Random Things I Thought Of…

(Organized Post Coming Soon!)

• You can ask your cabin steward for a second pillow.
• Make friends with your cabin steward and he/she will be extra good to you!
• Go to breakfast, it’s the best meal of the day.
• Make friends with the crew in general, they are amazing people.
• You have to sign up for time slots to use the gym.
• Before you leave for the day, grab a couple feet of toilet paper in your cabin’s bathroom and put it in your bag. Many places offer just holes in the ground with no paper.
• There are snacks in the 6^th deck dining room at 10pm each night while at sea.
• Wake up early on the mornings when the ship pulls into port. It’s worth it to experience that view each time. And it’s also fun to see the ship pull out as well. My favorite of these experiences was in Capetown, South Africa!
• I would bring a thin hand towel to use as a pillow case while overnight in some of the countries.
• “Green Sheets” are your life line. Get one at the info session in the Union the evening before arrival in each country. Keep it on you (in your pocket or something) at all times.
• Don’t be afraid to bargain. You will eventually become a pro at it. Many places expect you to bargain. My suggestion is to cut their price by about 75% and then slowly bargain it back and forth. So if they said $50, offer something like $10. Then maybe $15, then possibly $20, but take it slow. It’s a game.
• Negotiate a price with cab drivers BEFORE you go anywhere.
• In India, the rickshaw drivers may do this thing where they take you to shops before they take you to your intended destination. These shops make deals with them (if the drivers bring you, they get a % of what you buy). Sometimes this would take HOURS, no matter how frustrated/angry you would get. Just a heads up.
• Wikitravel is a free website on the ship and it’s pretty helpful.
• Eat as many meals as possible OUTSIDE. The views/sunsets are unbeatable. It’s one of the things I miss most.
• Buy a world map at the end of your semester, have your friends sign it with inside jokes and messages.
• Be cautious about eating anything from street vendors – their food may not be sanitary.
• It’s fun to grab a few snacks in each port. Go to a local market. Try new things! However, remember that anything “open” or “fresh” cannot be brought onboard. Also… no twist-top drinks. Cans are okay.
• Get involved on the ship! Create a club, join many clubs, meet a variety of people, just do everything you can! It’s your only chance!
• It’s fun to buy something specific in each country. I chose a T-Shirt with the country’s name on it. I plan to one day soon make them into a quilt. Many people chose art because it’s easy to roll up and fun to decorate with/gift to friends and family after.
• Post cards can be stressful to send (finding them, finding postage, finding the post office…) but I sent at least 4 out in every country and they are really fun to read/have after you’re home.
• Most people tip their cabin steward. I think I tipped mine about $75.
• You set up an account on the ship that is connected to a debit card. This is how you can pay for things at the 7^th Deck cafe, the spa, etc. You can also charge things that you buy at the live/silent auction and your tip for the cabin steward.
• Talk to and interact with as many as locals as possible! Many of them are incredible people!! For example: Outside the Taj Mahal, my friend Blaire and I walked up to a group of Indian women with our newly bought saris in hand. We didn’t speak their language and they didn’t speak ours, but we communicated through charades and smiles. They dressed Blaire and I in our saris correctly and gave us hugs before we left. Such a cool memory to look back on.