Evenings on a cruise ship

A lot of people who have never been on a cruise wonder what there is to do on a cruise, especially in the evening when you are back on board after exploring your port. Today we are going to look at some of your options.

• First of all, don’t forget that you and your family will probably need to eat once you return to your ship. And on the ship you will be able to enjoy dinners where you actually sit down. You will be enjoying several different courses. These will be served in the main dining room, which means that your dinner will be included in the fare and will cost you no extra. This gives everyone at your table the chance to share about their day’s adventures..
• You could also go to one of the more informal buffets, or order room service if you don’t want to walk anywhere. A lot of cruise ships also have specialty restaurants. If you are interested in specialty dining, you will want to make your reservations ahead of time.
• Have you ever been to a Broadway show? Most ships now have Broadway shows, and again, you will be able to get in at no additional charge. Many ships have their own theater company as well. Some also have shows like a circus.
• You are going to also have the opportunity to enjoy live bands, string quartets, or simply one person on a piano in the different bars that they have. Or do you prefer making your own music? A lot of cruises will have karaoke bars as well.

Advertisements

More long weekend getaways

Let’s keep looking at some destinations that you might consider were going to for a long weekend.

• Now, it would take a lot of long weekends to explore everything that New York City has to offer. If you live somewhat close to the city, you could do several long weekends and choose a theme for each weekend you go. If you do not live close, you might want to look online and decide on the places you want to go to the most.
• You will want to choose the restaurants you want to go to as well. I know I’ve mentioned this before on this blog, but I used to live near Asheville, North Carolina. It is a beautiful city in the Smoky Mountains. You are going to find a lot of neat places to shop and explore. This is a very artsy city as well.
• Like New York City, it would taking longer than three days to see all of Chicago. But one thing you might want to concentrate on is their art institute.. You will also want to be sure to visit Wrigley Park where a lot of sports history has been made.
• Take a long weekend and explore San Francisco. Take a ride on the cable car. You can also take a boat out to Alcatraz. Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. You may also enjoy touring their wine country.
• Is California on the other side of the country for you? Is Alabama closer to you? You might want to try their Gulf Shores. You will find some nice cottages right on their beach. This is the perfect place just to relax if that is what you’re looking to do.

Disney for multi generational travel

If you haven’t gotten this impression by reading this blog, I am all about families spending time together. And I do know that once the children grow up, they do not live in the same town as their parents. My siblings are all kind of scattered everywhere, and with eight of us, it is hard for all of us to get together. It is a treat when we do. Yes, we are learning to do Skype and things like that, and while that is is nice, that is not the same as being together in the same place. I know that a lot of families feel the same right. Sometimes you do not want to go to where one of your family members live because you do not want to do the cooking and the cleaning. Today let’s talk about some reasons Disney World makes the perfect place for one of these multi generational trips..

• First, like me, Disney has always been passionate about the family, and they have something everyone will love. They are going to have slow rides and fast rides. Everyone is going to be able to find their favorite characters. There will also be all kinds of shows that everyone will enjoy.
• When you need to take a break from the parks, Disney has all kinds of nice resorts where you can stay. There will be pools you can relax around and spas for the adults to enjoy.
• Think about it, going to the parks as a young family can be overwhelming, especially if you have more kids than parents. You might have a baby that wants to be held, a toddler that wants to run around everywhere, and an older kid that wants to ride all the rides. Having more adults is going to always be nice. Grandparents and aunts and uncles are going to help. You are going to be able to set up different groups that will go to  different places.
• Part of grandparents’ job description is to spoil their grandchildren. Parents might not want to do all the souvenirs and all that. Grandparents can help do all those special things. And who knows. The grandparents might spoil the parents as well.
• But what do all children want more than anything? Time with their parents and grandparents, making those special memories. Think about taking your child on their first roller coaster or getting the girls’ hair done.
• Taking the whole family, you may have people who have special needs for their rooms, or you may have people who are on diets or things like that. Disney has excellent customer service, and will be able to handle everything for you.

More on luxury cruises

I must confess that I was rushing through everything forward. We had been gone most of the day, and I was just trying to get something posted. But anyway, let’s get back to our discussion about luxury cruises.

• Like I was saying earlier, you are going to find many fewer people. Instead of being on a ship with thousands of people, most of these ships will sail with fewer than five hundred guests. That makes for a much more peaceful time when you are on the ship’s deck. Sometimes soft music will playing. Sometimes there will be a deck party in the evenings. But one thing they will always be sure to have on deck is someone who will see to your every need.
• Luxury lines will leave you feeling spoiled. They will have robes and slippers for you, and all the toiletries that you will need. And yes, you will also get sunscreen. You just need to bring your clothes.
• And with so many fewer guests, you are going to get a much higher level of service you will find on the ships. You will have a lower crew to guest ratio. And so these servers will get to know your preferences.

Travel advice

Are you thinking about taking a vacation with your children, but aren’t quite sure how your children will handle it? Read on for some tips.

• If you have never taken your children on a long car drive, you might want to do a few day trips before your actual vacation starts. Make it a funny outing, like going for a picnic at a park. Doing this kind of thing will help them get they used to longer drives.
• You do not need to bring every single thing you think you might need. They will have stores where you are going. As kids get older, let them pack for themselves. Letting them bring their own bag will make them feel more grown up.
• Staying in a city is usually a good idea. You will have access to a lot of different things to do, you will be close to restaurants, stores, parks, museums. This will help ensure that no one gets bored or too hungry.
• You will be wise to make identification cards for each of your children, and make sure they have the cards on them each time they leave your hotel. Put your name and telephone number on these cards.

Even more about Disney cruises

It worked out that I took a long weekend. Even that has left me feeling pretty energized. Let’s get back to our discussion of Disney cruises.

• You should always have a camera with you. Disney characters need to take vacations too, you know? You are going to see plenty of characters aboard each ship. Have your camera ready just in case.
• Many children love to swim, and Disney knows that. Can you imagine a place where you can swim and watch Disney movies at the same time? That sounds like a child’s dream come true. You can do just that on Disney cruises. Little ones will also enjoy Disney themed splash pads. And don’t forget the water slides.
• Every time Disney does a cruise, the whole crew gathers in the lobby of their theater to trade pins. This is a great way to get to know your fellow guests and crew alike.
• Around the theater, you are going to find all kinds of shops. In these shops, you will find pins, tshirts, mugs, and things on like that. Disney Vacation Club members get a discount.
• Like most cruises these days, you can do Do you want to learn everything you can about Disney, take part in all the parties and everything? That is perfectly fine. Do you want to just hang out by the pools the whole time? They will have no problems with that either.

Would you like help planning your next Disney cruise? I would love to help you figure everything out. Please just let me know.

Disney cruises #3

we are going to get back to our discussion about Disney cruises.

• What do you do when you get tired of all the swimming and running around? Why don’t you go to the theater for a movie? Disney does have a theater on all of their ships. And they play all of Disney’s latest movies.
• If you have been to the Disney parks, you may well remember Mckkey’s Premium Bars. While you will not be able order these delights from room service, you will be able to get them aboard the ships.
• You are going to get exactly what you want for dinner each night. Do you want two appetizers and two entrees? That will be no problem. Did your kid order something you’ve just got to have to? Your wish is their pleasure.
• With all of this food, you might want a little exercise. Disney holds a 5k on its private island which is called Castaway Cay.
• You will be able to partake in a delicious adult beverage while you are on this island, and the drink will be called the Kook Kooler. Lunch on the island will be beach barbecue.

More on Disney cruises #2

We are going to get back to our discussion on Disney cruises.

• I know we’ve already talked some about things you should not forget to bring along. But are you going to bring your costumes? Disney cruises have themed days. It might be Star Wars, or it might be Marvel, or it could be another theme. Dressing up is not required, but it is part of the fun, so why not?
• Even Disney knows that sometimes adults want to have fun by themselves from time to time. They have pools that are just for adults. You will also have an entertainment district that will close to all those under eighteen at nine in the evening.
• Inside the Cove Cafe, an adults only coffee bar, you will find sweet snacks morning and evening. The sweetest part? The snacks don’t cost you anything more. However, they do charge for the coffee, so you will want to keep that in mind.
• But they also have spaces just for for children, as you might imagine. I mean who wants to be around their parents all the time? Disney has an excellent children’s club. Your children will love it because everything revolves around Disney.

Get ready for a Disney cruise #1

I’m not certain what the next few days are going to be like. I may be without internet for some of the time. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

Today we are going to start taking a look at some things you need to know when you you set out on one of the most popular cruises around, a Disney cruise.

• Of course, you know to pack the essentials, things like bathing suits, sunscreen, and don’t forget your shades. But you are also want to take a refillable cup for each member of your party, so that you will not spend half your time looking for the water fountains. You might also want to take a few magnetic hooks so that you can hang up wet things. All the walls of your room will be magnetic.
• This is a Disney cruise. You are going to want to meet some of your favorite characters. Go on and book the meet and greets before you leave on your cruise. You will be glad that you did.
• You will also want to book your adults-only dining experiences before you are to leave. You have three nice options to choose from.
• Speaking of adult things, I’m not sure if they have adult beverages on board. However, I do know that you can bring an unopened bottle of wine or six beers with you.
• On a Disney cruise, your waitstaff is going to take the time to get to know you you and your family. And they will follow you each evening of your cruise.

Make your holiday cruse even more festive

I know it is not nearly Christmas time, but holiday cruises are getting more and more popular. And if you and your family are even considering taking a cruise as your holiday vacation, you’ll want to start your planning now. Here are some tips that are going to help you to make your holiday cruise even more festive.

• Okay, let’s get real here. A Christmas cruise may be wonderful. But a lot of us have those holiday decorations that it is just not Christmas unless you can see those. Maybe they are from your parents or your grandparents. Don’t go without. Bring them with you.
• Christmas is all about being lazy with the people you love most. Be sure to bring those pajamas you’ll want to hang out in most the morning. Many cruises don’t charge any extra when you order room service, so have your morning feast in your room.
• I know that some people don’t consider it true celebration unless there is some kind of bubbly involved. Each guest is allowed to bring one bottle of adult beverage aboard. So make sure that get packed.
• It is Christmas. Make sure not to forget to bring your gifts to exchange. It is not like someone is going to come in the night and bring all your gifts for you.
• Bring a little gift for someone on your crew. It will be sure to brighten their day.