CRUISE JEWELRY

Just a word about jewelry…  Ladies: go get a “Leather Jewelry Roll”.  See the Link in the Favorite Links list at the right.  It is a very inexpensive, convenient, and secure method for traveling with your jewelry.  

What about your “expensive” jewelry?  Take it?  Leave it at home?  Which?  The short answer is: It is a personal choice.  Each person will have different feelings about this matter.  It would be my suggestion that you take nothing with you that is “so” valuable that you will spend your vacation “worrying” about it.  Your vacation is a time to relax and enjoy yourself, not to worry about your “valuables”. 

However, there will be a safe in your cabin in which you can keep your “stuff”.  I always keep Passports, my wallet, watches, Joni’s jewelry, etc. in this room safe.  I have never lost anything.  That is not to say that it couldn’t happen, but my experience has always been a good one.

When you get on the ship, you will be given a card that is both your I.D. and it is linked to your Ship Account.  While I am on the ship, this is the only thing I carry.  Everything else goes into the cabin safe.  Simple, easy, done. 

FINAL PREPS: PART III - WARDROBE

Now is also the time to get all the dry cleaning, laundry, and alteration services taken care of.  With just a few weeks remaining, get out the clothes which you plan to take on your vacation.  Let’s be honest…  Ladies:  When was the last time you wore that beautiful sequined gown?  5 years ago?  25 pounds ago?  I mean 25 pounds “more” ago, of course.  Guys: How ‘bout those plaid dress slacks.  You know… the pair that you have worn since your cousin Gary got married to his third wife.  It is time to donate that pair of pants to your local Thespian Club for their costume department, and go out to the Mall and buy a new pair of trousers!!!

I tend to think that most people do indeed over pack for a cruise.  You don't necessarily need a lot of clothes.  You do however need the right clothes.  I tend to split up the wardrobe needs into two basic groups: daytime and nighttime.  A third category would be beachwear.  If you think in these terms, you are going to be in pretty good shape.  And don't forget that you can get your laundry done while on the ship.  Some ships have a self-serve coin operated laundry area.  And of course, if you really want to live in up, you can easily get your clothes cleaned by the Valet Service.  However, this may not be "fast".

 

Personally, I like my dress shirts professionally laundered, ironed, and heavy starched for a cruise.  Take a moment and think about this…  A cruise should be a special event.  It should be the exception to the normal routines of life.  You’ve paid a lot of money for your cruise, yes?  Then why not pay the few extra dollars to get your shirts done “right”.  Again… stop and think about it: The last thing I need to be doing, or worse yet have Joni doing, during the last few days, is standing around ironing shirts.  Let the local Dry Cleaner / Laundry Service take care of this for you.  Remember my favorite ZZ Top song?   What is it that every girl is crazy about?

Also… ladies: Get those beautiful gowns out of the closet, check them out, make sure they fit, and get them dry cleaned if necessary.  Make sure that you have all the accessories you need for each outfit.  This might be a fun time to go to your local “Charming Charlie” and pick out something bright and new to accent your cruise wardrobe.  

Here's another trick for the ladies.  Order $500 in new swimwear from your favorite online source.  Land's End is a great source.  Venus Swimwear is another.  Try it all on in the privacy of your own home, keep one or two that you really like, and return the rest.  Easy, convenient, and you are ready to go.  

Shoes is where it can get a little crazy at our house.  We always have to one piece of luggage exclusively for shoes...  By the time we have shoes for the beach / pool (flip-flops), walking / casual, fitness center, dress shoes, dancing shoes... it can get to be A LOT OF SHOES!!! 

Check the Favorite Links list at the right side of the page.

SUNSCREENS... LET'S TALK SUNSCREENS

If you have not yet read the post “Hats”, you might want to read it first.  O.K., now you’re up to date.  Let’s talk sunscreens; “serious” sunscreens.

Here is my recommendation (and the recommendation of my Dermatologist): Neutrogena Ultra Sheer 100+ SPF with Helioplex.  I have used it extensively on my face and ears.  It is not oily / greasy.  If you are careful how you apply it, it does not leave a white residue.  I use it everyday and it causes me absolutely NO skin issues.  And… best of all… it provides great protection.  I am not saying that because of its ridiculously high SPF of 100+, but because I have used it in intense Caribbean conditions and have experienced “no tanning / burning” whatsoever.  My opinion about the effectiveness of this sunscreen is not a scientific opinion, but my “on the beach” experience.  Another “plus” is that it can be found just about anywhere that sunscreens are sold.  I typically get mine at my local Target store.


There are a couple of other sunscreen products that I would like to try, but have not yet had the opportunity to do so.  They are products that are not available in the U.S., as they are not approved by the FDA.  As a result you will need to purchase them online from sources outside the U.S.  My research indicates that the unique ingredient, which the FDA doesn’t like, is Mexoryl XL and Mexoryl SX.  These ingredients do not necessarily provide more protection, but longer protection.  That is to say, you need to reapply it less often.  This, of course, makes it more convenient and as a consequence it may then provide better protection.  Also, these sunscreens have been used for almost 20 yrs. in Canada, Europe, and other places around the world, and have been found to be very safe.

One of these products is a L’Oreal product, Ombrelle Face Ultra-Light Cream SPF 60.  However it is very hard to find.  There is another product, Anthelios, which may be easier to obtain.  I will keep my eye open for these products while in the Islands.  A quick stop at a local Pharmacy might prove worthwhile.  I will post here if I am successful.

Here is a link:
https://www.pharmacymix.com/selecting_anthelios_and_mexoryl_sunscreen.htm

FINAL PREPS: PT II - MOTION SICKNESS

Nothing can ruin a day quicker than becoming “motion sick”.  Being at sea is a “moving” experience.  This can be a wonderful experience or it can be a nightmare.  The gentle motion of moving across the water can be as relaxing as a porch swing, or it can be a wild, rolling, rocking, “knock you off your feet” ride you won’t soon forget.

Joni's choice...

Joni highly recommends “Bonine” for motion sickness.  It is a great “non-drowsy” formula that works really well.  Joni takes one of these each morning and she is good the rest of the day.  I would recommend that you don’t wait until you think you need it, by then it is most likely too late.  If you know that you are susceptible to motion sickness, then stay ahead of it.

There are an assortment of other remedies available, both prescription and OTC.   Obviously, if you are really concerned about this matter, or you have some personal reason that could give you cause for worry, speak with your Physician.  However, for the vast majority of people, I would suspect that OTC solutions should do just fine.  

You can even obtain helps and remedies while on the ship.  However, why not just take care of it ahead of time.  There are ample things about your cruise which can have the potential for being a bother, and of which you have very little control; everything from standing in a long buffet line, to an evening show that wasn't 

to your liking.  With this in mind why not fix / prevent the issues which are in your power to do so.

One last suggestion: eat!  I remember back in 1985 on our first cruise, Joni was experiencing some minor discomfort due to motion sickness.  One of the ship’s crew members noticed and offered the following suggestion.  “Eat something.”  As counter-intuitive as this sounds, it actually works very well.  A small sandwich or even just a piece of bread or pastry sometimes is all it takes.  And... the good news is that on your cruise you will never have to worry about having an empty stomach.

FINAL PREPS: PT. I

We are now in the “Final Preps” stage – the 14-21 days window.  Much of what we do now relates to packing.  If you have waited until now to take care of Passports and such, you probably are not going on your Cruise.  So… let’s assume that you have your Passport and your Cruise documents in order; now what?

This is the Fun Time… well, that may not be quite right.  The real “fun” begins when you get on the ship.  But it is still a lot of fun now because  you are at the point where you think about the Cruise almost constantly.  The cares of work are really beginning to fade.  Thoughts of the smell of the salt breeze in the air are vaporizing the hassles and routines of your daily responsibilities. 

Perhaps a better term for this time is “The Hectic Fun Time”.  Let’s take a quick look at what a veteran cruiser is doing during these final few days before he sets sail.  I am going to post these tips in a couple of installments, of which this will be the first.

"DO NOT WAIT"

Double check that you have ALL prescription meds filled.  DO NO WAIT until the day before your departure to get those prescriptions filled.  It is not a bad idea to have a written list of all your prescriptions – names (both brand and generic names) and dosages.  In some cases, I might even suggest that you obtain this list on a letterhead from your Physician’s office.  Keep this list with your cruise docs.   Also, make sure you have enough prescription meds packed to last several days beyond the your scheduled return home.  Getting stranded on some Caribbean island, or even at sea, or in an airport terminal, and running out of critical medications would NOT be a good thing.  

"Don't leave home without it..."

While we are talking prescriptions, let’s talk glasses and/or contacts.  Make certain that you have back-ups.  If you wear glasses, take a back-up pair.  I never throw away my old prescription glasses just for this reason.  If you wear contacts, make certain that you have plenty of supplies.

Let’s talk for a moment about OTC meds… Ibuprofen, Imodium (I never leave home without this), Gas-X, Zantac are a good beginning.  Most of these types of meds can be purchased in a “blister pack” form.  I “highly” recommend this method.  Give an emphasis to “stomach / digestion” aids.  A cruise will “test” this part of your body in ways you might not have imagined.  Having lunch at an romantic Island Café may be wonderful as it is happening; but, it may be a nightmare a few hours later.  Be prepared.  Eating 13 meals each day may sound wonderful, but your body might think otherwise.  I always pack digestion aids; a bottle of digestive enzymes, and even a small bottle of Bean-o are great on cruises.

GREAT ADVENTURES

Everyone should have something to which they are looking forward with excitement.  It really is a pretty simple plan.  Life, and I do mean every life, has the tendency toward boredom.   And every life, even the lives of those who don’t generally require a lot of excitement, needs to be able to pull themselves out of the tedium of their daily routine.  Life should have planned adventures.

Don’t misunderstand, having a routine is a good thing.  It gives us a predictable steadiness that can provide a sense of purpose.  I have a reason to get up in the morning.  The world needs me.  Routines are not bad.  However, nothing can energize a routine quite like breaking it.  The challenges provided by the unexpected moments in life are wonderful for engaging our sense of wonder and awe.

A planned adventure has two components.  One is the months of expectation which fill us with hope.  And the second is the anticipation that a planned adventure may very well deliver unplanned delights.

Lucky for us all there exists a perfect opportunity for all of us to experience the unexpected in a somewhat controlled and expected way.  There is a manner by which we can actually plan for the unplanned.  It is called a “vacation”.  Everyone needs a vacation.

Now I realize that there are going to be those who would reject such an all-inclusive sort of statement.  There are those who would say that some people are perfectly content with their simple, boring, tedious life.  They would argue that their Uncle George, who hasn’t had a vacation in the last 44 years, is the perfect example.  Not only does Uncle George not want to go on a vacation, but there is not a living soul that knows Uncle George that would want for him to come on vacation with them.  But I would argue that Uncle George doesn’t prove a thing.  Uncle George cannot know what he doesn’t know.

I hear you.  You would remind me of his one and only vaction.  Uncle George went on vacation in 1970.  His transportation: an AMC Gremlin hatchback.  His destination: Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.  His lodging: Motel 6.  His companions: his wife and 2 children.  That was his LAST vacation.

O.K.  Perhaps you are correct.  Uncle George may be permanently disconsolate when it comes to vacations.  But… everyone else NEEDS a vacation for which they can be planning.  Everyone else needs to know that their routine is about to come undone.  Sad is the man who has only two things to look forward to: the monotony of his daily life… and death.

We need to be planning our summer flower gardens.  We need to be planning an Anniversary party for our parents.  We need to be planning that kitchen remodel.  We need to be planning a vacation.  We need to be planning for dancing with our daughter at her Wedding.  Everyone needs to be planning an adventure.  And a romantic overnight stay at a Holiday Inn, though not a bad idea, is NOT what I’m talking about.  Life, if lived at it’s best, is an adventure.  We need to have a life that is bigger than ourselves.  We need a comfortable vacation that gets us out of our comfort zone.  We need to be taking things OFF our Bucket List.

Which brings me to my conclusion.  Everyone of us is terminal.  I never want to have an empty Bucket List.   I want to constantly be crossing adventures off and adding new ones.  The number on cause of death is living.  And the truth is… we all get to choose when we die.  Jesus himself said as much when he said, “Let the dead bury their dead.”  

Those that choose to live their lives without adventures have already died.  I, on the other hand, want to wring as much adventure as possible out of the few years I have.  I want to live, I mean really live, right up to the very end.  And then I want to be able to look back, salute everyone remaining here, bid you all, “Adieu”… then turn back around, and with absolute confidence, begin the greatest adventure of all, with a smile on my face and no regrets in my heart.

We set sail in less than a month.  I will post about "packing" in a few days.

HOW 'BOUT A LITTLE SALSA? Dancin' that is; not eating.

I've had my eye on this place for about a month now.  If I am looking for a place to experience the most authentic Salsa as possible (and I am), the Nuyorican Café is probably a really good choice.  http://www.nuyoricancafepr.com/



https://www.facebook.com/nuyoricancafe

When I travel, I always attempt to connect with the "local" flavor.   Not just the tastes, but the styles as well.   The birthplace of Salsa is NYC during the 1960's.  Its parents however come from both Cuba and Puerto Rico.  The dance returned to the Islands where it flourished.  The Nuyorican Café in Old San Juan seems to be one of those places.

I have talked with those who have been in San Juan, and also have read the online reviews.  It seems that the party really doesn't even begin 'till about 11pm.  And our whole point in arriving a day before our Cruise begins is so that we can be rested up and not be travel weary when the ship leaves port. A late night trip to a Salsa club could seriously interfere with that plan. So... I still have not decided.

Whether or not we end up at the Nuyorican will depend upon how our time at the Plaza de Mercado de Santurce goes earlier that evening.  We shall see...