Pack a highlighter – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

My husband and I recently took our first cruise, and one thing he was smart enough to bring along was a bright yellow highlighter. I had no idea why he would bring it along, but apparently his frequent-cruiser relatives gave him this tip.

The first day of our cruise, we sat on our balcony sipping champagne reading the daily newsletter. My husband breaks out the highlighter and goes to town, highlighting all the activities that captured his interest.

I have to admit, it was a brilliant tip. There are so many activities onboard any cruise ship, and this is a simple, practical way to organize your time.

Bill Gates traveling in Antarctica

by Kraig Becker on

Where does one of the richest men in the world go to get away from it all? Apparently, in the case of Bill Gates, it’s Antarctica. The Chairman of Microsoft used his twitter account to post his thoughts on the frozen continent a few days back, saying “the beauty is amazing”, while lamenting the fact that his satellite Internet connection prevented him from uploading photos.

Gates is reportedly on vacation at the bottom of the world, taking some time away from his duties with the software giant that he helped found and his Gates Foundation which works with a number of different programs on a global level to improve the lives of people around the world in a variety of ways.

How Gates is traveling in the Antarctic isn’t clear, but it’s likely that he is on an adventure cruise through the icy waters that surround the continent. While travel into the interior is done for the season, cruises will continue for several weeks yet.

In one of his tweets, Gates says “I’m guessing not much tweeting has been done from Antarctica”, but he might be surprised to hear that a number of explorers that traveled to the South Pole on skis over the past couple of years have used twitter to send updates back on their status and progress. Clearly technology has pervaded every segment of our life and communication is now possible from all corners of the planet.

Gates promises to tell us more about his journey on his Gates Notes website in the near future. Can’t wait to hear more about his trip.

Ask for a map of the ship – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

Most cruise ships have several floors with long hallways, multiple restaurants and rooms that look alike from the outside. Multiple levels and a variety of things to do means there’s more to remember, including where your room is located. Ask for a map and mark the room’s location as well as other areas you will be frequenting, such as the dining hall.

Make sure that everyone in your party has a copy of the map and never leaves the room without it. This way, if anyone gets lost it will be easier to stop and ask for help.

Royal Caribbean mixes innovative iPhone app with on-board Wi-Fi

by Scott Carmichael on

Cruise ship technology is pretty advanced – on many cruise ships, you can surf the Internet, make and receive phone calls, and even check email on your smartphone, no matter where in the world the ship is.

Royal Caribbean is taking things to the next level with their “Royal Connect” service. Royal Connect combines the 1000 hotspot locations on the ship with an iPhone app and Wi-Fi enabled wrist bands.

Once installed on your phone, you pay $17.50 for the duration of the cruise, to get access to stateroom calling, online restaurant and spa reservations, guest locator, daily schedule and best of all – a kid tracker.

Children can wear a special tracking wristband, and parents can use their phone to track exactly where on the ship their kids are.

Additional features allow Royal Connect users to call or text each other without having to hunt for a shipboard phone.

Of course, as technology like this evolves, we become less “unconnected” on vacation, though I do think larger families can really benefit from the free phone-to-phone service, without having to pay insane roaming charges.

The service is currently only available on the massive Oasis of the Seas.

6 essential items to be sure to pack – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

After you print your tickets and grab your passport, the next thing you need to do is pack the following six items:

  1. A power strip or extension cord (most rooms only have ONE power outlet).
  2. A shoe hanger for extra bathroom storage. Counter space is limited.
  3. A bungee cord to hold open the balcony door.
  4. A bathroom air freshener.
  5. Ziploc bags, so you can take room service food on shore excursions.
  6. A large Plastic mug or plastic cups.