Choosing your first cruise

I’ve been working on some writing stuff today. We’ll see how everything goes on that. But let’s get on with this. When it comes to choosing which cruise you are going to take as your first cruise, you may be overwhelmed at the choices you have. Let’s look at some things that might help

•  Please talk to me about going on your first cruise. I can help guide you through all the questions you might have to make sure you have the best cruise. I know the way questions to ask to help get you what you want. And I make money when I book cruises. You won’t owe me another dime.
• One of the big things about cruises is that the more you pay up front, the less you’ll have to pay once you are on board your ship. You will want to keep that in mind. Some cruises are going to seem awful cheap. But they are going to nickel and dime you to death.
• You may want to start by going on a three or four day cruise just to make sure you like them. These cruises will leave from and return to the same place which will make everything easy.
• You will not need to worry about getting seasick on a cruise. Most ships are now built with stabilizers which are going to go a long way to help you. For those that are particularly prone to this ailment might want to buy some. You can also pay to get a shot once you are on board.

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More on cruise evenings

Let’s keep looking at some things that you might want to spend the evenings on your cruise.

• Most cruises these days have themed parties which you can participate in if you choose to. I know that Disney does themes like Star Wars Night or Pirate Night. You will find dance parties that last all night in the ship’s night clubs. You might even find some ballroom dancing.
• There might be an evening or two where you will want to do nothing more than relax in front of a good movie. You will be more free to do that in the comfort of your cabin. Most ships will also have movies that you can enjoy with a large group.
• Some ships will also have a bowling alley. Or they could have an ice skating rink. Some might even have a golf course on board.
• And of course, there will also be beautiful pools where you can hang out. Take a dip and cool off after a long day exploring. Or enjoy getting to know the other guests.
• With all of this to do, you might forget one important thing. You are going to need to sleep at some point in your cruise. You will want to be fresh for the full days.

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.

And even more destinations

Are you sitting around on this Saturday morning, thinking that there must be a better way to spend your weekend than just sitting around, binging on your favorite tv shows. There is. Take a day off, and enjoy a three day trip somewhere. Where, you ask? Let’s look at some more destinations.

• There is New Orleans that you might want to explore. You will especially enjoy it if you enjoy night life. But do you know who will probably the enjoy it most? Foodies. This is the place to get your French cuisine. And they also have great Creole food.
• Are you looking for a place you can just go and relax? You might want to try Kennebunkport. It is so relaxing that the Bush family got a place here. You are going to enjoy some excellent fishing. They also have beautiful beaches
• Ooh, I have spent some time in Baltimore. I know they have one of the largest aquariums in the country. Their Inner Harbor is a lot of fun. Woul, you may be overwhelmed by the number of food choices. My recommendation would be to go around and try all of their samples. You will want to be sure to get some crab cakes there in Baltimore as well.
• If you are looking for something more high end, you might want to try going to Santa Barbera. There are many great restaurants and lots of interesting shopping.
• Outdoor enthusiasts will love to go to Colorado Springs. This is a great place to hike and bike. If you are not into that kind of thing, you and family might want to go explore the headquarters of Focus on the Family. They have their own Whit’s End and everything.

More weekend destinations

• We are going to start with a destination that is close to me. And actually this is a place I often visit, well actually I visit one of the suburbs. But anyway, the place I’m talking about is Atlanta, Georgia not. I was at the Zoo of Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and really enjoyed my time there. I know they have the Coke Museum there. They also have a fantastic aquarium.
• If you have boys, you will want to make it a point to visit San Antonio. Why? Remember the Alamo. You will also find their river River Walk to be one of the nicest around.
• Are you looking for a city that has a little bit of everything? Try Charleston, South Carolina. Runners will love their trails. There is a lot of history to explore here. And everyone will love the food that is served here.
• Do you dream of meeting all the stars? You will want to go to Los Angeles. Take a tour of Beverly Hills. Shop on Rodeo Drive. Enjoy a Broadway show. And don’t forget, there are also some beautiful beaches there.
• Do you just love being outdoors? You are going to want to go to the Grand Canyon. This is a beautiful place to hike and camp.

Even more destinations

Let’s keep looking at some destinations you might want to look into the next time you are thinking about taking a three day weekend.

• Have you always dreamed of going to Europe, but don’t think you are going to have that kind of money any time soon? You might want to try Montreal. This city definitely has an old world feel to it. Go enjoy their botanical gardens. Visit their Notre Daame Basilica. And don’t forget to go to Mount Royal to get a good look at the whole city.
• Have you ever been to the Outer Bank? I have. Now you will want to be careful of when you go, as in you don’t want to go when there is any chance of a hurricane. Check the weather before you go. This is a great beach area. It is also near where the Wright brothers did their experiments.
• Okay, this is another city where you will have to make some decision as far as you want to do with your time, but Vegas has a lot to offer. Do you want to do a water parks weekend? They have that here. Looking for a great weekend of lots of good eating? You also might want to try Vegas. Are you looking for entertainment? There is no better place.
• Are you a surfer dude? It might be silly to mention this to you, but you might want to try Cocoa Beach. This is where all surfers gather. And of course, you have a surfer shop to meet all your needs.

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.

Long weekend getaways

Sometimes you just need to get away for a long weekend. Maybe work has gotten super busy. Or maybe you have some hard things going on in your family. Whatever your reason, you need to get away. Let’s look at some destinations you might want to consider.

• Do you want to go somewhere where you have plenty of activities to choose from? Think about going to Miiami, Florida. This is a fun in the sun destination. You will also have a lot of choices when it comes to nightlife. You will also have great restaurants from.
• Do you want to go to the coolest city in Texas? You are going to have to try Austin. It helps that the city has the university right there. This place has a lot of great restaurants, some great art museums, and a lot of interesting shopping.
• And yes, people do go to Mexico for long weekends. It is an easy flight. Los Cabos is a great destination when you want to take a beach getaway. This is a great place to just relax and have some much needed fun.
• Are amusement parks your jam? Go to Orlando. This is theme park central. You are going to find Disney, Universal and Busch Gardens. And that’s just naming the biggest parks there. The city also has a lot of other things to offer.

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.

Summer cruises

Are people starting to think about their summer vacations? Part of me kind of doubts that considering how many people do not really take vacations anymore. But maybe you are thinking about planning a summer vacation while you take your spring break. If that is you, I would love to help you plan something. Please let me know at familytripsinc1@gmail.com. Today we are going to take a look at some cruises you might want to consider.

• Some of the most popular cruises are to the Caribbean. With these you are going to find your typical fun in the sun vacation. Norwegian Cruise Line does an excellent job with these. You are going to get to see several different destinations, including Norwegian’s own Harvest Caye. You will be gone a week on this cruise.
• Is that too long a cruise for you? Norwegian also does a four day cruise which will take you to Cuba and the Bahamas. There are quite a few of these sailings will take place this summer.
• Have you always dreamed of touring Alaska? Consider going on a Holland America cruise. And yes, this is one of the nicer cruise lines. But you are going to still be able to get a cruise for one person for under a thousand dollars. And remember, nicer cruises are going to get you more for your money.