I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!  Here are my cruise tips for saving wear and tear on body and soul.  I’d love to get a few tips from you as well.  And, because air travel is so unpredictable, several tips are especially important and noted as a NEW RULE.

1.  To arrive with wrinkle-free clothing for dressy nights, put each outfit in a plastic dry cleaner’s bag and lay in suitcase. I put items on hangars so they go directly from bag to closet.

2.  If you like to lie in the sun, use a very high sun block and reapply frequently, even if the label claims its waterproof.  Since I love a tan as much as anyone, I apply it the morning right after my shower with a self-tanner.

1.  To arrive with wrinkle-free clothing for dressy nights, put each outfit in a plastic dry cleaner’s bag and lay in suitcase. I put items on hangars so they go directly from bag to closet.

2.  If you like to lie in the sun, use a very high sun block and reapply frequently, even if the label claims its waterproof.  Since I love a tan as much as anyone, I apply it the morning right after my shower with a self-tanner.

3.  When flying to meet a ship sailing from a port that is more than a ten-minute ride from the airport, buy an airport transfer from the cruise line through your travel agent.  Saves time, money and aggravation.

4. NEW RULE! Never cruise without buying insurance from your travel agent.   I’ve been told by knowledgeable insiders that Access America and Travel Guard are more likely to reimburse justified expenses than the cruise lines’ own insurance company.

5.  I never board an airplane without earplugs or an iPod.  Crying babies drive me nuts!

6. If you’re sailing from New York’s Manhattan or Brooklyn piers, take Amtrak to avoid driving.  Not only is gas prohibitively expensive but also it costs $30 per day to park a car in the Manhattan port parking lot.

7.  Take a bunch of singles for tipping all the people who have earned a gratuity along the way.

8. NEW RULE! When flying to meet the ship, don’t pack any items in your suitcase you can’t stand to loose forever.  These include documents, medication, jewelry, eyeglasses, and electronics gear.

9.  I consider a carry-on bag with wheels necessary because of all the stuff I have to haul because my suitcase may not arrive outside my cabin door for three or four hours.  In addition to the items cited in the above tip, add a change of clothes and shoes plus toiletries.

10. If your heart is set on a cozy table for two at dinner aboard a ship with assigned seating, ask your travel agent to pull whatever strings necessary to reserve one the moment you book.  If that’s not possible, run to the dining room the moment you board to reserve your table.

11. When planning your own shore excursions, take the name and phone number of the cruise line’s local port agent, which is listed in the daily program delivered to your stateroom.   If a problem or delay occurs, it’s an important contact number to have.

12.  The moment you board the ship plan to run to the spa to book treatments, the VCR library (the best go first) and make reservations in an alternative restaurant.

13. Is it me or have cruise lines reduced staff on the pier, resulting in extra long waiting time to process documents and board the ship?   Take the torture out of waiting by having an Ipod, trashy book or magazine to read while standing in line.

14.  If you plan on buying a cruise line T-shirt in the ship’s boutique, wait until the last day when stacks of them are on sale.

15.  Don’t even think of buying grass during your Caribbean or Mexico cruise then packing it in a suitcase to disembark the ship.  Before you reach your bag on the pier dogs with remarkable olfactory talents will have scanned the all luggage.  Getting busted by DEA agents is a lousy ending to a perfect cruise.

16. No, you can’t bring bottles of any alcohol aboard ship.  But you may be interested in reading what other cruisers do to bypass this rule.  See the comments in “Taking Alcohol Aboard A Ship”.

17.  You can determine the age of passengers likely to sail on a ship by checking the duration of the voyage.  Two-to-five-day cruises carry the youngest passengers, on one-week voyages there will be predominance of passengers aged 25 to 50 and on cruises over a week, most passengers are retired.

18.  To save money aboard ship decide your cruise will be alcohol free.  If you have a problem doing that, check out “Friends of Bill W” meetings scheduled daily aboard all but the smallest cruise ships.

19.   Anytime a cruise line says a cruise includes “free” airfare, hotels, shore excursions and transfers what it really means is they are bundled into the cruise fare.  Nothing is free in the cruise industry.

20.  A night-light comes in handy because blackout drapes mean the cabin will be pitch dark. It helps to avoid crashing into furniture when trying to reach the bathroom during the night.

21.    When booking an Europe or Alaska cruise, book as far in advance as possible because the closer to departure you get, the higher the airfare will be.  And, when budgeting for these destinations always factor in shore excursions.

22. Before booking a cruise that will require you to purchase an airline ticket, make sure seats are available to and from the ship’s homeport.  Airlines are cutting capacity to many vacation destinations.

23.  Never select one ship over another based on price alone.  Always pick a ship based on your lifestyle and interests especially when food and service, kids facilities or the itinerary are so important.

24.  If you contact a travel agent to book a specific cruise line and the agent tries to steer you to another cruise company instead, I suggest finding a new agent.

25. <em>Royal Caribbean, Carnival </em>and <em>Norwegian Cruise Line</em> carry the most families with children.  While there are few kid-free cruises today, especially during school vacation period, you’ll find fewer children on <em>Princess, Holland America</em> and <em>Celebrity</em> if that’s what you’re seeking.

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Few items can run up the final tab of a cruise like shore excursions.  A couple on a one-week Caribbean cruise spending an extra grand on activities they purchased from the cruise company?  No problem.

Cruise lines impose a huge markup in the tours they sell to passengers.  Don’t be surprised if you find a tour for sale at a resort or hotel that’s up to 50% lower than the identical excursion sold by the cruise line.

On a NCL cruise in Hawaii the cruise line’s price for a one-day Budget car rental was $70.  In the ship’s cyber cafe, savvy passengers booked the same Budget car  for $30 per day.

Whenever possible, I try to set up my own shore excursions before departure.  Enter “St. Thomas snorkeling” in Google and you’ll find a half-dozen companies with more affordable programs.  Google brings up local ground operators and sightseeing services all over the world.  In pre-Euro Europe touring with in a private car with guide was much less expensive than taking the ship’s motor-coach excursion.

State and country government web sites are a good source of local tour operators.  For example, Travel Alaska offers dozens of Alaska sightseeing excursions that are  more affordable than comparable cruise line shore excursions.

Several companies sell shore excursions for cruisers at a competitive price.  I recommend cruise.com, Port Promotions and Shore Trips.  They use smaller vehicles and four or more people can customize their own day ashore.

But here’s a caveat: if the local company doesn’t get you back to the ship on time, it will sail without you.  Getting to the next port to meet the ship is your responsibility.   I recommend taking the name of the cruise line’s port agent, which is listed in the daily program delivered to your stateroom.

And some tours are virtually impossible to arrange on your own.  For example, white water rafting in Costa Rica is a fabulous experience.  Since local ground operators only sell to groups, count that experience out if you don’t take the ship’s tour.

And, with the U.S. $$$ low, Europe is now extremely expensive for Americans.  I suggest a Google search to see how local prices stack up against the cruise line’s price.  Of course, shore excursions in Europe will be more expensive as well since cruise companies purchase services from local tour operators in dollars.

Do you arrange your own sightseeing ashore or mainly rely on shore excursions? What experiences have you had?

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On the Cruise Log, journalist Gene Sloan cites a report of a man getting kicked off a Carnival ship in Roatan, Honduras because he was sick.  The unfortunate passenger was offloaded at the the first port and had to pay thousands of dollars to get himself home in order to get the medical care he needed.

That’s the way all cruise lines handle passengers who are too ill to be treated by the ship’s medical staff:  if they’re ill equipped to take care of you, if you should be hospitalized, they don’t want to be responsible.

It happened to a close friend in Istanbul.  We few to this city to board a Princess ship at the start of a Mediterranean cruise when Sam was suddenly felt the intense pain of kidney stones.  After visiting the ship’s hospital (Princess only employees physicians board certified in the UK), the ship’s doctor called an ambulance to take him to a local hospital.  You do NOT want to get sick in Turkey.  Fortunately the stone passed, he returned to the ship and had a second glass of bubbly  as the ropes were raised and we

He wouldn’t have entered the hospital anyway:  because he had travel insurance he would have been flown by air ambulance to the nearest

If you have travel insurance you’ll be lifted by air ambulance to the nearest U.S. or, if the distance is too great, best hospital in the region.   If you don’t have travel insurance you can either pay $20,000 for an air ambulance or go to a local hospital.

This is why I believe you’re very foolish to travel anywhere outside the U.S.  without purchasing travel insurance.

My father came down with the flu aboard Queen Elizabeth 2, spent days in bed with a nurse checking in on him frequently.  If you come down with a virus like Norwalk, you’ll be confined to your cabin until you’re no longer contagious.  Ships can handle viruses, a scraped knee and sunburn but little else.

Ships aren’t equipped to handle serious illness.  There are no diagnostic tools, surgery or intensive care.  While there is medicine for sea sickness and flu, not much else is available.  Ships do have CPR machines but beyond temporarily stabilizing someone who suffers a heart attack, the staff can do little more.

A ship’s physician told me about a passenger whose life was saved because he had travel insurance.   A passenger suffered a stroke and because he had travel insurance, the ship’s doctor was immediately patched through to a neurologist in Houston.  An air ambulance quickly evacuated the passenger, taking him to a Texas hospital where he was successfully treated.  However, if he hadn’t had insurance, the ship’s doctor would have had no choice but to put him ashore in the nearest port, Cartagena, Columbia, where, the doctor believed, he would have died.

I don’t know about you, but to me the thought of getting sick and being forced to go to a Third World hospital is terrifying.

Here’s another insider’s tip: should the ship’s doctor make a misdiagnosis or provide poor treatment, forget trying to sue.  Like the spa and gift shop, doctors and nurses are independent contractors. The cruise line doesn’t hire doctors and nurses; they are employed by outside employment agencies.  Hence, the cruise line has no liability.

I hope I’ve scared you enough to get travel insurance before your next cruise.  Here are several of the larger companies, which you may purchase online or through travel agents:  Travel Guard and Access America.

Do you buy travel insurance?  Have you ever had to use it?

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(Note:  Alas, this article, which ran in 2007 is still, unfortunately true.  The advice is still timely)

My blood started to boil the moment I picked up this week’s issue of New York Magazine with a timely cover story: “Airport Hell”. If you’ve flown in the past six months without a delayed or cancelled flight, lost luggage or other airline mishap consider yourself lucky. Locally, my three airports – JFK, LaGuardia and Newark – are considered the worst in the U.S. But the problem is nationwide. And hey, it’s not even winter yet!

If you’re like millions of cruisers, air travel will be the biggest hassle of your cruise vacation. You live in the Northern part of the U.S. and must fly to take a ship from Florida, California or Hawaii or, next summer your sites are set on an Alaska or Europe cruise. This has become a critical problem for cruisers because if your flight is delayed or cancelled you may miss the ship’s departure. When that happens, it’s up to you to get yourself to the ship at the first possible port of call. There are two actions you can take to greatly decrease the odds of your cruise vacation being ruined by delayed or cancelled flights. Most importantly, plan on flying to the port a day early and spending a pre-cruise night in a local hotel. The day of your cruise, rise at leisure, have breakfast and don your cruise attire. You’ll board the ship relaxed and refreshed; in fact, I think you gain an extra day of vacation this way. In addition, it’s critical to buy cruise insurance which protects you against the costs of missed flights, lost luggage and a host of unexpected problems that can arise.

If you do need to fly from one of New York’s three airports, New York Magazine recommends Miami flights with the best chance of leaving on time.  From LaGuardia, American flight 2273, departing at 8:35 a.m. has an 87% on-time rate.  From Newark, American 1921, departing 6 a.m. daily, runs on-time 90% of the time.

Do you have any tips on ways to deal with this hellish air travel problem?

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I’m sure I’m not the only cruiser who occasionally worries about failing to reach a cruise ship before it sails.  So I can imagine how awful it was for a troop of girl scouts who couldn’t make their airline connection and missed their Carnival cruise.  Instead of spending a week sailing the warm waters of the Caribbean, stayed in a motel.

Cincinnati radio station WKRC reports that three years after the mishap the girls are still trying to recoup their losses.   And investigative reporter Howard Ain says that getting the right travel insurance would have avoided the problem.

Here’s what happened:  the group arrived in Indianapolis two hours early for their connecting flight to Miami and, upon presenting paper tickets, were told they were invalid.  After troop leader Diane McConnell called the travel agent, new reservations were made but the group arrived at the pier moments after the Carnival ship departed.  The girls spent their vacation at a Daytona beach hotel rather than on the ship.

Upon return, the troop sued their travel agent and won $4300 in damages.  The travel agency then sued Air Tran airlines — and won. The judge ruled there was really no problem with the tickets, it’s just Air Tran had overbooked the flight.

While some of the girls had no travel insurance, several scouts had taken out trip cancellation insurance but that didn’t work either. “With it being a, they called it a computer glitch, that they wouldn’t cover that — it was unrecoverable,” says troop leader Diane McConnell

According to reporter Ain, “Turns out the trip insurance they bought was from the cruise line. While it is less expensive, it’s also a lot more restrictive than trip insurance purchased from an independent company. Had they bought trip insurance from an independent company, more than likely they would have been covered for the missed cruise. Such insurance is something to consider if you’re ever planning to leave the country.”

This is why I’ve been preaching about the importance of buying travel insurance from one of the independent companies like Travel Guard and Access America.  No matter how much your cruise costs, it’s important to protect your investment.

Do you buy travel insurance?

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Every ship’s officer I’ve queried has admitted that the most difficult cruise of the year is the Christmas cruise.   Not only are ships full of passengers expecting a fabulous holiday — hey, you paid enough! — but the staff and crew, who miss their own families, work overtime.

One year, aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Galaxy, I walked into the gift ship on December 25th and encountered a teary staff member manning the register.  “I just called my family in Scotland.  I missed the Queen’s Christmas radio broadcast,” she sniffled. 

For many of us Christmas itself is a stressful time of year.  Add to that the hassle of flying to a warm-weather port to take the ship (“will my luggage arrive?”) and worrying about whether the kids, spouse, family or friends traveling with us will have a good time.  Oh, and buying presents that will fit in the luggage. 

Having braved two Christmas cruises I have a few tips to pass along.

     *  Let Go of Expectations.  I think many of us believe that since we’ve paid a lot of money the cruise line owes us a fabulous Christmas.  While it’s true that staff go out of their way to create a festive onboard experience (strolling carolers, a tree and decorations, Santa arriving for the kids, a traditional meal),  it’s still a cruise ship.  They can’t manufacture holiday spirit, family harmony and happiness.  You bring that with you.  So let go of what it should be and decide to enjoy whatever you find.

*  Decorate your cabin.  Bring your own decorations and create a festive stateroom.  I’ve taken strings of lights (don’t forget an extension cord and tape), a small tree and stung decorations around my cabin.  You can also decorate the door of your cabin with holiday paper, which adds a cheery touch. 

* Gifts: Think Creatively.  Limit presents to those that fit in your carry-on bag.  Personally I love gifts that can be used right away. For example, search Google for special activities in port such as helicopter tour, golf at a famous  course, a spa day at an elegant hotel or privite snorkeling excursion.  Many cruise lines allow you to book shore excursions before departure.  Teenagers would probably love an email package for use in the ship’s cyber cafe. Other possible presents include a digital camera or camcorder for use during the cruise.     

* Take Unwrapped Presents.  Especially if you’re flying, plan to wrap presents when you arrive.  Wrapping paper frequently contains foil: you do not want to stand unwrapping presents in airport security.  And, don’t forget to bring scissors and tape.

* Remember the Staff & Crew.  Small gifts for your waiter and room steward are appropriate.  International calling cards for phoning family and friends back home are terrific presents.  And don’t forget to wish them a Merry Christmas!

* Make Christmas Dinner Special.   Make a reservation at an alternative restaurant the second you board the ship.  Order champagne for a holiday toast.

Do you have any tips for taking the stress out of a holiday cruise? 

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Like most of us, I’ve become accustomed to bad news about the economy.  Therefore, it was hardly surprising to learn today that consumer confidence is at a 41 year low.  And I’m sure no one is jealous of cruise line CEO’s trying to steer clear of the shoals in a force ten gale!

But what I learned after 9/11 is that cruise lines are the most resilient segment of the travel industry.   For example, if there’s a problem in Istanbul a ship can quickly be moved to Baltimore or wherever travelers are willing to board.  And cruise lines can at least make sure the crew gets paid by luring you aboard with rock bottom fares.

I’m sure that, like most Americans, you’ve put a hold on spending money on non-essentials.  However, sooner or later you’re going to realize that a vacation IS  essential:  we can put off buying a car for another year but simply must get away from CNN, CNBC or whatever source of news that tells us how much worse off we are today than yesterday.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for keeping your wits and having a fantastic cruise as you navigate the “new normal” in cruising.

*** You no longer feel comfortable making future plans because your spouse could loose his/her job or an aged parent may get ill.

Solution. Travel Insurance such as Travel Guard and Access America, which you can buy directly or through your travel agent, will cover cancellation costs should either of these situations occur.

*** You’re cutting back costs as much as possible.  What are the best ways to save money on a cruise vacation.

Solution: Here’s one thing you don’t do:  pick a ship based on price alone.   The rarest commodity of all is your time.  If you pick a ship because it has the lowest price and wind up hating the food, service and your accommodations, you’ve wasted both time and money.   For example, if you love Holland America you’ll probably hate Norwegian Cruise Line.   Keep this in mind:  every cruise line is in the same boat when it comes to being effected by the economy.  I’ve seen very low starting fares starting at $65 per person, per day on some Celebrity and Holland America departures.   This is when it pays to find a very seasoned cruise agent!

*** If you booked your cruise four + months before departure, don’t be surprised to run into fellow passengers who are paying significantly less for the same category stateroom.  When faced with a half-full ship, cruise lines will steeply discount fares close to departure.   A travel agent told me that the only cruise lines that sometimes refund money are Royal Caribbean\Celebrity\Azamara.  The other cruise lines don’t ante up refunds…..although a good travel agent will fight for serious upgrades.

Solution: It’s your job to keep track of discounts and then call your travel agent a few weeks before departure so he/she can try to get you upgraded.  Of course, it’s also your job to book your cruise with a terrific travel agent.

And I don’t want to hear complaints that the cruise lines are trying to rip you off!!  It’s no different from buying a sweater at full retail Oct. 1 and finding the same sweater on sale for 50% less a month later.  You don’t expect a store to give you a refund, so why do you expect it from a cruise line?

*** Some cruise lines have cut back on food and services.   For example, there is a surcharge for the majority of restaurants on Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships, including the Italian pizzeria and Tex/Mex restaurant.  For higher quality food than what is served in the main dining rooms (at no extra charge) be prepared to spend roughly $150 per person more for a one-week cruise.   Aboard Royal Caribbean’s ships, you’ll find a $14.95 surcharge for steak in the main dining room.

Solution: Pick a higher end cruise line, such as Princess, Holland America or Celebrity.  You’ll find steep discounts on these ships too but fewer surcharges tacked on.

*** Since the economy is so bad we should cruise close to home instead of taking the Europe cruise we always dreamed of taking.

Solution: Wrong!  For years there was an over-capacity of ships in the Caribbean so cruise lines sent them to Europe.  In 2009, there will be such an over-capacity of ships in Europe you should find terrific buys on Mediterranean, Baltic, Black Sea and Aegean cruises.   Expect fares to start falling in early 2009 and be ready to bag a terrific deal.  Also expect airfares to be more reasonable, at least that’s the way it looks from here.

You may not feel up to booking a cruise this week, but chances are those steep discounts will be irresistible to pass up.

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“Does your health insurance cover you in Liberia?” a doctor aboard a ship asked me. When I responded that of course it didn’t, he said “Well, you’re in Liberia right now.” Like all but a handful of cruise ships, this vessel was a foreign flag ship. But most Americans don’t realize their regular health insurance probably won’t cover them outside the U.S.

When your sights are set on an exciting cruise and sun-filled beaches, it’s a drag to consider options to protect oneself against unforeseen events that may mar your expensive vacation-not to mention the additional cost. But it’s time for a reality check. Whenever there is a problem, the traveler always loses. They loose either time, or money, but most often both.

In addition to illness or accidents, here are other scenarios you may face:

*** You’ve paid for your cruise four or six months out and a crisis hits: you’re downsized out of a job, there’s a death in the family or some other catastrophe hits so can’t take that cruise. While the deadline for a “free” cancellation has passed, you may think that the cruise line will surely have a heart and waive the penalty. Wrong!   Because cruisers are urged to purchase travel insurance cruise lines do not waive penalties for canceling passengers. And, you must expect they will strictly enforce their cancellation policies no matter how dire the circumstances.

*** A big snowstorm arrives the day you’re scheduled to join a cruise and your flight is cancelled. Or, the flight is delayed, you don’t meet the connecting flight and arrive after the ship has sailed. Finally you make it for part of the cruise, but you’ve missed several days you paid for and paid a small fortune to change reservations and fly to the next port. Is the cruise line or airline responsible? Neither. Read the small print on your tickets. Only travel insurance will make up for this loss.

*** You’re flying to another city to start your cruise and the luggage is lost by the airline.  I saw one attractive gentleman attired at dinner every evening dressed in the same clothes, a tuxedo and Nikes, because his bag never reached the ship and it was all he had wear (he’d carried both aboard).   With insurance the cost of replacement clothing would have been covered.)

*** It’s important to know that if a health issue arises on the cruise, you won’t to find medical conditions comparable to those in the U.S.: cruise lines aren’t required to conform to American medical standards and aside from treating a virus, their ability to treat any serious mishap is limited. When a passenger gets ill, the ship’s doctor will either contact your insurance carrier or put you ashore at the first port where you’ll be met by an ambulance and taken to the local hospital.

*** Conditions at foreign hospitals are frequently primitive by American standards. One ship’s physician recounted the story of a passenger whose life was saved because he had insurance:   the ship’s doctor was immediately patched through to a neurologist in Texas and he was airlifted to a hospital in Houston with advanced technology. Without insurance, the ship would have had to put him in the nearest hospital: Bogota, Columbia, which lacks much life-saving medical care.   By the way, air ambulances cost around $20,000, which insurance covers.

One knowledgeable travel agent told me “people shut down when they hear the word “insurance — but you may get ripped off if you don’t get it. It is an extra cost, but invaluable if you have a problem. Then, it really gets expensive,” he said. Without insurance, you’re putting money on the table for the weather and the airlines’ labor problems.

Cruise lines and airlines claim no responsibility for anything outside their control. If you miss your plane because of a storm, there’s no reimbursement for missed days aboard ship. Insurance would give you some recourse.. In the event of a weather or carrier-caused delay, no airline is obligated to connect you with the ship–only to get you to your ticketed destination. And the cruise line isn’t obligated to pay any extra costs involved in connecting you with the ship.

In addition, there’s the added security of knowing that travel insurance can offer partial or full compensation if you can’t travel. Buying insurance doesn’t guarantee your trip will be worry free, but it does alleviate enormous problems that may arise when Murphy also booked to sail on your voyage. For me, it’s a small price to pay for piece of mind.

Travel agents I’ve queried recommend two travel insurance companies over purchasing cruise lines’ insurance: Access America and Travel Guard. One very timely feature covered by Travel Guard’s plans is a “cancel for any reason” clause.

NOW, PASS THE PINA COLADA!

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Many of us only have time for a three- or four-day cruise.  And, if you’re flying to the port of embarkation, you may use up some of the valuable sea days burned out from the ordeal of just traveling to the ship.   Air travel, which was once a no brainer, is frequently an obstacle:  delays, cancellations and lost luggage are all too common. 

On a recent four-day cruise I met a couple who were very unhappy first time cruisers.  After a flight from Montreal to Orlando and a change of planes, their luggage didn’t arrive.  Of course, ships depart whether you have everything or not.  They had purchased many clothes for their first cruise and now had to replace everything.

Here’s my advice for having an anxiety free vacation.

* If at all possible, book a pre-cruise hotel and arrive in the port of embarkation a day early.  The Canadian couple would have retrieved their bags if they opted to fly a day earlier.  Just about any airline glitch — lost bags, delays, cancellations — can be resolved if you have an extra day to deal with it.  Priceline is my discount hotel of choice because I always seem to get a good deal.

* If you’re taking a cruise under five days, plan on packing everything in a carry- on bag.  Presto, the worry about luggage arriving disappears entirely!  Yes, it will take creativity to pack everything you need in a smaller suitcase, but you can do it.

* While cruise lines do sell air/sea packages, I recommend purchasing your own airfare to insure you have a non-stop flight.  So many people who buy air from the cruise lines end up with connecting flights, which would make anyone’s stress level rise.  I get the best air prices by using Kayak, an Internet that does a deep search of every airline’s inventory. 

* You must still get from the airport to the pier or a hotel.  Research the approximate time and cost of a taxi.  In Fort Lauderdale, the port is only a ten minute ride but taking a taxi from Miami airport to the pier can take 45 minutes and cost a fortune.  The simplest, and usually, least expensive way to go between airports and ports is by buying a cruise line transfer, which your travel agent can arrange. 

* Take a stack of singles for tips.  The port’s baggage handlers can be very nasty if you don’t tip them well for carrying your bag from the bus or taxi to the ship.  Sure, it’s highway robbery but forking over a few dollars saves a lot of aggravation.

* If you must check a suitcase, be sure to have a change of clothing in your carry-on bag. And, never pack anything in your suitcase you can’t stand to loose forever, such as jewelry, medication, your documents and eye glasses. 

* I’ve eliminated a lot of stress by wearing ear plugs on a plane.  Screaming baby? No problem.

* You can arrive with wrinkle-free clothing by laying items flat in a dry cleaner’s bag in the suitcase.  Trust me, this works!

Do you have tips for taking the torture out of traveling between home and the port?

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For months I’ve been working to build a new web site, Cruising From New York,  which finally opened today!

After 15 years of traveling all over the planet, I’ve come to the conclusion that New York is the best city on earth.  And, the number of ships has mushroomed to the point two additional ports — one in Brooklyn, another in Cape Liberty, NJ — have opened. In 2006, roughly one million people sailed in and out of the port.

I hope you visit the web site.  And most of all, I’d like your honest opinon on areas that should be expanded or revised in any way.

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