Today I’m writing about a new project I am starting as part of my weekly blog posts – The Kindness Project.  The Kindness Project is my attempt to spread happiness, kindness, empathy, and compassion to others.  My first post is about kindness when traveling and is a direct result of a recent cruise my husband and I enjoyed.  Hope you find this post insightful and entertaining.

1. My husband and I took advantage of the spa on our trip.  Our first day in we discovered that they offered acupuncture in the spa.  My husband and I have both suffered from chronic pain and thought to give acupuncture on the ship a try.  As part of our visit, our acupuncturist wanted us to sweat out toxins in the sauna.  This part of the spa had heated lounge chairs in one section where one could relax and meditate.  I was just drifting into a great state of meditation when I heard a cell phone going off repeatedly…over and over and over…  So, my first travel tip is about spa etiquette.  Many of your fellow cruise travelers enjoy utilizing the spa services as part of their vacation.  The spa is a great place to relax and recharge.  When visiting the spa, you may want to leave your cell phone in your room.  Patrons in the tranquility spa may become upset by loud beeps and other noises that emanate from your phone as you are playing poker with the sound enabled while they are trying to meditate.
2. I was astounded by the number of people walking around our ship oblivious to everyone around them while they conducted loud speakerphone conversations.  There were so many things to do on the ship and for me, it presented a great time to completely unplug – something I just can’t seem to manage at home. FaceTime calls in public is something that I have never really understood and find a little obnoxious.  If the looks on the faces of other travelers forced to listen to these random calls is any indication – I am not alone in my annoyance of this practice.  So, my next kindness tip is about FaceTime calls.  While it is fun to connect with friends and family via FaceTime calls,  you may want to make and receive these calls in your room – not in the elevator, the dining room, the spa, or on the deck where other adults are reading or resting in the sun.  While it may be very exciting for you to hear the entire short story that your 3rd grade grandchild wrote last week, everyone around you may be less interested.  Or….feel free to take the calls as long as you aren’t using the speaker on your phone to broadcast your conversation to everyone around you.
3. I have never considered myself a germaphobe, but after several elevator trips that start off fine with only a few people but gets more crowded as you stop at every floor to pick up more people until you are standing shoulder to shoulder touching sweaty strangers….I may revise my stance on people and germs.  This brings me to my next travel tip about elevator space.  Elevators on cruise ships can become very busy and crowded.  There are times when you may actually have to wait several minutes for an elevator.  When one finally arrives, if it is already full consider taking the stairs or waiting for another elevator.  Your fellow cruisers will appreciate it when you don’t force them to share sweat because you refuse to wait for the next car.
4. I was amazed at the number of electric scooters on our cruise.  They were absolutely everywhere making strolling the deck challenging at times.  It’s important to have patience in these situations.  My next kindness tip is about  electric scooters.  You may find that your cruise ship has a considerable population of individuals on electric scooters.  So many in fact that at times it can feel like you are surrounded by warring scooter gangs.  Watch out for your ankles and step aside if possible to let them peacefully pass.
5. My next travel tip is for travelers who use  electric Scooters to get around on the ship.  If you are utilizing an electric scooter to get around on your cruise ship, “accidentally” spilling your coffee on the guy who didn’t pull his chair in far enough in the dining room for you to pass is not cool.  Neither is shouting “look out” as you plow full steam into the full elevator bruising limbs and causing some patrons to jump out of the elevator to avoid bodily injury.
6. There are lots of things to do on a cruise ship including free shows.  These shows can really be amazing and many involve dangerous stunts with fancy lights and lasers.  Not only are the performers incredible, but the stages are also impressive.  The best shows fill up early so you will want to get there early to get a good seat.  We made sure we arrived early for all of the shows we wanted to see and were lucky enough to get what we thought were great seats until the person in front of us thought it was a good idea to hold his phone above his head (directly in our eye sight) so that he could record the performance.  This brings me to my next kindness travel tip about  recording shows.  When the announcer reminds everyone at the beginning of the show to mute their phones and to not use flash photography for the safety of the performers – and asks again a few minutes into the show – know that he is speaking directly to the individual who is FaceTiming the entire performance.
7. Did you know that if you want internet connection at sea, you will have to purchase a separate package (roughly $10 per day) to remain plugged in?  Since my husband threatened to throw my laptop overboard if I brought it with me (yes, I’m a bit of a workaholic), I opted not to purchase the plan.  I was astounded at the number of people who did purchase plans and who were on their phones the entire cruise – head down, earbuds in (or not), streaming videos, etc.  My last “cruise” kindness tip is about being present.  It was so sad to see the number of families at the pool where the kids were running around or trying to get their parent’s attention while the parents were oblivious to anything that wasn’t on their phone.  Dear parents, it is not the job of the lifeguard on duty to babysit your child.  You’re on vacation – pay attention to your child.  Your children need to interact with you in meaningful and positive ways.  If you can’t have this kind of interaction in the middle of the ocean on a ship, I hate to think about what your interactions with them look like at home.
8. Our cruise was over quickly (time flies at sea) and before we knew it we were headed home.  Sometimes getting to and from your vacation can be challenging.  Coordinating rides, transfers, and flights can feel like a logistical nightmare.  However, travel should be fun and relaxing and to ensure that it is enjoyable for all, we all need to follow the rules set forth by the drivers, pilots, FAA, and TSA.  My final kindness travel tip is about flying.  Believe it or not, there are rules in place for air travel to keep us all safe.  The flight crew are appreciative when you actually pay attention to their safety demonstration at the beginning of the flight.  They are grateful when you keep your elbows and feet out of the aisle so they can get through with their food and drink carts.  When the pilot asks everyone to keep their seatbelts on and remain seated until the plane comes to a complete stop, they really mean everyone.  When the plane stops on the runway and fellow passengers are yelling at you to put your luggage back in the overhead bin and sit down, it’s because your fellow passengers are eager to get to the gate and deplane.  They don’t appreciate sitting on the runway because you can’t follow directions.

By being kind and courteous to others when we travel we help to ensure that everyone who travels with us can have an enjoyable experience.