7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise

I have just returned from a 7 day Caribbean Cruise and what a cruise it was. I can hardly type fast enough to tell you all that went on this past week on that cruise and land excurisons. Our ports of call were Rotan Honduras, Belieze, Grand Caymen and Cozumel Mexico. This cruise was very exciting in many ways and was a nice distraction from the daily grind of life.

First of all our cruise was a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise on Carnival, and the ships name was the Valor. First and foremost this was a huge ship, even after 7 day on board I was still lost when trying to find my way off the ship, it was just that freaking big. I don't want to bore anyone with the details of the ship, oh why the hell not, let me tell you just a little about this behemoth. I don't know if you will be impressed by these numbers but I sure was once I stepped on board. Well, here goes. First of all there are many classes of ships, the Carnival Valor is in the Conquest class. Here are the stats that I found so interesting.

Length : 952 ft

Total Staff : 1,150

Passenger capacity : 2,974

Speed : 21 Knots

Tonnage : 110,000

14 Decks

1 morgue

1 jail

1 Disco Open till 4 am (Way pass my bed time)

It also has a running track, a large casino, a library, an Internet cafe, two very large dinning rooms, a theater, a boulevard, yes I said a boulevard and the biggest freaking T.V. screen that I have ever seen. Get this it is outside in front of one of the pools and they have rocking chairs facing the screen so you can rock while you watch a movie, how damn cool is that? There are just to many other things to mention, I think you get the gist of what I am trying to convey here, this thing is a monster. I have never been so lost in all of my life, but never had this much fun being lost either, so it evens out some how.

So that is all of the details of the ship, now I want to tell you what I thought about my whole first experience with carnival, I am a Royal Caribbean gal myself, but here goes nothing. Over all I had a nice time. Partied till almost dawn many night's. Many of the shows and adult entertainment did not start until well after midnight. So If you were not a night owl when you came you were when you left. I mean really, how can you go to bed at a respectable hour when the disco is jumping right above you, I couldn't do it. The catch phrase for this trip was what the hell, were on vacation, can you see my point now, going to bed early on a cruise is lame, period. Enough ranting on that point.

Here is the basis on which I judge a cruise. I will list the categories and the ratings I gave to each one.

1. Service 9

2. Food 7

3. cleanliness 9

4. cabin size 5

5. comfort 8

6. entertainment 4

7. safety 9

8. Excursion 4

Now I will consider all of these and give them a number rating, and remember this is just strictly my opinion, there is absolutely nothing scientific about the way I do my rating except on how it looks and feels to me, because in the end I think that is all that really matters. So don't write or call or e-mail me about this review, remember it is a free country I can voice my opinion, and this is it.

I thought the service was fantastic, almost everyone was on their game, they were very friendly and and went out of their way to make us feel welcome in their floating city. I would give them a 8, the crew only get an 8 because we ran into only 1 smart ass crew member and he runs the Internet cafe. He treated us like we were the stupidest people on earth when we asked about the cost of wireless Internet aboard ship. So He brings the score of the whole crew down, side note ( a copy of this review is always forwarded to whom ever is being reviewed.) Moving on to the food. I was sort of disappointed in the food. The food in the formal dining rooms was OK, except on the lobster night and the last night which was prime rib night the food was out of this world on those two nights. All the others was just so, so. When I am on a cruise I expect food almost around the clock, well on carnival you had better love tasteless pizza and hot dogs after midnight, because that is just about all there was. The only other choice was room service and that food was awful, my sandwich was so bloody, I had to order a BLT instead, the room service food looked like it was just thrown together, with no thought or time taken to prepare it. After that experience we decided we would just go hungry and wait till the morning breakfast to eat. So it is a disappointing myth that there is good food all night long on a Carnival cruise, it just ain't so. The sushi bar was only open from about 5:30 till 8:30, how lame is that, sushi should be available all night long, pizza and hamburgers are for kids who don't worry about the size of their ass just yet. Adults usually will make better food choices if they are available but on this cruise if you didn't get a good dinner you were out of luck for decent food after about 10:00 P.M.

Sailing on to Cleanliness, I thought the crew did a great job keeping the ship clean. I will just simply give them a 9 on that front. No rants from me on that. (It's coming up stay tuned)

Cabin Size, I really can't complain about that, you simply get what you pay for on a cruise. we were on floor number 1, 1 floor up from the ghetto, that's what the crew called the floor they live on, so not my words so once again no nasty letters or e-mails please. So if you are thrifty and want a bargain floor number 1 is for you too.

Comfort, I felt quite comfortable on this ship and after a few days was referring to our cabin as home. This ship really does have almost everything one needs to feel as comfortable as at home. I found the bed to be more comfortable than my own bed at home, how sad is that. I left saying I have got to get a new bed.

Entertainment, I thought that the entertainment could have been much better. They seemed to hype up the shows and then not deliver on that hype. As an example they talked up a comedian named Phat Cat, they talked about all of the T.V. comedy shows that he had been on. His first performance was a complete let down, just not that funny and sort of boring. The second show of this Phat Cat that we went to was a little better, but still not that funny. I hate to say this but the karaoke nights were the best, period. Over all I felt Carnival could have done so much better with their entertainment. If I ever sail with Carnival again I will skip the shows and maybe hang out in the piano bar's a little more.

Safety, I think Carnival did a nice job making passengers feel safe. There were lots of security all around. There were a few dark places on the ship that I wouldn't go to alone, but safety on a ship really comes down to using common sense just like you do in your own city.

Excursions, there were quite a few excursions offered, a little something for everyone. You could swim with dolphins, para sail, go for a dune buggy ride, reef snorkel or even swim with stingrays. The caveat about the excursions is that they are very, very expensive. You could easily pay more for the excursions than you did for the cruise. There for if you plan on doing a few excursions make sure you add them to the total price of your cruise. On a serious note I am offering a warning if you decide to go on any excursions. On our reef snorkel tour we had an 85 year old man nearly drown, when he was pulled from the water he was blue and unresponsive. Here is the rant and warning part. The operators of this excursion did not know basic first aid and did not have gloves or mouth guards for mouth to mouth. They were totally unprepared for any type of a medical emergency and had myself and others not stepped in and took over, this man would not be with us today. I really don't know what else to say about this awful day except that it is one that I will not soon forget.

Over all we had a blast on this cruise, but there was one thing that I really didn't care for on this ship and that was the fact that there was no large pool. The only pool's were a couple of little ones at opposite end's of the ship and one was being re tiled during this cruise. I feel this was a huge over site in the design of this big ship. I will be more careful the next time I book a cruise and check out the ship's amenities very, very carefully.

General thoughts about my Carnival Cruise

On the very first day before we pulled away from the port there was a wicked thunder and lightning storm brewing on the horizon with funnel clouds and all. That was an awesome site to see several funnel clouds at the same time right in front of us. We knew at this point that maybe booking a cruise during hurricane season wasn't such a bright idea after all. The weather cleared and we were able to sail away just as we had planned. Over all I had a really nice time just getting away from it all. I would sail on carnival again but I would make sure that the next ship I sailed on had a few basic things that I felt like our ship the Valor was missing. There was no large pool only small ones scattered around the ship, and better variety of food after midnight for the night owls. If your just looking for a fun cruise at a decent price the Carnival Valor would work for you.

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Miami Round 2

Here we go again, this is our second time in the same hotel this week. we stayed one day before the cruise and the day we got off of the ship. We did this for the simple reason that our flight to Miami got in very late at night so flying in on the same day of the cruise was out. when we arrived into port on Sunday we would not have been able to make the our flight out it left at 10:00 am so we booked our flight for the day after we arrived in port. Both days on the beginning and the end our our trip we just hung out at the hotel and went for a walk in the park and took in the sights and sounds of Miami. So nothing really special about these two days in Miami, only a few interesting things. We stayed at the Double Tree Grand Hotel at Biscayne Bay. This hotel shows well on the web in pictures, but in real life leaves much to be desired. The lobby is grand and nice but that's where the niceness stops. The hotel is old and is in need of a total overhaul. I think you can get better accommodations for your money than this hotel. As part of my research of the vicinity I walked around to get a good look at the area and found it to be a little seedy and quite dirty. We didn't feel to safe in some of the area's even in broad day light. And the Burger King a couple of blocks away from the hotel was so dirty we only got soda's and left. Burger King should be ashamed at having a store that looks like this, they seriously need to check on this franchise, I say eat at your own risk there. Back to the double tree hotel. The only saving grace is the swimming pool hot tub area, it is quite nice. But since you can't sleep in the hot tub or pool I suggest that you find some other place to lay your pretty little head.

Trouble In Sin City

I just read the most interesting article on the economy troubles in Las Vegas and could hardly believe what I was reading. I seems that Sin City has hit hard times. There are deals to be had there in housing and in hotels stays that really do sound to good to be true. It seems our beloved Las Vegas has over bet and over built.

I however am a show me girl and always want to see things for myself, therefor off to Vegas we went. I must say I was quite surprised by the multitude of half built skyscrapers, towers of condos just left sitting unfinished. It really was sad to see this great city in such disarray. As we all now know Vegas is not the only city to take a hard hit at the hands of the economy in the last few years but her vacant building are very stark reminders of just how bad it is for Las Vegas.

I started to think that maybe it was just the strip it self that took hardest blow, that was not the case. I took 30 minute taxi ride out away from the strip and found that my suspicions were true, all of Vegas was indeed suffering. The building may have stopped on the strip but the casinos are still full, maybe this is a sign of positive change that our beloved city so dearly needs.

We stayed at the Hilton which was a few blocks off of the strip and got a good deal of $ 50.00 a night, great deal your thinking right? well remember the old saying, you get what you pay for? It's true, our rooms were decent enough though a bit old. This place could really use a face lift. On our second day there we had no hot water for showers and we had to towel bath as best we could before we left for the day. We did end up changing rooms that evening. My advice, skip the Hilton and spend a few more bucks, stay downtown or on the strip in a hotel that is known for it's quality, the Hilton is not it.

As for food buffets we found that the Old Golden Nugget had the very best buffet we could find, great food, awesome service, clean and crab to die for, that alone will bring me back for sure. FYI stay away from the Cesar's Palace buffet, it is way over priced and they bring your crab to you in measured amounts, So next time you are in sin city venture off the strip, head downtown to Fremont street and see what you might be missing.

Air Show Blast

I went to an airport air show two weeks ago and has a total blast. I wanted to do a little something close to home that weekend. We had a great time, I had forgotten how much I really love airplanes of all kinds. That's kind of normal when you are in the travel biz as I am. Anyhow what a day we had. Just watching the stunt pilot's warm up gave me chills. We thought that there was one truly amazing pilot that stood out from all the rest and stole the show. His name was Shaun D Tucker, wow, he was amazing. I was in awe at his skills, I mean the man has some serious skills. If you ever have a chance to check out an air show close to home I would highly recommend it. It's great fun and a totally reasonable price for a family, admission was 2o.oo each, not bad for a whole day of fun. Two important things to remember if you go to an airshow is to take folding chairs unless you purchased grandstand seats and take food for lunch. At the air show we attended the food was very expensive and gross, fair warning.

I Love Seattle

My family and I spent this past weekend in Seattle Washington which is only about a three hour drive north from where I live now. We wanted a quick weekend getaway to just go somewhere and hangout together, Seattle fit the bill perfectly. I started planning about two weeks in advance. I purchased tickets online for a city tour call Duck tours. This is not your ordinary boring city tour. What's cool about this tour is that it takes place in an old amphibious war vehicle built by women that drives on the city streets and then they drive you right into Puget Sound, which is a huge deep body of water that is in and around the great city of Seattle. I had heard about this tour from a few friends who happen to live in Seattle and it came highly recommended by all. I thought it was a fun and informative tour but the drivers were a little silly and annoying for me, but hey who am I to say that you won't love all the loud silliness of this tour. The real highlight for me was the part where they pulled you up to a boat ramp at a marina and then just drove right into the water. I must say it was kind of weird because vehicles usually don't go into water at least not the ones that I drive. But I will say for 25.00 per person it was worth it. Catch a duck tour if you can.

While we were killing time waiting for our tour we visited the rock and roll museum there at the space needle. I thought some of the exhibits we great and I learned a ton about Jimmy Hendrix and his tragic life. There is a whole wing devoted to him and his music. The rest of the exhibits were just so so. I felt they could have done so much better putting it together. So for this one I would say save your money, it cost 45.00 for admission for 3.

Vacation or Staycation

The economy is hurting every one but we all still love traveling and going places but really just can't justify it right now? well here is an idea try, a staycation, similar to a vacation except you don't leave home. Crazy you say, well sort of but let me please explain before you call me crazy. A staycation is a vacation in which you stay home and do things around home or close to home. You do things that you maybe have not taken the time to do that you always wanted to do that is close to home. Having a hard time of thinking of what to do? let me give you a few suggestions to get you started. First of all it you are going to try this staycation thing you need to do a little planning. I would start out by making a list of all of the things in your area that sound interesting to you. For example in the area that I live we have an abundance of waterfalls, hiking trails, lakes and rivers, national parks art museums and many other cultural things that could be added to your list. You should also check online to see what festivals or shows that are taking place in your area at the time of your staycation. I recently attended a jazz festival in our area that was really close to home and was free, yes free. That brings me to my next point. a staycation can be a very inexpensive thing to do. Just make sure you put all of the free things to do at the top of your list. Another thing that I like to do is make lunch my big meal of the day, we all know that lunches are much cheaper than dinners will ever be therefor you will save a bundle by adopting this practice. I really think staycations are perfect for everyone and will become very, very popular in the very near future.

Neskowin, Oregon

Just returned from our yearly 4 of July camping trip with friends and family, what fun we had. If you have never been to the Oregon coast I highly recommend it to all love the stunning beauty of a lush green tree lined coast range, That is exactly what you will find in the sleepy little town of Neskowin, Oregon. It really is a sight of awe to behold. We went for a walk on the beach and saw some of the most breath taking sites that I have ever seen. In the tide pool we spyed little tiny fish and all sorts of interesting sea creatures. I really makes me think that this earth and ocean on it truly are alive in a wonderful and fear inspiring way. Our 4 of July always include a little bit of fishing. I know, I can just hear the comments that will be coming my way about me being a fisher women. But truth be told I love fishing and really enjoy it ever chance I get. When in Neskowin we venture over to Lincoln city which is only a few miles away and fish at Devils Lake. On this fishing excursion I caught one trout and my husband caught three and we were given many more by an old crusty fisherman that was sitting next to us on the dock. I came back to camp, cleaned our catch, yes I clean fish and cooked them up. Our camping weekend was is filled with good food fun and spirits. Each night we would light a campfire and talk and play games until the wee hours of the morning. I have always loved camping since I was a little girl, funny how some things never change.