Photography On Cruises

Though pictures are taken by the professionals throughout the cruise, you MUST also bring your own camera - because there are plently of photo opportunities, plus its a great way to capture the fun and memories. The professionals on the cruise take great pictures throughout your entire journey; boarding, at dinners, before dinner, by the pool, up on deck, ports of call, etc. These pictures come out outstanding and these photographers defenitly know what they are doing. For example, the picture below was taken before dinner on Captain's Night:

As I mentioned, bringing your own camera is a must. To take excellent pictures, waking up early as pulling into a port is beautiful along with sunsets (usually each cruise has at least one night with a breathless sunset). Below I have given examples of pictures I have taken throughout my last cruise. I hope you enjoy and get an idea of pictures that you can take on your next cruise:

John Battelle's Searchblog - YUREEKAH: MK299

Aside from sailing the ocean blue....I'm going to talk about a blog posted on the John Battelle's Searchblog, the post titled YUREEKAH for my Internet Marketing (MK299) class.

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This blog post is about a new search engine geared towards marketers, specifically market researchers (what I hope to be involved with some day as my career). I love market research; the facts, figures, and statistics behind marketing and which eventually greates effective marketing. This new search engine is called YUREEKAH, and though you must register (its free though) for the site as of now, it will soon be open to the public. The search engine does the following, according to John's blog post:

"A new search engine called Yureekah launched this week to help ad agencies and advertisers find where competitors are advertising and determining the best options for future brand advertising." I did a quick search for the word Xerox and came up with a lot of different results, including businessweeks websites ads and other technology based sites; which shows that it does work (but seems as though it can and will improve as it gains recognition and more usage).

John's blog also states, " Devaraj Southworth, one of its creators, said the idea stemmed from his own company's needs. He runs a small creative agency and a media planning firm, and it often took several weeks to put together an online ad strategy because he had to manually go through Web sites, ad networks and portals to figure out where his client should be visible. Southworth said he's even had to cancel a campaign because finding that information was too labor-intensive to meet the deadline." This is a great idea that will save both money and time, but will it take away someones job as researcher? Let's hope not! To get to YUREEKAH's Website, Click Here: VQUZESHUF.

U.S. Plans to Fingerprint Cruisers

VQUZESHUF: According to a USA Today article, the United States plans to fingerprint not only those international travelers at airports, but now before they board a cruise ship. The article states, "The proposal, to be unveiled today by the Homeland Security Department, would require cruise lines to collect the fingerprints from passengers as they board ships in Miami and other U.S. ports. Airlines would have to collect fingerprints at airports. Only foreigners would be fingerprinted, not U.S. citizens. But the requirement could cause delays for everyone at cruise ship terminals. It's also expected to add to the cost of turning around ships in ports -- costs the cruise lines likely will pass on to consumers. The proposal calls for cruise lines and airlines -- not the U.S. government -- to pick up the tab for the fingerprinting."

(New York, NY Cruise Ship Port)

This most likely will not happen if it is something that the cruise lines will have to pay for. With adding a surcharge already to cruise travelers bill for the uprising of gas prices, this will just add another unnecessary charge. Cruises are quite expensive as it is, are now charging gas fees, and will just hurt themselves by charging for fingerprints. I think this is a useless policy, especially if already done at an airport (because if they are international travelers, they must go through the airports to get to the cruise ship). This process would asked to be done in Miami as well as other U.S. ports. For more information on fingerprinting international cruisers, visit USA Today.

Governments urged to educate users, not regulate the Internet: MK299

Aside from sailing the ocean blue....I'm going to talk about how Government wants to educate users on the Internet for them to get the most out it, rather than regulating it for my Internet Marketing (MK299) class.
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This article depicts the idea that the Internet can be a safe place and should be a safe place. The article states that it is important to educate Internet users and help them better understand precautions they should take when making transactions and just surfing the web. Rather than regulating the Internet, as other countries have done (such as China), the US government wants to promote it and tell others that they should try to get everything they can out of the Internet. Stated in the article, "efforts to protect Internet users [should] be taken on an international rather than a national level, but says that governments should do more to educate users on how to protect themselves and their personal information in cyberspace." With this being stated, users will definitely use the web more when they know that they are safe and have the ability themselves to know that they are surfing the web safely. Another aspect of the article states, "The US Internet Council, formed in 1996, provides advice to governments on the development of the Internet and information on policy issues. Its State of the Internet 2000 report can be found at http://www.usic.org/." For more information on this article, click on the following link: VQUZESHUF.

Disney Cruises - It's all about the kids

When deciding to go on a family cruise, full of children, one of the best child-friendly cruise lines is Disney Cruise Lines. Disney Cruises travel to: the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Disney's cruises feature "modern ocean liners with classic steamship lines," similar to all the other cruiselines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, etc). The company offers family-oriented mainstream cruises that are combined with a Walt Disney World vacation. Obviously kids are the emphasis, but kids of all ages can enjoy the trips.

A Few Advantages

• Friendly and outgoing staff (including many Disney characters)
• Name Recognition: if you've been to Disney themeparks and loved them, you will love Disney's Cruise Line (plus kids will love it)
• Ships consist of all-day fun and intriqutely detailed decoration (a Disney themepark design on a ship)
• Visit Castaway Cay: Disney's own private island full of fun for all ages (rated one of the best private islands owned by a cruise liner)
• Children oriented: babysitting facilities for the parents and children activities
• Dining Variations: variety of venues and presentations (including the famous Breakfast with the Characters)
• Family Cabins: sized for families
• The only cruise line with "firework display" priviledges

A Few Disadvantages:

• Too much Disney (everything and anything is Disney themed; how many mickey mouse symbols can you find?)
• Targeted to families with Children only
• Not many activities for the adults (no casino, no r-rated comedians)

As seen above, there are many more pros than cons when deciding on a Disney Cruise. Again, meant for families, not for singles (unless you love Disney). For more information on a Disney Cruise, please visit: VQUZESHUF.

Blog Comment - Cruise Critic

I responded on another blog, Cruise Critic (http://www.cruisecritic.com/) with the keywords VQUZESHUF. The blog post is at the following link: Swimming with the Dolphins.

See Print Screen Below--

Cruise Ships - from Inside to Out

The inside of cruise ships can be so intricate and full of detail that you would not even realize that you are on a ship. The colors, the lights, the art displays, to even the chairs to rest on and the elevators bring the ship the life. The hardest part is navigating yourself throughout the ship...hallways all look the same, elevators lead to different locations, and how do I get to the front or back of the ship? Before boarding the ship, the best way to navigate is to go on your cruise lines website and look up the exact ship you will be on. Usually they have where everything is located, broken down deck by deck. Also, when you first board the ship you will receive a pocket map of the ship - which may take a few days to master (so make sure you keep the map handy). Another convenient aspect to get to know the bow to stern of the ship is to go to one of the quickiest growing interactive websites - YouTube. For example, the cruise ship I went on was Carnival Miracle - see picture below. I simply typed in "Carnival Miracle" in YouTube's search and received a variety of videos, from events that occured on the ship (Booty Contest) to an overall tour of the ship. For example, see this link: VQUZESHUF.

Happy Sailing!

(Elevators and Glass Stairs - Atrium Lobby, Carnival Miracle)

How the Chinese Government Uses the Internet: MK299

Aside from sailing the ocean blue....I'm going to talk about how the Chinese government uses the internet for my Internet Marketing (MK299) class.

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In an article from the United States Department of State website titled China Uses Internet as Tool of Repression, Congressman Christopher Smith takes on this issue. A republican from New Jersery, Smith is the chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. He takes this issue into recent accounts and states the Chinese goverment is repressing its citizens. Instead of letting the Chinese people explore, learn, and take advantage of the vast amount of information on the internet, the government is regulating what is available for the people on the internet. This regulation is a propaganda scheme run by the Chinese government and is not fair for those who want to learn and explore the entire world through the internet.

Furthermore, Smith has held a meeting to discuss what is happening in China. His speech, discussed in the article, partially mentions:
"...While the Internet has opened up commercial opportunities and provided access to vast amounts of information for people the world over, the internet has also become a malicious tool: a cyber sledgehammer of repression of the government of China. As soon as the promise of the Internet began to be fulfilled - when brave Chinese began to email each other and others about human rights issues and corruption by government leaders - the Party cracked down. To date, an estimated 49 cyber-dissidents and 32 journalists have been imprisoned by the PRC for merely posting information on the Internet critical of the regime. And that's likely to be only the tip of the iceberg."
To me,This seems like a type of movement that will continue to go on. The Chinese government is not full of ideas of freedom and fairness, like we experience everyday in the United States.

vquzeshuf

Fooding & Cruising

VQUZESHUF

Eating is a big part of cruises, which is also a big portion of price of a cruise. Many say that they weigh ten pounds heavier when they get off the ship, due to all the food. Most of the food on a cruise is already paid for, note that I say most. The majority of cruises have a separate dining time and room; where everyday at your designated dining time you will go to the dining room, dressed appropriately in casual to fancy clothing (depending on the night) and sit in your assigned seating and be served by the same servers. This is a time to relax and gather together with the family to discuss your day and what tomorrow will bring. This entire four course meal is included in the cruise price and may even include a complimentary drink.

All other meals are also included and range in style: a sit down service breakfast, sit down service lunch, buffet style breakfast, buffet style lunch, and even a buffet style dinner (if you decide to skip the sit down formal dinner - or if you don't feel like getting dressed up). The food is delicious and in some cases, each day serves a different style of food. On cruises that I went to each day there was a station that was called International Food. Some days it was Caribbean, Italian, Indian, Chinese, American, and so on. By the pools there is usually ice cream, hamburger/cheeseburger, hot dogs, and fries. In Carnival's case, there is 24 hour pizza, salad, and ice cream.

Other interesting facts of cruise food include:

- Food Stands: These usually cost money and most of the time has sushi or other unique foods

- Supper Club: This offers a fancy upscale four course dinner and dancing. This also costs on average $30/per person.
- Specialty Buffets: Gala Buffet (largest buffet - last night of cruise - a must see), Chocolate Buffet (delicious and tasty), Midnight Buffet (night of leaving a port, usually Mexican/Caribbean food full of fun, dancing and music). The best part -- all of these are FREE!

Enjoy the food and again, expect to eat more than usual; yet don't forget to take a nice walk on deck after large meals (or you can even hit the free gym)!

VQUZESHUF : MK299

The above made-up word VQUZESHUF has been created by my Internet Marketing class, MK299. We created this word to test Search Engine's and to determine how our blogs can be seen on Search Engine results. Again, this word is: vquzeshuf. My group members also must have this word, their sites include: vquzeshuf - Nicole, vquzeshuf - Matt, and vquzeshuf - Mallory.

Excursions in St. Thomas

St. Thomas is a very common stop when cruising in the Caribbean. Located in the Eastern part of the Caribbean, St. Thomas is part of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). From some of the world's most beautiful beaches to some of the best snorkeling experiences to the best shopping for jewlery; St. Thomas has something for everybody. Most cruise ships spend an entire day at St. Thomas, since there is so much to do and see and did I mention, to buy. For an overview of the types of excursions available for all on St. Thomas, visit the website ShoreTrips, found at this link: vquzeshuf. Below, you will find some of the most popular excursions Carnival Cruise Line ships offer while in St. Thomas as your port of call:

-Scuba Diving: Beginner Scuba is an excursion for those who always wanted to try and be taught by professionals on how to scuba dive. This is in the medium level of pricing, takes 3 hours, and is a limited excursion (so book fast!).

-BOSS Underwater Adventure: This excursion includes an undersea adventure on a motor scooter; very neat and unique. This adventure is expensive, but definitly a once in a lifetime event. This takes 3.5 hours.

-Caribbean Parasailing: An adventerous and daring adventure, this excursion. This excursion is priced in the middle level and does not take a lot of time.

-Snorkeling: Out of the many snorkeling excursions offered by Carnival, the best would have to be Castaway Barefoot Sail & Snorkel to Shipwreck Cove! Not only is it such a great afternoon, but the instructors are so much fun. You will sail off to a private snorkeling area, take a snorkeling tour of the ocean, get a personalized understanding of the fish and coral, and even encounter a sunken ship. The way home is also a blast with unlimited Rum Punch, lively Caribbean music, and talking more with the wonderful staff (these 4 made the trip most definitley worth while!). This trip is also very reasonable, worth the price, and will not take up your whole time at St. Thomas.

-Coral World & Magen's Bay: Coral World, a water amusement park, along with Magen's Bay, rated by National Geographic one of the world's most beautiful beaches. This can be an excursion together but also can be done separatly. At the beach, snorkeling, kayaking, and there is even a bar. This is fun (but for hints, you can hire a taxi to take you to the beach).

-Jeep & Beach Safari: This excursion involves renting a Jeep Wrangler (must be 25 years of age+) and adventure yourself through the island, up and down the hilly roads and see the beautiful sights. After the adventure, relax on a beautiful St. Thomas beach.

-Kayak, Hike, and Snorkel: This includes every outdoor adventureous activity combined. This excursion involves - a unique, multi-eco experience awaiting you in St. Thomas' Mangrove Wildlife Refuge & Marine Sanctuary. This trip also includes a snack.

-Downtown Shopping & Beach Getaway: Not only do you get to experience the world's most inexpensive jewlery shops, but you will also get to experience one of the world's best beaches...a great combination. Some of the world's most rare gemstones and coral jewlery is available here in St. Thomas (also includes the cheapest diamonds as well). This trip takes 5 hours, a day trip, but allows you to shop and enjoy the scenery; something for everyone.

Though this is only a few excursions St. Thomas offers, there is many more. Again this island offers so much that you will most likely not be able to see and do everything you hoped for; which only means one thing - you must go back. I am definitly planning to return to St. Thomas some day...to sit back with a drink and enjoy the crystal clear blue water and even take a break to shop. Enjoy!

Attention Max - Great Marketing Comes With a Smile: MK299

Aside from sailing the ocean blue....I'm going to talk about a blog posted on the Attention Max Blog, the post titled Great Marketing Comes With a Smile for my Internet Marketing (MK299) class.

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This blog post deals with the latest news and information regarding the world of marketing and media. The post focuses on smiling as an important marketing tool. Smiling is first considered acceptance and a basic human need, not to mention the fact that smiling causes calories to burn. Smiling creates confidence, fosters accessibility (can create anxiety or intimidation or even a calm feeling). Smiling breaks down barriers while at the same time is creating trust in others. Studies show that smiling actually makes a person more attractive as well; a key to sales. It is also known that "happiness is a byproduct of smiling," when someone smiles the receiver usually gains a feeling of happiness.

In regards to smiling as a key tool to marketing, the blog post states, "Smiling should start with employees, but the essence of smiling should extend to every aspect of brand experience. Does your logo embody the spirit and effects of smiling? How about your commercial messages or direct customer communications? How about the very product you offer customers? Does it come with a smile?"
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In regards to my own blogs topic, Caribbean cruising, cruise employees most definitely use smiling as a key marketing tool. If cruise employees did not exemplify smiling, the cruisers would not have a good cruising experience and vacation. Those that work on cruises work mostly by months; for example, 6 months on (working) and 6 months off. When one trip leaves the cruise ship, another group of people are getting on. The employees are always seeing new people arrive on the ship; so in order to give these people a good cruising experience, they must always show excitement and enthusiasm with a smile, which will then allow the cruisers to be happy as well. Smiling is an excellent marketing tool that spreads rapidly and includes the best aspect; smiling has no costs involved...So the next cruise you go on, look at the employees and make sure that they are smiling and creating a strong brand image for the cruise line itself.

Types of Cruise Cabins - from Inside to Suites

When deciding to book a cruise, you must think about the type of room that you want to book. The style of cruise ship cabins range from inexpensive interior rooms to more expensive suites. From my experiences, I found cruise cabins to be more spacious than I had imagined. I was thinking I would be stuck in a room where there was no room to stand and only space to sleep and shower. My room was so large that we actually gathered together a few nights (at one point we even had 8 or 9 friends and family) in our interior cabin. As cruise cabins are obviously smaller than hotel rooms, it didnot seem to bother me and the other passangers I was with.

There are four main types of cruise cabins to choose from, beginning with the least expensive an ending with the most expensive: Interior Cabins, Ocean View Cabins, Balcony Cabins, and Suites.

Interior Cabins



Interior cabins do not have windows or views of the ocean. They get very dark when the door is closed. If you suffer from claustrophobia, and interior cabin may not be a perfect match for your needs. But if you plan on spending a minimal amount of time in your cabin, a majority of the time up on deck, and your cabin to mainly sleep and refreshen, interior cabins are the lease expensive and a cost-saving option.

Ocean View Cabins


Ocean view cabins have windows allowing the cruiser to view the ocean from the side of their ship with the convenience of not leaving their cabin. The cabin does not get as dark and allows light to come through. Ocean view allows you to see when you are getting close to land or see the land itself. These rooms though usually are not allowed to be opened and is priced only a few hundred more dollars a person more than interior cabins.

Balcony Cabins


Rather than just viewing the ocean outside of the ship, a balcony cabins allows you to be outside and feel the breeze off the water, smell the sea, and even hear the waves clashing against the ship. Balcony rooms are a lot more expensive than just a regular interior room, but it also gives you privacy of the ocean in the convenience of your own cabin. The balcony's are usually just enough room for two chairs and small table, but an excellent option if you want to privately view the ocean (just be aware of your surrounding neighbors with balcony's as well).

Suites


Suites are the largest style of cruise cabins with spacious room to walk around and also includes a spacious seating area and larger balcony (sometimes two doors to get out to the long balcony). Suites are also the most expensive types of cabins allowing many cruisers to sleep comfortably (from 4 to 8 passengers). Suites also consist of more than one spacious room. If you have the funds and are planning to spend a lot of time privately in your room (aka maybe a honeymoon) then a suite is a suitable cabin choice. But if you are not looking to spend a lot of time in your cabin, this may be not worth the costs and you should consider spending your money on excursions and other events on the cruise instead.

*Pictures provided by Carnival (http://www.carnival.com/)*

How the Government Uses the Internet: MK299

Aside from sailing the ocean blue....I'm going to talk about how the United States government uses the internet for my Internet Marketing (MK299) class.

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As known, the government was the ones to first use the internet. Not only were they the first users, but they were also the inventors and creators of the internet. Created as a military defense project, the internet gained way into our world. Today, the United States government website is for all types of users. Below, find the print screen of the US's government website titled USA.gov...







USA.gov (http://www.usa.gov/) is the government website for everyone to use. The website is broken down into different sections:
For Citizens
-Kids, Parents, Seniors, Military and Veterans, Americans Abroad
For Businesses and Nonprofits
-Small Business, Self-Employed, Nonprofits, Corporations, Foreign Businesses in the U.S.
For Government Employees
-Federal Employees, Military and Veterans, State and Local Employees, Tribal Governments
For Visitors to the U.S.
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Under each of these categories, there are things for people in each type of these categories that can benefit from using the usa.gov website. Children can educate themselves about the government and its policies, businesses can learn how to receive grants, government employees can learn of their benefits, and visitors to the United States can learn a little more about the country and its government information. This website is very helpful, allowing the government to share its public information to all internet users.

What to Pack When Going on a Cruise

One thing that many do when packing for a cruise is pack way too much.

It is important to remember, though, that your luggage will be brought to your room the first night of the cruise. This means, you will not be able to access your luggage until it is delivered to your room (most of the time its around 4 to 5 hours after you arrive onto the ship). In this case, if you want to go swimming immediatley after arriving onto the ship, bring your swimsuit on a carry-on. If you want to redo your makeup, bring your cosmetics on a carry-on, etc...

Leaving Home Checklist
To ensure peace of mind while you are away, why not run over this last-minute checklist of things to do before you go?

> Have the post office hold your mail.

> Stop your newspaper delivery, or have a friend or neighbor
take them in for you.

> Leave copies of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks
and any credit cards you plan to use with a family member or
trusted friend.

> Distribute your ship communications cards to friends and
relatives.

> Place a card with your name and address inside your luggage,
as well as on the outside.

> Bring your travel and health insurance information and have it
handy at all times.

> Verify that your identification and travel tickets are in your
carry-on bag and will be available at all times.

Packing Tips For Cruises

• Always ask your cruise agent about any specific clothing needs for your particular ship. Some ships have special requirements that may affect your packing plan (ie. Suits, Formal Gowns).
• Try to pack clothing that is re-usable on the cruise. For example, a men's blazer may be used on a formal night if packaged with the proper shirt & tie. The same blazer can be used with an open-neck shirt or a less-formal shirt and tie for an informal night. A formal skirt can be mixed with different blouses and/or jackets for varying effects.
• Formal nights are not necessarily extremely formal. Some passengers, who enjoy dressing up, will go all out with tuxedo's, long gowns, etc. On most seven-night cruises, this is not necessary. The majority of men wear a suit or blazer with white shirt and conservative tie on formal nights. Many women wear cocktail dresses, fancy dresses, or suits. It’s like getting dressed for a nice wedding.Young boys can wear nice slacks with a shirt and a tie. The more expensive the ship, the more likely that formal wear will be worn. (I definitly recomend everyone to experience formal dinning services...A MUST).
• Many ships have self-serve laundry and ironing facilities in addition to the available washing and/or dry cleaning. Sometimes it makes sense to do a load or two during the cruise rather than pack enough of everything for your entire trip.
• If you choose to travel with expensive jewelry, use the purser's safe when you're not wearing it. Although room safes are available on many ships, only valuables locked up in the purser's safe are covered under the ship's insurance (check you cruise contract, usually supplied with your cruise documents). Frankly, we'd recommend leaving your very expensive and/or priceless jewelry at home, or in your bank's safe deposit box-there will be plently of opportunities to buy New Jewelry!
• In the tropics, use light cotton clothing as often as possible. You'll be cooler and more comfortable.
• Do not plan to find space for a garment bag on an aircraft. Better to carefully pack your clothing in a suitcase than to jam it into an overhead compartment.
• Instead of bringing full-size toiletries, like a full bottle of shampoo, save or purchase smaller plastic bottles and bring only what you need. Try sealing plastic bottles in zip-lock bags for added protection. Some cruiseliners (such as Carnival) provides shampoo and body wash.
• Zip-lock baggies, preferably the thicker freezer-type, are great for keeping things dry, especially when you go to the beach. You can stuff your credit cards, driver’s licenses, cash, etc. in them and keep them safe inside your bathing suit. We recommend double-bagging them and you won’t have any problems with leakage.
• There are several reasons to bring your cellphone with you on the cruise: 1) If you run into delays, you can call your cruise agent, airline, limo service, etc. without standing in line for a telephone; 2) You can use your telephone on the ship before it departs, and while it is still close to land; 3) You can make calls on the day you return. A cell phone is great for calling a cab or a ride from home, or making arrangements with friends who are already ashore; 4) Many ports have cellular service so that you can make calls directly without finding a phone booth. Cellular rates are usually much less than the ship's satellite rates. Some common cruising areas have surprisingly good coverage (The Bahamas, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Grand Cayman, to name a few), and if you have free roaming as a part of your service, the call might even be free; 5) You never know how a cell phone will help you in transit should an emergency arise. It givessomeone else the ability to call you, which is sometimes invaluable.
• Since many ships are installing e-mail and internet capabilities, you may wish to bring along a list of important e-mail addresses and web site URL's. Although this can get expensive, you might find it worthwhile, particularly if you keep close track of an investment portfolio or have important e-mail messages.
• If you really depend on a hair dryer, plan to bring your own. Even if the ship provides them, you may not find them to be powerful enough to handle your needs, particularly if you have long or heavy hair.
• A pair of personal communications devices (as kids, we used to call these walkie-talkies) is useful in keeping track of your traveling companions on the ship. As ships become larger, it becomes more difficult to keep track of one another, and remember, cell phones will not work on the open seas. This is a perfect tool for young teenagers (check your batterysupply!). Some ships even offer them for rent during the cruise.
• For Bermuda: Weather is beautiful from May through October, although cruising to/from New York or Boston can be quite cool in early and late seasons. Bermuda is in the Gulf Stream, while New York and Boston aren't, so be prepared for a change in weather!
• Most cruise lines do not permit you to carry alcohol on board due to customs regulations- but there are plenty of ways to get it on...shhh...

This is only a brief list of some helpful tips when packing for a cruise. Packing can be quite overwhelming so I recomend you keep a notebook by the side of your bed a couple months before the cruise and write down the necessities as you think of them. This will make packing less stressful and getting ready for the cruise a better time!!

Who Uses the Internet: MK299

Aside from sailing the ocean blue....I'm going to talk about who uses the internet based on a worldwide level for my Internet Marketing (MK299) class.

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Above, is the basic statistics of Internet Users (based on information gathered in December 2007). Before I read this article, I always thought that we used the internet the most, the United States. But then thinking about it, Asia is a groing economy full of technological advances and coming into the age of computers. But I was most definetly surprised to read that Europe (at 26.4%) was the second largest users. Europe has a whole is much larger than the United States, but we have a larger population I presumed of internet users.

Again to put it in words, Asia (38.7%) has the most internet users. Second is Europe and third is North America (18%). Others that follow include: Latin America/Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania/Australia.

Furthermore, this article gives sites that have more detailed information and basic statistics of the internet and its users. For more charts on internet users, feel free to visit this article, titled "Internet World Stats."

Carnival Cruise Line

As I mentioned before, cruising is like "camp for adults," there is always something to do or see or eat when you are on a cruise. The Carnival Cruise Line is especially exciting and full of adventure. Carnival is known for their "Fun Ships" as they call them, and their famous quote is - "A million ways to have fun."

The Carnival line started in 1972 and is headquartered in Miami, FL. Today they have 23 operating ships, soon to be 25. Carnival is known as the more reasonable cruise line and the average age is between 20-35. Carnival is the largest cruise line in the world, based on passengers carried.

Features of Carnival cruise ships include fitness facilities, on board spas, casinos, and duty-free shops. Other features include:

• The Signature Red, White, and Blue Funnel (located on the center of every ship)


• A Water Slide into the main pool


• 24-hour pizza & ice cream (also free!)


• Sushi Bar


• Camp Carnival (for the kiddies)

Activities include:

• Daily contests such as hairy chest contest, belly flop, and other Survivor-type challenges


• Demonstrations of towel folding (which you will find a different towel-shaped animal in your room every night), ice carving, etc...


• Galley tours, expert talks, and port lectures


• Gaming tournaments including poker, blackjack, bingo, slots, and trivia


• Fitness classes such as aerobics, yoga, spinning, kick-boxing, etc...


• Art auctions & wine tasting


• Buffets all around, including my favorite, the mid-night deck party buffet


• Nightly broadway style shows, comedians, and even late night "R" rated comedians (not for the kiddies)

...As you can tell, I can go on and on about all the activities on a Carnival Cruise. To learn more about the basics, please visit the Carnival website...

Welcome Aboard!

Welcome Aboard. I have created this blog to inform and entertain those that share the passion of cruising with me. I have been on only two cruises, but they were both wonderful and contained some of the best experiences.

As an introduction, this blog will include: the cruise lines, the cruise ships, the excursions, what first-time cruisers should expect, how to get the most out of a cruise, and my own personal experiences of the good and the bad many will encounter on a Caribbean Cruise.

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My First Cruise

My first cruise was in June 2005, on the Carnival Elation.
The Elation left out of Galveston, Texas and hit the Western Caribbean: Progresso, Cozumel, and Belize. 3 Great Places to stop with only 7 days - it went by way too fast. This trip consisted of my family - my father, mother, and 2 brothers. I will talk about the places we stopped, the excursions we experienced, and my overall experience of the Carnival Elation in later posts.


My Second Cruise

My second cruise was this past summer, August 2007 on the Carnival Miracle.
The Miracle left out of Manhattan, New York and hit the Eastern Caribbean: San Juan, St. Thomas, and Tortola. This cruise was 8 excellent days that also went by extremely fast. This trip consisted of my entire family - a total of 30 of us! I will also talk about the places we stopped, the excursions we experienced, and my overall experience of the Carnival Miracle in later posts.

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Again, I am so excited to tell everyone my experiences cruising and though I have only been on Carnival cruise ships, they are known as the "Fun Ships," and who doesn't want to have fun on vacation. For those who have never been on a cruise and have experienced the fun first hand, here is my summed up explanation of what a cruise is - "Camp for Adults."

Stay tuned for more excitement and as always:

~Thank You For Sailing with my Caribbean Cruising Blog~