Cruising Tips for Indian Passengers

This post is mainly to share some of the experiences on board a cruise to Bahamas that I undertook recently.  If you are an Indian looking for tips for cruising, this post may help you. :)  That is my sincere hope.

Choosing a Cruise Line

It depends on your budget.  I personally prefer freestyle cruising. I do not want to pack suits or formal dining wear.  Royal Caribbean  Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines should fit in your budget and style.  Celebrity cruises and similar may be a shade upscale for Indian taste.  I traveled on Norwegian Cruise Line for a 3 day get away to the Bahamas.

Citizenship, Green Card or Visa for a Bahamas Trip

If you are a US Citizen, then you can either use a Passport or Passport Card.
If you are a Green Card Holder, then you just need your GC with you.  Passport is recommended along but not required.
If you are on H1B, F1, EAD etc, then you will need visa to the Bahamas.

Getting to the Cruise

There is airport style security when you enter the cruise.  Opened water bottles and food that is open is not allowed.  You can drink the remaining water or you will need to throw away the open food.  If the food is store bought and sealed, then they usually let you go. Juice boxes, beverages etc should be ok to take on board.

When you checkin, you will be given a card that will have a bar code. They will take a picture.  Entry/exit from the cruise ship will require you to scan your card and the officers will be able to see your picture on screen.  Try not to lose your cards.

Sea Sickness

Since the cruise is in constant movement on the seas, if you suffer from motion sickness you will have some suffering.

Some of the options for you are:

• Buy Ginger Root Tablets from Walgreens or CVS or Walmart.  Take one in the morning and one in the evening. Keep the schedule starting from 24 hours before cruising.
• Cruise Lines have sea sickness tablets that work for 12 hours or 24 hours.
• Buy Motion Sickness Tablets ($2 - $5) from Walmart. They are cheap and give you 24 hour relief. (I prefer Ginger Tablets to drugs)

I used the ginger root tablets.  I have little bit of motion sickness problems when traveling.  I took the ginger tablets regularly and I was fine.  For kids, you should try to use ginger candy or crystallized ginger ($10 in the spices section of Walmart). (picture: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10308057&findingMethod=rr)

Rooms

Try to book rooms in the midship.  Lower occurrence of motion sickness.  Forward and Aft areas, the ship has more movement.

• Inside Rooms:  These are rooms that have no windows.  They usually sleep 2-4 people and have a bath room attached.  The size of the room is smaller than US hotel rooms but close to European hotel room size.
• Ocean View Rooms:  These have a window that are circular and you can see the ocean.
• Balcony Rooms:  These have balconies that you can walk out and see the ocean.  Very good for summer cruises. In winter, it may be chilly.

Each room has a TV, mini bar and a Safe.  Safe is very easy to operate.

I took an inside room with no view.  I felt uneasy for the first 5 minutes with a claustrophobic feeling. After that, it did not matter.

Food on the Cruise

If you are Indian Vegetarian  then you will have some dishes in the main buffet style cafe and also the free dining restaurants.  Just tell the waiter that you will need Indian Veg food.  The common Indian dishes such as Kadhai Paneer, Malai Kofta, Palak Paneer along with Indian Roti and Papad is usually available in the dining restaurants.

If you are Indian Non Vegetarian, then you have ample options.

Freestyle cruising usually has food at all times. You will have few opportunities to go hungry.

Usually juices and sodas etc are provided free at breakfast, lunch and dinner only.  If you need unlimited beverages, then you can get some type of soda card.  Tea, Milk and Water is always available.

Crew on the Cruise

Whenever you meet the crew - be it the waiters, room stewards or anybody else working for the cruise ship,  PLEASE PLEASE be courteous and friendly with them.  Most of them work nonstop on the ship for 9 months. They get 2 months off each year.  Many of them are home sick and missing their families in their respective countries (primarily India, Philippines, Indonesia, South America and other places).

When you are friendly with the crew, they feel happy and they make you feel welcome. Share your personal stories and ask them about their families and life in general.  They will feel the warmth and will help their work motivation.

I cannot comment on how the cruise lines treat their employees. I just do not know.

Always tip your room steward at the end of the cruise by leaving a letter of appreciation and tips/gifts.

Fun on the Cruise

There are swimming pools, hot tubs, entertainment shows, Theatres, video games (may need payment), kids area (including drop off care), library, basketball, mini golf etc.

You will have enough to keep you occupied.

Shore Excursions

When the cruise lines stop at shores such as Nassau in the Bahamas, you can purchase shore excursions from the cruise guest services.  You have many options and they range in price. In general, they are pricey for your appetite. But choose at least one excursion. It is not often that you go cruising.

What to bring?

• Extension Cord for charging multiple devices.
• Swim suit, bathing trunks, swim goggles etc.
• Sun glasses.
• Multiple carry bags that you get from Grocery stories, Walmart etc.  Very useful to pack.
• A couple of those grocery carry bags (not the plastic ones).
• Backpacks.
• Pepto Bismal/Antacid Tablets. (Food on cruise can be plenty to digest)

There is no need for you to get towels or beach towels. You are provided.  Just don't lose them.

Luggage

Usually there are no restrictions on the number of pieces of luggage that you can bring on board a cruise ship.

When you get to the cruise line, there are porters who can take your checked luggage (with the colored tags that you need to print).

If your luggage is easy to pull, there is no REQUIREMENT to check your luggage.  You can always lug your luggage on to the ship and off the ship.

The night before your trip ends, you have the opportunity to leave your checked bags outside the door (of course with the colored tags).  You will be given the luggage before DHS/Customs checks.

In my opinion, you should be able to deal with your bags unless you have very small children.

Day of sailing

If your sail time is 5pm, the check in process starts around noon. You can get on the ship and have lunch.  Usually your rooms get cleaned and are ready by 2pm. Until then you can handle your luggage. Once your luggage is safely stored in the room, you are free to move around the ship as you please. 

30 minutes to 1 hour before sailing, there is a MANDATORY safety presentation where they talk about safety and life vests etc. This is very similar to airline safety demonstrations. All services (food, recreation) stop few minutes before the mandatory safety drills.

Making Friends

Many of the crew members and passengers are Indians.  So do not forget to make friends on the ship Bollywood, Tollywood ishtyle.

General Comments

Relax, chill and enjoy the cruise.  It is the best thing to happen to you.

Honda Accord :: Brake Lamp red light on

This is for Honda Accord cars. If the red "Brake Lamp" light is on below the car symbol in the dashboard, then do the following in order:

1) Check if the brake tail lights are working. If one of the bulbs is damaged, then this red light is on in the dashboard. Just replace the bulb and check the dashboard. This is the most common reason.

2) Under the hood, if you visualize the machinery as a clock, at 2 o'clock, there is this container that holds a dark liquid. This is the brake fluid container. If the fluid is low in this container, then you will need to replenish the jar with brake fluid. It is also recommended to check the brakes for wear and tear.

These 2 reasons are the most common for the "Brake Lamp" light.

We want Tata Nano to succeed!!!

(Got the text from somewhere).....


What Ratan Tata did for the Mumbai victims.... what every Indian should know!
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 12:23am

Ratan Tata is the chairman of Indian Hotels who own the Taj Mahal Hotel Mumbai, which was the target of the terrorists on 26/11/08.

Hotel President a 5 star property also belongs to Indian Hotels.

The following is really touching.

What Ratan Tata did for the Mumbai victims.... Don't miss!!!!!!

SALUTE TO MR. RATAN TATA

A. The Tata Gesture

1. All category of employees including those who had completed even 1 day as casuals were treated on duty during the time the hotel was closed.

2. Relief and assistance to all those who were injured and killed

3. The relief and assistance was extended to all those who died at the railway station, surroundings including the “Pav- Bha ji” vendor and the pan shop owners.

4. During the time the hotel was closed, the salaries were sent by money order.

5. A psychiatric cell was established in collaboration with Tata Institute of Social Sciences to counsel those who needed such help.

6. The thoughts and anxieties going on people’s mind was constantly tracked and where needed psychological help provided.

7. Employee outreach centers were opened where all help, food, water, sanitation, first aid and counseling was provided. 1600 employees were covered by this facility.

8. Every employee was assigned to one mentor and it was that person’s responsibility to act as a “single window” clearance for any help that the person required.

9. Ratan Tata personally visited the families of all the 80 employees who in some manner – either through injury or getting killed – were affected.

10. The dependents of the employees were flown from outside Mumbai to Mumbai and taken care off in terms of ensuring mental assurance and peace. They were all accommodated in Hotel President for 3 weeks.

11. Ratan Tata himself asked the families and dependents – as to what they wanted him to do.

12. In a record time of 20 days, a new trust was created by the Tatas for the purpose of relief of employees.

13. What is unique is that even the other people, the railway employees, the police staff, the pedestrians who had nothing to do with Tatas were covered by compensation. Each one of them was provided subsistence allowance of Rs. 10K per month for all these people for 6 months.

14. A 4 year old granddaughter of a vendor got 4 bullets in her and only one was removed in the Government hospital. She was taken to Bombay hospital and several lacs were spent by the Tatas on her to fully recover her.

15. New hand carts were provided to several vendors who lost their carts.

16. Tata will take responsibility of life education of 46 children of the victims of the terror.

17. This was the most trying period in the life of the organization. Senior managers including Ratan Tata were visiting funeral to funeral over the 3 days that were most horrible.

18. The settlement for every deceased member ranged from Rs. 36 to 85 lacs [One lakh rupees tranlates to approx 2200 US $ ] in addition to the following benefits:

a. Full last salary for life for the family and dependents;

b. Complete responsibility of education of children and dependents – anywhere in the world.

c. Full Medical facility for the whole family and dependents for rest of their life.

d. All loans and advances were waived off – irrespective of the amount.

e. Counselor for life for each person

B. Epilogue

1. How was such passion created among the employees? How and why did they behave the way they did?

2. The organization is clear that it is not something that someone can take credit for. It is not some training and development that created such behaviour. If someone suggests that – everyone laughs

3. It has to do with the DNA of the organization, with the way Tata culture exists and above all with the situation that prevailed that time. The organization has always been telling that customers and guests are #1 priority

4. The hotel business was started by Jamshedji Tata when he was insulted in one of the British hotels and not allowed to stay there.

5. He created several institutions which later became icons of progress, culture and modernity. IISc is one such institute. He was told by the rulers that time that he can acquire land for IISc to the extent he could fence the same. He could afford fencing only 400 acres.

6. When the HR function hesitatingly made a very rich proposal to Ratan – he said – do you think we are doing enough?

7. The whole approach was that the organization would spend several hundred crore in re-building the property – why not spend equally on the employees who gave their life?

This is NOT COVERED BY Any NEWS CHANNELS !

I Salute Mr. Ratan Tata..