Archive for the ‘cruise vacation’ Category

I want to try putting a bottle of vodka in my suitcase that I’m checking in, since alcohol costs A LOT on cruise ships. Is there anything I can wrap around the bottle of vodka that will let it pass through the x-ray machine undetected? Or any other strategy that might work?

Simple.

buy a bottle of mineral water, open it pour out the water and pour in the vodka close the lid.

its not usual to see someone with a 1L bottle of water, and if you get any issues, explain you are filling dehydrated etc. best thing is to carry it by hand if you can.

If you cover something with lead, you’re bags will be opened. It could be a bomb for all the guards know. That is the kind of actions that will get you thrown off the cruise before it starts

Guards with x-ray machines check 100s of bags i and fairly sure they can detect a tell tail signs of a bottle and metal lid. So a plastic bottle will be fine.

You probably will be able to find something better on the ship if you are concerned about plastic + vodka, for example give a maid a tip and they probably can get a glass container…

Technorati Tags: Alcohol, Bomb, Bottle Water, Cruise Ships, cruise vacation, Glass Container, Lot, Metal Lid, Mineral Water, Ray Machine, Ray Machines, Suitcase, Tail Signs, Vodka, X Ray

Has anyone gotten any- how were they? I am looking to go in the end of June, but I want a good deal and I don’t mind taking a chance for the last minute.

You pay more when ur going to cruse last minute. Unless if you bought the ticket 5 months before its would definitely be cheaper. So. no you dont get good deals booking at the last minute.

Technorati Tags: 5 Months, Booking A Vacation, Good Deals, Last Minute, Taking A Chance, Vacation Cruise

Taking a cruise can be an amazing adventure, but if you have never been on a cruise before then you may not know what to expect. As the date for your cruise draws closer, you might even begin to feel a little bit of anxiety as you start to wonder exactly what it is going to be like. If you are worried too much about what can happen on your cruise then you are not going to enjoy it nearly as much, so it is a good idea to spend some time beforehand to get a better idea of exactly what you should expect for your first cruise. Here is some basic information about what can be expected on your cruise.

When first checking in for your cruise you will have to go through a basic security checkpoint. Your bags are taken by a porter at the cruise terminal, and next they are loaded into bins so that they can be placed on the ship and in your cabin. While your bags are, being loaded you can continue checking in at the terminal, which typically involve your carry-on luggage being x-rayed, and you stepping through a metal detector. The process is much the same as what you would go through at an airport, and is merely a precaution to protect you and everyone else once you are all aboard the ship.

After passing through the security checkpoint, you can finish the checking in process. You need to present your photo ID, credit card, and cruise reservation information at the check-in desk, at which point you are given your cabin key card and an on-ship charge card that can be used for shipboard purchases.

Once you have checked in, all that is left for you to do is to make your way to the pier and wait to board the ship. If you have arrived prior to boarding, you should be assigned a number or letter, which lets you know when it is time to board. When your number or letter is called, you may then board the ship, much as you would when your boarding section is called if you were waiting for a plane. Many cruise lines have photographers working at the docks, waiting to capture a shot of people boarding for a cruise vacation that they will always remember.

When you board the ship, your bags should already be in the cabin. The ship staff greets you and presents you with a map to help you find your way to your cabin and other ship locations, and in some cases, you may actually be guided to your cabin by an attendant who assists you with your carry-on luggage. The type of service that you receive when you first board the ship depends on the cruise line with which your cruise has been booked, though more cruise lines are moving to a full-service model in hopes of drawing in additional bookings.

After you have checked out your room, you should take the time to locate your assigned dining room so that you know where to go when it is time for a meal. Many cruise ships have several different dining rooms, and the one that you are assigned to should be marked on your shipboard charge card. There is a good chance that there will be alternate dining options available to you as well, though these are generally featured at an additional cost.

You should take the time to read the ship’s newsletter as well as the listing of ship excursions that are waiting for you in your cabin. This provides useful information about both on-ship activities and the various ports of call that you will visit. Some planned excursions may likely require registration, and it is important that you do so as early as possible since at least some of the more popular ones may be in danger of selling out. Read the excursion list on your first day in order to get a better idea of what you would like to do during the rest of your cruise.

Before the cruise gets underway with the majority of the planned activities, there should be a lifeboat drill to show you what to do in case of an emergency. This drill is mandatory and it does not take long. It should only occur one time during your cruise. Once it is out of the way, you can enjoy the rest of your cruise, making sure to experience some of the planned activities and on-board amenities. This can also help you to avoid missing any activities that you want to take part in during the cruise. If you are about to embark on your first cruise, you should consider these tips and you should be ready for your vacation.

Stephanie Larkin
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/what-to-expect-on-your-first-cruise-731145.html

Technorati Tags: Anxiety, Basic Security, Carry On Luggage, Charge Card, Credit Card, Credit Information, Cruise Information, Cruise Lines, Cruise Reservation, Cruise Terminal, Desk, Docks, Key Card, Little Bit, Metal Detector, Photo Id, Photographers, Precaution, Security Bags, Security Checkpoint

Though the Worldwide Economic Crisis seems to have the world in a tizzy of worry and despair, Gringos are still coming to Mexico. I remember last year at this time unprecedented numbers of Gringos were walking the streets of my adopted Mexican home of Guanajuato. The city of Guanajuato, that bears the same name as the state, Guanajuato, had swarms of Gringos that extended from late Spring into early Fall even while gloom and doom spread all over the planet.

Statistics for 2008 will be forthcoming in the Spring. But, if subjective observation is to count for anything, it appeared to all the Mexicans and American Expats with whom we spoke that 2008 seemed the year for the most visible tourists in years.

In previous years (2006-2007), the average age of tourists to Guanajuato was under 36 years old. These tourists came to Guanajuato in 2006 in groups of three family members and, in 2007, in pairs. In 2006, 35% of the tourism was Mexican regional tourists, 54% was Mexican national tourists, with a low 11% being foreign.

In 2007, there was only a one or two point increase in national and regional tourists and the foreign tourist percentage stayed the same. About 50% of the international tourism comes from the United States.

I’ve made this point often in my articles that the city of Guanajuato is not a resort town. It is not like the West and East coast Mexican cities. Nor is it like San Miguel de Allende. These towns have become dependent upon the tourist money and regard the foreigner as a source of income.

How you will be treated in one of these resort towns that has been traditionally dependent upon the foreign tourist’s dollars or euros will be radically different from how you will be treated in a town whose tourist income is predominately from Mexican regional and national tourists. To put it in the words of one American woman who actually moved to San Miguel de Allende, “This is like living on a cruise ship. There is something planned to do every moment.”

The city of Guanajuato, or the rest of the state for that matter, is not like that at all. In Guanajuato, you will see how real Mexicans live and work in their ordinary everyday lives in a city that has history and culture oozing out of every cobblestone. If you expect to be entertained like in the resort towns, look elsewhere.

However, having said that, Guanajuato is a traveler’s dreamland to visit. That, I suppose, largely depends on your motive.

Of those surveyed, 7% to 10% came to Guanajuato in 2007 to visit family; 4% to 7% came for business; 6% to 8% for historical significance; 2% to 6% ventured here for ecotourism; 65% to 78% came just for a little R & R-Rest and Relaxation.

And, let me just say that Rest and Relaxation is what the average Joe and Jane American needs in times like these. If your American life has become something unrecognizable and transformed into something you would rather not even think about, then Guanajuato is the cure for what ails your hectic existence.

Five Steps To Maximize A Guanajuato Vacation

Think creatively: You can’t possibly find a much-needed cure for your stress in Guanajuato if you try to have a whirlwind rush through the city and state.

1. Guanajuato is absorbed and not so much seen. Take time to sit and smell the foods cooking in El Jardin; listen to the music, the children playing, the donkeys braying, or the vendors hawking their wares; feel the textures of the serapes, scarves, and whatever else catches your attention.

2. Don’t fret over your lodging. Be willing to stay anywhere. Staying in the historical center is not what it is cracked up to be. If you are planning a Restful and Relaxing vacation, staying in the noise-filled El Jardin is not necessarily what you will want. Try to book a hotel outside the historical center and nowhere near churches where you will be serenaded with bell ringing virtually around the clock. An apartment vacation rental is often the better choice.

3. Be willing to limit eating out from one to three meals for your entire vacation. If you find lodging in an apartment or hostel with cooking facilities, it would broaden your cultural horizons immensely to shop in the local markets for fresh foods you can cook on your own. It is a lifesaver on your pocketbook. My wife and I employ this tactic almost always when we travel through the country. Eating out can be a budget killer.

4. To minimize the financial impact on your savings, watch the airfares like your life depends on it. If you become a little pre-vacation obsessed, you can catch a deal on the flight to Mexico. My wife is liable to check three to four times a day when we are planning trips to catch the best prices. Or, consider driving to Mexico if you live within a one or two state’s distance from the border. It isn’t as hard as you think it might be. We are getting feedback from articles and forums that more and more Americans (and even some Canadians) choose the driving options. (Check the search engines for current restrictions and documents needed to drive into Mexico.)

5. Mexico is still a relative safe place to vacation. You have to put on your best “Big City Safety” thinking caps and play it safe the entire time. For reasons totally unknown, even to God, a lot of Gringos will come to Mexico, and especially Guanajuato, acting as though they’ve crossed over into the Promised Land of Safety and Virtue. I have not only personally witnessed this behavior in both tourists and American expatriates, but have a friend who is a long-time resident of the city who was robbed. She was not only relieved of her cash but was also beaten up in the process. She thought it was safe and secure to walk home at about three in the morning.

This is a serious issue. I cannot explain why Gringos come to Mexico and commit careless and dangerous behaviors that they would not do back home in Anywhere, America. They would not try walking home in the wee hours of the morning in almost any city in America and yet when they come here, they suddenly think they can do this and get by with it.

Don’t walk back to your hotel at hours of the night where you are most likely to be robbed; don’t visit ATM machines in the late hours; don’t do anything here that you wouldn’t do back home. If it feels dangerous it probably is, even in Guanajuato.

And, if you worry about all the news reports of Narco-Traffickers in Mexico, Guanajuato is still relatively safe from that source of organized crime. The point is to play it safe and smart and you will most likely come out smelling like a rose and have good experiences to tell your friends when you get back home.

The Authentic Mexico

Some people bristle at the phrase “authentic Mexico.” They often scream at me something akin to, “What is that supposed to mean?”

What it means is a Mexico that has largely resisted the Americanization attempts of the Resort Moguls and has done things and continues doing things its own way.

Recently, Guanajuato has “acquired” a Starbucks. Now, why anyone would want to come to Mexico and drink a four-dollar, or more, specialty coffee from America is beyond me and I am wont for an explanation. But, Americanization is coming to Guanajuato as it has infiltrated the resort areas of Mexico.

Still, Guanajuato is not a resort (yet) and is full of regular Mexicans going about their regular lives trying to eek out a regular living. History, culture, and Mexican life are worth more to me to see and experience than being entertained with a Cruise Ship agenda. Guanajuato can indeed be a dreamland vacation.

Let Guanajuato be the place you spend your next vacation!

A Walk Through Mexico’s Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Tr

Douglas Bower
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/a-guanajuato-mexico-vacation-still-makes-sense-even-in-scary-economic-times-734525.html

Technorati Tags: American Expats, American Woman, Cruise Ship, Economic Times, Gloom And Doom, Gringos, Guanajuato Mexico, International Tourism, Late Spring, Mexican Cities, Mexicans, Mexico Vacation, Previous Years, San Miguel, Subjective Observation, Swarms, Tizzy, Unprecedented Numbers, Walking The Streets, Worldwide Economic Crisis

So we’re still on a cruise, on our way to some enchanted land. It’s a great weather today, and the air is warm, and so are everyone’s smiles. Here’s more of what you can expect in a ship cruise.

Meals

You won’t go hungry while cruising. All meals are included from morning to night. Most cruises have 24-hour buffet areas where you can eat any time of day or night. Sit-down gourmet dinners include your choice of appetizers, salads, main course, and desserts.

One of the most popular meals is the ships’ midnight buffet. You’ll find pizza parties and finger foods. At most of the bars the children may be treated to ice cream parties. If children have a birthday while on cruise, parties can be arranged and, of course, all the children enjoy the party entertainment. And…if you are still hungry some ships offer 24-hour room service.

In addition to this, there is a Captain’s Cocktail Party, where you have the opportunity to meet and talk to the Captain and his immediate crew. Another highlight of any cruise is being invited to the Captain’s table for dinner. Sometimes this can be for especially invited VIP’s. However, there are times when individual passengers are invited throughout the cruise.

Fitness Centres

If you think you’re going to miss out on your everyday gym sessions while on a ship, then you’ll be pleased to know that cruise ships offer ‘state-of-the-art’ fitness centres for the health-conscious traveller. Gyms include various fitness machines, stationary bikes, treadmills, stair steppers, weights and of course, classes; aerobics, Yoga, and Pilates classes.

Not all classes offered are free, but there are many others from which you can choose. Personal trainers are available and have to be hired on board, for a fee. Remember that all of the classes fill up very quickly so book in a soon as you get on board.

Entertainment

You might ask, ‘…what kind of entertainment can I expect…’ The answer is, well, endless, but for starters, cruise ships include cabaret, that feature elaborate Vegas-style shows, singers, and comedians.

Additionally you will find cinemas that show current movies. There are numerous bar lounges with dance music (yes, complete with dance floor), karaoke bars to sing the night away, and piano bars. There are plentiful deck and pool parties and even dance parties arranged for young teens. In addition, don’t forget the Casinos, which feature high-stakes poker tournaments, (of course your gambling money is not included), so make sure that you budget well for this type of distraction.

Beverages

Most drinks are not included unless they are being served with breakfast, lunch, buffet, or dinner. These included drinks are usually limited to soft drinks, juice, coffee, and tea. Water is always available, though you may have to pay for ‘bottled’ water.

Additional Beverages

Alcoholic beverages are not included in your cruise rate. Furthermore, soft drinks, wine, cocktails, specialty coffees, and bottled water are not included. You may find that your cruise line may have options to buy ‘packages’ for unlimited wine, alcohol, soft drinks and bottled water. Take advantage of this if your beverage consumption is high.

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Jhona
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/the-definitive-guide-to-going-on-the-perfect-cruise-part-two-86593.html

Technorati Tags: Art Fitness, Cocktail Party, Conscious Traveller, Cruise Ships, Definitive Guide, Enchanted Land, Finger Foods, Fitness Centres, Fitness Machines, Gourmet Dinners, Midnight Buffet, Party Entertainment, Personal Trainers, Pilates Classes, Pizza Parties, Ship Cruise, Stair Steppers, Stationary Bikes, Weather Today, Yoga And Pilates