You can't cruise everyday...Dang IT!

     Our family is taking a land (Sort of) vacation next week.  We are driving to San Diego for a week on the beach, water, and, of course, Seaworld.  We have not visited Seaworld since our 24 yr old daughter was 6 months old.  She and her family are also going with us, which we are excited for.  Unfortunately, our 17 yr old can't come because of school grades.  School! 

     That's a long time to be away from the area south of Los Angeles, where we have been several times visiting Disneyland or cruising out of or arriving by cruise ship.  The west coast is convenient, relatively speaking, since we live in the mountains of Utah.  12 hours or so either directly west or southwest will land us in either San Francisco or Los Angeles.  But there is something special about the coast south of Laguna Beach.

     I remember a summer vacation one year when my mother took me and a cousin to California, and we stayed in Oceanside and visited a fair in Laguna Beach.  I remember it being a really awesome place.  uncrowded beaches, the ocean air, the mountains rising up so dramatically from the coastal areas.  My mother bought a picture that was made out of rosewood.  To this day, that picture still brings back memories.

     So we have our snorkel gear and wetsuits packed.  We have decided on a schedule for Seaworld and, lest we forget, trick-or-treating in the neighborhoods around the Wyndham Condos in Oceanside we will be staying in.  Ahhh!  Halloween in SoCal!  Cool!  We will go to La Jolla cove and beach.  Visit the LDS temple near there.  And, since I don't want to offend, visiting a cousin who lives in Dana Point, whom I have not seen in, I don't know, 20 years???

     This will be a fun trip, and my Nikon Digital SLR is bound to be full by the time we get back.  But I'll share with you all what you definitely want to see in that area.

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Hurricane Rina News

NEWS ALERT - Hurricane Rina is churning through the Western Caribbean, headed straight for Cancun and Cozumel.  Currently a Category 2 storm, it is expected to strengthen before making landfall tomorrow night at Cozumel.
from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/



     Start making alternate plans if you are headed to the region.  This is where travel insurance really comes in handy.  When shopping for travel insurance, understand all your options and what coverages are available.  Your travel agent can be a very valuable resource here.  Let them teach you.

     Some may think travel insurance to be expensive, but when it comes to the loss of your travel investment dollars, it is really cheap.  Just the cost of making airline changes could pay for the coverage all by itself.  Here at Focus On Fun Travel, we want you to have a memorable vacation in a good way.  Not one that you look back and say...What a nightmare!

     To stay informed, take a look at all the usual weather sources, including http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

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Norwegian Epic...Where are the real reviews?

     I have many times found myself googling the web to find out information about a certain feature at a resort or a cruise ship, only to be inundated with superfluous information, varied slightly, from an original press release from the company who is offering such a place.  Today, it is Norwegian Cruise Lines, Norwegian Epic, and the Posh Beach Club.  The Epic has now been sailing for over a year, with a passenger capacity of 4,100 each cruise, out of Miami, and I cannot find any real life blogging about the Posh Beach Club.  No.  Not even any really good comments from Cruise Critic.  Only regurgitated statements about what it is when it was announced from NCL more than a year ago.  "Adults Only", "Front of the Ship", "Hot Night Life", "Sizzle of South Beach", "Riviera."  Heavens sakes alive, people.  Hasn't anyone visited the Posh Beach Club?  Rumor has it it is $15 a day or $58 for a week (Starting the second day of the cruise).  With terms like "Hot", "Sizzle", "South Beach", "Adults", it sounds like a clothing optional place.  But with today's cruise ships and family atmosphere expanding, that is mostly taboo.  At least in the U.S..

     Barbi and I will be sailing on the Epic, Nov 12, for a 7 day Eastern Caribbean itinerary, out of Miami.  This will be the first time, since 2000, that we will sail on Norwegian, and we are really hoping for a better experience than the first time.  That particular cruise was our very first, and it was only 3 days to the Bahamas.  We stopped in Nassau, and spent the next day at sea because the Atlantic was too rough for us to tender off to the private island, Great Stirrup Cay.  We did not cruise again for 7 years.  But the Epic is so packed full of many exciting things, I really have high hopes that this will be a positive experience.  We are travelling with a couple of friends new to the Norwegian experience.

     So when we return before Thanksgiving, I promise to have a full review of everything I can see.  If I can swing it, I'll even explore the Posh Beach Club on Deck 19, and let you know if everyone has their clothes on.  We already have our tickets reserved for Blue Man Group, which will be awesome.  We also want to attend the Cirque Dreams Dinner Show.  Because of the spelling and "Vegas" atmosphere, I am assuming this is a Cirque du Soleil show, but there again, no bloggers telling me about it.  So I'll have to check it out and report for myself.