Planning

Almost anyone who has booked a cruise has been there- you research various different cruise lines and itineraries and in an effort to try and get your attention you are offered a promotion for a free perk.

There are a number of cruise perks out there ranging from on-board or excursion credit, to extra guests sail free, or even the coveted open bar package, and all are used for one particular reason- to get you make that booking today.

We recently sailed on the Norwegian Jewel where we received many promotions as part of our booking on Black Friday, and in this one we want to break down our thoughts on whether they (and others) are worth it when booking your next cruise!

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In preparation for our RTW trip, we had a challenging milestone we needed to meet in order to get rid of all of our non-essential belongings. 

The years of furniture and decoration purchases for our apartment(s) were at an end, and we found ourselves surrounded by dozens upon dozens of items that we had no use for. 

The worst part about it was not that we had so much stuff, but rather that we were “moving” to our parents before traveling – over 4 hours away.  This meant two things. 

1) We had a deadline. 

2) We couldn’t have any big furniture go with us.

To us, selling all of our big furniture was common sense.  We would want nicer furniture in our next place anyway, and could use the extra $1,000 to $2,000 in travel money.  When poised with the alternative of renting a storage locker and spending roughly the same amount in the opposite, negative direction, our choice was simple. 

But for others who are looking to travel long-term, there are a few selling and storage options worth considering for all the items you’ll be leaving behind.

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One of the unfortunate sides of long-term travel is that we alter the subtle details about our lives in a way to fit in and be inconspicuous. 

If two Americans walking around gawking at food and architecture with giant cameras isn’t obvious enough, we really don’t want to draw more attention to ourselves and the valuables that we may or may not be carrying. 

So while we may look like tourists no matter what we try, we do our best to make sure we don’t look like rich tourists, especially ones that would be easy prey for pickpockets and robbery.

When looking at the items we typically carry with us, one stood out as being something that would easily jump out to all would-be robbers.

So sorry, wedding rings, but you have to go.

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