Man the Baby Stations! – We’ve got a ship-load of kids ahead!
Monday Mantra Kids on Board!… Kids on Board!… Kids on Board! Man the Baby Stations! We’ve got a ship-load of kids ahead! Sometimes — not often, but sometimes — I’m wrong about children. Like Antoine. Antoine, about 2 years old, was perched on his mom’s lap in the seat next to m
Flash Back – The old cruise photographers might have been worth a thousand words after all.
Monday Mantra Picture this… Picture this… Picture this… Flash Back The old cruise photographers might have been worth a thousand words after all Here’s a picture of me with a double chin and my eyes closed. Here’s another of me with my mouth full, my jaw sort of twisted as I chew a mouthfu
Marketplace, Ahoy! We’re shipping out for shopping!
Monday Mantra A bazaar reason to cruise… A bazaar reason to cruise… A bazaar reason to cruise… Marketplace, Ahoy! We’re shipping out for shopping! Fact: I love to shop in foreign lands. Another fact: I once went on a cruise specifically to buy a new wallet. Ironically, the wallet I was out t
Routine Reminders – Cruise memories last a lifetime
Monday Mantra A Shipload of Memories…A Shipload of Memories…A Shipload of Memories… Routine Reminders Cruise memories last a lifetime. Nothing drives home how frequently my husband and I sailed more than the heartbreaking task of sifting through Michael’s possessions since his death on April
Here’s to you, and to me, and to all the ships at sea! (Why does cruising wake up the inner imbiber?)
Monday Mantra Cruisin’ for a boozin’…Cruisin’ for a boozin’…Cruisin’ for a boozin’… Here’s to you, and to me, and to all the ships at sea! Is it the rum? Or just the vacation spirit? Why does cruising wake up the inner imbiber? Do I like to drink? I might say I do, but the re
Remembering Michael
Monday Mantra May he rest in peace… May he rest in peace… May he rest in peace… Remembering Michael Calling on Bermuda, and points beyond…. When I signed up to do this blog last May, I understood that I’d be contributing lighthearted and silly humor pieces to Porthole.com. Never did I imag
Rock the Ship – Theme cruises keep the good times rolling.
Monday Mantra Theme Cruise… Dream Cruise… Theme Cruise… Dream Cruise… Theme Cruise… Dream Cruise… Rock the Ship Theme cruises keep the good times rolling. “Woooooooooooohoooooooooooooo!” That’s the sort of the sound I’d make when, as a teenager, I’d open the latest edition of T
One Cruise at a Time – The first step is admitting you have a cruising problem.
Monday Mantra I need a fix… I need a fix… I need a fix… One Cruise at a Time The first step is admitting you have a cruising problem. On one hand, there are the casual cruise vacationers. They are those who might mention they’re going on a cruise but, when pressed for details, won’t [&hell
Not Exactly Homesick. Ever get that queasy feeling now that the cruise is almost over?
Monday Mantra Home, bleak home…Home, bleak home…Home, bleak home… Not Exactly Homesick Ever get that queasy feeling now that the cruise is almost over? Somewhere between the moment you place your luggage outside your cabin door on the final night of your cruise and 7:00 a.m. the following morn
Choice Dining – The specialty restaurants on today’s cruise ships are a delicious delight… for most of us.
Monday Mantra What’s for dinner?… What’s for dinner?… What’s for dinner? Choice Dining The specialty restaurants on today’s cruise ships are a delicious delight… for most of us. You never forget your first… alternative dining venue aboard a cruise ship. For me, it was Norwegi
Save us. The muster drill isn’t fun or fabulous. But at least it’s fast.
Monday Mantra Report to your muster station… Report to your muster station… Report to your muster station… Save us. The muster drill isn’t fun or fabulous. But at least it’s fast. There’s no question that some important things in life are a bother: dental checkups, airport security, holi
The Judi’s Choice Awards – It’s time we recognized the little things that make cruising great.
Monday Mantra And the winner is…And the winner is…And the winner is…. The Judi’s Choice Awards It’s time we recognized the little things that make cruising great. We all love Porthole Cruise Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice Awards,” those annual, prestigious honors that are determined e
Gear Up, Wind Down… Add on a few pre- and post-cruise nights for that much-needed vacation buffer
Monday Mantra Before and After… Before and After… Before and After… Gear Up, Wind Down… Add on a few pre- and post-cruise nights for that much-needed vacation buffer. If your cruise were a sandwich, a “pre” and “post” stay in your port of embarkation would be the bread that surrounds
Motion of the Ocean – When there’s high seas, are you highly queasy?
Monday Mantra Don’t rock the boat, baby…Don’t rock the boat, baby…Don’t rock the boat, baby Motion of the Ocean When there’s high seas, are you highly queasy? The only thing I hate more than people who can eat anything and not gain weight are people who never, ever get seasick. Take my h
On the Tip of My Tongue – How do you say “No hablo Español” in cruiser?
Monday Mantra Watch your language… Watch your language… Watch your language… On the Tip of My Tongue How do you say “No hablo Español” in cruiser? My high-school Spanish class didn’t really focus on the vocabulary a girl needs to adequately prepare herself for international travel. I do
Oh, Captain! – Dining at that table is a great honor… and, for some of us, a challenge.
Monday Mantra I want to dine with the Captain…I want to dine with the Captain…I want to dine with the Captain… Oh, Captain! Dining at that table is a great honor… and, for some of us, a challenge. I love John Cleese — Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, A Fish Called Wanda. So, it’s not surpris
Where there’s smoke… there’s bound to be a firestorm!
Monday Mantra Smoke on the water… Smoke on the water… Smoke on the water…. Where there’s smoke… …there’s bound to be a firestorm! There’s not a ton of controversy at sea. Really. What can you debate? Whether your filet mignon should come with béarnaise sauce or au poivre? So if you
Lost at Sea – Where do the things you lose on a cruise *go*?
Monday Mantra I’m losin’ it!…I’m losin’ it!…I’m losin’ it! Lost at Sea Where do the things you lose on a cruise go? Call me irresponsible — you won’t be the first — but it’s rare that I return from a cruise with everything I arrived with. My losses are usually insigni
Catch the Wave… It’s time for great cruise deals — and difficult cruise choices!
Monday Mantra It’s Wave Season!…It’s Wave Season!…It’s Wave Season! Catch the Wave It’s time for great deals — and difficult choices! In the travel industry, January marks the beginning of Wave Season, a time when cruise lines traditionally offer their best deals of the year. W
Monday Mantra: Promises, Promises
Monday Mantra Happy New Year!… Happy New Year!… Happy New Year! Promises, Promises I will set sail into the New Year with the best intentions. As we cruise into 2015, I find myself with a boatload of resolutions that are sure to make me a more pleasant shipmate … if I can keep them: I
