Is this better or worse?

Julie and I have been fans of the TV show "This Is Us" since it's inception, primarily because our son Jay told us to be sure to watch after being impressed by a pre-screening of the series.

As a Director of Film and Television at Universal Music, Jay has placed a lot of songs in the show, which deals with a family in different decades where music often defines the era.

The compilation album of songs from Season One includes 10 Universal songs pitched by Jay.



Dad bragging aside, if you happened to watch last week's show, then you heard Randall deliver a moving analogy about sitting down in an optometrist office and having the doctor ask, "Is this better or worse?"

Up until then, Randall said, he had never seen the world clearly.  Over the course of five minutes looking through the mysterious phoropter lens machine, everything he thought he knew changed.

Helping some folks booking Alaska cruises for next summer (it is Wave Season when most people book such trips, after all!), it occurred to me that I am a cruise-phoropter.



I often show two or three cruises and ask which one is better and which is worse.  Then the same about rooms, amenities, itineraries, sail dates, etc.

Because I have studied all of the cruise lines for decades now,  I feel confident I know more about the possible selections than the average bear...or generic TripAdvisor review from questionable anonymous sources.

Even after all these years, I awaken each day to find some new and exciting travel possibility to share, whether that be a free or reduced air price on Viking, an extra amenity on Celebrity or a last minute deal on Princess.

I never know what will catch my attention on any given day, but it feels like discovering gold.



Then again, I don't want to come across as overly pushy by promoting this new treasure randomly.

Only if I know you have some interest does it really do any good to share the "deal of a lifetime," which in my experience comes around once or twice a week if it happens to be the cruise a particular person has been looking to go.

The more I know about your specific needs and goals, the better I can help you.

And then it becomes a question of which one is better?

Sometimes, in my excitement, I may give you more than three possibilities.  None may be perfect, but one cruise or perhaps one aspect of that cruise, is always better than another possibility.

When one of the cruises isn't an obvious perfect fit, we may have to find which specific item is more important to you.



Would you rather have a mid-ship balcony or a lower price?

Would you rather have free adult beverages throughout the cruise or onboard credit to be used toward shore excursions, gratuities or alternative dining?

Would your desire to stay casual still apply if you could get a more deluxe ship for less money?

If you're willing to answer a series of "Is this better or worse?" questions, then we can work together to find you the perfect cruise rather than just what an online booking engine spits out generically.

Often, you will be surprised to learn that what you really wanted wasn't what you asked for initially after all.

As I've said for years, "Better service leads to better trips!"