For our upcoming cruise on the Ovation of the Seas, we purchased the non-alcoholic refreshment beverage package and the Unlimited Dining Package. Then one night, around 2:00 am I started wondering about gratuities for the waitstaff and bartenders (or baristas) and how much money I should expect to pay in tips. Should I just…

Approximately 37.3 million or 1 in 10 Americans lives with Type 2 Diabetes, including Warrior One (Brad). Next week marks the third cruise we have taken since the diagnosis. We’ve learned a lot on the last two cruises we have taken, one on Royal’s Allure of the Seas and one on Norwegian’s Encore.  I can…

  Not everyone who cruises is independently wealthy. I would posit, in fact, that most of us sacrifice at least a little in order to enjoy vacationing on the high seas. As I like alliteration as much as the next writer, this will be the first in a series I am calling, Thrifty Thursdays for…

  Contingency Plans Travel isn’t nearly as much fun as it used to be. Looking back on it, I don’t really remember a time when it was fun. It may have been less stressful but getting from point A to point B is the worst part of any cruise for me. With the current state…

Pre-Cruise Pre-Cruise Dieting I think we can file this post under #unpopularopinion. I did a quick search for pre-cruise diets or “What’s the best way to lose weight before a cruise?” I found all kinds of diets and ideas on how to lose weight quickly. As a fluffy cruiser, I can tell you that I…

  For the past week or so, I have been making a list of things that I think we will need for our Alaskan Cruise. We have been on a few Caribbean Cruises, but this is the first time we are headed up north. While Alaska has been on my bucket list for years, I…

  A couple of weeks ago, a prominent cruise creator published a video questioning whether or not people should take children cruising during the cruise restart. It was, I believe, based on someone’s post who had recently cruised with MSC, a cruise line I know very little about. The poster complained that their children were…

  Test Results It’s official! We are both Covid-19 free and we have the paperwork to prove it. The process wasn’t as traumatic as I believed it would be. I mean, it’s just not pleasant to have a swab stuck up your nose, no matter if you are doing it or a tech is doing…

  It’s been a tough go for the cruise industry. Eighteen months ago, the industry basically shut down. Many of us have endured multiple cruise cancellations and have stories, tinged with frustration of being kept apart from our favorite activity on the face of the earth. It’s taken quite a lot of effort to get…

   Testing, testing, testing. Can everybody hear me? This is only a test. In the event of an actual emergency… So, scheduling/getting a Covid test in our area has not been as easy as we had hoped it would be. Truth be told, it has been a Royal pain. Don’t misunderstand me, I think that pre-cruise testing…