Time 2 Cruise

Carnival Cruise Line recently posted on its Facebook page that it will offer full reimbursement to anyone that wants to cancel their cruise that leaves December 2 2012 because it will include a booking of a group of drag queens and performers from the LOGO cable TV channel.  Reimbursement includes any non refundable fees incurred with non Carnival entities.  While the short notice sucks, the offer seems more than fair if anyone feels that this would effect their vacation.  Personally, I would keep my booking but that's me.  Now if you read the comments on the posting, you would think it was the first time a cruise line ever booked an alternative lifestyle group onboard.  But for companies like Carnival its just a part of doing business.  I have cruised a few times where I found out there was a large group onboard after embarkation. The 2 most memorable were a Country music group that included multiple recording artists and their fans and a LBGT Halloween ...

If you want to take a cruise and are already expecting, its good to know the policies of the cruise lines.  Many will not allow women over 24 weeks to cruise regardless of what their doctor says.  An article in the Chicago Tribune recently showed what a couple went through with Carnival with the wife being 10 days past the 24 week rule.  People may think its not as big of a deal as the cruise lines make it out, but with the limited facilities on board to handle an emergency of this type, and the effort needed to re route to the nearest port in case of such an emergency, I can only assume that in the past it has happened more than the cruise lines would have liked in the past.  That's how rules like this one get started.  The ship has not only the expectant mother but a couple thousand other passengers to tend to.  While many may be understanding, there will be those that get very upset is something that could have been controlled by the cruise line causes ...

Our last cruise was almost a year ago.  This is the longest we have gone without taking one in a long time.  We have just been so busy with other parts of our life, that cruising has taken a back seat.  But recently I watched a YouTube video of the restoration of the Carnival Conquest and started to get that itch again.  It's funny when you haven't done something in a long time how much you forget, so I started to read my old blogs and pulled out our old books.  While things are always changing, most of the information is still just as valid and valuble today.  Things like what to pack, HOW to pack, and even miscilanious things like bringing a outlet expander are still as important today as they were 15 years ago when we started cruising.  Yeah, the ships are bigger and better, but you know what, they still limit those outlets in the cabins.  Man, time to start doing my research and find a good ship and destinations that will intice my wife as we...