save the money and go

You certainly want to compress a lot of sight seeing into a small package. $4,000 UAD converted to US $ at todays rate is $3,842.80. It you are frugal and stay at the cheaper places or check on line for couch surfer places, it should get you by for a month or two. I would cut out Hawaii and make it a separate trip. It is extremely expensive and you will spend a sizeable portion of your savings there. If you do go to Hawaii, buy your round trip ticket with a layover in Hawaii. Make it the first stop on your journey. You will not be able to legally get a job in the US unless you can show proof of legal residency. Employers hiring tourist or illegal aliens are fined, and the alien is arrested and deported. To work, you would need to obtain a Work Visa and a Temporary Resident card. These things need to be applied for prior to coming to the US. Best Advice is to follow the common sense rules you use when in Sidney. Stay out of areas that look bad, because they are. Never carry large sums of money on you. Get a Visa Credit Card, and draw money out of the ATM’s as you need it. You should consider how you plan on getting around the country. Air fare is extremely expensive and you don’t have enough money to buy airline tickets to all the places you have listed. The US rail system is expesnive & dismal at best and doesn’t serve many of the places you want to go. The US is an auto based society. We depend on personal owned vehicles to get around. Check on line to see how much car rental places will charge you to use a car. Then don’t forget the cost of insurance and gasoline. Currently averaging $4.00 per gallon. (128 liquid ounces or 3.8 litres) To tell you of all the things you will need to know and cool things to see will take more space than YA will allow.

Cruise Ships: What To Do Before You Board

There’s far more to preparing properly for a cruise ship vacation than simply checking with the cruise line for recommended apparel and going shopping for the right items of clothing. You’ll have plenty of other details to see to besides what you intend to pack in your luggage, not the least of which is ensuring that you have all your paperwork in order.

The first item of importance is your identification. You won’t be allowed on your cruise ship without a photo ID and proof of citizenship A passport will suffice for both, but if you don’t have one, then your driver’s license and official birth certificate (with a raised seal) will work. Even your kids will need the right identification. Make sure you don’t put your ID in your checked luggage if you are flying to your cruise departure point, because checked baggage can get lost!

The cruise lines don’t set the identification requirements; the US Department of Immigration does. So if you have any questions, call their toll-free number, which will almost certainly be included in the information packet which the cruise line sends with your tickets.

If you’re cruising to or in a foreign country, you will need a passport. You can apply in person for a US passport at a designated Post Office, at different probate, state, or Federal courts in your area, or at an official passport office, of which there are thirteen around the US. You’ll need an official birth certificate and a photo ID, and you’ll also need two identical 2? x 2? photos taken within the past six months. You should have them taken professionally, because they MUST be taken with a special camera if they’re to be identical.

Where, if you’re a US citizen, won’t you need a passport? Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Cruises to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Central America require them. You should apply for your passport a minimum of eight weeks before your departure date, but the earlier you apply, the better, especially if you’ll be cruising at the height of tourist season. You can also speed up the processing of your passport by applying in person and paying an extra $35 for expedited delivery.

When you have your identification squared away, you can focus on your other paperwork: airline tickets; your boarding documents which will include your cabin assignment and possibly your dining table assignment (many cruises no let you eat whenever you like); you luggage tags; you transfers from the airport or hotel to your port of departure; and any papers for offshore excursions you’ve arranged. Make sure your flight leaves you time to get to your port of departure at least an hour in advance of the time you set sail.

Bring along your health insurance card in case you need medical treatment while on your cruise. Pack your medications, of course, and ask your doctor for a spare prescription in case your existing medication gets lost and you need a refill before returning home.

Get enough traveler’s checks to cover your estimated travel expenses. Carry only the minimum amount of cash, because all cruise lines will accept either credit cards or traveler’s checks. Before leaving home make sure to give your ship itinerary to whoever is looking after your home while you’re gone, so that you can be reached in an emergency. Most cruise ships now have Internet cafes, so you can be reached by E-mail if necessary. Also arrange to have someone be your contact person at home.

Once all your paperwork is in order, you can begin the fun by heading out to shop for your new cruise clothes!

If you qualify for one of those credit cards, why is a trip to Hawaii a big expense for you? Yes, you can use high-end credit card “benefits” to subsidize air fare, but only if: 1. You pay all charges at the end of each billing period so you NEVER pay interest. (This also means no cash advances, on which interest is always charged.) 2. You use the card only during the come-on offer period, when you pay no or very little annual fee. 3. You do not make purchases beyond your means just to get airfare credit. If you violate even one of these principles, the advantage you’re looking for is already out the window.