travel | The Angel Forever

Category Archives travel

Cruising with a Smartphone

Posted on August 28, 2015 11:22 am by TheAngelForever

I have a confession, I love my smartphone. At times it is my lifeline and my BFF. It allows me to be connected to my family, friends, kids’ schools, and work. In addition to this, my Samsung S5 that I currently use has an amazing camera on it. This means I rarely need anything else to capture memories. Thanks to my heavy reliance on my smartphone, an upcoming vacation scared me a little bit. We are going on our first ever cruise and it was planned rather quickly.

During out planning process for the trip, my phone has been huge. I have been able to communicate with our travel agent, Norwegian Cruise Line, and make lists. This week it has also allowed me to keep tabs on the developing weather. Tropical Storm Erika was starting her path earlier in the week and we didn’t know what that would mean for our Florida and Bahamas cruise. While out last evening, I checked the NCL website and saw an updated weather alert. We were one of three ships that had their itineraries changed to avoid the storm that will likely become a hurricane shortly. While waiting for an event to begin, TechyDad had already started to research places to go and see while in Bermuda.

While it is easy to get phone plans for international travel, cruising is an entirely different beast. Being in the middle of the ocean for a few days at a time leaves you at the mercy of very expensive and potentially slow WiFi. I have to admit that being completely unconnected may appeal to some, but I am not as thrilled. I like being able to be in touch in case of emergencies.

I have embraced being mostly disconnected and prepared so I can still use my phone to share and check in from time to time. For days when we head to the pool or beach, I have a waterproof Geckobrand pouch to store my phone and camera inside I have my handy dandy Zeiss lens cleaning wipes for my lens and glasses. Thanks to TechyDad, I will be able to avoid the use of our WiFi enabled SD card in my camera to transfer for social media shares. He found us a Card Reader Hub by Allreli. This fantastic item will allow me to take photos off my phone and store it on a FlashDrive or shuttle something from my digital camera to smartphone. To be ready I just had to put the ES File Explorer app on my phone and I am all set with folders ready for quick access.

Now I just need an app that will finish packing everything that I am sure to forget. What tips do you have for traveling on a cruise with your smartphone? I would love to know and will share more after we get back from our family vacation.

It's Me

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Droid Turbo to test out and share ways that I use it in my life. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
Technology travel vacation

Planning a Last Minute Family Cruise

Posted on July 10, 2015 10:28 am by TheAngelForever

I am a planner. The teacher in me makes lists, compares options, and goes a little Type A when it comes to vacations. Right now we are looking at a very last minute family cruise. Why you ask? Well, it’s been several years since we have really gone away. Stress and lack of location change is grating on the adults here. We have gone to visit family within the state, but as wonderful as it is to be with them – it’s not a vacation.

The BIG reason I want to really do something special. TechyDad has a BIG birthday coming in August. We need something as a family to do that will not be stressful. While we adore going to Walt Disney World, *gasp* that is not an option this year. 2016 will be our time with Mickey and friends.

We have talked about going to Boston, DC, Montreal, Chicago, and other destinations that have so much to offer. What is stopping us? It’s SO expensive and makes my head spin trying to figure everything out. Where do we stay? Do we need a rental car? How much will lodging, food, and entertainment cost us? How will we get there? As you add up everything, it’s a lot to do in a short amount of time and is going to cost us a lot in the end.

For years we have watched others go on cruises. They rave about it being the perfect option if you want a low stress vacation. You book and go. Little planning is needed unless you want to pre-book excursions at specific ports that your ship will stop in.

If you have been on a cruise, I would love to know any tips and tricks you have. We will probably be making our final decision this weekend. I’m still a planner and making this decision last minute is hard for me. My mind automatically goes to how much we have to get ready to go and what we will need on the ship. Of course, I also think about the four of us sharing a small cabin and it worries me.

Categories:
travel vacation

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade

Posted on November 12, 2014 10:44 am by TheAngelForever

Ah, the memories of stopping from the hustle and bustle in Disney’s Animal Kingdom to watch Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade. The first time we saw the parade (which is no longer taking place) was in 2010 when JSL was napping. We had spent a long cold morning in the park and he fell asleep after a visit to First Aid. As he slept we watched NHL’s face light up as familiar characters and beautifully colored floats passed by. Do you have memories of this parade? I would love to hear all about them.

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Disney travel vacation

Retro Memories of Walt Disney World

Posted on August 20, 2014 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Over the weekend, my family pulled out photos from my parents wedding and my brother’s Bar Mitzvah. It was fun looking at them and made me want to see more of the pictures from our numerous visits to Walt Disney World when growing up. I know there are magical memories of me wandering around the Contemporary pool in a diaper and going parasailing with my brother over Seven Seas Lagoon. Years ago, I found some random photos from our 1983 visit just after Epcot opened. This was my brother’s first time to Disney and the time I fell in love with Dreamfinder and Figment. Check out my brother’s River Country shirt – talk about retro! So many memories from that trip and many more that I hope to share one day soon. What is your favorite retro Disney memory?

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Disney travel vacation

Disney Style Celebrations

Posted on August 13, 2014 9:08 am by TheAngelForever

Spending time at a Disney park is magical, but celebrating something special is even more wonderful. TechyDad and I celebrated our honeymoon at Walt Disney World. Years later, our youngest son would turn two on our first big family vacation. Many additional memories took place in our favorite family destination. Who knows what we will celebrate next with Disney by our side. What has been your favorite Disney style celebration?

What is your favorite place to stop and look at it from a different perspective? Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.