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Your heart is in the right place. No doubt about that. But most of those cruise ship employees know what they are signing up for. They are making far more money then they would back in the home country & they decide its' worth the sacrifice. And once the contract is up, most will resign to stay on. For years. Some are supporting family back home, some are saving to buy a house and others are just stock piling money so they can live a comfortable life once they quit the cruise ship industry. Remember, they also have minimal expenses during that 8 months contact. And that's' their choice. To be clear, i could never do it, even in my young and careless days. But that's my choice.

Do you buy your employees clothing to wear to work and pay for laundry? 😉 I'm kidding of course. I'm on the same page as you. The only thing I can think of is that cruising - more than any other vacation destination - the crew members treat the passengers like BFF's and family. And most passengers respond in kind. You see it all the time here on CC. "Say hi to my favorite bartender/server/cabin attendant Tell them that <*insert name here *> misses them". Or "I can't wait to get back on my favorite ship & give my cabin attendant toys to give to their children". And all that is wonderful and nice and the world needs more niceness. And I'm sure much of it is sincere. But let's be clear - they are being paid to be nice. I doubt I will be invited to their kids wedding & I doubt they will be attending my kids wedding. BFF's we are not. Once I'm off the ship, there is another BFF taking my place. I know it sounds cynical and I'm sure someone that cruises 36+ weeks a year is going to tell me how wrong I am. But that's the only logical explanation I can come with as to why so many take a vested interest in the employer-employee relationship on cruise ships. My mailman, deli clerk and local highway department has more of an impact on my life & I don't go asking them about their pay & benefits. I doubt many do. JMHO, YMMV, etc, etc, etc.

Is it any good? I've seen advertisements for Ghost UK. Probably imported the show to fill the gap due to the writers strike. Seems to have pushed a lot of shows back 6-12 months.

Sadly, yes it did. But I think you got all of your valid points across. 👍

This has to be the most useful piece of advice I have seen on Cruise Critic in the history of Cruise Critic! Thank you.

Of course! Some one had to make it! 😀

No towel animal? However, chocolate is better. Can't eat a towel animal. 😉

Give yourself some credit. That is a pretty aggressive list, not for the faint-of-heart. Not to brag, but I love to drink, especially when on vacation. And I might need 2-5 or more cruises to complete that list.

Reply has been posted. Let the countdown begin to the fairy dust sprinkle, thread lock or monopoly.

Considering the overall price of a vacation, the bag fee is really negligible. Nickles & dimes actually. Two less drinks during the entire cruise more than makes up for it. Another non-issue. The wait at the luggage carousel is only a matter of minutes. & by the time I have my luggage, the lines for taxi/car rental/hotel shuttle have died down so it's really a wash. Lost luggage has never been an issue. My biggest suitcase fits nicely under the bad. No clutter. I'm an over-packer but I end up using everything I pack. Sometimes I sweat so much, I need to change my shirt. Or I spilled food or drinks or both on my lap. Dirtied or muddied my footwear while on excursions. Or any other unforeseen circumstances where if you just "pack enough", it's not enough. Same. Except I pull the suitcase out from under the bed. But you might have me on this one as it does require some extra effort to pull the bag out, unzip, re-zip and push it back under the bed. But that's my version of working out. 😀 I'm last off the ship. Always. To recap, the Tips/Tricks/Hacks that people share are just that. Tips that work for them and people are free to choose what works for them. There is no right or wrong. It's not a competition. 🙂

When I have more time, maybe I post a reply. I wasn't kidding when I said Renee wrote exactly I was thinking. I won't be able to duplicate Renee's style but maybe the spirit of her gone-to-soon post.

Someone is extremely proud & very passionate about packing lightly and smartly fitting everything they need in life in a small carry-on. 😉 Too bad they are not as economical in the amount of words they use in a post as they are with the amount of clothing they pack.😄 Sadly, fairy dust has been sprinkled & posts have poofed.

Sure, although I will be charging a premium for the "Lighthouse" view. 😈

50 & light drizzle here in NY. Not a snowflake in sight in the 10 day forecast.

+1 @ReneeFLL said everything I was thinking but was afraid to write. LOL. And you were right, a general, helpful tips/tricks/hacks thread should be just that, people sharing what works for them. There is no right or wrong. Why that certain person felt the need to turn it into a competitive sport is beyond me but I've seen them do it on other threads as well. Always right & needing to get the last word in. *sigh*, I guess not everyone can be as wonderful as us. 😀😉😇 . And kudo's to you for sticking to your guns in a very diplomatic way.

I like the way you think.

Reading the various posts about different cable companies dropping major networks has pushed me even closer to cutting the cord. I've been think about it for a year now, maybe even longer And as much as I wanted to get away from Verizon Wireless service, they actually have some good deals where you can get discounts on Verizon Internet service & also bundle streaming services together for even bigger savings, such as Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ or MAX/Netflix. Granted, they are the basic service with commercials but still can add up to significant monthly savings. And just got a email from Amazon that starting end of Jan, they will be adding commercials to Prime service. Unless I want to upgrade for $2.99 a month. 😡

Maybe we should get a little group wager going. What will there be more of after 274 days? New babies born or divorces? 😄 Or make it a Super Bowl like pool and pick a number of each!

While Christmas Day has passed, it's still the Christmas Season so watching Christmas movies is still okay. Just watched "The Main Who Invented Christmas" on Prime & found it not only enjoyable but also very interesting. It's the a semi-true, semi-fantasy story of how Charles Dickens wrote " A Christmas Carol". The fantasy part refers what went thru Dickens mind as he was struggling to write the book in record time but many of the facts in the movie are true, at least according to the rabbit hole of websites I fell into last night looking up all the details of his life. 😛

Thanks. How do you like the area? I did a post-cruise stay in Pompano Beach a few years ago. Stayed at a beachfront hotel aptly named The Beachcomber. I remember liking the area, quiet enough to relax but the "action" was just a short drive away. On my list of possible retirement areas.

Shopping for leopard print apparel? Spicy! 😈 Joking 😉😇

Thanks! Which reminds me to check in on the World Cruise thread. I stopped following it after a few days as it seemed like a "regular" Caribbean cruise. I figured I check back in once they start reaching some of the more exotic, unique destinations.

You probably mentioned it several times but where are you staying? Rental home, right? As much as I love cruising, camping, glizty casino hotels, this seems like perfection to me. Can you adopt me?

Dad jokes within dad jokes. That's got to be worth double points. 😄

Perfect trifecta. Three Dad jokes in one.