“N” is For Newsletter-Our Around the Ship Adventure

From the moment you board your ship, there are things to know, new foods and drinks to experience and activities to engage in.  How do you keep it all straight?

Each evening a newletter will be delivered to your stateroom.  This will list the activities for the next day. Here you will find pool games, trivia contests, a list of movies which are playing, lectures, classes and what time the entertainment starts.

The newsletter will map out ALL the activities on board for the day.  There will be many and they will often be happening at the same time.

We suggest carrying a highlighter to mark those which interest you.  If two or more of you are trying to decide what to do, use a different colored highlighter for each person.

The newsletter will also let you know what time bars, restaurants, the casino, the photo booth and stores will be open.

It will often contain coupons, daily specials and discounts for photos, the spa, drinks and the shops.

There will be details about the weather and what time you are expected to be back on the ship.  The newsletter will tell you whether it is a formal, dressy or casual evening.  It may even give you some history about the locations you are visiting.

Learn to love and use this daily information resource to get the most from your vacation.

 

“N” is for a Nourishing Nature Preserve

Never mind that nature and north both begin with the letter N, it seems our brains were not allowing us to play with words on our Northern Michigan road trip.  Except for the letter N, we had completed the entire alphabet as we had traveled along on our two day adventure.  There was a sense of pressure to find our final letter before arriving home.  I can’t imagine how many opportunities we had already missed.

Then we saw it!  The “nature” preserve was tucked off to the side.  It was pouring with rain.  We could have easily talked ourselves into bypassing the opportunity.  Instead we turned down a miles long, dead straight dirt road.  The tunnel of trees created a canopy over the car as we ventured toward our unknown destination.  Along the way the magic of Michigan was present everywhere.

The greens  of the forest were almost ethereal from the rain. A magical mist floated among the branches.  As the woods wrapped us in their embrace, this peaceful location seemed untouched and unspoiled by man. Deer quietly stepped in front of the car, unafraid as if they had never known the fear of encroachment.  We continued driving. The deeper we went, the more isolated it became. Suddenly the road ended and we were left to explore the most amazing beach, free of everything except beauty.  We had been nourished.