A is for Airport or drive to the port

It's April so we are joining thousands of other bloggers and are participating in the A-Z challenge. For the A-Z challenge this year our theme is "the A-Z of cruising" where we will provide some hints and knowledge about cruising on the open 
ocean. 

A is for Airport or drive to the port.
Today is the letter A and our title for the day is "Airport or drive to the port" where we discuss the ways to get to the port and which option is best for you.

Once you book your cabin, one of the first to figure out is how you are getting to the ship. Unless you are lucky enough to live within walking distance of the port you will either fly to the city the port is located or drive to the port. Each has its pros and cons.

If you live a long distance away flying may be your best option as you can cover a lot of distance in a short time. Keep in mind though the ship will not wait so include extra time for flight delays. You can always fly in a day or two early and explore the city if you want, however the hotel industry knows when the cruise ships are coming and often raise their rates the night before and the day of arrival. A cheaper option for hotels maybe a hotel near the airport. This is not a bad option if there is a good public transportation system into the city. If you can fly non stop early in the morning of the day the ship leaves that could be an option as well. We have done that for each of our cruises.

If you choose to fly you will then need to find a way to the port. The ports are close to the airports in some cities however in others it is quite some distance. For example Orlando airport is a 45 drive from Port Canaveral where the cruise ships dock. The cruise lines offer transportation from the airport to the ship and costs about $25-40 per person. For 1-2 people it is about the same as a cab ride but for larger parties it will be cheaper to book your own transportation to the port. Uber and Lyft may be an economical choice as well.


If you live fairly close to the port there is the option to drive. Most ports have large parking lots or garages for passengers to leave their cars. Rates vary per port but expect to pay between $15-30 per day. Some hotels will provide free parking for the duration of the cruise if you stay the night before. If you live within driving distance the parking rates may be cheaper than airline tickets plus you won't have to worry about how much duty free booze you can bring home.

Which option is best really depends on your situation. Weigh up your options and see which option is best for you. If you have cruised before did you drive or fly to the port?

A-Z Challenge Theme Reveal

This is our third year of participating in the A-Z challenge. The first year was random stuff and last year was our favourite destinations in Australia. This year we are going with another travel theme and is is the A-Z of cruising. It took a bit of work but we were able to come up with something for each letter. If you haven't cruised before this may answer a lot of your questions and if you have then it will hopefully still be some good reading.

So pack your bags and get ready for your vacation on the open seas.

What is your theme for the A-Z challenge or where is your favourite place to vacation?

Dinner prepared for the work week

Some of you may know that I do most of the cooking at our home. I was home first and had plenty of time to prepare dinner. I was lucky that I had a short commute to work and I got home early in the afternoon so I could relax a bit before tackling dinner.

I recently started a new job that is has a longer commute than before. Most days it is close to an hour for me to get home. The last thing I want to do when I get home is spend 30-60 minutes preparing dinner. Amanda has a long commute and work day so it would be no different for her. So after a bit of thought I decided to try preparing all of the dinners on Sundays, so all we have to do on weeknights is pick the meal we want, heat it up and prepare a vegetable to go with it.

      This is the second week that we have done this and it has worked out great. It takes a little planning and it takes about 2 hours to get all of the meals prepared, cooked and put away on Sunday. However we have enough food for all of our weeknight dinners and many of our lunches. I feel that I save at least a couple of hours a week and when we get home dinner really is a 5-10 minute job at most. I feel this is a great way to prepare great tasting meals and it is a great deterrent from us picking up take away after a long day. Who knows how much money we are saving by not eating out. If you are struggling to find time each day to prepare dinner maybe this is something to consider for your family.

Have you ever cooked several meals ahead of time like this?

 

Saturday Snapshots: Staten Island Ferry

Have you liked our "His and Her Hobbies" Facebook page? If not, click here!

Today we are linking up with Melinda at West Metro Mommy for Super Saturday Snapshots.

When we went to New York City in July we decided to stay outside of the city in New Jersey. It was much cheaper ($80 per night compared to $200-600 per night in the city) so I felt the extra time spent travelling into the city would be worth it. The easiest way travelling into the city would have been using NJ transit which would have dropped us off at Penn Station but we found a more interesting way to get there.

The Staten Island ferry transports people between Staten Island and Manhattan. It runs 24 hours a day and the best part is that it is free. What better way to travel into the city than a nice ferry ride?

They also have parking nearby for $7 a day. Even with the $12 toll to get to Staten Island it was far cheaper than NJ transit or staying in Manhattan.

You also get a great view of the city skyline from Staten Island before your ferry ride.

A close up view of the Statue of Liberty is included along the way. So no need for an expensive boat tour.

About 20 minutes after departing Staten Island you arrive in Manhattan. The ferry station is close to several subway lines and a short walk from Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, World Trade Center and several other attractions.

We loved using the Staten Island ferry to start and finish our day in New York and would definitely do this again on our next trip to New York. Have you ever ridden on the Staten Island Ferry?

Saturday Snapshots: Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

Have you liked our "His and Her Hobbies" Facebook page? If not, click here!

Today we are linking up with Melinda at West Metro Mommy for Super Saturday Snapshots.

Last month we drove to New York for a few days and stopped at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel along the way.

 

 Right before the first tunnel is a gift shop, restaurant and fishing pier. You can see Virginia Beach in the distance about 3 miles away.

The fishing pier is always popular with anglers.

An information board about the bridge tunnel. The length of it is almost 18 miles.

Shellie having her picture taken as a crab.

Shellie and Tim (my sister and her husband)

This is the first of two channels. There is no land visible as the shore line is well over 10 miles away.

Have you ever been on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel or another long bridge?

Saturday Snapshots - Freedom Tower

Have you liked our "His and Her Hobbies" Facebook page? If not, click here!

Today we are linking up with Melinda at West Metro Mommy for Super Saturday Snapshots.

We took a trip to New York City with my sister and her husband a few weeks ago. Among many other things we got to see the completed World Trade Center building. It truly is a magnificent building and here are just a few photos that we took.

The last time we were in NYC was 2011 and the tower was still under construction.

The finished tower dominates the city skyline

Its so tall it is difficult to get the whole building in one shot.

 A close up of the building.

What is the tallest building you have seen in person?

Saturday Snapshots: Lap quilts for the Aussies

Have you liked our "His and Her Hobbies" Facebook page? If not, click here!

Today we are linking up with Melinda at West Metro Mommy for Super Saturday Snapshots.

My sister and her husband have been visiting us in Virginia for the last two weeks. My sister and I decided to make a lap quilt for her husband.

I cut out the squares and my sister sewed them together. Teamwork!

Tim chose the pattern that had beer glasses and beer related phrases. We paired it up with coloured blocks that matched.

 Tim chose the backing as well. It is a microfleece material. It was fairly easy to sew.

Since we were working together we finished Tim's quilt fairly quickly so we went back to the fabric store to get material for a quilt for my sister Shellie.

 She loves Dachshunds so we found a Dachshund fabric and some bright colours to be the solid squares.

The backing for this was a little harder to match but the nice lady at the fabric store found one for us.

 Tim and Shellie displaying their new quilts.

They are heading back to Australia today where it is winter so they should get plenty of use out of the quilts for the next month or two.

 Do you have a favourite quilt for cold winter days?