It’s easy to get carried away in all the excitement preceding your cruise and overlook some details when planning your vacation. The most frequent things that people forget are related to packing. They’re usually not essential things, but it can still be annoying to get up in your cabin on the first morning and find out you’ve forgotten your toothpaste or other similar items.

You might remember, for instance, that you need a wide-brimmed hat to protect you from sunburns, but if your mind starts dreaming of how nice it will be to stroll on the deck wearing your blue hat and how well the colour will go with that of the ocean, you might easily forget your sunglasses. At the other extreme, another mistake some people make is to pack too much. That’s not very wise either, because you’ll be carrying a lot of stuff with you that you might not need at all during the cruise. Here are some useful tips you might want to consider when packing.

Prescription medication is to be taken very seriously – yet people so often leave their medicines at home. You should have your prescription with you too – and a copy of it, if possible. If one piece of luggage gets lost, you’ll appreciate the availability of a backup. An extra bottle of the medication is also advisable, in case you lose the first one. And don’t forget, if you have two of them, they should go in separate bags.

You’ll need more than one bathing suit, for both aesthetic and practical reasons. First, it wouldn’t be very nice to be seen wearing the same suit every day, and second, it’ll need time to dry after you’ve used it. You will have towels in the bathroom, but they will be bath-sized, so if you need large beach towels you’ll need to bring your own. Also add some flip-flops, a pair of sunglasses, and sunscreen to your packing list.

You might want to have a notebook with you, for writing impressions while they’re fresh. Call it a log if you want, and you’ll feel like a sea adventurer.

When you are planning to go for holidays, finding and choosing the right Hotels is quite tricky.

First of all, you don’t really know the destination area, so you don’t even know where you want the hotels to be located. Thus, look into the hotel locations carefully, and find more about those locations.

Secondly, you need to know the facilities and services of the hotels. Looking at the ratings and what customer reviews say will give you illustration.

The third thing is, of course, the prices. If you have hotel preference, that’s fine. But if you don’t have any preferences, you must compare the prices of hotels in the desired locations with the same ratings. You definitely don’t want to stay in a hotel and find out later that a better hotel only a block away from your hotel has a better price. That will be quite annoying.

Now let’s see some choices of locations for hotels in Rome, Milan, Paris, and London.

If you are visiting Rome, you should decide whether you want to choose a Rome hotel that is in the real city center like Via Nazionale, one of the most elegant streets in the heart of Rome, or the one nearby to attractions such as Quirinale, Roma Forum, Colosseum, Piazza di Spagna, Campidoglio, Palazzo delle Esposizioni and Trevi Fountain, or even hotel within walking distance from transportations.

For Milan, you might want to choose Milan hotel in the centre of Milan, at walking distance from Duomo Cathedral, Sforza Castle, Stock Exchange Building, La Scala Thetre, the fashion District, or the one near metro or train stations.

When visiting Paris, you can choose Paris hotel located in the heart of Paris, near the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero, a stone’s throw from the Champs-Elysées and Arc de Triomphe, or the one located in a quiet street within a stone’s throw of Le Jardin du Luxembourg and Place Saint Sulpice.

The same goes to choosing London hotel you want. You might want to a hotel in the heart of Kensington, Knightsbridge and Chelsea, or the one overlooking the Queens Garden, adjacent to the Royal Mews on Buckingham Palace Road, or even near the historic Tower of London and Tower Bridge on its doorstep.

Of course the are much more other hotels with more location. So, choose carefully. Don’t let yourself regretting your choice of hotels during your holidays.

As we are talking about Ireland, we might as well find out what is their special food.  And I found about this Colcannon.  It is interesting, since it is a tradition of food from the old days.  As for the taste … well is there anyone can give us comments here?  Anyway, here what I’ve got from Wiki.

Colcannon (Irish: cál ceannan - white head) is a food made from mashed potatoes, kale or cabbage, butter, salt, and pepper. It can contain other ingredients such as milk, cream, leeks, onions, chives, garlic, boiled ham or Irish bacon. At one time it was a cheap, year-round staple food.

An old Irish Halloween tradition was to serve colcannon with prizes of small coins concealed in it, as the English do with Christmas pudding. This is still done today and small amounts of money are placed in the potato

Ireland is the land of magic. You can just feel it in the air. The Irish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country’s history is almost tangible, and the local folklores are full of magic, fairies, and tragedy. The island’s lush vegetation, a product of its mild climate and frequent but soft rainfall make the name of Emerald Isle. Check out for Ireland Hotels.

Dublin is the capital city of Ireland. Founded as a Viking settlement, the city has been Ireland’s primary city for most of the island’s history since medieval times. With its combination between modern city and its historical heritage, you can see that Dublin is full of legacies. The most impressive heritage is Dublin Castle, now seat of British rule. For accommodation, find the local Dublin Hotels.

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland, under UK. You can see the glimpse of a unique city that has finally begun to celebrate, rather than fight over, its place as a cultural meeting-point of Britain and Ireland. The architectural style of Belfast’s buildings range from Edwardian, such as the City Hall, to modern, such as Waterfront Hall. Find out about the local Belfast Hotels.

Cork, the Irish Republic’s second largest city, is a surprisingly appealing place - you’ll find time passes effortlessly during the day, and by night the pub scene is lively. The town centre is uniquely situated on an island between two channels of the Lee River. Cork’s most famous building is the church tower of Shandon, which dominates the North side of the city. Enjoy more while staying at Cork Hotels.

Galway is nicknamed Ireland’s Cultural Heart (Croí Cultúrtha na hÉireann), and is world renowned for its vibrant lifestyle and numerous festivals, celebrations and events. The city is well known for its ‘Irishness’, mainly due to the fact that it has on its doorstep the Galway Gaeltacht ( an Irish word for an Irish-speaking region). Check the local Galway Hotels for better price and surrounding.

One of my friend told me about Chicago the other day. I don’t know whether Chicago is just another big metropolitan city (considering it to be the 3rd largest metropolitan area in USA). But I found some interesting places. This might be helpful for you (or me) if you are planning to visit Chicago.

Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier. It’s play where children can play and learn about everyday real life, environment, and history. There are exhibits as well as programs. The best thing as the parents can come along, unlike some other similar programs.

Adler Planetarium and Astrology Museum. Opened in 1930 as the first Planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, the Adler fuels the imagination of its visitors with all new exhibits, state-of-the-art computer technology in the world’s first StarRider Theater, while showcasing a renowned collection of historical astronomy artifacts, including one of the world’s oldest telescopes.

WhirlyBall Chicago. WhirlyBall combines basketball, lacrosse, and bumper cars all rolled into one.

Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place. This elegant new venue features an intimate 549 seat theater and spacious lobby and presents musicals year-round.