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Lessons learned cruising
When we went on our Alaskan cruise a few years ago, these are a few of
the things that I thought were worth remembering: * Don't forget about lunch in the dinng room. We normally ate at the buffet earlier in the day and in the dining room at night, and didn't even really think about lunch in the dining room until the last full day of our cruise, and it was just lovely. Afternoon tea is another wonderful dining room option that people often don't think about. * Desserts at the buffet are often not that exciting, so save the calories for something really great at dinner - the Bananas Foster, baked alaska, or cherries jubilee are definitely worth skipping the mediocre stuff for. * Try new things. Before the cruise, I promised myself that I was going to try some new foods on the cruise. I found out that escargot aren't bad, crawfish are delicious (and I liked them even better than lobster!), and even tried reindeer chili. * If you're a soda drinker, buy a soda card. You will save a lot of money. * Instead of succumbing to the high-priced jewelry and such at the shops at port for a souvenir of your trip, attend the onboard shopping seminar and buy the shopping guide/coupon book they sell. There are coupons for plenty of freebies and deals, and for just a few bucks, we got quite a few nifty trinkets that made nice souvenirs and little gifts for friends as well. Of course, if you're actually in the market for the high-end stuff, then research and if it truly is a good deal, go for it! * Take advantage of the day they offer a set price for a bag of laundry. Well worth not having to waste valuable vacation time on chores, and it's a good deal compared to the regular per-piece price. * Bring a travel alarm clock. * Ask your waiter for a menu each night and save them all. Along with the daily newsletters, they are a big part of our cruise scrapbook, and it's a lot of fun looking through them and remembering all the wonderful meals we enjoyed. I marked the menus to note what each of us chose. A free souvenir that will bring back a lot of nice memories. * Be prepared for a hard-sell if you get a spa treatment. I decided that I would do one spa splurge - a pedicure - and while it was lovely, I didn't enjoy the pressure to purchase the high-priced products like lotions and scrubs during my treatment. It took some of the fun out of what should have been a relaxing time. Either prepare to ignore them, or if you're bold enough, tell them upfront you will decide for yourself what if anything you want to purchase, and will not be leaving a tip if they bother you about it during your session. * The final morning, everyone is clamoring to get that last meal. No room service typically is offered, so what we did to avoid the crowds was, the morning before, we took some cereal, milk and fruit from the buffet and stashed it in our stateroom for the next morning. We relaxed and ate a leisurely breakfast in peace. * If you're on a budget, don't buy every photo taken by the ship photographers. You can take all the casual pictures that you want with your own camera. We purchased one professional photo, our formal night photo. * Play each day as it comes. Except for excursions you've already booked, just see what each daily newsletter has to offer for activities on the ship, and plan accordingly. Trivia contests were fun, as was taking in a movie at the theatre, and probably the best activity was the cooking demonstration by the head chef, followed by a tour of the galley. See what sounds like fun, and go with the flow! Just a few ideas from a one-time (so far) cruiser and fan! Diva -- DivaMagenta @}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Religion is man's futile attempt to reach out to God, trying to earn His favor. Christianity is the good news that God has reached out in love to us through His Son, because He knows that our arms are not long enough..." http://divamagenta.250free.com |
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