Go it Alone....How to decide

If you don't want to book a ship's tour, you should really do a bit of research. My first recommendation is that you find out how far the port is from where you want to visit. Sometimes, the port is over 2 hours away from the nearest large city.
1. A good start is to check the 'on your own' ship's tour. This will often tell you how long the coach journey is to your destination. If there's a walking tour from the dockside, you know the port is close to the town. 
2. Go on a reputable cruise forum site like Crows Nest or Cruise Critic and ask. Someone helpful is almost certain to answer your questions.
3. Download a map of your destination port.
4. Check out tourist buses, such as 'hop on hop off'. Is there a bus stop near the port?
5. Is there an easily accessible train station near the port? How frequent are the trains? What about weekends and public holdays? CHECK YOUR RETURN TIMES.
6. Is someone on a reputable website offering to share a taxi, or organising a private tour? Be careful to ensure they are genuine. Don't pay any money upfront or give card/bank details unless you are 100% sure that this is not a con. If you have any doubt at all, be extremely cautious.
7. Check out taxi sites. Sometimes you can book a taxi in advance, without any advance payment, but the company will agree a fare in advance. This can be a cost effective option. If you just choose a taxi at the dockside AGREE YOUR FARE IN ADVANCE
8. Have fun planning. This can be an enjoyable start to your holiday.  

Ship's Tour or Go it Alone?

When choosing your activity in the port, this has to be your first decision. Cruise organised tours are safe, well organised, friendly, experienced....and if the trip is delayed the ship will wait for you.

They are also expensive, have a tendency to 'herd' you, and are often impersonal. If you know the port, speak the language,are fit and well and have loads of energy then it's a no-brainer, do it yourself, don't book a ship's tour. For the rest of us, decisions must be made.

In order to make a decision, you really need to investigate the alternatives. If you don't book a ship's tour, what will you do?? Keep logging on for a considersation of all the options.
Claire   

Planning your Ports of Call

Unless you are really, really rich, and most of us are not, a cruise is a very special treat which we need to make the most of.

Days (or nights) in port are often a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience not to be wasted. So how do you decide what to do in each port of call?

Basically, you have seven options.

1.       Stay onboard and enjoy the lack of ‘crowds’ onboard

2.       Pay for a ‘ship organised’ tour

3.       Pay for a private tour

4.       Explore the immediate port on foot

5.       Catch a local tourist bus

6.       Go it alone by train, bus or taxi

7.       Hire a car or meet up with local friends   

In the next few blogs I will compare all the options and try to take account of individual needs. If you are planning your trips at your ports of call, then please click in regularly for the next few days.

We will consider:

Cost

Energy levels and health

Experience  

Safety

Individuality

More tomorrow......

Planning Has Begun

With less than 4 months to go, more detailed planning has begun. In particular we are considering:

1.       Visas

2.       Jabs (hopefully not)

3.       Currency

4.       Trips

5.       Transport to and from Heathrow

6.       Shopping

7.       Leaving the house/insurance

8.       Medication

These are the places we will be visiting:

Singapore, Bangkok, Vietnam (Ho Chi Min), Vietnam (Nha Trang), Hong Kong, China (Shanghai), Japan (Nagasaki), South Korea (Busan) twice, China (Beijing), China (Dalian), Vladivostok, Japan (Sapporo), Alaska...Anchorage, Hubbard, Juneau, Ketichikan, and finally Vancouver...oh and, of course, Heathrow.

The Science of Diabetes

There are two types of Diabetes. Type 1 (often juvenile onset) is more serious than type 2. But both types start when the pancreas stops functioning properly. The pancreas is a small organ located just behind the stomach. Its main function is to produce insulin in just the right amount to maintain constant glucose levels in the body.

 Although glucose is not of much use to the body in the bloodstream, or in the fluid that surrounds the body's cells, it is still something that we need. In fact, it is glucose that is the body's main source of energy, but glucose must get inside cells to create the energy that the cells need to function. The problem is that cells have a membrane or covering around the outside that won't let glucose in. This is where insulin becomes important, because it is insulin that opens up cells to glucose.

Maintaining a constant level of glucose is a delicate process that is controlled by the pancreas and the insulin it produces. Under normal conditions, this process is almost like a dance. Glucose levels in the blood lead the pancreas to release just the right amount of insulin to keep the amount of glucose in the blood stream and surrounding the cells at an even level.

 The cause of abnormal pancreas function in diabetics is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when the cells stop responding to insulin, meaning the door which allows glucose to enter won't open. Because the cells aren't allowing glucose to enter, the amount of glucose in the blood gets higher and higher. As long as there is too much glucose in the blood, and too little glucose in the cell, the pancreas will continue to produce insulin until the glucose level goes down. However, if the cells in the body have become insulin resistant, the amount of glucose in blood will never go down. The pancreas will continue to try to lower glucose levels by producing more and more insulin, but eventually it will wear out. Often this is the first cause of diabetes.

The increased production of insulin can some times help the cells to allow glucose to enter, but eventually the pancreas wears out and cannot match the body's demand for insulin. When the pancreas fails to produce any insulin, blood glucose levels rise above normal. Eventually, with insulin failing to open cells so glucose can leave the bloodstream, glucose begin to build up in tissues such as the kidneys, eyes, heart, and around nerve endings. This build-up has very serious short and long-term complications.

Once your pancreas packs up, or at least 'goes slow' it is important to avoid unnecessary sugar in your diet, so the pancreas doesn't have to work too hard. But sugar is everywhere in our diet and finding enjoyable sugar free recipes is quite a challenge. So watch this space in the next few weeks for low sugar recipes which have worked for us. More to follow.....

 

How to Choose Your Cruise

There are so many cruise lines now, and so much choice. So how do you make a decision.....?

The information below is based on my personal experience or the views I have read from other cruisers. My views are likely to appeal to British cruisers, though comments from other nationalities would be very welcome. If a ship or cruise line is not included, this is because I don’t have enough information to post an opinion. It has no bearing on my opinion of any particular cruise line. Please feel free to comment, and I will take your views in to account in any updates to the blog.  

1.       Budget

When choosing a cruise, budget is a very important factor, not only what you can afford, but also what you are prepared to spend. You can keep costs low by:

a)      Choosing a shorter cruise

b)      Choosing a budget cabin

c)       Choosing a budget cruise line

d)      Booking at the last minute

If you do this, you will still get to visit some fabulous locations, and, in most cases, have access to the same facilities as passengers who pay more. This is definitely an option to consider.

 Low budget cruise lines include Thomson and Island Cruise lines. They both receive high ratings from their customers.

Cheaper cabins are normally on a lower deck without a window. If this doesn’t bother you, then it is a value option...but book early. Most of these cabins sell out fast.

Book a weekender or 5 or 7 day cruise. You still get the ‘cruise’ experience’ and you pay a lot less!

If your timetable is flexible, then keep a case packed and take advantage of a last minute bargain. This is how cruise lines fill up cruises which are not fully booked. You don’t get to choose your cabin, and may have to travel at a few days notice, but you can often nail a real bargain.     

Cabin

If you are worried about seasickness, book a cabin which is on a low deck and midships. If you want the best views, then port side and forward is probably a good bet. If you don’t like to be shut in and enjoy a bit of privacy, choose a balcony and check if it is overlooked. For real luxury, book a suite, but expect to pay a lot extra. For some people either a bath or shower is important, so check out the plumbing before you book. The longer the cruise, the more time you are likely to spend in your cabin, and the more luggage you will need to fit into the limited storage space.

 Fly Cruise versus Sail from UK

If you don’t like flying, this is an easy decision, but bear in mind that, when sailing from the UK, you will spend several sea days reaching your destination. A long haul flight will save time, and often money, although your luggage will be severely restricted. Think carefully before booking a 7 day cruise with 2 long haul flights...you will be tired from long flights and jet lag with very little time to recover. One option is to fly out and sail back...but these cruises normally sell out very quickly.

 Where to Sail?

The further you travel, the longer it takes! It is probably a good idea to take a short cruise first before investing large sums of money.

For winter sunshine, you probably need to sail at least as far as the Canaries.

Which Cruiseline?

Choice of cruise line and ship is important. Your ship will be your ‘home’ for the duration of your cruise. Here are some considerations....

Balconies tend to be less expensive on larger ships, and there are more facilities.

Smaller ships are more intimate, with greater access to more remote ports.

Some ships, such as Arcadia and Saga ships are child-free. For family friendly go for ships such as Ventura, Azura, Aurora RCL. In school holidays there will be more children on board.

If you want a truly British environment, consider P&O or Fred Olsen. For a multi-national ship, try Azamura, MSC or Costa.

Cunard has strict formal dress codes, Princess is an example of a slightly less formal ship, though still having some formal nights.

Some ships, such as Fred Olsen and Cunard provide dancing partners for single passengers. On RCL there are dedicated facilities such as a ‘flow-rider’ for more athletic passengers and teens.

If you want a truly luxurious all inclusive experience, then consider Regent or Siverseas. Thomson also offer an all inclusive drinks package on some ships.

I LOVE THEM ALL. WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?   

  

All About My Blog

Welcome to Claire's Blog Page, and thank you for supporting a worthwhile cause. This blog has many purposes, and will hopefully be of interest to anyone who enjoys travel, especially cruising or anyone who wants to keep in touch with the implications of living and travelling with diabetes. The site is completely free to read, but does have a fundraising link in two ways.
Firstly it is registered for GoogleAds, and if enough people click on the site, then ads will start to appear. Any revenue from advertising will be donated to DiabetesUk.
Secondly, the blog is part of a fundraising challenge called '50 Bloggin' Days'. This is a 50 Day Blogging Challenge, which will restart in Singapore on 15th April 2012. Readers of the Blog are requested to make a small donation to DiabetesUK via www.justgiving.com/ClaireBaldry   .
Please continue to visit the blog, and I will endeavour to update the content at least twice a week between now and the middle of April.
  

Redesigning the Blog

Before I start another publicity campaign for interest in my blog, I am experimenting with different designs. Please don't be put off if the layout keeps changing. It will only last for a few days. Any comments on the new designs would be greatly appreciated.
Claire

In an attempt to raise more funds for Diabetes Uk, I have registered my blog to allow google advertising on my blog. The idea is that I will immediately donate any revenue raised to Diabetes Uk but, as I'm not writing the blog at the moment, no-one much is clicking and so no-one is advertising. Therefore, I promise to update the blog at least weekly between now and April, but could you, valued readers, please click on my site TODAY and then at least twice a week, if possible. This small action should help to raise funds for charity.
Thanks, as always,
Claire