Salty Zebra

Hey there! I'm an Amazon Associate, which means I earn a commission when you click one of these links and buy something. This does not change your cost at all.  As I was packing up for my most recent trip, I thought you all might be interested in some of the things I keep in my personal bag. What's a personal bag you might ask? Most airlines allow you to bring one personal item on the plane with you. Some (sometimes for a fee) will allow you a carry on and a personal item. But do you really take advantage of what that personal item can be? Let's just say when you're packing for your trips primarily as carry on only, you learn to use what's available to you!  On Alaska Airline's website they state, "One small personal item such as a purse, briefcase, or laptop bag, and medically necessary items will be allowed on board." The thing is, "purse" and "laptop bag" have LOTS of different definitions! Some would think of this mini:  Whil...

  Hey there! I'm an Amazon Associate, which means I earn a commission when you click one of these links and buy something. This does not change your cost at all.  One concerns that keeps some people from enjoying all that a cruise vacation has to offer is the fear of sea sickness. Today I'd like to share a few of the preventatives and remedies that I've used over the years. I am really blessed that, during this season of my life, sea sickness is not a serious issue for me. I have experienced it in the past, and these days if there's even a hint that it might be coming, I start right in with these measures to be sure to enjoy my trips as much as possible.  I'm sure you've heard it said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and when it comes to sea sickness, I'd double that! This phrase, coined by Benjamin Franklin, alludes to the fact that it's much easier to deal with an issue before it comes to pass. When it comes to sea sickness...

 My Mom raised me right and taught me that tipping is not optional. She's the type where if the waitress at a restaurant was crabby, she'd likely tip more because she knew that the waitress was probably having a bad day. So, when it comes to tipping on a cruise, I don't consider if, but how much. With most major cruise lines, you will have a required prepaid service charge. This goes to most of the service staff, those who are front facing as well as those in the galley and other out of the way places. With Norwegian that is currently $20 per person per day for regular rooms and $25 per person per day for suites. That sounds like a pretty big tip, but if you factor in that there were 1,600 crew on my last voyage, that's only 01.25 cents per person. I was taught that leaving a penny as a tip was the greatest insult. There's also people that you will encounter along the way that are not covered by the service charge like porters helping with your luggage at the dock a...

Hey there! I'm an Amazon Associate, which means I earn a commission when you click one of these links and buy something. This does not change your cost at all. I've officially been on 13 cruises now and over the years I've developed a few "hacks" that make cruising an even more comfortable and efficient way to travel. I've put them together here in this post for your convenience. The product links I've included are either to the exact item I use or when there's a better option, I link to that. Feel free to post any questions in the comments and I'll reply ASAP. Hopefully you'll find one or more things that will work for you. Happy Cruising!   Night Light You wouldn't believe how dark a cruise cabin can get! Especially if you're in an inside room. I run into the same issue in balcony rooms though. If, like me, you need to get up a time or two at night to use the restroom and you don't favor the idea of walking around with bruises, ...

 I know a fair amount about travel, but one of the most important things in travel, or anything else in life, is knowing your limits! For most trips I am happy to do the research and book things myself, but every once in a while, it's time to call for help. There are a variety of reasons to do this.  This year, as I mentioned last week , our family is taking a trip to Disney World. This is both one of those trips that has lots of details as well as a trip that is very important to me. Some members of my family have affectionately referred to it as my "Death Trip" because when I was asked what travel was really important to me during this season while I'm able (recognizing a season is coming, and potentially soon, when I won't be able), I knew I wanted to take my family to Disney World. My husband and I got to go for our 25th anniversary, just before I was diagnosed with my brain tumor. Disney, and in particular Disneyland, has held a special place in our family...

Hey there! I'm an Amazon Associate, which means I earn a commission when you click one of these links and buy something. This does not change your cost at all.  One of the things that often puts people off cruises is the fear of getting sick. You hear reports of Norovirus on cruise ships all the time. Who wants to pay a bunch of money and go through all the trouble of travel just to spend a week in your room with a stomach bug? Let me alleviate some of those fears right now! According to this article, the CDC reports that only 0.02% of cruise passengers end up with Norovirus. Those odds are pretty good! In fact, they are much better than if you stayed on land.   Over the last 10 years, cruise ships have declined significantly in their number of outbreaks. In 2006, 4,507 cases were reported, but in 2019 they only had 1,201 cases. Cruise ships are subject to incredibly stringent cleanliness standards with regular inspections. If you sit in a public place, like the Observati...