By Land or By Sea Show

Segment 1: Cruise Ship and RV Preview

It's all about cruising by land or by sea in this show. Cruise ships, like boutique hotels, are a treasure trove of ideas you can implement into your own home. Taking a cruise is also a great idea for multi generational families. The ships provide something for everyone. Residential cruise ships are also offering timeshare "condo" units aboard that feature more refined interior decorating as opposed to the party cruise ships which have lots of bold colors and glamorous accoutrements. There are cruises tailored for everyone including themes for kids, gambling, heavy metal cruises and even nude cruises! In our second hour we will be talking all about RV's and the amazing advancements they have made in making them the ultimate home away from home.

Segment 2: Cruise Ship Stories

Christopher talks about his decorating cruise which he took place when The Christopher Lowell Show was airing. It featured Christopher teaching classes on decorating, instruction on his seven layers of design as well as another meeting where he answered questions. Although Christopher did not enjoy all parts of the cruise, having first class accommodations with a deck to eat on made all the difference in the world. A good tip to know is when you add a third person to a cabin it's only an additional $500. Split three ways you can get a great bargain and cruise seven days for about $1200.

Segment 3: Guest: Joe Farcus, Interior Ship Architect

Guest
Joe Farcus
World Cruise Network

Joe Farcus has been the interior ship architect for Carnival Cruise Lines for almost three decades and designed nearly 40 ships. To plan, coordinate and engineer the design of a ship from beginning to end can take five years. If it's an existing ship, the process is much shorter with several months in design and a year and a half for construction. Joe is designing the experience, not simply the structure of cruise ships. Because a person stays aboard for so long, Joe likes to make a variety of different designs emulating a resort community rather than a resort hotel. The cruising experience is much more sophisticated than years ago since they are competing with other forms of vacation entertainment. The cabins should be a peaceful sanctuary away from the public spaces and Joe tries to make them technically work well, such as the beds high enough for a suitcase underneath, to be able to shave and put on your makeup well, and have plenty of closet space. Joe is busy with several more ships coming in the next few years and the designs will only get better.

Segment 4: Kelli's Cruise Tips

Kelli is an experienced cruise passenger, having gone on annual cruises for the past nine years. She has some great tips to share:

1. Spend a little extra to get a stateroom with a balcony. It makes a world of difference. Have coffee on your own deck in your cruise provided robe in the mornings. It's wonderful to sit and enjoy the deck at night as well.

2. When it comes to dining, know that you can change your dinner arrangements if you're not happy. For example, you can change from late seating to early seating or from a big table to a smaller one. Put your request in with the maitre'd after the first nights dinner. Be sure to tip him!

3. Many people don't know that you can have the nightly dining room selections delivered to your stateroom if so desired. Also, take advantage of the breakfast "room service". Fill out your selections the night before on provided checklist and your food will be delivered in the time frame you have selected. It always comes on time!

4. Spa treatment times fill up quickly, so make that one of your first stops when you get on the ship to make appointments. However, toward the end of the cruise they will cut prices for treatments, but availability will be limited.

5. Cruises are about relaxing. Pack comfortable shoes to walk around the ship and at ports of call. You'll be walking a lot!

6. Casino slots seem to be "loose" on the first night, but then tighten up during the rest of the time. Can't prove it, but has been my experience!

7. Explore the ship! There are so many hidden places to relax. Also, when in port, allot some time to stay on the ship when everyone else is gone. It's a great time to enjoy the pool.

8. Remember, it's easy to "sign your life away" on the ship. There is no cash, so be aware that that bill can be scary at the end of the trip if you're not keeping track. You may wish to check out the running total half way through your trip which can help with choices in the remainder of your time on board. You can also buy local beers in port and bring them back on the ship which can save money.

9. If you're adventurous, skip some of those organized port excursions and do it on your own. Local taxi drivers know the flavor of the city, and can take you to special places off the beaten track. Also, they will take you to the same tourist spots that the organized group trips do, but you'll save a lot of money and have more freedom to explore.

10. "Formal Night" is not mandatory, but can be a lot of fun if you like to dress up. Also, to help with packing lightly, men can rent tuxes on the ship.

11. Bring a large thermos or plastic drinking bottle to fill up with coffee and water, etc. Great for taking to the gym or for walking around the ship. They only provide small glasses and coffee cups.

12. Participate or at least be a spectator for some of the cruise activities. Play team trivia in the library or try the ping pong contest! You'll make new friends and get a good laugh. The hairy chest contest by the pool is always a hoot. Also, pack a deck of cards or travel scrabble to enjoy on the lido deck with your family.

13. Pictures that the ship takes of you, for instance at dinner or on formal night, will usually be discounted on the last day, so hold off until then to purchase.

14. Hit the different lounges, the piano bar, etc. There are so many great entertainers and the décor is always unique and inviting.

15. Ask questions of your wait staff, room stewards, etc., about their homeland and how long they've worked on the ship They are such nice and fascinating people who usually have great stories to tell, and they are working so hard. Don't be stingy with the tips at the end of the trip. They deserve it!

Segment 5: The RV Phenomenon

Peter Greenberg jokes that an RV is like a gas station on wheels, but also brings up the point that we are a nation that won't be denied our travel trips regardless of cost. Anyone considering purchasing an RV should rent one and learn how to operate it first because the size is something that really takes time to get used to. There are so many different RV campgrounds across the nation; you can find them nearly everywhere you go and don't necessarily need reservations. It used to be that the majority of RV people were retired, but the typical age has dropped dramatically and the parks are now filled with people in their forties. For a family of four you can spend more money if you total the amount for airline tickets, rental cars, hotel rooms and meals out. Gas would have to be $14 per gallon before the cost would be equivalent with all these things considered.

Segment 6: RV Living Fulltime

Amy and Brad Herzog, along with their two children, RV every year and called in from Washington State en route to their next destination. Twelve years prior Amy and Brad, a newly married couple, decided to sell what they owned and buy an RV, with the hopes of selling a book about their travels afterwards. They traveled that first year and fell in love with the RV experience, traveling in their Winnebago Adventurer RV. When kids came along they continued and every summer they take their RV to different destinations along with their two children. Brad has written several books and articles about their lifestyle.

Amy talked about how enjoyable it is to spend time with her family during these trips. Brad creates scavenger hunts for the kids at many of their destination and they can also look on the itinerary to see what fun things they will be seeing and exploring that day.

The costs for a family of four are much less, especially where eating out is concerned if a person was on a traditional vacation. With a full kitchen on the RV, cooking does not differ from being at home. Park fees usually run around $30 per night, which includes water, electricity and is far more reasonable than the cost of hotel rooms.

Guest
Peter Greenberg

Segment 7: Field Trip: Inside an RV

Our producer, Ellen, took a field trip for us so we could explore what it's like inside an RV. Gary Arendts and his family took her on a tour of their 2007 Newmar Kountry Star Diesel Pusher. Check it out:

It was a beautiful RV complete with a king-size bedroom, full kitchen and lots of room for a family and friends.

Although it's a 34-foot RV, it expands when parked via hydraulic slide-outs, which are located in both the front and the back of the vehicle.

The interior features leather captain chairs and other leather seating in the kitchen and dining area. The fabric on the window treatments and dinette seating is color coordinated with the exterior of the RV. The kitchen features a full stove, oven and microwave and an enormous refrigerator/freezer. The design includes a Corian countertop and hardwood cabinetry.

Gary and Tawny chose 12-inch, ceramic tile for the flooring in the front of the RV and carpet for their bedroom.

The bathroom area is also very large, with a porcelain toilet room, separate from the shower and sink area.

Many safety features are now included in the design of RVs including remote controlled visors on the windows and cameras on the side and in the back of the RV. The TV monitor in the front cab area is hooked up to the cameras, helping the driver navigate in heavy traffic. Backing-up is also made easier by looking at the TV monitor and guiding the RV through a set of dots on the screen, thus ensuring one is driving in a straight line!

Gary and Tawny complete their RV experience with four plasma TV screens, three of which can be viewed while driving. The fourth TV is located outdoors, perfect for their BBQ parties.

Christopher and Kelli then chatted with Beverly Bodner, who lives full-time on her RV with her husband, Robert. Avid "RVers" for over 30 years, they recently sold their home and their belongings and moved on board. Christopher asked her if she had any regrets and Beverly replied, "absolutely not."

Like the Arendts, Beverly and Robert have every amenity you can think of in their 40-foot "mini-mansion on wheels." They even have a washer/dryer on their home!

They travel about the country, stopping and going as they please, gassing up at truck stops, and spending their nights and days in the many area RV sites now available around the country.

The Lowell Down

Tips on how to bring home the ideas:

• Take photographs of all the details you like along with your basic vacation photos. Bring an extra memory card, just in case you run out of room.
• Take close-ups of the item you like so you can see the detail, but also take medium shots for context reference.
• Isolate the item you're interested in as much as you can and try to get photos without the distraction of people in them.
• If you feel you'll need a scale reference for later use, photograph the item with something you might already have at home like a coffee cup or a piece of fruit.
• If you like the whole room, take a panorama of the space by standing in the center and turning every few feet until you've photographed the entire room. When you develop or print the pictures, tape the sequence together for a complete picture of the room.
• Bring a tape measure. Often the height of a bar, how much they crammed into a small space or the length or width of something might be critical in duplicating the idea at home.
• Once home, print out your photos and draw directly on them or photograph the room you're looking to design and trace the items you've photographed from your vacation onto the photo print.