How to Pick a Specialty Cruise

How to Pick a Specialty Cruise

If youre not familiar with the term specialty cruise, youre not alone. While the concept has been gaining in popularity, it is by no means as well- known as a standard Caribbean cruise on a mega ship. In fact, a specialty cruise can be anything from a special type of ship to a special theme for the week. There are hundreds to choose from; here are a few to whet your cruising appetite:

1. Barefoot cruising has been around for decades and can be the perfect cruise experience for many. The concept is simple, as its pretty much the exact opposite of the typical cruise ship. A small, sailing vessel instead of a floating city is your moving hotel, and passengers are often limited to 100, sometimes fewer. Cruisers are encouraged to participate in the day-to-day workings of the ship, from helping man the sails to swabbing the deck. You can choose to do as little or as much as you want.
2. For an extended girls night out, many women flock to Cropping Cruises. Sponsored by scrapbooking magazines and craft experts, these events have a variety of activities for learning, cropping, laughing and, most importantly, scrapbooking a ton of pages.

   

   If youre not familiar with the term specialty cruise, youre not alone.
   CC image courtesy of smilepak

   If you enjoy the hobby, need to get some pages done and can get some friends to join you, this trip may become an annual one for you.

3. Gay and lesbian families are welcome on traditional cruise lines, of course, but there are specialty cruise vacations geared to creating a positive environment for these families. Offering all the same amenities and, often, on the same ships, the itineraries include gay-friendly activities and ports.
4. An adventure travel cruise is an exciting alternative to the standard destination. If you are looking for a journey of a lifetime, there are cruises on the Amazon, to the Galapagos Islands, and even to Antarctica. Not your run-of-the-mill trip, by any means, this type of cruise can expose the passengers to vistas and creatures seen by very few people.
5. Even the Food Network has joined the trend. For cruisers who love to cook (and eat), they offer product demonstrations, cooking classes and the chance to mingle with Food Network celebrities. Foodies everywhere are drawn to this type of specialty cruise.
6. How about a cruise that is not on the ocean? Cruises along the Mississippi River as well as through the Great Lakes are popular alternatives to open-water cruises. Fall color tours on these types of cruises can book up years in advance.

If you are interested in avoiding the run-of-the-mill cruise lines and itineraries, a specialty cruise may be for you. From cruises focusing on music, poker, art, fitness, golf and even mystery dinners, everyone and anyone can find an option that appeals to them.

12 Common Cruise Terms For Newbies

12 Common Cruise Terms For Newbies

For your first cruise, you might want to brush up on the lingo. It isnt necessary but sometimes it just makes you feel a little better when you know what everyone is talking about aboard the ship. From aft to windward, weve got you covered.

1. Bow This term refers to the very front of a ship. Think of the famous Titanic scene where Leonardo DiCaprio shouts, Im the king of the world!
2. Stern This is the back of the boat or ship.
3. Aft Heres where it can get confusing. Aft means towards the back or towards the stern. So, the stern is the place (noun) and aft is a description or a direction. The sailor is at the stern. The sailor was told to stow the luggage aft.
4. Gangway This is the bridge that passengers walk on to get onto the ship when they first arrive. In the movies, pirates were often depicted as having a shorter version and demanding people walk the gangplank.
5. Bridge Why didnt they just call the gangway a bridge, you ask? Simple. The bridge is the name for the captains area. Its the place where he and his crew take care of all the navigational aspects of the cruise ship.

   

   For your first cruise, you might want to brush up on the lingo.
   CC image courtesy of Number Six (bill lapp)

   His (or her) cockpit, if you will.

6. Embark/Disembark Chances are you will get on and off the ship many times throughout the duration of your cruise. The proper terminology is to embark (get on) or to disembark (to get off).
7. Fluke Usually a fluke is known as chance happening or something good that happens by accident. On a cruise ship, however, a fluke means something much different; it is the point of an anchor that catches the ground when the anchor is deployed, particularly the pointy tips on each arm.
8. Port This means the left side of the ship as you face forward (towards the bow see #1). It also can be a stop along the cruise as in, We docked at the port in Mexico.
9. Starboard The opposite of port, this means the right side of the ship as you face forward.
10. Leeward Heres where it gets confusing to land-lubbers again. Leeward is the side of the ship that is facing away from the wind. It could be port or starboard.
11. Windward Take a guess Thats right. Windward means the side of the ship where the wind is blowing.
12. Knots This is not referring to the knots on a rope but rather the speed at which your cruise ship is traveling. The proper mathematical definition is how many nautical miles a ship can travel in an hour. A nautical mile is just over 6,000 feet or 1,800 meters. If you dont want to remember all that just remember not to ask the captain about mph over dinner.

Study this list. Learn the lingo. If you do your homework, you wont feel like such a newbie. In fact, you might be able to teach a seasoned cruiser a thing or two.

Birthday Party Ideas In A Nutshell For Around $100

Birthday Party Ideas In A Nutshell For Around $100

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a birthday party. You’ve got the invitations, the decorations, the cake and ice cream, the games and activities, and the goodie bags. This can add up to a lot of money if you are not properly prepared.

With a quick rundown of the easiest ways to save big money on your child’s birthday party, you won’t have to sacrifice any of the fun to have a frugal party.

Theme Parties

These ‘character’ or ‘theme’ parties can be the most expensive of all. To cut corners, mix and match accessories and decorations with plain things such as tablecloths, napkins, plates, and such. If you are choosing to go with a theme such as a Disney movie or TV show character, find printable characters online or draw freehand if you can and use them for hanging banners, or even the design for a homemade cake.

Old Fashioned Picnic Parties

Taking all the kids for a big picnic in a park can be a great way to save money. The kids can use the playground and a simple $3 pack of balloons filled with water can provide a whole day of fun playing water balloon games.

You can even bring a couple cartons of eggs at only a few dollars a carton, along with spoons, and play games like racing to the finish line without dropping the egg. If the situation is right, you may also like to get an organized game going, like softball, volleyball, or soccer.

The Great Outdoors

An outdoor party where you camp-out in the backyard, or even just cook-out in the backyard, can be a wonderful time. Roast marshmallows and hotdogs, and make Smores on a barbeque or fire pit. Set up tents for sleepovers, or just gather around the campfire to tell spooky ghost stories until it’s time to go home. The cost is minimal for a big bag or two of marshmallows, some hot dogs and buns, a box of graham crackers, and some bars of chocolate. For goodie bags, little flashlights and glow in the dark stickers are a great way to have fun outdoors.

Wild Winter Parties

If your birthday party falls during the winter months, and you have snow to play in, this could provide you with a built-in party. Rent or borrow sleds and you’re on your way to a great party. You will want cold-weather food including thermoses filled with hot chocolate and a supply of marshmallows to add in each mug. Don’t forget the blankets and lawn chairs for whoever wants to sit and watch the fun. Bring a big pot of chili and a box of cupcakes, and you have an easy party with easy-to-serve food, and very little money involved.

There is no doubt about the fact that $100 is a tight budget to plan a birthday party for a group of kids. But, you can stretch that budget far and wide, making use of many of the fun things in life that cost little to nothing at all!

The Debate Over An Episiotomy Is It Necessary?

The Debate Over An Episiotomy Is It Necessary?

Childbirth is painful there’s no getting away from that. There are several pain issues to deal with before, during, and after delivery. One of the most debated procedures during delivery is the episiotomy. This incision is often described as the unkindest cut of all. It can often make recovery more painful than believed is necessary. What is it and is it necessary at all? Let’s look at the debate and you be the judge.

What is an Episiotomy?

Vaginal delivery is the natural form of birth. During this birthing process, when a mother pushes, she bears down so that she can move her baby through the vagina, or birth canal, and out into the world. The process can lead to possible stretching of the vaginal muscles, hemorrhoids, and weakness in the pelvic floor muscles.

In an effort to decrease the amount of pressure needed to push the baby through the birth canal, doctors may perform an episiotomy. This is an incision into the tissues of the perineum, the small area between the vaginal opening and the anal opening. The incision is believed to make birth easier with less stretching and damage.

If the mother is using natural, drug free, childbirth techniques, a local anesthetic is injected in the tissues of the perineum.

A scalpel is used to incise the tissue. Once the baby is delivered, the area is sutured up.

There are different degrees of episiotomy performed depending on how large the child is or how difficult the labor. Usually the area is only cut halfway between the vagina and the anus with minimal skin layers incised. This is considered a second degree episiotomy. A fourth degree cut completely incises the skin layers.

What Now?

Who is right and who is wrong about the necessity of an episiotomy? Women who have had an episiotomy may disagree with the reasoning behind performing this procedure. Post-delivery, the episiotomy wound is difficult to deal with for many reasons. Simply urinating becomes a frightfully painful event, not to mention a bowel movement. Any straining or pushing during the healing process becomes unbearable. The wound stings, burns, and is often too sore to comfortably sit without some sort of ‘donut.’

There is no clear scientific evidence that supports having an episiotomy over not having one. Many women who have delivered babies with big heads or shoulders have recovered without any adverse effects and given birth quite successfully again. The vagina is made to stretch for the birth of a baby, so the reasoning behind an episiotomy is questioned by mothers as well as the medical profession. So, the debate continues.

Let’s look at some possible side effects of having an episiotomy:

• Infections
• Uncomfortable or painful scar tissue
• Painful intercourse afterwards
• Longer recovery from delivery

So, is an episiotomy the unkindest cut of all? Discuss this procedure like you would any other with your doctor. An episiotomy should not be done as a matter of course, rather it should be approached as any other surgical procedure with knowledge and caution.

How To Save Money On Your Disney Vacation

How To Save Money On Your Disney Vacation

Disney is a magical place. Once you go, you join the ranks of people starting the countdown until the next visit. Unfortunately, Disney is not always the cheapest of vacations. But, there are some tips and techniques you can use to help ease the financial frustrations. Whether you’re planning your first visit to Disney or one of many return trips, there are always ways to save money. Here are a few simple ideas to make the trip easier on the wallet:

Book Off-Season

The busiest times at Disney are during holidays and the beginning and end of summer. With that being the case, you can usually get a steal of a deal by booking a vacation opposite of any of those times. For instance, you can get almost half off if you schedule a trip just after the school year starts or even the second week in January after the big holiday rush. What you’re basically doing is watching the school calendar and going against the typical vacation times. This may take a bit of planning, but the cost savings are well worth the effort.

Off-season travel not only saves you money on the hotels, resorts, and parks, but it also allows for a more enjoyable experience.

Instead of waiting in line for hours and hours, you walk straight up to a ride or attraction with hardly a wait at all.

Vacation Packages

Booking a Disney vacation package is a great way to save money. Not only do the packages allow you to group everything together, it also allows you to customize your Disney vacation to fit your monetary needs as well as fitting the attractions you want to see. Disney packages will typically save you money on transportation within Disney World, as well as savings on hotel or resort prices, and even food.

The two biggest savings, food and hotel, are the main reasons most people decide to go with a vacation package. If you choose to indulge in a character dining experience, for instance, your bill could easily be well over $100. A dining package adds value by giving you a low flat rate for your dining plan. It doesnt matter if your bill for dinner comes to $5 or $150, you pay a flat fee for the plan. Many families enjoy the fact that there are no loose ends or unknown expenditures for dining. Your dining package will also save on snacks and quick meals, which, just like a gas station candy bar, can add up very fast.

Get the Most for Your Money

Another way to save money at Disney is to take full advantage of all the perks, such as extra hours, formally called magic hours, for which the park stays open to those who reside at a Disney Resort. There are also travel savings, such as buses which take you in between each park, saving money on parking and gas. There is also a monorail and boats, which will not only take you between the parks, but will give you an exciting tour of the entire park.

Conclusion

Of course, these are just a few ways to take advantage of Disney World savings. While there are many other ways to reduce your expenses, these tips are great places to start with serious savings right off the bat. If you want to go to Disney for the first time, or the hundredth time, hop online and see what kind of deals you can come up with. Chances are, with a few of these deals, Disney is more affordable than you could ever imagine.