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 MoreDo you have a list of places that you desire to see? If you don’t yet have such a list, why not create one?
On September 8, 2017, I published a blog article, entitled: “Organized Island-Hopping and Further Globetrotting,” where I talk about how my travels started and mention my goal of visiting every Caribbean country. In that blog article, I share my checklist for this goal. I find it is important to have a checklist for achieving certain goals in life, and for this goal it’s sort of easy to see why a list is helpful. Anyhoo… I am writing this revamped article today because I am super close to achieving this huge goal that I’ve had for years, and I’m excited!
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 MoreAnyone having strawberries with breakfast today? In looking through photos from my recent 40th birthday photoshoot, the strawberries that top my birthday cake, as well as these chopped strawberries, remind me of how much I miss cruising. Yes, you read that right! Sure, it could also be that cruising is fresh in my mind because, a few hours ago, I cancelled our planned Spring Break cruise for March 2021. It could also be that I celebrated my 40th birthday in a very low-key way here in New York City when had there not been a pandemic, I probably would’ve been flying or cruising somewhere. Really though, these strawberries remind me of cruising and how much I miss it because, during our cruises, we would have fresh fruit daily! While I can arrange to have fruit at our house by grocery shopping, it’s a whole different vibe when I don’t have to buy fruit and other groceries at the supermarket for a week, nor do I have to figure out breakfast, lunch, and dinner… that’s the deal on a cruise! Honestly, in my daily life, I am blessed to have a husband and mother who both help tremendously with meals; however, when we cruise, we usually do so together, so that my hubby and my mom also get a break from meal-planning and meal-prep. We simply go to our favorite restaurant onboard the ship and eat. We haven’t had a break like that in over a year! Cruising and all-inclusive vacations provide this freedom that we look forward to as an escape from our daily grind. I know I’ve read the saying about creating a life that we don’t need a vacation from, and I agree with it, but
Read MoreWe chose to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a vow renewal on a 7-day Disney Fantasy Eastern Caribbean sailing, which was a magical escape from navigating the hustle and bustle of New York City, working demanding jobs, and parenting our two rambunctious boys – well, we still parented our boys throughout the cruise, but they shared a stateroom with Grandma and spent hours enjoying the Oceaneers Club, which allowed Mommy and Daddy some much needed rest and relaxation.
On this particular voyage, we enjoyed our gorgeous ship on sea days and we also enjoyed days at port in Tortola, B.V.I., and St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. Then, at sea on Day 6, we renewed our vows on the Meridian Patio, Deck 12, aft, with breathtaking views of the ocean and sky as our backdrop. Whew! I get goosebumps thinking about it all, even now. Our vow renewal was simply amazing!
Read MoreGreetings! It’s exactly two weeks since our 10th anniversary, and it’s Throwback Thursday. So, today we share with you this video recap that has been thoughtfully put together by Reality Weddings, the amazing husband and wife videography team that sailed with us on our magical 7-Day Disney Fantasy vow renewal cruise from October 5, 2019 to October 12, 2019! This recap is like three videos in one! So, while we prepare an upcoming blog post and photo gallery for your viewing pleasure in the near future, we hope you enjoy every moment of this special video!
Read MoreI am excited to say that My Cruising Family was recently featured in a Travel Pulse article on selecting an expensive vs. inexpensive cruise. I invite you to read, enjoy and get some pointers from it. Since then, I’ve decided to share with you some specific factors that informed our most recent decision on a cruise. I think this is a decision that families, in particular, are likely to find themselves making. In planning an upcoming cruise, our family recently assessed whether to book an expensive vs. inexpensive cruise.
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 MoreToday, September 1, 2018, marks one year since My Cruising Family, LLC went live online, and we hope that the experiences that we have been sharing with you have been informational, helpful, and inspiring. In August 2018, with lots going on from summer camp to priority projects at work, we did not publish any blog posts; however, we did experience an amazing family cruise!
Read MoreCarnival Horizon is the newest ship sailing from New York City, and it is certainly filled with New York style! Carnival Horizon arrived in New York in May 2018, and is sailing from Pier 88 at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal throughout Summer 2018 before repositioning to Miami in September 2018. Carnival Horizon offers a number of firsts at sea, including the first Dr. Seuss water park at sea, and the first Victoria's Secret boutique at sea.
Speaking of boutiques, earlier this summer, I had the distinct pleasure of joining Carnival Cruise Lines for the unveiling of the Fun Shops onboard the Carnival Horizon, operated by Starboard Cruise Services. These Fun Shops are like no other, as they offer dynamic, fun shopping experiences at sea
Read MoreThis blog post is yet another untraditional post in that it is more of a personal note to those of you who have been following My Cruising Family’s journeys thus far, and who have come to expect regular blog posts. It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post as life has been feeling like a whirlwind. Whew!
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 MoreIt has been about two months since our family experienced an amazing 14-day Caribbean cruise from Guadeloupe. As you may already know if you’ve been planning a trip between New York and Guadeloupe, finding flights can be challenging, depending on the time of year that you are seeking to travel. We are thankful for Norwegian Air that flies non-stop between JFK (New York, USA) and PTP (Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe), seasonally. Our flight to Guadeloupe this March was within Norwegian Air’s PTP season. However, it was a bit more of a challenge to find return flights to New York because we returned after the season ended. Thanks to Air Antilles and JetBlue, it worked out very well for us. I have an entire blog post to assist in planning flights to and from Guadeloupe, here. Norwegian Air flights from New York to Guadeloupe will generally arrive in PTP after 6 PM, which means that, if you’re planning to sail from Guadeloupe, you may want to fly in a day in advance, and that will then require a pre-cruise hotel stay.
We flew into Guadeloupe on Saturday, March 17, 2018, and our ship, the MSC Fantasia, set sail from Guadeloupe on Sunday, March 18, 2018. So, for one night prior to our cruise, we stayed at Canella Beach Hotel. We arrived at Canella Beach Hotel within about 20 minutes of leaving the airport. The front desk staff greeted us warmly, and spoke English quite well, which made check-in very easy. For our family of five, our pre-cruise stay at Canella Beach Hotel, Duplex 322 and 323, was comfortable and convenient.
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 MoreIf you know me or if you’ve been following this page, then you know I love to travel. Even if you don’t know me, but you take a look at this website, blog, My Cruising Family’s Facebook page, or My Cruising Family’s Instagram page, then you will see that I love to travel. In a recent conversation, what I’d been feeling inside for a while and what I’d been examining was called out when the person I was speaking with said that travel is sometimes just a band-aid for something deeper. Have I been using my travels and travel planning as a band-aid or pain-reliever? Well, honestly, YES, I have.
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.
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