deducting cost of cruise for tax purposes?

On Thu, 6 Jan 2011 13:26:39 -0500, Carol Eskra wrote:

Yes Ari, this was a serious post!

Carol, I don't know whether to roll my eyes or salute you for giving
access to your condo to a person who you have only known as a cabin
attendant especially when you were going to be away from it. shrug
--
Ari Silverstein, C.T.A; C.T.A.S, FREE Cruise Travel Advisory Services
I never have nor ever will solicit or accept a booking.
http://www.cruisecompare.co.uk/ USA site due 1Q 2011.

On Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:16:14 -0500, wrote:

Well I wouldn't either. I just wanted to know what they would do if I
did, because I just didn't like the envelope thing at all. The whole
envelope thing just makes me cringe. I'm not about being Lady
Bountiful, tossing the serf some coins.

Granny that's well spoken. Most of these people are having to work
like dogs in conditions that you or I would never consider.
--
Ari Silverstein, C.T.A; C.T.A.S, FREE Cruise Travel Advisory Services
I never have nor ever will solicit or accept a booking.
http://www.cruisecompare.co.uk/ USA site due 1Q 2011.

Ari,

I purchased my condo 10 yrs. ago and up until last yr. (now rent long
term) I always rented to strangers, mostly families from the southern
states. Would you believe I never had one person steal from me, and once
a child broke a lamp, but the fathe said he would be happy to replace
it. Did have one tenant who allowed her teenager to use a pop gun on the
fridge, and it left a lot of dents. No biggie, I just went out and
bought a new stainless steel one, which is what I wanted all along.

I consider myself very lucky!

A realtor told me people are more apt to take care of a place if it is
attractively decorated and not a dump, and this certainly proved true in
my case.

On Thu, 6 Jan 2011 14:18:47 -0500, Carol Eskra wrote:

Ari,

I purchased my condo 10 yrs. ago and up until last yr. (now rent
long term) I always rented to strangers, mostly families from the
southern states. Would you believe I never had one person steal
from me, and once a child broke a lamp, but the fathe said he would
be happy to replace it.

Caril, that's really good luck. I have a couple of rentals for in
season folks and it always seems that there is a something small
missing, towels, and yes, breakage.

Did have one tenant who allowed her teenager to use a pop gun on the
fridge, and it left a lot of dents. No biggie, I just went out and
bought a new stainless steel one, which is what I wanted all along.

lol that's funny, a pop gun?

I consider myself very lucky!

A realtor told me people are more apt to take care of a place if it is
attractively decorated and not a dump, and this certainly proved true in
my case.

Yes this would seem to be bassackward advice but I can support this
too.

Of course, then there is this one dump I have...
--
Ari Silverstein, C.T.A; C.T.A.S, FREE Cruise Travel Advisory Services
I never have nor ever will solicit or accept a booking.
http://www.cruisecompare.co.uk/ USA site due 1Q 2011.

In article ,
wrote:

Well I wouldn't either. I just wanted to know what they would do if I
did, because I just didn't like the envelope thing at all. The whole
envelope thing just makes me cringe. I'm not about being Lady
Bountiful, tossing the serf some coins.

The envelopes are meant for cash, not coins. The auto tip is a
relatively new method of doing the tips instituted because there are
now so many more dining options and because there were cheapskates who
skipped dinner the last evening when the envelopes were handed out.

There are those who prefer the envelopes and opt out of the auto tips
on the lines that do it. They think it is more personal. Or some think
that what they tip won't be pooled but will go to the specific crew
member. Which is wrong. The tips in the envelope will be pooled.

Personally I prefer the auto tips and it seems fairer for the crew but
I never cringed at the envelopes.

I think that a compliment in person and on the evaluation forum is
better than notes - I don't want to write notes. For one thing,
there's always the chance that they will not be able to read my
handwriting or that they won't understand what I've written - most of
them are not native English speakers after all. Especially the
assistant cabin stewards. Probably your handwriting is better than
mine.

It seems like the comment cards are on the way out on some lines. They
did not hand any out on the Carnival Valor.

--
Charles

On Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:22:06 -0500, Charles
wrote:

In article ,
wrote:

Well I wouldn't either. I just wanted to know what they would do if I
did, because I just didn't like the envelope thing at all. The whole
envelope thing just makes me cringe. I'm not about being Lady
Bountiful, tossing the serf some coins.

The envelopes are meant for cash, not coins.

While there has been some discussion of coins - that was meant as a
metaphor and not that I was literally going to be giving coins.

The auto tip is a
relatively new method of doing the tips instituted because there are
now so many more dining options and because there were cheapskates who
skipped dinner the last evening when the envelopes were handed out.

There are those who prefer the envelopes and opt out of the auto tips
on the lines that do it. They think it is more personal. Or some think
that what they tip won't be pooled but will go to the specific crew
member. Which is wrong. The tips in the envelope will be pooled.

Personally I prefer the auto tips and it seems fairer for the crew but
I never cringed at the envelopes.

I think that a compliment in person and on the evaluation forum is
better than notes - I don't want to write notes. For one thing,
there's always the chance that they will not be able to read my
handwriting or that they won't understand what I've written - most of
them are not native English speakers after all. Especially the
assistant cabin stewards. Probably your handwriting is better than
mine.

It seems like the comment cards are on the way out on some lines. They
did not hand any out on the Carnival Valor.

Sometimes you get to fill them out on line afterwards.

lid (Charles) wrote:

some snipped
Personally I prefer the auto tips and it seems
fairer for the crew but I never cringed at the
envelopes.

Same here. I did have a problem with the auto tips once. We were on the
RCL Enchantment of the Sea. Due to a hurricane, our 5 day cruise became
a 7 day cruise. I put the vouchers that RCL gave us into the envelopes.
I assumed we would be charged tips for all 7 days. When I later got our
cruise card statement, I realized we had only been charged for 5 days
worth of tips. I felt bad about unwittingly stiffing our wait staff,
room steward, et al. They did not deserve to lose 2 days worth of tips.
(And they were going to lose again because the next cruise was delayed
due to the hurricane and must have had far less passengers since I later
read that RCL had only one dinner seating on that next cruise instead of
the customary early and late seating.

I think that a compliment in person and on
the evaluation forum is better than notes - I
don't want to write notes. For one thing,
there's always the chance that they will not
be able to read my handwriting or that they
won't understand what I've written - most of
them are not native English speakers after
all. Especially the assistant cabin stewards.
Probably your handwriting is better than
mine.

It seems like the comment cards are on the
way out on some lines. They did not hand any
out on the Carnival Valor.

They also did not hand them out on the Golden Princess last summer. They
did send a request for comments by e-mail to both my wife and me.

with coins, which are heavy and hard to handle and store, and there is
really no easy way to convert them into something lighter is pretty much
just self-indulgent BS on your part.

dollar bills - last 30 months in curculation
dollar coins - last 30 YEARS in circulation

dollar bills - easily spread disease
dollar coins - have natural microbial action from the metals used

dollar coins would save the US half a BILLION dollars a year, compared
to bills

I don't find them heavy or difficult to handle or store. However,
perhaps we should do what Canada did and introduce $2 coins, and $5 coins.

In article ,
Ohioguy wrote:

with coins, which are heavy and hard to handle and store, and there is
really no easy way to convert them into something lighter is pretty much
just self-indulgent BS on your part.

dollar bills - last 30 months in curculation
dollar coins - last 30 YEARS in circulation

dollar bills - easily spread disease
dollar coins - have natural microbial action from the metals used

dollar coins would save the US half a BILLION dollars a year, compared
to bills
None of which have anything to do with anything we were discussing.


I don't find them heavy or difficult to handle or store. However,
perhaps we should do what Canada did and introduce $2 coins, and $5 coins.

You don't because you are at home, in your home country, not
staying in a small room. You don't have to make arrangements to get the
coins into a form that can be wired to your family at home. You have
some safe place to put them. And even the ship's "bank" is unlikely to
have the drawers and other infrastructure to handle the coins (although
that would be the least of my worries in this situation). YOU find them
such so everybody else must also. See the part about self-indulgent BS
above.
The only function of the coins is to be different and call
attention to yourself. If you want to tip, directly, just do it with
bills. Nice, light, easy to carry bills.

--
"Even I realized that money was to politicians what the ecalyptus tree is to koala bears: food, water, shelter and something to crap on."
---PJ O'Rourke

Ohioguy wrote:
with coins, which are heavy and hard to handle and store, and there is
really no easy way to convert them into something lighter is pretty
much just self-indulgent BS on your part.

dollar bills - last 30 months in curculation
dollar coins - last 30 YEARS in circulation

dollar bills - easily spread disease
dollar coins - have natural microbial action from the metals used

dollar coins would save the US half a BILLION dollars a year, compared
to bills

I don't find them heavy or difficult to handle or store. However,
perhaps we should do what Canada did and introduce $2 coins, and $5 coins.

debit cards, easily wiped clean and in far fewer hands to begin with
than coins.
Coins are noisy, heavy and a nuisance. I've lived in countries that used
larger coins. They were some of the first to use debit type cards
commonly. Does that tell you anything?