Ten Days Away!

I can't believe I'm finally saying this, but next Thursday Bryndi and I will be heading to Florida to get ready to go on our "royal" getaway! As I mentioned before, the ship doesn't leave until next Friday, May 14th, but we're flying into Florida early Thursday morning to spend the day in Fort Lauderdale with our friends Marla and Bryan before we leave for the cruise. I am so, so, SO excited that it's almost here!! I'm looking forward to everything from the plane ride, to our time in Fort Lauderdale, to the actual cruise itself, to our time in the Bahamas, to our day in Miami after we get back from the cruise. I know that it's all going to be absolutely AMAZING, and I could not be more pumped to take this trip!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you, my faithful blog followers, for reading my blog and posting your comments throughout these past six weeks. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading what you all have had to say, and I am incredibly grateful for all of the tips and words of advice that you have offered me as I get ready for my first cruise! This was my first blogging experience and I have really enjoyed it. A lot of that has to do with all of the great comments and feedback that I received from all of you, so thank you!

I feel very prepared for this cruise now, and am more than ready to go! I've got my base tan, my beach play list, I know what I'm going to take with me, and I have a pretty good idea of what we're going to do while we're there! Thanks again to all of you for being a part of this journey with me, and I can't wait to share my cruise experience with all of you once we return!

Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico: Not Affecting Cruise Ships Yet

According to an article found on cruisenews.com, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that recently occurred in the Gulf of Mexico is not affecting cruise ships departing from ports in New Orleans and Mobile, at least not this week. The article mentioned that the Carnival ship, Triumph, will turn around in New Orleans on May 1st, while the Carnival Fantasy successfully departed with passengers from Mobile on April 29th and will return as scheduled on May 3rd.

A Carnival Cruise lines spokeswoman stated that "captains navigating our ships sailing from Mobile and New Orleans may opt to deviate course slightly to sail around the affected area. However, we do not anticipate any changes to the scheduled itineraries and associated ports of call as a result."

In addition, a notice was posted on the port of New Orleans' website that the Southwest Pass, which is the main route for ships traveling between the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico should be open and free of oil through Friday evening. Even though some oil could reach the channel by Saturday, the Coast Guard has indicated that ships will still be able to use this route without needing their hulls cleaned. To view the full article, visit http://www.cruisecritic.news/news.cfm?ID=3838

It's nice to know that cruise ships take into account all information that they are presented with, especially in crisis situations such as this one, and that they are flexible and willing to make changes to itineraries and travel routes when necessary to ensure they safety of all passengers onboard. Reading this article I realized even more how alert and aware captains of cruise ships, as well as the entire cruise leadership team, must be, and how important it is that they keep well informed of any and all crisis situations or potential crisis situations that they may be faced with before, during, or after each ship's voyage.

Themed vs Non-Themed Cruises

After discussing the poker-themed cruise in yesterday's blog posting, I decided to look a little more closely at themed cruises for today's post. I talked to Bryndi about this, as she went on a Looney-Tunes themed cruise with her family when she was younger, and I also talked to a co-worker who took a Disney cruise with her family a few years ago. Here's what they had to say.

Though Bryndi said she doesn't remember too much about her cruise since she was pretty young when she went, she said that it was a lot of fun and that it was great for families with young children. She also mentioned that there was a lot to do and that there were characters roaming about the ship the whole time, which was great for entertainment and photo opportunities. Their ship was called the Big Red Boat, which I find enjoyable. :)

My co-worker who went on a Disney cruise a few years ago with her husband and young son said that they really enjoyed their experience, and that it was exactly what they wanted at the time. She said that they were on land at the Disney World theme parks for half of the time, and then on the boat which made a voyage to the Bahamas and back for the rest of the trip. This sounds like the best of both worlds to me, since I'm such a huge Disney buff, but I know that it wouldn't be much of a relaxing vacation as I'd be trying to do and see as much at the parks and on the ship as possible. It sounds like a really great vacation though to go on at some point in life, and has just been added to my bucket list.

Moral of the story: if you want a high energy, action-packed vacation, or if you have little kids and want plenty of activities available for them, go for the themed cruise. If you're looking to relax and get away from it all, however, a themed cruise most likely isn't for you. Avoid the themed cruise and treat yourself to the calm, island getaway that you deserve!

Poker Cruise Comes to World's Largest Ship

According to an article obtained from USA Today, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, currently the largest cruise ship in the world, will be hosting the fourth annual Ladbrokes Poker Cruise which is set to take off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 22nd, 2011. This 5,400 passenger vessel will take guests on a seven night voyage to exotic locations including Falmouth, Jamaica; Cozumel, Mexico; and Ladabee, Royal Caribbean's private island in Haiti. While on this cruise, guests will have plenty of poker playing opportunities made available to them, all while traveling to some of the most beautiful places in the Western Caribbean.

The article mentioned that gamblers particularly love "larger-than-life-venues," which is one of the main reasons why so many flock to Las Vegas year-after-year to try their luck in some of the most extravagant and beautiful hotels and casinos in the world. With that being said, it only makes sense for a major poker tournament to be held on the biggest cruise ship in the world. The Oasis of the Seas is larger than the next largest cruise ship by 40%, and is designed around seven neighborhoods. Futhermore, this ship boasts a 1,380 seat theatre which featured a live production of Broadway's Hairspray (as was discussed in one of my previous blog posts) when it first set sail in November of 2010. The ship also features an outdoor AquaTheatre, an ice-skating show, a two deck spa, two dozen eateries, and much, much more.

I wonder what it would be like to be on this poker cruise next year. Would it be crazy with gamblers seemingly overtaking the ship? Or would it really not be very noticeable unless one headed to the casinos and certain areas of the ship where poker is going to be played? Have any of you been on any themed cruises like this before? I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have! Even if you haven't, I'd love to hear your input about traveling on a themed cruise in general!

To view the full article, visit http://www/usatoday.com/travel/cruises/blog.aspx

Tropical Weather

I was curious to see what the weather is currently like in the Bahamas, as I'm sure it won't change much between today and two weeks from now when we're there. I'd like to share with you what I found. In addition to looking at the current conditions in the Bahamas, I also checked out the weather in Fort Lauderdale, as well as Miami, as we'll be in Fort Lauderdale the day before we leave for the cruise and Miami after we get off the ship at the conclusion of our cruise, to see what these temperatures look like as well.

According to bahamas.com, the high tomorrow for Nassau, one of the stops on our cruise, is 85 degrees Fahrenheit, while the low is 69 degrees Fahrenheit. It's supposed to be mostly sunny tomorrow, and remain that way for almost the rest of the week. On Sunday it's supposed to reach 88 degrees, which is the highest high temperature that I saw listed, while the lowest low temperature that I saw listed is 69 degrees. I am thoroughly looking forward to enjoying these balmy, island temperatures! With the forty degree weather that we experienced here in Cleveland today, 88 degrees and plenty of sunshine is looking even better than ever! To view the full weather report, visit http://www.bahamas.com/vacation-planning/weather/nassau-paradise-island

I also visited weather.com to take a look at current weather conditions in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and found pretty similar temperatures with what I discovered for Nassau in the Bahamas. It's supposed to reach 83 degrees Fahrenheit in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow, and the low is only 67 degrees. The weather report for Miami showed the exact same temperatures as what was listed for Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. It's official...I'm more than ready to say hello to these eighty degree temperatures and sunny, clear skies!

A Beach Playlist: Must-Have Songs for Your I-pod

With the cruise just around the corner (we're just over two weeks away now!), and summer rapidly approaching as well, I figured it's only appropriate to discuss our favorite beach/island songs. We all have those songs that put us in a great mood because they make us think of summer and/or going to the beach, and these songs are certainly must-haves for your i-pod when taking any island or beach vacation. These songs are also great even when you're just enjoying a summer afternoon at home, or surviving a cold winter day in Cleveland and dreaming about summer.

Below you will find some of my favorite beach songs, listed in no particular order, that I will be sure to put on my i-pod before heading the Bahamas in two weeks. In addition to sharing my summer songs with all of you, I'm asking you to let me know some of your favorite beach songs as well! Please post some songs that you would make sure to include in your beach playlist so that way myself, and the rest of the blogosphere, can be sure to have the best summertime playlist imaginable!

1. Hey Soul Sister-Train
2. I'm Yours-Jason Mraz
3. Summertime-Kenny Chesney
4. Kokomo-The Beach Boys
5. Escape (The Pina Colada Song)-Rupert Holmes
6. Island in the Sun-Weezer
7. Summer Breeze-Seals and Croft
8. No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem-Kenny Chesney
9. California Girls-The Beach Boys
10. Summer Boy-Lady Gaga
11. I'm in Miami, Trick-LMFAO
12. Welcome to Miami-Will Smith
13. Vacation-The Go-Go's
14. Walkin' On Sunshine-Katrina and the Waves
15. Celebration-Kool and the Gang
16. Hotel California-The Eagles
17. Soak Up the Sun-Sheryl Crow
18. Heatwave-Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
19. Fun, Fun, Fun-The Beach Boys
20. Love Shack-The B52's

Illness Outbreak On Celebrity Cruise Ship

What happens when gastrointestinal illness strikes a cruise ship? Where do you go? Where do you turn for help? Passengers on board a recent voyage of the Celebrity Mercury learned the answers to these questions through a firsthand experience this past February.

According to an article on usatoday.com, over 400 passengers and crew members on board the Mercury suffered from upset stomachs, diarrhea, and vomiting caused by an outbreak of norovirus on the ship headed to the Caribbean from South Carolina. The ship, carrying 2,600 total passengers, left on February 15th, 2010. Celebrity Cruise spokesperson Cynthia Martinez said that "only 31 passengers were expected to be in isolation in their rooms when the vessel makes its scheduled arrival in Charleston on early Friday." The crew has conducted enhanced cleaning of the ship to prevent further spreading of the illness, she said. An extra doctor and two nurses were brought on board in St. Kitts, in the Leeward Islands, and sailed back to Charleston.

Health officials have reported twice as many norovirus outbreaks than normal this winter in South Carolina, the state where Mercury departed from. Officials report that the virus can stay on surfaces like door knobs and handrails, and that it can spread quickly. According to the Center for Disease Control, there were two cases of norovirus outbreaks on the Celebrity Mercury last winter. The agency reported 15 total outbreaks of gastrointestinal virus on American cruise ships in 2009. To view the full article, click here: http://bit.ly/chTFmX

Though I'm BEYOND excited to go on my first cruise in just a few short weeks, illness outbreak on the ship is one thing that I would say I'm worried about if I absolutely had to pick something that made me nervous about cruising. I'm sure that Royal Caribbean does a great job keeping their cruise ships clean though, and that illness outbreak isn't something that I need to be too worried about. I would be interested to see if they have a crisis communication plan designed for illness outbreak though. I hope they do! Have any of you veteran cruisers experienced the spread of illness on any of your voyages or do you know of anyone who has? If so, how did they deal with the situation? How did the cruise line handle the crisis?

Real Pirates of the Caribbean

Due to recent increased pirate activity in areas of Kenya and Tanzania, cruise ships have had to change their itineraries in order to ensure the safety of their passengers. According to an article on cruisecritic.com, "passengers have been asked to keep cabin curtains drawn and refrain from using the promenade decks from 6:30 p.m. until 7:00 a.m." Telegraph.co.uk reports that P & O cruise ships are still passing through the Gulf of Aden, but stated that the captains have instituted safety measures on board.

During the week of April 9th, Regent Seven Seas Cruises had to amend the itinerary of its world cruise aboard the Seven Seas Voyager to avoid a region with increased pirate activity. According to the article, a letter was sent out to all of the passengers on this ship that included the phrase "as the safety and security of our guests is our number one priority, we will be amending our itinerary to avoid an area of recently increased pirate activity." As per our discussion on crisis management in my night class this past Tuesday evening, this cruise line did an excellent job handling this crisis. They notified their passengers immediately, and made sure that they knew that the safety of all of the guests on board is the number one priority. Well done, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, well done.

While it's not unusual for cruise ships to make itinerary changes to avoid areas with pirate activity, most cruise lines seem to make those decisions in advance, rather than during the actual voyage. To read the full story, click here: http://bit.ly/aqXci2

This article really jumped out at me because I never realized that pirate activity was still an issue today. Sure we've all seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but who knew that pirate activity actually still occurred today, and that it's a problem that some cruisers have to face? Have any of you had any run-ins with pirates on your cruises? Do you know of any interesting stories that deal with pirates and cruise ships? Let me know!

Accomodation Station

Although I know we won't be spending much of our time at all on this cruise in our room, except when we're sleeping, I figured I should do some research and see what the rooms on The Majesty of the Seas are like regardless. I wanted to know what they look like, as well as what they come equipped with, so here's what I found...

According to rcreservations.com, "the staterooms onboard Majesty of the Seas exude cleanliness, comfort and relaxation." Whether you choose an interior room, an oceanview room, or a suite with a private balcony, you're in good hands with Royal Caribbean. Each room comes equipped with a flat-screen television, a telephone, a private bath, a shower, a vanity, and even a hair-dryer. It's nice to know that all of the rooms on The Majesty of the Seas come equipped with these features. In addition to my research on rcreservations.com, I also read several different reviews from guests who have stayed in Majesty of the Seas staterooms before and all of their comments seemed very positive, which I was also glad to hear.


To the left, you will find a photo of one of the rooms on The Majesty of the Seas. I also found a video on YouTube showcasing the interior of a stateroom posted by someone who took a three-night, four-day cruise to the Bahamas on The Majesty of the Seas (which is exactly what we're doing). To view that video visit http://youtube.com/watch?v=_ToWvezve8o

Transportation Station

After discussion tonight in night class about AirTran Airways, formerly ValuJet (the airline of the infamous plane crash that took place in the Florida Everglades), I figured I should investigate Delta Airlines, the airline that Bryndi and I will be flying with for our cruise, to learn more about the company and to see what others who have flown with Delta before have to say.

After "Google-ing" reviews of Delta Airlines, I found one on eopinions.com that I would like to share with all of you. This particular reviewer provides a nice overview of all aspects of his experience with Delta, and gives a lot a great details about everything from the level of professionalism of the staff to the cleanliness of the plane and the speed at which luggage was returned to the passengers. He gave Delta five stars out of six, and said that his flight was an overall very positive experience. I was glad to hear this, and relieved to know that it's a safe, reliable, and comfortable airline to travel with. The reviewer mentioned having a connecting flight in Atlanta, Georgia, which is the exact same location as our connecting flight, and he said that this process was very smooth and efficient, which I was also glad to hear. He mentioned that the staff wasn't overly friendly, but that he admired their professionalism. He also said that Delta did an outstanding job at getting all of their passengers their luggage immediately after they got off the plane, which I agree is a definite plus. Feel free to check out the full review at http://www.bit.ly/b0EA10

According to Delta's website, http://www.delta.com, there's a $23.00 fee for each checked bag on a Delta flight when traveling within the contintental United States. I was wondering whether or not there would be a fee for checked bags on Delta flights. I've heard a lot of airlines have been charging for checked bags recently, since fuel costs have gone up, so I figured that might be the case for our flights. Bryndi and I flew to Disney World three summers ago with AirTran Airways and there was no fee for checked bags--my how times have changed!

Do any of you know of any airlines who aren't charging fees for checked bags these days? We didn't really have a choice, as Delta was the airline that was provided for us with our cruise package, and I'm not complaining at all since we're getting our flights for free along with the cruise itself, but I was just wondering if any of you know of any airlines that still aren't charging for checked bags? Also, what airlines have you had the most positive travel experiences with? Let me know!

Royal Caribbean Increases Presence in Tampa

According to cruiseindustrynews.com, Royal Caribbean International has recently announced plans to upgrade its presence in Tampa, Florida with the launching of one of their newest ships, The Jewel of the Seas.

The Tampa Port Authority reports that this enhancement by Royal Caribbean will take place in November of 2011, through the use of The Jewel of the Seas which holds 2,5000 passengers and an additional 850 crew members. This 90,000 ton, 962 ft. long ship offers passengers an array of dining, entertainment, and recreational options, and will be replacing the ship The Radiance of the Seas, which is scheduled for 44 more sailings from Tampa during the 2010-2011 season before being retired.

"We've experienced a very welcomed growth trend in Tampa as a cruise port in recent years, and Royal Caribbean's decision to again enhance activity at the Port of Tampa is testimony to the strength of the Tampa cruise market," said Richard Wainio, Tampa's port director and CEO.

Passengers on The Jewel of the Seas will enjoy many different cruise options including two, five-night and a four-night voyage to the Western Caribbean from Tampa.

I found this article particularly interesting because I never realized that cruises left from Tampa. In all of my research and conversations with seasoned cruisers, I've only heard of cruise ships departing from the Port of Miami--I never heard mention of cruises leaving from Tampa. I think it's wonderful though, that there is a port in Tampa, and that Royal Caribbean plans to enhance its cruise travel through this port. Have any of you used the Port of Tampa for the departure and arrive of your cruises? If so, how does it compare to the Port of Miami?

To view the full article, visit http://bit.ly/aCykbe

Cruise Insurance...Are You Covered?

I found an article on cruisecritic.com discussing cruise insurance and whether or not passengers are covered in the event of a natural disaster. With the recent volcanic ash eruptions taking place in the United Kingdom, a popular travel destination for many cruisers, as well as the earthquakes that have recently hit Haiti and Chile, it's important to consider your coverage when traveling. I was happy to find this article and would like to share a few things that I learned.

The article recommended buying third-party insurance when paying for a cruise or booking another big vacation, which is something I never thought about before but quickly realized is a good idea. The article also mentioned that travel insurance covers situations such as cancellations or delays due to inclement weather, uninhabitable residence or destination due to fire, flood, or similar natural disaster, sickness, injury, or death of an insured family member, strike, financial default of an airline or cruise line-resulting in the complete cessation of services, and being involved in or delayed due to a traffic accident en route to departure. The article also mentioned that in order to be covered, these incidents must be unforeseen-AKA once a strike is announced or a plane is delayed you can't go buy travel insurance and expect to be covered.

I learned a great deal from reading this article including that it's best to buy travel insurance as soon as you book your trip. Good advice. Have any of you bought travel insurance before your cruises or any other vacations that you've taken? Let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Also, check out the full article http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3804

Broadway Onboard

As I was YouTubing Royal Caribbean Cruises tonight, I found a video titled "Royal Caribbean Productions-Hairspray," and, being the extreme Broadway fan that I am, immediately clicked on this video to see what it was all about. Upon watching the video, I realized that it was an advertisement for a production of the musical Hairspray opening onboard Royal Caribbean's ship, Oasis of the Seas. Even though we'll be traveling on The Majesty of the Seas next month when we take our cruise, this video brought to mind all of the entertainment available on cruise ships that I've heard so much about from veteran cruisers, and gave me hope that we might get to see Hairspray or another awesome Broadway show while on our cruise! Even if we don't get to see a Broadway style show, I'm sure whatever entertainment they have available on the boat will be spectacular, and I'm so glad that this video reminded me of all of the fantastic entertainment available on cruises!

To all of you veteran cruisers out there, what types of shows/entertainment was available on your cruise(s)? What were some of your favorite shows that you saw? What do you recommend we check out while on board? Bryndi and I especially love Broadway shows, but it doesn't take much to entertain us, so any suggestions of shows or other forms of entertainment that we should check out while cruising are welcome!

Also, if you'd like to see the video I watched for yourself, just click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-9jyxWWTZM

Swimming with Dolphins & Parasailing

So Bryndi and I were talking about the cruise the other night (it has become our favorite topic of conversation, as of late...), and we were discussing things we both really want to do while on this "royal" getaway next month. Bryndi mentioned that she REALLY wants to swim with dolphins and I think that's an incredible idea! I'm not sure if I'll partake in that adventure or not, only because I've heard it can be rather pricey and I'll be traveling on a fresh college graduate's budget, but I told Bryndi that I support her decision to swim with dolphins 100% and will be her cheerleader/photographer throughout the whole experience!

I then mentioned that I would like to parasail in the Bahamas if I can find a decent enough deal while we're there! Parasailing is something that I've always wanted to do, and I figure where better to do it than over the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas, right!? I think it would be an experience of a lifetime and I would love for this to happen if we can make it work! I know I mentioned shore excursions in one of my previous posts and said that I probably wouldn't partake in them in order to save money, however, if we can find good deals I think it would be worth it to swim with dolphins and parasail. I don't mean to sound like a hypocrite, but I believe that if we do our homework and research the best and most cost-efficient ways to swim with dolphins and parasail, we can certainly justify making this happen.

Do any of you have any suggestions for us? Have any of you readers swam with dolphins or parasailed in the Bahamas before? Also, do you think planning these two adventures through our cruise line or independently makes more sense/would cost less? Let me know!

One Month Away!

As I was looking at my calendar today, I realized that in exactly ONE month from today Bryndi and I will be in Fort Lauderdale, Florida getting ready to set sail on our CRUISE!!! AAAHHHH I'm SOOOO excited!!! I CAN'T believe it's almost here!! But at the same time I couldn't be more ready!!

I'm looking forward to every part of the experience! From the plane ride to Florida, to staying in Fort Lauderdale with our friends Marla and Bryan, to hopping on board "The Majesty of the Seas," to experiencing cruising and enjoying all the ship has to offer, to sinking my toes into the white sand on the beaches of the BAHAMAS, to laying on the beach and relaxing, and to just getting away for a while and celebrating graduation with my best friend--the whole experience sounds nothing short of amazing! I wanted to thank all of you, my faithful readers, for allowing me to share my excitement and joy with you on this blog, and for continuing to follow me! Your devotion to reading my posts and sharing your comments means a great deal to me. You all are wonderful and I'm so glad we're able to take part in this "journey" together :)

I was YouTubing our cruise ship again today, and found another fun video that I'd like to share with all of you. Just click on this link http://bit.ly/chDFnr to view the 3:21 second video which features photos of the ship, tells the history of her life from her maiden voyage in 1992, including fun facts like the entire renovation that took place while the ship was dry-docked in 2007 to give it a complete upgrade for the 21st century, and even boasts choral, Pirates of the Caribbean-esque music in the background throughout the entire clip. Let me know what you think!

Top 10 Reasons to Cruise

I found an article on cruisecritic.com which lists the top 10 reasons to cruise and I'd like to share those top 10 reasons with you now:

1. Unbeatable Value
2. See Multiple Destinations, Unpack Only Once
3. Cruise Ships are Family Friendly
4. Cruise Ships Come in all Shapes and Sizes
5. Ships Offer a Variety of Onboard Activities
6. Cruise Vacations are Easy to Plan
7. Ships are Floating Cities
8. Plan an Exotic Vacation
9. Cruising is Romantic
10. Cruising is Social

There's also a picture slideshow included with the countdown, so be sure to visit http://bit.ly/ceUGdd to view the photos and learn more!

Too Much Complaining = No More Cruising for Cleveland Couple

I found a very intersting article on ExpertCruiser.com's website titled "Banned from Royal Caribbean for complaining too much." The article discusses a couple who were faithful clients to Royal Caribbean, averaging two cruises per year for the past three years, but said that they often filed many complaints with the cruise line during each cruise. I found this article to be of particular interest becuase the banned couple live right here in Cleveland, Ohio! Crazy, right?! There's even a clip from Channel 3 News interviewing the couple that's included with the online article.

Apparently the couple submitted formal complaints to the cruise line about everything from the woman's birthday greeting being delivered to the wrong stateroom, to her husband being locked out of their stateroom and stuck on the balcony for three hours because of a latch jam in their door. Royal Caribbean tried to work with the couple, offering discounts and onboard credits in an attempt to keep the couple's business, until the cruise line eventually decided they no longer wanted the couple's business at all.

After each cruise, the unhappy couple would post reviews of their cruise experience on cruisecritic.com, including all of their complaints about the cruise as well as all of the compensation packages and incentives that they were offered each time. Seeing this, some board members felt that this couple complained their way to unfair discounts and believed that they were teaching others how to scam the cruise line.

A few weeks later, according to the article, "Royal Caribbean abruptly notified the couple that they were no longer welcome on any Royal Caribbean International ships, including the company's subsidiaries Celebrity and Azamara. Ever."

What a wild story! I've never heard of a cruise line banning customers for traveling with them before. Do you agree with Royal Caribbean for excercising their right to ban this couple from all of their cruises? How would you have handled this situation if you were the Public Relations practitioner for Royal Caribbean?

To view the complete article, check out http://expertcruiser.com/advice/royal-caribbean-says-get-out-of-here-to-couple/

Port of Call

I was talking to my best friend Bryndi today, and she told me she heard some advice from a co-worker about the port of call and how boarding the ship works when going on a cruise. We both had a lot of questions about this and were unsure of how this whole process works, so I'm very glad that she was able to pick up some tips from her co-worker. I'd like to share these with you now.

First of all, her co-worker said that if you have your confirmation number with you, as well as your passport and driver's license ready to go when arriving at the port of call, you get to bypass a huge line of cruisers and go straight to the customs on the ship. If you don't have all of this information ready to go, you apparently have to wait in a huge line with a lot of other cruisers that could take a couple of hours to get through. That sounds like no fun at all, so we'll be sure to have all of that information with us and ready to go when we arrive!

After passing through customs, her co-worker said that our luggage will be taken to our room and we'll then proceed to a cruise ship orientation. Here, they will go over important safety information, address other important information about the ship, and allow all of the cruisers to put on a life vest and locate the nearest life boat. Once this orientation is over, passengers are free to begin roaming and exploring the ship, and can also choose to go on deck and wave to the surrounding spectators as the ship begins to set sail. Bryndi and I have already decided that we'll definitely be doing that!

We're supposed to arrive at the port at 2pm, but our cruise doesn't actually depart til 5pm, so apparently those three hours will be spent going through customs, participating in an orientation session to get acquainted with the ship, and exploring the ship. Does this sound right to all of you veteran cruisers? Do you have any additional tips or information for Bryndi and I? Let me know!

A Base Tan...Get One.

With all of this talk about fun in the sun and laying on the beach, I think it's only appropriate that I touch on tanning safety and encourage you all to be smart about your sun exposure whether going on a cruise, going to the beach, or even just spending time outdoors right here in Ohio when the sun's out (which has been happening a lot lately, thank goodness)! I'll be sure to practice what I preach when Bryndi and I set sail on our cruise as well.

While there are many areas of sun safety that I could address, I wish to focus on the importance getting a base tan. Before going on a trip where you'll be spending a great deal of time in the sun, I think that it's incredibly important to get a base tan. Not only will this make you look better in pictures (as you won't be ghostly white when you begin your week at the beach), but it will also allow you to tan easier and burn less. This means that you won't have to suffer from those painful sunburns that make your skin blister and peel, causing you a lot of discomfort and the rapid loss of your tan which you worked so hard to acquire. Base tans can even protect you from sun poisoning and skin cancer. Chelsea Handler even mentioned the importance of a base tan the other night on Chelsea Lately, her latenight show on E!

To get a base tan, one must go to a tanning bed and purchase a tanning package, typically for either two weeks or a month before heading to the beach. Now, I know this might spark controversy, as many people are very passionately against tanning beds and often refer to them as "cancer coffins," but I think in this type of a situation going to a tanning bed is actually a very smart, healthy decision. I know that tanning everyday isn't smart and not at all healthy for one's skin, but when preparing for a trip or an extended period of time outdoors which will include a significant amount of sun exposure, I support using a tanning bed and greatly encourage purchasing a tanning package. I think it's much better to start slow and get that base tan, rather than to hit the beach white as a ghost and shock your skin with extreme sun exposure. I've gone to the beach both with and without a base tan, and I can honestly say that I had a much better time when I did have a base tan that when I didn't. When I had a base tan I was able to enjoy myself and spend a lot of time swimming and laying out in the sun, rather than hiding inside and covering myself in lotions and aloe vera gel all week.

While excessive tanning is unhealthy, I think getting a base tan before spending a lot of time in the sun is very important and will only benefit you. I know I'll be purchasing my tanning package in the next few weeks to get my base tan before heading to Florida and hopping on board "The Majesty of the Seas." I'm actually pretty excited about it too!

What are your thoughts on this? Am I crazy? Also, check out my friend's blog, http://truebeautyfanatic.blogspot.com/ as she'll be reviewing what tanning lotions work and don't work, as well as discussing lots of other great beauty tips and skin products to purchase (or to avoid!) as well!

Fort Lauderdale Fun!

As I mentioned yesterday, since we're going to be staying in Fort Lauderdale for a day before our cruise departs, I thought I'd do some research on Fort Lauderdale for today's blog and see what the city has to offer! Here's what I found:

I began my research with a simple Google search and found a really great website that I'd like share with all of you. The site is http://www.sunny.org/ and it lists everything from current weather to hotel and restaurant information, to pictures, videos, and even event information. The event information tab was of particular interest to me as we were just discussing tonight in my night class on PR and the Internet (the class that this blog was assigned for) about how all great websites have an events section with specific dates, times, and locations listed. A few upcoming events that are listed include Florida Panthers vs. Ottawa Senators games, a riverwalk downtown, and a beach volleyball tournament. And those events are just for the next three days! I tried to click on May 13th to see what events are happening in the city that day, but the calendar only lists events through April. I'll just have to be sure to check back in May and see what events are listed! Regardless, I still thought that the events section was a nice touch and I wanted to be sure to point that out.

I also noticed on this website, which is the official site of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, that they offer a lot of great "cruise and play" packages. These are awesome deals which include hotels and excursions for a few extra days before or after taking a cruise. I think it's really nice (and smart) that the Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau recognizes that many of the people visiting their city are going on cruises, and therefore try to accommodate them as best as possible and make the most of their location. Talk about knowing your audience!




Based on my research, Fort Lauderdale looks like a beautiful, classy area in Florida, and I'm very excited that Bryndi and I will be spending a day there! Have any of you been to Fort Lauderdale before? Feel free to let me know some of your favorite spots in the area if you have, and to all my readers, be sure to check out http://www.sunny.org/!

Good Samaritans

A few days ago, I posted a blog entry titled "Transportation Turmoil" and expressed concerns that Bryndi and I had regarding how we're going to get from the airport to the port, and from the port back to the airport after our cruise. I'm happy to report that these problems have all been solved and that all of our transportation has been taken care of for the cruise!

I talked to one of my friends who lives in the Miami area, and she offered to pick Bryndi and I up from the port and drive us to the airport on Monday May 17th, after we return from our cruise. I was so happy she offered to do this for us! We're very thankful for her generosity and willingness to make the 45 minute drive from Miami to Fort Lauderdale to take us to the airport. She's also saving us a great deal of money as it would have cost us about $90.00 to take a taxi so, needless to say, we're very thankful. We'll have to do something nice for her for sure!

As far as the drive from the airport to Miami, and from our hotel in Miami to the port go, we were still unsure of our plans and were nervous of how this was going to work out. After hanging out with a few friends from home this past weekend over the holiday break, however, these worries were all washed away. It turns out a friend of ours who I've known since high school has two good friends who used to live in her hometown but have since relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She told us that they're a young couple and a lot of fun, and that she thought sure they'd be more than happy to pick us up from the airport, take us to the port, and even host us that night if we wanted, so we wouldn't have to find and pay for a hotel! Our friend called her friends right there on the spot, but had to leave a voicemail. Two days later, however, I received a text from my friend that said her friends would be happy to pick us up from the airport, and that they would LOVE to have us stay the night with them at their townhouse in Ft. Lauderdale and then drive us to the port the next afternoon for our cruise! Talk about an answer to our prayers!

We're so blessed to have such great friends who are either helping us with transportation themselves, or who have found friends of theirs that live in the area who can provide us with transportation while we're in Florida! This just proves that it really is a small world that we live in afterall (thank you, Walt Disney), and that you never know which of your friends might know someone who knows someone who can help you out!

Now that we're going to be staying in Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami for a day before our cruise, does anyone have any specific places that we should check out or things that we should do while were there? We know we definitely just want to lay out on the beach for pretty much the entire day, but are there any great restaurants or hot spots that we should check out that evening? I'm not very familiar with Fort Lauderdale myself, so I'm going to research the city for tomorrow's blog and I'll let you all know what I find out! Stay tuned...

Video Footage of "The Majesty of the Seas"

I found this video on YouTube today that takes viewers all around "The Majesty of the Seas" to get a first-hand look at what the ship is like. There are some great shots of the deck, the pool area, the dining room, and the entertainment available on the ship!

Watching this video got me even more excited for this cruise and made this trip all the more real to me. Now that I've seen video footage of the exact ship that we'll be cruising on, I feel like I have a little better idea of what to expect! I'm a very visual learner so seeing this video was something I really enjoyed! Check it out for yourselves and let me know what you think! Just click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIoGtpHUkIw

P.S. 41 days until Bryndi and I leave for the cruise!!! I'm SO pumped!!!

Transportation Turmoil

So, although the free cruise package that my best friend Bryndi won includes free airfare (which is totally awesome!), we do have to pay for our transportation from the airport to our hotel, from our hotel to the port, and from the port back to airport after our cruise. While I'm not complaining at all, because we're very blessed with this cruise package and know that this is a very small price to pay for everything that we're getting, Bryndi and I are both a little stressed about the transportation situation and want to get things figured out soon.

We've looked into taxis, but they're super expensive and we've decided that we will only take a taxi as an absolute last resort. We're also trying to find a hotel that provides shuttle service, but we're not having very much luck. A friend of mine who's from the Miami area recommended taking a super shuttle or a shared ride. I'm not too familiar with these, but we're willing to look into them and give them a try. We also checked on airport shuttles available through our airport (which is Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport), but they only go to the various hotels located nearby and we need to go all the way to Miami which is where our hotel is and also where our port of call is for the cruise.

Do any of you have any suggestions for us? Let me know your thoughts!

Enter to Win a Free Cruise of Your Own!

So with all of this talk about the free cruise that I'll be going on, thanks to my best friend Bryndi winning a free cruise package for us at a Cleveland Indians game, I figured it was only fair to offer all of you, my faithful blog readers, the chance to win a free cruise yourself!

While this offer isn't for a Royal Caribbean cruise, it IS for a Disney cruise which would be absolutely fantastic I'm sure! Afterall, it's Disney...everything they do is magical!

If you'd like to try and win a free cruise of your own, just click on the link below and give it a shot! http://wwww.mousesavers.com/disneysweepstakes.html

I know you might be thinking "I'll never win a free cruise," but it happened to Bryndi and I, so it could just as easily happen to you too!

Good luck!

More Cost Saving Strategies!

Continuing my with my money saving tips from yesterday...

4. Internet Access. I'll be the first one to admit that I LOVE checking my email/facebook/twitter/etc. I check all of these forms of social media CONSTANTLY (I think I'm in good company, yes?) and I've already thought about if and how I'll be able to stay connected while on the cruise. I thought about bringing my laptop with me, but I quickly decided I really don't want to drag that around with me as I travel. I also realized that even if I did bring it with me, I'd probably have to pay for wireless Internet access on the ship, which is another reason why I won't be bringing it with me on this cruise. According to expertcrusiser.com, most cruise ships charge pretty high fees for wireless Internet access. Some offer unlimited packages, but even these cost around $100.00 for approximately 250 minutes. While this may make sense for a business person, I for one will not be spending money on wireless Internet access because it just isn't worth it for me. Plus, I'm going on this cruise to relax and get away for a little while, so a break from the Internet only makes sense.

5. Gambling. More and more cruise lines are putting casinos in their ships. While these can provide a fun, Vegas-style atmosphere, it's very easy to lose a lot of money once you get started gambling. If you absolutely have to gamble, just set a limit for yourself and once you go through that amount of money, LEAVE. It's not worth gambling away all of your money at sea!

6. Spas. As luxurious and relaxing as they sound, trips to the spa on cruise ships can be very costly. Massages alone can range anywhere from $80.00 to $180.00 an hour, not including the tip. Instead of visiting the spa, find a hammock on the shore when the ship docks, or just enjoy lying on the beach and listening to the waves crashing against the sand. You can always go to a spa when you're at home, but you can only lay by the beach or the pool when you're on vacation.

Remember these six tips and you'll be sure to protect yourself from extra spending while cruising. Any other money saving suggestions? Let me know!

Cost Saving Strategies

Cruises are a great way to travel because they offer an all-inclusive vacation experience. You get food, accommodations, amenities, and exotic locations all included in one price! It doesn't get much better than that, right?

However, there are always those hidden charges that you don't necessarily know about, or extra expenses that you might find yourself splurging on that could easily rack up your bill and get you in trouble. Today's blog, with the help of an article I found on expertcruiser.com, will discuss some of these extra costs associated with cruises and will provide tips on how to avoid these charges and make sure that your cruise remains within your budget.

1. Photography. While it's great to have professional pictures of you and your friends or family taken while cruising, especially on the formal nights when everyone in your party is all dressed up and lookin' fierce, these can often cost anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00 per picture. I can understand splurging on one or two photos to commemorate your voyage, but anything beyond that seems like overkill. To alleviate this problem, bring a digital camera (and lots of rechargeable batteries) and have fellow passengers take pictures of you and your group throughout the cruise. I know you may feel like a nuisance, but it's better to keep going up to random cruisers and ask "would you take a picture for us?" rather than to pay an overdraft fee when you return to the States. I know Bryndi and I will have no problem asking people to take pictures for us. Whether we're at Cedar Point, Walt Disney World, or even just out to dinner at a local restaurant, we have no problem going up to people and asking them to take a picture for us, so I know our cruise will be no excpetion.

2. Soft drinks, bottled water, and alcohol. Because luxury cruises are typically the only ones that do not charge extra for these specialty beverages, beware of these costs going into the cruise and consider how important drinking that pop or wine really is to you. I understand splurging once in a while, especially at the fancier dinners and the formal nights on the cruise, but be careful not to order pop, bottled water, and alcohol constantly, so you don't find yourself with a huge beverage tab at the end of the cruise. Also, if you're a huge pop drinker, like Bryndi is, consider buying the unlimited soda package offered on your cruise. These usually cost around $20.00 to $35.00 and could definitely be worth it.

3. Specialty Restaurants. Recently, many ships have added chain restaurants to their ships with menu items ranging anywhere from $10.00 to $40.00. While these are nice because they are dining establishments that you're familiar with and comfortable with, is it really worth spending a bunch of extra money, when you already have a the ship's dining services available for free? Furthermore, you can eat at chain restaurants any time but you can only enjoy the ship's cuisine when you're cruising. Personally I think eating in the ship's dining room makes much more sense. It's available at no additional charge, and it's part of the whole cruising experience that you may only get once in your life if you only cruise once. It seems like a no-brainer to me.

I have some more money saving tips to add to this list tomorrow, so be sure to check back and read Tuesday's post!

Shore Excursions...Are They Worth It?

I've heard mixed reviews about going on the excursions offered while cruising. While a lot of them sound exciting and amazing, I'm worried about two things. One-the extra cost associated with going on these excursions. Two-the lack of relaxation and less time spent just being a beach bum. I'd like to make a pros/cons list to help me make my decision whether or not to go on an excursion while on this upcoming cruise. To help me make this pros/cons list, I consulted the Cruise Critic's website http://www.thecruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=79.

Pros of taking the excursions:
1. Adventure
2. Not having to arrange onshore activities ourselves
3. Knowing the tour provider is reliable and reputable
4. Seeing/doing things I wouldn't be able to do on the ship
5. Feeling like we made the most of our time cruising
6. Experiencing things I may never have the chance to experience again

Cons of taking the excursions:
1. The extra cost associated with shore excursions
2. Feeling rushed and exhausted as opposed to just relaxing on the beach
3. Time consuming bus rides/extra travel time
4. Lack of indepedence on the days when the ship is docked
5. Having to take a tour bus or a taxi to get around instead of just going to places within walking distance from where the ship is docked
6. Having to wait on a whole tour group instead of just freely roaming about on our own

Though the number of pros and cons I came up with tied each other, I've decided that the shore excursions just don't seem worth it, based on the new college graduate budget that I'll be working with, and the fact that both Bryndi and I really just want to relax on the beach the whole time we're in the Bahamas. Furthermore, our cruise is only four days long, so I don't think we'll get bored with laying on the beach for just two or three days. I personally don't think I'd ever get bored with lying on the beach, but based on the time that we're going to be on our cruise, I don't think we'll feel the need to fill our time with excursions. Maybe on the next cruise!

What to Bring

I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like to take with me on this cruise, and what I should leave at home, and I found these tips on thecruiseoutlet.com to be very helpful!

I know I'll need to bring my driver's license and passport, so I'll have proper forms of identification with me, and I also plan to bring some cash with me as I'm assuming it'll be much easier to use cash than a credit card. Plus, if I just use cash, I won't have to worry about credit card service charges or anything like that, which will be nice. Any suggestions on how much cash I should bring?

I'm definitely planning to bring a camera, and plenty of rechargeable batteries as I'm someone who LOVES taking pictures! Bryndi's even more into taking pictures than I am, so I KNOW she'll take plenty while we're on our trip, but I would like to take a lot of pictures on my own camera as well. I'm definitely going to bring my i-pod, as I'll want to listen to music on the plane and on the beach (ahhhh), but I'm worried about how I'm going to keep it charged. I usually just charge it in my car or on my laptop, but since I won't have either of those things with me, how should I charge my i-pod?

Sunglasses are also a must, so I'll be sure to bring those, and I'll most likely bring Chelsea Handler's newest book, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, with me as well. I think she's absolutely hilarious and her books are the perfect beach read. When I went to Siesta Key over spring break last year I read her book, Are You There, Vodka? It's me, Chelsea, and laughed out loud countless times right there on the beach! Her newest book will for sure go in my carry on.

Any other suggestions? Am I forgetting anything major that I should definitely take with me on this voyage? Any tips for this first-time cruiser would be greatly appreciated :)

Packing Tips!

A good friend of mine stumbled upon a wonderful site about cruise tips today and sent it my way! The site is called "The Cruise Outlet," and it lists a lot of great tips about all different aspects of cruising. I will be referring to this site for the next few days, highlighting various tips in various categories. Today's category: "What to Wear."

Coming from someone who ALWAYS overpacks (seriously, I'll pack six different outfits for a one night stay at a friend's house...no joke), I find this specific topic particularly interesting and important to address! According to thecruiseoutlet.com, it's important to bring several different types of outfits, as passengers typically change their clothes several times throughout each day while cruising. I've decided to pack one or two casual outfits, including nice jeans and button-down shirts, as well as one or two business casual outfits which include dress pants and nice shirts. Finally, I plan to bring one suit for the "Dinner with the Captain," evening, which I've heard about from several friends and colleagues who are veteran cruisers. I'm also planning to pack comfortable clothes such as sweats and t-shirts, two pairs of swimming trunks, and a hoodie or two, in case the air conditioning makes the ship a little cold at night, which was another tip I picked up from browsing thecruiseoutlet.com

Do any of you have any other suggestions or tips about how much/little to pack, and what types of outfits to bring? Let me know! :)

"The Majesty of the Seas"

One of my good friends asked me to describe the ship that Bryndi and I are going to be cruising on, and to show pictures of the interior, so for today's blog I plan to do just that! Upon visiting Royal Caribbean's website, I have discovered that "The Majesty of the Seas" took her maiden voyage on April 26th, 1992, and holds a maximum capacity of 2,744 passengers. The ship itself is 880' in length, while the beam is 106' and the draft is 25'. The "beam" and "draft" measurements really mean nothing to me at this point, but are still exciting nonetheless! The cruising speed of this ship is 19 knots and the gross tonnage is 73,941 which, again, secretly means nothing to me, but is still nice to know!

As far as amenities go, "The Majesty of the Seas" boasts quite an impressive list and sounds absolutely amazing. The ship features two outdoor pools, two whirlpools, a day spa and fitness center, a rock climbing wall, and much, much more. This luxury ocean-liner was recently renovated and is now "more majestic than ever," according to Royal Caribbean, with the expansion of the day spa and fitness center, newly remodeled pool deck, and elegantly refurbished staterooms complete with flat screen TVs and top of the line bedding. All that, plus the amazing dinners each night and all types of food available 24/7?! I'm so there. Plus it's all FREE! I still can't get over that! :)

I'm SO excited to climb on board and start this cruising adventure! To quote one of my favorite movies, Titanic, it sounds like this ship is truly going to be "a ship of dreams."

Welcome Aboard!

Hello everyone! My name is Ryan and I'm excited to be joining the blog community! I'm from Northeast Ohio and I'm going to graduate from college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations this May. The weekend after graduation, I'm going on a FREE, four day, three night Royal Caribbean Cruise, which will be the focus of this blog!

My best friend, Bryndi, won this cruise package for two at a Cleveland Indians game this past summer and graciously asked me to join her! We set sail May 14th from Miami, and will be heading to Nassau and The Bahamas. I cannot believe this is actually happening! I've always wanted to go on a cruise before, but never in my wildest dreams thought that I'd be able to go at age 22, and for FREE! When I say this cruise is free, I mean it. Even the flight is included in this package deal! We get free round-trip airfare through Delta Airlines in addition to the free cruise itself. The only thing we have to pay for is a one night stay in a hotel in Miami on Thursday night, as our flight lands on Thursday, May 13th and the cruise doesn't begin until May 14th, but we both agreed that that's a small price to pay and we're definitely willing to pay it. Bryndi also told me she paid a fee to upgrade our cruise package to a better, more luxurious room, but she wouldn't tell me how much she spent because she said it's her graduation present for me. She's so good to me! :)

I've never been on a cruise before so I'm VERY excited! I also have a lot of questions. This blog will serve as an outlet for me to share my excitement and pose questions, and will also allow for all of you veteran cruisers to share favorite cruise stories and experiences, and to provide helpful tips and advice before I climb on board for the first time!

The ship we're going to be sailing on is called "The Majesty of the Seas." It's pictured below: