Carnival Glory: A "Sandy" Adventure

Well, Shirley and I just returned from a six-day cruise on the Carnival Glory out of Norfolk, Va. It was a very eventful cruise to say the least, from the first night out through our arrival back to Norfolk after our cruise was cut short by Hurricane Sandy.

Shirley and I headed to Norfolk for our cruise on a Sunday after church. I guess our drive there was uneventful since I slept 80% of the way. I don’t know what it is, but as soon as I get in the passenger’s seat and we pull out of our driveway, my eyes are closed and I’m out. Shirley did wake me up when we got to a rest stop Emporia, Va. After that I was awake the rest of the way.

We arrived in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake, Va., and checked into our hotel, the Hyatt Place. What a nice hotel! I don’t know if any of you have ever stayed at a Hyatt Place, but if you get the opportunity, you need to experience it. Hyatt Place is owned by Hyatt International and is billed as their “budget” property, but there is nothing budget about it except the very reasonable per night price. As you walk into the very spacious and open lobby, you are greeted by extremely helpful staff who call you by name and give you a quick overview of the property and benefits: free Wi-Fi in your room, a business area with complementary printing service, gym, indoor pool, and free breakfast. And I’m not talking about bagels and cold cereal; I’m telling you, I thought we had already stepped onto the cruise ship. The food was outstanding and creative.

The room was very spacious and open. Not only did we have an oversized king bed, but there was a sitting area with a very comfortable couch, 42” HDTV, and ESPN! Well, Shirley probably wasn’t as impressed with the ESPN, but she did comment on how wonderful the room was. We will stay there next time we are in the area.

Shirley’s sister Paulette and her fiancé Danny invited us to their church that evening. After church we went to dinner at Smoky Bones, where we had a very nice visit with them and his twin brother David, his wife Paula, and their daughter Sarah. Shirley and I made a quick run to Target afterward, then back to the Hyatt Place to turn in for the night.

After a quick stop at Best Buy on Monday morning (My computer’s keyboard was damaged by water, so I needed a wireless keyboard.), we headed to Portsmouth Parking Authority to get our parking space for the week. It’s $15 per day to park at the Norfolk Cruise Terminal and only $15 for the entire week in Portsmouth, so it’s worth a little less convenience. After meeting with my brother-in-law Gene and his wife Donna, we paid for our parking and caught the ferry across the Elizabeth River. (The ferry lands about three blocks from the ship.) You get a great view of the massive 110,000-ton ship as she shines in the sunlight, and $1.50 each direction just can’t be beat.

When we arrived, the porter took our luggage, and we walked right into the VIP lounge. After completing the pre-boarding administrative process, we were escorted onto the Glory—one of the perks of being a longtime cruiser. We went to our balcony stateroom, dropped our carry-on stuff, and went to enjoy some great food in the Red Sail buffet. I started with a steak burrito, and Shirley started with some fish and chips. (I made a couple trips through the line to try more of the food and wonderful desserts.) Then it was back to our room to see if our luggage had arrived and off to the emergency muster drill. I have been through many of these; each time you sail, it’s a requirement. But each is different according to the ship. Some ships make you bring your lifejacket, while others make you bring and wear the lifejacket; on the Glory, we just have to show up and listen to the briefing. These drills only take about 20 minutes if everyone follows instructions.

After the briefing, it was to our balcony to watch the mighty Glory shove off from the pier facing the wrong way as the master of the vessel (as he is now referred, instead of “captain”) maneuvered Glory into the center of the Elizabeth River, spun her on a dime, and headed down the Elizabeth. We watched for about an hour, blowing bubbles we’d brought as we passed the shipyards. By then it was time for dinner, so off we went!

We had a good wait staff; they worked hard. It appeared that they were serving four or five tables, which is a bit unusual, since each table in our section seated eight people. The first night they forgot Shirley’s soup, but after that, things were okay. Sometimes too slow, and sometimes too fast, we would have our appetizers stacked up waiting for us to eat. I guess if we would only order one appetizer instead of two or three it wouldn’t have been a problem, but I had to have my shrimp cocktail each night! (The dish that I really sought every night was the warm chocolate melting cake. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now!) There are so many great things about cruise ships, and one of those is the opportunity to try all the different food. It’s fun to see my wife try different things, anyway; as for me, I’m not into experimental food, ha! I normally know what I want and stay with the proven things that excite my palette. Not to say that I will not try something different, but there are rules: nothing creamy and no cheese.

Our third night on the cruise, my Carnival business development manager, Alicia Steuart, treated my wife and me to a meal at the Emerald Room restaurant. (Even though your meals are paid for in the price of the cruise, in order to develop a new revenue stream, the cruise lines have created specialty restaurants which you can dine in for a small “cover charge.” On the Carnival ships, $35 per person gives you this access one night.) Talk about food! I had a rib-eye steak that was certainly in the top two of any I have ever had, if not the best. We also were treated to a pre-appetizer of steak tartare and a marble-sized scoop of horseradish ice cream. It had a very interesting flavor—not bad, but not quite to the liking of my palate. Shirley thought it was good. She was served some type of a soup which she said was very “yummy.” This meal was incredible, and the food was over the top. I would recommend the additional cost to my clients.

Our “Fun Day at Sea” turned out to be an exciting one; it wasn’t just another day to spend time playing trivia games and winning “ship on a stick” trophies. (Though, since we’re on the topic, I will mention that we added three more to the fleet that we’ve got going at home. It brings the number up to about 20.) This day the talk of the ship wasn’t even Sandy, who was out there but not yet close enough to affect our travel plans. The buzz about the ship was that a passenger was airlifted off in the wee hours of the morning by the brave men and women of the US Coast Guard. Just after midnight, I was awakened by the sound of a helicopter; after spending four years in the Navy flying around in them, I know that sound. I immediately went to our balcony, opened the door, and stood just below eyelevel of the aircraft hovering just above our balcony. I tried to get up to the top deck, but ship security had everything blocked off for safety. The helicopter stayed there for about 30 minutes before they moved over the deck and took off the patient and a family member. Rumor going around the ship was that a lady had had a heart attack.

Because of this incident, the ship had to turn around and head back toward Norfolk to meet the helicopter, and this delayed our arrival into Nassau by a couple of hours. But that’s okay; first priority is the safety of everyone on the ship. When Matt, the cruise director, came on the ship-wide public address system, not only did he announce that we would be two hours late arriving in Nassau, but he also updated us on Sandy. Since the storm had grown, we would only be able to stay in Nassau until 8:00 PM (we were scheduled to be there until 10:00 PM the next night), and we would also not be able to go to Freeport, Bahamas. Instead we would have another Fun Day at Sea and dock in Port Canaveral for the day.

Shirley and I got off the ship about 2:00 PM in Nassau and made our way to the internet café we’ve been to several times so that we could email our family about the change in our itinerary and say that we could call them from Port Canaveral. After that, we strolled around in the city for a couple of hours, went into a couple of shops, bought a few items, took some pictures, and went back to the ship. I noticed that the wind was picking up and the sunny skies were turning partly cloudy. We boarded our ship, put our treasures in our stateroom, and went to find something to eat. We didn’t have to look very long. Just up one flight of stairs, we found the Red Sail Buffet, and our search was over. LOL!

As we left Nassau, the rain started and basically would not stop for the next three days. When it wasn’t raining, it was grey skies and 40 mph winds across the deck with seas 12–15 feet making our ride quite a ride. For me personally, the rocking of the ship makes me want to take naps, and we did. I would find myself taking 2–3 hour naps; I guess I really needed to catch up on my sleep. We continued to play trivia and eat. I must have not eaten as much as I thought, or maybe Shirley’s insistence that we take the stairs up and down had a positive result, because when we got back home and I weighed myself at the gym, I had LOST 2 lbs!

Despite any hiccups our voyage had, overall it was a very nice cruise. (Of course any cruise is a nice cruise as long as the boat doesn’t sink, right?) I’m already looking forward to the next one!

Don't Just Travel—Impact!

We used to say, “School is out for the summer—it’s time for family vacations!” This is still true in many areas of the United States, but as schools get over populated there is a growing trend for year-round schools. (As far as I can see, it affects the travel industry in that families are now able to travel in the “off season” and land some really great travel deals. Most parents that I have talked with have mixed feelings about year-round schools: They say they have found their children seem to do better academically with breaks throughout the year, but they’ve got to have some type of childcare during the “track-out” time.) As far as me, I loved my summers! Three months of fun in the sun. Growing up in central Florida back in the late 60’s and 70’s, we made our own fun. My mother and I weren’t able to afford vacations, but I spent a lot of summers in Arkansas with various aunts and uncles for weeks at a time.

My cousins and nephews and I, we would make our own fun. Splashing in the creeks, playing elevator tag in the multistory buildings on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Maybe that’s why to this day I’m still a big Arkansas Razorbacks fan—Whoooo Pig Suey! To this day, I can’t figure out why we never had the police called on us or were thrown out of one of the buildings. I guess back then, in the Dark Ages, people just wrote it off to kids having fun. But it was harmless fun. We did get in semi-trouble once: We found a Razorback football helmet lying out, so we took it. We were discovered by our mothers and had to return it with a chewing out from the athletic director at that time, Frank Broyals.

Now Shirley and I love to go places. Everyone knows how much we love to cruise. We have three cruises in the works now: a six-day to Nassau and Freeport on October 22; a 5-day marriage conference from Charleston, SC, on February 13; and a 15-day to Hawaii from Long Beach, CA, on October 19, 2013. But we’ve also got a couple land vacations this year. We spent Memorial Day weekend in Virginia Beach to celebrate Courtney’s birthday. The week of July 4, we visited Washington DC to celebrate Shirley’s birthday as well as this wonderful country’s 236th. (That blog is nearly finished, so keep an eye out for it!) We are also traveling to New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I’m hoping to take the family to Disney World very soon; we have only ever spent one day at the park as a family. I’ve blogged before about how I grew up 15 miles from the front gate of Disney and how much time I’ve enjoyed there, and I think it’s time I take them to see the Mouse. I’d also like to check out the Holy Land Experience in Orlando. I have never been to that park, but I have been to the Holy Land, and I hear the park is a very close recreation of the area during Christ’s time.

Agape Travel’s motto is “Don’t Just Live—Travel!” You see, while a vacation can definitely be a time to just relax, the experience of visiting new places and meeting new people can be so much more. I want to get the message out to people that life is not guaranteed—we only have a limited time on this earth, and once our time bank runs out we cannot make another deposit. I look forward to getting to Heaven and worshiping Christ for eternity, but while I’m here on this earth, I want to see and experience God’s creation. At our church, Calvary Baptist Raleigh, our theme this year is from Jude 22. It tells us to make an impact on the world around us, a positive, intentional impact. I want to do that. As we travel and experience other peoples and cultures, it makes us better equipped to do just that.

I will always remember the first time we went to Cozumel, Mexico. We were traveling to the rainforest outside Costa Maya to see the Mayan pyramids, and our tour bus went through a very small village. It was a very poor village, the school was a rundown building, painted pink, all the windows and screens broken. And according to our tour guild, if it wasn’t for the local Catholic priest, they wouldn’t even have that much. When we completed our tour, we returned to the cruise port and the girls were somewhat alarmed in seeing two guards with M-16s guarding the port entrance. I had seen this before in Israel: There are armed Israeli Army regulars on every street corner. But I think this trip really showed Tiffany and Courtney the way that others have to live and how blessed we are that we live in the United States. I know that every time we travel to another country, it’s a reminder to Shirley and me how blessed we are.

Whether you travel to another country or just to another state, experiencing the lifestyle of different people is a life lesson for all of us. On our last cruise, Shirley gave a plastic bag of strawberries to a little boy, who shared it with his friends. She was able to be a blessing to them, and if I know Shirley, she said a prayer for them too. This island was very very poor, but there we were on this big cruise ship with all the food we wanted to eat. I think she had an impact on these children that we will never fully realize. What I do know is that, because of many of the places we have visited, we are better for it. We have learned not to take what we have for granted. The blessings of God are abundant in our lives.

So, don’t just live—travel! Impact the world, and let the world impact you in return.

Rick

Coming Soon to Disney!

Note: This is a summary of Susan J. Young's article "Disney Redefines Fantasy," from the April 23, 2012, issue of Travel Agent magazine. Click here to read the article in full. Photos from the Disney Parks Blog.

Who doesn't love a Disney vacation? After all, it's the "Happiest Place on Earth"! So much of the Disney parks' draw is how they recall fond memories of both children and adults alike, and starting soon, there'll be even more ways to step inside your favorite Disney stories!

Walt Disney World in Orlando is in the midst of some major additions. Over the next two years, the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland is virtually doubling in size—the theme park's largest expansion ever! The first phase, called Storybook Circus, opens this year. (In fact, part of Storybook Circus opened this past March, with the rest set to debut in July.) This area will be the new home of the famous Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride as well as The Great Goofini rollercoaster, previously known as the Barnstormer.

Look again! After years of flying counterclockwise, the new Dumbo has now switched directions.

The park is also adding more features of its ever-popular Disney Princesses. Many will be excited to learn that Beauty and the Beast will have its own section, filled with a number of movie-specific attractions. Belle's Cottage will house Enchanted Tales with Belle, while the Beast's Castle will contain the West Wing and 550-seat Be Our Guest Restaurant. Locales in the Village include Gaston's Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts. Another major new Fantasyland attraction will be Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, which lets aspiring merpeople accompany Ariel on her adventures. Visitors who would simply like to meet Disney's leading ladies will be able to do so in Princess Fairytale Hall.

Composite art for Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Other new additions to the Walt Disney World park include the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster in 2014 (Besides featuring music and animated figures of Snow White characters, the ride implements unique motion technology that mimics the sway of the track!) and the all-new Disney's Art of Animation resort. Not only will the new resort showcase films such as Finding Nemo and The Lion King, but it will also boast the Big Blue pool—at nearly 12,000 square feet, it's the biggest pool at Disney Orlando! Disney's Art of Animation will open in phases beginning late this month.

Composite art for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster

Walt Disney World isn't the only Disney park getting a facelift; Disneyland's Disney California Adventure debuts a number of fun new spots on June 15. Cars Land gives visitors 12 acres to explore the world of one of Disney•Pixar's most popular creations. Rides include Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi's Flying Tires, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, while diners and shoppers will enjoy Flo's V8 Café, Ramone's House of Body Art, and Radiator Springs Curios.

Park-goers who prefer old-Hollywood style to new digital animation will also find their niche at Disney California Adventure. Buena Vista Street is a throwback the 1920s-Los Angeles that Walt Disney himself knew and loved. The Carthay Circle Theatre, which includes a lounge and restaurant, was inspired by the the theater that housed the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiere in 1937.

Lastly, Disney is adding some new options for the more adventurous travelers out there. The newly-launched Disney Fantasy sets sail from Port Canaveral in Flordia and visits ports in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Adventures by Disney, which provides guided family tours that are both fun and educational, has added a number of new itineraries. Tours for this year have already begun visiting Greece, northern France, and Egypt, and 2013 tours will start heading to Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam).

So many Disney vacations to choose from, so little time! If you're ready to start planning your trip to any one of Disney's awesome venues, contact Agape Travel today. We'll help make those memories happen!

–Courtney Cissel

Emerald Princess: Princess Cays

A picture's worth a thousand words, right? Well, then, here's three thousand words about our first port, Princess Cruises' private island in the Bahamas.

My wife Shirley and I enjoying the day in Princess Cays

Color is everywhere in Princess Cays, even on the buildings.

The Emerald Princess in the distance behind a local vessel.

Emerald Princess: Day One

As promised, here’s part 2 of my blog on the Emerald Princess.

Like I said last time, our cabin is small, just enough room to walk between our king-sized bed and the walls. There’s a small round glass table that we could do without; it’s just in the way. Shirley asked me to make sure I put away my shoes since she almost killed herself that first night, tripping on them when she got out of bed in the pitch-dark room. So I’m trying to remember to do just that.

Even though our room is small, there is a nice desk area. The closet is an open area with a place to hang clothing. (Hangers are provided.) There is an area with a door and shelves to put folded things into, and there’s a safe that is controlled by a four-digit PIN, in case you’ve got valuables to store.

Our room steward, Christian, greeted us and assured us that he would meet all our needs. Our luggage hadn’t arrived yet, so we were off to explore our home for the next 10 days. We noticed that “we’re not in Kansas anymore,” so to speak—this ship was way different than the Carnival ships we’ve sailed on recently. The Emerald Princess is big, and not all the passages go through from front of the ship to the back (or to use nautical terms, the bow to the stern). We started at the top of the Lido deck (where all the food is!) and worked our way down from the stern to the bow.

Our first taste of this ship’s food was great. The buffet lines move fast, and there are about five separate lines. Most have the same food, but there are some differences, mainly in types of desserts. I know Shirley was quite pleased with the variety of sugar-free selections; for medical reasons, she cannot have foods with sugar added. On our past cruises the sugar-free desserts have been very limited, but she has really enjoyed having so many options.

After walking around exploring our ship, it was time for the muster drill. (In case you’re unfamiliar with that term, it’s basically a maritime safety drill.) Our muster station was in the casino; I guess we might want to place some bets before the ship goes down. It would be my luck that I would hit the big jackpot as water was rushing into the ship. The drill was pretty much standard; after about 15 minutes, we were back to our room to drop off our lifejackets before heading back to the buffet line. But as we were walking toward the aft of the boat, we passed the pizza/ice cream station, so that got our attention instead.

We went back to our cabin and found that our luggage had arrived, so Shirley started unpacking and I took a nap. She woke me up in time for a quick shower before dinner. Our assigned dining room is the Botticelli with an 8:15 seating. We are at a table for 8 with two other delightful couples. One couple is from Birmingham, Alabama (a husband/wife travel agency team); the other is from Ontario, Canada (she a preschool teacher, he a dentist). We’re also joined by two sisters from Calgary, Canada; one of them is a travel agent. All of us travel agents got this cruise free for training, and I guess the dentist and his wife just got stuck with us.

Our conversation the first night was very nice, each asking questions about our families and places of work. As the evening was winding down, our new dentist friend asked a question about our president. I asked him, “Why—do you want him?” He laughed and related that they had too many like him in Canada already. A conservative from Canada, who would have thought?

We finished dinner very pleased about our tablemates. Then we were off to the Welcome Aboard show. It was not a high energy show like those on other cruise lines; it mainly featured an introduction of the cruise director’s staff. We also found out that our cruise director had also come on the ship that day, so we will be learning the ship together. After the show, Shirley and I retired to bed in preparation for our second day, a stop at Princess Cruises' private island.

Emerald Princess: Flight to Florida

Hello from the beautiful Emerald Princess! This cruise is a different experience for us for several reasons: 

1. It’s only our second time ever sailing on a Princess ship (and the first time was shaken up by a hurricane, so this is our first proper sailing).
2. We’re visiting four new ports—more about those later!
3. At ten nights, it’s the longest cruise we’ve ever taken.

With all of that, we’re bound to have some new experiences, so I’m planning to blog a few times during this trip to share the fun.

Our day started out very nice—and also very early! Both of us were tired since neither had been able to sleep the night before. (I was just too excited, Shirley afraid we would oversleep.) Anyhow, we were up and on time to the airport. Traffic was very light. I guess that’s normal that time of the morning—did I mention it was 5 a.m.? We’re never out that time of the morning, and I guess unless you’re a police officer, truck driver, or someone catching an early flight at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, there wouldn’t be a need to be.

Our arrival at RDU and our check in went very smoothly; we passed through airport security and went right to our gate. I was starving, so I was very pleased to find a cinnamon-sugar peanut butter bagel that didn’t cost a fortune! It was only $2.50 so I was very happy, and so was my hunger. We waited at gate 25 for about 20 minutes, and our plane started boarding. We got on the plane, found our seats, and were off.

Shirley, when it comes to flying, is only nervous about one part: the take-off. This time she really did very well—except for the screaming, you would have never known that it frightened her. (Just kidding. She didn’t leave fingernail marks in my arms, so she did okay.) I put on my headphones after we got up about 10,000 feet and listened to Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly. (This is my third time through the book, and it is absolutely wonderful. I hear something new each time.) I must have fallen asleep during our two-hour flight. Shirley woke me up sometime during the flight and had ordered me a Diet Coke, which I drank and went back to sleep.

As approached Miami International, I was amazed at all the development along the Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach shoreline. Since I used to live in Florida, I couldn’t help wondering when the next “Andrew” was going to come through, with those big expensive homes and condos in its crosshairs. But let’s not think about that too much; this is vacation, right?

Our landing at MIA was very smooth. I was a bit nervous when I saw the runway wet—I’ve had a couple occasions that my car has hydroplaned on wet roads at 60 or 65 mph, and here is this very large 737 landing at about 175 mph. But the captain got us stopped and taxied to the terminal without incident. Our plane got to MIA 15 minutes early, but it took us 20 minutes to get off the plane. I did notice that there was a little girl on the other side of the aisle who didn’t make a sound the entire flight, which surprised me. You see, I feel like I’m a crying baby magnet; if I go into a store or restaurant, there is going to be a screaming child next to me. But this little girl on her way to Managua, Nicaragua, was very sweet and quiet.

We got off the plane and found the MIA airport, at least the terminal we were in, very modern and inviting. The signs directing us to the baggage claim were not very clear as to when we were to turn, so Shirley and I walked past the escalator we needed to the other end of the terminal and then back. We got on a monorail to be transported to the main terminal, which we found to be old and well used. We got to the baggage claim area, collected our suitcase, and found the TriRail shuttle. The TriRail is a rail system that runs between MIA and West Palm Beach. It has a minimum cost, but it’s cheaper than a taxi. We rode the TriRail to the Ft. Lauderdale airport, where we got a cab to Port Everglades Pier 21 and met the Emerald Princess.

As we approached, both of us knew that the size of this ship was almost overwhelming (more on that later). We arrived at the pier and got in a long line to go inside the terminal. We stood in one place for about 15 minutes, and then that line started moving. I guess from the time we started moving until the time we were at our stateroom was another 20 minutes. Our room is an inside stateroom, one of the smallest ones we have been in. Princess is not known to have large staterooms, but when you think about it, you really don’t spend much time in the room anyway; you’re out and about. We’re just glad to be on the ship!

Check back soon to find out about the ship and our exciting new ports!

Modern Morality and Intentional Impact

Look at where our world is now. What a police officer has to encounter on the streets. What our society considers “normal.” (If you would’ve told me ten years ago that our country would be having a debate on the definition of marriage, I would have told you that you were crazy!) The decline in the morals of our society is unbelievable! There is no doubt in my mind that our nation is not going the direction it should.

Look at the battlefields that are public schools, what our teachers have to deal with now. When I was going to school, chewing gum in class was the biggest sin of all. When I got into middle school, smoking in the bathrooms was the big thing. There was some alcohol experimentation, but I don’t believe it was to the degree it is now. I cannot remember a single incident where someone brought a gun to school. (Well, I take that back: Several of the country boys had their shotguns in the gun rack in the rear window of their pick-ups, but that’s not the same as the issues we’re having now.)

What is wrong with having morals and standards nowadays? Why do those who disagree with Christians want to tell us to keep our religion to ourselves? Every time a politician talks about his faith, the media seem to go crazy about it. I don’t understand this, not one bit. It seems that every time we turn around, Christians are attacked by those who say we need to be tolerant—but the very ones who tell us that are not tolerant of us. As Christians we should love other people, and I think for the most part we do. I can remember when we as a country could have a political debate from different viewpoints and still be friends. Now, people who don’t believe the same as others call each other all kinds of derogatory names. (On the back windshield of my car I have a bumper sticker that promotes President Bush. There have been several instances when someone has shown me a derogatory gesture just because of that sticker. Why? What did I do to them? I don’t know them, and they don’t know me.)

It has become clearer to me that this world needs to return to the morals that we celebrated in an earlier time. But to reach people in this new age, we’ve got to try something new ourselves. Standing on a street corner, waving your Bible in the air, shouting at the top of your lungs that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” turns people off, no matter how true the statement is. I have met those who are “Bible thumpers,” and I wonder why they think they can convert people by forcing the Bible down their throats. Shouting aggressively doesn’t promote God’s message of love! Building relationships with people and being an example for others is a much better way of bringing others to Christ.

While relationship-building is important across the board, I especially want to challenge my fellow Christian small business owners to make a new effort in this area. That’s where we can intentionally impact our world for Christ: using our businesses as a mission field, from the relationships that we have built with our customers, employees, vendors, and communities.

Agape Travel has a business seminar coming up Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 30 – Sept. 3, 2012, with Evangelist Dave Kistler of HOPE Ministries International. This seminar will change your life! Brother Dave will take the Word of God and show us how we can impact those around us in light of the Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10). By bringing just one person at a time to Christ, our sphere of influence will grow larger and larger, allowing us to bring the light of Christ to a dark world. Brother Dave and others will share with us how they have impacted their own communities through faith, charity, and life examples. Additionally, you will also learn valuable customer service skills to assist you with those clients who are a challenge to deal with, especially in a disputed transaction. Do not miss this study!

The coast for this seminar at sea is $465 per person for an inside stateroom and $500 for an oceanview stateroom. If you make your deposit before March 10, 2012, the normal $150 per person deposit is reduced to $75. The next payment of $200 per person is due April 30, and the final payment is due June 25. (I could be mistaken, but I believe a portion of this cruise’s cost is tax deductible. Don’t just take my word for it; please check with your CPA.)

Visit www.agapecruisetravel.com or email me at rick@agapecruisetravel.com for more information. I will get a registration form to you, and you can join us on this 4-day cruise from Tampa, Fl., to Cozumel, Mex., on the beautiful Carnival Paradise. We have limited space, so don’t delay—call or email me today!

God Bless,

Rick

Living a Prepared Life

I haven’t written about the tragic Costa Concordia incident until now. First, my heart goes out to those on the ship and their families. No words can express the tragic loss of life and the sorrow these families must feel. How surreal! I mean, I have been on 18 cruises, and though some of them were not up to our standards, we never, ever felt we were in danger. We have been through some very rough seas, 15 – 18 foot waves and winds blowing across the deck so fiercely the captain of the ship wouldn’t let anyone go outside because of the danger. But each and every time we have had the muster safety drill before we ever left the dock, and we trusted our captain to act responsibly. (Though the drill is required, it seems that there is always someone trying to get out of going to their muster station. Matter of fact, just yesterday I read an article from a colleague of mine, about how Holland America removed a passenger before the ship left port because he tried to skip the muster drill. I mean, they put him off the ship, and I really don’t think they gave the person a refund.)

This tragedy is sending shockwaves through the cruise industry, and I’m sure it will trickle down to other vacation and tour operators. Most of the cruise lines that I deal with on a daily basis have issued press releases stating they intend to review all their safety standards and immediately retrain the crews on the ships. What does this mean for Costa, who is owned by Carnival Corporation? I’m not sure. I have never sailed on Costa, but I’m sure it will take them a very long time to recover. They may have to undergo a major marketing overhaul. I can remember an airline called ValuJet that had a couple of incidents, including a major crash in the Florida Everglades. They became AirTran, revamped and restructured, and have now become one of the leading budget airlines in the nation. (I was actually sitting in Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport, waiting on that plane, the day it crashed. Yeah, the news gave me a bit of a shake.)

Something like this just brings some thoughts to the forefront. None of those people on Costa Concordia, never in their wildest dreams did they think their lives would take such a tragic turn. They were sitting at dinner, many of them, talking about their day on the mainland, taking pictures, smiling, hugging, sharing time with loved ones. But in an instant, their lives changed forever. The souls that were lost on that night, were they ready? Did they have things in their lives they needed to take care of? Did they need to make something right with another person? We never know what the next minute brings, so we ought to have things in order.

I really would like to plead to my readers: Live so that you never have to look back and say, “I should have done something differently.” Especially where spiritual matters are concerned. If you are not saved, if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savor, why wait?

I’m not talking about, “I’m a member of such-and-such church,” “I’ve gone to church all my life,” “I’m a good person; I have never killed anyone or stolen anything.” These things, works, will not get you into heaven! Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except by him. (John 14:6) The Bible also tells us in Ephesians 2:9 that works will not earn us heaven; salvation is “not of works, lest any man should boast.”

I’m afraid that some of those who died on the Concordia left this world unprepared for eternity. Are you ready? It’s not complicated; it’s really not. Organized religion sometimes makes the plan of salvation sound that way, but Jesus made it so a child can understand. We just have to accept one simple thing: Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He was sent to this world, to all mankind, to save us from our sins. You see, people are sinners, and we fall short of God’s standard. But through Jesus Christ, all your sins are forgiven. Yes, all! But you say, “Rick, how can Jesus forgive me? Do you know some of the things I’ve done?” I don’t, but God does. In John 3:16, we are told that Jesus came to this world to expressly die for us, you and me! He was God’s beloved Son. God (yes, The God, not Allah, or Mohammed, or Buddha) “so loved the world.” Black, White, Asian, European, Latino, etc.—everyone who lives and has ever lived. God sent his Son that we may have eternal life though the redemption he offers.

How? Right now, right were you’re at. You don’t have to get on your knees; prayer is a position of the heart, not the body. Speak to God. There is not a script. Just acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. That he died on the cross at Calvary. He and was buried, and on the third day, he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. He is now in heaven, and someday Jesus will return to take us to heaven with him. If in your heart of hearts you have prayed for God to forgive you and you have taken Jesus into your heart, you are saved. That’s all!

I pray for those who were on the Concordia, that God will help them heal through this tragedy. Sometimes we don’t understand why things happen, but God has a plan. He is always in control. If you have any questions or would like to talk to me, please contact me. If you need to find a Bible-preaching, Gospel-teaching church in your area, I would love to help you with that. Feel free to email me: rick@agapecruisetravel.com.

God bless each and every one of you!

Rick