Q: I have to fly to London this summer to attend a wedding. I’ve never been on a plane before and am terrified. Should I tell the person sitting next to me I’m nervous? What else can I do? I’m afraid the other passengers will hate me if I get jittery. A: Definitely introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you and say you’re a first-time flyer. If the person knows that, he or she will cut you some slack. It wouldn’t hurt to mention it to the flight attendants, too.
Would it be possible to take a short plane ride before that trans-Atlantic flight, though? I’d keep an eye on airfares and try to do a weekend trip somewhere closer to home. It’ll let you test the waters in the shallow end, so to speak. Maybe you could even convince a friend to go with you (preferably someone who flies regularly and will be able to say things like, “That noise is just the landing gear”).
One more tip: Do not attempt to calm your nerves by tossing back five vodka tonics in the airport bar. I’ll take a nervous seatmate any day of the week over one who’s plastered! If you think you have genuine anxiety issues, talk with your doctor rather than self-medicating.
Q: I’ve cruised before, but my boyfriend hasn’t. I explained how there are photographers everywhere and that they put the photos on display so you can look through the shots and decide which ones you want to buy. I have some nice family portraits from a cruise I took with my parents a few years ago, and I was thinking of buying a few shots.
My boyfriend thinks I’m crazy. He wants to bring our digital camera to the photo-display room and take pictures of the pictures (this is what he does in amusement parks where they snap a photo of you on a ride). I think this is really tacky. Can you please weigh in?
A: That’s tacky, all right — not to mention cheap. And there are usually staff members wandering around the photo room, so you’re probably not going to get away with it. I think the prices cruise lines charge for photos are ridiculous, but if you want a picture, you have to bite your bottom lip and pay for it. Also, nothing says you have to use the cruise ship’s official photographer to get great photos. Other passengers are usually more than willing to snap a pic for you. All you have to do is ask.
