2009's Strongest Hurricane Yet Heads for the Baja

Hurricane Jimena has apparently set her sights on the Baja peninsula, with winds presently just a mile shy of Category Five status, at 155 mph.

FIRST, and most importantly, the people of the Baja need our thoughts and prayers right now. Let's remember them!

Secondly, cruise itineraries have necessarily been affected, namely those of the following four ships:
Mariner of the Seas will reverse her itinerary as follows: Mon, Tue, Sat- Sea Days; Wed- Puerto Vallarta; Thur- Mazatlan; Fri- Cabo San Lucas
Carnival Splendor: Mon- Catalina; Tues and Sat- Ensenada; Wed, Thurs- Sea Days; Fri - Cabo San Lucas.
Carnival Paradise: Tue- Sea Day; Wed- Catalina; Thurs- Ensenada.
Carnival Elation: Mon- Sea Day; Tues- Catalina; Wed- Ensenada

This is the latest information available on itinerary changes, which, of course, are subject to further change as warranted by sea and port conditions.

Cruise Ready Store

Ahoy There, Red Hatters!

Are you on of those famous Red Hat Society Ladies? Do you also love cruising or boating?

Then, this shirt is for you! Have a look:

Now, you can show your colors and greet your fellow cruisers or sailors in style wearing this purple scoop neck tee, with deep red rhinestones that read "Ahoy!" It's accented with gold stars and studs on a 100% pre-shrunk cotton tee with self-trim neck and double stitching on hem and sleeves. EACH TEE INDIVIDUALLY HAND EMBELLISHED. There may be slight variations from shirt to shirt, as the embellishments are not machine made or mass produced. Perfect for Red Hat Society Cruises, or anyone who just happens to like purple.

And, yes... you guessed right - They my own design, and are available at Cruise Ready Store. Please stop by and have a look at these and other items especially for cruisers and other travelers!

Discovery on Its Way to the ISS

Godspeed, Discovery!

We'll await your safe return.

Gentlemen in Crisp Dress Shirts: Ahhhh!

I know I'm not alone here: I find a gentleman in a crisp dress shirt quite an appealing sight.
With a tie? Better. . . In a suit? Even better! . . . A Tux? Ohhhhhhhh!!!

Enough drooling! Sometimes it's not all that easy if you're the gentleman in question. Travel certainly presents difficulties in keeping dress shirts wrinkle-free. One solution, of course, is to send them out to be pressed immediately upon arrival at your hotel, or onboard your ship if you are cruising. That is, IF there's time in your scheule. While pressing services in some places are quick and very affordable, that's not always the case. Fortunately, it IS true witih most cruise lines . . . but, not always every place else.

You could take along a travel iron, or hope there's one in the hotel room, to do the pressing yourself. Most cruise lines have rules against anything in your cabin which might constiture a fire hazard.

OR you could save yourself lots of trouble, by using a Sure-Pak Shirt Packing System, which keeps shirts wrinkle-free. This indispensable travel accessory, which holds up to five men's dress shirts, fits easily into most standard sized suitcases.

(Easy instructions are included.)

If your travel plans include a business meeting, or dressing for dinner on arrival, the shirt packer eliminates the worry and hassle of rushing to get your dress shirts pressed. There's even space for your ties, too!

Available at Cruise Ready Store.

Tropical Storm Danny Forms Off Nassau

This morning, Tropical Storm Danny formed about 445 miles East of Nassau, The Bahamas.
The system is not terribly well organized right now, but will soon encounter more favorable conditions for development, as it continues to move WNW. It does not apper that Danny will pose a threat to The Bahamas or Florida. Those from North Carolina to Maine and the Maritimes are currently within the NHC's 5 day cone, and should remain watchful.

Free Shipping at Cruise Ready Store ... for now

Announcement from CruiseReadyStore.com

about Free Shipping

FREE SHIPPING on everything at Cruise Ready Store continues for now, but will be ending soon... Don't panic - read on!

When free shipping does end, there will be price reductions throughout the store, so the net purchase amount for U.S. buyers should change only a little one way or the other on cruise gear, travel accesories, cruise mementos, ocean liner memorabilia, CRS designed cruise shirts, and all the other neat stuff at Cruise Ready Store.

One of the reasons for this change is to facilitate transactions for my international buyers.

There are more changes in the works , too. I'm not quite ready to reveal the details yet, but, rest assured, I'll still be offering a great selection of things especially for my cruise loving friends.

Updates on Bill

Hurricane Bill is now a Category 2, and has passed Bermuda without a direct hit. They are not escaping completely, but it could be worse. Here is a link to some news from Bermuda.

The coast of Massachusetts is now under a Tropical Storm Warning.

ITINERARY CHANGES **
Carnival Triumph: The cruise that departed from New York on August 20 will cancel the scheduled call in Saint John. The ship will now navigate a safe course away from the storm and return to New York on Monday as scheduled.

Explorer of the Seas: Thursday, August 20, departure - Revised itinerary reorders ports. The ship will visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday; Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Monday; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Tuesday; and Kings Wharf, Bermuda, Thursday

Norwegian Spirit: Friday, August 21 departure - Depending on the path of the storm, the ship may arrive later than scheduled into Bermuda. The ship's Captain will update the guests on board as to the specific arrival time in Bermuda once it has been determined.

** Always check with your cruiseline for the most recent and authoritative information.

Bill Becomes First Major Hurricane of Season

Hurriane Bill has been upgraded to a Category 3, with winds of 125 mph, becoming the first major hurricane of the Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season. Many fingers are crossed for a predicted recurve out to sea...
Edit on 08/19: Bill upgraded at 5 AM to a dangerous Category 4 Hurricane.

Tropical Storm Ana: Cruise Itinerary Changes

Princess Cruise Lines:
Caribbean Princess - Cancelled: San Juan, St Thomas, Grand Turk. Substituted: Port Canaveral and Nassau.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced itinerary changes for four of its ships : Glory, Liberty, Freedom, and Victory. LINK to the CCL Announcement.

EDIT on Monday 8/17: Carnival has gone back to original itineraries for 3 ships. Details at above link.

If you are concrned about possible high seas when you cruise, don't forget that Cruise Ready Store has some things that you might find helpful: anti nausea wristbands and several types of ginger candies for motion sickness

from CruiseReadyStore

Claudette Approaches Florida Panhandle

I watched the radar with fascination yesterday evening as Tropical Depression Four rapidaly organized in the Gulf of Mexico. It was amazing! We even experieenced some small bands of tropical like weather here on the east coast. Today, TD #4 is Tropical Storm Claudette, and is headed for landfall on Florida's western panhandle. After a slow start in June, July, and earlyAugust, the tropics are making up for lost time! Let's hope that some of the dry regions of the Southeast get some much needed rain from this surprising little system, but no wind damage.

Bill Joins Ana in the Tropical Atlantic.

As of the 5:00pm advisory, we now have TWo active named storms in the Atlantic: Ana and Bill. tropical Storm watches have been issued for the northernmost Lesser Antillies, and we are keeping a wary eye on both storms for a possible turn towards the US after a few days.


Meanwhile, the cruise lines will need to alter itineraries to avoid the storms. I'll post any itinerary changes that are made public, but those cruising during the next two weeks should 1) check with their travel agent of cruise line;and 2) plan to arrive at their port of embarkation well
in advance of the scheuled sailing time.


I'll monitor websites, and pass on any news I find of itinerary changes.

Tropical Storm Ana Forms!

Ana, the first tropical storm of the 2009 Atlantic Basin hurriane season has just formed 1000 miles east of the Leeward Islands. See tracking widget, right, for projected track.

This special announcement brought to you by

Cruise Ready Store

Free Shipping Through This Weekend at Cruise Ready Store

The Free Shipping offer* continues

through this weekend at Cruise Ready Store.

Changes are coming ... stay tuned for more news soon!

* For orders shipped to US destinations.

Eastern Pacific Continues its active Season

This morning we have another hurricane in the Eastern Pacific. Hurricane Guillermo is a Catehory 1, and, at this point, is expected to track well north of Hawaii.
Right now, there's not even a Tropical Depression in the Atlantic, much less Ana. That could change if the large area of disturbed weather SSW of the Cape Verde Islands continues to develop, which the NHC says is likely.

Red, Hot & Cool!

Yesterday, I previewed a red nautical themed tote bag, and wrote that it would be the 'package' for a new Bon Voyage Cruise Gift set from Cruise Ready Store. And, I asked you to stay tuned for something cool. It's here!

Today, the new giftpackage, called Red, Hot, and Cool Bon Voyage Gift Set, is available. The CRS tote bag - purpose made for this cruise gift set - comes packed with a items especially selected to help you keep cool in a hot climate...

A red personal battery operated fan, refreshing Wet Wipes, a red evaporative cooling bandana, cool minty life savers for your pallet, and a CRS Compass Points magnet with a cool cruising sentiment on it. A CRS To-From Bon Voyage gift tag completes the package.

This one was a lot of fun to make up ... from sewing the tote to deciding and finding items to go in it that would complete the theme of keeping cool witih red hot cruisinig accessories. I think you'll finid it fun to give, as well.

Brought to you by

Bon Voyage Cruise Gifts at Cruise Ready Store

The Tropics Appear to be Waking Up

Holy Cow! The tropical alarm clock is ringing, calling the season awake!

• Welcome rain is coming to Hawaii courtesy of the remnants of Felicia.
• China and Japan are reeling from a hard hit byTyphoon Morakot.
• Two Tropical Depressions (9E and 10E) have shown up in the Eastern Pacific.
• Tropical Depression Two is workng its way across the Atlantic, and may become our first named storm of the season.
• And, there are three other suspect areas spread out between the coast of Africa and the southeastern Caribbean.

There's plenty for tropical weather watchers to watch . . . and plenty of reason for those of us in coastal areas, and who love to set out on sea voyages, to keep an eye peeled on tropical activity starting now!

Check your hurricane preparations, everyone!

A Sneak Preview

For my regular shoppers and browsers at Cruise Ready Store, here's a sneak preview of a new item to be available real soon. (This afternoon or tomorrow, I hope)

This simple red tote bag, with nautical trim, will be the 'container' for a Bon Voyage Gift Set that will include several really cool items. I do think this gift set may be quite popular.

Sinc I already have some custom orders for a slightly different version of the bag itself, I may decide to eventually make a few extra bags to sell by themselves, too.



But the gift sets should be available shortly, so stay tuned!

Felicia's Bands to Reach the Hawaiian Islands Overnight Tonight

Once powerful Felicia, now a Tropical Storm with 45 mph winds, is expecetd to arrive Hawaii tomorrow, with outer rain bands coming before morning. Even a Tropical Storm can cause flash flooding and plenty of damage. . .

On the other side of the globe ... in an all out assault by water, Typhoon Morakot dumped 80 inches of rain, causing mudslides, toppling entire apartment buildings. "Hundreds" are reported missing in Tiwan and China.

Does Salt Water Sting Your Eyes?

I'm not one to be overly bothered with water in my eyes, and I always keep my eyes open while swimming. There's too much to see, anad I don't want ot miss any of it! I don't want to miss that fabulously colorful fish in the Caribbean Sea. And I don't want to miss seing the wall in a pool, and suddenly find my head is the first part of my body to contact it.

If want to see what's around... and ahead of you, BUT are bothered by the salt in the seawater, or the chemicals in the poolwater, you might want to try using a pair of swim goggles to protect your eyes, and still let you see everything you want to and need to see.

Oh, and by the way, many cruise lines fill their pools mightly with fresh water from the sea, and then run it through a complex filtration system. Some cruise ship pool water is a little more 'desalinayed,' while that on other ships still has that authentic saltwater feel and taste to it. Either way, you might appreciate having some goggles to use on your cruise - both in the ship's pool, and in the sea.

You can grab a pair of affordable swim goggles at Cruise Ready Store. They come with a set of ear plugs, and a plastic hardshell storage case, too.

Today's entry brought to you by

Beach and Swim Gear at CruiseReadyStore

Felicia Heads for Hawaii

As Felicia continues to head west, most of Hawaii is under a Tropical Storm Watch. We talked to our son there yesterday. While their hopes are that she will weaken to a Tropical Depression before arriving at the shores of the Aloha State, indications are that at least the eastern most islands may be facing a Tropical Storm in a day or two. Our hopes are with theirs for rapid weakening of this system. We will certainly continue to watch!

Meanwhile, the Atlantic Basin has not yet seen a named storm this season. A disturbance off the coast of Africa is being monitored for slow development, but the NHC (at this point) pegs the chance of that at 50% or less. Things can change quickly in the tropics, so we'll watch this one, too.
Now, just because we've passed the first week of August with no tropical threats is no reason to breathe easy. RECALL 1992. That year, our first storm came on August 17th. It's name? Andrew. 'Nuff said?

This report brought to you by

Cruise Ready Store

Something Old . . .

Something old, something new... there's plenty of both at http://www.cruisereadystore.com/. You'll find lots of new things to help make your days at sea enjoyable... cruise gear, travel acessories, and a few of my special designs made with my cruisisng friends in mind.

And, you'll also find some old things, too. Cruise collectiles, if you will. The other day, my brother asked me "What's the oldest piece of cruise memorabilia in your store right now?" Well, I honestly wasn't sure, so I took a look. And, while a lot things are 50 or more years old, one stands out.

The Queen Mary Accomodations Guide pictured at top, is older than I am, and that's saying a lot! It dates from sometime after 1936, but before 1947, during the Cunard-WhiteStar era. So, it's at least 63 years old. Leafing through it is like stepping back in time to when passengers crossed the Atlantic on true ocean liners, and life was a lot different. Some of the individual pages are pictured on my store's website, and the link at the top of this paragraph will take you right to that web page... until the item is sold, that is. When it's gone, of course, it's gone . . . .

It's a fascinating piece of historical memorabilia from the grand era of ocean liners, when Cunard's Queens ruled the seas.

Brought to you by Cruise Mementos

at CruiseReadyStore.com

The Selling Lounge

Do you sell things on the internet?
Whether you are a seller at auctions, an e-store, through a blog, or have your own store website, if you're like me, you can always use a few tips and even a little support now and then.

Here's a place to find it: The Selling Lounge, "where sellers help sellers." The site boasts an active forum covering a multitude of e-commerce topics, a monthly 'best site' contest, and a directory where you can list your selling sites and even publish articles.
Here's what one member , Fran, who owns Preemie Patch says : " . . . when I first came here I was so happy to find the load of information I needed all in one place! The 'how to's' were so important and many members offer their tips on how to get your site rolling."

Give The Selling Lounge a look... it's a great resource for those doing business in cyberspace!

Brought to you by your f riendly seller at

http://www.cruisereadystore.com/

Nautical Flags Bag Tag and Wrap Set

Just a quick note to let everyone know that there are now two choices of Bag Tag and Handle Wrap sets to choose from at Cruise Ready Store.


I said I'd be adding more selections, so this is a start! The lighthouse pattern was added last week, and, as of yesterday morning, a nautical flags pattern is available, too. Either would be a great choice for a little bon voyage gift for your favorite cruiser. They may just be tired of attaching pieces of ribbon of yarn to their suitcase so they can find them easily in a sea of luggage. These little sets are a nice answer to that little delimma. And, they even help to dress up an old suitcase with a fresh new and nautical touch! There WILL be more colors and patterns added in the future, so keep an eye on Cruise Reaady Store for more!

Brought to you by Travel Accessories

at http://www.cruisereadystore.com/

Thank you to Mary at KreatesKards Blog!

It's always nice to be recognized, and today, I want to thank Mary, who writes the KreatesKards blog, and point my readers back in her direction.

Mary very kindly mentioned Cruising Musings on her blog. Finding a notification of her Circle of Friends Award in my mailbox this morning was a wonderful way to start my day!

The cards this talented lady creates are absolutely amazing... Please take a moment to visit her KreatesKards blog, You'll see some photos of her amazing handiwork, and even some tutorials. You'll be glad you did. She also makes cards to send to our soldiers in combat zones, for which SHE deserves a big thank you from all of us!