I'M LOVING MY NEW CRUISE FINDER APP!

IF I'M NOT ON A CRUISE, CHANCES ARE I'M SPENDING AT LEAST A FEW MINUTES OF MY DAY THINKING ABOUT MY NEXT ONE. MY NEW "CRUISE FINDER" APP SPONSORED BY iCruise.com MAKES THAT FANTASY TIME EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE. THE APP RECEIVED THE PRESTIGIOUS 2011 TRAVEL WEEKLY MAGELLAN AWARD. IT IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE EVEN CONTEMPLATING A CRUISE. IT LISTS ALL THE LINES, SHIPS, SAIL DATES, AS WELL AS NEARLY ANY DETAIL YOU COULD THINK OF. BEST OF ALL, IT'S FREE!

ALWAYS PACK A WATCH

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE HARD WAY. ON A RECENT TRIP OUTSIDE OF THE US, I FORGOT TO PACK A WATCH. I THOUGHT MY IPHONE WOULD BE RELIABLE AS THE TIME ZONES CHANGED BUT I WAS WRONG. IT WASN'T OFF BY AN HOUR EITHER. IT WAS OFF BY MANY AND THE MINUTES WERE OFF TOO. A SIMPLE $20.00 WATCH WOULD HAVE DONE THE TRICK AND THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED A VERY IMPORTANT DINNER.

VELCRO DOTS AND TAPE

I JUST RETURNED FROM A WONDERFUL EASTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE ABOARD THE CELEBRITY ECLIPSE. THE SHIP NOT ONLY BOASTED AN ACTUAL GRASS LAWN (VERY GREEN) FOR CROQUET AND BOCCE BALL BUT, IT HAD A GLASS BLOWING STUDIO AS WELL! PACKING FOR THE SEVEN NIGHT TRIP, WITH TWO FORMAL EVENINGS, WAS STILL VERY DOABLE WITH AN UNDER THE SEAT BAG. VELCRO DOTS AND STRIPS CAME IN QUITE HANDY. I USED THE DOTS FOR A QUICK HEM REPAIR AND THE VELCRO TAPE FOR WHITE STRAP TOPS FOR MY LINDSAY PHILLIPS SHOES. A LITTLE VELCRO GOES A LONG WAY IN EXPANDING A PACKLIGHTER'S WARDROBE. FROM BASIC REPAIRS TO A CLEVERLY ADDED SILK FLOWER TO A BELT OR HAT, VELCRO IS A STAPLE IN MY TRAVEL BAG.