Cruise Ready's blog: Cruising Musings
and Other Stuff
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Hurricane Ida strikes Nicaragua After dilly-dallying off the coast all night, and strenthening to a Category 1 Hurriane, Ida made landfall this morning north of bluefields, Nicaragua. She is currently posing a major flooding threat to northeastern Nicaragua (and possibly also Honduras), dumping enough rainfall to cause flash flooding and possible deadly mudslides.  |
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Cruise Mementos As you are shoppping for holiday gifts, why not try looking at Cruise Ready Store to find a little spmething special for the cruise lover on your list? There, you'll find cruise accessories and memorabilia for your cruising friends. In addition to historic memorabilia, there is quite a selection of cruise mementos from today's major lines and ships. Over the past few days a few 'just for fun' new cruise mementos have been added which would make nice stocking stuffers for your favorite cruiser.  Pictured above are newly offered cruise mementos from three of today's major lines: Carnival (playing cards), Royal Caribbean (Coco Locoo glasses and an ice scraper). and Holland America (1997 delft tile from the m.s. Rotterdam VI) |
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Tropical Storm Ida Has Formed Tropical Depression Number 11, which formed earlier today in the southwstern Caribbean Sea, not far from the coastline of Nicaragua, has intensified to tropical storm strength, and is named Ida. Ida is the 9th named storm of the 2009 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season. Within the last hour, an Air Force Rconnaissance plane found sustained winds of nearly 60 MPH, with a minimum central pressure of 996 mb. The system is moving slowly toward the WNW, but is expected to slow more, turn NW, and make landfall on Nicaragua's east coast sometime tonight, possibly producng very dangerous flash flooding and mud-slides. Ida's 'long term' future will be determined by where she hits, and what path she takes over Nicaragua. Meanwhile, the short term future of many Nicaraguans will be determined by Ida. I'll worry about what might happen to Ida down the line after her initial encounter with land. For now, let's hope the people of Nicaragua escape any major effects from this late season storm.  |
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Port Canaveral Dream Sail-A-Bration Here are the details of the Port Canaveral Dream Sail-A-Bration that will take place two weeks from today. That's when the big ship from Carnival Cruise Line will pay us a port prior to making a berth here home next month.
News of this event brought to you by  |
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New items coming soon to Cruise Ready Store I've been working on some new items for Cruise Ready Store, and you should begin seeing them soon, in plenty of time for holiday shopping. One thing you'll be seeing shortly is some new hats and caps for cruisers and boaters. Here is a preview:
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Big Doins at Port Canaveral Festivities Planned for the Dream's Port Call at Port Canaveral While the Carnival Dream won't oficiallly call Port Canaveral Home until December 3, something special is happening ahead of that day. To be specific, the Dream will make a call at Port Canaveral on Wednesday, November 18, and the Port Authority will host a special Sail-A-Bration at the end of her one day visit here. They have quite the event planned to wish the passengers and crew 'Bon voyage' when the Dream sails away from Port Canaveral for the first time ever. So, if you're interested, reserve the hours of 5:30 to 7:30 on Nov 18. More details next week!  |
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Queen Elizabeth, WWII Troop Carrier I couldn't help feeling quite a few twinges as I listed for sale a piece of ocean liner memorabilia that is alot more than just a cruise memory. It's an old post card picturing the venerable r.m.s. Queen Elizabeth on war service.  Cunard White Star Post Card - Superliner Queen Elizabeth on war service I had actually purchased this card for my personal collection. But, as I thought about it, I realized that it's too special for me to keep. Born the year after the Queen completed her war service, I have no personal connection with her greatness or that of the men she carried. But, others DO. I hope one of them will find it among the Cunard Mementos on my site... Maybe it will end up as a small Christmas or Hannukah gift to someone who rode aboard her - or was close to someone who did. I wonder what it must have been like for the brave souls who sailed off during the early 1940's aboard the famous ship repainted in battleship gray. And, though I don't even know their names, I'm indebted to them.  |
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Thank you to Debi at The Selling Loungs A big THANK YOU to Debi, who last night featured Cruise Ready Store's Tips for New Cruisers in the TSL Blog. If you sell on the internet, you'll find sellers helping sellers at the Selling Lounge, where there is a great deal of information on a wide range of ecommerce related topics - and lots of peer support, too!   |
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Selecting Cruise Gifts for You When you have a specialty store, it's sometimes a bit of a task to keep coming up with new items that appeal to your market segment - especially when holiday gift season rolls around . It helps, though if you are a real part of that segment yourself. And, as the owner of Cruise Ready Store I consider it my duty to remain firmly entrenched entrenched in the cruising community by continuing to cruise. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. ;) Last week's Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Emerald Princess, was a wonderful respite, but I also came back rejuvenated -with new ideas for cruise gifts and energy for the store. And here's where I've started.  First... I took along small cruise gifts for my companions, and one item in particular was a BIG hit, so a few of them are now available in the cruise and travel bags section of the store: These Mini Totes. The ladies who recieved them really loved them... they immediately transferred their essentials into them, and used them for the entire cruise, both on board and in ports. Though they look small, I watched as an amazing amount of 'stuff' was easily placed into them. And the hibiscus print was just perfect for the tropics! Secondly, the heat and humidity hit near unbearable levels during the week - even for a Floridian! I noticed a few cruisers with sunburns on their scalps, so decided it was time to add a new entry into the collection of headgear at Cruise Ready Store, and here it is. It's a gray cap with nautical trim, and is made of 100% cotton twill. It fits most adult sized heads via an adjustible strap and buckle in the back.
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Sometimes I get lucky Sea Princess departing St MaartenNormally, I'm a lousy photographer, but if I take enough, I'll sometimes get lucky with one or two, and that was the case on my cruise last week aboard the Emerald Princess. As our day in St. Maarten was drawing to a close, so was that of the folks aboard a couple of other ships. I managed to capture a nice photo of the Sea Princess, as she was leaving the island at sunset. Wish I could have captured the sound as well, as Sea's speakers were blaring 'Britannia,' and her passengers were singing along and waving gleefully. It was one of those moments that happens on sea voyages that you just don't get to enjoy anywhere else... almost magial. Brought to you by  |
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Cruise Ready Store Reopens! Our cruise was wonderful, vacation is over, and Cruise Ready Store is fully open again.  |
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Coming Home The Emerald Princess is scheduled to return to Ft Lauderdale this morning. If all goes according to plan. In a perfect world, the cruise would go on and on and on. But still, it will be good to get home, which should happen late this afternoon. As soon as I get in, hug my two guys and catch my breath, Cruise Ready Store will once again be fully open for business, instead of just browsing.  |
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Grand Turk! Today is Grand Turk, the government seat of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Last year when we arrived, this beautifiul spot was in the throes of recovering from a devistating hurricane, and the evidence abounded... but the people of Grand Turk were doing a marvelous job of rebounding. Their spirits were hopeful as they welcomed the cruise ship visitors, and we had a wonderful time on a snorkeling excursion, led by a great guide. I had wanted to do my part to help, since we were one of the first ships to arrive, after an extended port colsure, so I saved all my souvenir shopping for that day. I was glad I did, as each vendor seemed to be extra apprecitive of each and every sale. I am anxious to see this port again...  Cruising tip: Your Sign and Sail card is your onboard lifeline. It unlocks your cabin door, records your exit from the ship in port, and admits you back on board to sail away. It is also you on board money... you pay for everything with it. So it is of utmost importance to keep it both secure and handy at all times. I'm using a embellished yellow lanyard - which is just one of many choices for card holders that you'll find at Cruise Ready Store.Please feel free to browse through all of them while I'm sailing. And, if you find one you like, your decision will be made, and you can complete your purchase after I return on Sunday.  |
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Emerald Princess to Call at St Thomas Today
EDIT: We docked at the new cruise pier at CrownBay, rather than at Havesheight, so we were not near the sky ride to Paradise Point, where the fire was.  |
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Emerald Princess: St Maartin Today, the ship is scheduled to dock in St Maartin. Although some people love it, this is not one of my all time favorite ports, so I'll probably stay on the ship, treating this as a bonus Sea Day, hanging by the aft pool, and spending some quality time with my good friends Sue and Dickie.  Last year, on the Crown Princess, I stayed on the ship during our stop in Jamaica, which I really do like, but just felt like staying aboard. I wore my All Ashore T shirt from Cruise Ready Store, and got quite a few smiles and a couple of comments. It's a nice conversation starter. The bartender got quite a kick out of this shirt last year ... I think I'll try for an encore. This entry brought to you by  |
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Emerald Princess at Sea Today is the first of our two scheduled Sea Days, and I plan to spend the entire day relaxing by the aft pool, sipping cold Diet Coke - and maybe an occassional foo foo drink, and doing a lot of visiting and laughing with my dear cruising friends from Cape Coral.  I just LOVE Sea Days, which inspired me to design this little magnet. It reads "May all your days at sea begin and end just perfectly." Since there probably won't be anything of note to relate, I'll take this opportunity to remind my readers of some of the products at Cruise Ready Store that will once again be available for sale once the cruise comes to an end. One of my best sellers lately has been sarong style swim suit coverups. SEE THEM HERE  And, with Christmas coming, it would be a nice time to surprise the gentleman cruiser in your life with a nautical tie clip or cuff links. I have several styles for you to choose from, including this anchor tie clip, which also has matching cuff links. While any of these men's formal accessories are great for cruise formal night, they would also make a nice addition to your guy's suit or tux for any gala evening during the holidays.  For the ladies, there is a selection of evening bags in various colors, styles and prices. Any of our evening bags will make a nice, useful addition to your lady's accessory wardrobe. You'll find them in the evening acessories department. Cruise Ready Store is presently open for browsing only. The store's purchasing functions will be re-enabled when I return on Sunday evening.  |
Eastern Caribbean: Fist Stop, Princess Cays Princess Cays is not actually an island unto itself, like the some of the other private islands belonging to various cruise lines. Rather, it is a private area on the souther part of Eleuthera Island, in The Bahamas. Eleuthera is a long and narrow island situated about 50 miles east of Nassau, and lies on the eastern side of the Great Bahamas Bank. The name means "free" or "freedom" in Greek, and is said to be the site of the oldest democracy in the western hemisphere. It was in the mid 1600's that a group of Bermudan Puritans set out in search of a place to establish a community based on religious freedom, and it was then that Eleuthera got its present name. Our first full day aboard the Emerald Princess, we'll be calling at Princess Cays, the private destination of Princess Cruise Line, where there's plenty of sun (take sunblock!) and sand. And, of course, my favorite - water, beautiful water! It's clear, warm, and oh, so inviting . . .  The snorkeling is decent there, too. And, although the coral has seen some damage, expecially closer in to thoe beaches, there are always plenty of fish to be seen! The currents are fairly gentle, making beach snorkeling easy, and I hear that, a bit farther out, the diving isn't half bad, either!  For a luxurious day, rent one of the private bungalows. But do so early- as soon as excursions open up on line in advance of your cruise date. There are only a few of them, and they book up quickly! You'll have a fan, an airconditioning unit, AND a waiter to bring you drinks and lunch. A swim or snorkel in the morning, lunch delivered to your own little bungalow at miday, and more water in the afternoon. It doesn't get much better than this!This 'day at the beach' brought to you by  Novelty sunblock Necklaces at Cruise Ready Store  |
Sailaway Today Sailaway day has finally arrived, and I'll be boarding the beautiful Emerald Princess in just a matter of hours. Once again, I am really looking forward to a week of care-free days in the beautiful Caribbean. And today, once again, I'll have the opportunity to legitimately wear one of the special Cruise Ready Store products: the Bon Voyage to Me T shirt. I love wearing this shirt - not only because it means I'll once again be revelling in the smell of the sea air and the feel of the warm Caribbean waters, but also because it's kind of neat to wear my own design and to see the smiles on the faces of those who notice it. Once the cruise is over (sigh) and I am back to work, with Cruise Ready Store open for business again, you, too, can have a Bon Voyage to Me T shirt to wear on YOUR next boarding day. Until then, I'll be posting about the ports we'll be visiting. Tomorrow: Princess Cays.  |
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Gone Cruising Cruise Ready Store is currently closed for vacation, and will re-open on the evening of Sunday, October 18. Please feel free to enjoy browsing until then. Thank you, and please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.  |
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Reminder A reminder to my cruising friends that Cruise Ready Store will close for vacation tomorrow at 4 PM. The store will remain open for browsing until I return from my cruise on the evening of Sunday, Oct 18, at which time the purchasing function will once again be available.  |
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Travel Document Safety We travel with a lot of essential documents these days ... airline tickets,  boarding pass, Drivers license or other ID, cruise tickets, insurance card, travel insurance documents, itinerary, passport, and hwo know what all else!.Keeping your important travel documents safe, organized, and easily accessible is essential, and this ID Traveler confidential carry-all will help you do just that! Its fold over flap closes securely with velcro to conceal important information when not needed. Travel assured as your documents hang securely by the adjustable drawstring, yet handy at all times. The easy-open flap allows you to quickly display needed items at airport or other checkpoints. This handy travel document wallet is available at Cruise Ready Store.  |
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Win a Free Danube River Cruise for Two! From Viking River Cruises: Win an 8-day journey visiting Budapest, Vienna, Austria’s Wachau Valley, Germany and more. PRIZE INCLUDES:
To ENTER, visit http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/us/ and click on "Win a Free Cruise." Good luck, and happy cruising  |
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Cruise Ready Store CLOSED for Vacation 10/10-18/2009 NOTICE Cruise Ready Store will close for vacation at 4 PM on Friday, October 9, and will re-open on the evening of Sunday, October 18. I'll be leaving home on Saturday morning, and boarding the Emerald Princess on Sunday for a seven night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. We're cruising during hurricane season, and, although this season has been mild, and there's nothing on the horizon right now, I'm still following my own hurricane season rule of arriving in the cruise departure city a day early. Yes, the rule still stands, even if the departure city is only a four hour drive away. To see my NOTES ON CRUISING DURING HURRICANE SEASON, scroll to the bottom of this Cruising Tips page at Cruise Ready Sstore.  |
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Carnival Legend hits Enchantment of the Seas Collision in Cozumel Night before last, the Carnival Legend (homeport Ft Lauderdale) collided with Royal Caribean's Enchantment of theSeas (home port Tampa) in Cozumel. The guilty party was apparently a strog gust of wind, which pushed the Legend into the stern of the Enchantment, despite the efforts of a harbor tug to prevent the incident. Both ships sustained minor damage, and both cruise lines say repairs will be carried out with no disruptions to current or future itineraries. A passenger on the Enchantment filed a short joural entry about the event. This cruising news brought to you by  |
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Taggers in Purple and Red Now Available at Cruise Ready Store Earlier this month, I blogged about the three styles of Cruise Ready Store Taggers that were then availabe for sale. (Link to that entry) Well, as of last night, a fourth choice is available. T  his one has a unique look to it that should make your bags easy to spot in a sea of luggage, and it may also be of interest to my friends in the Red Hat Society. When you're browsing the Travel Accessories area at Cruise Ready Store, you'll surely spot these Red and Purple Taggers ... And, for more red and purple items, be sure to check the purple Ahoy! tee in the Cruise Shirts area. You'll may even find things that might interest you in Cruise Bags and under Gadgets and Kits, too. If Red and Purple isn't your 'thing,'don't worry... you'll find plenty of things in other colors at Cruise Ready.  |
This photo was taken from the hilltop at the top end of the sky lift, several years ago, when we visited there on the Mariner of the Seas. (Center ship in the photo) I hear the recent fire severaly damaged the tourist area at the Hilltop. I am thinking of once again snorkeling at Trunk Bay, so, I probably won't make it up there to see for myself. But I will try to gather some first hand intelligence from some of my shipmates, and report back on my return. 