Jan

28

Cruisin’

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The hubby and I just got back from my (not his) first cruise ever, a 3-day trip to two islands of the Bahamas.  Now, the Discount Princess does not do well with motion, the prime reason that shipI haven’t ventured on a cruise ship before.  The second reason is that there are SO MANY agents that promise the lowest prices that one is never sure that they’ve gotten the best value for their money, and one of the basic tenets of my life is always knowing that.  That aside though, after four years of living here in South Florida, I had yet to experience the rolling of the sea and the stuffing of the food that is cruising. So, armed with info from a few different lines, I set forth to find a long weekend cruise at a fabulous price to test the waters (pun absolutely intended).

First I checked a friend’s website, and found a trip that fit the bill:  three nights, leaving from Miami on a Friday, returning on Monday morning, two different islands, and a room with a balcony, which usually jacks up the price substantially, for a total with fees and all of $612 for the two of us.  No other balcony room came close, so I booked it.  Two days later, I received a notice that my debit card had been rejected.  No reason, no response, except when I attempted to rebook, the price had become $712.  Usually, just on principle, I would refuse to do business with that agent or company again.  But that balcony kept drawing me back.  

A few calls later, I had reserved the same cabin, but with some urging I was able to received $105 in shipboard credits.  This paid for our gratuities as well as a surcharge for dining in the fabulous specialty restaurant, a steak house where my husband’s request for both a sirloin and a filet mignon was met with a gracious smile and a larger plate.  
 

The one financial drawback that I found on the ship is that, except for a welcoming glass of champagne and occasional tastings,  liquor is not included in the cost of your cruise. We are not big drinkers so it didn’t really affect us too much, but at almost $10 a pop, heavy drinkers could easily rack up a hefty liquor bill.  And there’s no was around it, except sneaking it in in water bottles or flasks.

We had a wonderful time, and we are spoiled — we could not imagine now a cruise without a balcony, listing to the waves lap again the ship as we drifted off to a deep, salt air filled sleep.

 Check back here for a few companies that offer discounted cruising, and for more personal reviews.  To read how to drink for less, click here.

By the way, motion sickness meds are available 24/7 at the reception desk, and except for a few swells, I hardly felt the motion at all.

Jan

20

Inauguration Kicks Off Free Cosmetics Week!

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What an amazing day! The start of a new American era.  I was moved and inspired by the speech and people, reading comments on Facebook and hearing my many friends from foreign countries saying they were so happy and proud to be American.  As I am too.

CosmeticsJust when I was thinking that nothing could outdo my joy at the day’s events, I was happily surprised to find an email with More Great News.  Due to some kind of class action settlement with the cosmetics industry, starting today you can go to most any major department store and receive a FREE sample of some really good stuff!

You can get the detail at this very cute blog called Make Me Brighter, which talks about make-up and sometimes finds neat giveaways, as you can see.  Free samples are limited to one per person only as long as supplies last, so jump on this one right away.