Christmas Road Trip Tips

The holidays are here and Christmas (and Hanukkah) is coming up fast. That means a lot of people will probably be taking to the road to visit friends and family. If you're headed out on a road trip this year, you'll want to plan accordingly and make sure your car's ready for the occasion.

Hopefully you've already gotten your car checked out, but if not make sure your tires are good, your brakes don't need replacing (because stopping is really important), you get an oil change and everything else is in good order. Got AAA? Then don't forget to keep your card handy. If one of your credit cards has roadside assistance, make sure you know all the details and know the numbers to call if you need them. Keep an emergency kit in your car, just in case, and a spare gallon of water to avoid overheating. It happens. If you'll be driving where snow or ice might be a possibility, then make sure you have a set of chains or cables for your tires, because sliding all over the road sucks. And not being able to go on without slide protection will suck too.

 

Once you've made all the boring and necessary checks on your car, it's time to start packing. Even though I have plenty of room in the trunk (and backseat), I still try to pack light. I don't want to drag a ton of bags in and out of hotels everyday and it's nice to have spare room in your car for any purchases your may make along the way. 

If you're traveling as a family, space is at a premium anyway. Don't bring your whole closet. One carry-on per person is enough. A cooler with drinks, snacks and sandwich fixings is a must, especially if you're trying to save some money on your drive. Plus, if you go with kids, they always seem to be hungry at different times throughout the day, so having healthy snacks to keep them satisfied is important. Toss a back-up carry-on bag in your trunk for rounding up purchases (or gifts) in one place, and a few reusable shopping bags for grocery shopping, dirty clothes and other miscellaneous things.

The best part of a road trip is the stops along the way. Know some of the fun, obscure, interesting and popular things to do on your route. I plan at least one or two of these per day to break up the monotony of sitting in the car and staring out the window. A great app to use for finding these things on main highways is iExit. It's free and will give you everything from places to eat, attractions, shops, rest areas and even animal hospitals, if you're traveling with a pet. I like that you can plan ahead by using the app without actually being on the road, but you can use it on-the-go. If you're a AAA member, you can order guidebooks and paper maps for free, too.

Sometimes you just need to get out and stretch your legs. Being in the car for long periods of time can make your legs cramp up and make you feel blah. See an interesting turn off? Stop! Run around, take a quick walk, take some pictures, check out a tourist attraction or make yourself a sandwich to tide you over until lunch or dinner. You'll be glad you did.

Dress comfortably. It is so easy to dress comfortably and still look like a person nowadays with fabrics like jersey, bamboo and rayon. Just because you've been in the car for 10 hours, doesn't mean you have to look like a slob. Not only are these fabrics comfy, but they also resist wrinkles and breathe well, too. If you can't live without your trusty jeans, invest in some nice ones with stretch. I have three pair that I paid a pretty penny for, but they are some of the best ones I own for travel.

Bring tunes from home. Don't rely on just the radio, otherwise you'll have times were the only thing you get are Christian and deep country music, if you can pick up anything. I swear there must be radio towers built into the mountains for these stations. If you're a fan of either, you are probably okay, but I still suggest loading up your iPod with some good road tunes, podcasts or e-books. That way you have a variety of things to listen to and aren't forced to listen to Jesus Rock in between static if you don't want to. 

Coupons, coupons, coupons! Along the road you're bound to stop at a few rest stops or greasy spoons (including Denny's) and when you do, grab one of those highway magazines that is full of coupons for dining and lodging. You can save a ton off already affordable necessities. Sometimes, you may find discounts for roadside attractions. If not, make sure to browse that rack in your hotel/motel lobby before you do anything nearby.

Now, toss a spare blanket and pillow in your backseat and you're ready to conquer anything...or, at the very least, the road.

Where's everyone traveling for Christmas?

More Tips for the First Time Cruiser

In my last post, I started by telling you how to save on your first ever cruise without having to use a travel agent. I know they are experts, but that doesn't mean you can't be one, too, even if you've never been on a cruise before. Being different from any other type of travel can make a cruise vacation a bit of a challenge to navigate, but I have faith you can do it, especially with these tips and little bit of planning and persistence. 

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You know how to save, but how do you pick the right cruise and cabin and all that other good stuff? I'm about to give you some help! 

What to Consider

There are a lot of factors to deal with when booking a cruise, so don't just close your eyes and point at something, because that probably won't go well. My first cruise was on a very small ship and it gave me a good bout of cabin fever. The ship seemed bigger when looking at everything online, but in reality, it was fairly small compared to all the others out there. I learned for next time. 

• Decide how much you want to spend. This is always number one. If you don't know, perhaps look around at cruise deals to figure out what sort of budget you'll need. Keep in mind what is included – cabin, food, beverages, most entertainment, kids club (most of the time), room service – and what's not – some activities, shore excursions, alcohol, soft drinks (usually), fancy coffees, specialty dining, childcare, tipping, spa service, casino, shopping, personal trainers and exercise classes. Gratuity generally adds about $10-15 per person per day to your cost, which will add to the posted cost. In fact, the posted price is always going to be less than what you will actually spend.
• How long do you want to be gone? As a first-timer, I wouldn't suggest anything longer than 7 days, but it also depends on the itinerary you choose. If you're unsure how you'll feel about being on a big ship, maybe pick a shorter cruise to start off, and if you like it, you can plan a longer cruise in the future.
• Where do you want to go? This is usually the first thing I think about and then figure out how I can make it work with my budget. It also depends on what time of year you can go what's available. Most cruises don't sail year-round. 
• Who's going with you? Some cruise lines are more suited to families than others, which cater more toward grown-ups.
• Are you cool with crowds? It's simple math. The bigger the ship, the larger the crowds on it. If you want a more intimate experience, go for a smaller ship. If you don't care and you want a long list of available activities, then a large ship is where it's at.

Really just want a good cruise for your first time without all the effort? Then check out Cruise Critic's list of 12 best cruises for newbies. They are also a great resource for researching all ships and itineraries.

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Choosing the Right Cabin

I'm not big on staying in my room, whether I'm on a ship or in a hotel. I mean, I like to be comfortable, but I tend to be out more than I'm in on almost all my trips. That said, you may end up in your cabin more than expected, so picking the right one for you can make or break your trip.

• If you get seasick and are planning a trip on a smaller ship, choose one that's in the middle of the ship for the least amount of rockage. That said, you probably won't feel any rocking at all, no matter what ship you choose, unless the weather is pretty iffy. 
• If you like to sleep and enjoy your blackout curtains, go for an inside cabin. This is also great for those that just want to enjoy the ship and ports and want to save as much money as possible. Keep in mind, if the lights are out, even if it's the middle of the day, your cabin will be pitch black. 
• If seeing the outside world is important to you, or you just need sunlight to feel like a person who doesn't live in a cave, choose an outside cabin. If nothing else, it'll have some portholes that will let light in, so you'll at least know if it's daytime or not. Those higher up on the ship will have larger windows.
• Some people value their connection to the sea and want to experience it 24/7. This is when you should get a balcony, or at least a Juliet balcony (which offers a sliver of standing room outside your sliding floor-to-ceiling window. 

Extra Tips

Staterooms on ships are not the largest. The bed takes up most of the space, so you’re going to want to hang everything you can. 

• Bring some magnetic clips to keep stuff organized that you can stick to your cabin walls (because they’re magnetic!). 
• Pack a cloth shoe organizer to hang in the closet to stash things that you don’t usually hang up, but don’t want to have to keep on the closet floor or wrestle out of your suitcase each time you want to use it.
• Keep your dirty clothes separate from your clean ones by bringing along a mesh, pop-up hamper. I tend to take mine down to the laundry to clean everything before I leave so I don’t go home, or to my next destination, with a bag full of dirty clothes.
• Pack a small power strip, because like hotel rooms, staterooms are woefully lacking in outlets. I like this one from Belkin and have one in my travel bag at all times and two at home.

Some cruise lines try to dupe you into paying more for less. I mean, it's like Vegas. Why not charge for everything when you still have money in your pocket? Here are some things to watch out for:

• Check the room diagram (and reviews). Some lines are claiming rooms are suites when they really are not. A suite should be more than one room and a few are offering one room separated by a curtain, and some not even that.
• A balcony should be able to hold a few chairs, at least. Watch out for those that claim you get a balcony, but it's either the smallest standing room, where you're basically standing in the doorway to be "outside".

Just because there are so many different things to do on the ship, it doesn’t mean you need to bring your whole closet. In fact, you can still pack light and have everything you need for your cruise.

• Bring multi-purpose items, like a top that you can dress up or down depending on the situation. A plain black tank top can work for a formal night when paired with a statement necklace and a light wrap.
• A nice pair of sandals can also be worn for formal nights, so you don’t have to pack a pair of heels that you’ll only wear a few hours the whole time you’re cruising.
• Men can bring a lightweight sport coat and a few ties to dress up any outfit…and not have the same look twice if there’s more than one formal night on your ship.
• Aside from these things, bring what you normally do: 5 tops, 3 bottoms, a pair of really good walking/running shoes, a rain jacket, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. If you need more help packing light, here’s a post for you.
• Don't forget your passport if you aren't going to a closed-loop U.S. port.

Now you're practically an expert on all things cruising. You can pick the right ship, the right cabin, the perfect excursions on your own and even save money once onboard. The only thing that's left is to pack and put on your sunglasses! 

If you've been on a cruise, where did you go and what was your favorite thing?

Tips for the First Time Cruiser

Cruising is unlike other travel. Most people book through a travel agent, because it’s so foreign and they are afraid of making a bad decision or getting a crappy deal. The thing is, you don’t need an agent, you just need to know-how to do it right, even if it’s your first time cruising. Unlike booking a hotel or a plane ticket, you’re stuck on the boat and in your cabin for three nights to three weeks (depending on your itinerary) and there’s really nothing you can do if you hate your boat or your room.

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So, how do you figure it all out and still save money? It’s really not that difficult. You just need to do a bit of research and planning. This is the time to make sure to check out previous cruiser reviews.

How to Save Money

There are a lot of ways, big and little, that can help you save on your cruise. Some are no brainers (to me, anyway) and some are little known.

• Book your cruise early. Unlike airfare, you can really save a lot of money if you book your cruise far in advance. I’m talking a year out, maybe more. Cruise lines lure you in with the promise of incentives like beverage packages, free gratuities, onboard credits, free upgrades and much reduced rates. 
• Book your cruise late. If you don’t like to plan ahead (or that far out), look for last-minute cruise sales where you can get similar deals to early-booking. You may not get your first choice of cabin, but you’ll save big time on those that need to be filled before sailing.
• Sail in the off season. When you can, choose off-peak times to cruise to get a better deal and possibly a less crowded ship. Obviously, prices are lower for the less desirable cruise times, like hurricane season (which rarely sees a hurricane).
• Tip strategically. Most gratuities for services on the ship are included, which you’ll see on your receipt when you sign for them to charge them to your room. Unless your service was over the top outstanding, don’t double tip. In fact, if you go to check out your bill before debarkation and you feel like your gratuities are…uh…gratuitous, you can certainly dispute this to change them. And the reverse is also true if you want to add to your total.
• Book your shore excursions separately. I can’t tell you how much cruise lines mark up excursions. They make tons of bank on people who either didn’t know they could book independently or were too lazy to do it. You can save an average of 50% by doing it yourself, even through the same companies that the cruise works with. Just make sure to check reviews to see what others had to say.
• Book a package. If you know you’ll want to drink a ton of soda (or anything other than tea, water and coffee), purchase the beverage package and save yourself some bucks. If you want to spend time hitting up the specialty dining on your ship, look into the dining packages. You may save quite a bit by doing these instead of paying every time you decide to go “off menu”. 
• Skip the spa or book on port days. You’ll probably be so busy doing other stuff on the ship that you won’t have time to get pampered at the spa, but if not, know that you may end up paying twice as much for services as you would on land. Prices drop significantly if you book when the ship is in port, since most people will be out and not interested in staying on the boat.
• Save your drinking for port days. I know most people get super excited to sit by the pool and drink their days away. By doing this, you’re spening way more on booze than you need to. Instead, do other things on the boat and then drink for much less in port. If you must drink while cruising, here’s an article I did for Travelwise on how to do it cheaply or free.
• Link your cruise card to cash instead of a credit card. This is a new tip I just learned. In order to combat overspending, which is super easy to do when you just hand over your stateroom card for everything, head to the purser’s desk and give them half of the cash you have allocated to spend onboard on the first day of your cruise instead of linking to your credit card. Halfway through, give them the other half of your cash. One, this eliminates the willy-nilly spending for things you don’t need. Two this allows you to have cash available for excursions instead going broke before your trip is over and
• Book your next cruise while you’re on your cruise. This is more a tip for potential second cruisers, but you can do it while cruising for the first time. Cruise lines give deals to loyal cruisers with significant discounts, onboard credits and more.

Okay, so now that you know how to save on your actual cruise, you need to know how to pick a cruise. Well, like you must wait for the winner of The Voice…after the break…you’ll have to wait for my next post to learn more about how to be awesome at cruising.

If you've cruised previously, what are your best tips for saving on one?