Tag Archives: Things

Great Lakes Cruises – Bring Along These 7 Things to Make Your Cruise Great

by admin on 25. Oct, 2011 in Model Ship Museum

tall ships pictures

Image by Jpek, 2007-07-24 14:51:12

A good digital camera, preferably one with both wide angle and telephoto lenses is a must for taking pictures of all the scenery, whether you are on a fall color tour, a Tall Ship tour, a golf tour or another. Also bring along extra batteries and an extra memory card or two. There are small hard cases available for memory cards and a spare set of rechargeable batteries and inexpensive charger can help ensure your holiday memories can be captured.

2. Layers of clothing. The weather on the Lakes can change quickly from hot and balmy to chilly. Bring a couple of extra layers of clothes so you can add or subtract a layer to warm up or cool down. Pack your clothes in soft sided luggage (on many cruise lines, this is a requirement.) You will want jeans, shorts, maybe a dinner dress or jacket and tie.

3. Bring a couple pairs of shoes, one pair for onboard the ship and another pair of walking shoes for on shore. Great Lakes cruise ships stop at a number of beautiful and interesting places. You will want to walk around. For onboard shoes you want something with soles that have enough grip to hold the deck and keep you from slipping if there is dampness. For onshore, you will want comfortable shoes that are sturdy enough for walking, but comfortable enough to let you be on your feet all day.

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4. A good book. What better way to spend your vacation than sitting in a lounge chair reading a good book and enjoying the sunshine and the gentle sounds of shipboard life? There are a number of electronic book readers available that can hold many thousands of books and might be a good choice to bring along. On the other hand paperback books are inexpensive and if you lose one on the trip it probably won’t be a financial hardship.

5. Anything like medications, contact lens fluid, sun block or tanning fluid. While you can purchase many items on onboard many cruise ships, you may be limited in selection, and you may be unable to get prescription medications. Please remember that all prescription medications need to be in an original bottle with the original label that shows the name of the person that the prescription belongs to. Without this label many cruise lines will not allow you to bring the medication on board.

6. A power strip to add extra outlets in you cabin (if the cruise line allows it), an air freshener for your cabin, your own bottled water or soft drinks. Power strips are handy guide to bring, but you must be absolutely certain that your cruise line allows it. Many cruise lines do not allow you to bring extra electrical appliances such as electric ears or electric irons. So please be certain before you pack your bags the things you’re trying to bring our allowed on board.

7. Your companion, spouse or significant other. Great Lakes cruises are much more fun when shared.

For a vacation unlike any other, please visit the Great Lakes cruise blog at Great Lakes cruises
http://www.greatlakescruiseguide.com

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Model Ships: 4 Things To Consider While Choosing A Seller

by admin on 02. Jun, 2011 in Model Ship Gallery

buy model ships

Image by Telstar Logistics, 2008-07-27 10:49:21

Trafalgar Square is one of the most important heritage sites in London. It is visited everyday by thousands of tourists. The fact that a model of the HMS Victory has been put up at Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, speaks volumes about the large scale popularity of model ships. As a result of this popularity and the surging demand from customers who want to buy these model ships for a variety of reasons, the number of sellers has also been incessantly multiplying.

However, not all sellers are credible. There have been many cases in the past where buyers ordered a model ship and got a replica that looked very different from the original. There are many sellers who will commit to a time frame and not stick to it as well. So how does a buyer identify a professional and reliable model ships seller? Here are some tips to help you make the distinction.

Telltale Signs Of A Professional Model Ships Seller

A professional seller is as good as the services it provides. More often than not, the service quality is evidence enough. All you need to do is to follow the clues. Here is specifically what to look out for:

Choice: A professional model ships seller will provide you with a wide variety of choices. The choices may be in terms of materials, sizes and the resultant prices. These companies are generally equipped to meet your needs, no matter what they are. If need be, they can custom make model ships for you.

Convenience: Professional sellers usually make things very easy for you. They will ensure that you have the right level of knowledge to feel confident enough to buy. They will also ensure that your task of comparing prices is executed easily. If you are having a tough time finding information or making a purchase, the seller is probably not very professional.

Experience: Experience is the most apt indicator for the capability of any professional model ships seller. There are many sellers who will claim that they understand your needs and are capable of meeting them. However, very few can actually execute on this. The ones that do execute remain in the business for long. Experience is therefore highly correlated with quality.

Reasonable Price: Professional sellers will ensure that you have enough resources to make your price comparisons. They are confident about their prices and the value that you will see in them. If the price is excessively high or excessively low, there is room for suspicion. It is possible that the seller may be inexperienced or may sell sub standard model ships to you.

Apart from these points, you should also pay attention to the non-verbal cues. If the seller seems too eager to sell, reconsider your decision. Such sellers have the habit of pressurizing customers into making a wrong decision.

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Top 3 Things We Ignore While Buying The HMS Surprise Model

by admin on 09. May, 2011 in Model Ship Museum

model ship museum

Image by Mr. T in DC, 2009-09-06 16:06:45

The HMS Surprise has had a colorful past of being used in the UK Royal Navy, US museums as well as Hollywood Blockbusters like The Pirates of the Caribbean. This is the reason why many people want to buy a model of this ship to keep as a memento in their homes or offices. While most customers will ensure that they bargain on the price, they sometimes sideline quality issues. When quality issues are sent to the sidelines, you can imagine the plight of tertiary issues like packaging and insurance. These are ignored outright. Sellers who are aware of this try to cut costs by providing sub standard service here, hoping that no one will notice. However, if you read the testimonial section of any model ship selling website, you will see complaints about receiving broken models and neither party taking responsibility. It is therefore advisable that you pay attention to these smaller issues at the beginning itself and prevent the bigger issues from happening.

Buying HMS Surprise: Issues Often Ignored

Here is a list of the minor issues that may become major problems is not taken care of at the right time:

Packaging: Your model of the HMS Surprise may have to travel the oceans to reach you. It will pass through many hands before finally settling in yours. This makes packaging very important. You should ask the seller about the precautions they take to prevent any damage to this fragile item. There are usually three layers of packaging. The ship is wrapped with a poythene bag and is then placed in a thermocol box, which will absorb all the shocks that are expected to occur in transit. The thermocol covered HMS Surprise is then placed in a carton.

Insurance: No matter how much one tries to prevent damage via measures like packaging, there remain elements that are out of our control. How does one ensure that the expensive HMS Surprise does not take a beating in this process? Well, ask your seller if they are insured. Technically, the ownership of the HMS Surprise passes on to you only after it is delivered to you and you have signed for it. If it is damaged in transit, the insurance can make good the loss and you receive a new model. Getting oneself insured is a worthwhile investment.

Payment Terms: Some sellers may offer you a lower price for your custom built HMS Surprise, but they may ask for the payment upfront. There have been cases in the past where people have been defrauded in this manner. The HMS Surprise model that they were waiting for never arrived. To protect yourself from such fly by night operators, ensure that you use an escrow account. Also, ensure that you make part payments only. This also should be done only after verifying that the company has been in existence for a long time.

The HMS Surprise is a sophisticated ship. Making a replica requires skill as well as expertise. Buying from novices is not recommended.

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