To Cruise or not to Cruise....

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Naturally somewhat claustrophobic, the idea of being stuck in a tiny cabin, on a boat (albeit a very large one) full of strangers in the middle of the ocean for a week, meant that going on a cruise never made the top of my vacation destination list. So, when my sister Alice offered to fund a 7-day Carnival Conquest Cruise for her family after the wedding, I initially pondered the trip with trepidation and an onslaught of questions: Would the cabins have windows? Have you been on a cruise before and did you like it? Why? What ports are we stopping at? What would the weather be like? Her answers began to melt my fear and transform it into excitement at the opportunity to spend a week with my family on a free vacation. The cheapest cabins do not have windows and are priced at four to a room (rates very greatly depending on the season). Our cabin could be upgraded at an additional cost (We chose to get the Premium Balcony Stateroom, Verandah 8448: smaller than a suite but with a quarter of the rear ship balcony for an additional cost of aprox $1000). We liked the room and loved watching the sunset from our own (semi-)private  balcony. Being first-time cruisers, my roommate and I did not realize that one of the effects of having a room at the back of the ship, is that more swaying is felt. 
After taking a Dramamine the first day and passing out in my room from the drowsiness it produced, I tried wearing a pair of anti-seasick sweatbands purchased in the cruise gift shop. I cannot conclude if they assisted or not but I woke up after 5 hours of sleep with very uncomfortable band marks on my wrist from the tightness of the elastic (I would advise that if you try these, make sure that the inside of the band or bracelet is as comfortable as possible to avoid friction marks on your skin). After these two failed sea-sickness remedies, I fould that Bonine seemed to work best for me. After two days I began to become accustomed to the gentle rocking of the ship and felt no further nausea for the remainder of the trip.

Tips to prevent motion sickness:    http://www.marinemedical.com/articles/seasick.htm

Both my brother and sister had been on cruises before and enjoyed them most for the ease of offering a vacation with little necessary planning (the biggest decisions being what excursions to partake in at the ports-of-call). The options for how to spend the days and nights are endless. For day entertainment: the spa or gym, bingo games, (limited) shopping in the two shops), gambling in the casino, basketball, volleyball, miniature golf, the water-slide, a “quiet” sundeck where peaceful sunbathing or reading can be enjoyed, or a more “lively” sun deck where top-40 hits are spun by a live dj and on-board drinking games such as “hairiest chest” contest and “mixology” cocktail making contests can be viewed.  For nighttime: there are two theater options, karaoke, more gambling, three clubs, live music, and comedy shows (the CMT comedian on-board was hilarious).

Food is available on-board 24 hours with more limited options after 10pm. The buffet offered a variety of choices with decent food. The dining rooms offered a hit-or-miss menu of choices with a higher likelihood of improved fare on the days where mandatory dining room attire upgraded from “cruise casual” to “captain’s elegant.” On the two evenings where more formal attire was requested, the female guests’ preferred sparkles and sequins in every color and form. For a more pleasant food experience, I would highly encourage paying the $30 extra per person to dine in The Point Steakhouse. This involved an upgrade from overcooked chicken or fish in the designated dining rooms, to choices of lobster and steak for dinner and excellent dessert options. Overall I would say that my (our) experience was pleasant but the overall food offerings could have been improved, and I would have preferred the limited amount of time spend at each port of call to be increased  (approx 7 hours in total to get off, explore and get back on).

Guests of the Carnival cruise that became stranded in Mexico last week may have a different opinion (see fox news link below). It will be interesting to see if THEY take up Carnival’s offer for “a free future cruise of equal value.” As for me, I enjoyed the experience with my family and think for a group excursion it made a lot of since, allowing each guest to spend their free time as they pleased, coming together as a family for the theater and dinner at night. I am grateful for the experience but will stay on land (or plane) for my next trip. In the far future, I may once again aboard a cruise but if so, it would likely be with a more luxurious line (with better different destinations and better food).

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/09/carnival-cruise-ship-loses-power-engine-room/

Details:

Working on my tan in my leopard bikini while playing m-golf with the fam

Carnival Conquest: http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/ships/carnival_conques/default.aspx?shipCode=CQ

7-day Sunday-Sunday. October 3-10, 2010

Port of Embarkation: Galveston, Texas.

Nearest airports: Scholes International Airport at Galveston, Hobby and George Bush airports in Houston

Cost: (reduced rates are offered for: over 55’s, return guests, when booked in advance, in a group and during the hurricane season (when our group of 15 went). The gamble with the hurricane season is that there is a possibility of not stopping at all ports of call. The cruise the week prior to ours only embarked at one of three ports due to inclement weather.

The weekly schedule: Day 1:, Days 2 and 6: “Fun Day at Sea” , Day 3 Embark: Montego Bay, Jamaica, Day 4 Embark: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands,  Day 5 Embark: Cozumel, Mexico, Day: 7 Depart: Galveston (8am-10:30am).

Cold, Cold, Ground: It's snowing in Oxford!!

It's January when I arrive in England for the first time. My initial impressions of London is that it is expensive and cold, and the language sound like English...yet I still fail to understand every fifth word. I only spend two days in London before I have to head to Oxford for mys studies.

Brrr... it's nearly colder inside than out here. This due to the very old buildings with inadequate heat. If you are planning on coming in the winter months bring lots of layers and clothes for the chill to the bones kind of damp weather and utter lack of sunshine.

This dreary weather meant i got sick quite often my first month, it also adversely affected my mood :(

That said, Oxford is magical, even in the wintertime I feel like I'm walking through a Dicken's novel (but if you have the option of when to come, choose late Spring or Summer). One thing I did experience that occurs rarely in Oxford: Snow!
The evening began at a local club, Clems: the music is good and it can be fun to run into randomly costumed characters but do not even get me started on the inadequacy of Oxford night life. After sweating inside we leave to be greeted by pretty white flakes. While some of the crew opted for a taxi, others stayed behind and enjoyed the beautiful snow-glistened nature interrupted occasionally by drunk people slipping and sliding through the peaceful winter streets on their attempt to return home.
While snow may have turned up the chill factor, it made the newly white buildings appear even more magical.Tom Waits Cold Cold Ground

http://www.oxfordcityguide.com
http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLyHHwDXw5Y

Introduction to the Oxford Bop

Life in the UK has not felt like the leisurely days of a Victorian romance novel, but rather like the long--fascinating but exhausting--life of MiddleMarch. I blame the delay and infrequency of travel--and blog posts-- on the intense demand of Oxford academia. Now that the term is done I am left with more time to update you on my whereabouts. I am backtracking from Jan 2009.
One of my first parties at college introduced me to what would become "my crew", my close group of fellow overseas students that I would travel with on weekends. But first, a weekend at Oxford and my first "Bop" ( I believe that term is still used in the U.S. by those who danced in the Fifties. Here at Oxford this term is not reminiscent of the good old days of pigtailed girls and bobbie socks. Nope, it's more like a good old American frat themed party (though much less fratty) with the inclusion of wacky costumes. The Brits keep Halloween to a day of ghosts and gore and use all other occasions as an excuse for "fancy dress" (dressing creatively) and lots of drinking.
 My first introduction into this was our college Bop "SEH," for "St Edmund Hall." Students had to dress up as a thing that began with an "S": Shadow, Sheep,  Superhero, Satan; "E":Edgar Allen Poe (me),; or "H": Homeless person, Harry Potter character, Hippie. What I love about these bops is it is not about being pretty or looking cool but rather how creative and/or silly one can be.
 http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/index.php?section=1

London, England. Leaving Osprey, Loving Louis V

OK, so this nine month endeavor little resembles my last seven month backpacking adventure. For one, I will be studying which means no books for leisure (not that I do not immensely enjoy the one's assigned by my professors, now "tutors"). It will also mean less traveling during the terms and keeping the explorations more local. What this also means is that I have replaced my Opsrey backpack with My Louis Vuitton luggage. I have also expanded my four lonely outfits from my last trip to include: my vintage fur coat, 16 pairs of shoes, and a few more outfit changes.
Just to offer reassurance, while Osprey did get left behind, my adventuress backpacking spirit did not remain storaged in New York, like him. No, this trip will be a welcome hybrid of goose down comforter, pretty clothes and Prada purse luxury mixed with my roughing it, backpacking budget exploration.
Some of my "not so roughin it" London adventures have included:
* tea at the beautiful 5 Star Dorchester in Mayfair, a posh London neighborhood.
* dinner at one of the highest rated international restaurants. Food was great!
* exploring Harrod's the department wonder-they have multiple food and meat sections-In a Department Store where Gucci bags are sold in the next room. I found this strange