A Candidate for Cruiseaholic Anonymous

Okay. I'm just going to say it. I'm a Cruiseaholic. It's a sickness that I've had for about 20 years now. And, as I get older, I've found that the only remedy is, of course, another cruise.

How do you know if you're a Cruiseaholic? If you answer Yes to two or more of the following questions, you're definitely a Cruiseaholic and perhaps a possible candidate for Cruiseaholic Anonymous.

1. Is there is a separate section of your closet just for your 'cruise clothes'?
2. Is one of your photo albums filled with ship photographer portraits?
3. Have you been or will you go to Cozumel this year?
4. Is the Bahama Mama one of your favorite adult beverages?
5. Do you have at least one drawer filled with t-shirts you purchased on cruises?
6. Are you looking for cruise destinations for 2014? 
7. On your last cruise, did you pre-book a future cruise?
8. Have you bookmarked the URL for Cruise Critic?
9. Are you on a first-name basis with a cruise travel agent?
10. And, of course, do you own at least one Cruiseaholic luggage tag?

 Have any more Cruiseaholic signs that you want to share? D&B would love to hear them!

Thinking Twice about Going on a Cruise?

The other day, a Facebook friend commented that he was planning a cruise, but with all the recent incidents with cruise ships, he was rethinking is plans.

Yes, the cruise industry has had its ups and downs in the past few months. A mega-ship wrecking off Greece, passengers scrambling to safety, dozens of people killed in the shipwreck; then bandits robbing cruisers on land tours, people falling overboard, and a cruise ship stranded by fire in the middle of the Indian ocean.

Okay. We can see our FB friend's point. Yet, when you look at the cruise industry as a whole, cruising is really one of the safest ways to travel. And what other vacation can you take where you unpack your suitcase once and you can see 5 or 6 countries in a week?

Now we ask, did anyone cancel a planned trip by car after the fiery, massive wreck on I75 in Florida? What about after the miracle airplane crash landing on Hudson River? Anyone cancel an airline flight? It's the same with a cruise. Just because a tragedy strikes one segment, an entire industry should not be panned or banned.

We are cruisers who believe in the cruise industry. In fact, we have actually booked a Mediterranean cruise and will said right by the spot where the Costa Concordia went down. Life is too short to worry about the 'what if's.'

Lessons Learned from Sinking of Costa Concordia

Costa Concordia sinks off coast of Italy  
(A Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Image)

We've been on a few cruises...make that over 70 cruises. In fact, we are off on another cruise next week. After watching the sinking nightmare on the Costa Concordia, we know that what we once thought was 'impossible' can happen.

To be better prepared for 'what could happen,' we've put together a list of lessons we learned from Costa Concordia disaster:

1. If the ship doesn't have a life boat drill within the first 2 hours after the ship sails, have your own drill. Find your muster station. Check out the life boats.
2. Once on board, determine what to do in an emergency. Make plans with fellow travelers on where to go, where to meet, what to do.
3. Pack a flash light...preferably a water proof one.
4. If the lights go out for over 15 minutes, worry.
5. Try on your life jacket and make sure you know how to tie the ties and snap the snaps.
6. Keep your passport and a credit card in one of those 'wearable' wallets that strap on the waist or hang from the neck.
7. Don't book a room on Deck 2 or 3. While the rates are cheaper for the lower decks, paying extra could be a life saver.
8. If you see the Captain at a bar drinking while you are sailing, stop and ask him, "Who is driving the ship?"
9. Even though you're sailing in the Caribbean or other warm waters, pack long pants and a sweater. It gets cold in a life boat at night!
10. And finally, brush up on your swimming skills...you might literally have to "swim for your life."