In the Drink – What does it really take to wind up overboard?
Monday Mantra Don’t Fall for It … Don’t Fall for It … Don’t Fall for It … In the Drink What does it really take to wind up overboard? Let me make this abundantly clear: You don’t just fall off a cruise ship. Some of the stories you read in the newspaper make it sound […]
Monday mantra – Drink up
MONDAY MANTRA Drink up! … Drink up! … Drink up! … The human brain. Astrophysics. The U.S. Federal Tax Code. Cruise Ship Beverage Packages. These are some of the things that mystify mankind. Not too long ago, only the ships of ultra-premium cruise lines such as Silversea Crui
Going with the Flow – Every trip has surprises. The biggest might be how well you can handle them.
Monday Mantra Breathe Out … Breathe In … Breathe Out … Breathe In … Going with the Flow Every trip has surprises. The biggest might be how well you can handle them. “I expect we’ll touch down at JFK a half hour ahead of schedule,” announced our pilot. I was elated! My travel companion
Cold Comfort for the Winter Cruiser – At least the music is hot…
Monday Mantra It’s freezing…It’s freezing…It’s freezing Cold Comfort for the Winter Cruiser At least the music is hot…. My head is spinning and it’s not from an overindulgence in the drink of the day. Here I am on Norwegian Pearl’s Moody Blues Cruise, a 4-day
Cruise Questions Answered – The more you know, the more you’re asked … and the more you’re ready for your next cruise!
Monday Mantra Mouth Shut … Mouth Shut … Mouth Shut … Cruise Questions Answered The more you know, the more you’re asked … and the more you’re ready for your next cruise! Word gets out. You’ve cruised for years, decades even, and now you’re recognized as the cruise expert among your p
Solo Cruisers Unite! – Fight for your right to cruise like a couple! Down with the single supplement!
Monday Mantra Double or nothin’ … Double or nothin’ … Double or nothin’ … Solo Cruisers Unite! Fight for your right to cruise like a couple! Down with the single supplement! This single-supplement thing is really ticking me off. I’m not usually a screaming and rebellious individual who
A Thousand Million (Cruise) Questions
Monday Mantra Newbie Blues Cruise … Newbie Blues Cruise … Newbie Blues Cruise … A Thousand Million (Cruise) Questions Yes, your “Nights in White Satin” include towels … The glow of my extraordinary SeaDream Yacht Club cruise has barely dimmed yet I find myself getting ready to set sa
Many Happy Returns – How (and how not) to celebrate a birthday at sea
Monday Mantra Happy birthday to me … Happy birthday to me … Happy birthday to me … Many Happy Returns How (how not) to celebrate a birthday at sea Happy birthday to me! Honestly! I say “Honestly!” because I can’t tell you how many times I pretended it was my birthday in my early days [&h
You Can’t Take It With You — Can You??
Monday Mantra What’s in Your Suitcase? … What’s in Your Suitcase? … What’s in Your Suitcase? … You Can’t Take It With You — Can You?? Wait till you see what some folks are packing … My cruise luggage typically includes clothes, underwear, shoes, cosmetics, deodorant, ha
Cashing In – Here’s how you could really feel the surcharge pinch.
Monday Mantra A Small Price to Pay … A Small Price to Pay … A Small Price to Pay Cashing In Here’s how you could really feel the surcharge pinch. Why do I hear so many cruisers whine about surcharges that usually apply to fabulous specialty restaurants and extraordinary new features that drama
Cruising Considerately in 2016 – Resolutions for a year of bon voyages!
Monday Mantra Promises … Promises … Promises … Cruising Considerately in 2016 Resolutions for a year of bon voyages! Happy New Year! A new year means a new set of cruise resolutions! Let’s see if I can keep these any better than I kept last year’s: I will understand that my cabin steward i
The Judi’s Choice Awards 2015
Monday Mantra The Judi’s Choice Awards! … The Judi’s Choice Awards! … The Judi’s Choice Awards! And the Winners Are! It’s easy to overlook some of the things that make cruising wonderful. The Judi’s Choice Awards recognize the best of the rest. It’s that time of the year agai
Nautical and Nice – These are some gifts to win a cruiser’s heart.
Monday Mantra Gift Guide … Gift Guide … Gift Guide … Nautical and Nice These are some gifts to win a cruiser’s heart. To judge by the emails that pop into my inbox and the brochures that are delivered by my postman, a cruise is an enormously popular gift choice. If that’s the case,
A Magic Shop – One destination makes Gustavia a tropical paradise.
Monday Mantra St. Barts on a Budget … St. Barts on a Budget … St. Barts on a Budget … A Magic Shop There’s one destination that truly makes Gustavia a tropical paradise. Just when I think I’m doing pretty well financially, I’ll cruise to St. Barts and realize what a pauper I am. Sometime
First Time’s the Charm – Taking a friend on her very first cruise can be picture perfect.
Monday Mantra Starting at the top … Starting at the top … Starting at the top … First Time’s the Charm Taking a friend on her very first cruise can be picture perfect. “I cannot BELIEVE I have to unwrap the new roll of toilet paper myself!” Carole’s indignant objection boomed through t
A Caribbean Thanksgiving – What holiday could be happier than one spent cruising?
Monday Mantra Thanks … Thanks … Thanks … A Caribbean Thanksgiving What holiday could be happier than one spent cruising? If this was Thursday Mantra, I’d wish you all a happy Thanksgiving, but since it’s Monday Mantra, I ask you to cast your mind back a couple of days. I
The Can’t Talk – Gotta Cruise! Checklist – Here’s a cruise-prep pep talk for the chronically under-prepared.
Monday Mantra Ready or not … Ready or not … Ready or not … The Can’t Talk – Gotta Cruise! Checklist Here’s a cruise-prep pep talk for the chronically under-prepared. Okay. This has got to be quick. How is it possible that the months before a cruise creep by so slowly when the week before
Travel On – The best response to tragedy is to keep an even keel and a steady course.
Monday Mantra Vive la France …Vive la France …Vive la France … Travel On The best response to tragedy is to keep an even keel and a steady course. There I was, planning to write my blog on Friday when I came home from work. I was torn between three ideas: A parody of “The […]
A Cruise to … Somewhere – You know you’re a serious cruise fan when you sign on to sail an unknown itinerary.
Monday Mantra It’s a Mystery…It’s a Mystery…It’s a Mystery… A Cruise to … Somewhere You know you’re a serious cruise fan when you sign on to sail an unknown itinerary. You know how it is when you’ve booked a cruise. Everyone you know — your friends, your family — all ask where
