My husband (Allan), our two sons (AJ and LJ), and I sailed aboard the Carnival Venezia for its U.S. inaugural cruise in June 2023, and we got back onboard with my mom for the Melanin at Sea group cruise in July 2023. With two sailings on this new Carnival ship under our belts, the first to deliver Carnival Fun Italian Style at sea, we want to provide you with information to help you plan your Carnival Venezia sailing or to simply help you learn more about this ship.
Read MoreIt’s been 10 months since my most recent blog post, Twice Upon A Disney Wish, and I’m jumping right back into sharing our most recent travel adventures with you, here, on My Cruising Family, the blog… but not before addressing the elephant in the room…
So, where have we been since Twice Upon A Disney Wish? Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Bermuda! These trips involved two new and exciting cruise ships… oh, and we even stayed overnight right here in New York harbor for the Christening/Naming Ceremony of a third new cruise ship. Those are the quick updates, but if you know me, then you know I get into details. So here goes…
Read MoreThis Spring Break 2022, our family enjoyed a wonderful 7-day Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, and we stayed in two adjacent Boardwalk View Balcony Staterooms – 8329 and 8327. These rooms are the furthest aft on Deck 8, next to the AquaTheater Suites, which also means that they are closest to the view of the ocean and the AquaTheater, which is exactly why I selected them!
What sort of stateroom do you prefer when sailing? Is there a certain view from your stateroom that you have in mind? Have you ever considered a Boardwalk View Balcony Stateroom?
Read MoreOne month ago, I set sail on my Grand Slam Disney Cruise, meaning that I’ve now sailed all 4 existing Disney ships! With that, I’m super excited to share with you the following 4 tips for your future Disney cruises! The fourth is kind of a jam-packed bonus!
Tip #1: Install The Disney Cruise Line (DCL) Navigator App!
Through the DCL Navigator App, I enjoyed a fun countdown to the cruise each time I opened the app, and more importantly, I was able to plan ahead for Palo Brunch, Palo Dinner, beverage tastings, and more, well ahead of the cruise. As I sailed solo during this cruise, I wanted to experience Palo Brunch, Palo Dinner, and a number of different beverage tastings, and although the DCL Navigator showed that brunch and all the tastings were sold out at one point, constantly checking the app each day, especially as it got closer to embarkation day, allowed me to see when space opened up for Embarkation Day Champagne Tasting, plus Palo Brunch and Chocolate and Liquor Tasting on Day 2. The reality is that, closer to embarkation day, guests cancel, so slots for certain events will open up, and the DCL Navigator is the most convenient way to see when that happens, and to snag a spot for an event you’ve been looking forward to.
Another major pre-cruise highlight of the DCL Navigator App is…
Read MoreIn our March 2021 blog article, we talked about pivoting, specifically, PIVOT, that is:
· P for Planted
· I for Intelligence
· V for Vision
· O for Opportunities
· T for Take flight
Although that article focused more on pivoting in life in general, it made mention of how we’ve even had to pivot in relation to traveling. As I write this, I am beaming with excitement because I feel like I’m tasting travel again! Our family has three trips already booked, and if you know me, then you know that planning for these trips is a lot of the fun for me! That said, it’s been a journey to get here, and the journey included a pivot. During the pandemic, we’ve stayed physically PLANTED at home, venturing out only to places relatively close to home like Coney Island, the Botanic Garden, the Nautical Mile, the Jurassic Quest Drive-Through, Long Island’s North Fork, and Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm, which are all drivable locations. Yes, this airplane-loving, cruise-loving family, decided to visit a few places by car over the course of the past year. We’ve also been spiritually PLANTED in our faith, believing that this pause/standstill in our global travels would be only temporary. In gathering INTELLIGENCE / INFORMATION about the reason for the global pause on travel, we have also gathered INTELLIGENCE / INFORMATION on options available to us at present and potential options for the future. We have a VISION to safely travel the world again. We have had the OPPORTUNITY to be vaccinated to help slow and potentially stop the spread of a deadly virus, and to be able to travel safely again, and we have made use of that OPPORTUNITY, so that the three adults in our house have now received two doses of the vaccine. We are now preparing to TAKE FLIGHT as I’ve researched and planned three future trips, with my eye on a fourth… two of those three / three of those four will be during the schools’ summer vacation months!
Have you been getting excited about the travel possibilities opening up?
Read MoreGlad you asked!
We have taken a 5-day, an 8-day, a 14-day, and multiple 7-day cruises, and with that experience, we can truly say that, during our 3-day Disney Dream cruise, from August 24, 2018 to August 27, 2018, we felt as if we received the value of a 7-day cruise. Since returning from our cruise a little more than a month ago, I’ve been saying that we received the value of a 7-day cruise, and some folks have asked what I mean by that, wanting to know exactly what value such a short Disney cruise can offer.
Here’s a glimpse into each day of our August 2018 Disney Dream cruise!
Read MoreToday marks exactly 3 weeks since we returned from our 3-Day Disney Dream cruise. Since then, I have had many conversations with folks interested in cruising with Disney, and I promised each of them that I would prepare a blog post with tips for planning a Disney cruise. While there are many general cruise-planning tips, some of which I have already shared on this blog, today’s blog post is specific to Disney cruising, and especially short Disney cruises. Why is that? Well, I truly believe, now, from experience, that, with the advice I am providing here, you can get about a week’s worth of pixie dust in a 3, 4, or 5-day Disney cruise!
Read MoreJust how big are cruise ships these days? How do you even get around onboard such big vessels? Can you walk from the front of the ship all the way to the back of the ship? Have you ever wondered any of these things?
Well, we hope to answer those sorts of questions through this blog post and video.
Read MoreWhy cruise with a group? Well, the answer is simple. Many cruise lines offer amenities to groups, which usually include onboard credit or some other perk(s). After much research – because, you know, I always RESEARCH EXTENSIVELY before selecting a cruise – My Cruising Family has decided on the cruise line, ship, and itinerary for its FIRST GROUP CRUISE!!! My extensive research for our individual family cruises sometimes means changing my mind, and for this group cruise, that process was no different. I had a number of other cruise lines and sailings in mind, but when looking at the VALUE received, Norwegian Cruise Line tops the list.
We will be sailing onboard the Norwegian Dawn from San Juan, Puerto Rico, from March 24, 2019 to March 31, 2019! Are you super excited yet?
Did I mention the ports of call yet? Oh yeah… Castries, St. Lucia… Bridgetown, Barbados… St. John’s, Antigua… St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands… and Tortola, British Virgin Islands! Excited now?
AND, a wonderful perk is that it only takes a $50 per person deposit to lock-in the stateroom of your choice on this group cruise, as well as TWO PERKS of your choice AT TRULY NO ADDITIONAL FEE! Of course, staterooms/accommodations, meals at complimentary restaurants, spectacular entertainment, and most shipboard activities are already included in your cruise fare. However, with this group cruise, we are offering even more already included! Every stateroom will be able to receive two of the following perks:
- Ultimate Beverage Package *1st and 2nd Guests Only*
- Prepaid Service Charges *1st and 2nd Guests Only*
- Commitment Ceremony
- Internet Package Per Cabin
- $50 Per Port Shorex Credit Per Cabin *Maximum of 4 Ports*
- Specialty Dining Package *1st and 2nd Guests Only*
- Cocktail Party Per Cabin
- 20 Photo Package Per Cabin
- $75 Onboard Credit Per Cabin
Read MoreOn March 19, 2018, my mom, my husband, our 7-year-old son, our 3-year-old son, and I happily got off the ship at our first port-of-call on our 14-day MSC Fantasia Caribbean cruise: St. John’s, Antigua! We thought that, on that day, we would experience the most amazing adventure to start out our cruise, but it turned into a disappointment. Of course, as in most disappointing life experiences, there is a lesson, and as such, I am writing this blog post to share the lesson with you.
Read MoreThis was my second MSC cruise and my seventh overall cruise. However this was the 1st time that we had booked a 14-day cruise! Yes, FOURTEEN DAYS! My mom, my husband, my 7-year-old son, my 3-year-old son, and I sailed together on the MSC Fantasia, from March 18, 2018 to April 1, 2018, roundtrip from Guadeloupe to Antigua & Barbuda, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts & Nevis, Martinique, St. Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and Grenada, with multiple stops in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Kitts & Nevis. We had two Fantastica balcony staterooms on Deck 10, right next to each other: 10208 and 10210. We loved our clean and spacious staterooms! We booked this cruise for the amazing itinerary! I was a bit disappointed when a portion of the itinerary changed – the initial itinerary included Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Dominica; and St. Maarten/St. Martin. After the damage caused by the 2017 hurricane season, those three ports were removed from the itinerary, and, instead, an extra stop in St. Kitts was added, as well as a stop in La Romana, Dominican Republic. We made the best of it! Truly, the itinerary was still FABULOUS! We had a wonderful time! The crew and staff that we dealt with the most, which were our room steward, wait staff and other dining room staff, and the photo team were consistently pleasant and really made this voyage GREAT!
Read MoreI type this at tens of thousands of feet in the air, while my 3-year-old son is sleeping in my mom’s arms across the aisle from me, my 7-year-old is watching a JetBlue’s Disney compilation, and my husband is watching another JetBlue feature as we fly home to New York City from an amazing 17-day Spring Break, which included pre-cruise and post-cruise stays in Guadeloupe, and a 14-day Caribbean cruise from Guadeloupe to Antigua & Barbuda, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts & Nevis, Martinique, St. Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and Grenada, with multiple stops in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Kitts & Nevis.
Read MoreAs I write this, I am some tens of thousands of feet in the air, on the way to Guadeloupe for My Cruising Family’s Spring Break 2018 cruise. I will schedule this to automatically post on the My Cruising Family blog, and we will be enjoying a fun-filled, yet relaxing, family vacation.
On prior vacations, I did not even take my laptop because of my deep-rooted, genuine, desire to unplug, breathe in the fresh Caribbean air, and have not a care in the world, except to admire God’s handiwork and connect even more as a family.
Read MoreWith My Cruising Family's next cruise right around the corner, we are in crunchtime to pack, confirm activities that we've planned, and all around prepare for our longest cruise yet: our 14-day Caribbean cruise onboard the MSC Fantasia! That all being said, this week's blog post is not the traditional My Cruising Family blog, but it is still quite informative and helpful.
Read MoreOn the 6-month anniversary of the existence of this blog, My Cruising Family has decided to share a blog post that combines our review and our tips/advice from our most recent cruise. It had been my intent to share a review of our first Cuba cruise soon after our return to the United States, but those plans changed after the unexpected loss of my brother the day after we returned from that cruise.
My Cruising Family visited Cuba for the first time in October 2017, via cruise ship. The Norwegian Sky, to be specific. After eventually sharing our photos and stories of the amazing time we had during our cruise, a number of people have asked us for recommendations on how to make the best of a visit to Cuba, especially with two young children. Here are some of our recommendations.
Read MoreWhy am I writing this now? Well, because, right now – today – just about one week before our family goes on vacation, both of our boys have what seems to be the common cold, with stuffy and runny noses, and coughing. There have also been complaints of ear pain, which we know can happen sometimes simply as a result of congestion, but can also happen if there is an ear infection. Their symptoms started developing on the weekend, so I am thankful that we had that opportunity to treat them at home without having to take days off from school, day care, and work, and without contaminating other people’s children. Nevertheless, with our next cruise around the corner, I called the doctor’s office this morning to try to get an appointment as soon as possible.
Read MoreWhen traveling with a family, especially a family that includes young children, we tend to be very thoughtful about our travel plans. That being said, given the rough 2017 hurricane season, some parents may be re-thinking their planned family cruises and others may be reluctant to plan Caribbean family vacations at this time because of the idea that the Caribbean islands are in bad shape right now. While a number of the hardest hit islands have a long road to recovery ahead of them, there are many available options in the Caribbean that were virtually unharmed by the 2017 hurricanes.
Read MoreIn an effort to assist those who are considering, planning, or already booked a cruise, I have answered many questions regarding cruising. In answering those questions, I caution that there are some things that all cruise lines have in common, but there are other areas in which each cruise line differs. Here, I have included a list of five commonly asked questions, as well as a list of some cruise lines and the corresponding links to how they address each question.
Read MoreCruising is our preferred way of traveling together as a family, as I truly think that it is the best vacation value, or in other words, the best bang for your buck, if researched well, and I love to research cruise options. It was through researching cruise options that I initially came to admire MSC. MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company, as it began as a shipping company, but MSC has, at present, become the world’s fourth largest cruise line. The basic information the cruise line provides on its website and in its literature is already impressive. Add to that, we have now cruised with MSC and are booked to cruise with them again after enjoying a wonderful first MSC experience earlier in 2017. Here are a few of the reasons we love MSC.
Read MoreWe've probably all heard one or more of the following seven cruise myths, and unfortunately, such myths have kept some folks away from a spectacular vacation. I am writing today to shed some light on a number of negative things that have been said about cruising. Let's spread some truth, debunk some myths, and hopefully inspire someone to explore the awesome world of cruising!
Myth #1:
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