Last Minute Things

Patricia April 24th, 2007

Is everyone packing? Of course I’m not — I barely got my dry cleaning picked-up. But that’s tomorrow’s project.

There are a few last minute notes I wanted to remind everyone about:

Tipping:

The ship suggests $10 per day per person for the waitstaff/cabin steward and you can buy the vouchers for this on board and charge to your account. However, there could be a need for a little cash. Here are the tips you may wish to be prepared for:

  1. If staying at the Doubletree, you’ll want to tip the transfer guy on Sunday morning.
  2. The porter at the pier.
  3. The motorcoach driver in San Francisco.
  4. The motorcoach driver in Victoria.
  5. The motorcoach driver in Vancouver (for those on the post tours).

Most of these are suggested at $1 - $2 per person or bag. So, I’d bring at least an extra $10 or so in ones.

Safety:

Um, I so hate to have to remind everyone of this, but keep your wits about you. Use the cabin safe for any large sums of cash you win in the casino, wash your hands after you use the bathroom (I know, but this is how viruses are spread), and finally, try not to get drunk and do anything silly — like any scene from Titanic, ok?

Cell Phones and the Ship:

This is a major pet peeve of both Michael and I, thus we feel the need to stress the details.  If your phone is on while we are out to sea, you will notice that you’ll have a signal.  Should you pick-up your phone to place a call, your call will go from a cell-like tower to a satelite and then to the mainland.  This is the MOST expensive type of international roaming phone call you can make.  In addition to your cell companies charges, you may incur additional charges from the company that provides the cell-to-satelite service.  Um, in a word, are you ok with trading yarn money for cell phone time?

So, here’s a few tips.  One, check with your carrier and know thy rates!  Second, when in port, you are using land cell towers — so I expect there will be a mass of us using our phones in San Francisco.  Finally, you will pay international rates in Canada (unless of course you have a Canadian cell phone).

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