How I Survived 5 days on a Zumba Charter Cruise

July 17, 2018

When a beloved Zumba instructor moved to Florida, several of her former students talked about going on the annual Zumba Charter Cruise, as a way to reunite with her about year after her move. What began almost as a joke, became a firm plan, and suddenly 6 of us were on planes headed to Miami to embark on Navigator of the Seas for 5 days of Zumba fun with our former teacher!

I had never taken a full charter theme cruise, but I had been kicked off more than one over the years when a cruise I had booked was chartered by swingers, quinceanera girls or Ohio State Alumni. I wasn't sure I loved anything enough to spend several days on a cruise ship doing it, but the opportunity to cruise with friends, and Zumba all day long seemed really appealing! My biggest worries were that I was too old or that I couldn't really rock spandex all day. How could I survive 5 days dancing all day long? The promo videos for the cruise were filled with nubile young things doing Zumba, moving parts I didn't know people even had!

I wondered how a full ship charter would be different from the other mainstream cruises I had taken. Luckily my fears were unfounded, as I discovered the actual cruise to be filled with people of all shapes and sizes, people from nearly every country on the planet. I felt welcome,, comfortable, and had the time of my life! But I did notice some big differences from my regular cruises, which I'll share here, as well as some tips for surviving!

The Big Differences

As a regular cruiser, I was curious about how a full ship charter would be different than a standard cruise. Here are some of the things I noticed.

1-The destinations are secondary to the theme.

Although our cruise had two great ports, Grand Cayman and Costa Maya, generally, on a theme cruise, it'a all about the theme and activities on board and less about where the ship goes. Sometimes, with certain themes, such as golf or motorcycle charter, activities on shore are part of the theme!

Use the arrows to scroll through some photos from our excurions

Our excursions to Grand Cayman and Costa Maya MX were great, even more fun sharing them with a lively group of Zumba cruisers!

2-Many ship venues are unavailable. Depending on the theme, areas of the ship normally open to all guests will be "commandeered" by the charter organization. For instance on the Zumba cruise, half of the pool was turned into a stage!

Pool decks weren't for lounging...everyone was moving! (photo C. Brown)

3-Demographics that usually spreads people around a large cruise ship can be changed. A food and wine themed cruise might fill specialty restaurants to the brim, or in our case, the huge group of ladies sometimes caused unusually long lines at the ladies restrooms!

4-The cost is usually more than a "regular" cruise to pay for the extra staff, activities and entertainment related to the theme. Also, the cancellation policies can be more stringent, with deposits being non refundable. Be sure to ask how your charter cruise will differ from a regular cruise in terms of deposits and cancellation.

A full docket of Zumba themed classes are included with my charter cruise, plus DJ's and live musical acts every night. These extra activities add to the cost, but were well worth price!

Things that don't change!

The same friendly staff are on hand to serve food and drinks and clean up your room. The crew I spoke to were delighted to be working on the Zumba cruise! Even before we boarded, the Zumba teachers were instructing the security officer about how to improve his moves. The crew explained that the positive energy from our Zumba cruise bouyed thieir spirits and made the cruise "fun" for them too!

Same comfy cabins, this one a standard Ocean View Balcony on Navigator of the seas.

Use the arrows below to scroll through some photos of the ship, a sample menu and sample daily schedule, as well as a look at how a cabin setup for 3 with a pullman bed looks.

Surviving A Zumba Cruise

Follow these tips and you too can survive 5 days of fun in the sun, with just a minimum of downime!

Book early if you plan to get a group cabin that fits 3 or 4 people or one of a few suites, these fill fast! Regular cabins for 2 are generally available, and occasionally specials are offered later if bookings are slow coming in. Be sure to use any promo codes you have for credits and discounts when you book, many can't be added later. (I have some codes posted below you can use)
Check cancellation policies and refund-ability of your deposit, before booking
Be sure to get insurance for trip cancellation, interruption and medical evacuation within a few days of booking your cruise to ensure preexisting conditions are covered.
Check the documents you'll need to travel, make sure these are all in good standing.
Come early and enjoy the many pre cruise parties and master classes offered before sailing.
Pack carefully...you want to be able to manage your own bags in the airport. The Zumba Cruise was more casual than regular cruises and you'll use less formal clothing.
Don't wait till the cruise to break in new Zumba shoes, give them a test drive at home to break them in.
You'll be allowed to choose a limited amount of classes ahead of time. However, so many classes have overflow space and almost everyone who wants can participate even if not pre registered. I recommend registering for any presenters you really want access to, and any small, limited classes like Toning or Aqua Zumba, and doing walk in for the others.
Decide ahead of time how you will communicate with roommates and friends in advance...internet access on the ship runs about $100 for the 5 days, (decide does everyone need it, or just one person per cabin, and you can all share?) With an internet plan, you'll all be able to use your favorite messaging service. The old school way is to put up a white board on your door (old timers will remember this from college days!) Or decide in advance on a daily meet up time to iron out schedules for the following days.
Pack fewer clothes than you think you'll need, many people bought clothes from the Zumba boutique to wear and didn't use all their workout clothes. If you spend most of the day in a bathing suit or work out clothes, you really only need day clothes for port day tours. I actually brought a reversible dress to wear to two dinners!
Pack an over the door shoe holder, and some magnetic hooks, which will stick to the metal walls of the cabin, to hold all those little things, (hair ties, sunglasses, water bottles) and keep the cabin organized!
I packed a neck lanyard for my phone, and everywhere I went people said they wished they had one, because there are not many pockets in yoga pants! It also kept the phone safe from falling overboard, when taking panoramic shots.
If you have more than 2 in a cabin, work out how you will share the bathroom...time limits, rotating who is up first each day? Bring a little make up mirror for finishing touches on your bunk?
Take care of your body. Get a massage, bring ice, braces and anti inflammatories if you use those. Hydrate, use sunscreen, and take a break! I took in a lot of classes, but often left after 2/3 so I could experience more presenters.
Although there are beverage packages available, alcoholic and non alcoholic, water stations were available everywhere classes were held and food was served.
It sounds silly, because cruises have a rep for having food available 24/7, but don't forget to fuel your body well too! It needs more than alcohol (which can be dehydrating) to survive all those classes!

Even if you don't join the class in the "main" area, there are overflow places to participate in most classes.

Click on the arrows below to see Zumba fun, including the pre cruise class with Zumba Founder, Beto

If you'd like to book the Zumba Cruise this year...Registration is open now...the link is:

Zumba Cruise

I have several friends who get some benefits from having people book the cruise with their Zumba Instructor Number. I don't benefit from sharing these, just helping out friends and YOU, because if you book the Zumba cruise with one of these numbers (YOU MUST USE THE CODE AT THE TIME YOU BOOK, it cant be added later) you will usually get a $25 board credit.

Yelena 657807 (who also has a super helpful FB page called Zumbaholics, with lots of tips!)

Concessa 115290

Sheila 576964

Louise 135244

Miami in the distance as NOS sails away.

I needn't have worried, combining two things I love to do, cruising and Zumba, with good friends turned out perfectly! I'm already booked to go again!

By: K Klofft Photos: K Klofft and C Brown

Airline Flight in Your Near Future? Save Yourself from Misery with these Tips!

June 26, 2018

What in the Air is Going on Here! (click here for all our tips)

My poor friend John posted a photo of himself on a cross country flight. He looked miserable...he had hoped to nap in his coach seat from Florida to Seattle, only to find he couldn't reach the window from his window seat! If you want to avoid John's fate and other horrors of flight in the 21st century...click below to read my tips for making the best of a long haul flight, starting from BEFORE you book you flight!

Did you know you can check every seat on your flight to find the ones with secret problems? Did you know for .99 cents you can make it sound like you are in a high end spa for 6 hours (even if it doesn't feel like that!)

Checking Seat Guru before booking gave me a "choice" to upgrade my seat to a better location on a recent Aer Lingus Flight

If you have to fly coach like I usually do, you can at least be comfortable! See our tips here

Check it out, I updated this post with new details, and then tell me if you found anything to help you survive "What in the Air is Going on Here?! I'd love to hear your comments!

By: K Klofft Photos: J and K Klofft

There Is More Than Vice In Amsterdam

May 29, 2018

It's that reputation for "vice" that is often top of mind when people think of Amsterdam, which for a long time served as a mecca for backpackers using Frommer's "Europe on $10 Dollars a Day" hoping to enjoy the benefits of the city's liberal prostitution and drug laws. Amsterdam has been working to expand it's appeal beyond a place to host a bachelor party, and it's working!

When my husband invited me to "Pick any city in Europe, I'll meet you there for the weekend" during a long European business trip, Amsterdam came to mind right away, but Amsterdam was my first choice, because the early May weekend coincided with peak tulip season in the Netherlands! While vice is still possible in Amsterdam (see my Vice Advice below) Amsterdam is a superb place to visit because of it's world class museums, scenic canals, as well as it's reputation for fun.

We decided to stay in an apartment in Amsterdam with Home Away. During peak tulip touring season, many of the hotels in central Amsterdam were 350 euro or more per night. We were able to get a studio apartment for about 60 percent of the cost of a hotel room, which allowed us to prepare meals in our accommodation and live near enough to attractions that we walked everywhere! We also got the added benefit of an on site owner who helped steer us to the best restaurants, and least touristy, in town!

We stayed at Studio King and Queen in the Southern canal area, which was within easy walking distance of both the museum area and the Dame Square sites. Our host was Charlotte, who not only welcomed us personally, but she also baked us a loaf of fresh, warm bread and stocked the refrigerator with coffee, tea and honey and butter. It was so nice after a long flight to have a slab of homemade bread with local honey and nap!

A stay at Studio King and Queen is like staying with a friend in the city, the owner, Charlotte, who lives upstairs, left us a book with all her recommendations for shopping, dining and all the major attractions noted on a large map. We used many of her recommendations and never had a misstep! She spent the weekend at her summer home, but was available to us by cell phone for any issues that might have come up, and she emailed us mid stay to remind us that May 5th is the celebration of Liberation Day in the Netherlands, and she enthusiastically shared directions about where to go nearby see the annual concert and the appearance by the King on the Amstel River! For a hotel in the same area, look into Mercure Amsterdam Center Canal District. But I'm sure it won't come with Charlotte!

A stage and barge set up in the Amstel River to celebrate 5 Mei, liberation celebrations in the Netherlands

Tulips

We had a wonderful afternoon touring the Kuekenhof Gardens, which are about an hour by bus from Amsterdam and only open for a few weeks each spring while the tulips are in bloom. For more information about Keukenhof, please see our report here

Museums

Several of Amsterdam's best museums are clustered around a large park called the Musuemplein, and is home to the popular IAMSTERDAM sign popular with the selfie stick toting crowd! Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time, like most major European museums, the line is always shorter for people who have pre purchased their tickets. You can also arrange to get an Amsterdam City Pass which includes discounts on several major sites and museums. Be sure to check that the sights and activities you want are included on the card you buy! Also consider that Amsterdam is a very easy and small city to get around, much of it can be explored on foot. So you may not use the transportation portions of the pass for touring in a small city like Amsterdam, and the bus to the museums from the airport was only 5 Euro at the time we traveled.

Click on the photo below for a just a minute in the life of the IAMSTERDAM sign!

Rijksmuseum

We made the choice to hire a professional guide through Context Travel. Our Context guide arranged to get our tickets; a visitor touring independently will want to be sure to arrange to buy tickets online ahead of time at the Rijksmuseum site. We discovered Context tours when I was in London and Paris (see our London and Paris reports here) and we found them to be the highlight of our visit to both cities. In each city, experts in art, history and culture are paired with small groups for small group guided tours (or choose to go private by buying a minimum number of spots) Our tour was 4 people and our expert guide, Sabry Amroussi. With Sabry's guidance and enthusiasm, we explored the Rikjsmuseum, recently renovated and curated in a more accessible way for visitors.

The front of the museum, which features a road running under it for bicycles, pedestrians should stay to the right or left for safety!

The Museum was originally designed to look like a church to rival those in other European cities, despite always having been a secular building.. That includes this dramatic stained glass window, that memorializes secular historical figures in art, architecture and commerce.

The new design of the museum places all the "block busters" in the "nave" of the museum, called the Gallery of Honor. This large room designed to look like a cathedral with side chapels, holds most of the important Rembrandt paintings, with Rembrandt's Night Watch in the "altar" piece position. There are also paintings by Veermer, Steen, Hals and Swan and other famous dutch painters. The advantage to this floor plan, is it leaves the rest of the museum refreshingly free of the swarms of tourists interested in just seeing (or taking a selfie with) the most famous works.

Our guide, Sabry, took us to the balcony overlooking a Harry Potter-esque research library, where he explained that as an art historian, he is able to go and request materials and documents to examine during his research.

The museum recently reorganized the works by periods, or interests, as opposed to paintings in one room, sculptures in another, decorative arts in yet another location. Instead, Rikjsmuseum organizes things in a way that more cohesively tells guests the story of the golden age of Amsterdam. As seen in the photos below This gallery contains all of the nautical art work from the Golden Age; model ships, pen and inks drawn by commissioned naval artists and decorative pieces from the ships merchant and naval ships themselves. Also, this museum is not a behemoth like some major European museums and can be explored in a morning or afternoon, without leaving one feeling dazed. If you start feeling overwhelmed, take a break in the beautiful free public gardens that surround the museum! This is a much more approachable way for guests to experience the art and learn more about the Netherlands.

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is also located on the Museumplein, pre purchasing tickets is recommended. This museum is more narrow in focus, following a timeline of Vincent Van Goghs's troubled life from youth to his unfortunate suicide. But his sunny, bright colored art work left me in a happy mood in a museum where the sunlight fills the glass guest services atrium.

Anne Frank House

During our very short, last minute stay, we were unable to get tickets to tour the Anne Frank House. This sober tour of the tiny apartments where teen diarist Ann Frank's Jewish family was hidden during Nazi Occupation is very popular and at this time, admission is only by online advance ticketing. Tickets become available 2 months in advance of the date you wish to visit. Usually, you will be held in a waiting queue online before you can even access the calendar. You'll see a high number waiting ahead of you, but don't panic because it moves quickly when folks realize their time and dates are sold out and they leave the site. You'll need to select your date and time, number of tickets and be prepared to pay for your tickets in the cart immediately, or lose your place.

Understandably, such a popular and tiny place can only accommodate a small number of visitors at a time. Instead of feeling discouraged if you aren't able to obtain tickets, go experience any of these other sights that seek to educate about Judaism or memorialize Jews who were murdered during the period of Nazi occupation; The Jewish Historical Museum, the traditional Jewish Quarter, the small Anne Frank statue at Prinsengracht 281 near the Westerkerk. We were also told by our context guide, Sabry (who is also an expert in Jewish tourism in Amsterdam) that the Portuguese Synagogue in the Old Side is one of the most beautiful 17th century wooden buildings in Amsterdam.

The Anne Frank Statue stands near Westermrkt

Dam Square/Nieuwe Kirk/ Central Station

You can easily explore the touristy area from Dam Square to the Central Station (or reverse) on foot. It's worth downloading Rick Steves' audio guide of the area to get the inside scoop on the architecture and history you might be inclined to walk right by if it wasn't pointed out to you! You can arrange a tour of the Royal Palace (Amsterdam still has a King as Head of State) The New Church across the Dam Square is hardly new, dating to the 15th century, and is worth looking in. At the time we visitied, it was hosting a World Press photography exibit of great interest to us!

1-The palace, 2-wreaths laid for Liberation Day, 3&4-Interior and Exterior of the "New Church", featuring a temporary exhibit of the World Press Photography Awards

Central Station, the main transportation hub in the city of Amsterdam.

One of two towers on the Central Station, this one shows the wind direction, an important parameter for ships sailing into Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Museum/Begijnhof/Spui Square

The area around the Amsterdam Museum and the main road of Kalverstraat is where the canals are wide and the streets are multiple lanes, and Amsterdam looks more like a big city than anywhere else. Spui Square is a leafy, pleasant place to explore or relax at a cafe. We tried twice to find the entrance to the Begijnhof, a cloistered neighborhood where the Beguine nuns once lived. We had an interest in this because our daughter did a research project on the Beguine woman's movement (they were quite progressive!) and we wanted to see this lovely area recommended by Charlotte. Unfortunately, we never did find the entry door to peek into this quiet residential courtyard!

1&2- Views around Dam Square area and Damrak and Rokin 3-Amsterdam Museum

Eastern Canals/Rembrandt Square/ Flower Market/Leidsplein

A little further south, we explored Rembrandt Square, The Flower Market and the Mint Tower.

Rembrandt, in his square...our guide Sabry, explained that after Belgium left the Netherlands, the Dutch lost their claim to Rubens and actively promoted Rembrandt as the "Dutch" artist, during a time in the late 19th when the major European capitals were all promoting their civic pride!

We found the Flower Market disappointing. Despite being peak tulip season, the market appeared to feature mostly cheap tourist souvenirs and very few live flowers (tourists rarely have use for live flowers!) There were lots of colorful plastic flower displays for taking photos and bulbs packaged to travel for sale. Check carefully before buying bulbs that you will be able to bring them through customs in your home country.

The Mint Tower is popular as one of the oldest clock towers in the city, but not just with historians...built in year 1620, which is Euro time that translates to the afternoon time of 4:20 PM, it's also popular place for cannibis tourists to take selfies at...wait for it 4:20 PM!

Western Canals/Jordaan Area/Westerkerk/Anne Frank House

The Prinsengracht canal is reflected on the building that housed Anne Frank and her family during Nazi occupation.

Along the Keizersgracht Canal, a modern monument to homosexuals who lost their lives during WWII is made of a pink granite triangle.

Westerkerk looms over guests on a kayaking tour on the canals

The fashionable "9 little streets" district, crossing over 6 bridges and 3 canals is lined with local shops and cafes in the Jordaan Area

Leidseplein

The Leidseplein is a popular but busy square with lots of outdoor cafes. Tourists from all over the world gather here, and the trams run up and down Leidertraat.

One of many cafes in Leidesplein Photo by KKlofft

Better food and prices at restaruants can be found just north and west of this area around the Southern Canal Belt

Southern Canal Belt

Southern Canal district, with atmospheric bridges and houses.

During a busy holiday weekend, the canals were jammed with traffic headed out to the Amstel River to hear the concert. While it looked like chaos, it was all very good natured!

Vice Advice

Amsterdam has progressive drug and prostitution laws. Whether you want to experience this depends on your interests. Here are our experiences and what sources we used to plan whether or not and prepare for our trip.

Red Light District

We used the advice of Rick Steves in his "Pocket Amsterdam" to decide what we felt comfortable seeing and doing. We did see some groups of young people from all over the world taking advantage of "vices" in Amsterdam, but most of the people we saw in the early evening when we visited the Red Light District seemed pretty sedate and respectful. (Including one large tour group of retired American couples, possibly from a river cruise, looking extremely uncomfortable while touring with a guide through the Red Light Zone!)

We decided we'd like to see this part of the city, which served the many merchant marines that poured into Amsterdam off of ships during it's hey day as a cross roads for trade in Northern Europe, even if we didn't "participate". Prostitution is legal and managed within buildings with small booths with large windows and red lights above the doors. Men wander through the narrow streets and can view women in the windows in their lingerie who are advertising their services. Whether these ladies are entrepreneurs or victims is always an open question. But if you'd like to visit this area, I'd recommend being respectful; we saw ladies draw their curtain if they felt groups of tourists were just "looking" or "mocking" and not "shopping". Certainly, there should be no cameras or selfies taken here! Rick Steves recommends going early in the evening when the area is still well lit at dusk, pick pockets are less active and the clientele is more sober. He offers a good historical walking tour, and an out..."It's perfectly ok to say 'no thank you'." And I'd agree...it's not for everyone, but it is part of the city's culture. But Amsterdam is so much more!

Substances

The most popular substance we saw used was Heineken Beer! There are dozens of bars and cafes along every canal and most folks enjoyed a beer (or other cocktail) while watching the world go by! Our experience was that prices are higher on the most popular squares and that if you walk a few blocks away from the main squares, you can enjoy drinks with all the atmosphere, but a few less people and lower prices!
Another popular Amsterdam activity is a Heineken Brewery tour. We didn't partake in this tour, but the lines wrapped around the building indicate it's popularity!
The substance everyone thinks of in Amsterdam is marijuana, which is legal when used in special "coffee shops". These are pretty easily found in most of the major squares around Amsterdam, by the wafts of smoke coming out of them, (indoor smoking is not allowed anywhere else in Amsterdam) and the special green signage. These shops sell marijuana for use at the cafe, and some also sell edibles, but because of rules, they can't sell alcohol at the same place. We stuck our heads into a couple of these cafes and most looked to us like ordinary coffee shops, except the "barista" would help customers choose cannabis, and instead of hyper caffeinated people on their laptops, there were stoners slumped in booths.
We also read that there are "natural" supplement shops that can legally sell hallucinogens, so long as they are all natural products. We noticed them here and there and they looked a lot like a high end supplement or nutrition shop you'd see at your local shopping mall!
Many local gift shops sell "hemp" in the form of candy bars, lollipops or other souvenirs. Despite the "leafy" packaging, the reason they are legal to sell is because they don't share the same effects as the products at the coffee shops. So don't spend money on them hoping for anything more than a sober laugh! And be careful to check the customs laws before bringing them home as gag gifts for friends!

My overriding advice for any traveler thinking of using any substances anywhere in the world, is to be careful. For us, there was so much to experience in Amsterdam, that we wanted to do that clear headed and safely! Being under the influence of anything (including too many beer samples at the Heineken tour!) is the biggest risk factor for a traveler being victimized by bad actors that operate in any large city. Always be aware of the laws in the place you are visiting, and the risks you take before deciding to partake in any vice!