National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants

Thanks to all the CLNC® consultants who attended the 2011 National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants Conference Cruise. I so loved hearing how much you learned from our speakers and seeing you networking with fellow CLNC® pirates. It was a blast partying with you and spending a week together. I loved hearing your CLNC® Success Stories and am so energized by them.

Here are a few tips to keep you going on the path to your goals:

1. Reconnect with your attorney-clients by sending a note to let them know you’ve attended the NACLNC^® Conference for additional education and to renew your CLNC^® Certification. Remind them that this is your way to better serve them and their clients.
2. Send a news release to your community newspaper announcing your completion of this advanced Certified Legal Nurse Consultant training and renewal of your CLNC^® Certification.
3. Continue your success: mark your calendar and sign up now for the
   2013 NACLNC^® Conference where you can join us for a 7-Day Weekend March 2-9, 2013 sailing the Western Caribbean.

Enjoy the NACLNC^® Conference photo gallery and the video of the CLNC^® cheerleading contest (each group had five minutes to create, choreograph and practice their cheer).

Thanks for helping to make the NACLNC^® Conference the amazing event that it was. I’ll see you in 2013 aboard the Oasis of the Seas for the next NACLNC^® Conference. Can’t wait to cruise the rest of the Caribbean with you.

Success Is Inside!

I’m heading to the airport to board our flight home from the 2011 NACLNC^® Conference Cruise. This morning I had my healthy green tea, but what I really needed was a steaming hot cup of coffee with two added shots of espresso. If I didn’t have to be in the office tomorrow I’d probably take a couple of days off to rest up! As far as I know no one made a family member walk the plank so we’re all going home tanned, renewed and ready for another year of CLNC^® success.

I’m sure that some of the True Hollywood Stories you’ll hear about this year’s Conference Cruise will be much funnier (or scarier) than they really were. Tom’s still talking about my experience on the rock-climbing wall and if the hilarious video of him boogie boarding on the FlowRider^® makes it to YouTube — well let’s just say it wasn’t me!

Stay tuned to LegalNurse.com for information on the next NACLNC^® Conference Cruise. See you there! This year’s will be hard to beat. It was a blast – I loved each and every moment!

Success is Inside!

This is it — the final day. It’s hard to believe the 2011 NACLNC^® Conference Cruise is almost over! The past 6 days went by so fast it feels like we just got onboard! Luckily we’ve got another full day of great sessions from the CLNC^® Pros to look forward to before it all ends. I’ve heard nothing but great comments about yesterday’s sessions and can’t wait to edit the audio recordings. I get to hear every speaker in their entirety and bask in their hard-earned success. These speakers work so hard all year long to deliver to you and they sure did! My deepest gratitude goes out to each and every one of you.

After the sessions end, I’m sure everyone will be packing to disembark in Port Canaveral tomorrow.

But before we start thinking about heading home, we get to celebrate the last six days of fun and adventure at our Farewell Reception. We’ll all meet in Studio B at 7:15 and I’m sure there will be some fun, lots of laughter and even a few tears as everyone wishes bon voyage to their newest, oldest friends and CLNC^® colleagues.

Success is Inside!

Today is the big day, although they’ve all been pretty big so far with all the fun things to do. This is our first official classroom day. Now that everyone has turned a nice shade of tan (or bright red) we’ll move the fun into the air conditioning and crank up the PowerPoint^®.

First, I’ve got my opening speech in the Arcadia Theatre, followed by our great sessions from the first group of CLNC^® Pros in the Freedom’s Conference Center. We’ve got two tracks of great topics this year and this is only Day 1! I’ve worked all year long with the speakers and I guarantee you are going to love them.

This evening it’s back to the Arcadia Theatre for CLNC^® Night followed by our networking dinner. I hope everyone gets energized by the day’s classes because tonight’s our final Formal Night — we’ll all be dressed for CLNC^® success! Dancing, casino and who knows what afterwards?

More tomorrow!

I’ve almost lost track of the days. Eat, sleep, have fun and cruise. I could get used to this lifestyle. Of course, I’d have to buy a whole new wardrobe with expandable clothing. There’s more food and opportunities to eat on a cruise ship than should be legal. Tomorrow we’ll all start dieting… NOT!

Today is port day in Philipsburg, the capital of Dutch St. Maarten. The town has lots of traditional West Indian architecture and lots of pastel-color homes. Tom wants to check out the historic forts; I’m just interested in getting in a good walk around the island and then spending the afternoon having a cool tropical drink in a shady café listening to a steel-drum band.

I’m sure the CLNC^® consultants will find plenty to do with shopping, touring and great excursions. For those of you back in the States, happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Please have a green beer for Tom and a glass of healthy red wine for me.

More tomorrow!

Today we’re docked in Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. I’m in search of real pirates under the guise of checking out the local architecture. All that research I did on pirates for my opening speech got into my head and now I’m seeing them everywhere.

I’m sure I’ll be seeing CLNC^® consultants all over St. Thomas today. I can already tell which ones are feeling the technology deprivation. They’re the ones who at dinner last night were reminding everyone to make sure their cell phones are charged for today. More than a few Certified Legal Nurse Consultants were bugging the ship’s purser about the locations of Internet cafes so they could get caught up on email and Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, I’ll try to post some photos from the first couple of days of the Cruise and will post the rest after we get back next week. That is if I don’t take a nap!

Courtesy of Tom, here are a couple of interesting historical notes: a number of the streets here in Charlotte Amalie are made from bricks that were brought from Denmark as ballast in the holds of the merchant ships. They made a one-way trip and someone finally figured out what to do with them. The town itself has a natural deep-water port which made it very popular with merchants, pirates and today cruise ships. My biggest surprise – Camille Pissarro, one of the fathers of French Impressionism, was born here.

After the tour and history lesson I’m thinking of going back and spending the day in the ship’s spa! I’ll have to check with the local authorities before we sail to see if any CLNC^® consultants need me to help them make bail or carry their duty-free purchases onboard.

Tonight all that’s on is the NACLNC^® Networking Dinner so I might find time to lay low and spend time with my opening speech. Arrgghh!

More tomorrow!

I’m co-opting Tom’s Tuesday Tech Tip time for a report from the NACLNC^® Cruise. He’s having so much fun that he probably won’t remember to post until next Tuesday anyway, so I hope you’ll forgive him.

Yesterday was the CLNC^® Beach Olympics and so far there are only a few walking wounded limping around the ship. Apparently a few attendees found the more private parts of Coco Cay and gave new meaning to the phrase “lobster buns.” They’re easy to spot because of the way they sat (or not) at dinner. LOL!

Last night was formal night and Tom did manage to squeeze into his blue-ruffled tuxedo and all of the CLNC^® consultants looked quite elegant in their formal wear. Some of us headed up to the casino after dinner to try our luck at the games of chance (before the romance). With the tuxedos and formals it was all very James Bondish and, if you squinted your eyes, felt almost like Monte Carlo. We didn’t clean out the casino but we still have a few more nights ahead of us.

Today is our first full day of sailing and we have a busy day, not just for the CLNC^® consultants, friends and family who are onboard but for me and my staff too! It may be all fun and games for the Certified Legal Nurse Consultants, but for the rest of us there’s a lot of work! My staff, production crew and I will be up and working before many of the CLNC^® consultants come back to their cabins after a late night in the ship’s casino and clubs.

I guess this is your payback for my making you all study so hard for your CLNC^® examination while we’re out with the CLNC^® faculty drinking wine and having fun at night.

If you can’t find me, I’m in technical rehearsals for my opening speech. Last night I was having so much fun I forgot about having to deliver that speech on Friday. Arrrrgh! Plus Tom has his Tomentary™ which is guaranteed to make you laugh. I think Tom secretly wants to be a standup comedian (he at least cracks himself up). At rehearsal we’ll also be working on my “Cirque du Soleil-inspired” trapeze act.

Today we have NACLNC^® poolside networking so look for the pirate flags and pennants marking our CLNC^® section on the pool deck where Certified Legal Nurse Consultants and guests will enjoy the sun, pool, Caribbean breeze, tropical drinks (with umbrellas) and networking with each other. Let’s hope the ship rolls out a 55-gallon drum of SPF-9000 sunscreen. Then, just when we’ve played our umpteenth game of “Marco Polo” we’ll call it quits and head out of the tropical sun and into the air-conditioned ice rink for a special matinee Ice Skating Performance by the Freedom’s professional ice performers. Last year on the site visit I got to drive the Zamboni^® and throw my first and only Caribbean snowball at Tom (Ha!). I’m still amazed they can have an ice rink on a cruise ship. Too bad I forgot my hockey stick or I’d show Tom and the CLNC^® consultants how a girl from New Orleans knows her way around the pond.

After the ice show I’m hoping there will be time to head up to the top deck to see how many Certified Legal Nurse Consultants are on the rock-climbing wall. Then it’s over to the FlowRider^®. Tom’s been bugging me about trying out the boogie boards so I may just give one a spin.

More tomorrow!

One of my favorite things about cruising is having a glass of champagne as the ship sails. Yesterday we all did just that. The simple ceremony of sailing is such a fine tradition.

I am having so much fun already with everyone and this is only Day 2. Today we’re in the Bahamas at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island paradise. Tom and several of my staff were here last year when we “test-cruised” the ship so we already know the best spots for a private walk on the beach and some skinny-dipping. For everyone else, there’s great beaches, plenty of lounge chairs and all sorts of activities like swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, parasailing and WaveRunners^® for the Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who feel the need for speed!

At 10:00am, we have the CLNC^® Beach Olympics. Look for the pirate flags and pennants marking our NACLNC^® area. Afterwards, for the survivors, non-participants and witnesses, we’ll have lunch al fresco on the beach and then it’s time for another of my favorite activities – resting in a shady hammock. I’ve already got mine picked out! I hope Tom remembers to come find me before the ship sails because tonight’s formal night and the Captain’s Reception, plus I want to see if he can still fit into his wedding tuxedo!

Today’s the first day of the NACLNC^® Conference Cruise aboard the Freedom of the Seas. It’s also Registration Day and I am excited to see all my CLNC^® friends again. It’s always fun to meet your families and friends – through them I learn even more about you.

Vince has been living onboard the Freedom for a week already, as a passenger, not a stowaway. He’s been unpacking equipment and blowing up the hundreds of pirate beach balls we got for all of you. Be sure to thank Vince when you get yours. When he asked if he could just blow up a few dozen and put the rest in the Conference tote bags, I assured him he has enough hot air for the job. I might be his twin, but I don’t think he’d appreciate me telling you about this so please don’t repeat what I said when you see him onboard. LOL! Maybe next time we’ll get bigger beach balls!

After registration, we’ll all be exploring the ship. We’re scheduled to set sail around 5pm (remember to bring champagne up on deck) and then for a whole week it’ll be CLNC^® pirates at sea! Tonight is our first networking dinner and we’ve got a special seating area for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants and cabin-mates only. Instead of sitting at the same table every night, we worked a deal with the ship to allow everyone to table-hop from night to night to maximize the networking opportunities. I hope the Captain’s ready for us!

More tomorrow!

Vickie

The 2011 NACLNC^® Eastern Caribbean Conference Cruise will be here before we know it. Whether you’re a veteran cruiser or a first-timer, I want all Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to have a good time and smooth sailing. Please pay special attention to these important instructions.

1. Make Sure You Have Your Passport to Fun! You and everyone in your party will need a current and valid passport not only to board the ship but to get back into the United States when we return. Conversely, if you meet an attorney in St. Thomas, you can jump ship, stay for a meeting, then fly back to the States later. Don’t worry if you don’t look like your photo now – you will by the end of the cruise and La Migra will let you back into the country anyway.
2. If You Want to Take Your Children and Bring Them Back, Make Sure They’re Papered. If you’re bringing a minor child and their last name differs from yours, you’ll need family legal documents allowing you to take the child out of the country, including a passport and possibly a notarized or certified copy of the child’s birth certificate. THIS IS IMPORTANT: You don’t want to find out that you have to leave your child unattended at the port for the week, or can’t bring him back into the country afterwards.
3. Here’s a Tip – Pay Your Tips in Advance. Your gratuities can be prepaid, and I’m sure you’ll want to because of the great service. There are recommended gratuities for the dining room waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter for bringing you plate after plate of delicious food. Then there’s your stateroom attendant who cleaned up after you all week. You can prepay in advance or just wait until the last night of the cruise to add the tips to your final bill.
4. Here’s Another Tip – All Drinks Have Tips Added In. Speaking of tipping, anytime you buy a drink for me or one of your CLNC^® colleagues, the ship will conveniently add a 15% gratuity. Plan ahead if you’re on a budget.
5. Leave Your Cash at Home Where It’s Safe. Cash is not accepted onboard. Instead, you’ll use your SeaPass^® card which functions as your ID, instant credit and cabin key.
6. Know Who You Are Before You Leave. The name on your cruise reservation must match the name on your passport or legal documentation. If it doesn’t, contact University at Sea^® at 800.422.0711 and fix it today.
7. Don’t Take a Pass on the Sodas or Wine. Buy your wine package ahead of time by calling 800.398.9819. This will keep you from having to wait in line once you’re onboard and you can spend your time doing more valuable things like tanning. If you want a fountain soda package, you’ll need to purchase it onboard, so if you don’t want to wait in line this would be a good time to quit your Coke^® habit.
8. Check-In Early to Save Time. Once all of the above is done, check in online at Royal Caribbean’s website using the “Before You Board” page just like you would an airline. If you haven’t done this yet, you can do it today and it will save time when you arrive at Port Canaveral. You do have to complete this no less than three days before sailing.
9. Don’t Miss the Boat. Be sure to get to the ship on time. It’s a lot easier to catch before it leaves the dock. I’m not kidding about this. If you need to, fly in the night before. You want to be sure you’re onboard when your ship sails! Consider trip insurance if you’re coming from a delay-prone airport. Also, Saturday, March 12th, Daylight Savings Time begins. Set your clocks forward one hour and make sure to set an alarm clock (you can’t rely on the hotel’s wake-up calls).
10. Travel Fast and Light. Carry a small bag onboard (meds, change of smart casual clothes and bathing suit) so you can start having fun the moment you get onboard and before your suitcase gets delivered to your room.
11. You Can Dress Them Up – But You Still Have to Take Them Out. We’d all like to see our man looking like James Bond in his tuxedo but to be honest, March of the Penguins was so last year. Formal nights aren’t as formal as they used to be. Men can get away with suits and ties and ladies can opt for cocktail dresses instead of formals. Or you can opt to go all the way. After all, when was the last time you got to do that?
12. You Can Blow Dry Your Hair But Not Iron It. When you’re dressing for formal night, keep in mind that that the ship will provide a hairdryer (low temperature) in your cabin but not an iron. Just hang the item in a steamy (but empty) shower for a few minutes.
13. Forget About the Dirty Laundry. You can have laundry done on the ship or you can just pack enough clean clothes so that you won’t need to do laundry. They can also press your clothes for a fee.
14. Disconnect – You Deserve It. Bring your cell phone, but don’t use it once we leave Port Canaveral. You may get a signal offshore but it will be at international roaming rates. Check with your cellular carrier for exceptions. For example, St. Thomas is billed by AT&T at regular U.S. rates, but if you use your AT&T phone while on the ship, even for email, you’ll be subject to maritime roaming costs (trust me it’s expensive!).
15. Really Disconnect – Email Can Wait Until You Get Home. You’ll have to buy your Internet access from the ship or else hit an Internet café while you’re in port. Better yet, rather than spending your port days checking email, let everyone know in advance that you’ll be on a week-long class-cation. They’ll understand. Give them and your family the ship’s emergency number of 888.724.7447 just in case a real emergency occurs.
16. Limit Your Duty-Free Purchases. Speaking of ports, cruise lines are pretty smart and won’t let you bring any alcohol onboard. If you buy duty-free alcohol while in a port, the ship will hold it and deliver it to you when you disembark. Then you’ll need to pack it in your luggage for the flight home. Better yet, don’t buy any – the extra couple of dollars you save won’t offset the dry-cleaning cost if a bottle breaks in your packed bags. Save your duty-free purchases for important things like jewelry and cheap souvenirs.
17. Give Yourself Some Credit. While you’re in port, they’ll be happy to take dollars, pennies, pounds or pesos. Major credit cards are also accepted with Visa and MasterCard a little more widely than American Express (but don’t leave home without it anyway).
18. Pack It So You Can Stuff It. Soft-sided or duffel-type luggage will fit in places hard luggage won’t. You’ll also need a small bag (same one you boarded with) for the last night of the cruise. On the last night, you must put your luggage outside leaving you with only a carry-off or small rolling bag for your essentials.

Success Is Onboard!