Now that I can't go on an impromptu cruise, now what?

 

Now that I do not have a valid passport, how do I sate my need for novelty?  After 25+ cruises, one would think that I'd be finding cruise life a bit mundane.  Yet, the break from my everyday routines always makes me apprehensive at first, then recharges me once I'm on a ship.  In many ways, it's like going into NYC for a museum run or to the theater - a little bit of a headache to start, and then wonderfully rewarding.

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As I write this, I have a YouTube video on in the background: Emma (from Emma Cruises) reviewing her most recent cruise on Virgin Voyages.  This is reminding me of a cruise I could have taken this weekend, but didn't feel healthy enough to have booked at the time.  It is also reminding me that I won't be able to take any cruises while my passport renewal application is being processed.  

So, how will I sate my craving to break out of my normal routines?

Tonight, I am going with my friend Vicki to attend a concert by a fellow performing tunes by Paul Simon, Jim Croce, and James Taylor. Although I have never heard of Tom Glynn before, I immediately became interested in this performer because of a snippet of a Jim Croce song.  He is the first person I've heard who can do justice to Jim's songs (other then the late Jim Croce) in a long while - and that includes Jim's son, A.J. Croce.

Over the next few weeks, RQS will be going to dinners with a few of our friends.  But that's not enough to sate my cravings for travel.  So, I might try to squeeze in a trip between the holidays - just to get away from the humdrum routines of everyday life.  But where would I go?  It's too cold to bother with Chicago.  Boston and Philadelphia are places I'd want to visit in the Spring, and DC is off limits until our dysfunctional regime is ousted from power via the ballot box.  All of my travels must be domestic for now, and I don't see this changing until December.

 

Introducing someone to a YouTube personality

 

Years ago, America was introduced to Julia Child by her long running series on PBS, "The French Chef". At that time, only a limited number of "experts" (and I'll give her credit for becoming one) could command a television audience due to the limited number of outlets that could carry a show at a given time.  Today, things are much different because of internet video streaming technology.

Before my kerfuffle with my former cruise partner (FCP), she made me aware of an internet personality who had just been given a cable network series - Dr. Pimple Popper.  It's hard to believe that a network would host her show, much less that people will pay $1.99/month for "All Access" videos.  Yet, this woman gets her audience.  Our curious nature makes it hard to turn away from the "grotesque", and her presence is charismatic.  (It's good to know that she is a highly qualified dermatologist.)

I have gotten interested in Cruising videos lately, and I've turned RQS on to channels such as "Tips for Travelers", "Emma Cruises", and "La Lido Loca". She now understands what has been occupying my time when I get home and why I know a lot about the current state of cruising.  The authors of these video logs have become mini personalities in their own right, and have fans coming up to them on cruises to say hello.

One of my friends has asked for a little help in setting up a video log channel of her own.  If I decide to help, I will likely have to develop my own mini channel to see what it's like, then help her in setting up her channel.  It would be very interesting to see what would happen if I brought this blog into the video world - albeit in a small way.  But I doubt I'll do this, as I don't have that much to say anymore.

Lately, I've been watching cruise videos for entertainment.

 

Lately, I've been watching cruise videos for entertainment.  Yes, there are several cruises I'm planning to take in the next few years, a Hawaii cruise being one of them.  It'll be strange to get out and about to see parts of the world I've never been to before.  Yet, this is part of the process of breaking out of my shell.

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There are several Vloggers whose videos I watch.  Two of the Vlogs I watch most are "Tips for Travelers" (TFT) and "Emma Cruises" (EC).  Both Vloggers are British, but focus on different experiences.  TFT focuses both on the basics and on high end cruising.  EC focuses on some of the basics, but more on value oriented cruising. There are others, such as Life Well Cruised that give travel hacks, and La Lido Loca that focuses on cruise industry news.  All of these Vloggers proviide valuable information, and their videos should be watched before planning a cruise.

Why do I mention these Vloggers and their Vlogs?  Well, to give one example, I have learned which cabins I should book if I want a "smoother" trip in stormy weather.  Several years ago, I was on a cruise where the ship hit stormy seas.  Normally, I don't get seasick, but I could have gotten so in a storm which made walking through the corridors feel as if I was riding a roller coaster.  If I had his advice, I might never have been in the cabin I was in, had I been traveling alone. As I write this entry, one of these Vloggers is discussing the best cruises to take during each month of the year.  And from my experiences so far, this Vlogger is on target with his advice.

Vlogging earns these people good money.  But to achieve this, these Vloggers must provide real value in their videos.  So far, I'm finding that there is a small number of Cruise oriented Vloggers that know each other and support each other.  It's a friendly competition, as they know that viewers like me will want to see what each of these Vloggers have to say and form our own opinions based on information they provide.

So, if you are planning a cruise, you could do worse than to watch these Vloggers' posts....