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13 Fun Things to Do On the 2013 NACLNC® Conference Cruise

It’s hard to believe that the 2013 NACLNC® Conference will be here before we know it! This is going to be a special cruise on the Oasis of the Seas, one of the largest ships afloat, and with so many activities you’ll never be able to do them all. We only have one 7-Day Weekend together, so here’s my not-so-short list of things every Certified Legal Nurse Consultant should try to fit in before the Weekend is over.

  1. Take a walk in the park. Yes, the Oasis of the Seas actually has a park with real trees and real foliage. I’m hoping there won’t be squirrels or pigeons, but I’ve heard there’s great shopping and paths to explore. There’s art and even a wine bar, and in keeping with the vast amounts of food available on every NACLNC® Cruise, you can end your Conference sessions by stopping at the Park Café for fresh sandwiches.
  2. Spice up your life! Take a salsa lesson, or if you’re already a salsa pro, learn to dance a new dance. The Oasis team also offers hip-hop and ballroom dancing lessons. Perhaps it’s time to introduce a new show − Dancing with the CLNC® All-Stars. What do you think, sign up now or right after those first tequila shooters?
  3. Go with the flow. FlowRider® that is. If your idea of fun is learning to surf some 18 or so stories in the air with a chance of washing over the side of the ship, this might just be for you. If you’re already an expert surfer or inhibition-free beginner, you might just provide some entertainment for the rest of us! There’s stadium seating so you can all be present when I try and hang 10 this year.
  4. Put some zip into your step. I’ve always said that we have to step out at least once in our lives. Well, here’s your chance to take me up on that advice by stepping out and off into the unknown while you’re 9 decks in the air. Experience the thrill ride of your life flying over the heads of your fellow 7-Day Weekenders. Zip lining is not for the faint of heart and best done before a meal. I’ve been told by reliable sources that this is even scarier than the CLNC® Certification Exam! Be sure to wave as you fly by.
  5. Dive deep. Not within yourself, like I recommend in Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman, but in the swimming pool and then in the ocean on an excursion. This is a perfect time to take those scuba lessons you’ve always wanted. That way when you get to Cozumel, you’ll be ready to take on those barracuda! If you’ve never experienced the total freedom of weightlessness under water or seen the beauty of undersea life, this is your chance. But here’s the best part − the fun isn’t limited to just divers. Cozumel also has some of the best snorkeling in the Gulf, so you can explore the amazing Arrecifes de Cozumel Marine Park, but you do have to get off the deck chair and into the water to do it.
  6. Check out a sunset or a sunrise at sea. These are my favorite things to do on a ship. Mornings at sea are the perfect time to see a sunrise. The ship and ocean are quiet and there’s a special peace that you experience. I won’t tell you my favorite spot to watch the sunrise, but I will tell you that you can get a cup of healthy black coffee right nearby! Sunsets are fun too, and there’s one free at the end of every day. Hardy 7-Day Weekenders can even go for the triple header by getting up early for the sunrise and then staying out late enough (or early enough) to pack in the sunset and another sunrise on the same “day.” I can’t wait to hear the stories…
  7. Stroll in the moonlight. Speaking of being out late, and you will be if you’re hanging with your CLNC® peers, head to the fantail (you’ll figure it out) and check out how bright the moonlight and stars are over the wake (that’s a clue to where the fantail is). Being out on deck at night is especially fun when we’re approaching an island or port and you can see the shore or harbor lights. Take your iPod® and cue up Boz Scaggs’ Harbor Lights to set the right mood. Hint. Hint.
  8. Go for a spin. Not a spin class (although after diving deep into the cuisine you may need to). Instead, search out each of the 10 different whirlpools onboard the Oasis. See how many you can pop in, and out of, in an evening. Word of warning: remember to wear your life vest and be careful because two of them hang WAY OVER THE SIDE OF THE SHIP! If you start having too much fun and build up too many waves, we may be turning the ship around to look for you.
  9. Unleash your inner Bond. James Bond that is. This one is for the male CLNC® consultants, husbands, boyfriends, significant others and stowaways. Tom tells me there’s nothing more fun than putting on his tuxedo for the two formal nights (no, he doesn’t wear it to dinner at home) and heading up to the ship’s casino. Even if you don’t gamble, it makes the evening feel like you’ve just stepped out of Casino Royale. I’m hoping Daniel Craig shows up, although some of you will be looking for Sean Connery, I’m sure.
  10. Put on the gloves and think inside the box – boxing ring that is. I’m personally looking forward to the chance to take a shot at my twin brother Vincent. There are even professional instructors available so we can get the edge on our opponents. Keep in mind that they may be taking lessons too. Please don’t let Vince know I’m ready to go all UFC on his butt! Of course, if I chicken out on the boxing, there’s always ping pong where I know the odds will forever be in my favor.
  11. Hang up the phone and turn off the laptop. You can buy an hourly, wireless Internet pass once you get onboard to avoid international roaming charges on your laptop, tablet or smart phone. That way you can update your Facebook status with all the fun you’re having and still communicate with your attorney-clients. Just remember to keep your cell phone in “airplane mode” so as not to incur expensive international calling rates. If you’re planning on phoning home, check with your carrier before you go to be sure you know what you’re getting into. I’m actually looking forward to seven days without email. Or at least that’s what I’m saying now.
  12. Buy your drinks in advance (so you can buy me one too). We are nurses and we need caffeine! Soda bills can add up quickly onboard, especially if you’re traveling with your spouse or children. You can save yourself enough money to pay for some really cool souvenirs (like that bedazzled teal sombrero you’ll be coveting in Cozumel) if you purchase an all-you-can-drink soda plan before or after you board. You can even buy a bottled water package in advance too. Me, I’m purchasing a wine plan. Pricing varies with the quality of the wine; visit Royal Caribbean’s Pre-Cruise Planner for pricing and options.
  13. Don’t miss the special NACLNC® Networking Events. This 7-Day Weekend we have lots of special events planned for you, and with all the fun things to do and see, you’ll want to mark these on your calendar today. Your family and cabin mates are invited to ALL of the networking functions. Look for me, your CLNC® Weekenders and the pirate flags.
    • Saturday, March 2 from 7:15pm-8:15pm – MANDATORY NACLNC® Conference Registration. Go to the Solarium Bar (on Deck 16) to sign in and collect your NACLNC® tote bag (handy for carrying your beach towels, sun block, souvenirs and your textbook). Get registered early because the NACLNC® Welcome Reception starts right at 7:30pm and you can’t go to the reception if you haven’t signed in!
    • Saturday, March 2 from 7:30pm-8:30pm – NACLNC® Welcome Reception in the Solarium Bar on Deck 16. Luckily this is right next to Registration, so you can stroll right on in. This is the official kick-off of our 7-Day Weekend together and what better way to get in the right spirit than with free drinks and food!
    • Every evening at 8:30pm – NACLNC® Networking Dinners. Join your fellow 7-Day Weekenders in the Main Dining Room for late-seating dinner. We have a special section just for CLNC® consultants, your guests and families. To make the most out of this unique opportunity, be sure to sit with someone new every evening. Nothing’s better than networking over dessert, especially if it’s on fire!
    • Sunday, March 3, 7:30pm-8:30pmCaptain’s Welcome Aboard Reception. And it’s formal night, so put on your tux, formal or little black dress or something fancy, meet the Captain, then come strut your CLNC® stuff at our 8:30pm NACLNC® Networking Dinner! After dinner we can all go to the ship’s casino and do some CLNC® bonding, James Bonding that is! Seven come eleven!
    • Sunday, March 3, 10:30pm – Special CLNC® Night at the Opal Theater. Nurses say bad things always happen on the night shift – well not while we’re onboard they don’t. Whether you stay in your formals or dash back to your staterooms to slip into something more comfortable, it’s time to get your CLNC® legs on, stay up late and enjoy a performance of the fun Broadway show Hairspray in our own special NACLNC® Association section. Join us on Deck 2 in the Opal Theater at 10:15pm for what’s guaranteed to be the biggest show you’ll see that night! I promise that you’ll still be singing Good Morning Baltimore as you watch the sunrise the next morning. Good thing we have Monday off (sort of).
    • Monday, March 4 from 7:00am-3:30pm – CLNC® Beach Party at Labadee® Haiti. After a leisurely morning, CLNC® survivors of Sunday night can find us on the beach at Labadee. Here you can join your CLNC® shipmates and their travel companions for some quality beach time, sand in your swimsuit and an open air lunch. Then, from 10:30am-12:30pm, it’s your chance to bring it on with our exclusive NACLNC® Beach Olympics and the only officially sanctioned NACLNC® Cheerleading Contest. You can choose to play, participate, cheerlead or just heckle the amateur Olympians. CLNC® consultants, families and friends of all ages are invited. The results of the last Cheerleading Contest are still being debated by a few sore losers (you know who you are). This Weekend’s contest is sure to be fun!
    • Monday, March 4, at 7:30pm – Ice Show. Take a break from the poolside networking, slip on your jeans and join us in Studio B on Deck 4 at 7:15pm for a performance by the Oasis of the Seas ice skating team. Just like a hockey game, seats near the ice go quick, so you’ll want to be on time for this “cool” show and find room with your other 7-Day Weekenders!
    • Tuesday, March 5 from 7:30pm-8:30pm – Special CLNC® Performance at the AquaTheater. From a truly unforgettable setting on the stern of the ship, together we’ll take a trip to CLNC® world when we experience the Oasis’s unique water-based show. Join us on Deck 6 in the AquaTheater at 7:15pm. You won’t want to miss this event!!
    • Saturday, March 8 from 7:30pm-8:30pm – Private NACLNC® Farewell Reception. It will be our last night on the ship and what better night for a farewell reception (funny how we worked that out)? Here’s your last chance to flaunt your tan and new tattoos, so head back to Studio B for the last time to raise a farewell toast to all your new best CLNC® friends. It’s hard to believe the 7-Day Weekend is finally over. Together we’ll laugh, cry, have some hors d’oeurves and possibly a drink or two or three to help take the sting out of the sunburn.

Finally, remember you’re not there just for a 7-Day Weekend, you’re there for the premier educational and networking experience for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. Yes, that means you do have to come to class, but we’ve scheduled them when we’re at sea so you won’t miss any fun and you’ll be ready to sink your teeth into some great content.

Success Is Onboard!

P.S. Comment and share your own favorite things to do on a cruise.

P.P.S. If you are joining me on the cruise, watch for an email from me on February 8, 2013 which will give you the link to the Conference textbook. Then on February 15, 2013, you’ll receive very important announcements which you’ll want to read and print before you depart for the cruise. Next, on February 21, 2013 you’ll receive final important instructions.

P.P.P.S. Just a reminder to make sure you, and everyone in your party, have your passports. You’ll need them to get on the ship and back into the states when we return. Like I always say, if you don’t look like your passport picture now, don’t despair, you will by the end of our 7-Day Weekend together!

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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.

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