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Onboard Shopping Stores

The shopping arcade on any cruise ship is a mecca for many passengers. Most ships have a range of shops selling goods ranging from clothing, watches, jewellery, souvenirs to cameras and duty free alcohol. In generak I have found the quality of merchandise is good with brand names a feature. Often there is a gallery selling ( or auctioning) art works although in my view much of it is pretty ordinary. It is fascinating to watch the passengers searching for that special item to take home. Ther

RogerAllnutt

RogerAllnutt

Get to Know Your Cabin Before Booking It

You found a great cruise deal on line and booked it. You patted yourself on the back and told all your friends about it. Maybe it was a buy-one, get-one-free promotion. Or maybe it was a free upgrade. Whatever the deal, congratulations! But before you click the "Reserve" button, be sure you know what you're getting. Do yourself a favor and study the deck plan. Pay close attention to the following: Square Footage. How large (or tiny) is the cabin? You and your 3 buddies crammed into a 145 sq

Jan115

Jan115

Fixed seating or MyTime dining

Most cruise ships offer a choice for evening meals between fixed seating or the ‘freer’ MyTime dining arrangement. I don’t really like dining at 6pm (too early) or 8.30pm (too late) so the flexibility of choosing my dinner time is welcome by me. Fixed seating times usually also mean being with the same table companions the whole cruise. I like to have the option of dining with my wife or joining other couples or individuals we meet along the way. MyTime dining also provides a more flex

RogerAllnutt

RogerAllnutt

Carnival Sunshine ... Yay or Nay?

This is the Carnival Sunshine through my eyes. As usual, once you get on the ship all your troubles melt away. We got this far and came to a screeching halt... lol I was on my tip toes, reaching over people's heads (I know they thought I was nuts) just trying to snap a glimpse of what lay ahead. After a brief pause we were moving again and officially... Walking On Sunshine! I could not believe we were finally there! The atrium was beautiful. It was like I was in a dream and being

Huntm

Huntm

Save Money and See the World with a Repositioning Cruise

To save money and enjoy a more relaxing cruise experience, try a repositioning cruise. Cruise lines will typically have their ships spend a season cruising the same itinerary. During, say, the spring or fall, these ships will be relocated – or repositioned – to a new geographical area of the world to begin a new cruise season and new itinerary. Rather than have these ships sail empty, cabins are sold, usually at a reduced rate. For passengers who like lots of peaceful days at sea, this can be a

Jan115

Jan115

Cruising: 5 Reasons to Rise Before the Sun

Sure, you're on vacation, but that doesn't mean you have to sleep the day away. You'll miss so much. Here are my five best reasons to force yourself out of bed before sunrise: (1) View a breathtaking sunrise at sea; you'll forget all about how much you wanted to sleep in. (2) Photograph nature in its best light. The natural lighting for taking photos is best early morning and just before sunset; this was especially true for the glaciers on our Alaska cruise and our cruise 2 years ago a

Jan115

Jan115

Walking On Sunshine

When I heard the Carnival Destiny was going to be “Sunshined”, I thought it sounded pretty cool. Then when I heard it was coming to New Orleans, I was REALLY excited. I don’t know why, but I really wanted to sail on that ship! New Orleans was doable. SO, while on the Magic last May, I booked a cruise on the Sunshine and went skipping (literally… I skipped) back to my cabin. Once we were home, I patiently waited for it to set sail in Europe. Then I started reading how everyone hated the ship

Huntm

Huntm

Celebrate Romance at Sea with a Special Occasion Package

A cruise is the perfect way to mark a romantic event. After all, nothing puts us in the mood than sun, sea and a cruise ship. Why not add a little something else to celebrate the grand occasion!Whether you are celebrating with an on-board wedding or simply looking for some alone time with that certain someone, cruise lines have made it easy to order gifts and packages to say "I love you." Your travel agent can help you choose the perfect gift or package. If you booked direct with the cruise line

Jan115

Jan115

Avoid the Crowds at the Buffet on Embarkation Day ~ Enjoy a More Leisurely Lunch

Those who have cruised before know what a popular place the ship's buffet is on embarkation day. It's as though 3,000 cruisers arrive on board and haven't eaten in days. Eager, hungry vacationers line up at the door, squirt the required antibacterial lotion into the palms of their hands, fill their plates, and search for the grand prize: a seat at which to enjoy their lunch - all while carefully and steadily balancing plates and cups along the way. Depending on the ship and venue, it can be a ve

Jan115

Jan115

My Top 10 Most Memorable Travel Moments of 2013

In 2013, David and I were blessed with another year of amazing travel firsts - first time to Alaska, first time to San Francisco, first time to the Grand Canyon, first time in a tiny 6-seater plane, and other notable moments of first glimpses. New and different sights and opportunities always produce an abundance of fresh stories and photos to share. Here, in no particular order, are our top 10 most memorable travel experiences of 2013, followed by photos I took: Flightseeing in Ketchikan,

Jan115

Jan115

Countdown to Grand Princess - #CM3KOnGrand

And the time has come. Wow. I can't believe it's almost here! So I will be leaving for nearly a month of just fun, fun, fun! Next week I leave Baltimore to hang in Los Angeles and Long Beach for a few days before heading up to San Francisco to catch Grand Princess! I still can't believe I'm getting ready to sail on this 16 escape to Hawaii and the Mexican Riviera... AHHH! Sorry y'all, I can't contain my excitement! It's just come full circle for me. This has been a trip a whole year in the makin

CruiseMan3000

CruiseMan3000

Home for the Holidays vs. A Christmas Cruse: A Lively Debate

As the holiday season approaches each year, I wonder aloud to those who will listen: Wouldn’t it be great to combine two of my most favorite things in the world: Christmas and a cruise vacation. From the moment I picked up a copy of John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas,” at the library, I knew that book was written with specifically me in mind. If you haven’t read the book, or seen its weaker film version (“Christmas with the Kranks”), the story is about a couple that decides one year to forego Ch

Jan115

Jan115

We Call It Turkey Day Because?

Hey, y'all! Happy Thanksgiving! You know today is one of the coolest holidays we celebrate here in the United States. I know many traditions have grown over the years on this iconic day. Many watch the Macy's Day Parade, some may slave over a stove for hours while the bargain shoppers may start plotting when they're going to hit up their favorite retail stores to catch some Black Friday deals. But my understanding of this day is to come together with those we love and begin to think on the thing

CruiseMan3000

CruiseMan3000

Shut Up and Pay Attention During the Muster Drill

You might think that after the Costa Concordia tragedy in January 2012, people would have more respect for the muster drill. For the most part, on the majority of our cruises since that time, I have noticed an alertness among the passengers that wasn’t necessarily there before. Passengers WANT to know what to do in case of a ship emergency. Ships have stepped up their drills and passengers are paying attention. At least that’s what I’d observed – until I boarded Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance

Jan115

Jan115

Best Things to do in Progreso, Mexico

Progreso is becoming our home away from home ? The first time we went to Progreso I wasn’t really impressed, but drink enough tequila and corona and really what does it matter? Unless you are a man trapped in a chicken fighting contest with other men thanks to your lovely wife and her big mouth. The next time we returned to Progreso, the drunken tequila drinking on the beach days were still haunting Mark so we set out for some hotter than hell culture at the Mayan ruins during July. Cl

Huntm

Huntm

Booked Direct with the Cruise Line? Transfer Your Booking to a Cruise Agent

Has this happened to you? You book your cruise on-line directly with the cruise line. A few weeks later, you meet a travel agent, and you instantly strike up a bond. She's experienced, personable and seems to work hard to provide personalized service to her customers. Even better, she is prepared to offer you onboard credit, a bottle of wine and a free shore excursion. She also advises you of a myriad of ways to save money on your cruise and offers advice and tips on how to make your experience

Jan115

Jan115

Cruising for Thanksgiving, Anyone?

Hey, everyone! Thanksgiving is coming upon us quickly and boy am I excited! Last year I sailed Carnival Breeze's inaugural sailing from the U.S. and she was truly a blast! I did the untraditional approach with dinner for Thanksgiving last year and ordered... wait for it... wait for it... FRIED ALLIGATOR! Yum-o! Now I know some of y'all just looked at me like I was crazy but hey, when you slab a little hot sauce on it, it tastes just like chicken! It was so in good in fact, I had two orders of

CruiseMan3000

CruiseMan3000

Got Hours to Kill Before Your Flight Home? Don't Waste Them at the Airport.

You had every intention of heading directly to the airport after the cruise, but the prime flights were sold out, leaving only the 8:00 pm flight. Or maybe you chose this flight because it was the cheapest. "What on earth will I do for 12 hours?" you ask. Whatever you do, don't waste it sitting around at the airport. There are far better places to people watch. Here are a few ideas for spending those precious final hours of your vacation. Take a ship excursion and tour the port city. Cruise

Jan115

Jan115

Cruisetacular Changes in 2014 from CM3K

Hey everyone! I hope you all feel well-rested and a little more relaxed with the extra hour of rest some of us got this past weekend! I wanted to share with you a decision I made that I've wrestled with for sometime now... Beginning in 2014, I will no longer be writing for this blog, The Cruisetacular Weekly. There's no bad blood or behind-the-scenes drama between CruiseCrazies and I. this is a decision I came to. Honestly, I've been spreading myself too thin and need to narrow my focus - w

CruiseMan3000

CruiseMan3000

Carnival Epic or Norwegian Breeze?

Hey, y'all! Thanks for coming back this week to get the full 411 as to why I picked Carnival Breeze and Norwegian Epic as my two favorite cruise ships afloat. I was reading some of your comments from last week's post and saw an overwhelming love and support for ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. So is it safe to assume that 1.) Many of you are happy I'm gonna be sailing Grand Princess for the holidays and 2.) Many of you are experts at "Escaping Completely" and can help a brotha out? I'll defi

CruiseMan3000

CruiseMan3000

20 Signs That You Chose The Wrong Cruise

Think yours was the cruise from hell? Here are some REAL signs you're on a really bad cruise: 1. Upon embarkation, you hear a computer voice calmly announcing that “this ship will self-destruct in 5, 4, 3 ….” 2. The Captain’s name is Jack Sparrow, and he wants to know, “Where’s all the rum gone?” 3. The Atrium resembles a waiting room, with a sofa, folding chairs, and a coffee table containing a copy of “The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship Disasters Ever”. 4. “Stewart”, you’re ca

Jan115

Jan115

Carnival Triumph Post Red Bags and 2.0 Upgrades

Carnival Triumph is my new favorite ship and Progreso is my new favorite port… OK…OK... So the thought about Progreso might be a little drastic… but we did have a FANTASTIC time. That blog is still in the making! First, let’s chat about the Triumph. I love this ship! LOVE IT! Our first time on her was a disaster. We had thruster issues on that cruise and lost almost an entire day. We also missed our scheduled port, Trenton ended up with food poisoning on the way down to Galveston (he w

Huntm

Huntm

Find Out How Many Ships Will Be in Port When You Are

The number of ships in port on any given day can have a significant impact on your cruise experience. The more ships in port, the heavier the crowds and the greater the demand for popular attractions. The number of ships can affect everything from available taxis to seating at popular restaurants. A super-mega ship like Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas carries 5,400 passengers alone, and if it is joined in port by two or three other modestly size ships, that number can double or even triple i

Jan115

Jan115

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