GPtimes2

Interesting to note that the OP dropped his/her nuggets of wisdom on us poor ignorant souls and decided there wasn't any need for further discussion, since it must be accurate.

 

A further point I would like to make is that the USPH (the branch of the CDC that regulates cruise ships) has NO mandate to protect cruise passengers from illness. The USPH's mandate has is and has always been, since the 1800's to prevent the introduction of diseases INTO THE US. The USPH's VSP addresses this mission of keeping sick passengers from entering the US by regulating the health standards aboard ships arriving at US ports. If you are kept healthy during your cruise, you won't bring the nasties back to the US; they really don't care whether or not you get sick onboard, just whether you are sick when returning to the US. Historically, another mission of the USPH was to care for the health of US Navy and Merchant seamen, but since these cruise ships are all foreign flag, this mission is irrelevant to the discussion.

It was the op's first post, and none off us even said "welcome to the forum". Plus some of the responses probably come across as an attack. If you go up a couple of post, one person went to a bit of effort to post links of a hazmat suit and ppe that seems to belittle the op. And if you look at some of the post counts (thousands) of some responders, a person may conclude that this is normal persecution from long time members of this forum. I don't blame the op for disappearing. They probably just wanted to share and get involved.

I think we owe it to each other to do our best to not get and pass on germs, bacteria, viruses, diseases, etc... The reward is far greater than the effort needed. Actually, we DON'T have a RIGHT to pass these things on to others due to neglect of precautions.

So yea-

Sneeze into your sleeve.

Wash your hands after the bathroom and before eating.

Use your knuckle to push elevator buttons.

Use your elbows to open doors when possible.

Use your dominate hand for touching everything but what you touch that goes into your mouth, then use your non-dominate hand (bread for example).

Wipe down the remote and faucets in your room.

Wipe the grocery cart handle at the store.

Don't even go to a nursing home if your sick, and clean your hands when you leave a nursing home.

And take enough medicine before you get on an airplane to subdue your persistent coughing rather than cough the entire flight.

And lastly, don't wear so much perfume that it makes peoples eyes water and nose run!

Rant over:)

Im going to the carribean in august. How much money do I need to bring.

Theyll have atms on the boat correct? So I can just get money from there but bringing money onto the islands. Do I need my card.money for taxis, food,tips ect and they obviously take american money right

I like to pay cash for as much as possible. Just like to put my number out there as little as possible. I book all my excursions before I leave home or on the ship, so no cash needed for that. Any money spent on ship, goes on the ship card.

If you buy trinkets and such, take some cash for that.

If you fly in early, account for that. Cash and tips for meals. Also, anytime someone handles your luggage (except at airport check-in) in front of you, they should be tipped (maybe $1 to $4). So if you book transfers, that could be a few times.

Some excursions have tip jars, so account for that possibility (maybe $4 to $20 per couple). Also, anytime you have a tour guide (especialy one that talks a lot), they should be tipped (maybe $2 to $10 per couple). I use the size of the tour, or the extra effort of the excursion to help determine these.

Then, at the end of the cruise, we leave the room steward a tip in the envelope they leave for that purpose (maybe $20 to $50) depending on service.

So, it's not hard to spend a couple hundred in cash. Break it down in denominations. More ones than anything else. I am probably missing some things, but I hope this helps.:)

Me and the wife (also mid 50's) went twice during our cruise last January. We had not done it before and neither of us are great swimmers. The first time was in Cozomel and it was great. We went on a beginner excursion and hung onto a float board with hand holds for four people. A guide led us around and controlled our pace. I got water around my mouth piece a couple of times but no one else seemed to. It's very salty and he made jokes about it. We found that the vests will ride-up if you don't strap them pretty tight. You can put more or less air in them as desired. The fins make a tremendous difference with manuverabilty.

The second time was an excursion at Belize. We were with a group swimming freely. They wanted us to stay in a group, but while we were looking under, they were getting farther away. When they were about 50 yards ahead, the wife felt paniced, and we went back to shore.

We vowed to purchase our own gear and practice, but we haven't. We enjoy snorkeling and will do it again. It's hard to find the time right now to do it at home. I seen vests on line that look like they fit better, so that will probably be our first priority. If you wear glasses you will have to take them off, so that may limit your vision/pleasure. I would have taken a course ahead of time if I knew what I know now. Overall, I can't imagine someone not liking it. Hope this helps.:)

I just put my last name and cell phone # of the phone I am carrying. No address. If someone knows your address, your house could become a target for thieves. If someone picks up your bag, you can say, call that #, and prove it is yours.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Forums mobile app

Some other things to think about if you don't have anyone staying at your house is to try to protect it from-

Fire- by unplugging coffee pots, electronics, etc... and decide wheather to turn off the gas.

Floods- Can the water be turned off.

Freezing- Again with the water.

Theft- Alarm system (even fake alarms or just signs). Hide stuff to make it harder for the smash and grab guys that won't stay in the house long.

You have to be clever though or it will be found in a hurry. Maybe the trunk of your car if it's in a garage. Ducting with hard to remove screws. Or take your most valuable stuff to a friends house.