The main dining room is often filled with a variety of different people who have different table customs and ideas of how to conduct themselves in a formal dining setting.  All people will not completely agree on how to behave in a main dining room, but please keep an open mind towards the ideas that I present in this article. However, there are some common guidelines that all should follow in the main dining in order not to disrupt service or make the dining experience unpleasant for tablemates and others in the main dining room. 

     Today was my first time  to get to see Royal Caribbean's  Navigator of the Seas.  The Navigator of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that replaced the Mariner of the Seas after it ended its Spring 2013 deployment from Galveston.  Starting in 2014 the Navigator of the Seas will be sailing year round from Galveston after a dry-dock that will occur in early 2014. Previously, Royal Caribbean did not sail from Galveston year round.  This is great for Royal Caribbean cruisers and people looking for a cruise from Galveston.  I do not know if the ship will sail year round in 2015 because that information has not yet been released.  
      In addition to looking at cruise ships I did enjoy Galveston, but my primary goal today was to get to look at the Carnival Magic and the Navigator of the Seas. I took some photos during my trip to Galveston of both the Navigator of the Seas and the Carnival Magic and I will share a few here.  Here are a few selected photos that I took:

   If you have never cruised or been to Alaska before you may be wondering what you have the potential to see.  What you have the potential to see on your Alaska cruise or land tour is dependent on your itinerary and the time of the season that you are cruising. The places you go to in Alaska will have an impact on what you may get to see.  There is a common misconception that all you will see in Alaska is snow, ice, and glaciers.  This is not true because there are trees & grass and a variety of different landforms in Alaska.
   This article will take a look at some of the natural landforms and features that you will have a chance to see in Alaska. Please keep in mind you may see some of these or none of these because what you see depends on where you go and when you go.

Glaciers, Ice, & Snow
   As I mentioned earlier many people think that all Alaska contains is glaciers, ice, and snow. This is a common misconception that is not true.  I believed this until I went to Alaska for the first time.  On your Alaskan cruise or land tour you will have a great potential to see a glacier, some ice, and snow.  You are most likely to see a glacier if you cruise through Tracy Arm Fjord, Glacier Bay, or visit the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska.  There are many other glaciers that I am not mentioning that you have the potential to see depending on your itinerary. Depending on the time of year you are cruising will determine the amount of snow and ice you get to see.  When I went in June 2013 there was snow  & ice on the mountain peaks of Juneau and Skagway, but not on the ground.  In Ketchikan, Alaska, there was a minimal amount of snow on the mountain peaks, but this was the southernmost port of my cruise itinerary. If you cruise at the very start or end of the season you would have a greater chance of seeing some snow or ice. 

Wildlife
   While you are in Alaska you have a chance of seeing a variety of different wildlife. Alaska is home to many different types of animals so make sure you are on the watch for wildlife. You may see animals such as birds, bears, and/or fish. Bring a pair of binoculars if you are interested in spotting wildlife while on a tour or from your ship.  Use caution if any wildlife (such as a bear) approaches you while on land and do not scare any wildlife. Use common sense when spotting wildlife or if you are close to wildlife.

Mountains
   While you are in Alaska you will most likely have a chance of getting to see a mountain or a bunch of mountains.  The mountains you that you might see will vary in size and could have some snow on the peaks. If you are flying to an Alaska cruise departure port you may get to see some mountain peaks from your airplane so make sure you have a camera!

Sunrise/Sunsets
   If you get a chance to see a sunrise or sunset in Alaska you should take advantage of your chance! If the weather is clear and nice you will hopefully get to see an orange or red sunrise/sunset.  The sunrise/sunset you see will be dependent on the weather so be on the lookout for the sunrise/sunset. Have a camera with you if you want to take a picture! 

Waterfalls
    If you are lucky you will get to see a waterfall in Alaska! When snow is melting on mountains or hills sometimes the melting snow/ice will turn into water and form a path.  This causes a waterfall to be formed.  You could see a waterfall anywhere in Alaska so keep your eyes open for them! 

Visiting NYC before or after a cruise or just for fun? Looking for things to do or see?  This page will give some attraction ideas that you should consider visiting.  There are many attractions in New York City that are not listed here so in addition to reading about these attractions I recommend doing more research than just using this page.

Times Square
  When many people think of New York City one of the first things they may think about is Times Square. Times Square is a typically busy area of New York City that has a variety of shops and places to eat.  Times Square usually has many visitors at all hours of the day and is very crowded and full of people. Going to Times Square during the daylight and nighttime is a completely different experience.  During the daytime you will get a good look at what the area looks like, but at night you can enjoy the nightlife and bright lights from the multiple billboards. If you are a person that enjoys watching the famous New Year's ball drop you will recognize many of the places that you see on the television and internet. Times Square is a place you should consider visiting while in New York City if you are interested in seeing a bustling area of the city. 
Caution:  There are large crowds in Times Square almost always.  Be careful because pickpocketing can occur here (or actually anywhere) and you could have the potential to be robbed. If you are uncomfortable in large crowds you may not want to visit Times Square.

For more information about Times Square please Click Here.  The webpage will open in a new window away from my website. 

M&M's  World
  M&M's world is a neat place to visit while you are in New York City! Located close to Times Square, M&M's World is a M&M's Logo item gift shop where you can find all types of souvenirs and M&M candies.  It is free to get inside the store, but if you are like most people you will be tempted to buy some chocolate M&M candies! I recommend visiting this store if you are in the area!

For more information please Click Here to visit the M&M's World website. The webpage will open in a new window session.

Hershey's Chocolate World
   Similar to M&M's World, is the Hersey's Chocolate World which sells Hershey's chocolate and logo items.  This place is also worth visiting and checking out! The store smells like chocolate and you will probably be tempted into buying some of the delicious smelling Hershey's Chocolate. 
   It is free to get inside the store and inside the store is a gift shop with lots of candy and logo items.

For more information please Click Here to visit the Hershey's Chocolate World's (New York) website. The webpage will open in a new window session.

Toys R Us - Times Square
  You may be familiar with a regular Toys R Us store, but have you ever experienced a multi story Toys R Us store with an indoor ferris wheel? If you are in the Times Square area this is a toy store that you need to consider visiting. There are more toys in this store than a typical Toys R Us store.  When visiting this place you will also find a lot of neat displays to advertise the toys.  I have a few pictures from when I visited posted below. 
  If you are in NYC you should consider visiting this Toy Store. The store has an indoor ferris wheel that you can pay to ride on.  It looked like both kids and adults alike were enjoying a ride on this Toys R Us ferris wheel.

For more information about this attraction please Click Here to visit Toys R Us' website. This webpage will open in a new window session.

NBC Studio Tour
  This tour was one of my favorites in NYC! The NBC Studio Tour will take you through some various parts of the NBC Studios and you will see studios that you may recognize from TV.  The studios that you get to see will be dependent on what studios are open and not being used for broadcasting. If you are thinking about taking this tour you should consider getting your tickets in advance because this tour may fill up quickly depending on when you want to go. 

  For more information please click here.  This webpage will open in a new window away from my website.


Due to not being allowed to take photos during the tour I do not have more photos of this attraction to share.

Radio City  Music Hall Tour
  What is the first thing you think of when you hear "Radio City"? Many people think of the Rockettes and their peformances, but Radio City is also used for a wide variety of events throughout the year. The Radio City Music Hall Tour is a good tour that will take you through various places in Radio City.  You may get to see behind the scene areas, the stage, and the auditorium area. If you have a good tour guide you will get to learn about the history of the building and how "modern" the building was during the time period it was built.

  This is a great tour to consider doing while in NYC. For more information please Click Here.  This webpage will open in a new window away from my website.

Statue of Liberty
  Perhaps one of the most well known attractions in NYC is the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is an attraction that I did not get to go in, but I did get to ride by it in a harbor tour. If you have a chance you should visit the Statue of Liberty or at least try to get a picture of it!
  For some more information about the Statue of Liberty please Click Here.  This webpage will open in a new window away from my website.

Circle Line Sightseeing Tour
  If you want to get a look at the New York Skyline and harbor area then this is a tour that you should consider taking! Circle Line offers a variety of different tour options that include things such as a semi-circle tour and a full circle tour.  On your tour you will have a chance to see the Statue of Liberty and some of New York's famous bridges. What you see depends on the tour you choose!
  I really enjoyed this tour and wish I could have done the full circle tour of New York City. My tour guide did a great job and was very informational.  This is a tour you should consider taking if the weather is good and the seas are calm. If you get queasy or easily get sea-sick you might not want to do this tour if the seas are not calm.

For more information about Circle Line please Click Here. This webpage will open in a new window away from my website.

Intrepid Museum
  Looking for something historical to visit while in New York City? The Intrepid is an old military aircraft carrier that is now a museum that you can tour! If you are interested in aircraft carriers or military history this an attraction for you. 
  For more information about the Intrepid you can
Click Here.  This webpage will open in a new window away from my website.

Top of the Rock
  Want to get a good view of the skyline of New York City? Top of the Rock is the observation deck at the top of Rockefeller Plaza.  When the weather is clear you can see miles away.  On a typical day you should be able to see many of New York City's bridges, buildings, the Empire State Building, and some of the ships on the harbor.
  This attraction is something you should do on a clear day with no fog, rain, and minimal clouds.  Don't forget to bring a camera!

For more information please Click Here. This webpage will open in a new window away from my website.

Empire State Building Observation Deck
  The Empire State Building's Observation Deck is an attraction that you should do if the weather is clear. The Empire State Building is an iconic New York City attraction that many visitors take time to go to. From the Empire State Building you can get a good view of most of New York City and the surrounding harbor.  The view is different from Top of the Rock and both observation decks offer a different perspective of New York City.  
   When I visited the Empire State Building I was at the observation deck when the Carnival Splendor departed from New York. I was able to take some pictures of the ship's departure from New York City.
    This is also an attraction that you should consider doing if the weather is nice with no rain/fog and minimal clouds. Don't forget to bring a camera!

For more information please Click Here.  This webpage will open in a new window away from my website.

9-11 Memorial
  Although a little sad to reflect upon, the 9-11 Memorial is an attraction that you should consider visiting. The memorial is in honor of the people who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States in the Twin Towers. There is a pond (like the one on the right) for each of the Twin Towers. 
  If you have a chance you should consider visiting the 9-11 memorial during your New York City vacation.

For more information please Click Here. The webpage will open in a new window away from my website.

  On my Carnival Miracle cruise there was free tour of the backstage area of the Phantom Theatre. This tour was put on by the cruise director and entertainment department.  There were crew members stationed at various areas of the backstage to explain the function of the area. Here are some photos from backstage:
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!

Gift Shops
1.  If you pick up any gift shop item and you don't purchase it make sure you return the item to the designated place on the shelf.  This is rude because you are creating more work for crew members and may be making items harder to find for other guests.

2.  Don't play hide and seek with the items!  Do not intentionally hide items behind shelves and other items because you want to save an item.

3.  Do not take items from other guests hands.  Doing this would most likely get you in a fight, kicked out of the gift shop, or in trouble with ship's security. 

4.  Do not steal items from the ship's gift shop.  This is still considered stealing.  It is rude, disgraceful, and is a crime.  You will probably get kicked off the ship and/or get in trouble with local enforcement if you do this.  Pay for your gift shop items to save yourself and others a hassle.

5.  Often gift shops will run a raffle.  Be mindful of the number of tickets you place into the raffle. Putting more raffle tickets in than you should is unfair to other guests.

Gangway

1.  Do not stop in the middle of the gangway to straighten your belongings because you will clog up the line behind you. Wait until you get off the gangway and find a place that you are not in the way to do this. 

2.  Do not push or shove on the gangway.  People are going to move as fast as possible in the crowded circumstances.  Often times there will be photographers at the end of the gangway taking pictures which will cause a hold up in the line.

3.  Give people in a wheel chair a chance to get on the gangway.  When gangways are crowded it can be harder for these people to get on or off the ship. Also some gangways are at an incline and it may be harder to get on or off the ship for this reason.

4. Don't become disrespectful with the person in front of you because the gangway line is moving slowly.  Most likely they are annoyed also and can't control the situation.

Photo Gallery
1. Do not hide other people's photos behind other photos.  This is rude and will make it hard for someone else to find their photo.

2.  Do not recycle another person's photo. 

3.  If you are not going to purchase your own photo many cruise ships have a recycle bin for photos that are not good. Place your photo in this bin and help the crew members out and give the photo gallery a little more space!

4.  Do not buy someone else's photo unless you know them.  Buying a random person's photo would be weird and could be a little rude if you are keeping the person who wanted the photo from buying their photo.

Jogging Track
1.  Allow people who are running and jogging on the track a chance to get around you. Do not hog the track!

2.  Make sure you are walking, running, or jogging in the established pattern of movement.  Don't go against the flow of people!

3.  If you stop to tie your shoe get off to the side. Don't block the track.

4.  Be careful not to get hurt or hurt others on the jogging track.  There are some people who are training for marathons and need to practice even during their cruise vacation!