Music to Get You in The Mood

There are some songs that are perfect for when we daydream about 
being on the water in the summer or winter. Here are some favorites:


It's Five O'clock Somewhere by Alan Jackson
Into the Ocean by Blue October
Sailing by Christopher Cross
Drifting by Andy McKee
If I Had a Boat by Lyle Lovett
Sail Away by Enya
Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin
Voyage of the Moon by Mary Hopkin
Calypso Getaway by Earle Klugh
Wooden Ships by Crosby, Stills, & Nash
Mariner's Revenge by the Decemberists
Come Sail Away by Styxx
Under The Sea by Ariel
The Sea by Morcheeba
The Ocean by Led Zeppelin
Glacier Ride
Summer Breeze by Seals & Croft
Sail Away by David Gray
Sail on Sailor by Sean Lennon

Acronyms on Board

There is a subset of acronyms that is widely used by people who cruise 
and write about it, especially on the travel discussion boards. I think my 
little tweet with some examples demonstrates the growing 
disconnect between the way we write online and the way we talk. 

What do all those letter combinations mean? I did a search for a good 
"decoder" and discovered a possibility at the BabyCentre . While it 
does explain DH, it seems to be more about birth related acronyms 
like HPT (home pregnancy test), MM (mother's milk) and O (ovulation).

The Acronym Finder is a long list of acronyms for desperate people. I can't be 
bothered with it.

And then, yikes, there was the NightlyNet discussion board where participants 
made fresh suggestions for acronyms like these,  "I'd like to see some non-family 
values abbreviations thrown into the mix for the broken homes. Like, "My SWW 
(stupid whore wife) is doing the milkman" "My DDS (drug-dealing son) is in 
jail again", and "My KUD (knocked-up daughter) doesn't know who the father is"."

Back to the cruising boards where the orientation is definitely toward 
happy family talk....these seem to be the acronyms most used on cruise 
discussion boards:
TA -- Travel Agent  or Trans-Atlantic
DS -- Dear Son       DD -- Dear Daughter   
DW-- Dear Wife       MIL -- Mother in law   SIL -- Son in law or Sister in law
DH --Dear Husband    FIL -- Father in law   
DIL -- Daughter in law    BIL -- brother in law
SO -- Significant Other  BF -- Boyfriend  GF -- Girlfriend
GTG - Get-To-Gether     M&G -- Meet & Greet   
OBC -- On Board Credit  PAX -- Passengers  
CD -- Cruise Director      ACD -- Assistant Cruise Director
B2B -- Back to back cruises


TTFN (ta ta for now)

Cruise Critic

Whenever I want information about cruising, I check the resources at
Cruise Critic.  We use Cruise Critic and its Expedia sibling TripAdvisor
extensively when we plan to travel. Both sites invite exploration because
there are so many useful corners in them.

I read in one CC board posting that only 10% of those who cruise connect on
the site, but those who do seem to benefit in many ways:

• They learn about news and new products related to cruising
• They join roll calls for their specific cruise to meet other passengers
  virtually and to discuss their common journey.
• They often connect on the ship later, sometimes to arrange private
  excursions (We did this with great success on our 16 day trip to Panama)
• They ask questions and quickly get answers

I was surprised to learn at the CC site that our cruise to Alaska will be one
of the last that Oceania is offering in the area.  We didn't want to miss that.
I was thrilled to find a better currency converter app than the one I have
and I was pleased to get new ideas for an excursion in Astoria OR.
Many thanks to Cruise Critic members.

Nature in BC and Alaska

Who would like to see wildlife while on the cruise? We would. If we're watchful,
we might catch sight of bald eagles, otter, seals, bear or whales like some of those
below.

Bald eagles are fascinating birds. We often see them when we paddle in
Northwest Ontario. I've been watching the Sidney, BC eagles on
webcam (below) for several years. At this time, the Sidney eagle pair are
incubating three eggs with the first due to hatch about April 11, 2011.
It would be great to see birds like these while on our cruise.

Vancouver: Our Home Away From Home

Vancouver, one of the ports in the the summer cruise, has much
to offer its visitors. Maybe this video and a link to more information
will reveal what a jewel it is.

Link: Hello BC

Animation of the Regatta in Alaska

This bird's-eye view video is not exactly the trip we are taking but it does
illustrate beautifully most of the ports that are included in our 12 night journey.
You'll never see Vancouver or San Francisco looking so flat as this :)

Thinking About a Checklist

We've started a checklist for our upcoming trip to Alaska. It began with ordering 
tickets for the cruise and it ends with making arrangements for a visit in the cities 
at each end of the cruise.


We found some other checklists that are handy for packing for the cruise.

• Ultimate Packing List from Janet Foster on CruiseCritic.com
• Essential Alaska Cruise Packing List
• Checklist for an Alaska Cruise from USA Today 
• eHow:What to Pack for an Alaska Cruise

Hubbard Glacier - Time Lapse Video

We're going to see this in person !  


Maybe we could park Mum at the railing early so that we can get a good view
.... Kidding... 
Perhaps we'll go up to the Horizons lounge where they serve 
afternoon tea at 4 PM each day. The windows of the lounge span the width of 
the ship. At each side of those windows are two large telescopes that would 
be excellent for spotting calving. Apparently the Hubbard Glacier is an 
actively calving glacier. Should be good.


We'll be able to watch from our own verandah as well, where we'll 
be sitting and sipping warm hot chocolate, I expect.

Mum is coming. Yeah!

Here's Mum. I think she's thinking of her next funny story
judging by her expression.We're looking forward to going
on the Alaska cruise with her.

Alaska Cruise

We've booked a stateroom on a ship that goes between San Francisco and 
Vancouver via Alaska. We are really looking forward to another great 
experience.  So excited!!


This time we've got a third person in our party....my 91 year old mother.
She's wonderful company. We always have lots of laughs when she's around.
It will mean some adjustments in our speed but who cares when you prefer to
move at a slower speed anyway. That's how it is when we cruise.


Trip Link