Let me be the first to stand up and admit, I am a cruiser.  I love to take cruises!  I thnk they are the best value for your vacation money, especially in the current economy.  I first went on a cruise in the late 90s and have been cruising every since.  My husband and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon.  I have to say, my husband was not initially sold on cruising.  He thought he’d get bored after a couple of days being on the ship.  But, let me tell you.  After our honeymoon, he is a convert!  I think he loves to cruise more than me.  I say all this to discuss the value of cruising in our downtrodden economy, as well as the safety of cruising.  I have never thought going on a cruise would be unsafe.  It never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t make it back home.  In fact, I’m going to make a huge assumption that other cruisers feel the same way as I do.  But, in the last couple of weeks, there have been two reported incidents on ships that may make me re-think my position on the safety of cruising.

A couple of weeks ago, it was reported that a woman went missing while cruising.  It was later discovered, via video tape, that she fell overboard.  The ship and the Coast Guard loooked for her body for a few days, to no avail.  It is believed that she committed suicide.  Today, I read that a cruise employee fell overboard yesterday, off the coast of Florida.  This incident is believed to be an accident.  Once again, the Coast Guard and the ship searched for the fallen victim, to no avail.  I’m not even going to mention the present-day pirates trying to hijack cruise ships overseas – oh wait, I did mention it.  I say to you, what is going on with cruising?!!!!

In my travels on a cruise ship, I remember two different incidents of people falling overboard — in the middle of the night — and their bodies never being found.  It happened in the late 90s when I went on a cruise with my cousin.  The guy’s body was never found.  Then it happened again when my husband and I went on our honeymoon.  Again, the body was never found.  In defense of the cruise ships, there are all sorts of security measures in place, especially surrounding the rails when you’re out on deck.  In my opinion, really, the only way a person can end up in the ocean while cruising is:  a) someone throws you off; b) you jump; or c) you climb up on the rail trying to re-enact Leonardo DiCaprio’s scene in the Titanic, screaming, “I am on top of the world!”  My suggestion to you is, don’t do it!

With everyone trying to get every penny squeezed from a dollar in today’s society, I truly believe cruising is the best value.  Think about it, in addition to your room, all of your food is included.  Beverages are included, but that’s limited to coffee, tea and lemonade.  All of your entertainment is free (i.e. Vegas- type shows, ice skating rink, wall climbing, putt-putt golf, etc.)  Now that I’ve given my two cents on cruising and its safety, I would like to know what you think about crusing.  Do you think it’s the best value for a vacation – especially in today’s society?  Do you think it’s safe?  If you cruised before, I would love to hear your adventures in cruising.

Some states are calling it “Taking the Roads Back” and some are calling it “Operation Slow Down”, but whatever it is called it is a good idea.

The Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest, and deadliest, weekends on roadways all across America.  Many people travel during this four-day weekend – one reason for increased traffic.  Black Friday, and the beginning of the mad holiday shopping rush, is another reason for busy streets and highways.  Knowing how busy it will be out there should increase our awareness, when behind the wheel, and force us to think about two things we can save.

The first thing we can save over the weekend is some of our money.  I know you want to get out there and spend some of your Christmas budget, but going too fast may divert some of those funds to the highway patrol of whatever state you may be in.

“I have instructed our troopers to crackdown on speeders this holiday weekend. Speed is the leading cause of fatal collisions on our highways,” said Col. Walter J. Wilson Jr., commander of the (North Carolina) State Highway Patrol. “Getting to your destination safely should be your number one goal. Don’t try to cut off a few minutes of your drive time by speeding or driving aggressively. It’s just not worth it.”

Florida is another state that will be taking action this weekend.  To keep fatal crashes to a minimum, the Florida Highway Patrol is stepping up its patrols.  All troopers normally on administrative duties, plus auxiliary and reserve troopers, will be on patrols for the four-day weekend.

Do yourself a favor and keep your money in your own pocket.  Slow down and practice safe, road-rage-free, driving this weekend.

The second, and most important, thing you can save your weekend is a life.  Being safe can save your life, the life of a loved one and even the life of a total stranger.  Please, don’t drive drunk or even slightly under the influence of achohol or drugs.  Be patient with other drivers and keep from making sudden moves that could result in a crash.  And do whatever you can to make it back home, to school, to work, or wherever you need to be next week, in one piece.