Get the right cabin for you – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

Not all berths are created equal.

Keep in mind the following tips when choosing a room on a cruise ship:

  1. The quietest rooms are in the middle of the ship and – if you really want to sleep later – you won’t see any signs of a sunrise in an inside cabin.
  2. Unless you like to climb stairs, choose a floor that’s close to the main deck.
  3. Elevators on cruises are slow so you don’t want to rely too much on them. Also, rooms near elevators can be noisy.
  4. Finally, call right before your cruise to see if upgrades are available. If the ship isn’t full, the cruise line may give you a better cabin for little or no extra money.

Happy cruising.

Bring headphones – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Headphones are an absolute “must-have” when traveling on an airplane, for several reasons —

  1. On longer flights, it’s common to show a movie, and you probably want to hear it well.
  2. On other flights, the plane may have on-board games or on-demand music.
  3. Of course, you may bring your own pre-recorded music to help get away.
  4. The largest benefit, though, is simply to help cancel out “airplane noise.”

Airplanes can be very loud — for example, engines, crying babies, or a snoring aisle-mate can all make a flight more stressful. Headphones are an important accessory to help you relax, tune out the sounds, and pass the time.

An a pinch, you can always put headphones on to avoid a chatty seatmate (you don’t even need to turn on music to silence your talkative neighbor).

[Ed’s note: See all Gadling’s posts about headphones here.]

Bring your own drinks – Cruise trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Soda isn’t usually included with your all-inclusive cruise ship fare. Instead of buying a pricey soda card, bring along your own drinks!

Before boarding the cruise ship, stop at a grocery store and purchase a few cases of your favorite pop or bottled water.

You don’t even need to sneak it on or hide it in your luggage — almost all cruise lines allow you to bring a reasonable amount of non-alcoholic beverages on board the ship.

Ask about TV hookups – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Before venturing to a hotel, call ahead and ask about their televisions and what can and can not be hooked up to them.

In a pinch — or during horrid weather — having a DVD player or gaming system with you can be a life-saver. If you have the youngsters along, pack up their favorite DVDs. While you may never need them, they’re nice to have in case there’s inclement weather that makes venturing outside impossible.

Alternatively, in the unfortunate situation someone becomes ill, this could be a money-saving alternative to paying for expensive hotel movies.

Skip the junk – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

If you were driving to a friend’s house, would you bring a bag of chips to snack on along the way? Probably not. So why load up your car with bags of chips, cookies and sodas when going on a road trip?

The salt and sugar will play havoc with your stomach and leave you feeling tired, the last thing you want when driving long distances.

Instead, try bringing a few small pre-packaged snacks such as carrots, apples, granola bars and bottled water.

Feel better, enjoy your trip, skip the junk.