There are many choices when it comes to choosing a cabin on a cruise ship. Do you know how to choose the best cabin on a cruise ship?

How to choose a cabin on a cruise ship

Cruising is now becoming more popular than anyone could have anticipated twenty years ago. To cruise to far away places is now a real possibility for many people. Once it was just the rich and the famous that cruised the seven seas in their ball gowns and their tuxedos, now cruising is open to everyone and at a price that we can all afford.

Choosing the best cabin for your cruise is entirely up to your budget and your needs:

1. The cheapest cabins are the ones that have no windows. They are called inside cabins. The next cabins will be window cabins and they will have a window. Some will be small windows, while others will have a larger window.

2. The next cabin will be a cabin with a balcony with sliding doors that will let you enter your own small private balcony.

3. Then we now start to go up in price, with owner’s suites and penthouses. Most of these will be out of our price budget, unless we have saved our hard earned pennies and treated ourselves to a one off luxury cruise.

4. There is a cabin that could spoil your cruise, and that is the cabin on the promenade deck. This deck is where the lifeboats are decked and you will have a window in your cabin, but who wants to open their curtains to a view of a lifeboat? Not only would you see lifeboats, but also this is the deck that passengers can walk or jog during the day or the night. Who wants to keep their curtains closed all day to get that little bit of privacy.

5. Remember also that the cabins that are near the top of the ship are prone to noise from the passengers that are enjoying the amenities on the top outside deck. Far better to go down a few decks where the noise is far less.

6. Do not pay for a cabin near the bottom of the cruise ship there will be the constant noise from the engines running as well as the noise of the anchor dropping when going into port.

The video below talks about the best and worst cruise ship cabins.

Caribbean Cruise Cabin

On a cruise, most people like to be pampered, and that’s not to say that you should pay for the most expensive cabin on the ship. On any cruise you will find that the staff pamper not only you but your better half as well, and you do not have to stay in an expensive stateroom to get that treatment. What you can do is pick your cruise and then choose the cabin to suits the cruise.

I like the sunny Caribbean. To me there is nothing like the warm sunshine of the Caribbean, but why do you need a balcony for on a cruise in the Caribbean? After all, all you doing is sailing from one small island to another with the Caribbean sea in between. There is nothing to see as you sail, just the sea, so why pay for a balcony when all you have to do is go onto the top deck and sit and watch the sea go by? On a Caribbean cruise just pay for either a window cabin or an inside cabin.

Scenic cruise cabin

Now it is different on a cruise that takes on scenery. A balcony cabin is necessary; to sit on your balcony and watch the wonderful scenery of an Alaskan cruise is one of life’s little luxuries. To sit sipping your first cup of tea or coffee on a warm summer morning all quiet and still with only the sound of the pacific waves splashing the side of the ship is divine. Moreover, you can do that when you pay that little bit more for a balcony. It is the same as you cruise through the Panama Canal. Both the Panama Canal and an Alaskan cruise are full of interesting scenery.

Around the world cruise Cabin

If you are lucky enough to take an around the world cruise, then you must plan your budget with military precision, after all, since you will be cruising for at least three months. In those three months, your cabin will be your home, just like your house, the place that you can retire to. And if you have not chosen your cabin wisely, it can become your prison. On a world cruise, I would choose very wisely indeed. Pay for the best cabin that you can afford, and try to avoid the inside cabins, since they all have is artificial lighting and to spend three months in a cabin like this could be horrible. A cabin with a window could make all the difference between a good world cruise and a great world cruise.

Choose your cabin wisely on every cruise that you go on, and remember the best cabin will make your cruise that little bit better. It’s better to pay that little bit more for the right cabin than to pay less thinking that you are saving yourself money. While saving money you could be spoiling your cruise. Hope these cruise tips on choosing the best cabin will come in handy!

Massachusetts is the state of New England coastal resorts and beaches, the big city culture and excitement of Boston, and the historical richness of the colonial and Revolutionary War eras. Keep reading to find the 5 best places to visit in Massachusetts!

Best places to see in Massachusetts

Some of the prime examples of sites worth seeing and experiencing if you visit Massachusetts include:

1. The Freedom Trail, Boston

There are few cities as important as Boston in American history. The Freedom Trail is a self-guided walking tour of historically significant sites, two and a half miles if you walk the whole route, starting at the oldest public park in the country Boston Common, and ending in neighbouring Charlestown at the Bunker Hill Monument and USS Constitution.

The Trail includes a total of sixteen marked stops, including the centuries old Granary Burial Ground where Paul Revere is interred, the original 1635 site of the Boston Latin School which was the first public school in America, the Old South Meetinghouse where the Boston Tea Party was planned, and the Old State House built in 1713.

2. Harvard University, Cambridge

Ask the typical American what is the greatest university in the country, and aside from their own alma mater, the most common answer is likely to be Harvard. In fact, it would get more than its share of votes as the greatest university in the world.

Founded in 1638, Harvard University is by a wide margin the oldest academic institution of higher learning in the Americas.

In addition to the usual college tours for potential incoming undergraduate and graduate students, Harvard University offers free guided historical walking tours of its campus for visitors.

3. Martha’s Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard is definitely one of the best places to visit in Massachusetts! Since the 1800s Martha’s Vineyard has had the reputation as the summer retreat for the “beautiful people” (or rich people anyway) of New England. Located to the south of Cape Cod, it is the largest island on the East Coast that is not connected to the mainland by tunnel or bridge. (Access is by ferry or plane.) With a year-round population of 15,000, and a summer population that can reach five times that, Martha’s Vineyard truly is a seasonal destination.

Enjoy wine tasting, biking, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, and more during your time on the island.

With a cost of living 60% higher than the national average, and housing costs close to double the national average, to some extent it lives up to its reputation as a playground for the rich. But it is not impossible to enjoy Martha’s Vineyard without spending a fortune. Lodging ranges from the sky high to the tolerable. The same is true of restaurants. And certainly one can enjoy swimming, relaxing in the sun on one of its picturesque New England beaches, or strolling through its quaint towns window shopping and people watching, and spend little or nothing.

4. Sam Adams Brewery, Boston

The name Sam Adams is nowadays probably associated more with beer than with the Founding Father and brother of our second President.

Located in the Jamaica Plain neighbourhood of Boston, the Sam Adams Brewery offers Tour Experiences from Thursday to Monday, taking you behind the scenes of the brewmaking process, and, yes, there are plenty of samples. There is an admission charge, so please check their website for more information.

Also in Boston, if you want to make it an all-alcoholic themed day, why not stop by the former Bull & Finch Pub in the Beacon Hill District, now renamed “Cheers” after the television show it inspired?

5. Worcester Art Museum, Worcester

At the outskirts of the Boston metropolitan area, about forty miles west of downtown Boston, Worcester is roughly tied with Providence, Rhode Island for the second most populous city in the New England states.

One of the main attractions in Worcester is the Worcester Art Museum, which houses over 35,000 works of art. Among the many highlights, the Museum’s exhibits include works by Cezanne, Gauguin, El Greco, Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Renoir, and Van Gogh, as well as Asian and Greco-Roman art from the ancient world. The Museum also puts on classes for both adults and children.

The Worcester Art Museum is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and major holidays. There is a special FREE admission to all visitors on the first Sunday of each month from 10am to 4pm.

There’s certainly far more that is worthwhile to do in Massachusetts! What are your best places to visit in Massachusetts? Comment below!

The world boasts some fascinating places with many weird and wonderful sights that are so different, so strange, so unexpected that they could almost be from outer space. Many of the strangest sights are tucked away in remote places. These are 5 most unusual places in the World!

Rotorua, New Zealand

The town of Rotorua in New Zealand is known for its geothermal activity, which turns an ordinary city into something very weird. Around the town itself steam can be found rising from the ground creating a very eerie sense, while a little further afield in the geothermal parks boiling mud pools take the visitor back into per-historic times of another world. Steam rises from yellow lakes of sulphur with the smell occasionally overpowering visitors to the geothermal spa bathing waters. Geysers spurt their superheated steam into the scene from another world and strange red and orange deposits crust on the edges of lakes punctuated by fumaroles releasing trapped gases.

The Pinnacles, Western Australia

The Pinnacles in Western Australia are located in the Nambung National Park some 250 kilometres from Perth. Rising from the sandy desert floor these fascinating limestone formations poke up in different shapes, both in isolation and in clusters, covering a relatively small patch of desert that can be viewed in a 4KM drive or shorter loop walk. The existence of the rocks has puzzled geologists who cannot agree upon the exact method of formation, nor explain why they appear where they do. At sunset, the area is particularly transformed into something from another world as the light captures the shapes of the rocks turning them into one of the weirdest places on earth.

White Cliffs Opal Fields, New South Wales, Australia

The opal mining town of White Cliffs in New South Wales boasts some of the best “moonscape” scenery on the planet, where rolling white mounds of Mullock heaps from the opal mining process stretch for miles into the outback. It is definitely one of the unusual beautiful places in the world! Also, One of the few “other world” places not created by natural processes, the White Cliffs opal fields blends perfectly with the flat arid outback to create remote lifeless void of another planet. Many moonscape and Martian movies have been shot in the wastelands of the outback.

Pamukkale, Turkey

Pamukkale in Turkey’s Inner Agean region is one of the crazy beautiful places in the world with its unique white rock terrace formation some 2.7Km long, 600m wide, and 160m high made from hot springs depositing calcium carbonate material. The brilliance of the rock is amazing creating a stunning spectacle of terraces holding 17 hot water pools attracting visitors from all over the world for bathing and sightseeing. With the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis, there is plenty to discover about this place from another world.

Hell’s Door, Turkmenistan

Hell’s Door, also known as the “Gate” or “Derweze”, is one of the most extraordinary places in the world! It is located in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan an area with huge natural gas deposits. Hell’s Door is a vast crater surrounded by desert. It is some 70m in diameter made by a mining company in the 1970s when a drilling rig collapsed. The crater is no ordinary one, but is alight with brilliantly burning gas first ignited in the 1970s to burn off poisonous gas released from the mining accident. Due to the vastness of the gas deposit it is still burning today with fire orange and red hues that make this a place from another world.

These natural and human-made sights are just some of the most unique places in the world that look like they don’t belong here. Find other intriguing sights at UnusualPlaces.org for some of the most unique travel destinations in the world.

Just as planning a trip on an airliner takes time, so does organizing a carry-on bag. The more time spent in preparing a carry-on bag, the smoother the flight will be. Because flying can be stressful, it’s important to make a flight experience as pleasant and relaxing as possible. You will find tips below on what to pack in a carry-on bag.

What to pack in a carry-on bag

One way to have a more relaxing flight is to have an organized carry on bag. For example, a few dollar bills for tips should be in easy reach, along with identification items such as a passport or photo ID so you don’t have to search to the bottom of your bag when these items are needed.

The Functional Carry-on Bag

1. Consider size: Although some carry-on bags have wheels and are easy to pull through an airport, they usually don’t fit underneath a passenger seat, as required upon takeoff and landing. Larger bags can be placed in an overhead bin; however, it’s much easier to pull out items from a bag underneath a seat than to stand up to pull out a bag to only to put it back when the plane is ready to land.
2. Sturdy shoulder bag: bags are ideal carry-on; however, don’t select one that will place too much strain on your arm or shoulder.
3. Bag lining: Select a carry-on bag with a light-coloured lining so it’s easier to see what’s inside while on the plane.

What Not to Pack in a Carry-on Bag

Check the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) or the TSA in the US to be sure not to have any items in your carry-on bag that aren’t allowed. Also, don’t pack newspapers and magazines you probably won’t even read. Just one newspaper or magazine can be heavy and take up too much room in a carry-on bag. Therefore, it’s a good idea to cut out only those articles you plan to read on the plane.

Taking Medicines and Toiletries in a Carry-on Bag

Often people who fly experience sinus headaches or nausea, so it’s wise to pack medications. When on an overnight flight, don’t forget basic items you use upon awakening. For example, pack a small travel tube of toothpaste and toothbrush. Baby wipes are good for refreshing your skin. Women can include a small Ziplock bag of makeup.

Packing Food for a Flight

Because most domestic airlines don’t serve meals, it’s a good idea to carry some food items in your carry-on on a flight. Protein bars are excellent choices, as they’re small yet provide energy. Also, carry an empty water bottle; although passengers aren’t allowed liquids at the security screening, they can bring an empty water bottle to fill with water after passing through security.

Clothes to Pack in a Carry-on Bag

Because planes are usually cold, include a pair of wool socks that are easy to slip on while in flight. Changing into a lightweight shirt or blouse helps refresh passengers on overnight flights. Also, sometimes extra tops are essential in the rare occasions when getting sick from eating too late at night. How to pack all your clothes in a carry-on? Roll your clothes in your carry-on as this will actually help to pack more clothes and with not having wrinkled clothes.

Taking Crafts on a Flight

Crafts such as needlework and knitting are pastimes for calming down nerves, but thought should go into how to pack them. For example, take smaller knitting projects such as a small ball of yarn and pattern for knitting socks. Coloured pencil artists can draw on board a plane, but need a colouring book or a piece of paper and a pencil bag for the pencils which will take more room in your carry-on suitcase.

How to pack a carry-on bag

Finally, don’t wait until the day before the trip to pack your carry-on bag. It usually takes a few trial runs and making lists before knowing just what needs to be packed and left behind, as well as how items should be packed in a bag. The more organized you make your carry-on bag, the more enjoyable your flight will be.

These tips on what to pack in a carry-on bag should definitely be useful when travelling on your next trip!

Exploring the world might have gotten you bitten by the travel bug! Travelling, whether solo, as a couple, or in a group, is a wonderful thing to do. Travelling abroad is a great way to meet new people, soak in the ambience of a new culture, and understand more about the world. It is also a great way to relax and get away from the stresses of the everyday world; however, when travelling there are times when you need to be on your guard and use your common sense. These are 12 travel safety tips for travelling abroad!

Safety travel tips to keep in mind

When travelling abroad, these below travel safety tips will help keep you and your loved ones safe during your vacation.

1. Money

Without money, you are not going to get far and if you lose it you are going to run into difficulty. Keep your money safe by using the split the risk rule and place your money in different locations. Keep some in a safe deposit box in your hotel, a portion in your purse or wallet, and in a fanny bag/purse which you can keep hidden under your clothes.

2. Luggage

Losing your luggage is a nightmare. How do you survive without a fresh pair of underwear and your toiletries? The trick is not to take anything you cannot live or afford to lose. Keep your valuables in your handbag or carry-on bag. Why not buy your toiletries at your destination? This way you don’t carry extra baggage and you don’t have to worry about it getting lost or stolen.

3. Food and Drink

Check out to see if there are things you should avoid consuming in the country you are planning on visiting. For example, in China tourists are advised not to drink tap water (even the Chinese people do not drink it), so make sure you get bottled water and undo the cap yourself first. Make sure to take a small First Aid kit with you as they are incredibly valuable if you get sick.

4. Hostels

Hostels are a cheap alternative to hotels, but are hostels safe? Colourful, sociable and enjoyable, they can be a great place for thieves. Generally, you share a room with several people with nowhere safe to put your luggage. Things can go missing when your back is turned, through both guests and staff. If staying in a hostel, remember not to bring anything you can’t afford to lose or replace. Ask the hostel if there is a safety deposit box to store your valuables.

5. Jewellery

Don’t wear a lot of jewellery on a vacation, it’s just asking for trouble. Wear simple and subtle items as too much will attract thieves.

6. Pickpockets

Pickpockets can occur throughout the world. Ladies, keep your handbag in front of you and hold onto it. Never put it down on your ground or turn your back on it. Do not keep expensive valuables in it, nor your passport or flights home.

7. Scams

Scams are a complete hassle and con artists can get you for amounts small and large. Transit scams go along the lines of this: you get into a taxi and tell the driver the name of your hotel. He tells you that it has closed down but can take you to another one for free or a low price. They then drive you to somewhere else, usually much further away, but charge you double the price. The hotels they take you to are usually grungy and pay a commission to the taxi drivers.

Whether it is transit, lodging theft, fraud or cards, you are likely to walk away although your wallets will be significantly lighter. If something sounds too good to be true, it’s not true. Be on the cautious side.

8. Women travelling solo

If you are a woman travelling on your own, you are sure to enjoy yourself; however, it is best to be cautious. Some women will wear a wedding ring even if they are not married! Make sure to call home everyday to let people know where you are going and dress a little more conservatively. Do not wear flashy jewellery and make sure you stay safe.

9. Drugging

It doesn’t happen all that much, but whether you are a man or women, please be wary of friendly strangers offering to buy you a drink or dinner. There have been reports where victims have woken up a few hours later with all their valuables missing, and for women, being raped. Use street smarts here.

10. Drugs

Drugs are something no traveller wants to get involved with, but they are found all over the world. Be wary of individuals, both native and foreign, asking you to hold or carry an item or piece of luggage onto the plane or other vehicle. This is a great way for them to smuggle drugs out of the country and if caught, it is you who has to deal with the consequences. Some countries, such as China and Thailand, have the death penalty when dealing with drugs.

11. Insurgent Activities

At times there are ethnic, religious, or other types of conflicts going on in foreign countries that we wish to visit. Before you get onto purchasing the plane tickets, it is best to log onto the country’s embassy website to check if there are any restrictions or travel warnings you should be aware of.

12. Health

It is always advisable to see your family doctor before going on holiday to see if you need any particular vaccinations.

Holidays are generally a great way to get away from the dreariness of the everyday world, but to have a great time make sure you use your common sense, follow travel safety tips, and keep the above mentioned things in mind while travelling.