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About this blog

A selection of "if only I had known" hints, secrets and advice to avoid cruise and travel mishaps and assure smooth sailing! 
All content & select photos © Janice Neves/Seven Sea Journeys, CruiseCrazies Authorized Agent

Entries in this blog

Board Early for the Best Shipboard Photos

As an avid amateur photographer and blogger, I love to return home with photos of the ship including public areas. Readers like to know everything about a ship before its their turn to cruise, and what better way than through pictures. They want to see it all, including the cabins, pools, restaurants, the atrium and every other onboard detail. Whether its good, bad or ugly people need to know. The absolute best time to shoot pictures is immediately upon boarding, and in order to get the bes
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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
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Know Your Limitations When Choosing a Shore Excursion

Don’t be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone when choosing shore excursions, but at the same time, be aware of your physical limitations. It’s fun to try new experiences, but if you tire easily or get short of breath when walking long distances, the strenuous hiking trail is probably not for you. Likewise, if you’re afraid of heights, perhaps ziplining isn’t the right choice, either. If you’re uncomfortable snorkeling in water over your head, don’t be tough guy - ask for a vest. No one wi
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Consider Buying Travel Insurance

My husband and I were vacationing in a beach cottage on Cape Cod seven years ago in one of our favorite New England coastal destinations – Wellfleet, Mass. We arrived to our rental cottage on a Saturday afternoon under sunny skies with the promise of a relaxing week in a lounge chair by the shore. I awoke early Monday morning, went out the door, lost my footing, dropped to the ground and suffered a double fracture of my ankle. What followed next was pain beyond belief, a shot or two of morphine,
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Avoid Disappointment: Reserve Your Shore Excursions in Advance

Travel planning has come a long way, baby! Nowadays, you can plan your entire vacation from the comfort of your home. Simply log on to your favorite travel websites and book hotels, airfare, cruises and entire vacations. The same goes for cruise excursions. When you book a cruise, whether through the cruise line, a local travel agent or a big internet agency, you’re given a reservation number. Simply log on to the cruise line’s website, key in your reservation number, and your now in contro
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May Personal Style Be Your Guide When Choosing an Itinerary

With thousands of ports around the world, no wonder choosing a cruise itinerary is such an overwhelming task, especially if you’re setting sail for the first time. Here are a few guidelines for choosing your cruise destination: Personal Style: First, ask yourself a few questions. Do you prefer tropical islands, the beach, sun and water sports found in the Caribbean? Do you want to experience the rich history of Europe? Have you been longing to see the glaciers and wildlife of Alaska? Do you
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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
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See the Northern Lights Next Spring

Have you ever seen the Northern Lights, a.k.a. Aurora Borealis? If not, then you'll have a greater chance of seeing them during 2016 or 2017 if you're heading toward the Arctic. With a forecast of heightened activity, you'll be able to view them from a wide variety of locations. For the best experience, visit during early spring, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Read the full article: Where to See the Northern Lights in 2016
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It's Really Okay to do Nothing on a Cruise ~ It's Your Vacation!

This is a big area where my husband and I differ – especially on a cruise day at sea. He is up early, out the cabin door and ready to see and do everything there is aboard the ship. I, on the other hand, like to linger over a cup of coffee in my cabin, sit out on the balcony (if I am lucky enough to have afforded one) and watch the world go by. I am in no particular hurry to do anything. So while we attend shows together, hang out side-by-side by the pool for a little while before attendin
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Cruise Dining: Try Multiple Entrees at Dinner

What better way to explore an assortment of culinary creations than dinner in the complimentary dining room. Nothing in the cruise contract indicates you’re limited to one appetizer, entree or dessert at dinner. Feel free to order multiple dishes. If you can’t decide between the chicken cordon blue or the beef Wellington, order both. Same goes for appetizers and desserts, too. If no entree is calling out to you, then choose a few appetizers to serve as your entree. Don’t think you can finish a s
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The Benefits of a Travel Agent in an Uncertain World

[Updated 6/27/2020] If you experienced a recent COVID-related cancellation during the 2020 pandemic, you might be cursing the cruise lines, airlines, or resorts out of an abundance of frustration in obtaining refunds or credits. If you booked your own trip, unfortunately you’re on your own. The entire experience of contacting agencies for your refunds or credits can be time-consuming and stressful, especially if there’s an urgency to have your money refunded. Now imagine if you had booked w
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Go Green and Save Money: Pack a Reusable Water Bottle

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
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Make Your Rental Car Theft-Proof

Nothing says "tourist" like a rental car full of cameras, luggage, maps and tour books. Would-be thieves, in fact, can spot a tourist and his rental from a mile away. Here are a few tips to prevent you and your rental becoming a victim of theft: - Don't have anything of value in plain sight while occupying the car, and definitely hide any valuables in the trunk while parked. - Look and drive like a local. Avoid having maps, guides and other touristy info out in the open while driving a
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2020 Holiday Travel Tips

Holiday travel for U.S. residents will be very different in 2020. No doubt about it. With the exception of small or expedition cruise ships, vacations by sea are essentially off the table for the rest of 2020 (depending on how the CDC rules on cruising when the current No-Sail Order ends October 31). But that doesn’t mean you can’t plan a great escape over the holidays.  While some folks have sworn off travel altogether since the COVID-19 pandemic became front and center in the U.S., others
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Will Your Ship Dock or Tender? Know the Difference.

One of the favorite things about cruising is the ports you’ll visit, the sights you’ll see, and the new experiences you’ll gain. To access the ports and all the fun, your ship will either dock right there portside, where guests can walk right off the ship, or it will “tender” passengers to shore in small boats while the ship is anchored off shore. It’s important to know the difference so you can plan ahead, especially if you have something special planned in port.  Going ashore from the Doc
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Cruising Solo? How to Avoid the Dreaded "Single Supplement"

For some, the idea of cruising alone can be a bit scary. Let's face it. The majority of passengers arrive to the ship on embarkation day in pairs, entire families and huge groups. Some people, however, may find themselves cruising alone for a number of reasons. Some may be looking for friendship or romance. Others may have lost a spouse or partner. More often than not, though, a person may just prefer to travel solo. Whatever the reason, traveling solo carries a big price - the dreaded "single s
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Allow Room in Your Luggage for the Stuff You'll Bring Home

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..." So sings the trio Peter, Paul & Mary in the classic '70's song. Like all of us who traveled in those days, I'd venture a guess they had no worries about the weight, content or amount of luggage they toured around with. Back then there were few luggage fees. No 3-1-1 rule. No bare feet through security, and no pat downs. We just packed our bags, checked in as many as we wanted within reason, didn't give much thought to what we carried on the plane,
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Pre-Cruise: Weather the Storm Before the Calm

Finally! We’re down to the final days before our long-awaited Alaskan cruise. As much as I would love to spend the time daydreaming about glaciers and wild animals, I am busy with final preparations – last minute shopping, packing and confirming of reservations. If that weren’t enough, there are other necessary pre-vacation tasks to attend to in order to avoid coming home to chaos and a mountain of projects. Don’t overlook the chores and responsibilities that need to be completed before yo
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A Sure Cure for the After-Cruise Blues ... Book Another!

Just about anyone who has ever been on a cruise before can relate. You've just experienced a week or more of heaven on the high seas. You arrive home to a pile of laundry, mail, bills and an empty fridge. Suddenly, this feeling you can't quite explain hits you like a brick. A feeling of gloominess, which you can only attribute to one thing - the cruise is over. No more mints on the pillow, fresh towels and a made-up bed every day, room service, gourmet meals prepared by someone else, or a serene
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5 Etiquette Tips for Sharing a Cabin

A few years back I cruised on a seminar at sea for business and chose to share my cabin with a complete stranger to save money. As it turned out, we got along great, but it got me thinking - what if we weren’t compatible cabin mates? Most of the time, we share cabins with family or good friends. We know their habits and idiosyncrasies, compromises are made, and for better or worse, it usually works. But what if we’re spending a few days or a week with someone we don’t know well? Even when we thi
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Welcome to My New Blog and First Travel Tip: Don't Expect Perfection

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 see
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Conserve and Re-Use When You Cruise

While aboard the Norwegian Epic a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when a guest angrily complained to the lido bartender about the lack of a drinking straw for the frozen concoction she was holding. In the scheme of things, a plastic straw seems like a non issue, really, but it has become a hot topic since Norwegian did away with them as a step in an environmentally-friendly direction. The new line, Virgin Cruises, has similarly announced a similar ban on straws as well as other g
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Avoid Tour Lines ~ Purchase Tickets in Advance

When cruising to destinations near or far, chances are you’ll want to see parks, museums, historic buildings, castles and other popular attractions in your ports of call. While shore excursions with the cruise lines include tickets to must-see city sites, you may want to visit on your own and will need to purchase tickets for what you came to experience. When you only have so much time in port, you don’t want to waste it in line waiting for tickets. So plan ahead – and this is especially critica
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Avoid Cruise "Cell Shock" - Set Your Phone to "Safe" Mode

What is Safe Mode, you ask? Confused, you scan the button and menu of your phone but can't find any reference to this term. You turn to your owner's manual, but come up empty. Try this: The next time you board a ship with your cell phone, turn it off and lock it in the cabin safe for the duration of the cruise. Voila! Safe Mode! This is especially true when traveling with a smartphone. Charges for voice roaming, data roaming, streaming music and videos or downloading an app can rise into t
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Group Cruise Misconceptions

What exactly is a group cruise? When I offer a group cruise to someone, I often get looks of puzzlement or replies like "I don't like to travel in herds" or "nope, don't like crowds of tourists". What many people - those who have never experienced group cruising - don't realize is that a "group" reservation doesn't mean that you have to follow one another around the entire trip as if you were attached at the hip. For some, the term ‘group’ conjures up images of eating every meal together, d
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