上星期完成了 2010 年聯邦稅的試算。今年在算稅的時候，我特別花了一些時間去了解 AMT 部分，有些心得，在此分享一下。
AMT 是 Alternative Minimum Tax 的簡稱。望文生意，AMT 這套系統，就是除了在正常的所得稅計算公式之外，有另一套不一樣的公式（因此叫 alternative），來決定納稅人應該至少要付多少稅（因此叫 minimum）。換句話說，其實美國聯邦稅有兩套不同的公式，一套是一般公式，另一套是 AMT 公式，如果 AMT 公式算出來的應付稅款比正常公式算出來的多，那還是得乖乖照 AMT 公式付比較多的稅。
看到這裡，可能大家會不禁感到頭痛：用一套公式算一次稅就夠煩的了，竟然還要再算第二次？沒辦法，制度就是這樣。
不過，若是稅務情形和我類似的朋友（就是指之前在學校，最多只有 RA/TA 收入，最近才剛開始工作），可能對 AMT 這個名詞覺得有些陌生，好像有聽過，但是跟自己沒有什麼關係。的確，會用到 AMT 這套公式的人，通常都是中產階級以上，之前在學校領 RA/TA 薪水的時候，所得連需要使用 AMT 公式的 threshold 都不到，AMT 對那時候的我，看起來就像是造訪天狼星一樣遙遠，所以不需要關心。自從上班以後，觸動 AMT 的難度降級到登陸火星，雖然還是很遙遠，但是變成了在有生之年可能發生的事件，所以我就利用這次算稅，試走了一次 AMT 那條公式的 route。
基本上，AMT 和一般公式的主要差異是：
1. 免稅額比較高（今年是 $47450），超過免稅額之後的所得以 26% - 28% 稅率課稅。
2. 有許多在一般公式下的所得扣除項目，在計算 AMT 的時候要加回所得之中，這部分包括所有繳給州政府的稅。
也就是說，像州稅預扣、房屋稅這些項目，在一般公式下可以列舉扣除，不用繳稅的，在 AMT 的公式裡是應稅所得。假設我預扣州稅 5000 元，在一般公式裡我對這 5000 元要繳 $0 的稅，但在 AMT 公式下我要繳 5000 X .26 = $1300 的稅。像加州這種州稅高的州，就比較有可能發生加回州稅後，AMT 公式算出來的稅比較高的情形。這特別可能發生在買了房子，認為自己繳的房屋稅可以列在聯邦稅的免稅項目裡的人。抱歉，繳給州政府的房屋稅在 AMT 公式裡是應稅所得。還好，AMT公式的基本免稅額比較高，所以在一般正常情形下，觸動到 AMT 還是沒這麼簡單。
正因為使用到 AMT 的情形不是非常普遍，而且在 1040 稅表上的計算順序，也是先套用普通公式再算 AMT，所以在心理上，很多人對 AMT 的了解是認為它是一個額外的檢查，也就是一般公式為主、AMT為輔，只要 AMT 算出來比一般公式低，AMT這部分的計算就沒有（稅務上的）意義。但實際上，這種了解從稅務規畫的角度來看並不完整，有修正的必要。
計算聯邦稅的兩套公式是並行的，從來就沒有何者為主，何者為輔的差別。兩套公式分別算出該付多少稅，然後納稅人就要照算出來比較多的那個數字繳錢，它們的地位是完全平等的。正因為這樣，當一般公式和 AMT 公式算出來的所得稅額不同的時候，不管是哪邊算出來的數字比較大，就表示納稅人有進行稅務操作節稅的空間。
之前去一個所得稅規畫的 seminar，聽到一個很有趣的例子。一對夫婦，先生在接近年底的時候不幸過世，他們的稅務規畫師（也就是演講的講者）計算之後，發現當年他們在一般公式下算出來的所得稅，比 AMT 算出來的高（所謂的"正常情形"）。但他很聰明地把他們當年所得的一部分，全部用"加州州稅預付"的方式，繳給阿諾，因為州稅預付是一般公式下的扣除額，這樣做可以降低一般公式算出來的所得稅。繳多少呢？當然是繳到一般公式和 AMT 公式算出來的所得稅完全相同為止。當然，這樣子就會繳了太多州稅，隔年會以退稅的方式退回來，不過這部分溢激的州稅，就變成了隔年的所得，而這對夫婦隔年的所得顯然會比較低，一來一回，馬上就少繳了不少錢給聯邦政府，威力實在太強大了。
當然，能夠被在演講中拿來當例子使用的，通常都是只有 illustrative value，容易了解，但是不是那麼好應用的情形。不過這個故事的重點，在於重新思考一般公式和 AMT公式的關係 - 稅務規畫，並不是說不要動到 AMT公式就沒事了，而應該是積極利用這兩套公式之前的差異，尋找節稅的空間。
所以，從稅務效率性的觀點出發，也可以了解《買房子可以節稅》這樣的說法有多少實用空間。假設今年我在一般公式下算出來的所得稅，比AMT公式算出來多了 $1000，根據我的 marginal tax rate 28%，可以算出來要讓一般公式下少付 $1000 的稅，我要有 $1000/.28 = $3571 的扣除額。如果我用買房子的方式來 "製造" 這個扣除額（也就是所謂的買房子可以節稅），若房屋稅 1.25%，要付到 $3571 的房屋稅，從稅務效率的觀點來看，我就要買 $285.5k 的房子。如果我買了更貴的房子，就會因為AMT公式的存在，使我無法完全享受到房屋稅帶來的節稅效果。
另外，根據 AMT 計算表的說明，如果購買的房子是貸款人的主要居所（也就是說我是買房子自己住，而不是買來投資），房貸的利息不論在一般公式或 AMT 之下都可以算做扣除額。因此，不論最後用到一般公式或 AMT公式，買房子在稅務上似乎仍然有相當的好處。
另外，從稅務公式也可以明顯發現目前稅制對富人有利的地方。不論是一般公式或 AMT公式，目前聯邦對 long term capital gain 和 qualified dividend 都只課以 15% 的稅率。這對於主要收入是以錢滾錢的人來說，實在是大佔便宜 - 我辛苦工作的薪資所得，幾乎要付這兩倍的稅。雖然說 capital gain 課 15% 的稅是一個暫時性的法案，不過在這個法案過期之後，類似的不公平性仍然存在。
最後，我發現自己在 2010 年玩聯邦稅預扣的部分玩火玩得有點大。整年下來，我得補繳 $800 的稅，離補繳 $1000 以上需要被罰款的門檻，已經距離不遠，看起來如果決定今年繼續玩火的話，得要小心一點。我對這部分的抱怨和去年完全相同，直接把去年寫的一段話複製貼上，重新抱怨一次：「預扣稅太多沒有利息，預扣稅太少竟然要罰款，這真是不公平的政府-納稅人關係啊。」
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
House Hunting: Reloaded
我中斷找房子、買房子的事情已經有一年多了。本來的打算是，申辦綠卡進行到最後階段的時候，可能錢也存到了一些，就可以重新啟動買房子這件事；自己心裡的預期是應該可以把它列為 2011 年的重要事項之一。不過，最近綠卡的申辦呈現 I-140 無間等待的狀況，難以預期何時才會有進展，我就暫時忘記綠卡這個變項，跳過它來思考買房子的可能性。
先回頭檢討之前第一次看房子的時候，我發現自己太早開始「看房子」的動作，而缺少對「買房子」這件事整體的思考和規畫，所以最後才會止於看到了一個覺得不錯的房子之後，反而回到搞不清楚我到底應不應該買房子這個根本的問題上來。我那時看了不少教人怎麼買房子的書（至少翻過五本以上），但現在回想，這些書都著重於戰術性的應用（例如如何 qualify a loan），但欠缺戰略性思考的指導（到底我要如何思考應不應該買房子）。太快開始買房子的執行面並不是好事，因為再怎麼成功的戰術執行，都無法挽回戰略上的錯誤 - 如果買房子從開始就是錯誤的決定，那麼低點買進、買在好區、議價成功這些都是枝微末節，到了最後，可能還是會後悔為什麼要去買房子。
既然這麼說，這次重新啟動看房子這件事，我就決定要先理清戰略性的思考，在這部分沒有完成之前，不要輕易開始找房子物件的過程。所謂戰略性的思考，目前應該包括：
1.買房子在財務上是不是有利
2.哪一個區域比較適合我
其中，第一點又是目前思考的重點，因為我很清楚地知道，目前除了 financial gain 之外，我沒有任何買房子的理由。古人說，安土重遷，但是我覺得現代人的生活本來就充滿了不確定性，因為有了房產而變得難以遷移，是一種負擔。我也不覺得灣區目前我買得起的房子，可以給我帶來任何 pride of the ownership。所以，如果不是買房子可以帶來財務上明顯的優勢，短期之內我實在想不出把枷鎖強加在自己身上的合理理由。
所以，最近最重要的功課，就是利用算去年所得稅的機會，好好評估一下如果我買房子，會有多少稅務上的好處。算完之後，就可以在買房和租房的費用之間，有更精確的評估。
說到 buy vs rent 的比較，我最近發現幾乎所有網路上找得到的試算表，都要求使用者輸入預期的房屋增值率和資金投資報酬率。這種格式的試算表，非常危險，因為輸入的增值率數字對算出來的結果有決定性的影響，差個 0.5% 可能就差很多，而要合理地估計這兩個數字幾乎是不可能的事情。最重要的，是在玩試算表的時候，會因為心理的成見而 second guessing 輸入的數字 - 比如說我用房屋增值率年增 4%，算出來買房極不划算，但我心理（甚至是潛意識）覺得這麼多人都買房子，應該它是 financially 划算的吧？就把房屋增值率改成年增 6%，算出來的結論就會很不同。這麼說來，這個試算表只是一個照妖鏡，照出我心裡早就有的定見，garbage in, garbage out，在使用上一點也不客觀。
正當我對這個問題覺得煩惱的時候，一天有幸在這裡的圖書館找到一本當地出版社出的又舊又破又小本的書，書名叫 "Home ownership : the American myth"。這本書從純個人財務的角度入手，探討買房子造成的效果；我覺得它對我最有幫助的地方，是書中的試算表的編排，把 input 和 output 反過來：要求使用者輸入打算買的房子的參數，還有打算住的年數，試算表去反算在這種情形下，房子的增值率要達到多少才會使得買房有財務上的優勢。這樣一來，輸入的參數是相對之下比較可以預測的東西，而最難以預測的部分變成了 output，不容許我 second guess。最近另一個功課，應該是要照書中的步驟，自己做一個 excel 試算表，做為將來評估的工具之一。
買哪一個區域的房子，聽起來比較像戰術性的問題，但我覺得了解目前市場上有什麼東西，什麼是我買得起的而什麼又是我買不起的，是影響最後決定的重要步驟之一。正好，最近工作比較不忙，應該要好好利用週末的時間，到處走走逛逛，就當是一種 local trip 也行。
基本上，房子通常是一個人人生中最大的幾筆支出之一，所以我寧可過度謹慎。最近，聽到好些朋友買了 1 Million 左右的房子，都覺得他們好大膽。後來我才想到，人家多半是夫妻一起買 1M 的房子，如果我覺得那樣大膽，那我一個人買 500K 的房子，其實是風險更大的事情。想到這邊，就覺得，事情還是要好好從長計議才行…
先回頭檢討之前第一次看房子的時候，我發現自己太早開始「看房子」的動作，而缺少對「買房子」這件事整體的思考和規畫，所以最後才會止於看到了一個覺得不錯的房子之後，反而回到搞不清楚我到底應不應該買房子這個根本的問題上來。我那時看了不少教人怎麼買房子的書（至少翻過五本以上），但現在回想，這些書都著重於戰術性的應用（例如如何 qualify a loan），但欠缺戰略性思考的指導（到底我要如何思考應不應該買房子）。太快開始買房子的執行面並不是好事，因為再怎麼成功的戰術執行，都無法挽回戰略上的錯誤 - 如果買房子從開始就是錯誤的決定，那麼低點買進、買在好區、議價成功這些都是枝微末節，到了最後，可能還是會後悔為什麼要去買房子。
既然這麼說，這次重新啟動看房子這件事，我就決定要先理清戰略性的思考，在這部分沒有完成之前，不要輕易開始找房子物件的過程。所謂戰略性的思考，目前應該包括：
1.買房子在財務上是不是有利
2.哪一個區域比較適合我
其中，第一點又是目前思考的重點，因為我很清楚地知道，目前除了 financial gain 之外，我沒有任何買房子的理由。古人說，安土重遷，但是我覺得現代人的生活本來就充滿了不確定性，因為有了房產而變得難以遷移，是一種負擔。我也不覺得灣區目前我買得起的房子，可以給我帶來任何 pride of the ownership。所以，如果不是買房子可以帶來財務上明顯的優勢，短期之內我實在想不出把枷鎖強加在自己身上的合理理由。
所以，最近最重要的功課，就是利用算去年所得稅的機會，好好評估一下如果我買房子，會有多少稅務上的好處。算完之後，就可以在買房和租房的費用之間，有更精確的評估。
說到 buy vs rent 的比較，我最近發現幾乎所有網路上找得到的試算表，都要求使用者輸入預期的房屋增值率和資金投資報酬率。這種格式的試算表，非常危險，因為輸入的增值率數字對算出來的結果有決定性的影響，差個 0.5% 可能就差很多，而要合理地估計這兩個數字幾乎是不可能的事情。最重要的，是在玩試算表的時候，會因為心理的成見而 second guessing 輸入的數字 - 比如說我用房屋增值率年增 4%，算出來買房極不划算，但我心理（甚至是潛意識）覺得這麼多人都買房子，應該它是 financially 划算的吧？就把房屋增值率改成年增 6%，算出來的結論就會很不同。這麼說來，這個試算表只是一個照妖鏡，照出我心裡早就有的定見，garbage in, garbage out，在使用上一點也不客觀。
正當我對這個問題覺得煩惱的時候，一天有幸在這裡的圖書館找到一本當地出版社出的又舊又破又小本的書，書名叫 "Home ownership : the American myth"。這本書從純個人財務的角度入手，探討買房子造成的效果；我覺得它對我最有幫助的地方，是書中的試算表的編排，把 input 和 output 反過來：要求使用者輸入打算買的房子的參數，還有打算住的年數，試算表去反算在這種情形下，房子的增值率要達到多少才會使得買房有財務上的優勢。這樣一來，輸入的參數是相對之下比較可以預測的東西，而最難以預測的部分變成了 output，不容許我 second guess。最近另一個功課，應該是要照書中的步驟，自己做一個 excel 試算表，做為將來評估的工具之一。
買哪一個區域的房子，聽起來比較像戰術性的問題，但我覺得了解目前市場上有什麼東西，什麼是我買得起的而什麼又是我買不起的，是影響最後決定的重要步驟之一。正好，最近工作比較不忙，應該要好好利用週末的時間，到處走走逛逛，就當是一種 local trip 也行。
基本上，房子通常是一個人人生中最大的幾筆支出之一，所以我寧可過度謹慎。最近，聽到好些朋友買了 1 Million 左右的房子，都覺得他們好大膽。後來我才想到，人家多半是夫妻一起買 1M 的房子，如果我覺得那樣大膽，那我一個人買 500K 的房子，其實是風險更大的事情。想到這邊，就覺得，事情還是要好好從長計議才行…
Personal experience on Auto Revalidation
Warning: This article is written only to share some personal experience. I have no intentions in giving advices about immigration status, and whoever read this should assume his/her own responsibility in handling the individual immigration status.
警告：這篇文章的用意完全是分享自己的經驗，我不是處理美國簽證的專業人士，也沒有意圖要提供任何有關簽證的專業建議。請讀者們對自己的簽證負全責。
Being in US on non-immigrant visa involves a lot of uncertainties. Sometimes, even a seemingly simple situation can create a lot of drama. There are many rules, some of which less known but can become handy if applied correctly. During this cruise trip, I have invoked the "auto revalidation" rule, and feel it might be useful to share what I learned about it.
人在美國，簽證有時候會帶來許多生活上的不確定性。明明就是很簡單的事情，也可以突然搞得很複雜。不過有一些比較少人知道的規定，在時機對的時候使用，顯得特別方便。我這次去坐船，就用到了 "auto revalidation" 這條規定。我覺得這條規定對和我差不多處境的人來說非常方便，所以特別在這分享一下經驗。
I am currently in H1b status. Like most people who previously studied and continued to enter the job market in US, I transferred from F1 to H1b using auto-status transfer (with a valid I-129), which means when my H1b came into effect, I swapped my status without leaving US. This is the most convenient, and I believe the most common, way people do it. Since I am busy working, I don't want to leave the country just to get a new H1b visa.
我現在是拿 H1B 工作簽證居留美國。大部分之前在美國讀書，開始工作，然後從 F1 轉成 H1B 身分的人，通常都會選擇在美國境內轉換身分（拿 I-129）。這樣做的好處是，在 H1B 生效的那一天，我不用離開美國，可以繼續正常工作，只是在移民身分上轉換。因為開始工作之後，假很珍貴，所以我想大部分人都會選擇這樣做，就不用為了辦 H1 簽證特別離境。
However this does create some inconvenience afterwords. While I am legally holding my H1b status staying in US, I do not have a H1b visa affixed to my passport. This is perfectly fine as long as I stay in US - a valid visa is only required when entering the country. However, if I ever travel out of US, when I come back I do need to have a visa matching with my purpose to enter US (since I am now working in US, that means I need to have a H1b visa).
但是缺點是，這樣做了之後，會造成一些日後的不便。雖然我在美國境內目前是以完全合法的 H1B 身分居留，但我的護照裡並沒有有效的 H1B 簽證。雖然簽證只有在入境的時候才需要，我人在美國境內的時候不成問題，但只要人一離開美國，下次入境的時候，我就得出示符合我身分的簽證（既然我是要回來工作，那我就得出示 H1B 簽證）。
Auto revalidation, however, is a very useful exception to the general rule stated above. It comes into play when all the following conditions are met (1) I am visiting only contiguous countries to US (that is, Canada, Mexico, and some Mexican Gulf Islands are considered contiguous), (2) The duration of my visit is shorter than 30 days. Under such conditions, when I complete my trip and re-enter US, I can be admitted as if I have never left the country and the previous status under which I last entered US is restored automatically again (hence the name auto revalidation). The most interesting thing about this rule is that even the previous visa has already expired, I can still invoke auto revalidation (Example: Say I got my F1 visa in 2006 and it is valid for 5 years. I became under H1b status in 2010 and did not leave US until 2012. If I visit Mexico in 2012, I can use auto revalidation to come back to US with my expired F1 visa and never have to get H1b visa.).
這篇我要介紹的特別規定，auto revalidation，就是上一段提到的一般情形之外，一個很有用的例外條款。auto revalidation 適用的條件是 (1) 我離開美國，是前往和它接壤的國家（包括加拿大、墨西哥、和一些墨西哥灣裡的島國）；(2) 我離開美國的時間短於三十天。如果這些條件都符合，我再次入境美國的時候，就可以使用這條規定，在移民身分的接續上，自動回復我上一次入境的時候的狀態，好像我從來沒有離開過美國一樣（所以這條規定的名字叫 "自動重新生效"）。這條規則最好玩的地方是，就算我前次入境美國的時候用的簽證已經過期了，我還是可以使用這條規定進入美國。例如說，假設我 2006年拿到 F1 簽證，效期五年；我在 2010年境內身分轉換，從 F1 變成 H1B身分，直到2012年都沒有離開過美國；2012年如果我去墨西哥旅遊，回到美國的時候，我可以用 auto-revalidation 的規定入境，即使我護照上從來沒有 H1B 簽證，而我的 F1 簽證早就過期而且也不符合我入境美國的原因了，也沒關係。
Of course, there is risk involved in using a less known rule. The most obvious one is that the immigration official who talks to you may not know about this rule at all, and gets confused why he should admit you into US. To avoid this, one should come prepared, get all the necessary and unnecessary documents ready, and most importantly, take a printout about the auto revalidation rules from USCIS web page with you.
當然，如果要用到比較少人知道的規定，的確是有一點風險。最主要的，是處理入境手續的移民官可能是新手，沒看過這條規定，而認為不應該讓你入境。為了避免這種不幸的情形發生，使用 auto revalidation 的時候，要準備好所有可能用到的文件，而且最好至少要隨身攜帶從美國移民局官網印下來的 auto revalidation 官方說明。
My personal experience with auto revalidation is a smooth one. I used this rule twice during my trip, first time at Vancouver, when we cleared US immigration before boarding the ship. Yes, the US immigration is at the port of Vancouver, to check the immigration status of people leaving on cruise boats to Alaska. The immigration officer knew about the rule, when he heard the keyword, he knew that I understood what I was doing and let us go without saying a word. The second time I used auto revalidation on the same trip was at Skagway, when we rented a car and drove to Yukon Territory of Canada. The immigration officer at the border check station also knew about this rule fairly well. Both times, I was able to come back into US with the F1 visa in my passport, plus the I-129 form showing my status transfer happened within US. I think that many people have done the same at these posts so the officials are well-versed to the rules.
我自己這次用到 auto revalidation 的經驗非常順利。在這趟旅行裡，這條規定總共用上了兩次，第一次是在溫哥華登上遊輪之前，得先通過美國移民關（說也奇怪，在加拿大的港口出境處，設有美國的入境移民關，所有要坐船去阿拉斯加的人，在還沒登上美國領土之前，就要先接受移民檢查）。當天的移民官很清楚這條規定，當他聽到 auto revalidation 的關鍵字的時候，很快就知道我用的是什麼規定，完全沒有特別詢問我。第二次，是在船程的一半停在 Skagway 這個港口的時候，我們一行人租車前往加拿大的 Yukon 領地。回來的時候，邊境檢查哨的移民官，也很清楚這條規定。所以，雖然我護照上只有完全不符合現在身分的 F1 簽證，我只要出示證明當初境內身分轉換核準的 I-129 表格，就可以順利回到美國。我猜，應該是很多情形相似的人曾經在這些關口用過這條規定，所以移民官都很清楚怎麼處理。
Of course, there are some tips that can make your trip work out smoothly if you need to use auto revalidation rule. The general guideline is, travel through the major posts, since the officials are more likely to come across this rule before. Also, try to avoid situations where your immigration status is checked by people other than US immigration officials. This is the case for many Mexican or Caribbean cruises, where the official immigration check happens at the end of the trip when you come back to US. Before boarding, the staff of the cruise company will verify you have a valid visa, to avoid the sticky situation that you are denied entrance at the end of cruise. They may not know about auto revalidation and deny you boarding the cruise ship. There goes your vacation. Ouch.
對要用到 auto revalidation 規定的人，以下提供一些技巧。一般說來，如果你從比較多人入境的主要關口進美國，那通常移民官之前都處理過 auto revalidation 的案件，比較不會有節外生枝的麻煩。最重要的，是避免發生需要由美國移民局之外的人檢查簽證的情形。例如，很多前往墨西哥或加勒比海的遊輪，是在遊輪結束回到美國的時候才接受移民官的檢查。為了避免遊客坐船回到美國的時候無法入境，船公司職員通常會在上船之前，檢查大家的簽證。這些船公司的職員可能比較不了解像 auto revalidation 這種複雜的規定，而認為這個遊客沒有正確的簽證，拒絕你上船。要是不幸發生這種狀況，假期就泡湯了。
As a conclusion, I think auto revalidation is a very feasible option. One should not let the fear about uncertain visa status hinder the freedom to make trip plans. After all, the rule is very clear, and as long as we work within the boundary of the regulation, there is really little chance any problem should ever occur.
結論，我認為 auto revalidation 是非常有用可行的選項。我們應該不要害怕簽證帶來的不確定性，如果知道自己在做什麼，就大可以自由地安排旅行計畫。畢竟這條規定白紙黑字，在移民局網站上寫得清清楚楚，只要使用的時候確定符合它的適用範圍，發生問題的可能性實在不高。
警告：這篇文章的用意完全是分享自己的經驗，我不是處理美國簽證的專業人士，也沒有意圖要提供任何有關簽證的專業建議。請讀者們對自己的簽證負全責。
Being in US on non-immigrant visa involves a lot of uncertainties. Sometimes, even a seemingly simple situation can create a lot of drama. There are many rules, some of which less known but can become handy if applied correctly. During this cruise trip, I have invoked the "auto revalidation" rule, and feel it might be useful to share what I learned about it.
人在美國，簽證有時候會帶來許多生活上的不確定性。明明就是很簡單的事情，也可以突然搞得很複雜。不過有一些比較少人知道的規定，在時機對的時候使用，顯得特別方便。我這次去坐船，就用到了 "auto revalidation" 這條規定。我覺得這條規定對和我差不多處境的人來說非常方便，所以特別在這分享一下經驗。
I am currently in H1b status. Like most people who previously studied and continued to enter the job market in US, I transferred from F1 to H1b using auto-status transfer (with a valid I-129), which means when my H1b came into effect, I swapped my status without leaving US. This is the most convenient, and I believe the most common, way people do it. Since I am busy working, I don't want to leave the country just to get a new H1b visa.
我現在是拿 H1B 工作簽證居留美國。大部分之前在美國讀書，開始工作，然後從 F1 轉成 H1B 身分的人，通常都會選擇在美國境內轉換身分（拿 I-129）。這樣做的好處是，在 H1B 生效的那一天，我不用離開美國，可以繼續正常工作，只是在移民身分上轉換。因為開始工作之後，假很珍貴，所以我想大部分人都會選擇這樣做，就不用為了辦 H1 簽證特別離境。
However this does create some inconvenience afterwords. While I am legally holding my H1b status staying in US, I do not have a H1b visa affixed to my passport. This is perfectly fine as long as I stay in US - a valid visa is only required when entering the country. However, if I ever travel out of US, when I come back I do need to have a visa matching with my purpose to enter US (since I am now working in US, that means I need to have a H1b visa).
但是缺點是，這樣做了之後，會造成一些日後的不便。雖然我在美國境內目前是以完全合法的 H1B 身分居留，但我的護照裡並沒有有效的 H1B 簽證。雖然簽證只有在入境的時候才需要，我人在美國境內的時候不成問題，但只要人一離開美國，下次入境的時候，我就得出示符合我身分的簽證（既然我是要回來工作，那我就得出示 H1B 簽證）。
Auto revalidation, however, is a very useful exception to the general rule stated above. It comes into play when all the following conditions are met (1) I am visiting only contiguous countries to US (that is, Canada, Mexico, and some Mexican Gulf Islands are considered contiguous), (2) The duration of my visit is shorter than 30 days. Under such conditions, when I complete my trip and re-enter US, I can be admitted as if I have never left the country and the previous status under which I last entered US is restored automatically again (hence the name auto revalidation). The most interesting thing about this rule is that even the previous visa has already expired, I can still invoke auto revalidation (Example: Say I got my F1 visa in 2006 and it is valid for 5 years. I became under H1b status in 2010 and did not leave US until 2012. If I visit Mexico in 2012, I can use auto revalidation to come back to US with my expired F1 visa and never have to get H1b visa.).
這篇我要介紹的特別規定，auto revalidation，就是上一段提到的一般情形之外，一個很有用的例外條款。auto revalidation 適用的條件是 (1) 我離開美國，是前往和它接壤的國家（包括加拿大、墨西哥、和一些墨西哥灣裡的島國）；(2) 我離開美國的時間短於三十天。如果這些條件都符合，我再次入境美國的時候，就可以使用這條規定，在移民身分的接續上，自動回復我上一次入境的時候的狀態，好像我從來沒有離開過美國一樣（所以這條規定的名字叫 "自動重新生效"）。這條規則最好玩的地方是，就算我前次入境美國的時候用的簽證已經過期了，我還是可以使用這條規定進入美國。例如說，假設我 2006年拿到 F1 簽證，效期五年；我在 2010年境內身分轉換，從 F1 變成 H1B身分，直到2012年都沒有離開過美國；2012年如果我去墨西哥旅遊，回到美國的時候，我可以用 auto-revalidation 的規定入境，即使我護照上從來沒有 H1B 簽證，而我的 F1 簽證早就過期而且也不符合我入境美國的原因了，也沒關係。
Of course, there is risk involved in using a less known rule. The most obvious one is that the immigration official who talks to you may not know about this rule at all, and gets confused why he should admit you into US. To avoid this, one should come prepared, get all the necessary and unnecessary documents ready, and most importantly, take a printout about the auto revalidation rules from USCIS web page with you.
當然，如果要用到比較少人知道的規定，的確是有一點風險。最主要的，是處理入境手續的移民官可能是新手，沒看過這條規定，而認為不應該讓你入境。為了避免這種不幸的情形發生，使用 auto revalidation 的時候，要準備好所有可能用到的文件，而且最好至少要隨身攜帶從美國移民局官網印下來的 auto revalidation 官方說明。
My personal experience with auto revalidation is a smooth one. I used this rule twice during my trip, first time at Vancouver, when we cleared US immigration before boarding the ship. Yes, the US immigration is at the port of Vancouver, to check the immigration status of people leaving on cruise boats to Alaska. The immigration officer knew about the rule, when he heard the keyword, he knew that I understood what I was doing and let us go without saying a word. The second time I used auto revalidation on the same trip was at Skagway, when we rented a car and drove to Yukon Territory of Canada. The immigration officer at the border check station also knew about this rule fairly well. Both times, I was able to come back into US with the F1 visa in my passport, plus the I-129 form showing my status transfer happened within US. I think that many people have done the same at these posts so the officials are well-versed to the rules.
我自己這次用到 auto revalidation 的經驗非常順利。在這趟旅行裡，這條規定總共用上了兩次，第一次是在溫哥華登上遊輪之前，得先通過美國移民關（說也奇怪，在加拿大的港口出境處，設有美國的入境移民關，所有要坐船去阿拉斯加的人，在還沒登上美國領土之前，就要先接受移民檢查）。當天的移民官很清楚這條規定，當他聽到 auto revalidation 的關鍵字的時候，很快就知道我用的是什麼規定，完全沒有特別詢問我。第二次，是在船程的一半停在 Skagway 這個港口的時候，我們一行人租車前往加拿大的 Yukon 領地。回來的時候，邊境檢查哨的移民官，也很清楚這條規定。所以，雖然我護照上只有完全不符合現在身分的 F1 簽證，我只要出示證明當初境內身分轉換核準的 I-129 表格，就可以順利回到美國。我猜，應該是很多情形相似的人曾經在這些關口用過這條規定，所以移民官都很清楚怎麼處理。
Of course, there are some tips that can make your trip work out smoothly if you need to use auto revalidation rule. The general guideline is, travel through the major posts, since the officials are more likely to come across this rule before. Also, try to avoid situations where your immigration status is checked by people other than US immigration officials. This is the case for many Mexican or Caribbean cruises, where the official immigration check happens at the end of the trip when you come back to US. Before boarding, the staff of the cruise company will verify you have a valid visa, to avoid the sticky situation that you are denied entrance at the end of cruise. They may not know about auto revalidation and deny you boarding the cruise ship. There goes your vacation. Ouch.
對要用到 auto revalidation 規定的人，以下提供一些技巧。一般說來，如果你從比較多人入境的主要關口進美國，那通常移民官之前都處理過 auto revalidation 的案件，比較不會有節外生枝的麻煩。最重要的，是避免發生需要由美國移民局之外的人檢查簽證的情形。例如，很多前往墨西哥或加勒比海的遊輪，是在遊輪結束回到美國的時候才接受移民官的檢查。為了避免遊客坐船回到美國的時候無法入境，船公司職員通常會在上船之前，檢查大家的簽證。這些船公司的職員可能比較不了解像 auto revalidation 這種複雜的規定，而認為這個遊客沒有正確的簽證，拒絕你上船。要是不幸發生這種狀況，假期就泡湯了。
As a conclusion, I think auto revalidation is a very feasible option. One should not let the fear about uncertain visa status hinder the freedom to make trip plans. After all, the rule is very clear, and as long as we work within the boundary of the regulation, there is really little chance any problem should ever occur.
結論，我認為 auto revalidation 是非常有用可行的選項。我們應該不要害怕簽證帶來的不確定性，如果知道自己在做什麼，就大可以自由地安排旅行計畫。畢竟這條規定白紙黑字，在移民局網站上寫得清清楚楚，只要使用的時候確定符合它的適用範圍，發生問題的可能性實在不高。
Sunday, February 06, 2011
我的遊輪初體驗 My first time cruising experience (general thoughts)
我想搭遊輪旅行已經想了好幾年了。這些年來，不少朋友都曾經搭遊輪度假，讓我好生羨慕，特別是有好朋友是樂於此道的航海王，我不時不時就會聽到又有誰誰誰去坐船的消息。本來，我在佛羅里達念書的時候，應該是坐船最好的時機（很多加勒比海的行程都是從佛州出發），但可惜那時候外部條件難以配合（一是沒錢；再來 PhD 念到最後階段一直很忙沒有時間；而且也沒有旅伴），所以雖然想了很久，卻一直抱憾。終於，到了 2010 年，所有的外部條件終於都搭配成功了，我達成數年來的願望 (N > 3)，和全家人一起，搭公主遊輪前往阿拉斯加，享受遊輪之旅的初體驗。
I have been wanting to take a cruise trip for years. In recently years, I kept hearing about friends going to fabulous cruise trips. In particular, one of my very good friends is a frequent cruiser, and I have heard all good things about cruising from him. Naturally, the best opportunity for me to take a cruise was when I studied at Florida (many Caribbean cruises embark from Florida), however, the external conditions just did not work out at that time - I had very little money; work at school was extremely busy; and, I had no company to go on a cruise trip with. So what I badly wanted to do has remained on my to-do list for N years (N>3). Now finally, in 2010, all the stars aligned and I was able to fulfill my wish - going on a cruise trip to Alaska with my families on board of Diamond Princess.
生活中很多經驗都是這樣的，沒有嘗試過之前，總是懵懵懂懂，就算人家再怎麼形容，總是難以深切了解是怎麼一回事。真的嘗試之後，隨著恍然大悟，有時候幻滅，有時候覺得相見恨晚。做為一個愛旅行的人，出門遠遊對我來說已經不是新鮮事，但搭船旅行卻是第一回，所以這次行程，和我常進行的國家公園 road trip 相比，有更多值得記載的事情。我想，很多朋友可能對搭船旅行這件事，也像我之前一樣充滿了好奇吧？那，我不如就寫得詳細一點，讓有興趣坐船的讀者們，當個參考，究竟坐船去玩，是怎麼一回事，行前的期待又該定在什麼地方。
This is a general truth to many experiences in life: For anything new, before I personally try, no matter how hard people describe it to me, I still do not appreciate it fully. After the hands-on experience, I come to a realization how it really is, sometimes happily, and other times painfully. As a person who really likes traveling, hitting the road is a common thing to me, but hitting the sea on a cruise ship is completely new. Thus, this leaves me a lot to discover, and a lot to write and share, after I come back. Maybe, many of my friends out there are also curious, as I once was, about how a cruise trip is like. Well then, let me write, as detailed as possible, about my experience, to serve as one more reference point to whoever might be interested in this.
關於遊輪旅行，我覺得最奇妙的地方在這裡：現代人坐船遠行的機會並不多（我相信坐過飛機的人應該比坐過船的人多吧），但和常見的飛機旅行相比，搭船遠行，更能引起人心中對旅遊的想望。不知道是電視電影的宣傳太成功，還是怎麼回事，讓搭遊輪旅行，變成了豪華行程的同義詞。
One thing I consider the most peculiar about cruise trip is this: Nowadays, people no longer frequently use ships as transportation for long trips anymore (I do believe more people have taken a long flight than a long boat ride). However, being an experience so generally absent, taking a cruise trip still inspires imagination of a great vacation more than taking a flight. How this association ever comes about is really puzzling to me, but I attribute it to the success of the TV shows and movies, which imprint cruise trips in people's mind as equivalence to luxury vacations.
事實上我第一個想討論的就是這一點：遊輪旅行和一般的路面行程相比，到底是不是真的比較貴，是不是真的比較享受，最重要的是不是值回票價？價格方面，我個人的經驗和一些介紹遊輪的書上寫的差不多相同：如果你在意花費，而且認真去挑選行程和時間，事實上遊輪行程未必會比路面行程貴很多。我們可以把遊輪想成一個套裝行程，付一次錢，就包括了住宿、交通、餐費、還有基本娛樂；如果自己組合一個行程，一項項購買這些服務，所有細項加起來，也可能是同等可觀的花費。有時候，由於目的地的特殊性（像阿拉斯加的 inside passage 就是一個好例子），自行安排交通非常困難而且昂貴，遊輪反而變成最經濟合理的選擇。如果旅行的時間有彈性，可以避開旺季，選擇有折扣的船班，那就更是划算。遊輪本身，當然也分很多等級，中階遊輪和高級遊輪的價格自然差距甚大；不過更有趣的是，同一艘船，不同的艙等和時間，有時候價差也可以到兩倍以上。想去坐船的人，自然要好好慎重比較一番。
So here comes the first point for discussion: Comparing with typical road trips, are cruise trips really more luxurious and expensive, are they more enjoyable, and after all do they worth the money spent? Price-wise, my personal experience does match with what's described in the books about cruise trips - If you are mindful about what you spend, and pay attention to timing and itinerary, cruise trips are not necessarily more expensive than road trips. Consider cruise trips as a tour package, with one payment, your lodging, transportation, meals, and basic entertainment are all covered. For some particular destinations (Alaska inside passage being a perfect example), due to its geographical conditions, arranging my own transportation is both troublesome and expensive, and cruise trips emerge as a natural and economically-wise decision. On top of that, if you are flexible in time to avoid the high season, you get more bang for the bucks. Of course, there are many different options in cruise trips, and huge differences between the high-end and mid-tier ships. What makes the game more interesting is that even on the very same ship and itinerary, picking different trip date and selecting cabin class on sale can cut prices to half. Therefore, careful planning is crucial.
我向來是一個偏好自由行的人，自從我開始自己規畫旅遊的行程之後，我覺得自己再也無法接受旅行團那種，由別人告訴你每天什麼時候要做什麼的旅行了。在這方面，我覺得遊輪行程的自由度尚稱優秀，除了某個時間大家都要上船開航，還有船開到哪邊不在我的控制之外，我所有的行動基本上都是自由的，我可以決定在船上任何一個角落做我想做的事，或上岸探索更廣大的天地。和我完全無法忍受的旅行團相比，遊輪行程這部分的問題不大。它避免了套裝行程對我來說最嚴重的缺點，但卻保有套裝行程最好的特性：方便性，做一次選擇，就可以完成行程安排的一半以上，不用一一操心不同的項目，非常適合懶人。
Freedom always comes on top of my list when arranging a trip. Since I have learned to be my own travel agent and plan for trips myself, I can no longer tolerate group trips if I am told to do things when, where, and what. In this aspect, I consider cruise trips to be not as constraining as I previously thought, which I found as a pleasant surprise. Other than that I need to be on board of the ship when it sails away from port-of-calls, and I have absolutely no control where the ship goes the next, anything else I decide to do is completely up to me, out of my free will. I can be at any place on the ship anytime, and there are indeed many interesting choices (at least for the first timer); when the ship is at the port, I can decide when to get off, exploring the horizon far and beyond. Comparing to intolerable group trips, cruise trips avoid my number 1 no-no for vacations, while maintaining the best feature in package tours - convenience. One choice is all I need to make to complete more than 50% of my itinerary, no more handling all small details from dawn to dusk. This is indeed very nice when I am feeling lazy.
我這次坐船是和從台灣來的家人一起，後來我發現，一起去坐船，是接待從外國來的親人朋友非常合適而且方便的選項。畢竟，新到一個陌生的地方，國外來的訪客都會相當依賴本地人，才能完成基本生活所需（事實上，就算是我們去外州拜訪朋友，也得相當程度依賴朋友的接送等等）。坐船的時候，這些事情就都由船公司包辦了，我的家人們也可以自由自在地在船上到處去玩，反正船就這麼大，我也不需要擔心他們跑不見了（迷路或許還是會的，但總是還留在船上，不會不見了）、也不用擔心他們要吃什麼、或沒事做，跟大家一起去陸面行程或大家一起留在我住的城市，帶國外來的訪客坐船，相比之下大家都更輕鬆，更能充分享受休假。這是我這次坐船發現的額外收穫。同樣的理由也適用於大型的家族或朋友聚會，把瑣事都賴給船公司，主辦人就不用花太大力氣了。
I took my first cruise trip with families visiting me from Taiwan. Soon I discovered, taking on a cruise trip together is a very suitable and convenient option when families or friends visit from abroad. After all, coming to a different country, the visitors definitely rely heavily on the locals to make various arrangements for any daily chores (as a matter of fact, even when we visit other cities, we to some extent rely on the locals to drive around the town etc.). On a cruise ship, all basic needs of life are automatically taken care of, and there is nothing for me to worry about on this part. My families can also explore freely on the ship, without me worrying them disappearing (getting lost, maybe, but there is only so much room on the ship, they won't get far). There is ample options for food, amenity, and entertainment on the ship, so there is no need to constantly make various arrangements. The visitors, free to do whatever they want to without relying on the locals, could have a more relaxing time too. Comparing with a road trip, this is definitely an easier, more enjoyable vacation for all. This is another good thing I found about cruise trips by accident. Similar argument applies to big family gatherings or school reunions. Leaving the chores to the cruise company, whoever calls for the event definitely would have a much easier job.
很多人提到坐船，就會開始擔心暈船的問題。這當然跟行程中的天氣、海象有很直接的關係，不過現在遊輪都有極大的噸位，還有安定船身的設計，以我這次的經驗，七天的行程中除了一天之外，大部分的時候都像在陸地上一樣平穩，完全沒有在坐船的感覺。
Many people are concerned about sea sickness. My experience is that, with the size of current cruise ships, and its advanced stabilization technologies, unless the weather goes really bad, the passengers hardly feel anything. During the seven-day voyage, there is only part of a day that I did feel the ship moving. All other days, the boat was as stable as a rock, I hardly knew that I was at sea.
整體說來，我第一次坐船，感覺非常滿意。雖然我最近多半還是會選擇進行陸地上的旅行（我比較喜歡去國家公園，大部分的國家公園都不是坐船到得了的），但遊輪也已經被我加進可以再去的一個選項，而不是那種坐過一次，了解了之後就可以了的情形。所以，遊輪能夠吸引那麼多乘客，像我有些朋友一去再去，果然是有它的道理。
All in all, my first time on a cruise ship was a wonderful time and I was very satisfied. Although road trips are still more likely for me in near future (I like visiting national parks, and most of them are on land), cruise trips have definitely become another attractive option for me. If the circumstance is right, I will definitely go again. Now that I know what I am getting, this choice comes from real appreciation of what it has to offer, not just curiosity. I can now understand why some people choose to go cruising frequently. The attraction is definitely there.
I have been wanting to take a cruise trip for years. In recently years, I kept hearing about friends going to fabulous cruise trips. In particular, one of my very good friends is a frequent cruiser, and I have heard all good things about cruising from him. Naturally, the best opportunity for me to take a cruise was when I studied at Florida (many Caribbean cruises embark from Florida), however, the external conditions just did not work out at that time - I had very little money; work at school was extremely busy; and, I had no company to go on a cruise trip with. So what I badly wanted to do has remained on my to-do list for N years (N>3). Now finally, in 2010, all the stars aligned and I was able to fulfill my wish - going on a cruise trip to Alaska with my families on board of Diamond Princess.
生活中很多經驗都是這樣的，沒有嘗試過之前，總是懵懵懂懂，就算人家再怎麼形容，總是難以深切了解是怎麼一回事。真的嘗試之後，隨著恍然大悟，有時候幻滅，有時候覺得相見恨晚。做為一個愛旅行的人，出門遠遊對我來說已經不是新鮮事，但搭船旅行卻是第一回，所以這次行程，和我常進行的國家公園 road trip 相比，有更多值得記載的事情。我想，很多朋友可能對搭船旅行這件事，也像我之前一樣充滿了好奇吧？那，我不如就寫得詳細一點，讓有興趣坐船的讀者們，當個參考，究竟坐船去玩，是怎麼一回事，行前的期待又該定在什麼地方。
This is a general truth to many experiences in life: For anything new, before I personally try, no matter how hard people describe it to me, I still do not appreciate it fully. After the hands-on experience, I come to a realization how it really is, sometimes happily, and other times painfully. As a person who really likes traveling, hitting the road is a common thing to me, but hitting the sea on a cruise ship is completely new. Thus, this leaves me a lot to discover, and a lot to write and share, after I come back. Maybe, many of my friends out there are also curious, as I once was, about how a cruise trip is like. Well then, let me write, as detailed as possible, about my experience, to serve as one more reference point to whoever might be interested in this.
關於遊輪旅行，我覺得最奇妙的地方在這裡：現代人坐船遠行的機會並不多（我相信坐過飛機的人應該比坐過船的人多吧），但和常見的飛機旅行相比，搭船遠行，更能引起人心中對旅遊的想望。不知道是電視電影的宣傳太成功，還是怎麼回事，讓搭遊輪旅行，變成了豪華行程的同義詞。
One thing I consider the most peculiar about cruise trip is this: Nowadays, people no longer frequently use ships as transportation for long trips anymore (I do believe more people have taken a long flight than a long boat ride). However, being an experience so generally absent, taking a cruise trip still inspires imagination of a great vacation more than taking a flight. How this association ever comes about is really puzzling to me, but I attribute it to the success of the TV shows and movies, which imprint cruise trips in people's mind as equivalence to luxury vacations.
事實上我第一個想討論的就是這一點：遊輪旅行和一般的路面行程相比，到底是不是真的比較貴，是不是真的比較享受，最重要的是不是值回票價？價格方面，我個人的經驗和一些介紹遊輪的書上寫的差不多相同：如果你在意花費，而且認真去挑選行程和時間，事實上遊輪行程未必會比路面行程貴很多。我們可以把遊輪想成一個套裝行程，付一次錢，就包括了住宿、交通、餐費、還有基本娛樂；如果自己組合一個行程，一項項購買這些服務，所有細項加起來，也可能是同等可觀的花費。有時候，由於目的地的特殊性（像阿拉斯加的 inside passage 就是一個好例子），自行安排交通非常困難而且昂貴，遊輪反而變成最經濟合理的選擇。如果旅行的時間有彈性，可以避開旺季，選擇有折扣的船班，那就更是划算。遊輪本身，當然也分很多等級，中階遊輪和高級遊輪的價格自然差距甚大；不過更有趣的是，同一艘船，不同的艙等和時間，有時候價差也可以到兩倍以上。想去坐船的人，自然要好好慎重比較一番。
So here comes the first point for discussion: Comparing with typical road trips, are cruise trips really more luxurious and expensive, are they more enjoyable, and after all do they worth the money spent? Price-wise, my personal experience does match with what's described in the books about cruise trips - If you are mindful about what you spend, and pay attention to timing and itinerary, cruise trips are not necessarily more expensive than road trips. Consider cruise trips as a tour package, with one payment, your lodging, transportation, meals, and basic entertainment are all covered. For some particular destinations (Alaska inside passage being a perfect example), due to its geographical conditions, arranging my own transportation is both troublesome and expensive, and cruise trips emerge as a natural and economically-wise decision. On top of that, if you are flexible in time to avoid the high season, you get more bang for the bucks. Of course, there are many different options in cruise trips, and huge differences between the high-end and mid-tier ships. What makes the game more interesting is that even on the very same ship and itinerary, picking different trip date and selecting cabin class on sale can cut prices to half. Therefore, careful planning is crucial.
我向來是一個偏好自由行的人，自從我開始自己規畫旅遊的行程之後，我覺得自己再也無法接受旅行團那種，由別人告訴你每天什麼時候要做什麼的旅行了。在這方面，我覺得遊輪行程的自由度尚稱優秀，除了某個時間大家都要上船開航，還有船開到哪邊不在我的控制之外，我所有的行動基本上都是自由的，我可以決定在船上任何一個角落做我想做的事，或上岸探索更廣大的天地。和我完全無法忍受的旅行團相比，遊輪行程這部分的問題不大。它避免了套裝行程對我來說最嚴重的缺點，但卻保有套裝行程最好的特性：方便性，做一次選擇，就可以完成行程安排的一半以上，不用一一操心不同的項目，非常適合懶人。
Freedom always comes on top of my list when arranging a trip. Since I have learned to be my own travel agent and plan for trips myself, I can no longer tolerate group trips if I am told to do things when, where, and what. In this aspect, I consider cruise trips to be not as constraining as I previously thought, which I found as a pleasant surprise. Other than that I need to be on board of the ship when it sails away from port-of-calls, and I have absolutely no control where the ship goes the next, anything else I decide to do is completely up to me, out of my free will. I can be at any place on the ship anytime, and there are indeed many interesting choices (at least for the first timer); when the ship is at the port, I can decide when to get off, exploring the horizon far and beyond. Comparing to intolerable group trips, cruise trips avoid my number 1 no-no for vacations, while maintaining the best feature in package tours - convenience. One choice is all I need to make to complete more than 50% of my itinerary, no more handling all small details from dawn to dusk. This is indeed very nice when I am feeling lazy.
我這次坐船是和從台灣來的家人一起，後來我發現，一起去坐船，是接待從外國來的親人朋友非常合適而且方便的選項。畢竟，新到一個陌生的地方，國外來的訪客都會相當依賴本地人，才能完成基本生活所需（事實上，就算是我們去外州拜訪朋友，也得相當程度依賴朋友的接送等等）。坐船的時候，這些事情就都由船公司包辦了，我的家人們也可以自由自在地在船上到處去玩，反正船就這麼大，我也不需要擔心他們跑不見了（迷路或許還是會的，但總是還留在船上，不會不見了）、也不用擔心他們要吃什麼、或沒事做，跟大家一起去陸面行程或大家一起留在我住的城市，帶國外來的訪客坐船，相比之下大家都更輕鬆，更能充分享受休假。這是我這次坐船發現的額外收穫。同樣的理由也適用於大型的家族或朋友聚會，把瑣事都賴給船公司，主辦人就不用花太大力氣了。
I took my first cruise trip with families visiting me from Taiwan. Soon I discovered, taking on a cruise trip together is a very suitable and convenient option when families or friends visit from abroad. After all, coming to a different country, the visitors definitely rely heavily on the locals to make various arrangements for any daily chores (as a matter of fact, even when we visit other cities, we to some extent rely on the locals to drive around the town etc.). On a cruise ship, all basic needs of life are automatically taken care of, and there is nothing for me to worry about on this part. My families can also explore freely on the ship, without me worrying them disappearing (getting lost, maybe, but there is only so much room on the ship, they won't get far). There is ample options for food, amenity, and entertainment on the ship, so there is no need to constantly make various arrangements. The visitors, free to do whatever they want to without relying on the locals, could have a more relaxing time too. Comparing with a road trip, this is definitely an easier, more enjoyable vacation for all. This is another good thing I found about cruise trips by accident. Similar argument applies to big family gatherings or school reunions. Leaving the chores to the cruise company, whoever calls for the event definitely would have a much easier job.
很多人提到坐船，就會開始擔心暈船的問題。這當然跟行程中的天氣、海象有很直接的關係，不過現在遊輪都有極大的噸位，還有安定船身的設計，以我這次的經驗，七天的行程中除了一天之外，大部分的時候都像在陸地上一樣平穩，完全沒有在坐船的感覺。
Many people are concerned about sea sickness. My experience is that, with the size of current cruise ships, and its advanced stabilization technologies, unless the weather goes really bad, the passengers hardly feel anything. During the seven-day voyage, there is only part of a day that I did feel the ship moving. All other days, the boat was as stable as a rock, I hardly knew that I was at sea.
整體說來，我第一次坐船，感覺非常滿意。雖然我最近多半還是會選擇進行陸地上的旅行（我比較喜歡去國家公園，大部分的國家公園都不是坐船到得了的），但遊輪也已經被我加進可以再去的一個選項，而不是那種坐過一次，了解了之後就可以了的情形。所以，遊輪能夠吸引那麼多乘客，像我有些朋友一去再去，果然是有它的道理。
All in all, my first time on a cruise ship was a wonderful time and I was very satisfied. Although road trips are still more likely for me in near future (I like visiting national parks, and most of them are on land), cruise trips have definitely become another attractive option for me. If the circumstance is right, I will definitely go again. Now that I know what I am getting, this choice comes from real appreciation of what it has to offer, not just curiosity. I can now understand why some people choose to go cruising frequently. The attraction is definitely there.
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