Update....

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This is a short post to tell you that I am doing a new series that is exclusive to this blog.  If you can recall last year, I had a series that crossed paths with all three of the blogs.  I have something planned for the other two, and they will not match what I have for this series.

I will continue with the Disney series.  Right now, they are a bunch of questions I answered on Quora, and I love doing it.  I am not being paid to do it, and they are not sponsoring it.  It is something that I feel that I should share with my audience on my blog posts.

Until next time, be safe, and God bless you.

What should you never buy at Disney World?

I am answering another Quora question.  You may wonder why I answer this question and make them into whole posts for you to read?  It is simple, to answer your most burning questions.  You have the same questions as some of the people who are looking at planning for a vacation, and I may have the answer to that question.  To that end here is my answer and the in-depth look into why I said what I said. 

“I am really not sure. I say that to tell you that everyone is different with different tastes. To tell you what not to buy is like telling you not to breathe. I have some guidelines on your purchases that will help you with your purchases (you did not think I would leave you hanging with that answer, did you?). Keep in mind the following tips:

1. As much as the souvenirs are as a whole, never purchase anything that you think is not worth the money. This includes edible souvenirs. Not every cupcake is the same at WDW, nor worth the price you pay
2. Keep in mind your budget. Yes, it is your vacation, but you have to eat the rest of the time you are there, and you have to get home, and you need some money in case of emergencies (Hospital costs, rental car/own car needing immediate repairs, child drawing on the wall of the resort room, and bail money are examples that come to mind) So sorry, a Michael Kors bag from a Disney Springs boutique is a no go, unless you can get it with a credit or debit card, and you have plenty of money to get home.
3. Speaking of which, never buy anything that you cannot do a return on BEFORE you go home. There are many ways of returning something, and if shipping back something is a problem (such as you live outside of the United States, Japan, France, or Asian countries that have a Disney Park in them) do not purchase.
4. Do not purchase something just for the heck of it. I learned this the hard way. Back in 2004, I thought I might have a Disney pin collection. I do not like pins, but I bought a Mulan pin because I was advised to start off with one, and every time you come back to Disney World, I can trade for something better and build on my collection. I do not know where that pin is, and I feel like I wasted my money. For my next vacation there, I will not buy a pin, no matter how cute it is.”

Keep in mind I am using souvenirs in my example. think about this when you purchase a vacation package, using a travel agent, or a paid event at Disney. You know what your family likes, and you know what you like. This is also a perfect way to be budget-friendly even on vacation.

Souvenir Prices and your Budget

Souvenirs and Returns

Way back when Disney was an exclusive company, you could get away with purchasing anything at the park.  Some of the things I have purchased in the past were:

1)       Stickers (because I was a crafter)

2)      Autograph books

3)     Towel (for my sister who was a teen with no money-who goes to Disney with no money, LOL).  She loves Tigger, and I thought that she would love it, along with the

4)     Big Stuffed Tigger. Hey, that’s what big sisters are for.

5)     Pin (see above)

6)     Mug (the airline broke it on the flight home)

There is nothing wrong with these purchases, except the pin at the time of purchase, but since that time, Disney has loosened up a bit, and now you can go to Target, Walmart, and your local Dollar Tree to get some of this stuff.  Only save your money for the exclusives, and only if it is worth the money. 

Please, do not purchase something because someone has one.  It may not be in your best taste, style, or budget.  Please teach your little ones especially if they are using their own money. 

Discount tickets:  Now this one has an exception:  If it is bought through your travel agent, go ahead and buy them.  I do not go through these holes in the walls type of places in Orlando.  Here is the reason why you do not buy discount tickets.  If you buy them, you are running the risk of not getting into the parks.  Sometimes, these so-called ticket centers may have bought tickets from someone with a day left on the ticket itself.  They then sell to you what may be a ticket the center says is a ticket that is the length of your stay.  They also may be stolen. 

Buy from a reliable travel agent, who buys only from Disney.  This goes for package deals as well.

These are the items that you should never buy at Disney and any place.

Disney is Forever Changing:

Disclaimer: P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 

I am once again answering a question from Quora.  This time, the question was “How do you Rank the Disney Theme Parks from Best to Worst?”  My answer was as follows:

“The best park by far is the Magic Kingdom. This is classic Disney, celebrating all things Mickey and the gang, Princesses, and classic rides. It is almost Disneyland’s Doppelganger.Next, is the Animal Kingdom. I love the way that the use of a non-Swahili term called Notazu (Not a Zoo, get it?). It is exactly that. You can see the animals at their finest, and I think they take better care of the animals than my city Zoo (which is the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium-sorry, shameless plug). the only I do not like about AK in Dinoland. It looks like an old carnival, but it works.Next, is Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They have toy Storyland, and they just opened Galaxy’s Edge, so the story is still out for me until I visit there. the reason is they had all the construction there for the longest, and I heard that it was hard to navigate there.Last is Epcot. I will not say that it is the worst park in terms of nothing to do., but much of the stuff is so dated, and it needs some TLC, but that will soon change with all the changes that are happening now and all that is to be completed by the 50th anniversary of the resort area.Construction seems to make things look bad, so that is the other reason why I rank the parks the way I did. First, it was the New Fantasyland a few years ago, then it was Downtown Disney, which not only it got an upgrade, but a name change to Disney Springs. That was completed 2 or 3 years ago. Next came Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and that was just completed. Now, like I said, is Epcot’s turn. The Animal Kingdom did get a little update in between Disney Springs and the start of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ construction, with Pandora, replacing Camp Minnie Mickey, but it is all to keep us coming back and entertained.for this is the reason I ranked the parks the way I did.”

Photo By P. Lynne Designs

Before I get to my answer, I want to get you an update on my Disney trip series.  There has been a slight delay to get out in the next chapter.  We are still going so far, but I as far as writing the series, I did not want to push myself into a “give every detail” account of the trip because there are some things that are private and personal.  As I formulate my ideas, I will write it.  No worries.  For now, let me stick to my answer and I will move on from there. 

What is my ranking of the parks?
Well the ranking of the parks (my ranking) goes like this: (Best to Worst)
• The Magic Kingdom (TMK)- As I said in my answer, this is classic Disney.  You cannot get any better than that, next to Disneyland, of course.  Yes, some of the rides are dated, but when you cannot get to Disneyland and looking for some nostalgia, this is the place to be.  In fact, The Magic Kingdom is probably the closest you will get to a “Disneyland” in Central Florida.  The difference between the two is

• Disneyland is older, has The Sleeping Beauty Castle.
• The Magic Kingdom is, of course, newer, has Cinderella’s Castle, and the “lands” are:
• Adventureland
• Fantasyland
• Frontierland
• Liberty Square
• Main Street USA
• Tomorrowland.

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK)-has the claim, “Notazu”, which is supposed to be an official Swahili word, which means, “Not a Zoo”.  For anyone who has Swahili as their native tongue already knows that it is not a word.  Yes, I can get Disney on that, but it is a minor thing.  Other than have the humor for making up words to a language that I know very few words to (does Lionel Richie’s song, “All Night Long” ring a bell, anyone?), the Animal Kingdom does a pretty good job in making sure that the animals are safe.  Yes, they have been criticized by conservationists and organizations like PETA, but this animal lover loves this park for all the right reasons, including having a conservation area.

• The “Lands are named
• 
  
• Oasis (Discovery Island and Pandora)
• Asia
• Africa
• Dinoland.
• The best part of DAK is Africa.  This is what the park was built on.  You have a safari ride, called Kilimanjaro Safari that takes you
• The worst part of DAK is Dinoland.  It looks like a carnival, and each time I go, I have that feeling of a carnival, and all its minions (oops, wrong characters).  You have your carnival games, Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama, Primeval Whirl, which are part of those put/takedown carnival rides that I started hating as a teen, but yet, I am okay with these rides.

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS)- I actually should have ranked this park first and the reason is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  More one that in a moment.  I thought at first, for a Disney park, it was kind of boring, since I do not ride thrill rides as a whole, nor do I gravitate towards them. If someone from my family asks me to ride with them, maybe, but I am not really a thrill ride person.  However, if you are, this is perfect because Disney is considered a resort geared towards kids, but in the last 20 years of so, they have been really aiming towards the adults.  After all, it is the adults who pay for everything.

• The lands are named
• Animation Courtyard
• Commissary Lane
• Echo Lake
• Grand Avenue
• Hollywood Boulevard
• Pixar Place
• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Sunset Boulevard
• Toy Story Land
• The Worst part about DHS there are a few lands that have only one attraction there, and the rest are restaurants and shops.  They do have a few sideshows, which remind you of the Vaudeville acts.  One act I saw in 2004 had to do with the “Rule of 100 jokes”.  I cannot exactly remember the act itself, but one of the characters was named “Miss Bunny”.  The park is also one of the parks that do not grab you with “Disney sweetness”.  It is very rare that you will see the “fav 5”, even though Mickey is in a “Newsies” type number.  They may show up every now and then.
• The best part of the park is the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (ST: GE).  For me personally, the jury is still out since I will not see it until December.  At that time, I will give a full report on all things Disney.  From what I can tell by the reviews given on YouTube, most people love ST: GE, but from the perspective of someone who is a Star Trek fan, I am finally warming up to the whole Star Wars saga, due to my brother being a Star Wars fan since the age of 7.  I hope to give a glowing report on the new land in DHS.

• Epcot (or Epcot Center as the new-old name suggests) (EC) is the worst park.  It is not bad in the sense of bad, but it is dated.  It is more dated than TMK.  I think that is why it is getting an almost total makeover.  This has been the park with the most problems in terms of appeal for both children and adults.  I have often called Epcot the “Education Center” because when parents take their children out of school for Walt Disney World, a teacher used to give them “homework” to do while on vacation.  Most of the homework would be conducted while at Epcot.  The Lands are

• Future World
• This land contains the rides, Fast Trek, which is Epcot’s answer to Autopodia in TMK’s Tomorrowland, and Mission Space, where you become part of an astronaut crew, on the way to Mars. You also learn about growing your own garden in a ride called, “The Land”.
• World Showcase
• This land contains little pavilions of counties to visit.  These countries are
• Norway
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• Mexico
• Canada
• The American Experience
• Japan
• France
• China
• Italy
• Morocco
• They have eating places, shops, and a couple of pavilions have rides.  Now I see why teachers want their students to study at Epcot.
• One of the worst things about Epcot is that it is so dated, but I still have fun while I am there.  I can learn a language, experience new food, and for rides, there is Frozen Ever After, which re-tells the story in ride form.  It is in the Norway pavilion.  In Mexico, there is the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros.  In this one, Donald Duck gets lost, and his friends try to find him.  This used to be called “El Rio De Tempo” (The River of Time) until it got an upgrade in 2007 to the new theming.
• The best thing about Epcot is World Showcase.  As they say, the best things have yet to come, and this is when the executives at Walt Disney World announced at D23, a fan convention that happens every couple of years, there will be an upgrade to Epcot, which will be completed in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021.

Well, this concludes my ranking of parks in Walt Disney World.  I apologize that I did not cover the waterparks, and the thousands of activities you can do outside of the parks, nor did I include the resorts or Disney Springs, a shopping area inside the behemoth of a resort.
One tip I do leave you with before I go is Disney is changing, and as Walt Disney once said about Disneyland, “Walt Disney World will never stop changing”.  There are always new ideas, new ride trends, and new generations of people to enjoy this massive resort area.  So with that being said, this ranking of Walt Disney World parks will most likely change, especially after I get back from my trip.
Until the next time, be safe, God Bless you, and good luck with your planning.

Saying goodbye to summer 2019

Disclaimer: P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

I am trying to figure out where the time has gone.  Soon the 2010s will be gone, and we will be saying 2020 everything.  No longer the name of television once headed by Barbara Walters, or what your vision should be, 2020 will be a force to be reckoned with, and I am looking forward to how 2020 will treat me my family and friends, and my business.  Now, we are jetting towards fall, and I did not have a summer that was wonderful.   Swimming pools, vacations by the beach, and being patriotic will soon be replaced with teachers, making new friends, warm drinks, ghosts and goblins, and a fat bird named Tom.

September, the month for

• Going back to school (if you have not already done so)
• Labor Day
• And Autumn (Fall if you are in the United States)

Image by Goumbik from Pixabay 

Fall?  Already?

Yes, Fall (or Autumn elsewhere in the world).  We are talking:

• Leaves turning shades of brown, red, yellow, and a darker shade of green.
• Apple Cider
• Roasting marshmallows
• Blankets
• Fireplaces and fire pits
• Halloween and Thanksgiving (Pass the turkey, please)
• In addition to these major holidays, we also have
• Grandparents day
• Patriot Day
• The Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah
• And some cute little holiday like:
• Talk like a pirate day
• But we also have:
• National Potato Month
• National Chicken Month
• National Biscuit Month

Pull out your favorite chicken, biscuit, and potato recipes

• National Hispanic Month (September 15-October 15)

And for all of us who play the piano, National Piano Month

For those of you born in the month of September, you have:

Birthstone: Sapphire

Flower: Aster

And zodiac signs: Virgo and Libra.

 What I love about September:  It is a transitional month.  It transitions from hot to cool to cold in a matter of 30 days.  You start out in shorts and ended up in a nice warm toasty blanket and sweater. 

For food, that is simple, hot chocolate, soup (which is actually a winter type food, but you can start having some in September), and apple cider.  Towards the end of the month, Halloween candy.  It is also National Potato, Chicken, and Biscuit month.  So eat and celebrate all.  Cook up some of your favorite recipes with these ingredients, and you cannot go wrong.  You can also add them to your favorite Spanish foods because it is National Hispanic Month, starting September 15, and continues until October 15. 

Decorating for the season:

For decoration, it is time to break out the reds, oranges, yellows, and browns.  In Fall 2019, the trend is about architectural shapes, heavier weighted material, which includes an Italian feel in terms of textures and colors.  If you are on a budget, you can add one or two pieces to make it feel like you did a lot.  An example of this may be adding one or two pillows to your couch, chair, or bed.  You can also add paper lamps to your decoration.

The colors according to Pantone are Chili Pepper, Brick Red, Crème de Pêche, Peach Pink, Rocky Road, Fruit Dove, Sugar Almond, Dark Cheddar, Galaxy Blue, Bluestone, Orange Tiger, and Eden.

Fashion colors include caramel and merlot, but also purple, pistachio, hot pink and orange.

No matter what the month of September brings you, make it a good month, a blessed month, and get ready to be nice and toasty around the fire pit.

Have a great day, and God bless.

My planning system setup with Erin Condren

Welcome to May

I decided to go with a very simple title for this blog.  Why?  Because I feel like May is the only month that is very simple, very, Spring friendly.  Some facts about May:

• It is the last full month of Spring.  Where did spring go this year?  I spent over half the season so far with the heat on and freezing or prematurely celebrating the summer to come.  After all, Ohio is not California, Florida, Texas, or Arizona, four of the notorious months where temps can get into the 90’s around June 1^st or before.
• May Day.  It is official, as I said earlier, we are at the halfway point before summer makes her debut for the year.  When my parents were children, they grew up in the same town of Guinea/Moundsville, Alabama, 8 miles north of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, my mom said that they used to dance around the maypole and did other activities that celebrated spring.  According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the tradition started with “Ancient Celts dancing around a tree” not a pole, praying for crops and fertility. If the pairing was a hit, then the courtship will continue, followed by marriage 6 weeks later in June.  No wonder June became the top-rated wedding month of the year.  Blame the Maypole.
• Lei Day.  On May 1 in Hawaii, it is also Lei Day.  If you ever visited Hawaii, which is on my bucket list of places to travel to, you can receive leis everywhere you go, from the airport to hotels and events.  They are given in the symbol of welcome, goodbye, affection, celebration, or honor which is in the spirit of Aloha. This celebration started on May 1, 1928, long before the territory became a state in 1959. 
• Cinco De Mayo.  Everyone knows about May 5^th, it is the day we celebrate Mexican food, right?  Um, wrong, in fact, we celebrate this Mexican holiday in the wrong way here in the United States. In fact, this is a day of victory celebration when the Mexicans won over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862.   So, in technicality, this is not a day where you can get 5 marguerites for $5.  I always caution people to drink responsibly and do not get caught.
• For Star Wars fans, there is Star Wars day, or May the 4^th (get it, May the 4th be with you, May the Force be With You-I can feel that pun going over some person’s head really quickly as they give that look of confusion, LOL).  Nothing special if you are not a Star Wars fan. I am personally a Star Trek fan, but I have seen all but the last movie that came out, and I respect these fans.  You are limited to one eye roll if your co-worker comes in dressed as Chewbacca The Wookie on that day.  Yes, it will be scary, but trust me, by 5 pm, it will be all over with.  Two eye rolls if he screams like
  
  him.  Pray that he does not get fired.  OK, I am done.
• Mother’s day.  This year, it is May 12, and it is merely an appreciation day for all things mother.  Cook for her (although if you are under 12, peanut butter and jelly sandwich will do…. let dad or a restaurant do the rest), present a gift from the heart, or a simple, “I love you” will do.  Do not forget to say thank you.
• Victoria Day.  I am not Canadian, so I know nothing about this day, except it, celebrates Queen Victoria’s birthday. May 20^th
• Memorial Day.  Here in the States (United States) we celebrate those who passed on and served in the military.  Many people go to the gravesites of beloved ones who served, place an American flag or flowers on the grave and reflect on how much the military has served this country.  This month, it is celebrated on May 27^th.

Now for some fun celebrations:

According to the Almanac, May is:

• Get caught Reading month
• National Good Car-Keeping month
• Scrapbook/paper crafting month
• May 1^st- School Principal’s day
• May 2-World Tuna Day (dang I could have tuna sushi-I had salmon sushi for dinner)
• May 5-11: Root Canal Awareness week
• May 8: No socks day (Humm, I should start wearing sandals on that day-YAY!)
• May 14: Dance like a chicken day.  Don’t ask.
• May 28:  Slugs Return from Capistrano Day.  Again, do not ask, but you can celebrate with a game called Best Fiends. 

Other notable things you can do for the month of May:

• Are there any weddings that you have been invited to?  Prepare your planner for all things wedding by:
• Marking the date, which includes any special events leading up to the wedding, especially if you are part of the wedding party.
• Now is the time to buy the gifts.  Look for discounts and coupons, but also be aware of the price on some gifts.  Online shopping may be the way to go and excuse to shop on Amazon, but it may not always be the best price.
• Consider getting a gift that will benefit both the bride and groom, not one or the other.
• When in doubt, get a gift card so they can both be present and pick out the gift.  Make sure that it is a universal gift card (like a Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, or Discover) so they can spend at any place. Also, put enough money on the card so the couple does not have to use their own money for the difference.
• Do you usually put off spring cleaning until this month?  Some advice for May 2020:  Prepare in April.  Do a walkthrough in the house to see what needs to be cleaned and organized by the end of the month.  For example, I started to prepare (I am being honest, half prepared) last week. 
• The two major areas I am concentrating on this month is my master bedroom and craft room, which are leftovers from last year (May 2018).  In my complex, they usually will have a big bin (more like a shipping container) where you can place your broken, unwanted stuff there. Last year, I throw out my old sewing machine, which was sitting in the garage since 2013 when I changed out the old carpet, but never brought the machine back in the condo.  The reason why I threw it out was the bugs.  I saw one crawl of it one day as I was getting into my car, saw the bin, turned around, got it, and chucked into the bin on the way out.  I already see a couple of items that are ready for the bin this year.
• January, I went to Ikea to get a Kallax unit (3 x 4 or 4 x3 depending on which way I turn it) and it still needs to be put up.  I need to clean my room to put the 9-cube Closet Maid unit in my room.  Two items from my room need to go to that bin in the complex.  I also need to buy a smaller Kallax unit (2 x 4) to replace the current bookshelf in the living room. This is a real example of what I need to do and what I wrote down last month for May.
• As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, May is Good car-keeping month.  Now is the time for us to service our cars.  Again, I am being honest, every time I turn on my car, it tells me to get my oil changed.  It has been doing it for 5 months (Busted by my father last month).  I engine has been running rough, probably because I did not get the oil changed.  I also need to get the back door (which says Gate Door on my dashboard, I have a Dodge Caliber 2008) arms replaced since they will not hold up the door anymore.  Everything gets put on the back seat. Comment below if you plan on or have done some preventive maintenance on your car or other vehicles.  May I also mention that since the weather is getting warmer, watch out for Motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, and bikers, as well as pedestrians.

So what does all of this Mean?

As I change and grow this blog, as well as my other one, My Ambiance Life, my website and blog, P. Lynne Designs, my YouTube channel, as well as other things, such as my social media, I want to bring you one of the best contents and I may make some mistakes (such as not making videos during this time), I am building my business and my social footprint. To some of you, it may not mean anything, but I believe in leading by example, and I hope you have enjoyed this post.

If you have enjoyed this little spot or want to see more, please let me know in the comments below.

Until then peace, Happy May, and God Bless.

How Cruising around the World is a Beautiful Reward

Don’t believe me?  According to a document I got from the cruising industry, 2017 was another record-breaking year, with 25.8 million global ocean cruise passengers. This was up from 2016 where the industry reported 24.7, a 4.5 % increase.  Now from what I understand, I have not been able to get the stats from 2018, which I was one of the passengers.

I sailed on the Carnival Dream from December 31, 2017, to January 7, 2018, on my first cruise. I have been on little boats before, including a gambling and dinner boat in Miami, Florida and a gambling boat in between the Indiana-Ohio border.  The latest was during a time when Ohio did not allow gambling, so folks either did it illegally or hopped across the border to Indiana.  Guess Ohio got sick of losing money, and the lottery was no good.

Anyway, I had a wonderful time on the Carnival Dream, and I recommend everyone to take a cruise at least once in their lifetime.  My next ship (never call it a boat, THERE is a difference), I hope, will be a ship called the Disney Dream.  Now, how Disney and Carnival can get away with naming their ships the same.  Both also have the names, Magic and Fantasy.  That is another story for another day.

Before you set sail on your next maiden voyage, beyond the land, I have some tips that may not only save you money but lots of headache in the long run.

1. Plan.  OK, that seems simple, but it is not.  I was lucky.  I went with a group of people and my trip was all set.  I knew the travel agent, the people in my party, and I researched online and even set up my Sail and Sign card.
2. Research the cruise line.  I knew about Carnival.  There is a good reason that it is called, “The Fun Ship”.  If the cruise line has several ships in its line, research several ships before choosing Your Ship.  In my case, the ship was already chosen for me, the Carnival Dream and the Carnival Conquest (more on the Conquest later). You may have another cruise line in mind, and it is good to have a second ship (and cruise line) in mind in case something happens.
3. You can go solo (But why would you?)  here is the thing… there are a lot of things that could happen when you are by yourself.  One thing that I did not know about myself is I had a small bout of motion sickness.  It was a silly little incident.  While in Grand Cayman, the ship did not have a place to dock, so when that is the case, a smaller boat (yes, you can say "boat" with this thing), comes to get the passengers and brings them ashore.  I was fine going to the port and I was fine coming back.  As I was getting off the tender (which is what they are called), I looked down into the water (where the plank hook up between the tender and the ship, and I got dizzy and felt sick.  Now, this is a rare thing because I never get sick in a car, a theme park ride that spins, or on a plane, so I was surprised.  I did bring something with me, in case I did get motion sickness, but I felt better as soon I got to my stateroom.  If it wasn’t for my friend who was traveling with me, it could have gotten worst. 
4. This also leads to a very important step:  know the ship’s schedule for debarking and embarking (leaving the ship and coming back on time to enter the ship). At the time of this writing, a ship will leave you, no questions asked if you are not back in time.  I have seen YouTube videos.  While it may make a good laugh in the long run, it is not a laughing matter at all.  In fact, being left behind could cost you thousands of dollars to play “catch up to the ship.”  It is even worse if you leave all your belongings on the ship, so therefore, bring your passport, money, credit card, and your children. 
1. My travel agent sponsored a trip in which a man traveled along within the group.  He got left at the port.  He had to pay close to $2,000 to get back on the ship.
2. I have also heard of a couple who left their children on board and was left behind at the port.  It is nice to do a getaway excursion without the kiddos, but keep in mind that you do have children on board.  Lucky for them, the kids also had their grandparents to take care of them while mommy and daddy were missing for a few hours.
5. Have a budget.  In addition to knowing how much you need to save and when it is good to have a budget so you will not run out of money.  The best way to budget is to check online to see how much food, drinks, souvenirs, and activities (excursions on and off the ship) will cost you. for example, I looked online at the excursions that I and my friend would be able to do while on the Carnival Conquest. I did not check beforehand for the Carnival Dream.  When we got into the stateroom, there was nothing appealing to us because there was a difference in pricing between booking online and booking on the ship, so we did not have enough money to do anything.  That does not mean we did no on the ship.  There is plenty to do that is included or free on the ship.  If there are any questions, you can always call or email before getting on the ship.
6. Know your food intake.  Did you know there are many different types of menus on board?  If you have diet restrictions, let them either when booking or when you get on board and check in.
7. If you have allergies, the last place you want to be is in the Casino.  I never had any breathing problems before, but once I walked through the casino, I was wondering if I needed an inhaler.  The smoke was so thick, you cut it with a knife.  For the most part, ships are a non-smoker’s paradise. 
8. Take in the shows.  Enough said.
9. Yes, almost every cruise ship has a kid space, but you are your kid’s best protection.  Please do not send your child into the kid space without checking on them, especially if they are teens.  The third night of our 7-day cruise, my friend and I decided to take in the fresh air on Deck 11.  Above us were some kids on deck 12.  One kid even decided to do chin-ups on the overhang. They were rowdy and disrespectful.  The 5^th day, I wanted some sushi, so I went to Bonsai, ordered my snack, and while eating, a kid walked over and stared at my plate of sushi.  Lucky for me, his grandmother was not far, came over, smacked him on the head, and said, “can’t you see she is eating”.  I wanted to kiss her. Not too many parents would reprimand their children/grandchildren in front of a stranger, but yes, I wanted some privacy.  Normally I would reply with “that’s Okay”, but it was not okay to me. So please, watch your children.  Not only that, but there are some strange passengers on the ship, and you do not want your child to go to anyone.
10. Decide if the ship amenities are for you.  Sailing on the ship can entice anyone to splurge and coming home with nothing to show for it. Again, this is where having a budget can save you. Tip: do not forget to let your bank and credit card companies know where you will be while spending your money. You can do it the Online banking section of your bank’s website.  Life changer!!!  On Carnival ships, if you decide to purchase the CHEERS or Bubbles package, everyone in your room has to, even if you have separate money.  I wanted to purchase the CHEERS package, but my friend did not.  I had to respect her wishes and not purchase one.  That was fine, it kept me from getting the fancy coffee beverages and milkshakes, which I should get because I did not want my stomach to tie up in knots.  Oops, I said too much already, LOL.

This pretty much covers it.  I gave you lots to think about when taking your first cruise with or without an agent booking it for you, and with or without kids.

Now for the story on what happened to the first cruise, I was supposed to take on the Carnival Conquest.

The Carnival Conquest is a much smaller ship than the Carnival Dream.  She (forgot that ships are female in nature, LOL) is a first of the Conquest-line.  Her maiden voyage was in 2002, so she is a fairly new ship, and she holds 2,980 with a crew complement of 1,150.  We were to sail from September 9, 2017, to September 15, 2017, on a 7-day cruise from the port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ports were San Juan, Porto Rico; Grand Turks and Cacaos, and the Dominican Republic.  I was looking forward to this trip.  This would have been my first trip out of the States without crossing the border in a car.  The only other countries I have visited were Tajuana, Mexico, and three territories of Canada, all as a child.

Three days before we were to leave, Ms. Hurricane Irma made her debut, and I was not happy about it.  I knew she was around, but at the time, she as an itty bitty storm, with no oomph to her.  Then all of sudden, she picked up speed, and before I knew it, Delta would not let anyone at John Glen International (formally know as Port Columbus International) Airport. The ship was delayed but made a decision to sail that Tuesday on an abbreviated cruise (Cozumel and Belize) for 4-days.  My travel agent said nope and asked for everyone’s refund.  I was climbing the walls because I had not been out of the country since my family’s trip to Niagara Falls in 2012, and I wanted to see the world, even if it was only two ports.  That was good enough for me, but I had to do what the rest in the group wanted to do.  In October of 2017, this was when my travel agent found a cruise for us for the Western Caribbean (Montego Bay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico).

Next time:  I will talk about the Carnival Dream.  Until then If you have any questions about the ship. Let me know in the comments or email me at plogan721@att.net.  Until then, God bless you.

How To Have A Hot Meal In No Time

Disclaimer:  This is not a sponsored ad.  I bought all of my meals with my own money on my own debit cards. 

In a Follow-up to my story in October 2018 on food delivery services, I gave basic synapses on the services, and what you could expect from them.  I have tried all the services who deliver in my area except one, which I just signed up for.  For the most part, I was pleased with the services.  No one never got my order wrong, and it is a good way for me to be lazy on that day.

With that in mind, I will give a rundown on the following:

• Order process
• Fees and tips
• Places I ordered from through these delivery services
• Miscellaneous things

The services I ordered from were: 

• Uber Eats
• GrubHub
• Postmates
• DoorDash

The restaurants I ordered from over time were:

• Chipotle (Postmates)
• Red Lobster (GrubHub)(2)
• Jersey Mike’s (Uber Eats)
• Viiza (Uber Eats)
• Piada (Uber Eats)
• Starbucks (DoorDash)

Keep in mind a couple of things, I do know how to cook, in fact, it is my preferred method of eating, and it should be since I work at home. Sometimes life and work to get in the way of having to take the time to properly cook a hot, delicious meal when you are in the middle of a project, AND you have a deadline.  It does not happen often, but at least as long as I have the money to do so, and do not mind the delivery fees on top of that, having your food delivered is a nice back up to get a meal. So, I do not consider myself lazy at all, maybe just a little too busy, which is a misconception about ordering from food delivery services.

Ordering Process:

The first thing you do when you decide on ordering from a service like Uber Eats is to sign up for an account.  It is helpful to have the app on your phone, but in case you do not want to clutter up your phone (like I usually do), you can go through your desktop or another device.  Once you download the app or visit the website, you signup for an account.  Payment can be entered once the order has been made.  Once you created your account, you can then look through what each restaurant has to offer through that app.  If you find your favorite restaurant on that app, and you are familiar with the menu, all food items may not be offered through the app. You could order from more than one place, but I would not advise it.  Act as though you going inside and ordering from the restaurant and having a sit-down meal with the wait staff, only the wait staff is your driver.  Keep in mind like most orders, all delivery services take debit or credit card, even if you are going to pick up the order.

UberEATS:

I order from several places throughout 2018.  I have yet to order through them this year.  So far the service is wonderful.  For Jersey Mike’s, which is a local pizza place with several locations throughout Central Ohio (Not Sponsored), I made the order from my parent’s home.  Usually, any order is made to be delivered to my home.  We ordered two large subs and a salad if I can remember the order, and the driver had no problem finding the house.  (I had a problem with a GrubHub order I will mention in a moment). 

The food was hot (the Subs), which they were supposed to be. The salad was your average salad, nothing to write about.  In all my orders through UberEATS, I had no problems with the orders, the service, nor bad delivery drivers.

GrubHub:

Next comes GrubHub, and I must say that the first time I had food delivered by them, the driver did not know where to go to my front door. In fact, I had to open the garage to get the food from him, as he refused to walk to the front door in case he had to deliver food here next time.  I usually do not have to give instructions on where my front door is, but here was this guy who with no clue.  I am going to chuck this one up as this was his first day or he has never driven in this area before. 

Both orders were Red Lobster orders.  The first one was $19.52 and the second was $25.02.  More on pricing in a moment.

Postmates:

So far, I only had one order with Postmates and that was Chipotle for $19.90, and I did not realize until I just glanced at my receipt, but they will put a temporary hold on your card for the amount charged.  The food was hot and tasty as if I picked it up myself.  One tip, Chipotle does have an app that allows you to pick up the food, so if you are picking up, it is best to use their app then to use Postmates or any other delivery services mentioned in this article.

DoorDash:

Yes, I was reserving this one for a later post, but I could not resist seeing how my Starbucks Coffee comes.  Yes, Starbucks is using a delivery service.  Well, it just arrived as I was typing this.  Since I was a new customer to DoorDash, the delivery fee was waived.  It is normally $5.99, which is not worth it for a $4.45 cup of coffee, so I took full advantage of that.

The coffee:

I ordered a White chocolate Mocha in a Grande (medium), and it is still warm.  This was the reason I ordered from Starbucks to bust the myth of rather your food arrived at the temp that you ordered (hot stays hot or as warm as possible, cold stays cold), otherwise, I would have hopped in my car and drove for 5 mins to Starbucks.  It took 55 mins from the time I placed the order to the time it arrived. For those of you who have coffee machines in your homes, yes, I have one too.  This was just an experiment to see, and I do not order Starbucks that much anymore since having a coffee machine, so this was not the most cost-effective experiment I ever did. (the good news is I probably can write it off in my 2019 taxes, LOL).

Now for the breakdown:

Cost:

Your total food bill is going to be the cost of the food, plus tax, plus service fee, plus tip.  In the case of my Starbucks, I incurred a small order fee (probably the food order has to be more than $10 to avoid this fee).  It was $2.00.  Not worth it in my opinion.  Before you order from any of these services, I recommend that you take a look at the service fee to see if the worth the hassle or can you pick it up on the way home.  As I mentioned, many of these eating places have a separate app for you to order from, and it is cheaper to just go to that app, place an order and pick it up on your way home from work or a long day of running errands. 

Service Fees:

So far the service fees in my area are at a minimum of $5.99 with the maximum being $20.00.  Most of it depends on how close you are to that establishment.  The further out you go to get that food, the heftier the service fee.  Here is the breakdown of my little coffee from Starbucks:

Subtotal, which is the price of the coffee: $4.45

Tax: $0.00 (even though sometimes, Ohio will charge tax on beverages, in today’s order, nope, and I do not have a recent receipt to compare apples to apples on tax).

Delivery Fee:  Free for this round because I am a new member of DoorDash.  This would have easily cost me $5.99, which is the delivery fee on GrubHub since I made orders before.

Service fee:  $.67.  I am not sure if this is the norm for DoorDash or if it was because I was a new member ordering for the first time.

Dasher Tip:  On other services, it is just the tip for the driver.  One thing I have to note is this driver had her children with her.  I could have given her more, but I do not think that is allowed.  For all drivers, they get out of the car with the food, hand it to your customer, and get the heck out of dodge-type mentality, like the UPS and FedEx delivery services.  Mine was $1.00

Small service fee:  Like I said, I think because this order was under $10, they charged me this fee.  I am not going to contest that charge, but I need to watch what I order next time.  I think the idea behind that (and I do not know any other service that I used so far had this fee) is to encourage larger orders or group orders.  I am just grasping at straws on this one.

My total is $8.12 vs. a pickup myself fee of $4.45 (plus whatever tax Ohio decides to impose on people).  Yes, I could avoid that.  It would have been worse if I had the delivery fee, which the total would have been $14.11.  Save yourself the trouble and make yourself a big old cup of coffee in your coffeemaker, two points if the coffee does not come from a pod or K-cup.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my Starbucks and I love my K-cups but if you are on a budget, this should be a luxury, every other month item you need to indulge in and skip delivery unless you are very, very sick.

My Final Conclusion on Hot Food Delivery:

We all want hot, convenience food delivery.  This should be done on an “as needed” convenience.  A lot of people are opting to cook a lot of food and freezing it, which they are calling it meal prep. This is a healthier version of food delivery.  You cook what you like, freeze it for a rainy day, and everyone still gets what they like from the freezer.

I like food delivery, but again, I need to watch my budget.  I have been ordering a lot lately and the main reason is to show you what is out there, how much does it costs, and if it is worth the coins you are trying to save for that new car, house, or to pay down some debt.  If there is anything I have learned from this experience is to buy what you need for the month at the grocery store, and do meal prep, even if it is just your main course.  You can add sides later or add them to the meal and heat the whole thing.

One of the other points that I did not spend a lot of time talking about is time management.  If you have someplace to be at a certain time, food delivery will not be your friend on this one.  Like I said on my Starbucks order was that it took them 55 minutes to get this order to me.  Why it took so long?  Well, I made the order at 5:05 PM EST, they have to receive the order from my computer, make the order.  At that time, the driver has to get there, receive the order, find my house, and give it to me.  In that same time, I could have hopped in my car, drove to the place, put in my order, wait on my order, grab it and drive back home.  I also used the Starbuck App back in the summer.  I placed my order on the app from my location (I forgot where I was, which was not at home), drove to the store near my home, which I assume this current order came from, and the summer order was ready when I picked it up.  So, be wise if you are on a time crunch.

Last tip:  You can also use all the apps for pick up.  I had mentioned this earlier in this piece.  If you are on your way home, use the app to pick up the food.  It will save you a service fee, a driver’s tip, and in most cases, a small order fee.  Your food will be ready when you get there.

Note: Amazon Restaurants was not mentioned in this piece because it is Amazon doing too much and I have not tried the service as of yet.