Think of it as a floating paradise with an exotic, tropical destination being the icing on the cake and the idea of what a Caribbean cruise is all about begins to become almost as crystal clear as the turquoise waters that will lap at the ship's side while sailing toward a port of call. Half the fun of a cruise is on that ship itself.

Those who think cruising is about sitting around the doing nothing, half bored out of their minds, have never really checked out a cruise. There's so much to do and see onboard a typical Caribbean cruise liner, passengers sometimes find it hard to pry themselves away to check out their destinations.

When it comes to entertainment, cruise ships leave very few stones unturned. With a whole crew of people employed to do nothing but entertain, it's very difficult to get bored while on a cruise vacation. But, and this is where it gets even better, if just kicking back and relaxing is what you have in mind, that can be achieved as well.

For those who like to really pack in the fun, however, a typical cruise ship offers the following onboard activities for the trip to the Caribbean port of call on your agenda:
* Live entertainment. From comedy shows to musical performances and even live plays, cruise ships are known for hiring some of the best to entertain guests during dinners and at special shows scheduled throughout the journey.
* Swimming. Most major cruise ships have at least one onboard pool, if not more. Plus, some even have their own onboard version of a water park, complete with slides, whirlpools and more.
* Golf. Golf on board a cruise ship? You bet! Some cruises even offer golf lessons with an actual pro to help their passengers improve their swing before they hit one of the Caribbean's famous golf courses.
* Spa packages. Many ships have onboard spas so guests can pamper themselves while they take in the oceanic sights.
* Contests, games and more. There's always something going on from ping-pong and shuffleboard to cards and more.
* Casino action. Many cruises have their own casinos that offer some serious action on the tables.
* Children's entertainment. Kids are not forgotten on cruises. With clubs just for teens and programs for the smaller passengers, there's something appropriate and fun for all ages.
* Dancing. If you like to cut a rug, most cruises ships can more than accommodate.

When it comes to having fun, it's hard not to achieve that on a cruise. Offering just about anything a traveler could want to do while passing the time on their way to the Caribbean, cruise ships are meant to be floating vacation paradises with their destinations just providing the icing on the cake.

Passengers onboard a Caribbean cruise can expect the unexpected. With literally dozens of island ports of call to choose from, pristine beaches and a tropical beauty that's incomparable mixed with a laid back local style, no two trips to the islands are alike.

While on the cruise itself, passengers can expect first-class treatment. Cruise lines specialize in making sure their guests have everything they could need or want right at their fingertips. From room service and fine dining to entertainment and more, there's nothing boring about the cruise part of the cruise itself. This, of course, is the point; a point most cruise lines work very hard to accentuate.

Most major cruise lines offer passengers the epitome of the old saying that the journey is half the fun by combining the best entertainment offerings on what amounts to floating paradise. The secret to a good cruise line's success often lies with how well its managed to entertain guests before, during and after arrival in the major Caribbean port of call.

Typical cruise ships provide passengers with workout rooms, extensive dining opportunities, live entertainment, movies, swimming and even sometimes the chance to do a little gambling while at sea. With events planned throughout the cruise, beautiful waters to take in and lounge chairs simply for relaxing, few "journeys" can compare to what a cruise has to offer.

What's more, passengers onboard a Caribbean cruise will soon find that unlike some other vacations, lifting a finger toward anything that might resemble work is not part of the cruise experience. Room service takes care of the cleaning, there are sitters for the kids and activities that are age-appropriate, pretty much around-the-clock dining opportunities and more.

And while it's true that getting there is half the fun, those on a Caribbean cruise do expect to take in the island lifestyle - at least for a while. Cruise ships make sure this happens. With plenty of opportunities for checking out the local beaches, shops and restaurants, along with side trip possibilities like sky diving, fishing, hiking and more, cruises make sure to leave no stone unturned when it comes to guests' comfort.

A Caribbean cruise is like nothing else going. Guests onboard a ship should expect the unexpected and prepare to be dazzled. Plus, there's paradise Caribbean style waiting at the other end of the journey with its whole host of activities to keep visitors more than entertained.

The Super Mario Bros are one of the most recognizable pairs of video game characters ever created by Nintendo.  When the first Nintendo came out in the mid 1980’s it was of course a huge success, but not right away.  The very first Nintendo games didn’t immediately stand out from other games on the market for the already successful systems like the Atari 2600.  It wasn’t until they released the game ‘Super Mario Bros’ that the full potential and capability of Nintendo’s first console system was realized, and only then did it become an icon of 1980s entertainment. 

Realizing what a huge success the first Super Mario Bros game was, Nintendo soon began including the game as part of the package when you bought the system.  When I first got my Nintendo Entertainment System, it came with the Super Mario Bros game and I was in video game heaven.  Having been an avid fan of the Atari, I was dumbfounded by the graphical and audio improvements seen in the Nintendo.  More than the better graphics and sounds, the sheer size and scope of the Super Mario Bros game was what really made the Nintendo stand out.  Atari games had all been extremely short with very little depth, but the Super Mario Bros game just kept going and going.

Super Mario Bros games are still coming out today for the more current Nintendo systems, like the ‘Gamecube’ and the ‘N64’.  Indeed, the Super Mario Bros are symbols for Nintendo systems, and have probably done more to bring in business for the Japan based company than any other advertising campaign they’ve ever come up with.  Just putting the Super Mario Bros into a game somehow is almost a guaranteed way to make sure the game sells well.  It’s no surprise then that there are so many variants of Mario Bros games out there now.

One of my favorite more recent Super Mario Bros games is the Mario Kart series.  These games are fun because they are designed to be played against other players at the same time.  You could play the original Super Mario Brothers games with more than one player, but not simultaneously, so you were always waiting for your friend to die so you could have your turn.  The Mario Kart games are fun because you can play with several players and compete in a away that isn’t too serious, which keeps the mood friendly. 

For those who want to see the Caribbean from a completely different perspective, cruising doesn't cut out the possibilities. It's no secret this region is just as beautiful below its turquoise waters as it is above and for many perhaps more so. With this in mind, cruise lines make sure their guests can see it all if they choose.

No matter the destination, diving or at least snorkeling possibilities should abound. From shipwreck dive tours below the waters off Jamaica to snorkeling adventures on the Caribbean's coral reef, visitors should not have to worry about missing it.

Since most cruise lines (depending on the length of stay on a island) give their guests plenty of opportunities to explore, dive and snorkel, trips are almost always booked into the offerings. Cruise ship passengers should check with their cruise to ensure they will have a chance to do a little underwater exploring while on vacation if this is desired.

For those who do want to see what lies below, the Caribbean is a favorite of serious divers and even casual snorkeling enthusiasts. The reasons for this are many, but the tops are the shipwrecks and coral reef. Both are prevalent sights in this region virtually no matter the island visited. And both give passengers something to see they aren't likely to experience in local dives where they are from.

Those who choose to get up close and personal with the Caribbean's other residents - the aquatic kind - are likely to see a host of fish, coral, sea turtles and even a shark or two. The world under the sea is much different, but just as exotic as that above, and it's a sight that many divers return to see again and again.

For those traveling by cruise line, the advantages are many, especially for first-time snorkel fans. The guided tours make the experience that much more enjoyable as knowledgeable guides can take divers and snorkeling enthusiasts directly to the sites of shipwrecks and some serious reef action. They can even explain the history and the details of what divers are likely to see, adding a sense of richness to the experience.

Cruising is a great way to get to the Caribbean, but many avoid the adventure because they're unsure whether they'll get to see and do the things they'd like. But with cruise lines offering so many possible activities for guests while their in port, there's really no reason for cruise passengers to miss the view from under the sea.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System really blew me away when if first came out back in the early 1990s.  The first Nintendo Entertainment System was amazing and groundbreaking in itself, but when the SNES came out it was really the dawn of the modern era of video games for me.  The Sega Genesis and the Turbo Grafix 16 were already out, so the SNES was a fairly late arrival to the third generation of video game consoles, but it was worth the wait.  Of the third generation consoles, the SNES was my favorite and I owned all of them.  The SNES is the only one of the three I still sometimes play today.

One of the more memorable aspects of the system was the Super Nintendo controller.  The Super Nintendo controller was also groundbreaking in a lot of ways.  Not only did it have twice as many buttons on the face as the original NES controller, the Super Nintendo controllers had twin shoulder buttons as well.  Looking at controllers for the current generations of video game consoles, its clear that the Super Nintendo controller set the stage for the future. 

The style of the Super Nintendo controller brought options to the SNES games that would otherwise not be possible.  One game I recall this making a particularly strong effect on was Street Fighter II.  Arguably one of the most popular SNES games made, and probably one of the most popular console games ever, Street Fighter II wouldn’t have been the same on a controller with a different set up.  Every button was not only used but necessary, and the very arrangement of the Super Nintendo controller was vital to the game play.  The folks at Sega realized this perhaps a little too late, and came out with their own wannabe version of Super Nintendo controller for their Genesis, but it lacked shoulder buttons, and wasn’t nearly as comfortable to use.  

Looking at current game controllers, they really haven’t changed all that much.  Today they have newer grips that allow for trigger buttons as well as should buttons, but the actually face of the controllers look very much like the original Super Nintendo controllers.  Some of them, like Microsoft’s Xbox controller, even have a similar kind of color scheme to the buttons that was on the old SNES controller.  I guess it makes sense, I mean if it isn’t broken, why fix it?  The Super Nintendo controller is a tried and true formula, and will probably continue to influence game controllers for generations to come.