A cruise is an excellent way of going on a vacation. It is probably for vacations like this that the old idiom “getting there is half the fun” was coined. Indeed, some holiday makers would rather stay on board the cruise ship than tour their destination ports. This is because today’s ships are more like floating luxury resort hotels than the old ships with nothing more than a bed in a cramped cabin. Today, cruise ships have swimming pools, state-of-the art theaters with first run films and live shows, casinos, video game arcades, fully-equipped gyms and spas, and gourmet coffee bars.

It would be a real shame if you have a reservation on cruise, or are already on board, and something untoward happens. First, you could miss your boat. With all the traffic in the city streets, it is not entirely impossible for this happen. Even if you make sure you would be there on time, there could still be a cancellation of the voyage due to bad weather, an unexpected engine malfunction, or some other unforeseen glitch. If the cruise pushes through, your baggage may yet be lost. Or worse, some global traveler might infect you with some dreaded viral infection.

That these terrible things should happen when you are supposed to be having the time of your life is bad enough. That you shouldn’t have a cruise travel insurance to cover your losses or your medical expenses would make things even worse.

Last night was barbecue night at Trey’s. We were out in the backyard cooking steak, hamburgers and hotdogs. The grill was firing up real nice and the weather was perfect. We were busy catching up and exchanging life stories. It seems like we haven’t seen each other for quite a while.

As we dug into our juicy steaks and chugged ice cold beer, the light suddenly went out. Trey scrambled into his house to look for one of his portable generators. We helped in start it up and soon we were laying back and enjoying our great food.

The heat from the grill warmed us up and we totally forgot about the time. We were having a lot of fun just telling each other tales about college and about life. I realized that I missed the company of my friends. My friends who have stood up for me back in college and helped me get through all the tough times. These are the same guys you know me inside out, know my fears and my desires. I will never forget any of them. We may live separate lives now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be there for each other.

Kaye is a plain looking girl. She is the type of girl that disappears among the throng of people. It’s like she blends in the wallpaper or something. Kaye’s sister, Daphne, is the complete opposite of Kaye. She is bubbly and her clothes reflect her personality. Daphne is trendy and attractive. With makeup, the right clothes and flawless hair, Daphne shines like a star.

One day, Kaye was in Daphne’s room. She was watching her older sister rummage through a pile of makeup while trying to experiment with a new look. Kaye was deep in thought when Daphne suddenly asked her to stand up. Daphne had a genius of an idea: She will be giving Kaye her first makeover. Daphne was trembling from head to foot with excitement.

Kaye was hesitant but she decided to go with Daphne’s idea. For once, she wanted to feel beautiful and attractive. Daphne started by smoothing out Kaye’s hair with a ceramic flat iron. She then proceeded to apply light makeup on Kaye’s pale face. Daphne also took the effort to pluck some of Kaye’s stray eyebrows. After the hair and makeup, Daphne let Kaye change into a simple yet trendy outfit. The total effect of the makeover made Kaye look absolutely beautiful.