Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Take advantage of lessons and lectures - Cruise tip
Many cruise ships offer free lectures and lessons, and they regularly bring aboard one or more specialists to educate guests. When on my own cruise, my favorite lecturer was the wildlife expert. He spent a week aboard the ship, lecturing once a day or more. During his discussions, he talked about animals native to the ports we were about to visit. His discussions were fun and didn't feel at all like "school."
Ultimately, he helped make my shore excursions much more fun. Learning about what I was seeing while ashore made my adventure all the more enjoyable.
Selecting the perfect shore excursions - Cruise tip
I took the vacation of a lifetime last summer on an Alaskan cruise. Before I selected my shore excursions, I attended an informative session put on by the shore excursion staff. It was totally free to attend.
During the presentation, they showed me slides regarding the excursions and offered an excellent overview the hundred-plus shore excursions available throughout the cruise.
I was so inspired by the informative session that I went immediately to the shore excursion office to register for my excursions. I was not disappointed in a single shore excursion that I signed up for during the cruise!
Related: Purchase your excursions onboard - Cruise tip
Counterpoint: Research, and get off the beaten (excursion) path - Cruise tip
Use a junior navigator on road trips - Traveling with kids tip
The front passenger is always the navigator when I'm traveling with my family or a group. However, I discovered that you can turn your children into junior navigators while helping them learn geography at the same time. It helps eliminate them from asking, "Are we there yet?"Just ask them to look for a specific landmark or road sign. It will keep them interested in the travel and less likely to be bored along the way, because they're actively doing something. In short, it keeps their interest in traveling while having fun -- and learning about the country!
