Cruise guests are trading winter sun for Christmas markets

Cruise guests are trading winter sun for Christmas markets

El actor John Goodman, de 74 años, considera que empezó a madurar pasados los 55, cuando decidió dejar el alcohol y empezar a bajar de peso. En ese proceso sufrió altibajos: “Perdía 60 libras (unos 27 kilos) en un verano y luego las recuperaba todas —llegando a ganar 70 u 80 libras—, y eso terminó por agotarme”, ha recordado en una entrevista en The New Yorker, publicada el pasado domingo. “Tomé medidas para no tener que pasar más por eso. Llegué a pesar casi 400 libras (unos 180 kilos). Después de dejar de beber, seguía comiendo de una forma compulsiva, casi como si fuera una adicción”, continúa. El actor, que ha participado en más de 90 películas, explica en la revista estadounidense que decidió dejar el alcohol porque se sentía “muy inmaduro” y el consumo solo “perpetuaba esa inmadurez”. “Quería vivir permanentemente en un ambiente al estilo de Animal House (Desmadre a la americana, 1978)”, señala en referencia a la famosa comedia estadounidense.

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Silversea has started welcoming guests to its exclusive hotel for Antartica fly cruise passengers

• If I could take my first cruise again, I'd pick up a case of water on my way to the port.
• I'd pack a bar of laundry soap.
• And I'd leave my formal dress at home.

The closest thing I'd seen to a cruise ship was the Staten Island ferry.

That changed in April 2022, when I left my home in NYC to take my first cruise. I flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a seven-night voyage on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. We sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

I had a good time, but some things would've made my trip easier, cheaper, and more comfortable. Here's what I think all first-time cruisers should know before setting sail.

Some cruise ship cabins, like those at the front of the ship, can be rockier than others.

Before booking, I should have researched how a cabin's location can affect how much motion you feel while the ship is moving.

My ocean-view cabin was at the front of the ship, and I felt more movement than I expected. As a first-time cruiser, I found it uncomfortably rocky. Shaky nights made it tough to sleep.

Several seasoned cruisers on the voyage told me that the front of the ship was one of the worst places to feel motion. Higher decks in the middle of the ship felt calmer and more stable.

If you are as prone to motion sickness as I am, I suggest choosing a room in the middle of the ship.

The restaurants included in the cruise rate had a variety of high-quality dishes, so splurging on specialty restaurants wasn't necessary.

One of the most distinctive things about cruising is that most meals, snacks, and drinks are included in the cruise rate.

However, on Wonder of the Seas and many other mega-ships, more than a dozen restaurants with specialty offerings, such as sushi, are not included and incur additional charges, either as a one-time fee or per dish. I paid $40 to $60 for each specialty meal. 

I reserved all specialty restaurants before my trip, but I found myself wishing I hadn't booked so many once I realized the included restaurants offered a wide range of delicious food.

There were multiple buffets, and the main dining room served a three-course meal with changing menu items each night.

These included options that satisfied every craving. One of the best meals I had was in the main dining room.

Since I booked so many specialty restaurants, I didn't have time to try all the buffets or eat in the main dining room more than once. If I had known they'd be so satisfying, I would've saved money and eaten more of the included meals instead.

Formal nights weren't enforced, so don't waste luggage space on nice outfits if you don't want to participate.

I have an aversion to dressing up, but I knew my cruise included formal nights, so I brought one nice dress. After the first formal night, however, I learned that the dress code wasn't strictly enforced. I noticed people wore a variety of outfits, from suits and evening gowns to T-shirts and track pants.

I was happy to relax my look on the other two formal nights, but the dress felt like a waste of the limited space in my carry-on suitcase. If I had known it wasn't necessary, I would've left it at home and brought multiple other articles in its place.

Though it was a Caribbean cruise, I got chilly on the top decks, so bring some warm clothing.

My favorite times to be on the top decks of the ship were early in the morning and late at night, when there weren't as many crowds. These were also the coldest, windiest parts of the day.

Instead of my shiny, poofy, formal dress, I should've brought another pair of pants and another sweater to keep me warm. Since I didn't, I ended up wearing the same pants and sweater nearly every morning and evening.

Laundry on board can be expensive, so consider bringing a bar of laundry soap to save money.

Since I brought only a carry-on luggage, I hoped to get some laundry done on board, but then I saw the pricing sheet.

Living in New York City, most of the apartments I've rented haven't had in-unit laundry, so I'm used to paying to have my clothes washed. But rather than pricing by weight, as local New York laundromats do, Royal Caribbean charged for each article of clothing. Each shirt was $4, and a dress cost $9. Most surprisingly, washing just one pair of underwear would have cost $2.

I thought this would add up fast, so I didn't do any laundry on my trip. In hindsight, I should have brought a bar of laundry soap to hand-wash a few things. 

I would've brought my own case of water if I knew it was allowed.

To ensure I stayed hydrated throughout my trip, I opted for the water bottle package while booking trip extras like restaurant reservations and excursions. For $16, Royal Caribbean delivered a case of 24 water bottles to my cabin. It seemed expensive for a pack of water, but I thought this was just part of the price of cruising.

When I was boarding the ship, though, I noticed people carrying their own cases of water. That's when I realized Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring their own nonalcoholic beverages.

If I had known this, I would've brought my own water and saved a few bucks.

If I had known these details before my cruise, I could have had a better time while saving some money. Hopefully, my findings will help other first-time cruisers.

While I enjoyed parts of my cruise, some of this knowledge could've made my trip much more comfortable.

On my next cruise, I'll remember what I learned about cabin locations, formal nights, and cool, windy mornings sailing in the Caribbean Sea.

Si la escritora Vicki Baum estaba en lo cierto al decir que uno de los atajos hacia la felicidad es el baile, muchos hombres agradecerán saber que no es necesario que esa danza sea especialmente memorable. De ser así, ese trayecto se volvería mucho más complicado. ¿Por qué hay tantos hombres que temen bailar? ¿Y por qué a tantas mujeres a las que un mal baile les genera verdadero rechazo? En Sorry I Don’t Dance: Why Men Refuse to Move (Perdona, pero yo no bailo: por qué los hombres se niegan a mover el esqueleto) (Oxford University Press), Maxine Leeds Craig se pregunta precisamente cómo, tras haber estado asociada la masculinidad durante un tiempo con la gracia, la danza y el movimiento, en la actualidad se considera el baile y la masculinidad se han vuelto incompatibles. “La razón por la que tantos hombres evitan bailar tiene que ver con cómo se percibe su sexualidad. Evitar parecer gay es central a la hora de representar la masculinidad normativa. El miedo a parecer homosexuales les limita a la hora de andar y de gesticular. Determina cómo bailan y evita que algunos bailen jamás”, asegura. En muchísimas películas estadounidenses, especialmente adolescentes, hay una escena primordial en la que el protagonista es pillado en su habitación haciendo algo que considera humillante e íntimo: bailar al ritmo de su canción favorita.

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• My friend and I have 7 kids between us, including 3 sets of twins. We took a Disney cruise alone.
• I loved the adults-only spaces, trivia games, spa treatments, and relaxing on Disney's private island.
• I'm already planning another Disney cruise with my kids, though I might prefer going without them.

"You've never been on a cruise?" my friend basically yelled at me while we were planning an adults-only trip away from our kids. She insisted that cruising with her grandparents as an adult was one of the best trips she's ever taken.

So, despite being a little terrified of being aboard essentially a floating skyscraper with thousands of people, I agreed to a Disney cruise for just the two of us.

Honestly, it was so much fun that I'm already planning another Disney cruise with my kids — though I'm not sure I want to give up the adults-only version.

It was such an easy getaway

My family is known for taking really elaborate vacations. One time we stayed on a remote island near Sicily, which is an active volcano. It took us three flights and a long ferry ride to get there, but it was totally worth it to see the lava at night.

This trip was different. We took a flight from Boston to Orlando, boarded the Disney Wish, and after that, we didn't have to think about anything. We have seven kids between the two of us (including three sets of twins), and the ease of the Disney cruise was exactly what we both needed.

There were activities nonstop, and you could join any of them at any point. I took a quick class to learn how to draw Ursula, we participated in so many trivia games with other adults, and stopped to take photos with characters — who are all over the boat all the time — to send home to our kids.

I really liked that almost everything was included

Part of its ease was that most everything was included, so there were few extra costs. For example, all meals at the themed restaurants were part of the package, and we could order as many dishes as we wanted. Non-alcoholic beverages are also included, and you get room service 24/7.

I especially liked the buffet-style meals at Marceline Market because I could mix in some healthy options (there were plenty) with some of my faves, like the fried hash browns for lunch or the Mickey-shaped churro waffles (which were highly recommended by the whole staff).

Of course, there are fancier options, like the Italian restaurant Palo, for which we couldn't get a reservation during our trip. That said, we spent plenty of time at the Keg & Compass pub because on the first night I discovered their vodka dirty martini, which was hands down the best one I've ever had (yes, including fancy New York restaurants). Cocktail prices varied from bar to bar, but this martini was $14, which seemed super reasonable to me.

Visiting Castaway Cay was key

Disney cruises in the Caribbean stop at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. And for me, it was a key stop.

While I've been on a lot of boats growing up — my dad loves fishing — I still get seasick a lot. And while I was surprised by how little the cruise ship rocked, I could still feel it a little bit. So getting off the boat and having my feet on the sand was necessary for me.

I also love the ocean, and the Caribbean water is the perfect mix of temperature, color, and soft sand. My favorite moment was drinking a frozen piña colada with my friend while taking in some sunshine.

I appreciated that the island has an adults-only section called Serenity Bay, which was quieter and more relaxed than the family beach. There's a restaurant off the beach, too, so we were able to eat lunch between dips in the water.

The schedule was packed

While there were nonstop activities on the boat, I was often torn between wanting to do two or more overlapping things. For example, there was bingo one night happening at the same time as trivia. Given the option, I would've done both, because who doesn't love a bingo night? There was another day when you could make your own friendship bracelets, but I had already booked a facial, and that craft didn't repeat during our stay.

Because our main goal was to spend time together and relax, I felt I didn't do many of the interesting activities the boat offered. But I also get that that's the point; there's something for everyone at any given time of the day.

We didn't book things in advance

Being a newbie worked against me when booking extra activities. I wanted to surprise my friend with a couple's massage so we could destress, and I also wanted a facial.

By the time I went to book spa treatments (about a week before we boarded), there were very few time slots available. Next time, as soon as I book my trip, I'll be adding all the extras I want to maximize availability.

That said, we ended up getting our massage on embarkation day, which turned out to be the perfect way to smoothly transition from the chaos of mom life to vacation mode. And at $399 for both of us, it wasn't that much more expensive than the massages I get back in Maine. I booked my facial for 8 a.m., which felt a little early, but again was the only available time. If I were to do it again, I'd book the facial in the afternoon so as not to cut into pool time.

I overpacked and didn't have room for souvenirs

When I tell you I packed and unpacked my bag about 10 times before boarding, I'm not exaggerating. The Disney cruise hosted a pirate night and a Halloween party, and I wanted to be prepared for both. I also didn't know what to expect to want to wear on a cruise, so I overpacked by a ton.

This left me with very little room for souvenirs, which I still bought, but had to carry an extra tote bag back home. All the shops on the boat have different themes and therefore offer different stuff. I bought a Mickey-cruise-themed men's shirt that got so many compliments on the day I wore it. I also bought my kids pens and small keychain stuffies with their favorite characters.

We weren't the only adults without kids

My friend, who has more cruise experience than I do, insisted it wouldn't be weird for us to be on a Disney cruise without kids. And she was right. We weren't the only ones enjoying the adults-only areas, which included an ample pool deck with a jacuzzi, a small pool, a dedicated bar, and a coffee shop. There were also adults-only activities, like dance parties and trivia. And obviously, all the bars were for 21+.

While we only stayed at the adults-only pool deck, we could still hear the movies blasting for the family-friendly pool deck, which at times made it hard to relax. That said, when "Frozen" came on, both my friend and I were singing along (and probably annoying other adult guests).

We met a couple who were older than us who were on their 41st cruise. They found me adorable, being so excited about my first experience on board. They told me to get ready to become a cruise person, and they weren't wrong.

I had such a great time that I'm already planning when to take another Disney cruise, this time with my whole family. Disney Cruise Lines just announced a new ship called Believe, which will feature an "Encanto" stage show — which just happens to be my kids favorite Disney movie.

I cannot wait to see my kids' eyes go wide when they see how many things they can do, and for them to be ready to take a photo with their favorite Disney character, Daisy Duck.

We went aboard a cruise ship navigating some of the world's most dangerous waters. In the Arctic, drifting icebergs, sea ice, sudden storms and fierce winds make sailing unpredictable. Yet every year, around 100,000 cruise passengers travel to Greenland to explore its remote coastline and experience one of the world's last great wildernesses.

Brad Pitt’s recent visit to Spain revealed his affinity for the local culture. The actor greeted crowds outside the Hotel María Cristina in San Sebastián; he viewed the abstract works sculpted by Eduardo Chillida; he denied knowing or having had an affair with Makoke Giaever, a Spanish TV personality; and he made a surprise appearance at a christening in Madrid’s Santa Bárbara Church to meet the family of his girlfriend, Inés de Ramón.

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Although Tom Cruise has maintained his star status on the big screen, the 64-year-old has avoided giving interviews to mainstream media for the past 20 years. Instead, he has focused on being an actor exclusively associated with his roles, someone who only generates conversation for his spectacular stunts in the sequels to Mission Impossible, done without doubles, or for his commitment to the seventh art, to theaters, and to Hollywood.

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Digger is like a mango. It’s an acidic film, but also a bit sweet; outwardly it seems one thing but inside it contains surprises, and it needs time to ripen. Like a mango, its flavor can’t be explained. In fact, it’s better not to even try, says its director, Alejandro González Iñárritu: “The only way to know what a mango tastes like is to put it in your mouth. And you have to put this film in your eyes to understand it, because if I explain it to you, you won’t get it.”

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