Z'Loth

I carry my passport card with me at all times, and have my passport book and global entry card in a secure place until I travel. All have been scanned in and stored as a secure document on my mobile devices "just in case".

Any suggestions or events occurring in the FLL area on the weekend of January 6th-7th? I know about the Water Taxi.

Just for fun... since I haven't flown since last May... anyone have any smooth flight experiences in the past six months with little-to-no issues?

This week, I rake up leaves since I live in the South and there is no snow. Late next week, I leave for FLL to rake up some rays and some fun.

Twas the night before Christmas... and....

"6. You Want to Savor Your Destination" - That's part of the reason why I moved to the DFW area five years ago. I always looked as the cruise destinations as "samplers" for possible longer term trips, and DFW International is a good launching point for those destinations. Items beyond my control put the kibosh on some of those travel plans. "8. You'll Freak Without Internet" - As someone who makes their living on the Internet and having gigabit Internet at home, I am prepared to go without for ten days... even if that means I pre-download my movies and audiobooks to my mobile device. The world can survive without me for ten days. "9. You Don't Drink" - They have zero-proof drink packages available. I never could understand the appeal of alcohol. "12. You're Traveling Solo" - One of my main pain points.

This "zombie" uses his mobile device for such nonsense things as: Photographs and videos of their vacation. The photos gets uploaded when I'm hooked up to a WiFi spot in port. Airline ticket, especially checking in for their flight 24 hours in advance Checking my bank balances and any alerts, including clearing alerts for out of country travel Viewing the ship schedule through the cruise line app Checking up with my half-sister who is taking care of my 82 yo mother while I am vacationing. Having a secure copy of my passport card, passport book, global entry card, and drivers license "just in case" Using the parking function of Google Maps so that I know where the ship is "parked" when i go exploring around the port. Player of music that I have downloaded from my media server Player of audiobooks when lounging around the pool Player of videos when lounging around the pool Portable book reader when lounging around the pool That's the functionality of multiple devices that is combined into a single device. And, yes, I carry around my own headphones so that my personal experience doesn't bother others. I have no desire to go back to the "good old days" where the camera can only hold 36 pictures and you had to change the film, not to mention carrying around a CD player and multiple stacks of CDs. And, quite frankly, I'm more worried about the people who are concerned about which programming will be on their in-room television.

Bluetooth headsets and earbuds aren't that expensive, contrary to what the iFruit company wants you to believe. I have a set of TOZO A1 Mini Wireless Earbuds that cost just $20 that work great, and I carry around in my pocket. A noise cancelling version is just $40. While there are more expensive (and better) models out there, I just won't feel silly if they get "misplaced". You just have to go through the effort of "pairing" the headsets to your mobile device. For these headsets, it's just a matter of taking them out of the case which places them in pairing mode, then selecting them in the Bluetooth Add Device menu.

Does anyone know when they started putting televisions on cruise ships? I would not be surprised if the televisions were first introduced in the common areas such as bars before being put in passenger rooms.

What was the estimated age of these people? As far as I'm concerned, my mobile phone is a personal device, with emphasis on personal. It's amazing what communications and entertainment functionality has been combined in a single device, yet, some of the audiobooks that I listen to (because they are dealing with true crime) can leave a wrong impression because the section of audio was taken out of context. Yet, I have tried, without success, to get my 82yo mother to use a Bluetooth headset when out and about. Same person who says that "I need to have more consideration of others" even though I wear headset myself. She isn't hesitant to pull the headset away from my ear to tell me something.

Wasn't this a land crossing between Alaska and Canada? If so, then the passport card in my wallet would work just fine for this expedition while my passport lives in the ship safe.

I don't wear a watch, therefore I rely on my mobile device for the time keeping in mind possible offsets between shore time and ship time. As for during the vacation, my mobile device comes in handy for: Camera - For photographic proof of my adventures. Google Maps, including the offline map mode and the parking function so that you can set where the ship is parked and be able to get back to it. The airlines app for the flights you are taking. It also doubles for the in-flight entertainment. The hotel app for the hotel you are staying at because some of them also double as your room key. The airport apps for both your home airport and your destination airport The password app that I use, 1Password, includes a feature which allows me to securely store documents such as backup scans of my password card and book, drivers license, social security, and global entry card. Knowing how to use the download and offline modes of my entertainment apps (audiobook, music, television, movies, books) so that I'm entertained while waiting at the airport, on the flight, or when lounging at the pool on a sea day. My downloaded programming certainly beats CruiseTV, and it gets me out of my cabin. Banking apps... just in case my credit card provider alerts me of a suspicious charge. And, yes, I do carry along additional cables and headsets including a set of budget-priced earbuds and a nice set of noise-cancelling headsets.

My last cruise was in September, 2018. Since then, I've had jury duty (2018), was laid off (late 2018), took on a new internal position and moved to Texas (beginning of 2019), purchased a home (2019), the pandemic (2020-2022), and became an adult caregiver while working from home (again!) (2022 to present) resulting in the cancellation of a long-awaited in late September, 2022. My next cruise is planned for January 2024, and then we'll see. In order to take my cruise, I paying for the flight so that my half-sister (retired nurse) can take care of my mother and I get a break.

If you are wondering WHY surge protectors are prohibited on marine vessels, see this PDF from the United States Coast Guard. Essentially, the outlets are wired so that each of the two slots are 60v on each blade in a DELTA configuration while the ground outlets have 120v on one blade and 0v (essentially "ground") on the other blade in a WYE configuration. Surge protectors are designed for land use where, if the protector goes off, it dumps the voltage to the ground blade. If you need to plug multiple devices, you should look at a power splitter cord instead of a surge protector. Alternatively, if you need to charge multiple devices, check out this multiport charging station with rapid charging ports. This particular model works with both 120v and 240v with the proper cable.

No, Global Entry is the best thing EVER! And, it's because TSA Precheck is included. The bad part is that the pre-existing TSA Precheck can't be applied to a Global Entry application.

Lets see here... Rarely have used room service. I would much rather get out of bed, walk, and have the breakfast buffet. In fact, during my last cruise, because there was a Indian presence, I got to try out of some Indian breakfast foods at the breakfast buffet. Never drink coffee. Rarely go to the casino. If I want to lose my money, I can go up to the world's largest casino (in terms of floor space) at Thackerville, OK. Never purchased anything on the on-board art auctions. Rarely have a alcohol drink. I prefer the no-proof drink package. Rarely watch television in my room. I prefer to download the media to my tablet or phone and watch it poolside with some headphones or earbuds.

Yup, solo traveler here, and having to settle for a Oceanview cabin or a Inside Cave. But, then again, I have no need to coordinate with a travel partner which does take some stress out of travel.

Wouldn't the "Change Fee Coverage" or "Trip Interruption Coverage" as part of travel insurance help in a situation like this where you missed your 11:30 AM flight because the ship was late in docking and subsequent disembarkation?

May I salute my fellow teetotalers who don't drink alcohol and choose the no-proof package?

Personally, I would wear the clothing that I will be walking off the ship with while packing my luggage and putting it outside my room. That way, I don't have a unwanted surprise the next morning.

My go-to tool for flights is Kayak, but I also put in the dates and restrictions on that flight (e.g. flying in the day before the cruise at a minimum, absolutely no return flight before 11 AM).

This gentleman is around, just having to put out fires at work, so he is lurking at the moment. Is it January yet? My cruise is coming up in January. Also, I'm not exactly a new cruiser around here. Maybe I should have used a different word than "rude". There are a bunch of alternatives available. Barbaric? Uncultured? It's about the same as everyone milling around waiting for the MDR doors to open, with the visions of an old Mervyns store commercial dancing in my head... "OpenOpenOpen". And, for what? An extra minute or two to stare at the menu while the hard-working wait staff is scurrying around to fill everyone's water glass? Now, lets get something perfectly clear, especially to those who are on Lombardi time... what's the point when you are on vacation? For goodness sakes, relax, but be respectful. There are several points where timing is critical, such as boarding a plane, checking on board ship, or returning to the ship on time after a shore day. And, yes, entering the theater... any theater... when the show has already started isn't a good idea either, but usually the ship's theater opens up a few minutes prior to the show. And, being "fashionably late" to make that unwanted-yet-annoying "grand entrance" while your table mates have been wondering where you have been for the past fifteen minutes is bad manners. Punctuality is a good thing in business. Even then, because people are booked in back-to-back meetings that tend to run over, meetings start a few minutes late. I try to be respectful of peoples time and end my meetings at 1 minute early.

The determining factors should be in this order: Itinerary Cruise line Ship I have never taken a cruise that was shorter than seven days. Some of the shorter itineraries have the reputation of being party and booze cruises which does NOT appeal to me. Also, the cruise lines tend to cater to specific demographics. Royal Carribean, Carnival, and Disney all cater to families, and unfortunately, some parents tend to take a vacation from parenting. Celebrity caters to a more mature audience. During my September, 2018 Carribean cruise, there was a total of six children on board. Not knowing if you are from the states, Europe, or asia, it's kinda hard to make suggestions at this point.

In checking Kayak, July 21st is flagged as a "Red" date for airline pricing, and it appears that some of the one-stop flights are cheaper than the non-stops. Still, sticker shock. Doesn't AA have an agreement with British Airways for points and such?