Before setting sail, the most common thing I heard from those who have cruised in the past, was You can eat all you want, at any time! Hmmm&with the amount of overweight individuals on the ship, my response to that statement was best expressed by my brother-in-law: Just because you can doesnt mean you should. The amount of food wasted on The Mariner of the Seas could have fed a third world village.

Trinkets and Trash --two words that can sum up the shopping experience in a tourist area. Nothing you see in a tourist trap is something necessary to make your life any better. Even the high quality good deals presented by the Discover Shopping Guide are an indulgence on par with the late night snacks at the 24 hour dessert cafe. For the most part, you see mass produced junk. Generally speaking, every store is the same, or at least stocked by the same suppliers.

The port at Nassau, Bahamas had the roach motel of tourist traps. We couldnt get into the country without passing through a series of trinket store that reminded me of the areas surrounding military installations in Korea&.stores full of cheap junk. Read more