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Getting The Most Out Of Your Cruise
July 9th, 2010 by Dwayne Stoltzfus, under Vacations. No Comments
The balmy ocean breeze blows through your hair, the clear blue water sparkles below, and the warm sun shines down on your back. Cruise ships. What amazing experiences. What costly experiences. If you want to go on vacation but you’re on a tight budget, a cruise ship just might be your cheapest option, that is, if you know the insider tricks.
How could a cruise possibly be a cheap way to travel? It depends on where you’re headed to and what you want to do. When you pay for a cruise you pay for transportation, food, and lodging. When pay for a hotel, all you get is lodging. By the time you add in the additional cost of transportation and food, in many cases, a cruise actually comes out cheaper. If you plan on seeing several different places, such as some islands or parts of Europe, a cruise ship is the way to go.
On a cruise ship there are tricks to saving money. Most cruise lines don’t include tours, or else sell them in expensive packaged deals. Don’t buy them. You can save lots of money by going on your own tour. Research ahead of time what you want to see, or find out where the cruise ship tours will go, and then go there yourself. You might miss out on a matching red hat, stopping continually for restroom breaks, or having the freedom to explore, but hey, it will be cheaper.
Another thing you can do to save money would seem obvious. Only do the free things on the cruise ship. This doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun; just don’t do those extra things like paying to see a movie in your room, requesting special services, or eating at the upscale restaurant on board. When you are booking your cruise make sure the things you want are included, swimming pools, rock-climbing, food, live performances, whatever it is you need. Once on board, don’t do any additional things. Many cruise ships have all you can eat buffets that will allow you to take food. You can to save the food, and then eat it later as you are on your own tour. That way, you can save money by not eating at costly restaurants on shore.
A cruise can be the highlight of the year and a wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating time. Don’t let anything ruin that precious time. Once you step foot on the ship don’t worry about anything you at home. If you’re concerned about the safety of your home, one way to relax is to install a cheap, but secure, home monitoring system. That way, once you are on the ship you’ll have nothing to worry about and you can enjoy your vacation.
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Pickup Games As A Worldwide Experience
June 19th, 2010 by Dwayne Stoltzfus, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Some people call themselves cultured if they are well traveled. Others call themselves cultured if they are history majors, or have done in-depth studying on the traditions and pasts of different countries. Still others think that being cultured can only be attained through living within the actual cultures themselves.
While there are thousands of interesting facts and tidbits of information people can learn from books and travel excursions, true understanding of a new culture only comes through immersion. It is only through walking the streets, shopping in the back-alley markets, eating the local foods, and forming lasting friendships, that a person will ever truly become cultured. Perhaps one of the best, and yet rarely considered, methods of learning about new cultures is through pickup games.
Sports are an integral part of a country. For some countries, the most popular sport is soccer, for others, rugby, basketball, hockey, or cricket. Any country that has a sport that is easy to form pickup games provides a golden opportunity for people wanting to learn about the culture. Which game is played, the way it is played, and the attitudes of the players all shed light on a country’s underlying beliefs and attitudes.
The first thing one can learn about a culture is determined by how easy it is for a foreigner to join a game. If players are friendly and welcoming, generally that culture is welcoming as well. If they refuse to allow foreigners to play or do so with reluctance, it might be because they see foreigners as an inconvenience or clumsy. If the person trying to join is female, it is possible that culturally it is inappropriate to have mixed gendered games. Another thing foreigners can learn about a culture comes from the rules used within the game. Is there someone making all the calls or does no one ever call anything? If there is someone that keeps score and enforces the rules, that culture might be one in which following authorities and rules is viewed as essential. One more interesting factor to consider is the players. Do the players share the ball and include newcomers or do they ignore them? Some cultures are naturally more willing to share and have more confidence in the abilities of people. Often times, these slight details can be gleaned from a simple pickup game.
While one might learn lots about a culture from sports games, there are still some things that take time to learn about. An excellent example is security. Do the locals have any form of home security? While home security systems are easily accessible to Americans, many countries do not have this luxury. Security may not be seen as significant to the locals. Maybe they have guards around their home, maybe they have a high-rise apartment making it difficult to break-in, and maybe they have no valuables worth stealing. Yet, most Americans do not encounter those same circumstances. Americans typically live in a house, don’t have guards, but do have many valuables. It may be understandable and culturally acceptable not to have security systems in some countries, but in America, a security system is vital.
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