ELLIOTT & CAROLE: Cruise Connection

WOW...

Carole and I haven’t had an opportunity to travel with Roger and Diana in years however,

Carole & Elliott

we have jealously followed their many exciting
destinations through friends that were fortunate enough to have accompanied them throughout the World.

Our most recent Cruise with them, being through the Mediterranean, visiting ports in Greece, France and Italy, will always be high on our list of memorable destinations

partially due to Diana’s patience, during Roger’s un-ending search for Japanese Swords while in Venice.

Over the “Years”, Carole and I have traveled throughout portions of Canada, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Islands of the Pacific as well as the Caribbean,  England, Scotland, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium. Probably some (15-20) trips. Some by Sea, some by Air; always meeting with their local Citizens, and enjoying their customs was exciting for both of us. 

We are really looking forward to this, our second Cruise to Hawaii, as it is truly the Garden Spot of the World. Our most favorite island being Maui, “Noka oi”

While there in Lahaina, the best food and service is Kimo’s, on Front Street.

Elliot and Carole Ghertner

PRINCESS CRUISES: Cruise Answer Book

Here’s a cruise preparation tip if you haven’t check this out already. It’s the Princess Cruise’s  “Cruise Answer Book”. This is a downloadable document off the Princess Cruise’s website. It is about 32 or so pages and you can print it for your reference. This document is a good resource for you to know what will be expected of you for your upcoming cruise and may very well answer some questions you have been wondering about.

To access it start by going to http://www.princess.com then click on SHIPS & EXPERIENCE, scroll down to FAQ:Onboard Experience open the page and

not on the lower right hand side, under: Download, Cruise Answer Book, 

Download Now >> 

Below is the Table of Content to this document...now go and print it for your pre-cruise preparation. 

PRE-CRUISE

Preparing for your cruise

• Cruise Personalizer
• Passage Contract
• Document Requirement
• Visas
• Princess Medical Centers
• Health & Wellness
• Pregnancy
• Passengers with Special Needs
• Casino Cash Advances
• Princess Vacation Protection
• Princess eZAir

Before you leave

• Boarding Passes and Luggage Tags
• Travel Summary
• Age Requirements/Traveling with Children
• Pre-Reserving Shore Excursions
• Pre-Reserving Lotus Spa Appointments
• Ship Deck Plans
• Port Driving Directions

What to Bring

• Clothing Recommendations
• Formal Wear Rentals
• Packing for Your Vacation
• Valuables

Travel & Transportation

• Port Driving Directions
• Motorcoach Travel
• Transfers
• Travel Tips
• En route delays
• Safety Ashore

ONBOARD

Onboard Experience 

• Onboard Atmosphere
• Special Occasions
• Alcohol Policy
• Alcohol Age Restrictions
• Laundry Services
• Cashless Cruising
• Onboard Currency
• Shopping Onboard
• Staying Healthy
• Gratuities 
• Stateroom Amenities
• Television Programming
• Medical Assistance
• Religious services
• Daytime Activities
• Future Cruise Sales

Youth & Teen Programs

• Children and Teen Programs
• Family Traveling
• Children’s TV Programming
• Children with Special Needs
• Additional reminders

Dining & Nightlife

• 1st Day Dining
• Anytime Dining
• Traditional Dining
• Speciality Restaurants
• Casual Dining Venues
• Special Dietary Requests
• Room service
• Onboard Entertainment
• Casino Games

Keeping in Touch

• Contact Phone Numbers
• The Internet at Sea
• Cell Phones at Sea

POST-CRUISE

Saying Goodbye

• Disembarkation

LINDA & DUANE: Cruise Connection

Linda & Duane 

Ahoy!   Duane & I are so looking forward to the Davis’ 25^th Anniversary “Final” Celebration aboard the Ruby Princess in October.  Duane was fortunate to be at their Wedding in Maui.  He & I have had the joyous pleasure of participating in the renewals for the 5^th, 10^th, 15^th, 20^th & now for the finale. Diana’s fantastic organizational skills makes the traveling so easy and enjoyable.  Without the two of them arranging these trips, we probably would have never visited these wonderful places.  We have also, enjoyed the company of their family and friends.  I went a step further and became a Davis three years ago. Diana does go way beyond in her planning, her gift giving and knowing where the best restaurants are on shore.  And then there is Roger, what words Best describes him?  In conclusion there still aren’t words to describe him.  And of course, cannot thank Alex and Ted enough, as the BEST travel agents around.  See you all on board.   Linda & Duane Davis

Budgeting for the "WHOLE" Cruise Vacation!

Photo Provided by Flickr.Photos8.com

One of the delightful joy as to why Roger particularly likes cruising is that for the most part your major vacation expense is prepaid before you even head out the door. With cruising your base cost for room
accommodation, meals, entertainment & transportation is covered and paid for prior to our return. But as in all vacations, there’s always more things to spend money on when it comes to a vacation getaway. So anticipating and budgeting for those hidden expenses can truly be a help in not loosing that tranquil leisurely euphoria that vacations are known to provide. Here are some of my thoughts on what you can anticipate to budget for...

GRATUITY

Depending upon the category of your stateroom the gratuity charges vary. For Princess Cruises the gratuity charges are $12.00 per person per day per Mini-Suites & Suites and $11.50 per person per day per other category staterooms. This also means that singles in a stateroom just need to pay for the one person per day rate.  

Now, here is a cruise veteran tip, I have slipped an extra $20 or more to our stateroom steward upon our introduction on embarkation day. I graciously extend my appreciation to say we look forward to our stay and then at this time request certain accommodations such as requesting to have ice delivered every evening or request that our mini-bar be emptied with all of its content, except for the following items, as an example. Pending how services are rendered, I may slip an extra tip at the end of the cruise as well. 

Be that you may be a little tipsy at your favorite ship bar, be sure you check your bar bill
before signing. All bar bill has an instant 15% gratuity tip added on to the bill. So don’t be putting an extra $2 thinking you have to tip...its already included. That being said we have had past cruisers who have tipped heavily at their favorite watering hole with their favorite bar tender at the beginning of the cruise and they were indeed treated generously through out the cruise. May work for you or not! 

Other services to check as to whether gratuity is added already or not is room service delivery. So read the fine prints before you sign that charge.

There is an option for Princess Cruises where you can pre-pay your gratuity in advance as well. Contact Alex and she can help with this option. Otherwise the ship will automatically charge your gratuities daily. 

Lastly, lets say you haven’t been given the the quality service you had  expected. Hey it happens. Simply go to the purser’s/customer service counter and discuss that you would not like to be charged with the automatic daily gratuity fees and that you would like envelopes to personally provide them to your service staff or ask that the gratuity be adjusted to your
request.  

Again, please be advised that the goal of these cruise staff is to provide great service so they can receive their well deserved tips. The hourly pay for the crew is very minimal as they are held to the wage standards of competitive international wages but certainly not to our more familiar US Labor Laws. So be kind, respectful and fair! 

ENTERTAINMENT

Diana you said entertainment was included in the base cost of the cruise. Well it is for the most part. But the hidden costs can still be there. It comes in options such as Casino play, extra curricular activities such as BINGO, craft-making project with supplemental fees for supplies, specialty tours & classes, wine tasting, art auctions to name but a few possible budgeting considerations.

But then again Broadway production shows, and other recreational activities such as team & individual games & contests, educational and subject lectures and presentations, movies and films, musical bands and performers are free for your enjoyment.

ALCOHOL & BEVERAGES

Princess Cruises just recently began to offer an alcohol beverage package that some of you may want to check out on-line or contact Alex. Diana and the likes of others such as Rocky & Peggy, Sean and Andrea opt’s for the Speciality Coffee Card and Soda Beverage Package as part of their vacation expense budget. You can buy this in advance on-line, paying this off with your credit card or you can also buy it the day of embarkation when the crew will have a number of promotional displays on deck and in lobbies trying to get you to use your cruise card to purchase this option. Oh and if you choose to buy it on embarkation day, the promo usually includes a Princess Refillable Drink Cup!  

The dining room has water, tea, coffee, milk, juice as their standard beverage that they will serve you at no charge. But, plan to pay for bottle water in your stateroom and as you head out to port if you want this option. Bring a water bottle and you can fill-up as an alternative would be a saving tip.

On ship there are special daily drinks that are noted on your newsletter that can save you a few dollars. But of course, wine by the glass or the bottle will cost you at dinner and of course any cocktail drinks at the bar including sodas will have a price that will get you to use your cruise card. So check your daily expense statement on the cruise TV as a normal routine task so you won’t be surprised by the end of your cruise.

SHORE EXCURSIONS

This probably will be one of your major expenses that you can prepare in budgeting ahead if you are on top of this. The posting of the shore excursion for Princess Cruises is generally between as early as 140 days to as late as 75 days prior to embarkation. Since you will average roughly between 7-12 hours in port at any given time. It will be wise of you to plan in advance on what it is you would like to highlight as your adventure on each island. 

Shore excursions can be FREE which means you basically get off the ship on your own and wander on your own. Just be sure to get back on roughly giving yourself an hour before the ship leaves. Otherwise, you will be personally responsible for getting to the next port to catch the ship, cha-ching! 

Excursions can easily run with prices from approximately $50 to a few hundred dollars for a lifetime memorable speciality adventure that a tour guide escorts you with full gear and equipment. 

You will have the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai and Maui to plan for and then a day in Ensenada Mexico before we head back for our disembarkation. So what do you want to see and do when you visit each island?

LAUNDRY & DRY CLEANING

Reality is you can bring an outfit to cover your entire 15 days or do a mix and match and plan to utilize the laundry machine and dry cleaning service at least once or twice? There will be washing machine and dryers on board. The cost of can be anywhere between $.50 to near $2.00 a load and don’t forget the laundry detergent which can also cost a $1 or $2. So throw in a couple of those detergent pods in a ziploc and your dryer sheet as well for a few bucks of savings. FYI, the ship also on occasion do a laundry service discount promo. This is when that extra tip you gave your room steward may well pay off...I know it did wonders for us!

Those who are “Black Card” aka Elite status has the luxury of free laundry/dry cleaning. Karen, Buzz  and Ted... I have a laundry bag full of clothes here for you...Mahalo! 

ALTERNATIVE DINING

Some choose the high adventures of trekking, zipline ride or pouncing on a zodiac above the waves of the deep blue sea on a shore excursion. Roger and Diana? We choose to budget for the high adventure luxury of speciality dining on the cruise ship restaurants. The prices range for most speciality restaurants around $20-$35 dollars per person and the big expense is to be able to attain a reservation for the Chef’s Table which can be around $80 to $100 per person depending on whether you would like the wine pairing with your dinner. But beware marketing is even at dinner... Sabatini, an italian cuisine speciality restaurant sells its own Virgin Olive Oil for you to take home...what’s $10-$20 when you’re on vacation right? Cha-ching!

SALON SERVICE & SPA TREATMENTS

On board your treat may be to be pampered and nothing says it more then a salon service as you get ready for a formal night or a rejuvenating spa treatment to release all the tension from your daily grind of wanting the full relaxation mode. But these services can be quite costly and so do some homework in advance and set your budget limit. Also don’t forget to add the gratuity as these services generally need a 15-20% tip pending service rendered. Oh, and learn to just say no as they will try and promote their product or enhanced treatment which will be a definite additional cost. I usually tell them upfront that I do not want to be given any product promotions and do not plan to buy any as well, so please do not waste your pitch on me. 

Lastly here’s a veteran cruiser tip, generally there are specials running throughnout the cruise so check your Princess Patter daily and note that on days that the ship is in port that  the spa’s usually have discounted services. Now...enjoy your spaaaaa! 

INTERNET

For those wanting to keep in touch with your world at home you will want to purchase internet minutes and the prices can range pending the minutes that you would want to

purchase. The last time I was on a cruise the internet minutes were easily sucked up at waiting to get connected. I guess Mexico does not have the sophistication service as other parts of the world. Yet when we cruised from Asia to Alaska the satellite service was surprising good. So how many minutes do you need? Good question...I usually opt a nice mid range pending the number of sea days figuring these would be the days I would most use minutes. Remember you can always add more minutes but you certainly are not going to get credit for unused minutes.

SHOPPING 

In port or on the ship you can always count on spending money on souvenirs and other incidentals. While in port you might  want to be sure to budget some dollars for a meal or snack as you can count on wanting to stop and relax at a local restaurant or bar as you sightsee and shop in the port seaside city you are visiting. And of course you know you just have to bring home a souvenir for your best friend who took you to the airport or your grandkids or three. And of course who doesn’t buy a souvenir item from each port you visit to hang on your refrigerator to remember this cruise, right?! 

Beware that in your Cruise Newsletter, Princess Patter you will be bombarded daily with gem sales, $10 dollar item deals, 2 for one can’t resist t-shirts and caps, No Duty Alcohol specials, Last Call Shopping Spree Today Only to name a few promos that I would like to alert your cashless cruise credit card ringing cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching! Budget, Budget, Budget!!! 

OMIYAGE

Originally this custom came from Japan. The Japanese would always have the custom when visiting to bring gifts of hospitality and appreciation for the people they plan to meet or be greeted upon arrival. For the Davis’ this means we will be budgeting some dollars as Diana will be pre-purchasing some hospitality gifts for her many friends in Honolulu particularly. Will you be visiting some family or friends while in the islands? This custom carries very strongly in the islands and you can easily be labeled as as a friendly face because you understand the aloha ways or you are simply a foreigner tourist on the outside.

Another potential option is to have small omiyage or gifts for those crew members who make it extra special for you while you are on the ship. I often will have some hometown souvenir items or get some personal items that I can easily put together to offer those extra special crew members I know who have made my stay special.

PHOTOS & CAMERA SALE  

Here is where you might have a hard time saying no. The 8 x 10 or 5 x 7 photos as you get on the gang plank of the ship, click! The smile you shine and reflect as you dine and

pose with your roomie, click! Oh gotta have that incredible shot of my pouring the champagne on the top tiered glass at the Captain’s Gala, click-click! Disembarking off the ship on Big Island, click, Honolulu, click, Kauai, click, Maui, click.... oh too cute, here’s my cruise card, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching... and what about the Platinum Studio appointment...? Okay so it is a bit cheaper then the private studio sitting, but wait 2-3 hundred dollars? What? Really? And on top of the photos you can also get photo frames, photo albums, magnets and even special sales on cameras such as that Nikon camera you have been wanting. Might want to give this a budget for sure if you are watching your cruise dollars and is buying a camera on board a ship that you can’t return or inquire about such a wise step? Certainly something to think about!

  

ANDRE - Cruise Connection

To Fellow Cruisers I know and others I look forward to meeting...

Diana has asked me to write an article about myself for Roger’s and her blog, to introduce myself to those of you who don’t know me and to apologize to those who of you who do.  So, here goes:

I am Andre Mathieu and have known Diana since the third grade when she and her family moved to Sonoma, California.  She knows me well, too well, yet she still invites me to so many of her planned events.  I have known Roger since the 30th year reunion for the

Andre & Diana ... Years of Silly & Laughters

Sonoma Valley High School Class of 1973, of which Diana and I were both members, along with many of the others who will be on this cruise.  He knows me well, also, but not too well.  Not from lack of trying on his part but from hesitancy on my part.  I’m not sure I want a man like Roger knowing me too well, as many of you know all too well.

This will be the first time I will be on one of their many cruises.  (Well, I plan to be on this cruise, fate may decide otherwise. I hope not.)  My apologies for breaking your lucky streak.  In fact, this will be my first cruise ever and that is not the only first for me on this cruise.  This will also be the first time I’ve visited Hawaii.  I’m looking forward to both, assuming I’m not thrown overboard by a crew member or guest before reaching Hawaii.  I’m also looking forward to being with all of Roger’s and Diana’s friends who will be on this cruise, many of whom I already know and who know me, and getting to know better those I don’t know and who don’t know me.  Again, my apologies for breaking your lucky streak.  After spending 15 days with me, you will wonder why Roger and Diana invited me on this cruise.  Actually, it was Diana who invited me. 

 Stay Tuned: Birdmen 2: Andre & Roger

Roger didn’t.  Doesn’t matter, I was invited and plan on going.

What I’m looking forward to most, besides being with Roger and Diana, is drinking and eating.  Since this is my first adventure with Roger and Diana, I don’t know if that is allowed, but if it is, I’m looking forward to it, if I can break away from the daily church services I’m required by Roger and Diana to attend.  Hopefully, the services won’t last all day.

Diana included a (long) list of questions for me to answer just in case I got writer’s block.  Well, I have writer’s block.  (Yes, I got writer’s block writing about my favorite subject.  I’m my favorite subject, but I just don’t like writing about it.)  Here are the ones I thought were most important:

What is my favorite cocktail?

My favorite cocktail is the one that is in the glass in front of me.  Contrary to what some who know me believe, I usually use a glass, and it usually empties fairly quickly.  I don’t know why, it just does. I believe they call that a phenomenon. 

What is my favorite food?

My favorite food is usually whatever is on the plate right in front of me, unless something on the plate of the person next to me looks better than what’s on the plate right in front of me.

What is my favorite dessert?

Please see the answer for my favorite food, immediately above, just substitute dessert for food.  I may eat alone a lot on this cruise.

Well, that’s a page worth of trivial information about me, which is far more than anyone should be subjected to.  I doubt if many of you read this far, especially those who already know me. But if you did...

Until we meet on the Ruby Princess,

Andre 

JO MARY & MICHAEL - Cruise Connection

Aloha Everyone,
We are the Murphy’s, Mike and Jo Mary!    

We love to travel and have been fortunate to be able to visit countries all over the world including our own. Since Mike is still working and travels in our country for conferences, I have been able to go with him. This will be our 7th cruise and our 4th with Diana and Roger. We have been unable to attend any of their renewals so this will be our first.

As some of you may know, I am retired from the City of Irvine and used to work with Diana even though she was at the parks and I was at City Hall. Roger also worked at City Hall but on the third floor with all the important people. I was on the second floor with Community Services so never met Roger until their Mediterranean Cruise in 2008.

We have been to Hawaii many times, but this will be the first time we will have cruised there. Our favorite Island is Maui. We spent 8 days there on our last visit. A must see if you haven’t been up there, is Haleakala Crater. We are also looking forward to Honolulu since we haven’t been there in years. I would like to go to Pearl Harbor since I haven’t been there since I was 15 and Mike has never been. Our favorite cruise so far was the Med Cruise. What a great adventure that was.

What’s fun about traveling with Diana and Roger is their attention to detail. Whether it’s making reservations for the specialty restaurants or the Chefs Table, decorations for your stateroom door, or giving out prizes for winning or losing at cards. They want everyone to have fun. You can participate or not. It’s up to you and no one cares if you don’t. It’s your vacation to spend as you like. 

Speaking of the Chefs Table...if Diana offers to get a group together please put your name on the list. We did it on the Mexico Cruise and it’s an event not to be missed. It’s worth every extra penny. Since I missed the dinner at the specialty restaurant Sabatini’s on the last cruise, Mike has promised he will take me there on this cruise.

This cruise will be a little different for us as we are not “cruisers” meaning we don’t especially like being on the ship for long periods of time. So I look forward to seeing what will be offered by the ship to keep us busy. More of a challenge for Mike than me. I do want to make a Lei, but no hula dancing.

Looking forward to seeing everyone and meeting some new faces. Mahalo,
Mike and Jo Mary 

Diana’s Top Ten Tips to Think About for the Cruise!

Well our story begins in just over 200 days, when we will embark on the Ruby Princess. So to take our journey without a hiccup, planning and preparation will be key to a smooth

sailing cruise. This is especially so for those still having to juggle life with working. Okay, also for those busy retirees who have packed schedules and not sure what happen to all the hours in a day, let alone a week! So here are Diana’s 10 tips, if you are so incline to read on...

No. 1 - Identification 

I have asked Alex to share some insight in an upcoming article about what type of identifications we will need for this trip since we will be stopping in Ensenada Mexico on the way back from the Hawaiian Islands. I recommend this might be a good time to double check on the expiration date on your US Passport, Driver’s License or any other ID you might have. Including an original birth certificate which is always a good ID, so check your files for that option if needed. By the way, Roger did check on our passport and we were expired, where did ten years go?

No. 2 - Insurance/Vacation Protection

Emergency and other unexpected circumstances do happen. Roger and I always like to have a back up and we ask Alex to assist us in covering our cruise investment. Dollars well worth the cost for insurance. I recommend you contact Alex and talk to her about your needs. She can assist with this, whether to cover for you and your trip expense or perhaps to cover an unexpected family member’s emergency that might interrupt your plans. You’ll be glad you called Alex!

No. 3 - Getting There

Not everyone going on this trip will be from Los Angeles so now is a good time to begin to think about your transportation to the Port of Los Angeles. If traveling from afar, flights will be to either Los Angeles (LAX) or Long Beach (LGB) airports which are your closest options. You will also need to get a Shuttle Transportation arrangements from the airport to the port and back. How about coordinating with other cruisers who may be going out of the same airport? It makes it fun, folks!

No. 4 - Pre-Cruise Stay & Park    

The ship will depart on Saturday, October 3rd. But for the Davis’, our trip begins on Friday, October 2nd when we will be checking into the San Pedro Double Tree Hotel for a overnight stay and park your car program. Great option for those who want to drive and our car will be residing under the care of Double Tree Hotel for the next 15 days. There will also be an overnight stay option with no parking as well for those flying in. If you are interested in joining Roger and Diana and starting the cruise early....contact Alex as I have asked her to work with Double Tree to come up with a group rate for us.  

No. 5 - My Booking & Cruise Personalizer

If you haven’t already checked this out, you should! Alex has emailed your cruise booking confirmation if you made your deposit. On that document is your booking number which will allow you to access your Princess Cruise “ Cruise Personalizer ”. This is a great time to explore this valuable tool and an invite to your first peek into your upcoming cruise. It will get you excited about your cruise.. Have questions or need help, give Alex a call. Yes, she has your booking number if you can’t find your invoice.

No. 6  - Roger and Diana 25th Anniversary Renewal Cruise Blog

I know many of you have visited this cruise blog. But I also know first hand that many have not (As I have had to resend the blog address and yes will do it again). Don’t fret...you don’t have to sign up or pay for this service. It’s free, but it will not visit you unless you visit us at our group cruise blog. This will be where I will be in touch with our group, unless you email or call me directly. I highly recommend that you check here as our blog will be our central communication tool where both Alex and I will be relaying our information first hand. So bookmark this in your computer favorites!

No. 7 - Special Needs Request

If you have a special request, whether its to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Or you need to have some medical needs such as distilled water for a CPAP machine or a sodium free diet. The cruise line can assist and so can Alex. Think about what you might need to make your cruise as comfortable and efficient as being at home. The cruise line will do all they can within their limits. As you go on-line and begin to explore and complete your My Princess/Cruise Personalizer note that you can request certain medical/health accommodation as well as to note that you are going on this cruise for a celebration such as your birthday, retirement or anniversary?

No. 8 - Cruise Dress & Attire

Well you certainly would not want to forget your swimsuit and cover-up as you walk on the Lido deck. But also remember we have 3 Formal Nights and 12 Smart casual Nights. I wrote an article back in December on this blog titled “Helpful Tip - Preparing Now For Formal Night” . Now, would be a good time to revisit this as you can begin to get your cruise wardrobe together as Spring and Summer season approach. Heading to Hawaii will be be warm and humid. But don’t forget, the ship and your cabin is air-conditioned as well as on deck it can be quite chilly from the winds. So you will need a wrap or light jacket to protect you from these conditions. I know many of the gals in our group would often wear long sleeve tops or bring a sweatshirt/windbreaker as we sit and play cards or have a drink.  

No. 9 - Shore Excursions

Cruising can best be described as visiting a buffet table. Lots of options to pick, but you can’t have it all. With limited hours in our port of call, varying between 9-16 hours. And of course don’t forget you generally won’t be able to get off till an hour after the ship docks plus be back on the ship an hour before departure (Don’t miss the boat otherwise it will be your responsibility to catch the boat at the next port). This will be a good time to explore your options of what is it you truly would like to do on each of the island. Start making your list and talking to your travel partner or friends, so that you can be ready once the shore excursions are posted for sign-ups. 

No. 10 - Pre-Cruise Meet & Greet Social

Hopefully with advance notice many can join us for the upcoming No-Host Pre-Cruise Meet & Greet Social that will be held in Orange County this Summer. Currently, Karen Vaughn and Diana are exploring options for a location site. This is a great chance to meet some of our other fellow cruisers. As well as have an opportunity to talk to Alex & Diana for some “Frequently Asked Questions”. Okay and of course there will be “Eats & Drinks”...how else did you think Roger would be there? Please keep checking with our cruise blog for important dates and information. A handy Master Calendar Timeline is forthcoming with important details in a future “what else”... BLOG ARTICLE...stay tuned!