Beginner Cruise Ship Travel Tips & Advice

Few beginner cruise ship travel tips from Myself, Talin

Cruises are a special and unique way to travel to see the world in not just one port of call, but several while sailing on the oceans and seas of the world. You can just about cruise anywhere in the world as long as its close to a massive body of water. You can travel to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Europe, Mediterranean, Asia, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Transatlantic, Pacific, Africa, Australia, Alaska, and many other areas. Cruise ships vary in sizes to small to hugely massive vessel’s. You can also do river cruises but with smaller vessels that can fit on river waters.

If you have never been on a cruise and would like to try it, I am here for you. having been on 5 cruise ships is so amazing and a great experience that I think you really need to try. Do not listen so much to media and negativity. Also, never think of the Titanic as that was over 100 years ago and technology was slim to none back in those days and they weren’t prepared. Cruises have come a very long way, and better built and excellent engineering. You barely even feel these vessels sailing because of how massive they are. Stabilizers are there for a reason. 🙂

Here are some beginner tips to get you on your way:

1. Choose where you would like to travel in the world and then begin searching for cruises aiming to those ports of call or if you want to choose a random cruise, that is fine too.

2. Look up cruise lines and check out the ships, deck plans and what they offer. Research is key to the kind of cruise ship you like, whether you like small, medium, large or huge size ships, but I would go for the huge and large ships which they offer more areas of relaxation, fun, restaurants, spa, gym areas and more.

3. Usually cruises just come as cruise only with no airfare included, but there still are packages where you can combine the two which is more beneficial and efficient.

4. cruises often sell drink voucher packages which include soft drinks, specialty coffees, alcohol and smoothie drinks. Each cruise line offers different things, you can buy those in advanced when you plan your cruise and sometimes you can get it onboard, but why waste time on the ship when you can get them beforehand? The drink voucher packages will then be sent to your room with your room steward who will make sure you receive them.

5. Every cruise line requires you to check in way before your cruise vacation online. You have to enter in your personal information, passport ID, booking number, confirmation numbers, and all information must be correct and your name must match your passport. This is all due to security, and so they can prepare on their end so that when you arrive for your cruise, check-in will be a breeze and you can get on your ship quickly.

6. Heading to your cruise embarkation point to get on your ship is super easy. You can call a taxi, uber, or sometimes bus transfers from the airport are included, depending on your cruise package. Some people drive too, and there are designated parking areas near the cruise embarkation point.

7. Baggage handling is super easy. submit your baggage that will go to your room. when you print out your baggage labels from the cruise line, your room number and your name will be on it. attach them when you arrive at the port or at the airport there, and then give your baggage to the personnel and they will handle it. They will bring them outside of your room upon check-in. So no need to haul them around with you. It is the same as check out and disembarkation, but you have to give your baggage the night before and put it outside of your room before a certain time, and then you will see your baggage at disembarkation off the ship in a room full of luggage.

8. All documents, cruise embarkation tickets and vouchers must be printed on paper to be allowed to be checked in onboard. Do not use your phone as most of the time will not accept electronic tickets. they need the actual physical paper.

9. All baggage will be screened before getting on the ship and each port you must be checked along with your bags due to security and safety.

10. Safety mustering and lifeboat/life jacket drills are mandatory and everyone’s cruise card will be checked and you must attend. If you do not attend, the cruise crew will send a note to your room that you did not attend and they will look for you. It is for safety after all.

11. Your cruise card is your credit card onboard as nowhere takes cash, and it is also your embarkation, and disembarkation card to ports of call, also you must show the card at your ports of call and bring extra ID like a passport, drivers licence with you to destinations that require it because security will not allow you around the cruise port without those ID’s and your cruise card. DO NOT lose your cruise card. If you do, you must visit the reception/pursers desk to issue a new one. sometimes they do charge for it. depending on the cruise line. So always take care of your stuff and don’t lose it.

Other information, please contact me.

Thank you.

#Chairgirl – Chair Tosser — Marcella Zoia Social Media and the virtual consequences.

As you may or may not have heard, something really bizarre, and pathetic happened a couple of days ago in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in Downtown and it is just something that is unbelievable, but believable in this day in age of social media. It is absolutely mind boggling of what has been happening in the digital age and where anything and everything happens. Well, anyways here is what happened.

19-year-old Marcella Zoia was filmed throwing a chair down from 20 or more floors up from a condo balcony onto the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto. The person filming her is just as guilty. She surrendered to police on Wednesday, Feb 13, and she made bail for $2000 and is ordered to stay with her mother. Her court date is set for sometime in March. She came out all glamorous, playing with her hair, smiling and loving all the publicity and attention, but little does she know that what she did was absolutely stupid and disgusting. She could have really hurt someone or killed somebody for her actions and she just takes it lightly and out of the police station she goes. Just to get famous, she had to do something absolutely absurd and ridiculous.

She needs to do some time behind bars and to learn her lesson. A slap on the wrist and a fine is nothing. She needs to really get her priorities straight. Brainless. She has been charged for Mischief.

Looks like she is in Hollywood at a celebrity event where the paparazzi video and take pictures of her. She really enjoyed it. Plus the bonus is, she goes to Starbucks right after with a drink in her hand and gets into a vehicle all smiles. Her photos online surfaced after the incident occurred and a lot of her pictures are inappropriate on her Instagram account. It is like her mother doesn’t care and it looks like she is being encouraged to behave that way.

Nowadays, everything, anyone and anything gets filmed for the sake of it and gets posted online for the world to see. It doesn’t matter what it is, there are people who will do anything and everything to get their 15 minutes of fame even when it is really stupid. People are now starving for attention to get famous because it is so easy now for things to go viral and the world to see, but they don’t know what consequences can arise. It is very sad. Social Media is at their disposal now for people like this who crave a lot of attention.

She has no idea that if she wants to get a job later, potential employers and companies will do background checks, look at social media history and they will see that video which will never get deleted as it is in many people’s possession now and once its up there for the world to see, it is there forever. Once they search her, its game over. Repercussions of her actions can do permanent damage to her identity and who she is as a person.

Stupid is what a stupid does. Lock her up and throw away the key.

Farewell to Kristoff St. John – Neil Winters of Y&R

As you may or may not have heard, Kristoff St. John passed away unexpectedly in his home on Sunday, February 3rd, 2019 at the age of 52 years old. Kristoff was born on July 15, 1966, in New York City. He had 3 children, Julian, Paris and Lola. His son died in 2014 at the age of 24 of suicide in a mental hospital. Kristoff began to succumb into depression since his son’s untimely passing which drove him to the breaking point.

Kristoff played many roles on television and film from Hangin with Mr Cooper, The Cosby show, Sister Sister, Happy Days, Suddenly Susan and for 28 years, he was called Neil Winters on the Soap Opera, CBS’ The Young and The Restless. He played in over 1600 episodes of the Y&R.

His sudden passing really hit everyone with shock and dismay, His family, Fiance, friends, co-stars, CBS, the fans of the show and Kristoff. This past week, his final episode aired with a tribute toward the ending of one of the episodes of Neil and Kristoff. A proper and thorough celebration of his life and commemorating the loss of a very iconic character will be written up and aired in April 2019. Episodes get filmed way in advanced about a month or so before. They will need time to write and create the storyline to close the chapter of Neil Winters. In respect to his character, they will not be replacing him and recasting him as another Neil Winters which is very incredibly amazing. He will always be the #1 Neil Winters.

The devastation has really hit home, and especially reading a lot of comments on social media platforms of heartbreak, shock, and of course a lot of tears, cries, and emotional fans, friends, co-stars, cast and crew who have written, and who have created videos and who have been interviewed about Kristoff. He was admired for his great personality, outlook on life, humbleness, and would spend the time to communicate with his fans on social media. He would brighten up a room, some of his co-stars wrote, and so many incredibly awesome things that have been said about him.

I remember when I woke up Monday morning on February 4th, 2019, I turn my phone on and begin reading my newsfeeds and being part of the many groups of the Y&R, and as well as news sites, I read that beloved Kristoff St. John has died at 52. I said this has got to be some sick celebrity death hoax joke that you always hear about. I said this cannot be. I thought to myself that I first didn’t believe it, then out of curiosity, I googled his name and there it was, it was real. It happened. It took me a few minutes to process what I had learned. I began to cry uncontrollably.

I went downstairs to tell my mother of who I watch Y&R with, and she also didn’t believe it until I showed her too. I am still shocked and cannot process this. His photos are everywhere now and the videos of his episodes and other appearances have been flooding my newsfeed this past week. I cannot believe that someone who I grew up with all these years of watching can pass away.

These people on soaps become part of your family and they come into your home to spend time with them for an hour or a half an hour of the day and you feel like its real, you feel like you are next door to them and a story is being put together. You feel like you become part of their lives. We fans devote a lot of time to watching and these people who have been on these shows for years are people who become part of you.

Kristoff and I became friends on Facebook many years ago. To that, I had messaged him about meeting him at Canada’s Wonderland amusement park in North of Toronto, and then he messaged me back a few days later and then Kristoff added me as a friend and we began our online friendship where he would never miss saying happy birthday to me. He was like that. He made time for his fans. When he added me, I got so excited and I told all my friends and family that Kristoff added me and we are talking. It was such a surreal moment.

Depression, loss and mental illness are real. Its evident on how our lives can change in an instant when something terrible happens and we don’t know how to cope with certain issues and sometimes for some people it sets them off. It is important to always be kind to everyone. We may not know the struggles a person faces behind closed doors.

We truly have no idea unless we have been in that person’s shoes, but then again we can never be in someone else’s shoes because everyone has different ways of dealing with grief, loss, depression and mental illness. Unfortunately, sometimes peoples actions mean for them to cross to the other side.

It is very important to always be helpful and to understand. It is really imperative to always listen. Sometimes people need a listening ear to pour your heart out and the struggles you face and to tell someone what you are feeling.

I’ll never forget his radiant smile, and I will remember his role on Y&R and his family, friends, fans, co-stars and crew and I will definitely miss him a lot. Rest in Peace Kristoff. You are now with Julian and Mrs Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper), Co-star with Kristoff on the Y&R. Fly high with your wings in heaven. We will never forget you and your legacy.

Depression, Loss & Mental Illness

Depression, loss and mental illness is real. Its evident on how our lives can change in an instant when something terrible happens and we don’t know how to cope with certain issues and sometimes for some people it sets them off. It is important to always be kind to everyone. We may not know the struggles a person faces behind closed doors.

We truly have no idea unless we have been in that person’s shoes, but then again we can never be in someone else’s shoes because everyone has different ways of dealing with grief, loss, depression and mental illness. Unfortunately, sometimes peoples actions mean for them to cross to the other side.

It is very important to always be helpful, and to understand. It is really imperative to always listen. Sometimes people need a listening ear to pour your heart out and the struggles you face and to tell someone what you are feeling.

Certain circumstances in life changes us forever and we are truly not the same when all these unfortunate events of life happens and and when some people can be so rude, mean and bully another person emotionally and physically. All that adds up and it can put a huge dent into someone’s life and that will lead to someone’s breaking point.

It needs to stop and it needs to stop now! These people deserve a happy and joyous life they are yearning. We need to kick depression to the trash. It doesn’t take much to be kind and welcoming to others and treat everyone equally, to love one another and to give a helping hand, ear, and do great things in life so everyone can have a chance at happiness. Put negativity away and start to really be serious about how people treat people. Respect and love is incredible.

Put positive energy into those who need it. Put a real smile on someone’s face and make a difference in one’s life. It goes a long way more than you know. Optimistic approach to everything is the way to go.

Propeller’s Turning The Deep Seas

As I am on the deep sea, gazing on the horizon seeing the sunset, sunrise and the moon from afar. As I am sailing through the waters, I can hear the splash of the water from the ship, hearing the propeller’s from a distance, enjoying the sounds of the cruise ship, and taking in the pure clean air. I am on my way to the aft of the ship and can hardly wait to listen to the propeller’s do its work. A lot of thought and positive goodness comes from it all.

I absolutely love seeing the beautiful bluish colour of the water and bubbles around it and the occasional splash. I love spending time looking at it during the day, and as it gets dark, all you can see is the dark waters, but still incredibly amazing to hear and to feel it in your soul. It was amazing and my eyes were so relaxed and it was great. Often times, we are so invested into screen time, and when I went to watch the water turning, it was such a great way to relax the eyes.

I don’t see many people on cruise ships often admiring that part of the ship, and enjoying looking at the sea. Passengers are often couped up into spa treatments, massages, in the restaurants, bars, pool decks, and inside looking and buying things from the shops, but how often do we take aback from all those and simply go out on deck, take a chair, lounging and taking in the true beauty of nature and disconnect from screens and just take in the moment? I don’t really see it happen. I am sure there are people like me, but it is scarce.

With little time we have to spend with the vessel, it is important to take time to smell nature and appreciate each second we have onboard on one of the most unique and awesome ways to see the world and travel. The propellers that turn the waters of the deep seas are incredible and a huge marvel of technology, engineering and it is so powerful and incredly amazing.

Life on the high seas is definitely different. I feel the positivity, the happiness, the joy and appreciating the simplest and yet most incredible things onboard such as the propellers and watching the ship sail. Often times we are too invested in reviewing the ship with feedback, but I feel that some passengers need to up their game and to really reflect on nature and the sounds.

I remember having conversations with the master captain and officers of the vessel’s I have been on, and I couldn’t help myself with so much excitement to talk to them about the ship, to give them compliments, and telling them my story of the propellers and how much joy it brings me and my life just watching it all unfold. They had never really heard of passengers being so invested into the very interesting parts of it and going behind the scenes and actually exploring these mighty ships. They really appreciated what I had to say and to relate to their passion of these vessel’s.

So, the next time you get onboard a cruise ship, don’t forget to see the simple things and enjoy the moment and take it all in, to not be so critical and to fully live life to the fullest extent and to really hear the sounds of nature and to appreciate each moment that comes.