Cruise ship size

I mentioned yesterday that cruising has evolved a lot over the years. It used to be that when you went on a cruise, you went on a certain type of  ship. But one thing that the cruise industry is always trying to do is expand their business, aren’t we all? The cruise people know that there are lots of kinds of people out there, with a lot of different interests.

In the past, a big ship would hold around two thousand people. Now these mega ships usually hold around six thousand guests, and I don’t know how big of a crew they might have. And then there are the ultra luxury river cruise ships that take less than two hundred guests.

The larger ships are more likely to have multiple pools the big theaters water parks, and multiple dining options. The advantages of a small ship? You are going to be able to get into much smaller ports. You are going to get a much higher level of service.

Now some of the larger cruiselines are going to have groups of ships that are built similarly. Some of the ships will be smaller and some will be larger. They are called sister ships. What is most important to you when it comes to a cruise?

If you are thinking about taking your first cruise, and are totally confused by the whole process, please talk to me, I would love to help you book your first cruise.

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What to wear on a cruise

In the old days, no one would go out of their state room unless they were dressed to the nines. Of course, this required a lot of packing, because you also could not wear an outfit more than once. But the cruise industry has evolved a lot over the years, and these days, you can wear whatever you want on a cruise. Today let’s look at how you should pack on a cruise.

• First, let’s look at tips for women. Do you ever go to a country club? You should probably pack the kind of clothes that you should wear to the club on your cruise. Pack some nice tops and slacks that you can wear, and choose things that can be easily mixed and matched. You might want to take some dresses as well. You might want to take silk since it is lighter. You will want to remember that you are likely to spend a lot of time by the pool, so bring your swimwear, [throwing in several swimsuits is never a bad idea, wear one and leave the wet ones out to dry],and also be sure to take a couple of cover ups. Short shorts are going to be frowned upon when you go to dine remember you’re not going to be just on the cruiseship, you’ll also be visiting different places. Please be mindful of the cultures that you are visiting.
• And now a word for the men. This is becoming less and less of a thing, but there is still such a thing as formal nights. On most ships, this is now an optional thing. But if you do want to participate, what should you wear? Take a suit you would wear to work. Some cruises allow you to rent tuxedos. The rest of the time you should be perfectly fine with nicer shorts and tshirts.

You may need a vacation if… #2

let’s keep looking at some signs that you may be ready to get on a vacation sometime soon.

• You may be reaching for your favorite junk food too often? Do you find yourself stopping for at fast food places more? Maybe you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner on the weekends. Well, it used to be the weekends, but now you are rretching for wine most every night. And working out? You used to be great at it, but now you’re skipping your routine more and more.
• You are seriously not trying to sabotage your career, are you? Hardly anyone sets out to do that. But you might be becoming so irritable that you are picking fights at work. Or you might be running late more and more.
• Problems that usually seem like no big deal now seem to totally derail you. You can’t seem to figure anything out. Nothing makes sense to you right now. And you can’t seem to get a healthy perspective on anything.
• It seems like all you do is work. You get up and go to work, and then when you do come home, you can’t seem to stop thinking about work. You’re too tired to do anything except work. You don’t want to do all of the things that you usually love, you’re just too tired.
• You may be so stressed that you’re fighting with not only with coworkers, but also with friends and family that you love. Or you might just with draw from anyone and everyone.

If these signs describe you, please let me know at familytripsinc1@gmail.com. I would love to help you plan a trip.

You may need a vacation if… #1

I am going to be taking a long weekend this weekend. I know I will not be doing this Friday or Saturday, and actually we will have to see how things go all of next week. This subject kind of caught my eye, kind of feel in need of a vacation myself. I am keeping pretty busy between work and my class. We are going to be with extended family this weekend, and I can hardly wait.

Do you even remember the last time you took a vacation? A lot of Americans think they can forego vacations. To some, it’s a luxury they simply don’t feel like they can afford. Others feel like they can not time off of work. Still others love being in their own homes and don’t want to leave their comfortable lives. But what are some signs that you really need to take a break. Let’s look at some today.

• Work always causes stress. You may not know you are stressed, but your body does. How is it trying to tell you? You may keep getting headaches. Your back might hurt for no apparent reason.
• Or you may not be in any physical pain at all, you just do not feel like doing anything. The job you love now only seems to annoy you. You don’t want to do anything that usually excites you. You can not find satisfaction anywhere you turn.
• You may be having problems sleeping. You can’t seem to turn off your mind. And this does nothing to help your lack of motivation.
• You may be making mistakes at work. And that is never a good idea. You might be getting yelled at by your boss, which will do nothing good for your stress level.

Why vacation as a family #2

Let’s look at some more reasons why family vacation is so important.

• Vacations are going to give your family time to actually be together. You will be away from everything you usually do, and will be able to concentrate on one another. And you will not have to do anything extravagant. Sometimes doing the simple things in life can be the most fun. Take a day and go to the zoo. I know I loved it when my family ordered pizza and hung out by the pool.
• A lot of parents don’t really think about this, but you are going to have an average eighteen summers with each child that you have. After that, you are going to have to compete with college, summer jobs, and significant others. It is a good idea to make the most of the time that you do have with them so that they will want to come home when that choice is theirs.
• Make that time to kick back and relax while you are on vacations. Some people jam pack their vacations just as much as their normal schedules. Make time to relax in front of good movies that the whole family can enjoy together. Do not make evening plans so that you can enjoy one another over nice dinners. Do you love playing board games together? Make time to do that.

Why vacation as a family #1

I am a travel agent who likes to help families reconnect through. I know that a lot of families have given up on vacation. Traveling as a family, especially when you have little ones, can be difficult. It can also be difficult to find time to take off of work. And you may other reasons why you do not want to go on vacation. But today let’s look at some reasons why it is important for your family to take vacations together.

• First of all, the family that vacations together stays together. We live in a crazily busy world. It is common to have both parents working outside of the home. And then there are hobbies that they want to pursue. Hopefully they are also making time to spend together. Children have school, and then there are sports and other activities that most of our kids are involved in. When do families actually make the time to really be together? Vacations help us get away from all of the distractions of our busy lives and focus on our families.
• A lot of the experts say that hands on experience is the best experience. Sure, we can read about different parts of the world, or watch television shows about them. But there is so much that you miss when you do not go to the places that you are interested in. You get to meet the people there. You get to experience their food and their culture and and their food.
• And this may be even more important for children. You may tell them everything you know about a certain place, but experiencing it for themselves is going to help them understand so much better. They’ll love getting to explore museums, especially the hands on kind. They will love getting to see the Statue of Liberty or Liberty Bell. They may even enjoy seeing some of those battlefields.

More preparing for your first cruise

There is a first time everything, and that includes taking your first cruise. We started this discussion yesterday, but let’s get back into it.

• You will want to get to your ship as early as you can. You will want as much time as you can have to explore your ship and figure out where everything is. You will probably have to be in line to get yourselves checked in. That is the perfect time to get to know your fellow passengers. Getting there early is also a good idea in case you don’t like your room or something like that.
• If you are going to explore the ports that they are going to take you to, you will want to do your research before you leave on your cruise. Know what you want to do at each stop, and have everything set up. Or if you have me book your trip, I can help you figure out your excursions.
• You will want to know whether your wait staff will be given tips out of what you have already paid, or is that another expense you need to figure on? Are tips part of your on board credit? Most cruises will automatically add your gratuities to your bill.
• Most cruises will leave the following day’s itinerary in your room before dinner begins. You will be wise to sit down right then plan out your day. It will help you make the best use of your time.

Choosing your first cruise

I’ve been working on some writing stuff today. We’ll see how everything goes on that. But let’s get on with this. When it comes to choosing which cruise you are going to take as your first cruise, you may be overwhelmed at the choices you have. Let’s look at some things that might help

•  Please talk to me about going on your first cruise. I can help guide you through all the questions you might have to make sure you have the best cruise. I know the way questions to ask to help get you what you want. And I make money when I book cruises. You won’t owe me another dime.
• One of the big things about cruises is that the more you pay up front, the less you’ll have to pay once you are on board your ship. You will want to keep that in mind. Some cruises are going to seem awful cheap. But they are going to nickel and dime you to death.
• You may want to start by going on a three or four day cruise just to make sure you like them. These cruises will leave from and return to the same place which will make everything easy.
• You will not need to worry about getting seasick on a cruise. Most ships are now built with stabilizers which are going to go a long way to help you. For those that are particularly prone to this ailment might want to buy some. You can also pay to get a shot once you are on board.

More on cruise evenings

Let’s keep looking at some things that you might want to spend the evenings on your cruise.

• Most cruises these days have themed parties which you can participate in if you choose to. I know that Disney does themes like Star Wars Night or Pirate Night. You will find dance parties that last all night in the ship’s night clubs. You might even find some ballroom dancing.
• There might be an evening or two where you will want to do nothing more than relax in front of a good movie. You will be more free to do that in the comfort of your cabin. Most ships will also have movies that you can enjoy with a large group.
• Some ships will also have a bowling alley. Or they could have an ice skating rink. Some might even have a golf course on board.
• And of course, there will also be beautiful pools where you can hang out. Take a dip and cool off after a long day exploring. Or enjoy getting to know the other guests.
• With all of this to do, you might forget one important thing. You are going to need to sleep at some point in your cruise. You will want to be fresh for the full days.

Evenings on a cruise ship

A lot of people who have never been on a cruise wonder what there is to do on a cruise, especially in the evening when you are back on board after exploring your port. Today we are going to look at some of your options.

• First of all, don’t forget that you and your family will probably need to eat once you return to your ship. And on the ship you will be able to enjoy dinners where you actually sit down. You will be enjoying several different courses. These will be served in the main dining room, which means that your dinner will be included in the fare and will cost you no extra. This gives everyone at your table the chance to share about their day’s adventures..
• You could also go to one of the more informal buffets, or order room service if you don’t want to walk anywhere. A lot of cruise ships also have specialty restaurants. If you are interested in specialty dining, you will want to make your reservations ahead of time.
• Have you ever been to a Broadway show? Most ships now have Broadway shows, and again, you will be able to get in at no additional charge. Many ships have their own theater company as well. Some also have shows like a circus.
• You are going to also have the opportunity to enjoy live bands, string quartets, or simply one person on a piano in the different bars that they have. Or do you prefer making your own music? A lot of cruises will have karaoke bars as well.