My Adventure thus far

 

Hello Fellow adventurers,

It seems like this is the home stretch! I’ve had a wonderful time with you all and I hope you all have enjoyed your time with me. During this past few months I’ve felt like I’ve learned a lot about something I love and when you think about it, it was never a hassle to talk about the things I felt could help all of you out. I admit when I started this blog I didnt know much about what I could do to make this blog more fun and Social media helped a lot in turning it around. I especially enjoyed posting all the photos to correlate with my blog posts. Being a visual person I feel like it helped add to the stories I wrote rather than diminish them. One of my favorite tools to use and share with you all was the Storifiy tool. Being able to make a social media collage using fb, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube was one of the coolest things I’ve used in a long time. I had some trouble figuring out how to use the photo slide show. I don’t know about you but figuring out how to use WordPress is sometimes hard but once I used the support page and followed the directions on the FAQ it was a piece of cruise cake! I really think I could use the Storify tool in my future. Since I’m working on my advertising degree I think this could really come in handy in a presentation to show exactly what people are saying in all forms of social media. I’ve had a great time exploring the mysteries of social media and learning more about what people want to know in their questions about cruises.

 

Until next time my adventurous explorers!

A Storify post about the love for a Carnival Cruise ship

https://storify.com/little_rabbit/day-7-of-our-last-day-at-sea

 

Hello fellow adventurers,

 

Here is a Storify link that I have made out of love. Included are little bits and pieces of people on their cruises and the love they have for them. I hope you enjoy this story that I made.

 

Until next time!

Don’t forget your water shoes :]

A Story with no words

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Drink packages

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Hello Fellow Adventurers!

It seems we have been learning a lot these past few weeks on what to do when we are on our first cruise. I know in one of my previous posts I had mentioned buying alcoholic beverages and how they will charge you for this. Well I was looking on their website and I had noticed that they have added a new drink package. This package is a flat rate per day deal. Instead of buying alcoholic beverages or sodas and watching it add up to a very expensive price you can buy the CHEERS beverage program for $49.95 or 42.95 for cruises in Europe. What this package includes is all alcoholic beverages,frozen cocktails, spirits, beer, and wine by the glass. Also a lower price on sodas and non alcoholic cocktails as well. After being on several cruises I can tell you right now that this is a really great deal and I’m sure a cousin of mine could tell you as well since he once spent $990.00 on alcohol alone. This package allows you to buy at least fifteen drinks in a  24 hour period and gives you a 25% discount on bottled water, spirits or wine above $10 dollars and wine or champagne by the bottle. Unfortunately this does not include the drinks that come in Souvenir glasses. Although if you buy those ones you still get a discount because you can reuse them during your time on the ship.

 

Until next time! Cheers!

The pull of turbulent waters

 

Hello fellow crusians!

I hope this month has gone well for you. Today’s topic at hand is the something that many of you might have some worries about. You might think that cruising around the world is a great idea and you are all ready to set sail on your next great adventure but something is holding you back. It could be that you might not be as adapt as some people when getting what is called your sea legs. A cruise with great food, ports of call, and poolside fun is definitely a great experience but being sick for almost half or all of that experience could most certainly leave you with a bad taste in your mouth about all cruises in general. When on our first cruise my mother battled just that. After years of watching her get car sick I was surprised to see that she was doing just fine. It was all thanks to an over the counter pill called Dramamine. You can buy this medicine at any drug store or big grocery store. The pill its self is small and easy to swallow and is usually recommended that you take it a few days before your travels. There is also a patch if the pills don’t suit you that you can place behind your ear that can also help with the motion sickness. After doing some light research I found what is called Sea Bands that you can purchase at your local drug store as well. It is a band that is placed on your wrist palm up side that is said to also help with sea sickness minus the effects of what the medicine might give you. If you have small children with you and they get sea sickness you can also purchase smaller dosages of Dramamine or Benadryl that can help as well. On a side note if you want to skip the medicinal route altogether you can try natural remedies that can help calm the dizziness. Sea Bands being one of those drug free remedies. You could also try eating ginger or green apples which is said to help keep the sickness at bay. Other suggestions to getting used to being on water would be to stay on the deck for as long as possible and using the horizon as a point of focus or getting a room with a window so you can do the same. After a certain amount of time you get used to the rocking feeling and it feels like your not even rocking at all as you walk through the boat.I personally love the rocking and being on a cruise ship at night has literally given me the best sleep I’ve had in my life and I would love for you to experience the same thing! Something like sea sickness should not deter you from your adventure and the wonderful experiences you will have.

 

Until next time fellow adventurers! may the waters lull you into sweet relaxation. 🙂

Mobile App for picking a Cruise

 

 

Hello fellow cruisers! 

I hope you are all doing well. You may have noticed the pictures I posted above.  They are templates for an app idea that I have that could possibly help choosing and booking a cruise. The app icon will feature a cruise ship cutting along the water with the blue sky in the background. The second is what the main menu will look like. Just a few short sweet tabs that you can press which will take you through the process of picking ports of call,setting a date, choosing a room and last but not least deciding on the excursions you wish to embark on in your cruising adventures. What is so great about this is you can do all this from any mobile device or tablet. 

until next time! Enjoy yourselves out there and don’t forget that sunscreen!

Excursions

 

 

One of the things I love the most on the cruises that i have been on is not only the amazing food and the incredible hospitality but on the cities I’ve been able to visit and experience. There are many excursions that you can choose from when you are on your cruise. They range from forty dollars to about one hundred and seventy. You can choose from an array of excursions that include anything from shopping at the ports or parts of the city to going ziplining, kayaking, horseback riding, scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, exploring ancient ruins, or just relaxing on a beach enjoying a few cold ones. There are all sorts of excursions to choose from for all types of people. If you are like me and are wary about just what is included in these packages and you like to know what you are getting you can go to the carnival website and search excursions where you will find a drop down tab with the different ports. There you can get a list of the various excursions and prices along with reviews and an overall rating of that specific excursion. Also at any point in time while you are on that boat and you decide you want to change or add a new excursion you can do that from the comfort of your room or one of the main lobbies. If you have any questions or if any issues should arise there is also a help desk located right next to where you can change your excursions.

 

Enjoy your new water legs sailors! 

until next time! 🙂

Cruise Food

 

 

 

This decadent piece of work ladies and gentleman is a Cappuccino pie. When you’re on your cruise ship there will be many places to get food. An assortment of options and types to choose from. There is practically a 24 hour buffet that can be found on both sides of the boat with breakfast foods in the morning and lunch and dinner foods in the evening. Also an actual 24 hour room service where you can order anything you want on a list that they provide you. You can choose between formal breakfast and dinners or the buffet. These are usually at a set time and you can choose whether you would like an early or late dinner. For these times the dress code for dinner is formal. When you get there you will be taken to a table and given a menu for a three course meal that you can choose from. If you were feeling especially ravished you could indeed order two entrees at once to either share or keep to yourself. Along with the buffet,breakfast,dinner, and room service there are also restaurant style places along the boat that you can dine in as well. Keep in mind though that everything i’ve said beforehand is completely free and is included no matter what package you choose but if you would rather go to these places instead they will charge your account. Also on a quick note the alcohol on the boat unfortunately is not free and you will also be charged on the amount of drinks you get. Although there is a store in the boats “lobby” area that has bottles of liquor for sale that you can purchase. Some boats allow you to have the bottles delivered to your room while others wait till after the cruise is over to give you them. My advice would be to try all these styles of food options through out the week and not eat too much because you might get over full and not be able to try all the things you had you eye on.

Happy Eatings Adventurers!

http://www.carnival.com/

http://www.carnival.com/

There are a few cruise ships that you can choose from if you live in the United States. My personal preference is Carnival Cruises. I think their atmosphere and people are more comforting and personal as opposed to some other cruises i have been on. I dont want to talk badly about any of the cruise ships because their was nothing bad about their service or what they had to offer but i felt carnival was closer in their goal of making their guests feel right at home. I have attached the website in a link and i will be walking you step by step through the process of how to find what type of package you want. A package usually means the amount of days and the area in which you will be staying at on the boat. You can choose between interior (the inside of the boat facing other doors with no window), the exterior (facing the sea with a window view, Balcony (which means you will have a sliding door balcony and about two chairs and a small table) or the more expensive one which is the suite. The amount of days and what room you will be in determine how expensive your room is going to be. When you are on the carnival website you will click the learn tab on the upper left hand corner right under the carnival title. After that you will be brought to a different window where the website will ask you what state you are living in (also if you are out of the U.S it will also give you the option to choose that) after you have made your choice the website will prompt you with a question of if you have children. After you have said yes or no, you will click on the amount of days and then it will take you a page with the available ports that you could be on along with prices for all four room options. They also can give you hotel pricing but i personally think it is easier to find a hotel with out those packages because i believe you can find it for cheaper. I hope this helps fellow adventurers! 

steady waters and blue skies

Hello all,

welcome to my very first blog EVER! I’m really excited to take you on this trip with me. First off let me tell you what my little blog here is about, I’m aiming this blog toward people who have thought about going on a cruise for a vacation but have ended up lost in their endeavors. I’ll show you a few different cruise lines and give you the best prices I can find. I’ll also tell you important information about what your waiters and turn down service will be doing for you on your stay and how important it is to tip them properly. Cruise ships are a great way to relax and travel without the delays of airlines or the tight fitting spaces of trains and buses. There are many things to do on and off the boat that will keep you busy and relaxed. I hope you enjoy this as much as I know I will.

until next week!

Tori