Shopping? Wait till end of cruise to shop onboard; they reduce prices. Check with friends or ship's shopping expert on what to buy where. Each island has its specialities. For instance, braids are $150 in Key West, $75 in Cozumel, and $35 on Grand Cayman.

Prescription drugs are sold cheaply OOT in Cozumel, etc. Bring CASH so you can stock up on Keflex and avoid doctor's fees. Many of best bargains require CASH or TRAVELER'S CHECQUES. For other items, get off beaten track. Stores that pay for space in port generally charge that privilege back to you.

Check with friends who've actually been on these ships to see what your fellow-passengers will be like. Each ship has its own flavor. If you leave from Galveston, expect 90% Texans (scary). If from Port Everglade, more of a mix - North, Northeast, Midwest, Europe. If you travel in late summer, expect lots of kids and teenagers.

Maybe you care less about people, and more about quality of food. Decide what your priorities are. Then ask someone who's been on that line. The quality of different amenities varies, and each cruise line has its plusses and minuses. Most cruise ships have Internet service but it's expensive and not always available at sea. However, most ports now have Internet cafes which are quite affordable--$5 an hour, for instance, in Cozumel, right on dock. You can check your email anywhere on www.e-mailanywhere.com. It's FREE.

One last suggestion. If you like to speak, consider being a presenter on a cruise ship. As I say in my ebook, "How to Get to Present on a Cruise," being an enrichment gives you extra visibility and maneuverability for socializing, as well as new people to tell about your services.

Bon voyage!

(c)Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, is a frequent speaker for cruise lines on stress management and life enrichment. She offers coaching and Internet courses and is the author of "How to Get to Present of a Cruise (http://www.webstrategies.cc/development.htm ). Visit her on the web at www.susandunn.cc. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE ezine.

Read about inventions made by Blacks: http://www.everythingpreschool.com hemes/blackhistory/list.htm

Did you know Alfred Benjamin invented stainless steel pads; John A. Burr invesnted lawn mower; George Carruthers invented image converter radiation detector; L.F. Brown invented horse bridle bit; and Sarah Boone invented ironing board?

7. Go to Harlem Renaissance Page: http://www.jeannepasero.com/harlem.html

8. African Americans in Visual Arts: http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/ library/aavaahp.htm

9. Archives of African American Music and Culture selected list of Internet resources for African American Music: http://www.indiana.edu /~aaamc/websites.html

10. A wonderful link with profiles of prominent Blacks: http://www.who2.com/blackhistory.html

Read about Marian Anderson, contralto; Jackie Robinson, baseball pioneer; Wilma Rudolph, Olympia sprinter; Sidney Poitier, Oscar-award winning actor; Maya Angelou, poet; George Washington Carver, inventor, and other important Black figures in our history.