Traveling with Medications

How to Pack Medications

This topic often comes up, and due to changing rules, it's advisable to check before every flight.
Here is the info from the TSA travel tips today/

TSA link to travelling with medications click here  Info below is taken directly from this TSA link.

• You can bring your medication in pill or solid form in unlimited amounts as long as it is screened.

• Medication in liquid form is allowed in carry-on bags in excess of 3.4 ounces in reasonable quantities for the flight. It is not necessary to place medically required liquids in a zip-top bag. However, you must tell the officer that you have medically necessary liquids at the start of the screening checkpoint process. Medically required liquids will be subjected to additional screening that could include being asked to open the container.

• You can travel with your medication in both carry-on and checked baggage. It’s highly recommended you place these items in your carry-on in the event that you need immediate access.

• TSA does not require passengers to have medications in prescription bottles, but states have individual laws regarding the labeling of prescription medication with which passengers need to comply.

• Medication is usually screened by X-ray; however, if a passenger does not want a medication X-rayed, he or she may ask for an inspection instead. This request must be made before any items are sent through the X-ray tunnel.

More tips added: at 21 April post + Wake/Sleep cycle

Head on over to 21 April posting. Scroll down & select "Older Posts" or look at the right column on this page and select APRIL.

Pre-travel sleep cycle hints:

For the East Coast travelers you may wish to adjust your sleep cycle 2-3 days before Saturday's flight.  For example, try going to bed at 9:30am and waking 5am the first day, then going to bed at 9am and waking at 4:30am or even 4:45am.  (West Coast: I apologize...it's tougher for you).

Turn on all the lights in your home. Turn on the TV.  Jump on the computer.
Take your morning prescriptions at 5am.
Do this on the day of your departure.
Then when you are on the plane, keep your watch at your home time until after you reach 4am.  Take your morning pill (it will be 10am Ireland time).  For those of you arriving before 9am in Dublin, you may wish to take your pills right before landing, even though it is early in the States.
When you arrive in Dublin, do not take your pills, if you took them on the plane.
After your first night in Dublin, take your pills when you awake.  Now you are on the correct cycle.

Activate AIRPLANE MODE.  Once you land, phone remains on Airplane Mode, 

AND. next step, in Settings turn on Wifi so once you connect to Wifi you can use WhatsApp.

You may wish to turn Wifi on in the plane, if you are using a Wifi package. 

This is also necessary on Princess to use the INTRANET on Princess@Sea.

DINNER/SLEEP/AWAKE on international flights:

Normally dinner is served approximately 1.5 hours into the flight.  So eat dinner before boarding if you have an evening/late departing flight.  Then choose what to eat (or not) on the served dinner.

Here's a photo of this morning at

daybreak from The Villages, FL

Resist the urge to jump into a movie after dinner.  Maybe you'll have time before dinner. Take a walk before trays are picked up. Have more water/beverage.  AND try to sleep.  

I remove my makeup & apply moisturizer.

The plane environment is extremely dry.

Use a sleep mask, turn on low volume music app or plane channel of relaxing music.  

Your goal is to try for 4 to 5 hours of sleep on an 7-8 hour flight.  Upon waking watch or finish your movie!

Good luck!
LAND TOUR: Once you arrive at the Grand Hotel in Malahide, there will be a separate room open to the public while waiting for your room to be ready for check-in.  But do keep moving, walk the city, and most of all, fight the urge to sleep.

Wednesday, 15 MAY 2019

Your body will thank you on Monday.  And you will sleep better on Sunday night.
See you in Dublin!

Foreign Exchange Rate: these are bank rates, ours won't be quite this good for buying currency.

HANDY CARDS >

Crown Princess Ships Cam

It's fun to see where the Crown Princess is today.
Take a peek.
https://www.princess.com/bridgecams/ Click here then on Crown Princess name

Here's where the Crown Princess was as of 2pm today, 8 May.  7pm in Scotland.

MONEY, money, MONEY

Currency Discussion here>

The question of how much Euros for overseas travel is always difficult, because of each individuals spending habits.  I know some of the couples are only bringing 250 Euros and depending on credit cards with no foreign transaction fees for places that accept them.  If you do have a Master Card or Visa with zero foreign transaction fees, I think you may be okay with 500 euros or less.  If you think you will spend 100 Euros a day, then 1000 euros is the answer.



If you decide to dine at the hotels for dinner, you can close out the account with a credit card when we depart the hotel. Unlike the US, the Irish hotels have excellent restaurants.  Especially the 4 and 5 star hotels where we have reservations.  But you will spend more on food at these places than in pubs or cafes.  Of course breakfast is included, except for on Sunday 19 May when we are checking in.

I would save 50 euros x 2 persons for Terry’s tip at the end of the tour as a minimum.  Other tips to waiters, are the bill rounded to the next dollar.  For instance, if you bill at a bar is 18.24 euro, you would pay 19 euro.  If you leave to much, the waiter may be offended as they are paid a good salary to be a professional server.  If your bill is 15.98 euro, you could leave 17 instead of 16, your choice.



If you order room service at a hotel, a 1 euro tip is fine.  If you have more luggage than the 1 per person which is included in the tour price, then a 1 euro per piece is customary for the bellman.



You won’t receive any coins when you order foreign currency.  But at the first coffee stop, café, or bookstore, you can buy something small and receive coins in return.



The Euro coins are very much like American coins, with denominations including 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 euro, and 2 euro.  Bring a separate coin pouch to separate these from your bills.  Sometimes I am so slow looking at the coins that I hold out my hand and let the cashier pick the right ones!

Euros for the Republic of Ireland and France.
Pounds for Northern Ireland, Scotland, Southampton, and Guernsey.

Photos from my Ship Inspection - Crown Princess

Early in April I was at my cruise conference in Fort Lauderdale.  

I had been really bummed when I learned the ship inspection aboard the Crown Princess had been changed to the Caribbean Princess some months before.  

Although they are sister ships, there are some noticeable differences. 

As the motorcoach approached the Princess terminals I noticed the Caribbean Princess and the Crown Princess were docked at neighboring terminals.  Our coach stopped in front of the "Crown" so you can imagine my delight.  Then the business manager came over to us and apologized, Princess had wanted us to tour the Caribbean because she has the new Medallion smart system.  

But, the U.S. Coast Guard decided to make an unannounced inspection.  Semper Paratus!  

Yeah, for us. I snapped a couple hundred photos and I will share some of them with you here.  

By now the Crown has completed her last Caribbean cruise of the season, crossed the ocean to the British Isles, and begun its first cruise. In fact, I saw Guernsey welcome the Crown Princess for its first visit of the season this past week. 

I asked every crew member who would talk to me if they would be on the ship in May.  So do say hello, to everyone as they are expecting you!

The Crown came out of her last dry dock on April 3, 2018. It will get its Medallion status this July (better wifi and other high-tech features). She is still an elegant ship and easy to navigate.  Here's an interesting tidbit: although the "Crown" is named after the British empire, the godmother is Martha Stewart!

The Piazza atrium in center of the ship

International Café at the Piazza: free small plates daily sweets and savories

Vines: where the wine tastings are held; on the Piazza

Laundry on the Princess Ships, etc.

Found this video on YouTube.  Enjoy.

>Typical Launderette on Princess click on this line for YouTube video<

The machines are $3 each and time depends on the cycle you chose.
The detergent is powder and was All. (there's not much in the little box) and was $1.50.

• I would not purchase PODS as these are not HE (high efficiency) machines.

 You can also get dryer sheets, 2 or 3 in the box also $1.50. 

• Or just bring some of your own dryer sheets in a plastic baggie.

All of these are purchased in the laundry room with tokens you get from a machine there.

• I do recommend getting your tokens soon after boarding, as some of the machines run out. 
• There are launderettes on most of the decks with cabins, located aft.  See deck plan signs on each deck in elevator lobbies to direct you to the right area.

 This photo shows a double laundromat located in middle section of deck, with access from both the port and starboard sides. Some of the laundry rooms are only half this size with access from one side of the ship. Diagram/signage on each deck in the elevator lobby to show location.

Note the Token machine (in black) and the laundry detergent machine.  You pay for the tokens with your room key.