and two daughters. So, once again, I was on a mission to find the best stables on the island with the grandest of horses and the friendliest of guides - one with a lot of patience for a novice like myself.
After months of research, I found a highly recommended stable outfit on the French side of the island. Our family rented a minivan and headed off to the stables. My husband who is highly allergic to most animals watched from a distance as we were fitted for head gear and a horse suited to our weight and size. My horse was huge! Funny how they don't look that big in the movies. How do those guys in the westerns leap on and off their horse with so little effort? I couldn't even reach my foot high enough for the stirrup - my arthritic knees don't bend that way! "Ummm ... Excuse me," I timidly said. "I am going to need some help here." After some initial shock, the young stable hand lead my gallant animal and I over to the big stepladder, and I climbed up to the saddle. I felt more than a little foolish while the other few people in our party simply saddled up with very little assistance. Even my girls, who had never been within a mile of a horse in their lives, made it look so easy. With some brief instruction on how to maneuver the animal, off we went on our equine adventure. The horse was very gentle and knew the trail well, so thankfully I didn't have to do much with the reins. Slowly riding along wooded trails and gorgeous beaches - nudist beaches, I might add - it turned out to be one of the most thrilling things I had ever done!

This brings me to our third planned outdoorsy thing on the list: Bears - or observing them in their natural habitat as they fish for salmon in Alaska water. And because the only way to get to the rainforest creek to see the bears is by air, we will need to fly in a floatplane to get there! A double feature - two brand new exciting and thrilling experiences in one shot! Are you sensing a theme here? Yes, animals and wilderness. This indoor girl is getting off the couch and into the wide open world!
... And now the search for bear and flight begins! Stay tuned ...

As I was making travel plans for an upcoming winter week in the Grand Canyon, and wondering why the blazes we would choose the month of February and risk icy roads and snow to get a glimpse of this natural wonder, my thoughts took me back to one frightening wintry drive on a snow-packed highway in the stately Green Mountains of Vermont.
Our daughter, Jenn, was attending a four-year E-game design program at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. I had made my semi-annual four-hour drive north to fetch her and her things for the semester break. I always looked forward to the December ride up. It was like a little mini-vacation, with a night or two at the Holiday Inn Express, Christmas shopping at the festive Church Street Marketplace, and perhaps a stroll by beautiful Lake Champlain.
It was a very cozy, small-town New England Christmas experience, indeed, including snow-covered hills, crispy cold air and holiday lights illuminating the darkness. For the most part, the weather cooperated on those December trips. Not to say that the weather was perfect. After all, I live in New England, where the saying around here is “If you don’t like the weather now, just wait a minute … .” It was not uncommon on the drive up north to experience a few snow squalls, periods of driving rain or fog in the span of an hour, which would make for some challenging driving, especially through the mountains after dark, but was nothing that my little Hyundai Santa Fe couldn’t handle. Little did I know how badly I would underestimate Mother Nature on the return trip home this particular December weekend.
It’s not like I didn’t know snow was predicted. I saw the forecast prior to leaving home and even made a reservation for another night at a hotel just in case we couldn’t make the trip home. On the morning of our scheduled ride home, I watched the local news and weather. Schools were canceled, but the timing of the storm was such that we might beat most of it if we left early. So “Jenn, what do you want to do?”, I asked. She replied, as I knew she would. “I want to go home.” I called my husband at home in Rhode Island. “David, what should I do?” I already knew what his answer would be. “Don’t risk it – stay another night“. I am an indecisive person, and I was torn. Should I listen to my all-knowing and wise husband of 35 years and play it safe, or should I make my daughter happy and take the risk? Jenn and I pondered the question further over breakfast and, for better or worse, decided to make a run for it.
Anyone who has traveled I-89 through Vermont knows that it is a long, lonely road, and the exits are few and far between. The plan was to drive from the college and head down I-89 south to the next exit, a fairly short span. From that point, there would be no looking back. If conditions looked too risky by the time we got to the next exit, we’d simply stop and get a room for the night and ride out the storm. We reached the next exit, and although the snow was falling steadily, it didn’t seem too bad. “Hey, we can do this,” I attempted to convince myself, and armed with our trusted cell phones, off we went on our merry way home. We didn’t have to proceed very far to realize we’d made the wrong choice, and by that time we were well past the point of no return.
By the time we traveled the long stretch to the next exit for the town of Stowe, the conditions were white-out. There was no one on the road except for enormous SUVs which flew past us like it was just another day, not even batting an eye, I suppose. For me, it was a different story. I was crawling along the snowy, untreated roadway, my knuckles turning white from the death grip of the steering wheel. Oh, why didn’t I buy a four-wheel drive vehicle! To make matters worse, my wipers were caked with ice and snow, making it difficult to navigate. I was driving blindly.
Unable to see anything through the windshield, I exited the highway at Stowe, parked on the side of the road and cleaned the wipers and windshield, grateful for the can of de-icer I brought with me. The road was desolate and snow covered, surrounding us with nothing but white. I did not want myself and second-born child stranded here, and I was anxious to hurry up, clean the window and get out of there. Cell phone service was spotty at best. Safely back in the car, we stalled, slipped and slid our way back to the highway and continued on the long, slow mountain trek through the heavy snow, stopping to clean the wipers and windshield several times along the way. Even if we wanted to stop and hunker down in a roadside motor inn, it would require miles of driving down a snowy mountain road to find one, and I wasn’t willing to risk that. To ease our nerves, we loaded the CD player with our favorite tunes and sang along, hoping the time would pass more quickly … or at least I did. I think I recall Jenn sleeping part of the way. It wasn’t until about six hours later, when we reached the Massachusetts border, that we finally got some relief in the form of sleet and rain. I had never been so glad to see road slush in my life!
We arrived home safely that evening, at which time my husband gave me a good tongue lashing for putting our lives in such jeopardy, as I expected he would. Looking back, I realized that what we drove through was just normal New England winter weather. It wasn’t even that huge of a snow storm by Vermont standards. We didn’t get hurt, we didn’t get stranded, and we didn’t even drive into a snowbank. The only thing wounded were our nerves. It my not have been a blizzard, but as far as we were concerned, it may as well have been the storm of the century. It was simply the worst stuff I’ve ever had to drive through.
Grand Canyon in February? Absolutely! The flights and hotels are booked, and the road-hugging, safe SUV reserved. More importantly, I will have a back-up plan and the company of my husband who is far wiser than me.
 
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In previous posts, I spoke of the personality differences between my husband and myself. David likes to fill every moment of his vacation with all manner of entertainment, where I like to curl up in a quiet corner with a good book or simply sit and watch the world go by. He likes to arise well before dawn, eager and ready to face the day, where I would just as soon roll over and catch a few more hours of precious slumber, maybe have a leisurely breakfast on the balcony – when we’re lucky enough to have a balcony. For the most part, it works. He goes out at 5:00 a.m. to conquer the world, and I happily go back to sleep or relax with a Folger’s moment, mesmerized by the sea. He goes to the ship’s art auction, swigs the free cheap bubbly, and lays down money for some piece of art I probably won’t like, while I relocate myself to a poolside deck chair and continue what I came on a cruise to do in the first place – absolutely nothing! For the most part, this arrangement works very well – content to go off and do our own thing for a time and come together later over a drink, when he talks about the money he lost in the casino, and I discuss the variety of swimwear, the movie showing on the big screen, or the overabundance of chair hogs.
However, when it comes to picking a seat to watch an onboard show, there’s no sucharrangement. He wants to be where the actions is. I want to watch from a safe, comfortable distance away. We can’t exactly part ways at a show, so we enter the lounge or theater, and to my horror, he makes a beeline for the front row. I hate the front row! I prefer to remain anonymous and blend in with the crowd. I don’t want to risk becoming volunteer fodder to amuse an audience – no, thank you. I suppose I could move a few rows back and pretend to not know him, but that would be just plain mean. So I trail reluctantly behind him and shrink down as far as I am able in my seat in the hopes that I won’t be noticed. I plead with him one last time … really, we can see the show just fine back there, a safe distance away. Nope, not good enough. Only the front row will do. Doesn’t he realize that he’s going to be picked? Yes, of course he does – that’s the plan. My husband is a target. Some people wave and shout “pick me … Oh, please pick me!” David doesn’t have to. Maybe it’s his larger-than-life persona. Maybe it’s his fearless, confident demeanor or the way he stands out in a crowd. Maybe it’s the beard or the large balding head. Or a combination of the above. Whatever it is, it’s going to get him up on that stage. I guaranty if there is a shortage of hands, he’s going to be the guy to save the moment, and there goes my anonymity.
One memorable performance was the time he volunteered – yes, volunteered – to be the subject of a hypnotist, whose name escapes me, on board a Princess ship 10 years ago. I wish I still had the video, because it was a sight to behold. There was my husband, on stage, in a trance under the belief that he was none other than … Garth Brooks! I couldn’t believe my eyes … or my ears. He was in a trance of sorts, belting out some off-the-cuff country song, making it up as he went. The audience went wild. Little did they know that not only is David not a fan of country music, he had never even heard of Garth Brooks.
If that weren’t entertaining enough, there was the time when my darling husband was crowned “Mr. Grand Princess”. Oh my. Let me stress that this was not a volunteer gig. This time, he was the guy who stood out in the crowd. Oh, God, I thought … here comes the assistant cruise director … she’s coming for him. Oh no, not again. It was a cheesy guy version of a Miss America pageant, and the contestants were a wide assortment of age, shapes and sizes, ranging from young, lean and buff to old, chunky and flabby. Let me just say that the winner was not young, lean or very buff – but he was a good sport, and I wouldn’t trade him for any other Mr. Princess, grand or otherwise. It’s all very fuzzy now, but I think I remember a parade, a cardboard crown, and a lot of wild, inebriated people. It was all good fun – 10 years ago, anyway.
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I stumbled onto this blog by “Crewbar Queen,” begun on two separate sites several years ago. She obviously held a staff position, based on the ease of her entry into ships. She didn’t see it that way. Her words, filled with anxiety and confusion, moved me. All crew can relate to her every word. Below is her only post.
“It’s Sunday and I joined the ship today. I am already exhausted. I look around as I type this, staring at the four walls of this closet size cabin with four beds in it. Soon my roommates will be off work so I am glad I was able to shower before they get back. One bathroom, four beds, one tv, one other Canadian, a Filipino Girl and a Romanian. I can't remember their names yet. The Romanian girl seemed stuck up as hell. In fact, so did most of the Romanian girls I met today.
“I wonder what I am doing here. From the second I stepped onboard today, I have been pulled in every direction, fitted for an ugly red uniform, thrown into a boring three hour safety class which pretty much has me fearing a Titanic-like experience now, and I have been lost three times.
“I am starting work tomorrow. I will just stand alongside some girl who seems to struggle with the English language, and learn as I go. 2000 guests got off the ship today and another 2000 got on. I am feeling a little overwhelmed at the amount of knowledge I need to have. Everyone here seems so intense. The Safety Manager flipped out on me and this other Canadian girl when we were late for class today. He actually threatened to send us back home before we left port. I never realized I would need to know how many lifeboats a ship carries, or how to evacuate the passengers. Isn't there a captain and some sort of safety squad for that??
“I kind of miss home. I packed my life into cardboard boxes in less than a week and left every comfort zone I was sheltered by. The small voice inside of me that I normally ignore finally spoke loud enough to get me here, and now it's still trying to talk me through it. This is supposed to be a chance to see the world and an opportunity to grow.
“Later - My roommates are back and I am sitting in bed. The Romanian girl’s name is Alina. She hardly said two words to me when she got here, but she sure is full of conversation for this guy in her bed now. All I can hear is her giggling and his deep Caribbean accent. I guess he's her boyfriend. I didn't realize we could fit another body into this cabin. Wait...is she really....what the f@#$, they are screwing!
“Does she not realize two other people are in this room? Does she seriously think this curtain that closes around each bunk is sound proof?? I open my curtain and look across at the bunk next to me where the Filipino girl, Carmella, is sitting. I look at her as if to say, "is this really happening?". She smiles obliviously and keeps staring at the TV, slurping her instant noodles. Clearly, this is something she is used to. I'm logging off for the night. I'm not to used to falling asleep to live porn, I think I'll pop in some of these ear plugs they gave us to drown out the sound of the engine and try to get some sleep.”
By Brian David Bruns, author of national best-seller Cruise Confidential.
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