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Cruising April 20, 2020

Planning a Family Reunion? Consider a Cruise

A Cruise is a Good Family Reunion Vacation!

Right now we are not able to travel, not able to see friends, not able to see family. While we are able to connect with family through online chats it is just not the same as being right there with them. This is a difficult time for so many people due to separation from loved ones, working in stressful environments saving lives, and uncertainty about the future. When we get through all this, and we will, you might want to plan a family vacation to reunite with the ones you love and have been away from. A cruise might be just the vacation you need!

The last couple of cruises we have taken have been with extended family from different parts of the country. Cruises provide an excellent opportunity for families to reconnect and make memories. Read on and discover why a cruise makes a good family reunion vacation!

Why a cruise is good family vacation option

What makes a Cruise Good for Family Reunions

Accomodations for every family size and budget

One reason a cruise is a good family reunion vacation is that there are many different types of accommodations to fit every budget. Every family in your group has the opportunity to book a room that fits their needs. For budget-conscious family members, less expensive inside cabins are available. For family members who like to be pampered on their vacations, they can choose concierge cabins or suites. Single, double and triple cabins are convenient options for smaller families. Large families might enjoy staterooms that sleep 5 or 6 which are on some ships. Plus there is always the option for each family to spread out a little while still being close in connecting cabins. The possibilities are vast and flexible.

A Good Value

Often cruises provide good value for your money. Everything is included for a wonderful vacation–exceptional accommodations, gourmet dining, and extensive onboard activities. Plus, cruise lines offer promotions at different times for free specialty dining, kids sailing free, or other perks.

Activities for Everyone

Ocean Cruises

Onboard ocean cruises there are activities of many different kinds that will appeal to all ages of your family. Having options for all different family members makes a cruise a good family reunion possibility.

For the kids, most ocean cruises ships have a specific program for them with their own area on the ship. The youth programs are even divided out by ages so teens and pre-teens don’t have to hang out with little kids. Age-appropriate events and activities are planned for each group.

For the adults, there is so much to do I can’t even list it all. Many planned activities during the day include deck parties, games in the sports courts, fitness classes, destination lectures, trivia, meet-ups, introductions to spa experiences, tournaments in the casino, bingo and so much more. In the evening, nightlife varies throughout the bars, lounges, theaters, and casino.

For families, there are scheduled events so families can have fun together. There might be games on the deck or sports courts, craft times, trivia or events in the youth areas. Each cruise line will have fun family activities but I will say that Disney Cruise Line puts a special focus on creating events and activities to bring families together.

River Cruises

River cruise ship activities depend on the cruise line. Some cater to families and therefore have activities for all ages (think Adventures by Disney with AmaWaterways) and some are only for adults (think Viking). But, on a river cruise the emphasis is on the ports and getting out to explore the country. Port excursions are included and on some lines (especially AmaWaterways) there is a nice variety of options that fit different activity levels.

Time together and time apart

Ocean cruise ships offer the opportunity for families to have as much time together and time apart as they wish. This is another benefit that makes a cruise a good family reunion vacation option. Part or all of your family can plan activities together during the day, plan to hang out in the same place, or just expect to see each other in passing throughout the day. You can arrange to eat all your meals together or only one a day as a time for everyone to catch up. In the evening, you can all attend the featured show together and then go your separate ways for the rest of the night. How much togetherness is all up to each family and what fits for them. Even on port days you can plan excursions together each stop, some stops, or separately. There is so much flexibility. This makes a cruise so fantastic for family reunions!

River cruises are similar but a little bit different. Each day is a port day. Every river cruise line differs but most plan a variety of shore excursions each day depending on activity level or interest. This is a fantastic opportunity for family members to have the outing each person (or family) wants and then everyone can reconvene for dinner that evening to share about their adventures.

Effortless Dining

So often it is very difficult to eat all together as a family. A cruise makes it so easy! Your family is assigned to the same tables in the same dining room each night (except Disney Cruise Line which as rotational dining). In the main dining rooms, they have very large tables that can seat 10, 12 or sometimes more. Plus, tables are fairly close together so if you need a few to seat your whole family you still within a nice distance. Another great feature is the diverse menu which can satisfy all members of your family. And, there is no having to deal with splitting up the bill.

Just so you know, eating in the main dining room each night is not required. The main dining room just guarantees a place for your family to be all together. The decision is up to each family.

Convenient Family Communication

If you are out of the country at a resort, communication between families can be difficult and expensive. Depending on your cruise line, ship communication with families aboard can be really easy. Cruise lines have apps that travelers can download and use for free while onboard. Often they have a communication feature that allows you to send messages to other family members. Currently, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity offer this free on select ships. Disney Cruise Line, Holland America and Princess also have this feature at no additional cost. Norwegian and Carnival have a nominal fee to enable the messaging feature to their apps.

Easy planning

Well, planning is easy if you use a travel advisor. Your travel advisor will help you to pick the best cruise for your family based on the cruise line, destinations, promotions and Once you finalize the ship and itinerary, your travel advisor will also help by keeping track of the needs of each family. Often your travel advisor will create a particular group so that everyone can communicate important information before the cruise.

Do you have other reasons you enjoy a cruise for your family reunion? Let me know in the comments!

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Is a River Cruise Right For My Family?

While a river cruise might not be the perfect vacation for every family, it is definitely a great option for many! Whether you are traveling with just immediate family or a multi-generational expedition and river cruise just might fit the bill for every member. Read on and find out if a river cruise is right for your family!

Who might love a River Cruise:

Families with older children (usually about 8 and up) unless choosing family-specific cruise/cruise line with planned children’s activities
Adult families
Families who love the ease of unpacking only once, and ease of disembarking the ship in port
Families who love to spend a few days in one country (rather than one day) to be able to explore more of the history, culture, and geography
Families wanting to visit small towns and local life as well as major tourist attractions
Families who want to engage more with the places they are visiting and not on ship activities
Families who want to be part of a “family” on their vacation and get to know the other families who are traveling with them
Families who desire incredible food with options from the local area
Families who would like an included excursion to introduce the area before going out to explore on their own
Families who want to choose the activity level of their excursions
Families prone to motion sickness (river cruises have very little movement when compared to an ocean cruise)

Who might not love a River Cruise:

Families with young children
Families wanting vast children’s programming and babysitting
Families who thoroughly enjoy participating in a host of activities onboard the ship
Larger Families who need/want to stay in the same room
Families who really want a pool deck with a large pool

A very important part of a family river cruise is picking the correct cruise line and itinerary. Some lines cater to families better than others with specifically designed activities on specific sailings during the year.

Cruise Lines that might be a fantastic option for your family:

Adventures by Disney (on AmaWaterways) is an amazing river cruise option. Disney certainly knows how to elevate a vacation experience from great to out of this world! They carefully craft the itineraries with special activities onboard and onshore that kids and adults will love. Every detail is taken care of so that you can truly relax and enjoy your family. For adults who want to experience the top-notch Disney customer service and pampering but without children can book adult-only Adventure by Disney river cruises. Note of caution: Don’t expect to see any Disney characters just some very funloving Adventure Guides.

AmaWaterways is another nice option. Some of their ships have 3 and 4 person staterooms for families and features that will appeal to the younger set. They provide excursions of different activity levels so families can tailor their adventures to their needs. These cruises are probably more enjoyable for families with children 8 and up.

Tauck’s Bridges family journeys offer hugely popular river cruises during school breaks–summer and Christmas. These family designed river adventures can take you through much of Europe, or to the Galapagos. They also have land journeys on which you can experience Latin America, Africa or Alaska.

Uniworld might corner the market for luxury river cruise travel but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to make a cruise fun for kids. Family-oriented cruises are scheduled around school breaks. Activities are designed to help children engage with the culture and country around them as well as being a lot of fun. They get pretty creative with their adventures for kids. Also included are kid-friendly menus, a special dinner table just for young travelers on specific nights, Young travelers lounge, movie nights and “learn the lingo” activities. To top it all off Uniworld offers a 25% discount for kids (ages 4-17) fares.

Have more questions about whether a river cruise is right for you or your family? About which cruise line would be best?

Contact Alaska to Mickey Vacations for answers!

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

What Makes a Disney Cruise Special–Part Two

Hopefully, you have read Part 1 of this blog post giving you five great reasons that a Disney Cruise is worth the cost. (Click here if you missed Part 1) This post will give you seven more. Yes, there are seven more things that make a Disney Cruise special!

Rather watch a video? At the end of this post there is a link to a live video I recorded on what makes a Disney Cruise special. The post and the video aren’t identical.

Disney Characters

Yes! Disney Cruise Line is the only place at sea that you will still get to see Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Daisy. What could be better than spending your vacation with the Fab 5! But that’s not the only characters you will see. You might see Joy, Stitch, the Princesses, Elsa, Anna, Kristof, Dug, Boo, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Spiderman and even more. And get this! You don’t just see them in the awesome shows and deck parties. Nope! You can actually shake their hands, get pictures and autographs and tell them about your day. Woohoo!!!

Castaway Cay

Sure, other cruise lines have private islands so that doesn’t make Disney any different. BUT, what does set them apart is what they INCLUDE on their island experience. The really cool water slides and splash pad, INCLUDED! The tram around the island, INCLUDED. But since there is so much to see in the way of fantastic Disney Imagineering, walking is recommended. Special kids area with supervised youth activities, INCLUDED. Beach games and activities for the family, INCLUDED. Want to run a race on vacation? The Castaway 5K is, you guessed it, INCLUDED! There are so other really cool things to do but they will incur an additional fee. Any way you look at it though, your day at Castaway Cay will be AMAZING even if you don’t spend an extra dime!

Kids Clubs

Disney Kids Clubs have some of the longest hours at sea. Plenty of time for your family to have time together and time apart. The kids club is even open on port days if you should choose to use them. You can even choose to have your children eat dinner with you or relax without them while they enjoy the dinnertime kids activities. Or, opt for the best of both and have your kids go with the cast members halfway through dinner.

The counselors are all specially trained to work with children so you don’t have to worry. They are not just glorified babysitters but cast members who are there to interact with your children to give them the best vacation possible.

The kid’s zones are separated by age and they are quite strict about the cutoffs for the safety of all the children. Each area is themed to create an atmosphere geared toward that age group. The security measures are also dependent on age. Children under 12 must have a parent check them in and out. Tweens and teens get to decide when they come and go. Be careful, you kids may never want to leave!

It’s a Small World Nursery–ages 6 months to 3 years old
Oceaneers Club and Lab–ages 3-12
Edge–just for tweens (about 11-13)
Vibe–just for teens (about 13-17)

No Casinos

While for some this might not be a benefit for others it is definitely no casino makes for a better cruise experience. For those of you who love to win money or prizes on vacation, never fear! They do have Bingo almost daily!

No Beverage Package

This is another feature that some might love and others might not. The fantastic benefit of Disney Cruise line is that they include soda with all their meals and there is a beverage station on the pool deck. The beverage station is open all day long for everyone to enjoy as much as they want. Not only is there soda but also coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. My daughter and I loved the hot chocolate machine on our Alaska Cruise (just don’t try and take it off the boat). For cruisers who love to relax with an alcoholic beverage, they are available onboard. There are multiple bars and adult beverage locations.

Excursions

Yes, of course all cruise lines have excursions. But Disney Cruise line sets itself apart with the number of excursions available with kids in mind. Their goal is that the whole family be able to experience things together so many exciting things are crafted to allow younger travelers. Plus, where else can you see Disney Characters on your shore excursion?

Disney Cruise line not just wants kids to enjoy experiences but everyone! They have also crafted accessible port adventures in 25 different countries. So if mobility is an issue do a little research (or have your travel specialist) to find out which cruise itineraries might work best for you.

ICE CREAM!!

I know, I know. There is complimentary soft-serve ice cream available on other cruise lines. BUT, on a Disney Cruise you can savor many more flavors than just chocolate and vanilla. On our cruise we had strawberry, mango, blueberry, and quite a few others. I think that there were new flavors every day to try. That was awesome!

Watch my Facebook Live post on this subject

Well, I hoped you gleaned a couple facts to help you to decide if a Disney Cruise is worth it to you. There are many more great things about a Disney Cruise but these were standouts for me. Do you have something different? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Links of interest:

Disney Cruise Line October 24, 2019

7 Things I LOVED About Our Disney Cruise!

My daughter and I sailed on our first Disney Cruise at the beginning of September. Other than a fantastic, relaxing trip my purpose was to experience a Disney Cruise in order to be able to better inform my clients. I brought my 7-year old daughter for special Mother-Daughter time and as my “guinea pig” for the children’s programming.

Our first Disney Cruise took us on the Disney Wonder back to our Alaskan home. It is quite typical for Alaskans to have never visited the city and towns of Southeast. So, I was thrilled to explore the ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Icy Strait (Hoonah), and Skagway. But, I am focusing my gushing about the things I love to the the actual cruise ship.

Without further ado, here are the things that I LOVED about our Disney cruise!

1) Our Dining Room Servers–Potchara and Heny

Potchara and Heny, our dining room team, were fantastic. They made every dinner fabulous. They quickly remembered our likes and dislikes. They watched closely to when we needed anything and checked on us regularly (but not too much). They let us get to know them, about their lives.

2) Rotational Dining

The Disney Wonder has 3 main dining rooms. Rotational dining allows you to experience all the dining rooms during your cruise. Place’s decor is reminiscent of 1920’s New Orleans. Triton’s dining room style is more classic and subdued. The final dining room is Animator’s Palate. This last dining room initially looks bleak in all black and white. As dinner progresses this room transforms into a vibrant color palate. It’s so delightful!

3) Dining Room Entertainment

I vaguely remember reading something about live jazz in Tiana’s Place before we left on our cruise. But, I was totally unprepared for how cool it all was. The jazz band in Tiana’s Place was excellent. The second evening at Tiana’s our servers had a great musical number and encouraged all the guest to join in and dance around the dining room. So fun!

Animator’s Palate was my absolute favorite. The first time we dined there was a cute show after dinner. But, on our second dining at Animator’s Palate we experienced probably one of my favorite things on the whole cruise. Before they let us order we had to draw a character on a piece of paper. After dinner they took our characters and animated them into a cute movie. It was one of the cutest things I have seen in a long time! I LOVED it!!

4) All the Focused Attention on my Daughter

All throughout the cruise I felt that my daughter was respected as a traveler and not just along for the ride. I loved how kids were an important part of the cruise. It is truly a family friendly cruise with emphasis on creating special memories for children as well as adults.

At the Frozen Party a section was roped off just for kids so they could be close to the stage and join in with the dancing. So many activities could involve the whole family together. At the Oceaneers club, they would interact with the kids at things they enjoy doing. My daughter loved playing games with them.

One of the things that impressed me the most was how our servers looked at her in the eye (as much as she would let them). They spent time helping her decide what to eat, taking as much time as necessary without rushing her. They asked her what she wanted and listened to her requests. Every night Potchara would have a special activity planned such as origami or magic tricks. As soon as he realized how much my daughter loved the magic tricks he made sure he had one ready every night.

5) The Movies

I know, so silly. But, we rarely go to the movie theater. It was such a treat to sit and watch so many of the movies I really wanted to see but hadn’t. I loved the live action Aladdin and saw it twice. Watching the Lion King and Toy Story 4 on the big screen was so fun.

6) Frozen Deck Party

Freezing the Night Away! Even though cold and bundled up with hat and gloves I loved this show! It was so fun! Music reverberated across the deck. Dancing infected the feet of everyone. Anna and Elsa lit up the night. And even though I am very accustomed to snow, the snowfall on the deck was enchanting. I loved every minute of it! I can’t imagine how amazing a Pirate Party must be with fireworks on the Caribbean cruises.

7) Our Room Steward–Alvin

Alvin was awesome! He always had a smile on his face. He always greeted us like he was happy to see us. One night we left our room a disaster only to come back to a neat and tidy space ready for us to sleep that night. He never made us feel like we were interrupting his duties when we changed our routine and messed up his. He crafted awesome towel (and blanket) creatures. He pixie dusted my daughter with Princess sheets and absolutely thrilled her by leaving them on a couple of nights. He made our trip extra special.

These were not the only things that I liked about out Disney Cruise. But, these were the things that, I believe, set Disney apart from other cruise lines. Now, I know that others may not agree with my opinions but that’s okay.

Now, it’s your turn. What was your favorite part of your Disney Cruise?

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Reasons to Take a Cruise Vacation!

Have you wondered why so many people go on cruise vacations? Have you wondered if a cruise might be something your family would enjoy? Do you have questions about what benefits a cruise might provide over another type of vacation? Then, this post is for you! Read on to find out some reasons why you should take a cruise vacation.

We took our first cruise vacation in 2000. We sailed to the Western Caribbean. The cruise was a lot of fun but we didn’t’ go on another cruise until the summer of 2017. Why? Other vacation opportunities (aka DISNEY) called us elsewhere. But in 2017 my interest in cruising the high seas was renewed.

What’s great about a cruise vacation?

This post is all about why I think that taking a cruise is a great vacation option for your family. So, keep reading (this kind of long post) and find out why I think cruises are great!

Cruises are all-inclusive

On a cruise, you pay one price and that includes all of your food, lodging, entertainment, a lot of activities, and transportation to different places.

Cruise lines differ in the amount of all-inclusiveness. Some cruises include almost all the food and activities onboard. On others, there are sufficient complimentary choices to have a fantastic vacation but also have quite a few options with additional fees. A few cruise lines even include an excursion in each port.

On the cruises we have been sailed, we pretty much stick to the included stuff and have a fabulous vacation. I think the only thing we have spent extra on is a basic beverage package. Although, if we were on one of the ships with the go-karts we would have to splurge on a ride or two.

Delicious food

Dining options are abundant on almost every cruise line. Larger ships usually have more than smaller ones. The amazing selection of dining options is a great reason to take a cruise vacation.

Main Dining Room–This dining option is included in the cruise fare. These are fabulous sit-down meals at which you choose appetizers, salads, main entrees, and yummy, yummy desserts. Meals in the dining rooms are served a specific times. The really awesome thing is that you can order whatever you want. Do you want two entrees? Order both. Do many desserts look delicious? Order them all? Want a side from one entree and a different one from another? Feel free to mix and match. Where else can you order with such freedom! (Note of caution: be a bit mindful of wastefulness. If there are many things you like maybe think about sharing)
Buffet–The dining room serving the buffet is usually open more hours than the main dining rooms. At the buffet, you will discover many different fantastic food options. There is something for everyone and eating at the buffet doesn’t take nearly as long as in the dining room.
Complimentary Restaurant–On some ships there might be a smaller restaurant option that is included. It might serve lighter fare and a smaller menu.
Signature Restaurants–Signature restaurants are another fantastic dining option. On some ships, you might have one or two options but on larger ones, you could have 10 or more to choose from. These restaurants often have even better food than the classic dining room. These restaurants usually have a specific type of food such as sushi, Mexican, Italian, Bistro-style, and others. Most of these restaurants charge a small fee. But, sometimes cruise lines offer dining in their restaurants as an incentive and then you only have to pay the gratuities.
Snack Options–Your cruise might have a complimentary pizza parlor, hot dog stand or lounge with desserts. Maybe you can enjoy an ice cream soda shop or Coffee Bar (both usually additional fees apply).
Room Service–Most cruise lines offer room service right to your stateroom. Leave a placard out the night before and awaken to a delicious breakfast delivered right to your door. Maybe you would like an afternoon or evening snack. All possible with room service. Some cruise lines have complimentary room service and on some, there is a small fee. Check with your travel advisor about your specific cruise line.

Excellent lodging

Stay in fabulous staterooms on a cruise vacation — Oceanview Stateroom on Disney Wonder

From the simplest interior stateroom to the sprawling suites, the accommodations are top-notch. Your room Steward is always nearby to help you with anything you might need. Feel pampered with your bed turned down each night and put back together each morning. Your bathroom is cleaned twice a day as well as your room tidied.

For even more luxury on the major cruise lines, you can opt for suites and concierge-level service. Many lines have a special suite level that allows you to access special dining rooms, reserved outdoor pools and relaxation zones in addition to the glorious rooms that are just a cut above the rest.

Of course, you can step off the luxury even further by cruising on one of the actual luxury cruise lines.

World-class Entertainment

Entertainment abounds on a cruise ship. You might see a death-defying water show or a beautiful production on ice. Some lines produce Broadway-caliber plays and musicals for their guests. Evening shows are even worked around dining schedules so that each guest is able to see each production. You don’t have to worry about missing anything.

In addition to the nightly entertainment, you will find many other opportunities. Some ships have jazz clubs, piano bars, comedy shows, and more. Join in the fun of a Newlywed Game or Talent contest.

Abundant Activities

Take a cruise vacation and have access to lots of activities — The rock climbing wall on the Oasis of the Seas

From morning to night activities are planned for your enjoyment. Trivia, pool games and parties, sports tournaments, Bingo, karaoke, contests, arts and crafts are just a few diversions to help you pass the time.

In addition to planned activities, there are many other things to do onboard the ship. Relax by the pool or jump in for some fun. Waterslides, other slides, rock walls, ice rinks, bumper cars, go-karts, laser tag, escape rooms, sports courts, movies, carousels, trampolines, VR activities, video game rooms, and so much more. For those looking for tranquility, some ships have libraries, cozy nooks and crannies, and game rooms. Each cruise line and even each ship has different levels of onboard activities. Larger ships might have many while the smaller ones have just a few.

Cruises Help You Explore the World

A cruise ship is your floating hotel that takes you from one destination to another. You only have to unpack once and you get to explore many different countries and cultures. You can find an itinerary that will explore almost any part of the world you want.

Ocean cruises can take you to:

Bahamas
Caribbean
Mediterranean
Coastal Europe
Northern European Countries
Great Britain
US and Canada’s East and West Coast
Alaska
Hawaii
Panama Canal
Central America
South America
Polynesia
Australia and New Zealand
Singapore, Thailand and Southeast Asia
Japan
China
Antarctica
Africa
Middle East
India

Take a cruise vacation to discover the world — Overlooking St. Maarten

River Cruises will explore these rivers around the world:

Danube–Europe
Rhine–Europe
Moselle–Europe
Main–Europe
Elbe–Europe
Rhone–France
Seine–France
Dordogne and Garonne–France
Douro–Portugal and Spain
Volga–Russia
Dnieper–Ukraine
Mekong–Cambodia and Vietnam
Yangtze–China
Ganges–India
Nile–Egypt
Chobe–Southern Africa
Amazon–South America
Columbia and Snake–Washington and Oregon
Mississippi–United States
Cumberland, Tennessee, and Ohio–United States
Great Lakes–US and Canada
St. Lawrence Seaway–US and Canada

A Cruise Line for Every Traveler

No matter how you like to travel there is a cruise for you.

Small Ships

Does a small ship that can cruise into small ports in out of the way locations appeal to you? There are cruise lines that just have small vessels that carry from 6 to just a couple hundred passengers. Love to sail? There is even a line that is made up of luxury sailboats. Wow!!

Large Ships

Are you someone who wants to go, go, go? You want to have many, many options for food, entertainment, and activities? Do you love to be in the middle of all the action? A very large ship that carries 4000-6000 passengers might be just for you. There are also cruise lines that cater to this more than others.

Major Cruise Lines

The major cruise lines have somewhat different flavors. Are you a foodie? Do you like to party? Do you like more tranquility? Do you want to cruise with a generally younger or older crowd? Do you want a very family-friendly vacation? Do you want a cruise that caters to your children?

Luxury Cruise Lines

Are you all about luxury, concierge service, and gourmet meals. Do you like educational, cultural learning and education on vacation? Certain cruise lines cater to this travel style beautifully.

Do you want a cruise that focuses on the family? Do you want to travel without any kids? There are cruises specializing in this too.

As you can see there is probably a cruise line out there that would fit the desires of your family!

Vast Array of Itineraries

Oh my goodness! As you saw above you can travel all over on a cruise ship. You can stick to oceans or travel inland waterways to see even more. But you can customize your trip even more which is another reason why you might want to take a cruise vacation.

Pick your number of cruising days

Do you want to cruise to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14 days? Yes, these are all choices. How about longer, 2 or 3 weeks? Maybe a month? Or even a year?

Pick Days at Sea vs. Port Days

More days at sea

Cruises are a combination of days in port and days at sea. Do you like to relax on the ship more? Cruise on an itinerary that has more days at sea and less ports. You could take a Transatlantic cruise, Transpacific or repositioning cruise.

More days exploring different countries

Are you hungry for adventure, culture and different countries? Pick an itinerary that stops more frequently in port. River cruises really do this well. Most of your time on a river cruise is spent in port exploring the area. There are also cruise lines that excel in this more than others.

Enjoy the ship on port days

Or, you can choose an itinerary that has some ports that you like and some that you don’t. Explore the countries you are interested in seeing. Stay on the ship for the ports that don’t excite you. You can stay on the ship on port days and enjoy all the ship has to offer with less people onboard.

Private Island Beach Days

Enjoy private islands on a cruise vacation — Labadee, Haiti–One of Royal Carribean’s Private Islands

Some travelers love having beach days. Often ports will have a beach excursion option. But some cruise lines have their own private island stops for their guests to enjoy. They provide many beach activities as well as food that is included in the cruise fare. To make your day extra special, some up the ante with extra activities, beach clubs, cabanas, and water parks that are available at an additional cost. Plus, they often stay at their private islands all day so you can soak up all the sun.

Choose your itinerary wisely to either avoid private islands or to stop at your favorite one. If beach days are your absolute favorite you can even find itineraries that stop at private islands twice in one trip. Score!

So, Let’s Find the Cruise for You!

I kept this post pretty basic to get you thinking. Once you decide that a cruise vacation might be for you and your family it is time to dig into the details. A travel advisor will be able to help you narrow down your choices and find the perfect trip for you.

Please comment below if you have other reasons you love cruising!

Questions about cruising? Let me know in the comments.

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Want to do a little cruise research? Cruise Critic is a good place to start.