
Understanding Cruise Ship Ranks
A reader recently asked me about where the crew eat onboard a cruise ship. As I started writing about this I realized that before I could answer that question I needed to explain how the rank system works. Which rank you have onboard directly corresponds to your job. The Captain has a higher rank thanContinue reading “Understanding Cruise Ship Ranks”

5 Reasons To Fly To The Ship Day(s) in Advance
I get it. You’re already taking a week off of work and vacation days are precious. You picked a cruise going out on a Sunday so you could fly out a day before the ship leaves. You’ve heard stories of people running to the ship, of flight delays and cancellations and you won’t let thatContinue reading “5 Reasons To Fly To The Ship Day(s) in Advance”

Pivot, Pivot, Pivot
Throughout this year I have been a little bit all over the place with my career aspirations. In typical 2020 fashion they have been crushed, filled with uncertainty, and through a fair bit of mental anguish are evolving. Let’s just say they’ve had to, “pivot”. (I’ve also re-watched the entirety of Friends, so there’s that).Continue reading “Pivot, Pivot, Pivot”

Your First Cruise Ship Contract: Getting to the Ship
While it might be a little while still before cruising on a large scale resumes, (although, with the vaccine(s) and CDC Conditional-Sail-Order, who knows!), I am optimistically looking towards the future. In that spirit, I am starting a new series about what someone might expect and experience on their first cruise ship contract. This oneContinue reading “Your First Cruise Ship Contract: Getting to the Ship”

What’s It Like in Scotland Right Now?
Aside from, “how are you guys doing?” by far the most common question I get when I talk to my friends and family at home is, “what’s it like in the UK right now?” They aren’t asking about the weather, although they do that sometimes, too. In case you’re wondering right now it’s about 54Continue reading “What’s It Like in Scotland Right Now?”

“Happily Ever After”
In this week’s installment of Romance At Sea we are going to talk about what happens next. The “Happily Ever After”. If you missed the first couple of weeks we had Dating On Board, taking a look at what dating on a cruise ship is like and the second week we talked about what itContinue reading ““Happily Ever After””

Coffee Cherries? Coffee Plantation Shore Excursion, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to find myself on a 30 day Incan Empires cruise – from San Diego down to Lima, Peru, and back up. One of our ports on the way back to San Diego was Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Puerto Quetzal is not far from the more famous Antigua,Continue reading “Coffee Cherries? Coffee Plantation Shore Excursion, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala”

Packing For Your First Cruise Ship Contract
It may seem an odd time to think about going to work on a cruise ship, but at some point cruises will come back and to make that happen they will need crew. While there will be many crew with years of experience there will also be new crew that don’t quite know what toContinue reading “Packing For Your First Cruise Ship Contract”

Living Together On a Cruise Ship
Continuing on with our journey of romance at sea, today we are going to talk about what happens once you decide you are a couple. In last weeks edition, “Dating On a Cruise Ship” we looked at what it was like when you first get those butterflies in your stomach. Today we’re going to lookContinue reading “Living Together On a Cruise Ship”

Accountability/Where Are We Going: October 2020
Happy almost Halloween. The extent of our Halloween festivities has been watching Halloween-ish movies. We watched The ‘Burb’s (ad) last night (available on Starz free trial), a lovely (relatively ridiculous) ’80’s flick starring Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher. We watched Ghostbusters and Hubie Halloween. And, as I am not that into Halloween (I think itContinue reading “Accountability/Where Are We Going: October 2020”

Dating on a Cruise Ship
Romance at sea. Watching the sun set over the ocean. The band lightly playing in the background as you watch the sky turn from blue to gold and into stars and shimmering moonlight. It’s a formal night and you are both dressed up. You just came from dinner where you had escargot and lobster. YouContinue reading “Dating on a Cruise Ship”

Why Are There Still Crew On Cruise Ships?
It may surprise people to learn that during the whole COVID cruise ship shut down, or more eloquently put by many a cruise line PR person “voluntary pause of global ship operations”, there have still been crew onboard the ships. Now, not all the crew by any stretch, but enough to fulfill what is knownContinue reading “Why Are There Still Crew On Cruise Ships?”

Just Keep Going
I am currently wrapping up another travel related quarantine and today has had the most dismal (and oh so stereotypically Scottish) weather. I have been doing all the things they say to do. I have been exercising, eating pretty well, and limiting my alcohol intake. I am journaling and starting my days off writing downContinue reading “Just Keep Going”

Traveling With A Food Allergy
Traveling with an allergy can be a challenge. As someone that has done it a lot I am here to tell you it doesn’t have to be what stops you from flying away – although right now COVID and/or COVID related travel restrictions might. There are times that it has been incredibly frustrating or challenging,Continue reading “Traveling With A Food Allergy”

Is A Luxury Cruise Really Worth It?
I grew up sailing in inside cabins on last minute deals, usually in the Caribbean – the logic was always that you could save the difference between that inside cabin and a balcony and use it towards another cruise. Thanks to that mindset I have been on quite a few cruises in my lifetime. However,Continue reading “Is A Luxury Cruise Really Worth It?”

Would You Go Back To Work Right Now?
I was chatting with one of my friends from cruise ship life the other day about the future of cruising. The future of cruising for us though isn’t just about when you can sail away to a tropical paradise again. For us it affects our work, our relationships, and so much of our futures. ThereContinue reading “Would You Go Back To Work Right Now?”

Life is Short
Someone once said very matter of fact, “It’s their birthday, so we have to go to the cemetery, because you have to go to the cemetery on their birthday.” To them it wasn’t just what they did to honor their family that had passed, it was What Was Done. It hit my gut like itContinue reading “Life is Short”

A Suite and a Sunset
Note: This post contains affiliate links that if you click on and then purchase I will make a small commission at no cost to you! I’ve been thinking about cruising a lot lately. Whether it’s because everyone is talking about the CDC extending the No Sail Order until the end of the month, the prospectContinue reading “A Suite and a Sunset”

Accountability/Where Are We Going: September 2020
Somehow another month has come and gone and it is time for this post. While I technically got a whole lot done this month (including climbing on several roofs… go figure), they weren’t necessarily things that were on my list. On the ship I seemed to do pretty well with these accountability goals, but onContinue reading “Accountability/Where Are We Going: September 2020”

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
Recently a friend asked if we lived near Manchester, Vermont (we don’t) and if we would like to meet her at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home (we would). So, to Manchester, Vermont and Hildene we went. I had only ever seen and heard of Hildene when we were looking at wedding venues a few yearsContinue reading “Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home”

Social Media Groups
There are all sorts of things wrong with social media, between how they use our data to how much time is spent mindlessly scrolling to the online bullying that so many young people experience being able to hide behind their screen. But, in this current crazy pandemic world I have found a few social mediaContinue reading “Social Media Groups”
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