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I know some of you will relate to this. I hate photos that show my whole body, as many picts taken by others do. The angle of selfies always makes me look soooo much better.

Believe it or not, some people adore spending time with in-laws. I would give anything for a little more time with my mom. My husband feels the same. And I feel the same about my in-laws.

We’ve gotten a little off topic with the luggage side if this conversation. But since we are there: first cruise 1991- Costa. Ship was horrible! Last sailing before being decommissioned. We packed 1 huge suitcase and 1 carry on each. Had several formal outfits, I don’t how many shoes ( a lot)! We had set dinner time and table partners. How times have changed. Now we travel with 1 carry on, 1 backpack and our cpaps. We have more equipment than clothes. We’d pack even less except we hate rewearing sweaty clothes. And hubby thinks it’s trashy to hang wet clothes in the room. Since Covid we have very little clothing variety. I haven’t worn dress shoes in 4 years. We live (and sleep) in t-shirts and jeans or shorts. Last cruise we limited everyone to carry ons only. We brought a light foldable bag. That’s where dirty laundry went. We bought lots of t-shirts and other mementos on the trip. Going home, we checked the dirty laundry bag. Hate waiting for luggage at the start of trip. On the way home I don’t care.

I get it.

We often book with the “sail away” rate. This is a stripped down reservation where you can’t pick your cabin- just your tier. We save money doing this but the downside is they won’t guarantee 2 cabins next to each other. We always request it- in more than one way. So far it’s always worked out. Before so one reacts- yes I know, that’s the price we pay for going cheap.

I’ll start by saying- I’m not a coffee connoisseur. Most coffee has very little taste to me. Many of the places cruises go are known for excellent coffee. Why not buy when you are in port. Isn’t part of travel tasting new delicacies? As to big suitcases- I agree with those limiting to a carry on. However, I understand why some people have more. Some people bring formal outfits for the cruise. They take a lot of space. More commonly, many people are not just on a 7 day cruise. Our last cruise was 7 days in the Adriatic. But our total trip was almost 3 weeks. Our nephew lives in Milan. We had almost one whole suitcase dedicated to bringing him American things he can’t easily get there. That suitcase was full of Venetian glass and gifts for others on the way home. Just saying- don’t judge.

Thank you for your service. And to the nurse- thank you for yours as well. I know that can be a thankless job.

FYI- this is not an insignificant question at all. If you are booking a private tour or having someone meet you at the pier, knowing what time you get to them may be very important. it’s especially important for your last day as you may be trying to figure out flight times. so please don’t make people feel silly for asking.

I know there are rooms that connect. For some reason we can never seem to get those. I think because we made reservation separately. On an NCL cruise we asked several people for a key card or some way to get in moms room. We were reputedly told it can’t be done, even when I explained why we wanted it. Finally I asked to speak with a guest services supervisor as she said “of course we can help you. You need a room access only card”. I had to know what it was called apparently. I don’t know why they couldn’t figure it out. It was very frustrating.

Bringing your own coffee maker and coffee seems like a big inconvenience for a little reward. I agree the ship coffee can be pretty bad. My husband is from South America. So we do as they do- mix instant coffee (Sanka or Nescafé is best to me) with hot milk. It’s rich and tasty. I think you can get both on board. I also have a small device that whips the coffee so it’s more like cappuccino. I think most ships also have Starbucks or some kind of specialty coffee spots. I’d rather pay a few dollars a day for a Starbucks than haul a coffee maker and pods around.

This advice is all wonderful. I want to stress the part about letting the tour operator know you’re not returning. You don’t want to be the reason dozens of others have to sit on a hot bus waiting. Also, before you plan to explore on your own- be sure you know how far you are being left from where you have to return. Many excursions take you hours from the pier. Getting back on your own may not be that easy. Make sure the area around the port is safe for you to on your own. Just make sure, before you leave the ship you have ALL the info you need to return safely and on time. Also be sure to have cash in the local currency. But the two most important things to enjoy any travel 1. Be a citizen of the world. Be kind, humble, embrace the unexpected and remember not everyone thinks like you. 2. GOOD SHOES!

We used to cruise with my mom a lot. She had bathroom issues and had to know she would have her own bathroom. Getting a cabin with 2 bedrooms was way more expensive than getting two cabins. We liked balcony cabins and the single cabins were always interior. Earlier post is correct that it costs same for a cabin whether 2 people or 1. Taxes and fees are less but cabin price is not. On some cruises we had them remove the barrier between balconies. On some cruises they said that was a fire hazard. No idea why. But they did give us a guest key so we could get into mom’s cabin when we needed. She was in her late 80’s so we needed to know we could check on her. We did find we had to ask the right people. They won’t give you a regular room key because that is tied to the room account, drinks, id, everything. Not all crew members knew they could offer a room access only card. But removing the balcony barrier was best, when they would do it. That way we could leave our balcony doors unlocked and go into each others cabins any time. We could peak In and see if she was sleeping. She could come in our room if she needed to. When the drapes were closed she knew to knock. Sadly, my mom didn’t make the cruise we planned for her 90th birthday. We had to postpone due to Covid. So we rescheduled for her 91st. She passed away exactly one month before her birthday. She loved cruising. And I am so grateful we were able to share those special times with her.

Correct me if I’m wrong- but you can buy the pictures you like. So letting them take your picture is not a problem. If you like what they take, buy it. If not- don’t. I think you can wait till the end of the cruise and look at all the pictures of you and decide if you want a package or just a few or none. I usually hate any picture I’m in, so avoid the ship photographers. We take a few selfies, but that’s about it.

I don’t know about Ireland specifically. I do know a large cruise ship is entirely different from a whale watching boat. One trick to avoid sea sickness is keeping a full belly. It’s one reason the cruises offer so much food. I think the amount of motion is also affected by what level you are on- though I can’t remember which is better, higher or lower. I think fresh air also helps. So a balcony room might be better. and if she still feels ill, you can always get Dramamine on board. And plan to go ashore whenever possible. Hope you can convince her. But if you can’t, there are other wonderful ways to tour Ireland. You might miss a lot being on a ship. I remember getting lost on the byroads of Southern Ireland was a highlight of our trip there.

I tried that at home. It never works.

That is often true. But you can’t rely on it when planning. Safest to allow more time. I’ve been on ships that tender all the shore excursion passengers first.

I think Virgin is adults only. That’s the safest bet any time of year.

We have never bothered bringing wine. But it seems like wine coozies (sp?) would work well both for protection and keeping them cool, since checking in can be a long hot process. I’ve seen those padded, zip up covers that go over wine bottles. They are a couple of dollars on Amazon I think.

I believe the above post is correct. Once a ship is moored, or on the case of tenders, in position, and at a full stop- that is the arrival time. But there is still much to do before passengers can disembark. if it is tendered, I believe the tenders are owned and managed by the dock, not the ship. So they have to get to the ship. The ship has to “clear” first before anyone can step foot off. It’s not like the ship just sits there doing nothing. If you look out onto the pier there is a frenzy of activity. If there are early shore excursions they get those off first. Always allow at least an hour after the arrival time before you will actually be allowed to disembark. 2 hours if it’s a tendered port.

There are so many considerations that make the ship SO more or less practical. One of the things we love most about travel is meeting locals and learning more than you will see in a tour guide. Hearing about the politics and history from a local is so enlightening. For this reason we use a local driver whenever safe and practical. You will almost always see more of what you want for less money. We’ve been able to do the same as 3 or 4 shore excursions in the same amount of time for less $. I agree with the post about stopping to shop. For us, that wastes precious time. The more people in your group the more economical private tours are. There are some places this isn’t safe or the time is tight. When taking a private tour of any type- be sure you plan to be back where you need to be to get to the ship several hours before you are told to. Don’t pay the driver or guide till the end but be sure you agree on the price up front. It’s also nice to help the local economy more directly. We do ship excisions in places like Santorini, where the line for the lift will take the better part of your day on your own, or short stops with tenders where being first off gains valuable times, or ports that are less than safe. A great way to research is using YouTube, and travel shows on streaming services. You will get a lot of different perspectives. Lastly, don’t forget, the travel industry has taken a hard hit through Covid, especially the cruise lines. Don’t fault them for making a profit. A lot goes into planning and running those excursions. You always have the choice to pay or not.

The funniest part is they will only look at your photo when you are standing in front of them- probably with your hair in a ponytail or braid. I somehow got lucky and took a great DMV pic for my driver’s license. People always look at it, look at me and say “wow, your picture is really good!” I always wonder if they mean as opposed to the person standing in front of them. Lol 😆

This is exactly why we want AK to be our next cruise. Between fires all over the world, glaciers melting, sea levels rising, etc - you just never know when the thing you really want to see will suddenly be gone. Travel any chance you get!

I’m totally with you! To me, Glaciers are like the Grand Canyon- you look at it, think wow, it’s beautiful! That lasts about 5 minutes. Then, what’s next? Seeing wildlife and quaint towns is more interesting.

You sound like a kindred spirit. My husband keeps telling me not to “stress” over planning so much. I have to explain- I enjoy each trip 3 times. 1- in planning and dreaming. 2- actually taking the trip. 3- Going through pictures and remembering. I have yet to go to AK. So no specific advice. But have done a lot of diy travel. First, cudos to you for making travel a priority while you can. At 53 and 60 we are dealing leg pain from diabetes, crippling back pain and stomach issues. Things like taking a nature hike are no longer possible. So doing the more athletic things while you can is smart. I grieve all the things I will never get to do and wish I had done them 10 years ago. One hard lesson I learned from travel- things will never go exactly as planned. Leave room for the unexpected and give yourself permission to change the plan as you go if you feel like it. General travel tips: Anything that requires good weather do as soon as possible. You may not get another chance. Of course almost everything in AK is an outdoor activity. Good shoes are the single most important element to a good trip. Consider every hiccup a fun experience. Don’t worry about what you can’t do. Enjoy every moment together. One tip that might help save a little- consider looking to River.com for dog sitters. Usually cheaper than a kennel and better for fur babies. Hope that helps a bit. Love your posts. Keep going.