48 DAYS TO GO . . .

     SUNDAY MARCH 6, 2011

     NOW I START TO MOVE INTO WHAT I'LL CALL THE "LITTLE THINGS", IN SIZE, BUT MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOME OF THE BIG ONES.  A BIG CONCERN FOR PEOPLE IN A CRUISE SHIP STATEROOM IS LIGHT AT NIGHT.  I'VE HEARD SOME TRULY CREATIVE WAYS OF MAKING NIGHT LIGHTS FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR LITTLE ONES. 
     ALTHOUGH MOST CABINS ON A CRUISE SHIP ARE ON THE OUTSIDE AND HAVE EITHER PORTHOLES OR VERANDAHS, LIGHT IS STILL A CONCERN.  OUT ON THE OPEN OCEAN, NIGHTTIME GENERALLY MEANS PITCH BLACK.  AND MOST PEOPLE CLOTHES THE DRAPES TO THE OUTSIDE BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING TO HIDE THAT EARLY MORNING SUN AS IT STARTS CREEPING OVER THE HORIZON.
     SO FROM SUNDOWN TO SUN UP AND LATER, HOW DO YOU SEE TO MOVE AROUND IN YOUR ROOM.  REMEMBER, IT'S NOT JUST YOU IN THERE, THERE'S AT LEAST ONE MORE.  ON A DISNEY CRUISE, ODDS ARE YOU'RE TRAVELLING WITH YOUR FAMILY, WHICH CAN MEAN 4 OR 5 PEOPLE IN YOUR STATEROOM.  YOU CAN'T JUST TURN ON ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO FIND YOUR WAY.  WELL YOU COULD, BUT YOU MAY NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT. 
     SOME PEOPLE LEAVE THE BATHROOM LIGHT ON AND ADJUST THE DOOR ACCORDINGLY TO GET JUST THE LIGHT THEY NEED TO SEE AT NIGHT.  OTHERS TRY CLOSET LIGHTS TO FIND THEIR WAY.  SOME ACTUALLY BRING NIGHT LIGHTS TO PLUG IN IN ONE OR MORE PLACES.  THE PROBLEM THERE IS THAT THERE AREN'T A LOT OF OUTLETS IN CRUISE SHIP STATEROOMS, SO NOW YOU HAVE LESS IF YOU'RE PLUGGING IN NIGHT LIGHTS.  USUALLY PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR OUTLETS TO CHARGE THINGS, SO YOU'RE DEFINITELY CHARGING AT NIGHT.
     YOU CAN'T BURN CANDLES OF ANY KIND ON A CRUISE SHIP FOR FIRE HAZARD REASONS (I JUST HEARD BIRTHDAY CANDLES ARE A NO NO TOO!), BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE USING "FLAMELESS" CANDLES NOW FOR BOTH SCENT AND LIGHT.
     ONE OF DISNEY'S LATEST INNOVATIONS IS AN ACTUAL BUILT IN NIGHT LIGHT OF SORTS.  ONE OF THE LIGHT SWITCHES OVER THE DESK CONTROLS A CEILING LIGHT THAT HAS TWO OPTIONS.  FULL LIGHT FOR WHEN NEEDED AND A SECOND SETTING FOR A DIM BLUE LIGHT FOR NIGHT LIGHT PURPOSES.  IT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT NO ONE HAS COME UP WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR SOONER, BUT AT LEAST IT'S MADE IT ONTO THE NEWEST SHIPS.  THE MAIN REASON WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MUCH FEWER INSIDE STATEROOMS HAVE LITERALLY NO NATURAL LIGHT.  SO WITH THE LIGHTS OFF, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN BEING IN A CLOSET WITH THE DOOR CLOSED.  BLACK AS NIGHT.  SO IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO NEED IT, OR AT LEAST EXPECT YOU MIGHT, PLAN ON SOME EXTRA LIGHT FOR NIGHT.
     OUR 4TH MOVIE IN SUCCESSION IS "DUMBO".
     SEA YA REAL SOON!   ºOº