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Tom and Mary Milano
TomandMaryMilano@Yahoo.com
Ship: Ocean Princess (second time)
Departure Date: February 18, 2002
Itinerary: 10-Day Eastern Caribbean Islander
Occupation: Retired Restauranteur
Number of Cruises: 25
Age 74
(It’s much easier and more enjoyable to read our review...if you print it.)
Our Belated Valentine Cruise:
This was our 25th cruise in six years and our second cruise
on the Ocean Princess in the last four months. We wrote in our first Ocean
Princess review, “This Cruise...Reaffirmed Why We Are Passionate About
Cruising.” We have found when we have an exceptional vacation experience, it
is very difficult to repeat it. This was not the case with our second cruise on
the ‘Ocean Princess.’ We are happy to tell you, not only did our second cruise
equal our first experience, it was even better.
Being we wrote a very comprehensive review of our October 11th cruise, which you can read at; http://www.tomandmaryscruisereviews.com/OceanPrincessReview.htm , we are not going to describe the venues or give you a blow by blow description of what we did, you can read all that in our first review, instead we are going to tell you the highlights of our cruise and why we are even more passionate about cruising.
Your E-Mails Have Been Keeping Us Busy:
We are not cruise experts, we are fellow cruisers like you
who happen to be passionate about cruising. We have derived so much pleasure
from cruising that we decided we would write reviews to share our cruise
experience with you, hoping it might help you in some way. Since the inception
of our review page, 16 months ago, we have had 42,000+ visitors to our site.
Mary & I spend our mornings answering e-mails from all over the world. We
particularly like to hear from first time cruisers. Even though we had been
retired for 23 years and were savvy travelers, we remember how confused we were
when we booked our first cruise. That is why we end our reviews with the
sentence, “We would be glad to answer any questions you have, especially those
from first time or new cruisers.”
Keeping our page up to date and answering e-mails has added a new dimension to our lives. During this period of time, many of you have become our e-mail friends and we thank you for your comments and your gracious remarks. Our readers know what to expect of us but for those of you who are reading our review for the first time, I think we should tell you some of the things you will be reading, so you can decide if you want to continue.
Mary & I are romantics. We are in our mid seventies and we firmly believe, ‘Love is the Fountain of Youth.’ We are fortunate to have our health and we try to live each day as if it was the last day of our life. We are not embarrassed to share our faith. We are unabashedly sentimental and make it a point to collect and retain memories of the many wonderful times we have shared together. Many of our cruise experiences are part of that collection. Mary & I can’t think of a more intimate, romantic way of spending quality time with the one you love, than when cruising. When we speak of our cruises at home, we refer to them as another ‘Honeymoon.”
For those of you who are thinking you might take your first cruise, we warn you that there is a distinct probability that you will become addicted. If you do, don’t despair, because cruising is an addiction that will not only benefit your well being, but will add an entirely new dimension to your life.
Pick & Chose:
Being this is a review of the highlights of our cruise, and we don’t want to bore you; we are going to list the things we will be writing about so you can pick and choose what you want to read:
Embarkation:
Future Ocean Princess Itinerary:
Maitre`de Bruno Bogazzi & Our Dining Experience:
Mary Loved Wimpy’s Valentine Surprise:
Bill Barty’s Domain:
Our Morning Hideaway:
The Artistry of Fruit Carvings:
Catholic & Interdenominational Services:
Marie & Charlie Phillips and the $2 Bill:
Words & Music...The Best Production Show at Sea:
Cruise Sites You Might Find Helpful:
The Cruise Lines Are Severely Cutting Operating Costs:
Suggestions That Could Enhance Your Cruise:
Loose Ends & Random Thoughts: (We would be happy to tell you what we learned and what we suggest you do to get the best possible price the next time you book a cruise.)
Embarkation:
Princess makes Embarkation a very simple matter. They send all the cruise documents by mail and if you fill them out and promptly send them back, you have not further paper work when you arrive at the cruise terminal. >From the time we entered the terminal, with all the security checks, we were on board within 25 minutes.
Future Ocean Princess Itinerary:
The Ocean Princess will sail in the Caribbean until the middle of April, then it repositions to the West coast to sail its Alaskan Itinerary until the end of September. Then, much to our regret, the ship will be transferred to its parent company P & O, where it will be renamed ‘The Oceana’ and sail a Mediterranean Itinerary, visiting the ports of Italy.
We were very disappointed to receive this news. The ‘Ocean Princess’ is one of our favorite ships and we had planned on sailing on it twice a year. If you are thinking of a Mediterranean cruise, you might want to give the ‘Ocean Princess’ some consideration.
A Picture of the Magnificent Atrium:
Meeting Maitre`de Bruno Borgazzi & Our Dining Room
Experience:
On our last cruise on the Ocean Princess, the Maitre`de Generosa Mazzone went
out of his way to resolve a problem for us and saw to it that we had a wonderful
dining experience. We became very friendly with his assistant, head waiter
Guiseppe Franchini, friendly to the point he was on our e-mail list for
receiving our ’Teaspoon of Spiritual Nourishment.’ When I wrote and told him we
were booked on the ‘Ocean’ for February 18th, he sent me an e-mail telling me
that both he and Generosa were going on vacation but he would leave a note for
the replacing Maitre`de, Bruno Borgazzi. We were hoping we might get a similar
table to the one we were assigned on our last cruise, but without Generosa and
Guiseppe, I was rather apprehensive. As we were waiting to see the Maitre`de, a
man came up to us and said, “Hello Tom & Mary, my name is Charlie Phillips, this
is my wife Marie. I recognized you from the pictures in your reviews” (we will
tell you more about the wonderful time we had with Charlie and his charming wife
Marie, later on in our review.)
As the line got closer to the desk, I could see the new Maitre`de Bruno Borgazzi. He was an imposing figure. A good-looking man with a full head of snow white hair. (He would make a magnificent Santa Claus) I introduced myself and before I could finish my sentence, he said with a beautiful Italian accent, “Mr. & Mrs. Milano, Giuseppe left me a note that you were going to sail with us and I have arranged for you to have the same table you had on your last cruise, with a fine Italian waiter Fabio. And if there is anything I can do for you, it would be my pleasure.”
Needless to say we had a wonderful dining experience. The food and the service were superb. In fact, so much so, that we had breakfast and lunch in the dining room most every day. We had an excellent waiter Fabio and a head waiter Luigi, who was what I term, a working head waiter. Not the kind that you rarely see during the week, but on the last night makes sure to visit your table to have a five minute conversation, hoping you will remember to tip him. Not our Luigi. Luigi made it his business to stop by our table at number of times during the evening, to see if there was anything he could do for us. He was everything a head waiter should be. It was a pleasure to have him visit our table.
We were surprised to see they served Lobster Thermidor on the second night. Mary said it was it was absolutely delicious. Each time we ordered, we had the waiter bring an additional order of Pasta that was placed in the middle of our table, just in case we weren’t happy with the entree. It so happened it wasn’t necessary but my little Irish Lady Mary who loves Pasta, couldn’t resist having a little each evening. Again the souffles were out of this world. Last time, we had the waiter add a scoop of Vanilla ice cream, after he ladled the Zabaglione Sauce into the souffle. They also had six or seven items on the bottom of the menu that you could order each evening. Such as, Salmon, New York Strip Steak, Fettuccini Alfredo, Breast of Chicken and etc. I ordered Salmon twice and it was cooked just the way I like it. They also had a Light & Lean menu which I ordered from on a few occasions and found it to be very tasty. Our dining room experience was exceptional and it added immeasurably to our enjoyment of our cruise.
Mary Loves Wimpy’s Valentine Surprises:
Valentine week affords me an opportunity to practice some serious marriage
maintenance. If you would rather not hear about the romantic nature of our
Valentine cruise....I suggest you skip this section.
Valentines week is a very special occasion for me and my Lady Mary. It is a week when ‘Macho Man Tom’ assumes his full Wimpy persona. For those who are hearing about Wimpy for the first time, let me give you a brief explanation. Tom is no dum-dum. He took notice when he did all those little things that Mary likes him to do, you know, those thing’s Macho men call Wimpy, Mary gave him a lot more reason to smile. Valentines week is when Wimpy is at his very best.
This belated Valentine, which we celebrated for a full ten days, gave me a wonderful opportunity to tell and show Mary how much she means to me. We know from the e-mails that our woman readers send us that they enjoy reading about the creative ways in which Wimpy surprises Mary on Valentine cruises. I thought I would give our new readers a quick summary of the things Wimpy I did in the past before I tell you about his latest endeavor.
Three years ago, on our Valentines week cruise, I arranged to have our cabin attendant have a different colored Rose placed on her pillow each evening before we returned to our cabin. My sweetheart was truly impressed and I was the recipient of all that comes from a loving heart. But alas, our cute little Filipino cabin attendant was totally exhausted from his nightly foray of running back and forth between the flower man and our cabin. I made sure he got a generous tip.
Last year, for our Valentines week cruise, I purchased seven small unique containers, and in each one put a layer of Pot-pourri, a touch of Mary’s favorite perfume and a love note. Each day I hid one in a different place. On the formal night dinner, I handed her a small ivory box with a wedding band inside with a note. The note said, “This is a gift from Wimpy...for you Mary...to give to Tom.” The wedding band was engraved with the letters, S S N T M. The letters stand for...Say Something Nice to Mary...The thought came from one of our favorite stories. The story of a husband explaining to the minister who had just finished the renewal of vows ceremony at their 50th wedding anniversary, what was the secret to his 50 years of marriage to his wife Sarah. The husband told the minister, “Right after our wedding, Sarah’s father took me aside and handed me a small box and said “If you remember to do this, you will make Sarah a very happy woman.” When I opened the box, it contained a watch and etched on the glass face were the words, Say Something Nice to Sarah.” I like wearing my new wedding band, it reminds me that nothing makes my Mary happier than having me say nice things to her. In just a short seventeen years, we too hope to celebrate our 50th anniversary and if we make it, we’re going to invite all of you to take a cruise with us.
Each year the bar is raised a little higher and it gets more difficult to think of ways to surprise my Mary. But when I’m at an impasse, all I have to do is read the myriad of endearing notes she has sent me and I find a new way to tell her how special she is. This year I bought business card material at Office Depot. I used the label element in my writing program and wrote 20 short love notes, two for every day of our 10-day cruise. I then wrote 10 Cards as if they were coupons, with various offers such as; Coupon: This card entitles the bearer to a half hour shopping spree in the lady’s Boutique...Another said, Coupon: This card entitles the bearer to an in cabin massage, Upon Request. I think you get the general idea. I placed them in places that I knew would surprise her. On the bathroom mirror, on her pillar, in her sock draw, among her unmentionables, pinned to the neck of the dress she was going to wear that evening, and etc & etc. I always saved one to slide across the table at dinner time. The effect of our romantic endeavors kept our emotions at an all time high throughout the cruise. We had the best ten days of any cruise we have been on and it had little to do with anything other than the wonderful romantic, intimate time we had together.
Barrington 'Barty' Browns Domain:
Barrington Barty Brown, ‘The Great Brit,’ could be seen each evening in the
Grand Atrium, comfortably seated at his white baby grand piano, playing and
singing all those beautiful melodies of bygone days. He has a warm, charming
personality that draws people to him like honey does to bees. His sing-alongs
are legendary and his songs brought back a lot of wonderful memories. .This is a
picture of his domain.
Our Morning Hideaway at Our Splash Pool:
This is where Mary & I spent most mornings. It’s an outdoor pool with a
canopy, surrounded by the Spa & Gym. After Mary attended her aerobic class and
I had finished walking, we would meet at our hideaway and hop into one of the
two Jacuzzi. After we were revived, we cooled off in our adult splash pool and
then went to breakfast. We found it was a delightful way to start our day.
The Artistry of Fruit Carving:
These are pictures of the fruit carvings done by three young Filipinos in a
period of 30 minutes. It was fascinating to watch them display their artistry.
Catholic & Interdenominational Service:
We attended a Catholic Mass in the morning and a Interdenominational Mass in the
late afternoon. We were surprised at the heavy attendance at the Catholic Mass.
I estimate there was close to 300 hundred people attending. Mary & I were happy
to be able to receive communion.
The Interdenominational Service was also well attended and we were very surprised at the principals presiding. Barrington ‘Barty’ Brown acted as minister, Cruise Director Trevor Bradford did the readings and Musical Director Terry Belanger accompanied on the piano. It was a very spiritual service and the principals were very impressive in their roles.
Charlie & Marie Phillips & the $2 Bill:
Charlie & Marie are the couple I mentioned that recognized us from our review
pictures. As often happens when you meet someone on a cruise, it wasn’t an hour
before we saw them again. We were carrying our tray to a table when we saw them
and they invited us to sit with them. We learned that this was there third
cruise and we could tell, they were already well on their way to becoming avid
cruisers. They had a lot of questions and it was fun sharing our cruise
experience with them.
Both of us were having dinner in the PC dining room. We had
a table for two and so did they, but their table had two empty chairs. After
dinner it became a nightly ritual for us to go to there table to have coffee
with them, so they could tell us all the exciting things they had experienced.
It was soon evident that Charlie was an avid reader of our reviews and he asked
me a lot of questions about various things. He
was particularly interested in
hearing how I presented the $2 Bill. (See Suggestions) Instead of explaining, I
did the $2 dollar thing with the assistant waiter Isobella.. Charlie was
fascinated with the reaction it got. One evening when I made our nightly trek to
their table, I asked him to give me a ten-dollar bill and I handed him 5-$2
Bills neatly folded. I told him to try it and see what happens. Charlie was a
fast learner, he got such a great reaction from the first one he gave out that
at the last formal night as they were watching Bruno Bogazzi build the Champagne
Waterfall in the Grand Atrium, Charlie did the unimaginable, he did the $2
dollar thing with the cruise director, Trevor Bradford. I couldn’t believe it, I
thought he was kidding, but he hasn’t. I anxiously asked him what was the cruise
director’s reaction and he said, “Tom, I know it’s hard to believe but he was as
interested and excited as the little assistant waiter. Folks, don’t ever doubt
the magic of the $2 Bill.
Words & Music...The Best Production Show at Sea:
In our opinion, Words & Music is the best stage show we have seen at sea. I
think the intimacy of the Vista Lounge was the perfect setting for this show.
The music covered the full range from the pre World War II, through the present
day. The featured singers, Liz Piazza-Davey and James Campell and the Ocean
Princess Dancers were outstanding. Marie Phillips was enthralled with the show
and went to see it a second time. If you’re on the ‘Ocean,’ don’t miss the
opportunity to see this show. It is one in a million.
Ports of Call:
We have cruised the Caribbean so many times in the past six years that we rarely
go into town. We usually take a walk through the ship-side terminal and then
head back to the ship. In fact we enjoy the ship even more when everyone is
ashore, especially the pool areas. Here are a few pictures of us leaving for our
walk.
Cruise Sites You Might Find Helpful:
These are some cruise information sites Mary & I thought you might find helpful.
We suggest you bookmark the ones you like or place them on your desk-top as we
do.
This page will give you most of the review sites and other
important cruise information:
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~rklein/cruise.html
This site has the deck plans of all the major ships:
http://www.cruise.com/pez/ship_deck/decks.asp
Information about Caribbean Islands:
http://www.doitcaribbean.com/
New ships & approximate inaugural sailing dates:
http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com/newships.html
Cruise Ships Screen Savers:
http://www.seacruisechat.com/wallpaper.htm
CruiseShopping.com has a very good cruise destination
search engine:
http://www.cruiseshopping.com/index.html
Reg. & Mini Reviews & Reviews by Destination: Mary & I are Contributing Editors to this site. http://www.cruisereviews.com/
The Cruise Lines Are Severely Cutting Operating Costs:
There are signs that the accountants are now taking control of the cruise
lines and are keeping a close eye on the bottom line. We have seen the result of
this cutting back on our last two cruises with Princess. On our first cruise we
noticed they no longer had a wine steward or beverage server in the dining
rooms. On our recent cruise they eliminated the Social Hostess, the Big band is
now a Small band and the Calypso Trio is now a duet. And to make matters worse,
the Cruise Lines have issued the following press release, to take effect
immediately:
1)....Passengers will be limited to one meal per day in the dining room, which will be served on a paper plate and with plastic tableware. (also a security measure).
2)....Rather than service by waiters/assistant waiters/headwaiters, all service of food will be provided by a woman named Mildred, wearing a hairnet and apron and serving food from a large vat with a ladle.
3)....Exotic foods such as Lobster, Crab and Veal will be discontinued...new food choices will include meatloaf, fish sticks and "Spaghetti Surprise"...
4)....All other meals during the day will be available from coin-operated vending machines in what formerly had been used as the "showroom"..
5)....All lounge entertainment will be laid off and replaced with winners of first night karaoke contests
6)....Rollaway beds to be placed on former balconies/verandas...to be now rented as "outside-outside" staterooms...
7)....No daily cabin steward service...You don't change your sheets every day at home anyway...
8)....Tender service to be discontinued in ports where previously required.... instead...passengers will be allowed to swim to port...
9)....No more Midnight Buffet (Whoops, we already got rid of that one!)
10)....Surcharge for use of pools, deck chairs or public toilets..
11)..Reduce electricity cost by turning off all lights in ship after 9:00 p.m...
12)..To conserve water, porta potties have been installed on all decks. Additionally passengers will be allowed twice each cruise to go to top deck and be hosed down by crew. Shower dates and times to be assigned at embarkation. Please supply your own soap and shampoo. And lastly...
13))..To reduce fuel costs, oars and oar locks to be installed on lower deck...All Passengers required to do a six hour shift on the oars each day.
Did we get you?
We hope you enjoyed our little spoof. Our long time reader Leland Garner
sent this to us and being it is so timely, we couldn’t resist.
Conclusion:
When Tom Ogg asked us to be contributing Editors, he told us is the one
thing he wanted us to remember was, he wanted us to have fun when we write our
reviews. He said, “Tom and Mary, write whatever you want, as much or as little
as you want, but make sure you enjoy what your doing.” Well Tom, we have taken
you at your word. Our readers tell us they like the way our reviews are written
and they thank us for sharing some of our special moments. You have allowed us
the freedom to be who we are and we thank you for that. Tom, we are 70+ years
young and having the time of our life and we hope we will be able to contribute
to your page for many years to come.
We would be happy to answer any questions you might have, especially those from first time cruisers and new cruisers.
Our very warmest regards,
May your next cruise be your best.
Tom & Mary Milano
TomandMaryMilano@Yahoo.com
SUGGESTIONS THAT COULD ENHANCE YOUR CRUISE
All Ships of a Cruise Line Are Not the Same:
Mary & I come from large families. Our siblings have similar characteristics but
each one has their own distinct personality. Cruise lines and their ships are
like that. Not all ships of a cruise line are the same. They differ for many
reasons. The age of the ship, the size of the ship (the tonnage), the amenities,
the expertise of the Food Manager/ Executive Chef but the most important
difference is how the crew comes together under the guidance and the direction
of the Hotel Manager. The effectiveness of his training is reflected in the way
the crew caters to and pampers their guests.
The point we’re making is, if you want to increase your odds of booking the ship that will best fulfill your expectations, we suggest you learn as much as possible about the ships of the cruise line your considering booking. Read as many cruise reviews as you can. Frequent the cruise message boards; Google is a very good one, having many seasoned cruisers and TA’s as members. If you have a question about a specific ship or port, post your question and one of them will answer you. You shouldn’t leave every thing to your TA. Do as much research as possible so you can give your TA the information he/she needs to help you select the right ship and right itinerary for you. The Internet has a wealth of information about cruising. When you find a good site, either bookmark it or put it on your desktop, so you can have ready access to it.
A Good Reason For Buying Travel Insurance:
Tom Ogg, editor of Cruisereviews.com: I conduct seminars at sea, escorting 15 to
20 agents and invariably someone gets hurt or sick once or twice a year. It is
always a tragedy and always a financial strain. At the very least, one’s cruise
is ruined and the experience lost to a more trying time. On the departure
evening of the second cruise, one of our group members had chest pains that the
ship’s doctor was afraid may have been a mild heart attack. The gentleman was
held in the infirmary for almost 3 days until we arrived in Puerto Vallarta.
Even though he felt fine, he was disembarked in Puerto Vallarta and transported
to the hospital for treatment and the return to their home in the United States.
This couple had purchased a Travel Guard travel insurance program and the entire
event was totally covered by their policy. Had they not had insurance it would
have run into the thousands of dollars (potentially, tens of thousands of
dollars) to get home safely. While Cruisereviews.com is a non-commercial web
site and does not accept any advertising…a testimonial is indeed a word of
confidence passed on. For what it is worth, the consensus on the ship and among
the travel agents was that Travel Guard Insurance is the best choice a consumer
can make as they pay off when they are needed without question and this is
exactly what happened in this instance. Please, please purchase travel insurance
to cover these types of mishaps even if you believe it could never happen to
you. Buy Insurance!
You Can Greatly Enhance Your Cruise by the Things You do
Before Embarkation:
For those of you who are reading our reviews for the first time, we suggest some
pre cruise things to do that have greatly enhanced our cruise experience. Read:
“Before, During and After Your Cruise. http://www.cruisereviews.com/Things2Do.htm
Read: “How to Heighten Your Cruise Experience” http://www.cruisereviews.com/CruiseExperience.htm
prepare Envelopes for Tipping Before you Leave for Your Cruise: Many of our
readers have tried our suggestion on tipping with great results
Our Tipping Suggestion:
We like to give the suggested tip for the week, to our cabin attendant, waiter
and assistant waiter and Maitre`de, the first evening of our cruise. Tipping at
the end of the week is like locking the barn door after the horse has run away.
We make out [3x5] envelopes with a note that reads.... This is a down payment on
your services, Thank you, Tom & Mary Milano. On our [24] cruises we have never
had service that was poor enough to warrant us tipping less than the suggested
amount. By tipping the suggested amount on the first night, you let your servers
know that you are appreciative of good service and they can expect an additional
stipend at the end of the cruise. [At the end of the cruise we usually give an
additional $20 to the waiter, $10 to the assistant and $10 or $20 to the cabin
attendant]. Giving an extra forty dollars for the week is a small price to pay
to ensure the very best from your servers. Take our word for it. It does make a
difference. Make Out Envelopes For Pre Tipping.
Magic of the $2 Bill:
If what we hear from our readers is true, banks should start running out of
$2 in the new future. This again is another low-cost way of getting a high
return. We start collecting $2 bills weeks before the cruise. We take with us
$20--$30 in $2 bills. I call these our magic potion. I take a $2 bill and keep
folding it until I have a small square, with the large imprint of the $2
covering the surface. I use the $2 a lot in the beginning of the cruise. It's
important what you say when you give it, otherwise it doesn't have much
significance. When I give it to a server, I say to them, give me your hand. When
they give me their hand, I take it and with my other hand I show them the folded
$2 bill; then I say to them, I want you to know this is a magic $2 bill and I
can promise you that during this coming week something special is going to
happen to you, something that will make you very happy. Very few servers have
ever seen a $2 bill and that alone gets their rapt attention. Then you can see
in their quizzical expression that their thinking; it's crazy but who knows. It
might work. Who among us doesn't have some form of a lucky piece. A lucky coin,
a rabbits foot, a religious medal. All we can tell you is, we have had the most
amazing, wonderful things happen as a result of giving out these two dollar
bills; not the least is the friendliness and the exceptional service we have
received from our servers. Collect $2 Bills.
Make Your Luggage Easy to Spot:
85% of all luggage is black. It will save you a lot of time and aggravation
if you put a colorful bow or luggage strap on your belongings. It is much easier
to identify them among thousands of pieces of luggage on the terminal floor. Tie
Something Colorful On Your Luggage.
The First Hours Aboard Ship Are Important:
Mary and I have found that there are certain things that we can do the first day
that will set the tone or our entire cruise. The first thing we do is check our
table assignment. We can’t stress enough the importance of doing this. It’s
important to see if the table assigned you is what you requested. If it isn’t,
the Maitre`de has a chance to make the necessary changes. If after the first
evening, you are not happy with whom you’re seated, speak to the Maitre`de and
ask to have your table changed. If he can possibly change it he will, he wants
to make you happy. This is also the time to make your reservation for the
‘Alternative Restaurant’ if the ship has one. They have very limited seating, so
time is of the essence. Check Your Table Assignment and Make Reservations For
the Alternative Restaurant.
Our Final Suggestion is to ‘Write a Review:’
After you adjust to being back home and you slowly recover from after cruise
depression, sit down and write about all the wonderful things you experienced.
You don't have to be a polished writer to write a review. All you have to do is
write as if you were having a conversation with your best friend. The important
thing is to be honest and forthright. Writing a review is a wonderful way to
relive your cruise, and at the same time help fellow cruisers by sharing your
thoughts. Tell them your opinion of the ship, the food, the crew, the
entertainment, the ports of call and any special moments you experienced. Also
write about the things that weren't so wonderful so your fellow cruisers can be
forewarned. Include your spouse and ask her/him for suggestions on what you
should include. And remember, don't be afraid of writing too much, longer is
better than shorter. People are reading your review to determine if the ship
your writing about is the one they should book. Put yourself in their place and
tell them all the things you would like to know. But whatever you do, the most
important thing is for you to have fun and enjoy what your doing. When your
review is finished, Tom Ogg would be happy to post it on his web site,
CruiscReviews.com. If you need help, Mary and I would be glad to assist you.
Write a Review.
L00SE ENDS & RANDOM THOUGHTS:
How Can I get the Best Possible Price when I Book a Cruise? We have booked 25 cruises in the last six years and have experienced all the usual frustration of not knowing if we got a fair price. We would be happy to tell you what we learned and what we suggest you do to get the best possible price the next time you book a cruise.”
A Teaspoon of Spiritual Nourishment: Mary & I have read and collected one page daily meditations for many years. Our local paper published them as a daily column. We now send them by e-mail, five nights a week, to our loved ones, friends and crew members of some of the ships we have sailed on. If you would like to receive the ‘Teaspoon,’ send us an e-mail and we will put you on our mailing list. (Example)
A Teaspoon of Spiritual
Nourishment
Compiled by Tom & Mary Milano
We Should Cherish Our Friends as the Rarest of Jewels
We should never let our friends go out of our lives if we can by any possibility retain them. Friendship is too rare a treasure to be taken lightly and then thrown away. And yet many people are not careful to retain their friends. Some lose them through inattention, failing to maintain those little amenities, courtesies and kindnesses which cost so little, and yet are hooks of steel to grapple and hold our friends. Some drop old friends for new ones. Some take offense easily at imagined slights or neglects, and ruthlessly cut the most sacred ties. Some become impatient of little faults, and discard truest friendships. Beautiful friendships are often destroyed, not by any sharp, sudden quarrel, but by slowly and imperceptibly drifting apart until there is a great chasm between two lives that once were woven together.
There are a great many ways of losing friends. But when we have taken true souls into the grasp of our hearts, we should cherish them as the rarest of jewels. There is no wealth in the world like a noble friendship, and nothing should induce us to sacrifice such a treasure. If slights are given, let them be overlooked. If misunderstandings arise, let them quickly be set right. Let not pride or fiery temper or cold selfishness disdainfully toss away a friendship for a trivial cause. It is not hard to lose a friend, but the loss is utterly irreparable.
Let it never be overlooked that we as friends must stand and be ready to do all that we expect our friends to be and to do. If we set a high standard for them, that standard must be ours also. It will not do to give pebbles and ask for diamonds in return.
Week-Day Religion
J. R. Miller
It is not hard to lose a friend, but the loss is utterly irreparable.
A $2 Bill Happening at Afternoon Tea: We were having afternoon Tea with the Phillips and one os the servers Anetta came to our table with the topping for our Scones. She had a beautiful smile and when I told her she had a smile that warmed my heart, she got all flustered and she actually blushed. The next time she came to our table, I asked her to give me her hand and I did the 2$ thing. She was all excited and tearful and she thanked me and bent over and kissed me on both cheeks. The next day we were walking down the stairway pool-side when Anetta spotted us and came running over and gave me a hug. She said it happened; it happened. I asked her what was it that happened. She said when you gave me the $2 bill, you said it was magic and something wonderful was going to happen to me before the end of the cruise and it did. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She said. “Last night I met the nicest boy in the crew disco and we danced till the wee hours of the morning, it was the most wonderful night of my life. She even showed us how the boy spun her around by holding my hand over her head and doing a couple of spins. I don’t think we have ever seen anyone so excited.... If you meet Anetta, who is from Poland...ask her about her night at the disco.
Short Quotes That Say a Lot: The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.... Friends are those rare people who ask how we are, and then wait for an answer.... It takes each of us to make a difference for all of us... Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.
Encouragers Manage to Communicate Real Love and Care. Discourages often make you feel like you’re an inconvenience or a bother. The power of encouragers is their ability to let you know that you matter, that you are important, and valuable. But they don’t leave you hopeless. They leave you thinking that better things are possible.
Another Happening With the $2 Bill: On our last cruise on the Ocean Princess we made it a daily practice to get the condensed copy of the N. Y. Times and we would sit in the lounge area opposite the Pursers desk.. We usually ordered a Cappuccino and that is how we met Andre. We took notice that he seemed very depressed. We had a number of talks with him sharing some of our thoughts and at the end of the cruise we made it a point to see Andre before we disembarked. I did the $2 thing with him and told him, “I want you to put this in a special place in your wallet and to remember that something wonderful is going to happen to you, that will make you very happy. Something you have been hoping for, for a long, long time.”
Mary & I went to the Wheelhouse Lounge the first night of our recent cruise and who did we see as soon as we walked in, but Andre. He came to us and as he greeted us, he gave both of us a big hug. He then reached into his pocket and took out his wallet and told us the following story. He said, “When I last saw you, I was in a very depressed way. When you handed the $2 Bill to me and told me your little story, I knew it sounded silly but for some reason you made me believe it could happen.. I want you to know each morning as I left my cabin for my station, I took out the $2 Bill and repeated what you said to me. The following month I couldn’t believe it was happening but I was honored by being named the employee of the month. I honestly believe it was because of that $2 Bill. (BTW, Andre is a college graduate and is just a few credits short of getting his degree in Engineering.)
It’s a beautiful story but it doesn’t end there. At the finish of our conversation, I took his hand and placed another $2 Bill in it. I told Andre being he had such a good result, I was giving him another one for good measure. He took it and put it next to the first one. We saw him the last night of the cruise and he couldn’t wait to tell us that he was leading all servers with the most sales for the month and you guessed right, he gives all the credit to those magic little bills. Believing is a powerful force that can make our dreams come true. If you meet Andre on the ‘Ocean,’ ask him to show you his $2 Bills.
Happiness can NEVER be Bought. It Must be Lived. One writer compared happiness to a butterfly. “The more you chase it, it will always elude you. But...if you sit down quietly and turn your attention to other things, then...it comes and softly sits on your shoulder.
If Your Booked On The Ocean Princess, and you meet any of the following crew members, tell them Tom & Mary said hello; I think you will be surprised at their reaction. Maitre`de Bruno Bogazzi, Head Waiters, Pasquale, Luigi, Sergio; Waiters, Fabio, Vincenzo, Rommel, Assistant Waiters, Al, Anetta, Isobella, Salvador and Andre bar server in the Wheelhouse Lounge. You might hear some interesting stories.
(We promise...this is the end!)
What Mary & I Believe...Expressed by Leo Buscaglia: We find it interesting as we grow older we relegate romance to the young. This comes from thinking passions cool as we age. It is thought that along with the vitality and attractiveness that is lost, so is the appetite for love and romance. This is nonsense! Love lasts as long as we can draw a breath. Older lovers need only to smile in forgiveness at the young.
We look forward to meeting you on a cruise,
Warm regards,
Tom & Mary
Tom@TomMilano.com
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