Mum2Mercury

I'm the same, though I'm substitute teaching three days a week (no lessons to plan, no papers to grade, no meetings to attend ... but I get the good part of working with students). I'm quite happy at this level of employment ... I have lots of flexibility, and the bit of extra money keeps me from dipping into my savings too young. I think I'll continue at this rate until I hit 62 and can collect SS (again, trying to prevent myself from using my savings too young). I think placing yourself "outside of fashion" makes it harder for others to gauge your age. Eh, any individual might judge you "up or down". I've had students say things to me over the years like, "You're just having your first kid? As old as you are?" I was 26, which I felt was very average for a first child. And, "You're about 70, right?" I was in my 40s. Kids. High schoolers -- you can't take them seriously.

With traditional dining -- early or late -- you're expected to arrive on time. You'll be seated with other people, and arriving late would affect them. Since you don't sound too happy about that, remember you do have options: - Call in every other week and see if anything has opened up in My Time Dining. That'd allow you more flexibility. - Remember that you can walk into the Windjammer or the Something Bistro (real name won't come to me right now) without reservations, and it's a good dinner. - Consider dinner at a specialty restaurant. - Remember that even pizza or sandwiches is a decent dinner. - If you think you'd miss the MDR, plan to have your at-sea day lunches there. You won't need a reservation. - Remember you don't have to do the same thing every evening. You can keep your unwanted MDR reservation for a couple nights and mix in some of these other options for the other nights.

I'm going to the Snack Shack next time. How does the chicken sandwich stack up against Chick-Fillet's sandwich? Yes to this! Gangs and war lords don't want to travel to a remote area of Hati to rob a bunch of people in their bathing suits who left their wallets back on the ship.

They'll still give you one if you ask, right? I really want a paper compass. This is all very disappointing. This is surprising ... I thought it'd be Mexican themed. But it seems that the burritos are the only themed item?

I don't think packing for Alaska would be difficult, but it would be different; for example, the clothes'd be more bulky, and you'd need layers. A tip for snorkeling gear: Tour guides tend to have snorkel gear for you to use, but no one wants to put someone else's snorkel gear in his or her mouth! Yuck! You can just bring the mouthpiece and borrow the rest.

Most cruises are to the Caribbean ... I think packing for Alaska is a whole different ballgame. Some of the older ships have showers. Still, I don't think that requires bringing anything. I've sailed several times in the last year and haven't seen paper and pens. They used to be standard. Me neither. On the off chance that I do need it, I'll ask the cabin steward.

I don't think a backpack is super dangerous in the Caribbean ... but it's not as safe as keeping your things on your person. If you're just carrying a towel or sunscreen in it, no big deal. The loss of the bag (which you still need on the trip) might be worse than the loss of the contents. Mine's a Healthy Back bag -- I have the medium, and I think it's a perfect size. Love it: the pockets, etc. are so thoughtfully designed. The infinity scarf is a great choice because it's so unusual that no one expects it ... but it's not for all temperatures. A bra-pouch (fits under the arm) or an around-the-neck pouch that fits under clothing are good choices /easy to purchase. They're enough to hold your valuables. A friend of mine was in Paris and had two backpacks (hers + her travel companion's) on a bench /one stacked on the other. She literally had her hand on the top backpack while her friend was taking photographs nearby. Someone snatched one of the backpacks and was gone before she could react. A determined thief will get your bag. But this problem isn't only for traveling. I won't go to a certain Walmart after dark. A friend of a friend was grabbed walking in ... she had her keys in her hand, and the thieves grabbed them and threw them. They had her purse and were in a waiting car in seconds. And I don't live in a dangerous place.

I wasn't thinking about transportation time. I can see that.

I was going to say the same thing: Apply a good layer before you leave your room, then bring just a bitty bit for reapplication. They make little bars (not unlike deodorant bars) that're useful for this purpose.

Eh, maybe, but that's why I keep my ID and money on my person. If I were to lose a map or a pack of crackers, my world wouldn't end. Several people have mentioned a book. I think a knitting project is a first. Beaches aside, when are y'all reading or crafting?

Y'all carry a lot of stuff! For a typical shore excursion or day on an island, I'd bring: - Cash money and/or card on my person /not in a wallet - Necessary documents on my person /not in a wallet - Maps, notes about our plans for the day, tickets or other print-outs in my backpack - Sunglasses and hat (worn, not carried in a bag) - Phone in my backpack - Camera in my backpack - Clip-on watch, which stays on my backpack ... useful if your phone dies or if you're not sure about the time zones - A small snack for my husband's blood sugar in my backpack - I might bring a water bottle, but more often I pick up a cold drink on shore ... they're readily available - Anything specific we might need for the day's plans I have one of these, and I never remember it! Wouldn't be much use in the Caribbean, but I'm going to try it out.

These are the things that concern me! Well, mostly ... I don't mind walking into a dark room, as I understand how light switches work, and I don't really believe guests are cleaning balcony windows. But, yes, I do want my bed made in the morning, and I do want my room "refreshed" in the evening. On my upcoming cruise where our adult daughter is coming with us, I do want someone to pull out /put away the sofa bed. We JUST had an increase in tips, now we getting less for that increased amount! Speaking only for myself, I always strive to "do the right thing", and since tips are considered a part of their compensation, I want to be fair. Zero guilt. I think your math adds up, but it is based upon multiple assumptions. And you don't know who you skipped. I agree the system needs a reboot, but I'm not willing to hurt people behind the scenes until that happens. Source? I'm not looking for free. I'm looking for fair, and the recent increase in cost paired with the decrease in service isn't fair. Which government would do this? Source? Yes, when I was just out of high school, I'd have jumped at that deal. I remember we watched a reality show about fishing for crab (?) up in Alaska years ago, and my husband said, "If I'd known that was available when I was younger, I'd have done that for a couple years, then I'd have gone to college without killing myself at minimum wage. Anyone who's worked in a restaurant would know otherwise.

Probably not. Most likely the private tour would be 15 minutes down the road while the ship's excursion was still waiting for those last couple participants to join the group. Now that you say it, I do remember that ... but that was a one-time emergency compared to literally millions of shore excursions that've returned on time. Sure, such a thing could happen again, but the chances are very, very small. You can never account for natural disasters like that.

First thing, you say you're a first-time cruiser but prone to sea sickness ... so I assume you've only experienced this on small boats? You may find that a big ship is different; that's pretty common. No one in my family has even the remotest problem with sea sickness on a cruise ship, but put us on a small boat (like a boat that'd take you snorkeling on a shore excursion), and my husband's chances of being sick are about 50-50 ... so he takes meds ahead of time /gets them solidly into his system. Anyway, don't assume you'll be sick on the big ship. Second, bring plenty of meds with you. They'll be expensive onboard. Get the 24-hour pills so you don't have to bother with them quite as often /you'll have a smaller chance of making a mistake in taking them. If you do get sick, take meds, drink plenty of water and take a good nap. That'll sort of "reset" your body. Finally, consider taking candied ginger with you. I occasionally have trouble with car sickness, and that stuff gives you INSTANT relief. Unfortunately, it's short-lived. You can buy candied ginger in the produce section of Harris Teeter (name brand Sweet Melissa); alternately, you can make your own ... plenty of recipes online. I cut it up into bitty bits and bring it in a small Tupperware.

Of that list, we bring door decorations ... comfortable shoes and clothes ... a mini-pharmacy ... and dollar bills. Everyone seems to want extension cords and plug-ins, but we don't use enough electronics to need them. The iron depends upon which cruise line you're traveling. Yes to printing your travel summary ... we have a template we always fill in that includes our pre-cruise hotel, our excursions, etc. We can write in shows, activities that we don't want to forget. I bring one ziplock for my Kindle by the pool. I don't want to risk it being splashed. But no ziplocks for food. Food's always available when we want it, so we just go get fresh snacks. True, this won't be in your cabin. We bring a pack of sticky notes, which are convenient for leaving notes for one another (we stick them to the TV): We leave notes like "Solarium pool" or "Playmakers". I stand my toothbrushes, etc. up in the bathroom cups provided. Nothing extra to carry, and the cabin steward will give you extras. The curtains usually have velcro closures. This is a luxury, but I have a small bag that I use for the pool ... I've had it forever, and I love it for containing all my little things: Kindle, sunscreen, reading glasses, ship ID and a couple dollars. I don't bring a special bag for the evening, but I have a small wristlet that I carry around the ship ... it's about the size of a thin pencil case. And inside it I have a "table hook" that allows me to hang it rather than holding it on my lap. When we're in an inside cabin, we like to bring a camping fan that folds flat-flat and works on batteries. Smaller to pack than a standard fan. No way. Just open your suitcase in the bottom of your closet, and you have a hamper. When the suitcase is full, just zip it up, and you're packed. Nothing extra to pack. Ladies will definitely be happier if they pack their own shampoo /conditioner. The ship's stuff is okay for body wash. Looking at my long-time list, I'll add these items: - We gather all our documents, single bills, etc. in a small travel wallet (which was a gift from a travel agent years ago) ... we go over its contents together before we leave, and we like knowing that everything's safely stored. - We make up an envelope for each island stop ... on the outside we write out our plans /contact info, ressie numbers, etc. for any shore excursion we're taking ... inside we place money, including small bills for tips and extra cash for a taxi or lunch, depending upon our plans. - Plenty of sunscreen, Chapstick, Tylenol, etc. These things are expensive and inconvenient to obtain onboard. - Backpack as carry-on bag ... being hands-free is convenient. The same bag can serve as an island stop bag. - Kindle or reading materials ... don't count on finding something in the skimpy onboard library. My Kindle will hold a charge (with heavy use) about three weeks, but I always bring its charger ... it will charge my phone, but my phone charger won't charge my Kindle. - Alarm clock ... yeah, you could use your phone, but we prefer our alarm clock. - Any specific things we might want for our island stops; that could mean bug spray, a disposable camera, snorkeling materials, or water shoes.

I also see that the OP led with "Small injury on the ship", and then it turned into "a hunk of finger off". None of us really know how bad it was, but those two descriptions don't sound the same.

Yeah, happened to Kahl Drogo too. Seriously, though, are we playing that elementary school telephone game where we all whisper something into our neighbor's ear and see how it changes by the end? The OP said a small injury. My grandmother, as she neared the century mark, discovered that her insurance would pay for her to go to the podiatrist and have her nails cut ... but a pedicure (and tip) was roughly the same cost as the co-pay for the doctor! Once she learned that, she always asked for a pedicure coupon for her birthday or Mother's Day! Sometimes I did her nails for her, but she really preferred the pedicure!

Eh, no. We see very little value for the cost. Our thoughts on the perks: - An efficient boarding plan (starting with staying up until midnight to grab the earliest boarding slot -- not a hardship for me) would make more difference than The Key. - My carry-on is a small backpack, which contains my jewelry, electronics and medications. I would not leave that with someone else. - Lunch would be nice, but isn't "enough" to make me part with that much money. - No thanks to private times on those popular activities. - Few islands still use tenders, so this isn't much of a perk. Belize and ... ? - The Key seats in the theaters aren't particularly great, nor does anyone police who's sitting in them. - We don't get internet service during cruises. - I wasn't aware that the departure breakfast was so nice, but -- like the embarkation meal -- it doesn't seem like "enough" to convince me to spend for the whole week. My conclusion: If you're a couple (not a family) and you're going to buy internet service, this may be worthwhile; if you weren't going to buy internet, The Key is hard to justify financially.

I know this is a popular answer, and it's already been mentioned, but we agreed on our recent Indy cruise that we will not be visiting Nassau again. Specifics: - We didn't feel safe -- and that's not typical for us. We were one of 6-7 ships, and the crowds were so heavy. We were "funneled through" a bottleneck as we entered the city, and it was incredibly crowded. I was worried about my husband, who has a bit of a mobility issue; if anything had happened, he definitely would've been trampled. Note: We exited the ship a bit later than most people, so we weren't in the morning crush. - The streets were crowded, and we saw one pickpocket. Although this felt safer than the bottleneck, we just weren't having any fun; if we'd reserved a spot at a resort or chosen a shore excursion, I'm sure that would've been fun -- but the area right by the port is just not for us. We decided to turn around and go back to the ship. - Returning to the ship, we were forced through a straw market that didn't interest us. I know, the method works for Disney too -- make people walk by your junk, and someone will buy it, but I'm not that person, and being forced through that area annoys me. Back on the ship we went up to Windjammer for a late lunch, and we sat by a window with a view of the docks and the city. We noted a couple boats that pull into the dock, and we agreed that we would -- in the future -- consider taking a shore excursion with one of those companies, as we could meet the tour without going out into the city itself. One of them was for Blue Lagoon (a place I've been and enjoyed) and the other was Swim With Pigs. But, yeah, we're done with Nassau.

That's why they don't get my money. I just can't sit in that stench. If I walk through the casino, I hold my breath and walk fast. My family LOVES Playmakers and Fish N' Ships. We haven't been on a ship with El Loco Fresh yet, but we love Mexican food and expect to become fans quickly when we sail Wonder.

I didn't know they ever did this, but I've never hurried to book my Next Cruise immediately upon boarding. I do know not to wait until the last day -- by then people are standing in line. As to the quality of the free champagne, why do some people feel the need to criticize everything? I think people think it makes them look knowledgeable and cultured, but they actually come off as small and petty. One of the things I like best about myself and my family is that we are able to be happy; that is, we're happy sleeping in a tent and eating hot dogs cooked on a stick, and we're happy in a 5-star oceanfront resort eating surf and turf.

I see where you're going -- but I will probably spend less than my OBC, so it would be nice not to have to fiddle around with writing a check and being refunded OBC. A matter of money in one pocket vs. the other pocket. You're asking about fees if they refund a portion of OBC to your credit card? No, no fees. I know for sure because I have left the ship having spent less than my OBC, and I've seen the refunded money hit my credit card ... took a couple days /less than a week. All very fair.

I thought that was the answer, but I was hoping I was wrong. I have a good bit of OBC and would've liked to use it this way.

Question: Can you use OBC to reserve a Next Cruise?

I'd probably go with the Balcony because it's about $1350 less for two people, and that could be a whole 'nother cruise ... but you're right that these numbers are crazy!