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As part of the relationship and memorandum of understanding between the State of Louisiana [represented by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division (LDWF/LED)] and The United States [represented by the United States Coast Guard (USCG)] in the conduct of the Boating Safety Programs and in the mutual enforcement of laws relating to boating safety on waters within the concurrent jurisdiction of the State and the United States the LDWF/LED has executed the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division Boating Safety and Waterways Enforcement Five Year Strategic Plan which describes the goals, objectives, and strategies to reduce recreational boating crash incidents and deaths for the years 2010-2016. It will serve as the primary framework for programmatic decision-making, budgeting, and program evaluation. It contains and identifies the need for a strategic plan, a description of Louisiana's waterways, and processes to achieve our goals.
Over two million people enjoy recreational boating activities on Louisiana waters which are indicated by the 320,000 registered boats in use on a year round basis as boaters enjoy our mild climate. Louisiana's maze of rivers, streams, bayous and lakes account for 7,409 square miles of inland lakes and 40,679 linear miles of flowing rivers and bayous that makes up the State's inland waterway system. Add to this 1,031 square miles of territorial seas, 7,721 miles of tidal shorelines and over 6 million acres of productive coastal estuaries that provide multi-user recreational and commer¬cial activities that impact this State and in some cases the nation. Additionally, Louisiana's waters transport numerous migratory, big game and small game hunters as well as all types of fresh and saltwater fishermen during the months that most states enjoy their winter vacations. Tens of thousands of documented vessels and non-motorized vessels engage in water related activities that increase user diversification and are growing concerns. As well, recreational boating activities have a 1.3 billion dollar economic effect in Louisiana. Recreational boating supports over 15,000 jobs and generates over 80 million dollars in state and local taxes and over 82 million dollars in federal taxes.
Because Louisiana is so wealthy in natural resources (fish, shrimp, oysters, wildlife, neo-tropical birds, etc.) it is common for vessels to serve as platforms for multi-use activities in this State. We must emphasize that boating in Louisiana is a twelve-month activity that has to be continuously monitored and supervised to insure compliance with required safety requirements and for the protection of human life.
LDWF/LED is responsible for providing public safety services on Louisiana's vast waterways through education and enforcement of criminal statutes. These responsibilities include maintaining and improving public compliance with boating safety laws, investigating all reportable recreational boating fatalities and crash incidents, and enforcing laws restricting the operation of vessels under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and administering the state's mandatory boating education program for operation of certain motorboats. The LDWF/LED also maintains authority for permitting regattas and other marine events and ensuring compliance with boating safety regulations. LDWF/LED regularly coordinates its boating safety and waterway enforcement activities with local law enforcement waterway efforts to direct the state's efforts on Louisiana waterways. These activities recruit new recreational boaters, encourage safe and legal activities, protect property, and save lives. LDWF/LED's ultimate goal is a safe, secure, and enjoyable recreational boating experience on Louisiana's waterways.
The LDWF/LED Boating Safety and Waterways Enforcement Five Year Strategic Plan complements and is derived from Strategic Plan Of The National Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program implemented in 2007.
The National Recreational Boating Safety Program is administered by the USCG with funds derived from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund to ensure "safe, secure, and enjoyable recreational boating experience…" The Fund provides for grants administered by the USCG to states participating in the State Recreational Boating Safety Program. Louisiana is a participant of this program.
By complementing and deriving our goals from the National RBS Plan, Louisiana is not only working to make our waters safer, but the nations waters safer.
The vision of the LDWF/LED is to provide the citizens and visitors of the state of Louisiana with the safest, securest, and most enjoyable recreational boating experience possible while on Louisiana's abundant waterways and coastal areas by providing consistent and exceptional public safety and education.
The mission of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division Boating Safety and Waterways Enforcement Five Year Strategic Plan is to minimize the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage incurred in recreational boating while cooperating with environmental and homeland security efforts. This mission will be fulfilled by implementing programs and activities in boating safety education and enforcement that have been identified as being effective in reducing boating crash incidents, injuries, property damage, and fatalities.
Generally speaking, recreational boating is a fun and safe activity; however, every year in Louisiana people are involved in boating crash incidents, but most importantly people die in some of these boating crash incidents. In recent history, Louisiana has one of the highest fatality rates among states with at least 100,000 registered boats. These deaths and crashes are preventable. The LDWF/LED is committed to reducing the boating crash incidents and fatalities by a two-pronged effort. The first effort is through boating safety education. The second is through enforcement of boating safety laws and regulations. LDWF/LED agents make sure that boaters carry the proper safety equipment (like personal flotation devices and fire extinguishers) and operate safely and carefully – and soberly. This two pronged approach is the guiding principle of our strategic goals.
Objective One: Increase the number of boating safety education successful completions.
Strategy 1-1.1—Continue to grow partnerships with boating organizations, volunteer groups, and schools to increase the number of boating courses available and increase the number of volunteer instructors across the state.
Strategy 1-1.2—Become more aggressive with marketing and notification of location and times of boating education courses so that the public is informed of where and when they can complete a course.
Strategy 1-1.3—Work to implement boating safety course promotional days by partnering with businesses in each of the enforcement regions to provide promotion items, food, drink, and facilities for specially designated boating safety courses throughout the year.
Strategy 1-1.4—Increase voluntary compliance with the states mandatory boating education law.
Objective Two: Increase awareness of Safe Boating Practices
Strategy 1-2.1—Promote a branded message for issues such as life jacket wear, alcohol-use, completing a safe boating course, etc. For example, "Wear It Louisiana!"
Strategy 1-2.2—Target geographic areas that have historically higher incidents of crashes and/or fatalities to increase boating safety awareness utilizing local businesses, boating organizations, and volunteers.
Strategy 1-2.3—Develop a message from law enforcement by increasing the presence of law enforcement officers on the water to act as deterrent and provide on-the-water messaging to deliver branded messages.
Strategy 1-2.4—Increase cooperative partnerships with businesses i.e. marine dealers, alcohol beverage distributors, marinas, etc. to fund and support marketing and outreach efforts that promote safe boating practices, information on vessel security zones and other relevant homeland security and boating safety issues.
Objective Three—Promote life jacket wear
Strategy 1-3.1—Identify at-risk populations utilizing drowning data captured by the Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) System and develop a marketing strategy utilizing the results of the Survey of Louisiana Resident Boat Owners to encourage the at-risk population to increase their life-jacket wear rates.
Strategy 1-3.2—Develop a relationship with the Louisiana Marine Dealers to disseminate life jacket wear information and promote the use of life jackets.
Objective One—Increase Voluntary Compliance with Navigation rules and safety equipment through effective and efficient patrol effort
Strategy 2-1.1—Utilize the NASBLA Navigation Rules Training Program to train new officers in Navigation Rules and identifying/documenting navigation rule violations.
Strategy 2-1.2—Enhance enforcement effort of navigation rules and use media messages to increase voluntary compliance.
Strategy 2-1.3—Work with and educate prosecutors and the courts on navigation rules violations, the implication the violations have on boating crash incidents and their role in overall compliance with boating regulations.
Strategy 2-1.4—Evaluate incidents of non-compliance with required safety equipment and target problem compliance areas through increased enforcement patrol, education, and public awareness campaigns.
Strategy 2-1.5—Continuance and expansion of distribution of safety equipment check sheets, posters, and brochures of required and recommended safety equipment carriage for display and dissemination at point of sale locations and marinas.
Objective Two—Ensuring Boating Crash Incident Reporting Data Accuracy and Completeness
Strategy 2-2.1—Improve incident report training by implementing the NASBLA Boating Accident Course as a regular part of officer training. Provide clear and concise incident reporting criteria, including definitions, procedures, and guidance. Continue to provide new information to all officers through in-service training.
Strategy 2-2.2—Increase public awareness of boating crash incident reporting requirements so a more accurate analysis of boating crash incidents in Louisiana can be obtained.
Objective Three—Reduce Boating Under the Influence Boating Crash Incidents and Fatalities
Strategy 2-3.1—Track and identify trends in alcohol use in boating by geographic area using the BARD data and DWI apprehensions by officers to determine areas to schedule proactive enforcement patrols.
Strategy 2-3.2—Continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to conduct concurrent land and water enforcement patrols, i.e. from the boat to the launch to the road and promote these patrols through the media.
Strategy 2-3.3—Partner with statewide alcohol beverage distributors to fund awareness campaigns on responsible alcohol use while participating in recreational water sports.
Strategy 2-3.4—Continue to provide in-service training to officers in BUI detection as well as train officers on the newly validated Standardized Field Sobriety Tests suitable for use in marine law enforcement.
Strategy 2-3.5—Develop and implement a strategy to educate prosecutors and judges throughout the state on the newly validated Standardized Field Sobriety Tests suitable for use in marine law enforcement.
Strategy 2-3.6—Continue and increase publicizing in all avenues of the media several high profile, high visibility patrols we conduct during holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc. Continue and increase participation and publicizing of the national BUI event Operation Drywater.
Objective One--Review and evaluate annually BARD data, compliance data, patrol/public contact data, and boating education data to measure to evaluate if plan objectives are being met.
Strategy 4-1.1—Review and identify annually USCG BARD data to track trends in causes, factors, etc. related to boating crash incidents and fatalities.
Strategy 4-1.2—Review and identify annually department data on boating safety compliance via citations, public contacts, patrol hours, DWI arrests, etc.
Strategy 4-1.3—Review and identify annually department data on successful completion of boating education courses.
Objective Two—Implement changes necessary annually to meet the objectives of the plan. Assess and update the plan in five years.
Strategy 4.2-1—Create a working group comprised of members of the enforcement division and the boating community to come up with new strategies and tasks to reach goals listed in plan.
Strategy 4.2-2—Evaluate the final data after the five year period to re-evaluate goals and update plan for next five years.
Objective One—Maximize efficiency and outputs associated with funds received in support of boating safety and waterways enforcement activities.
Strategy 5-1.1—Provide proactive boating safety enforcement patrols in concert with core mission responsibilities of fish, wildlife, ecosystem, and homeland security activities (primarily maritime security).
Strategy 5-1.2—Utilize equipment and training received in concert with other core mission responsibilities, in support of boating safety and waterways enforcement and education.
Objective Two—Seek new, continued, and creative funding sources.
Strategy 5-2.2—Continue to seek partnerships with business and industry to fund outreach and marketing programs.
Strategy 5-2.2—Continue to partner with boating organizations, dealers, and schools to sponsor boating safety education courses.
Strategy 5-2.3—Work nationally to increase RBS grant dollars available to states.
Strategy 5-2.34—Coordinate and maintain memorandum of understanding with USCG; coordinate activity as needed to support boating safety and waterways enforcement activity.


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Jewish World Review Nov. 9, 2012/ 24 Mar-Cheshvan, 5773
Ecclesiastes on a bicycle
By Paul Greenberg
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The old boy walked the bike out the door of his house in
It was hard to tell which golden view high above the winding Arkansas River he preferred. One after another, the great oaks were turning into splendor. He knew others would burst forth any day. He tried to pick a favorite tree on his route. He decided it would be the next one to turn. As with all good things, anticipation may be the sweetest part.
It had been hot, dry summer for so long, all this was still new to him, as it is every blessed year -- the early morning cool, the crackle of the leaves, the scent of fall itself, like a lover returning. ("Had you forgotten me? Did you think I'd forgotten you? How could you!")
These days he needed a thin jacket for the morning ride around the neighborhood. October had come as a relief from another summer that refused to end and confirmed that all this surreal beauty hadn't been part of just an imagined past. By November, it was the vivid present -- the fresh breeze, the unfolding palette of autumn colors. Welcome back! Fall was bustin' out all over.
The leaves were already starting to fall in the yard and invading the oddest corners of the house. How do they do it -- manage to infiltrate in such numbers and in so many places ... it was a mystery to him. (So much was.) But it happened every year. He didn't mind picking them up, not yet. They were a welcome sign the seasons still change. Some things were right with the world.
Last time he'd taken
Men still make the mistake of assuming the future will be but a projection of the present. If we paid more attention to the past, we might know life is just full of surprises, some of them less than pleasant.
Why do we think of peace as the natural state of things and war as an interruption, when it could just as well be the other way around? Why do we speak of the Thirty Years War and not the Thirty Years Peace? We speak of the historic Civil War, not the historic civil peace that came before and after. As if peace, too, did not require heroism, sacrifice, self-discipline and daring stratagems.
Those who built the high house at Lakeport could not have foreseen the devastation about to come. In the 1850s, cotton was bringing an average of
Old times there are not forgotten. You can almost hear the fiddle music, the laughter of the young of all ages, the basso profundo of a steamboat comin' 'round the bend to pick up the bales. Nothing is ever lost, certainly not in these parts. Here, as
The high, two-story house set in the midst of the cotton fields was a testament to the Delta's antebellum prosperity and the promise of still more to come, with its 17 high-ceilinged rooms, two-story portico, tapered white columns, eleven-foot-high wood-paneled doors, the 26-foot-long entry hall ... all of it supported by great cypress beams from the adjacent wetlands. With high cotton came high times. What grand entrances must have been made here, what elaborate courtesies extended, what weddings celebrated!
How could the master of the grand house, the good
The tax rolls from 1860 to 1865 tell the story: from pride-and-plenty to Nothing to Declare. Now, with the grand house restored after many years of neglect, you can almost see the ghosts out for a stroll in their pre-war finery. Or waiting to greet you at the top of the grand staircase. As if made for a grand fall.
Things change. And change back. The old boy on his bicycle in the peaceful present breathed deep. And shivered. All was perfection and yet ... it wasn't. He should have been enjoying the ride. And he was, but only in an abstract way, the way you do when you know how you're supposed to feel but don't, not really, not all the way through. He should have been refreshed; instead he was resentful.
Why on earth? Why on this golden earth? It took him a moment to understand. It wasn't the fall he resented. Never. How could anyone not love it? No, it was something else. It was the passage of time -- unrecoverable time. The intimation of mortality.
How he was going to miss all this. He missed it already. How he missed those who had gone before, those who had shared many such a season with him, their breath forming a little mist in the early-morning air as they threw on their coats, laughing and smiling, out to enjoy the day. The girls with their mums pinned on their warm jackets, out to cheer at a football game, returning with color in their cheeks. What has become of them all these years later?
The sun shone, but a shadow fell. The beauty of the physical world only brought the old truths home: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die....
Once he had put the feeling into old Ecclesiastes' words, it was gone. It was resolved now. Words will do that. They resolve. And he was free to enjoy the brisk air, the warmth of the jacket on his back, the old neighborhood all new again in its fall wardrobe. And off he pedaled.
For there is nothing better than to enjoy the now. Just as The Preacher in the Good Book had advised. The bountiful Now is all we've got, and it is more than enough. Certainly this time of year in
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text:
Blush Main Floral Pink Sparkle
Make 4 interest-free payments of $1.49 fortnightly and receive your order now.
Calculate Shipping
Postage - $6.50
Blush designs by My Mind's Eye quilt fabric for Riley Blake features main flowers on pink with rose gold metallic accents
- 1 unit = 25cm x 112cm ( if you prefer a FQ of 50cm x 56cm, please leave a comment at checkout)
- 2 units = 50cm x 112cm
- 3 units = 75cm x 112cm
- 4 units =100cm x 112cm
- 5 units =125cm x 112cm
- 6 units =150cm x 112cm
- 7 units =175cm x 112cm
- 8 units =200cm x 112cm etc
Brand new cut fresh from the bolt, 100% cotton.
Kept continuous if more than one unit purchased as shown in guide above.
Suitable for quilting, patchwork, home decorating, applique, cushions, scrapbooking , and general sewing.
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text:
Well done. He's a pricey little one.Now all you have to do is rip that cumbersome card off and set him free
BTW, I've got an extra NRG from a throw-in on old trade Chris, but it's on a Tri-Logo card which I'm assuming is not of interest to you. Not sure if it's C-9+ either, but could check if you're interested. LMK, and keep up the good hunting!
Now just take those price tags off real carefully...
I'm really only looking for US version only to complete this set. If it were a loose collection then that would be a different story. Thanks for the offer Matt.
I've heard a million different ways in trying to take those price tags off of figures, but what really is THE best way to remove it without damaging the card or bubble (bubble in this particular case)
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More like this in » Seeds, Printed Materials
Printed Plant It® Paper Beer Mats / Wine Coasters
ref: 1292947
Plant your paper and watch it grow! Perfect for showing your eco credentials, and much cheaper than sending flowers through the post! These items can be used as beer mats or wine coasters, and are printed in full colour to one side. They are made from 130gsm white seeded paper (bespoke shapes are available at extra cost). The prices shown are for wild flower seeds, but herb mix seeds are available at extra a small cost. Shelf Life: 5 years
To get a quote based on your personal customisation requirements, please click 'Get a Quote' to enquire with our sales team, or request a call back.
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Because each master sheet of seeded paper is handmade, the end result is a totally "Green" environmentally friendly product made from recycled post consumer material that has an immediate impact on anyone receiving the paper. There are however some limitations that should be noted:
1) Printing must be light and limited to no more than 20% - 30% covering on both sides (Front and Back). Greater ink coverage can be printed, but it will affect the germination of seeds and cost.
2) The border (print margin) for any text must be a minimum of 10mm on the front and a minimum of 20mm on the back. Please note the paper can move during printing and borders may vary by +/-1 mm.
3) Bleeds are only possible on the front side only and a bleed of 5mm is required for cropping.
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Graduation ceremonies this week are bringing down the curtain on a momentous, sometimes wrenching school year for the Anoka-Hennepin School District.
Heading into summer, students and staffers describe change and growth in a district that drew widespread attention for problems with bullying -- although there's still much to do.
A defining moment arrived in March, when the district settled a federal investigation and a lawsuit over charges that it had failed to respond adequately to bullying of students who were gay or perceived to be. The agreement set up a five-year partnership between the district and the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education while calling for a series of educational and other steps.
Greg Brooker, who oversees the civil division at the U.S. attorney's office in Minnesota, called it "the most comprehensive and detailed school harassment agreement in the history of the Department of Justice."
Before that, the district had already stepped up efforts against bullying and scrapped a policy that had become a flashpoint: the "neutrality policy," which required teachers to remain neutral on issues of sexual orientation. The move to replace it highlighted deep ideological divisions within the community, as evidenced by heated testimony at school board meetings.
All of this played out under a national spotlight, and as the district continues to heal from the suicides of seven students between 2009 and 2011; friends and families identified three as gay and bullied.
When the settlement was reached, federal and district officials said they hoped it would serve as a model for schools across the nation.
A look at where things stand as the school year ends:
Post-settlement: Early steps
The district is continuing to examine its policies and procedures, with help from the Great Lakes Equity Center, a federally funded resource at Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. It also is in the process of hiring a Title IX consultant and a mental health coordinator, as called for under the settlement. Additional training for staff members is in the works.
In March, Anoka-Hennepin officials had said the remedies would cost the district about $500,000. This week, Associate Superintendent Jinger Gustafson, who has overseen the district's bullying prevention efforts this year, said Anoka-Hennepin will meet the requirements of the settlement and keep students safe.
Students: It gets better
Interviews with three dozen students at Andover, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids high schools found a more inclusive culture at schools.
"You want to be friends with a lot of people, and not have people not like you because you're talking crap about someone that's gay," Champlin Park senior Kelsey Stover said.
Many students said they never had experienced bullying personally but knew someone who had. They said they felt more aware than in previous years of where to go if they needed to talk, about problems with bullies or other issues. They also said the student suicides had made them more aware of the power of words to wound.
Several students said the media attention unfairly cast a shadow on the whole district.
It "made us look like trash," Coon Rapids sophomore Madison Niskla said. "They blew everything out of proportion and made it look like a horrible place to go to school. And it's not. We have issues just like any other high school."
Teachers: More training
Teachers Martha Pedersen and Jefferson Fietek, who were early critics of the neutrality policy, said more training is needed to help staff understand policies and how to implement them. They praised a CLIMB Theatre production in January that presented vignettes of situations and how teachers might respond.
Pedersen said she appreciates Superintendent Dennis Carlson's efforts to hear out students in the Gay-Straight Alliance club she has mentored for 14 years.
Opponent's view: Bad precedent
Kathy Tingelstad, the lone school board member to vote against the March settlement, resigned the evening it was approved. She said she stands by her contention that implementing it will cost far more than the district has claimed so far and that it sets a dangerous precedent of federal involvement in local schools.
"The majority of the people who live in Anoka-Hennepin are supportive of my position," she said. "I've heard from hundreds of them. Literally, that's without any outreach at all."
Members of the Parents Action League, which led the opposition to policy changes in the district and blasted the consent decree, declined to comment for this article. The league had said that scrapping the neutrality policy would open the door to gay activism in the classroom.
District: Working together
Gustafson said she thinks centralized training helped create a sense of shared purpose and values.
She acknowledged that the district's work has been contentious but said she understands why adults -- especially parents -- are passionate.
"That's because their students are their most prized possession and they are going to advocate for their student."
At the time of the settlement, the district maintained that its staff members acted appropriately but said it seemed a better path to settle and focus on helping kids than to continue litigation
An outside voice: Lessons gained
Officials elsewhere have been paying attention. Keith Lester, superintendent of the neighboring Brooklyn Center School District, said Anoka-Hennepin's experiences serve as a lesson on many levels.
"It brought home the severity and the concerns around bullying and specific to sexual identity," he said. "I like to think that I'm pretty aware and sensitive of it, but you don't think of it on a day-to-day basis, in the classrooms, in the hallway, on the buses, everywhere."
Even if a district has the right policies in place, he said, people have to know them.
He said Anoka-Hennepin's ability to hear out people of different ideologies, then take action, was a lesson in leadership during a time of political antipathy.
"You have to listen to everyone, and then you have to act within the law. Then you have to act on behalf of the kids."
Plaintiff: No regrets
Dylon Frei started his freshman year at Anoka High School as one of the six current and former students who were plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the district. He's ending the year feeling stronger and safer.
"Kids are more aware that what they did was wrong, and that we should all be there for each other," he said. "Teachers are more aware of what kids are doing, and more aware that kids need teachers need to deal with these types of situations better."
The outcome of the suit, he said, has "given me more strength to learn that it does get better. If you fight for what you believe in, it will make your life way better and you'll become stronger as a person."
Maria Elena Baca • 612-673-4409


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Let Me Speak!: Testimony of Domitila, a Woman of the Bolivian Mines
Monthly Review Press, Jan 1, 1978 - History - 235 pages
First published in English in 1978, this classic book contains the testimony of Domitila Barrios de Chungara, the wife of a Bolivian tin miner. Blending firsthand accounts with astute political analysis, Domitila describes the hardships endured by Bolivia's vast working class and her own efforts at organizing women in the mining community. The result is a gripping narrative of class struggle and repression, an important social document that illuminates the reality of capitalist exploitation in 1970s Bolivia. Domitila Barrios de Chungara was born in 1937 in the Siglo XX mining town in Bolivia. She became politically active in the 1960s and, in 1975, participated in the UN International Women's Year Tribunal in Mexico. In 2005 she was nominated alongside 999 other Peace Women for a collective Nobel Peace Prize.
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"My people are struggling to reach socialism" By sally tarbox on 21 Dec. 2017 Format: Paperback This narrative of Bolivian social activist Domitila de Chungara can't be called great literature - but ... Read full review
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able agents answer anymore army arrested asked baby Barrientos began better Bolivia Bolivian pesos Catavi Central Obrera Boliviana Cochabamba COMIBOL committee compa compaheros Corocoro crying daddy daughter Domitila door dynamite Escobar everything example father gave give grabbed gringos grocery store guerrillas happened Hernan Siles Zuazo Housewives Huanuni hunger strike husband jail Jehovah's Witnesses Juan Jose Torres kids killed leaders leave live Llallagua look massacre miners mines night Norberta numbers organized Oruro participate peasants pesos a day political pretty prison problems Pulacayo radio repression rock pile sehora shouted Siglo XX sisters situation soldiers solidarity someone speak stay struggle suffered talk tell terrible there's things thought told took Tribunal truck Uncia wages who'd wives woman women workers Yungas
References to this book
Gender Planning and Development: Theory, Practice and Training
Caroline Moser
No preview available - 2002
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Women and Social Change in Latin America
Elizabeth Jelin
Snippet view - 1990


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Five Essential Tips for First-time Cruisersby Paul Motter | 10.15.12
How to find the best cruise ship for your personal style and save money.
This is a great time for a first cruise, and if you are like most you will say "if I had only known how great it is, I would have started cruising years ago." What makes cruises such a great value? The cruise business model depends on filling up ships at almost any price because most people will spend much more money once they get on board. When the economy went bust many people cut back on vacations, but the cruise lines adapted by offering even lower fares, but maintaining the same great quality of food and service.
Once you understand how the cruise lines make money you will understand how to save money on your cruise. Here are our top ten cruise tips and why they work.
Are you a first-time cruiser looking to use these tips? Talk about it in the First-Time Cruisers forum.
Rule #1: When to Book Your Cruise
This is a complicated topic, but the simple answer is to book a cruise during low-demand time periods. Summer vacation is when cruises are most expensive. The long post-holidays winter season from January to May is also pricey, especially for Caribbean cruises. The September to November period is when you will find the best bargains - especially in the Caribbean.
Other cruise regions; Alaska, Europe, Asia, etc. tend to be cheapest when fewer people want to go there. For Alaska cruises, which are only offered during the summer, look at the "shoulder seasons" in May and September. You take a chance on having colder weather, but the cruises are cheaper and the ships and ports of call are less crowded.
Rule #2: Last Minute Cruise Bargain Realities
Do not be impressed by any cruise agency that claims to have exclusive access to "last minute cruise discounts." It's pure hokum. The quoted price for any cruise should be the same no matter where you look because that is what the cruise lines mandate. Cruise lines forbid any one agency from selling cruises cheaper than everyone else because they do not want any one agency dictating prices. Whether you book direct with the cruise line, online at the cruise line or Expedia or at the local travel agency on the corner the price should be the same every place you look. Now, there may be a few exceptions, but they are just that – anomalies. If a travel agency is advertising "lower than lowest prices" they are either breaking the rules or not being fully honest in what they tell you.
The biggest fallacy is travel agencies that compare their rates to "brochure rates." No one has paid the "brochure rate" for a cruise in almost 10 years. Even the brochures now show two price quotes, the "brochure rate" and the real price. Brochure rates are as outdated as buggy whips so don't even look at them.
But there are such things as "last minute bargains" – but there is just no such thing as "exclusive access" to those bargains. You can find them anywhere, and I recommend looking on the actual cruise web sites first for the most accurate prices; Carnival.com, RoyalCaribbean.com, Princess.com, etc. But after you find them I recommend you call a travel agency, and I will explain why further below.
The only true last minute cruise bargains comes when a cruise ship is close to sailing away on a specific cruise date and it still has too many empty cabins. This varies week to week, meaning prices on the same ship and itinerary can also vary week to week by big amounts. Although this is hard for some people to grasp, the best way to get a real cruise bargain is to be date flexible and look for the cheapest cruise in a given time period.
Here is a real price list for a singular (Carnival 7-day Caribbean) cruise, same ship and itinerary each week, the only difference being the date the cruise begins.
Sail Date
July 15, 2012
Sold out
August 12, 2012
Aug. 26, 2012
Sept. 9, 2012
Sept. 23 2012
As you can see – this is the exact same cruise repeated on regular dates. But if you sail in July (summer vacation season) the price starts at $609 inside. If you wait until summer is over and book the September cruises the price is much cheaper - you can get a balcony cabin for less than the price of an inside cabin. Remember; same ship, itinerary, stateroom, entertainment, food… everything except the sail date.
So, is the "last minute cruise" your best bargain? Absolutely not, in this case it is the worst deal. The best deal is September 23rd and there is another reason for this; the "full payment is due" factor.
When people select a cruise they put down a deposit as low as $100, but the additional full payment is due anywhere between 60 and 90 days before the cruise sails. Before full payment is due the people can cancel the cruise without penalty, and many do. When I got the numbers above the "full payment due date" had just passed for the September 23rd cruise. Lesson: look for bargains on any cruise 75 to 90 days away from its sail date for good bargains. Now last minute cruises (which I define as those sailing next week) can also be very good bargains if the ship is relatively empty. But if it is nearly full they will actually charge MORE to let you onboard. Why? Because they know that anyone who wants that specific ship must have a reason - friends or relatives on board, so they will pay extra.
However, there are other risks with last-minute bookings: If you need to fly to the port, it may be difficult to get an inexpensive flight because many cheap airfares require a 21-day advance purchase; also, you will probably not get the cabin category of your choice on the ship and will have to settle for whatever is available.
Rule #3: Watch for Special Offers but Book with a Travel Agent Cruise lines have figured out something in the last few years - sales and special offers sell cruises. In the past cruise lines would advertise the product with words like "pampering, luxury, escape, etc." - but they kept prices fairly constant all the time.
In the old days sales were rare, but once prices dropped they tended to stay down. It is different now - and we have especially noticed this with Princess Cruise Line. About once a month they will drop prices significantly, up to 35%, but just for a few days. The rest of the month they raise the prices back to the original fares.
I highly recommend that you subscribe to the newsletters for your favorite cruise lines at their web sites. You will get offers by email for discounts. Norwwegian Cruise Line (aka "Norwegian" or "NCL") also holds a lot of sales - almost every other week. On the other hand Holland America, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean holds sales more rarely, but the prices tend to stay lower on average. Still, it is to your adbantage to register with cruise lines and stay informed about their special offers.
But once you find that special deal, we recommend that you call a travel agent to book the cruise. We have no problem with people who want to book directly with the cruise lines – but a qualified cruise travel agent can save you money in unexpected ways with their advice. In fact, many agents will give you a special gift just for booking with them such as onboard credit, a bottle of champagne, etc. An agent will act as your advocate if something goes wrong with the cruise. Or if you miss your plane you just make one call, to your agent, they will call the cruise line and the airlines and find you a new flight. Most importantly, it does NOT cost you any more to book with a travel agent. The cruise lines pay 100% of their commissions. Some agents may charge you a fee to book your air, but not if you book the air supplied by the cruise line.
You can also go to our "cruise deals" section in our message boards - we try to post as many cruise sales as we see there.
Rule #4: Drive Rather Than Fly Many cruise lines have staterooms that sleep three or four people. Watch for specials where additional people (the third and fourth guests) sleeping in the same stateroom as two adults can sail for half-price or even free. It is actually very common and a great way for a person to try a full cruise for next to nothing. While it may be a bit crowded at times, the savings more than compensate for the lack of elbow room.
There are more cruises than ever departing from "close-to-home" ports such as Boston, New York, Bayonne (New Jersey), Baltimore, Charleston, Jacksonville, Tampa, New Orleans, Galveston, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco and Seattle. You can save a lot of money by driving to a cruise rather than flying – especially if you have a family of four or five people.
The best vessels for families are the newer and larger ships with extensive children's facilities; look for water parks, activity centers, teen discos, video arcades, kiddy pools and all kinds of supervised activities for kids. Parents get a more relaxing vacation because the kids are kept separate and busy, and best of all, there is generally no extra charge for these kid's facilities on ships.
Rule #5: Watch the Onboard Charges and Know the Fixed Costs Ships are "cashless" societies; everyone gets a room key which also acts like a charge card for onboard purchases. Everything you purchase goes onto your room account and you get a bill at the end of the cruise. This includes shore tours, spa services, alcohol, casino gambling and gratuities.
While cruise lines generally say "all-inclusive pricing," there are many costs not covered by the cruise fare. These include sodas and alcoholic beverages, spa services, specialty dining venues and shore tours. You can save money on tours by booking them online with private companies like viator.com before the cruise. Or you can hire taxis, take the train or just walk.
Spa services are nice, just keep in mind that a massage on a cruise will cost about $120, almost double what you pay for a top quality massage on land (and triple the price of a cheap "chain store" massage).
If you must buy something in a ship gift shop, wait until the last day of the cruise when most of the stores put their merchandise on sale.
Gratuities for your waiters and room steward are charged at the end of the cruise and in general cost about $10 per passenger per day. On some ships you can have these removed, but please do not do this unless you truly feel you had terrible service. Add in the cost of gratuities when you are planning the cruise.
However - do keep in mind that penny-pinching can go too far.
The temptation by most first time cruisers is to try to do everything as cheaply as possible. If you are not sure you will enjoy a cruise you can always book a lower category cabin, such as an inside cabin (no windows or verandah). These staterooms usually sell for as little as $50/day per person and include food, ports of call and entertainment. If you don't like the cruise you haven't lost much. If you do like it then the next time you might try a more expensive balcony cabin.
Naturally, it makes sense that if you paid to cruise in Europe you should see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You paid to get to Italy, after all. But if you have to walk to a train that makes local stops it could take all day. Instead, you can get a tour from the ship that visits Pisa and Florence with a tour guide. Make the most of your limited time in port by planning your time carefully and keeping value and margins of error in mind.
Also – I recommend not drinking too much. Yes, it's fun the night before, but you don't want to miss the next port of call due to a wicked hangover. How much you drink is up to you, but the cost of alcohol can really add to your cruise costs. If you plan to drink a lot you can do that at home.
Also be very careful about flight times; do not book a flight that has you arriving in Miami at 3:00 the day the ship sails. If you miss the ship it's your fault, even if the airline had a delay. Many people who live on the West Coast fly into Miami a day early and stay at a hotel - remember that the East Coast is three hours later than the West - so if you have a five hour flight leaving California at 7:00 a.m. you still won't hit Miami until 3:00 p.m. But a "redeye" flight leaving at midnight with a two-hour layover will put you in Miami at just about the right time to go to the port and board the ship.
Even More Cruise Tips Here!
Those are our ten rules for first time cruisers, but for even more knowledge on making the most of your cruise I suggest the section of our web site called "Cruise Secrets." It includes 10 individual in-depth articles on how to get the most out of your cruise and your cruise dollar.
Are you a first-time cruiser looking to use these tips? Talk about it in the First-Time Cruisers forum.


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Now, a team given little chance to contend is World Series bound.
In stunning fashion, the Marlins rallied behind rookie Miguel Cabrera's four RBIs and Josh Beckett's four stellar innings of relief to claim the National League pennant with a 9-6 victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night in the decisive Game 7.
From the time Jack McKeon took over as manager on May 11, the Marlins performed with a quiet confidence and unwavering calmness through a season packed with adversity. On May 22, the team was 10-games under .500 and had endured a managerial change from Jeff Torborg to McKeon.
"To come from what we came from, to have all the adversity we had, it makes it that much sweeter," Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said in a champagne-soaked clubhouse. "This has been incredible."
For the second time in the club's 11 seasons, the Marlins are National League Champions. They now seek a second World Series championship to go along with the one they captured in 1997.
"It's a tremendous group of young men," said McKeon, who took over a 16-22 club on May 11. "When I took over, I just told them, 'Guys, if you want to work hard, pay the price and dedicate yourselves doing all the little things necessary to winning, we'll be able to play in October.' "
With the improbable comeback, the Marlins joined the 1985 Royals, '86 Red Sox and '96 Braves as the only teams in LCS history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a pennant.
The unpredictable NLCS was hardly the matchup of strong pitching that was expected. Game 7 stayed true to form as there were four home runs. The series set an LCS record with 23 total home runs, breaking the mark of 22 set by the Yankees and Mariners in the 1995 ALCS.
Cabrera, the sensational 20-year-old from Venezuela, drove in four runs, as he did in the decisive Game 4 of the Division Series against the Giants. The rookie gave the Marlins an early lift with a three-run homer off Kerry Wood in the first inning.
"When I hit it, I thought 'Oh, my God,' " Cabrera said. "I saw it go."
Performing at a level well beyond his years, Cabrera went 10-for-30 (.333) in the NLCS with three home runs and six RBIs.
But the MVP of the series went to veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who had an RBI double and set an NLCS record with 10 runs batted in for the series.
"We did it," said Rodriguez, a 10-time All-Star with the Rangers who is going to the World Series for the first time. "We beat two great teams to get here [San Francisco and Chicago]. We'll enjoy this for a couple of days, and we'll get ready for the World Series.
"Since the first day of the regular season, I never give up. When we got the lead against Kerry Wood, I started feeling some good things and look at where we are."
In a partying postgame clubhouse, players embraced, doused each other with champagne and puffed on victory cigars.
Organizing a personal moment, Rodriguez toasted McKeon and let the 72-year-old manager know the Marlins still have work to be done.
"Jack, we love you," Rodriguez told his manager with Marlins teammates around him. "You have what you want. To be in the World Series. And we are going to win it for you."
While Marlins starter Mark Redman struggled, giving up five runs in three innings, McKeon turned to two other starters for strong relief. Brad Penny, who took the loss in Game 2, tossed a scoreless fourth inning and Beckett gave up one run in four innings.
Penny was credited with the win, and Ugueth Urbina worked the ninth for the save.
"I pitched one inning, and Josh came out and did more than he should have been asked to do," Penny said. "He deserved the win more than I do."
Making the achievement more impressive was that the Marlins defeated the Cubs' two sensational starters on successive nights -- something that had not been done to the duo all season. Wood suffered the loss Wednesday, giving up seven runs in 5 2/3 innings. On Tuesday, Florida defeated Mark Prior in Game 6.
Beckett, who tossed a two-hit shutout in Game 5, was again spectacular, retiring 12 of 13 batters he faced.
"I did what I had to do," said Beckett after the Marlins won for the third time in four games at Wrigley Field. "Jack was going with the guy who is throwing good. I'm throwing good. He gave me the ball, and I feel like I did good."
In a see-saw seventh game, the lead changed hands three times in the first five innings.
With a game plan of laying off Wood's breaking balls away, the Marlins ran the right-hander's pitch count up to 100 through five innings. Pinch-hitter Brian Banks led off with a walk and Luis Castillo walked with one out. Rodriguez's RBI double pulled the Marlins to within 5-4, while it gave the catcher an NLCS record for RBIs in a series with 10.
Rodriguez has hit safely in all 11 postseason games.
"We were down, 3-1, in games, and we had an uphill battle," Lee said. "When Josh won [Game 5], we were flat. He pitched a shutout, put us on his back and carried us. What this team is all about, is we pick everybody up. The first few games I disappeared. Then I got some hits."
The Marlins padded their advantage to 7-5 in the sixth on Castillo's infield RBI single off the glove of reliever Kyle Farnsworth. The run was charged to Wood, who was lifted after 5 2/3 innings. Wood, who had a no-decision in Game 3, gave up seven runs on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
Jeff Conine singled to open the sixth inning and he came home from third on Castillo's hit.
In the seventh, the Marlins increased their lead to 9-5 on Alex Gonzalez's two-run double off Dave Veres. Gonzalez was 2-for-23 in the NLCS before lining his two-base hit to left-center.
The Cubs, however, kept battling. And with two outs in the seventh, Troy O'Leary delivered a pinch-hit home run off Beckett. The blast ended a string of 12 straight Cubs retired by Penny and Beckett.
"I have to tell you, Josh retiring 12 of 13, he is so locked in right now," Marlins pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal said. "He's throwing nothing but strikes. I was thinking of going two maybe three innings with him."
Facing the Cubs for the first time ever at Wrigley Field, Redman worked three innings, giving up five runs on five hits. A 14-game winner in the regular season, Redman relies heavily on off-speed pitches and working the corners. He does allow fly balls, and at Wrigley Field that can prove hazardous, as it did when he surrendered a pair of two-run homers to Wood and Moises Alou, giving Chicago a 5-3 lead.
Wood delivered his two-run shot to even the game in the second, and in the third, Alou went deep to left.
Outscored, 12-0, in the first inning heading into the decisive game, the Marlins scored in the first for only the second time in series.
Cabrera's first-inning, three-run homer on a 1-2 pitch gave the Marlins immediate momentum. Juan Pierre opened the game by smacking a triple to deep right field. With one out, Rodriguez fell behind two strikes, but worked a nine-pitch at-bat that concluded with a walk.
Cabrera crushed a fastball to left-center and onto Waveland Avenue for his third homer in the series at Wrigley Field.
With a 21st birthday in April, Cabrera is not even of drinking age. So as his teammates were drinking and spraying each other with bottles of bubbly, the rookie stayed in the corner.
"Oh no, I don't drink," he said. "I stand back and watch."
The rookie earned the right to step back, he repeatedly stepped up in the series.
Before the players exited the clubhouse, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria addressed the team.
"We have four more games to win," Loria said.
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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One last thought about first years. This month marks my first anniversary at Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro, and I've learned a lot about the business in just a short time.
I've developed a great respect for the men and women who make a living in the fitness industry and whose mission is to improve the health of the people who come to their facilities. However, some of the problems that have hurt the industry's reputation (many of which I've reported on) are some of the same problems I've experienced first-hand this year.
I don't consider myself a club shopper, but one day, on a whim, I took a quick tour of a well-known fitness club. All I wanted was a tour, but the manager at the front desk was eager to show me the club's membership rates. He even did the classic cross-out-the-price move and circled what would be my discounted price if I joined that day. This was the same tactic I saw spoofed in an episode of "Family Guy."
While I was talking to the club manager, a member walked up to him and asked if his coat had been brought to the club's lost-and-found box. The manager could not find the coat, so I could only assume that it had been stolen. I've reported on many club thefts in the past year, some more serious than a missing coat. So, in the 10 minutes I was in the club that day, I experienced two ills of the industry: the fast-talking, aggressive salesman and a lack of club security.
Recently, I attended a grand re-opening of a local nonprofit fitness facility. I had heard about its multi-million-dollar investment in equipment and its upgrades to its locker rooms. Still, as I self-toured the facility, I felt as uncomfortable as most non-gym goers do when they walk into a club for the first time. Overall, the facility was a confusing place in which to walk around, with long, narrow hallways and cramped stairwells. Plus, the amount of new equipment just didn't excite me, and the locker room didn't have nearly the "wow" factor I had anticipated.
Surprisingly, my favorite fitness facility experience from the past year came at a hotel fitness room. The room wasn't too big but had plenty of equipment, especially for me. There was a short wait to use the treadmills and ellipticals on the Friday morning that I was there, but on Saturday morning, the room was pretty wide open.
After my second workout, I went into the locker room (with a key given to me at the front desk), took a shower and used both the steam room and hot tub. It helped that there was nobody around at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday, but I felt comfortable, especially since most of my personal belongings were locked away in my hotel room. There was a small fee for the use of the facility, but it was worth it.
I hope to broaden my club experiences by visiting more clubs this year. The only way to truly know what's going on in the industry is to get out there and do it.
But I still have trepidations. In this issue, we have a follow-up story about more fitness franchisees continuing to struggle. Also, with recent reports of for-profit clubs receiving low marks from gym goers and member complaints increasing at an alarming rate, this industry still has a lot of room for improvement.
Quite simply, knowing what I know after reporting on the good and the bad in this industry for a year, I would not want to join a fitness club right now, and I certainly would not want to own a fitness club. If I think that way, then how do you think the general public feels about fitness clubs after reading about thefts, unexpected closings and bankruptcies? Before I will change my mind about this industry, I need to see some change. After all, I'm from Missouri, the "Show-Me" state.


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How to Use the Images
Photo 2
(General Services Administration)
This image was taken from the five-story tower of Portland's first high school about two years after the federal building's completion. When the government purchased land for the new federal building in 1869, citizens criticized the site because it was several blocks from what was then the commercial center of Portland on the banks of the Willamette River. However, when fires destroyed areas of the downtown in 1872 and 1873, businesses began relocating away from the river, and thus closer to the site of the federal building.
* The image on this screen may print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 1.


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The Red Hat OpenShift Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) now supports Java Enterprise Edition (EE) 6 and, as such, becomes the first Java EE6 implementation in a PaaS model. Powered by the JBoss application server as an element of the JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, Red Hat's ace in the hole here is a simplified route for application developers to build and deploy Java in the cloud.
OpenShift is described as a free PaaS for open source developers looking for a faster on-ramp to the cloud with built-in management and auto-scaling capabilities. Red Hat has positioned OpenShift as a means of enabling developer focus to rest on coding applications while leaving stack setup, maintenance, and operational concerns to a "trusted hosted" service.
First announced in May 2011, OpenShift supports an arguably attractive blend of open source languages, frameworks, databases, and clouds, including Ruby, Python, Perl, PHP, Java EE, Spring, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, MemBase, and Memcache.
OpenShift Java EE 6 support is based on JBoss Application Server 7, an open source JBoss Community project. Red Hat reminds us that JBoss application servers are Java EE-certified; this provides a "cloud-ready architecture" with a lightweight footprint and dynamic container model — and this in turn leads to better multi-core processing and multi-tenancy.
"With this announcement, Red Hat has solved multi-tenant problems with its expertise in providing full-stack support. Combining our technology expertise from the hypervisor through the operating system and middleware to the cloud, our technology is integrated to allow for easier development of applications with free Java EE in PaaS," said Brian Stevens, CTO and vice president, Engineering at Red Hat.
Content and Dependency Injection (CDI)
By delivering JBoss in OpenShift, developers can take advantage of Java EE 6 and use Content and Dependency Injection (CDI), a standards-based, modern programming framework that makes it easier for developers to build dynamic applications.
Red Hat says that CDI offers a more robust set of capabilities, including eventing support and typing, delivering optimal flexibility for programmers. Additionally, as an open standard, more vendors support and contribute to the specification, allowing developers to have their choice of programming approaches without vendor lock-in.
"While developers and enterprises have long been interested in the time to market advantages offered by PaaS platforms, the difficulty of migrating existing applications to incompatible frameworks has slowed adoption," said Stephen O'Grady, principal analyst and cofounder of RedMonk. "With EE6 available by integrating the JBoss application server technology, Red Hat's OpenShift platform is aimed at allowing enterprises to transition their existing Java EE applications and skills to the cloud with zero friction."