I detected no knocking, but I was being preemptive. I have come across way too many people that automatically reject cruising without taking the time to even learn something about it.

I think the only way cruise companies make money is through alcohol and soda sales. Other than that you are probably paying under $200 a night for all you can eat (really good) food and resort like accommodations.

The benefits are while onboard. If it only costs me a few hours per year to keep up my status, and I cruise once that year and get lounge access, free Internet, free dry cleaning and shoe polishing, no waiting in line at the pier or for disembarking at ports, a free minibar, canapes on formal night, afternoon tea, 10% off in the shops, comped wine tasting events, and upgraded cabin and bathroom amenities, it's well worth those few hours for that one cruise.

Morning Box!

Hope everyone had a good Halloween. We are overflowing with candy in my house......



Ok, Box. No moe using the word "lice". It is giving me the creeps.

Unfortunately, my poor beautiful 8yr old came home from school on Wednesday with a case of head lice.

OMG. OMG. OMG. I was horrified. Seems like several kids in her class have been passing it around.

Poor little baby. I had to spend hours and hours picking out nits after dousing her head with some horrible toxic pesticide.

Every day since Wednesday I've had to "nit-pick". GROSS. GROSS. GROSS. And, to add insult to injury, it was her 8th birthday on Thursday and she wasn't allowed back in school until Friday.

Gotta think of another word to describe gate lice.....:(



My In-Laws fly over to the States to visit with us, and then always take the Queen Mary back to Southampton. They've done it several times now, and always love it.

We've talked about my desire to lecture on-board so I'm clearly not one of the doubters.

Different price points for different crowds, ages, etc. There are ships out there where you could sub in $1000 for the $200 you said and still feel like you're coming out ahead. But you're right about alcohol and soda. You do have to pay to drink, but many lines have a way around paying for non-alcoholic drinks. It works out to a breakeven point of about three sodas a day.

I know; I should have been clearer. I wasn't writing that to be solely directed at you.

Missed this post. Nice photos. URL's please. I like the one with the RR tracks.

QM2 and Queen Victoria are from what I understand absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. The new Cunarder started construction in July - Queen Elizabeth. The hull is coming together in a yard just outside of Trieste as we speak.

But the coffee flows freely, correct?

In the dining rooms, yes. Princess has pay-for coffee and cappuccino bars that I haven't sampled. It's like Starbucks at sea without the brand name.

I knew a guy socially on the CU Business School faculty that taught a few times on board in the Semester at Sea program. Full pay, I think, and free passage. And, when he did it, he was single (again).

I need to get a cup of hot water to make some tea. Just posted my first audio / visual lecture online (about destroying shareholder value) - very cool.

We don't get sabbaticals here, so my desire is to do so over a summer or a winter term.

We took a QM II out of Brooklyn to the Caribbean last year and it was beyond belief. The food, the amenities and everything else were far superior to any other cruiseline.