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Dominica: Our First Visit To The Nature Island

Dominica: Our First Visit To The Nature Island

Allan and I recently traveled to Dominica - not to be confused with the Dominican Republic. What’s the difference? Well, there are many, but the primary distinction is that The Dominican Republic is a major tourist destination in the Western Caribbean, and it shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, while Dominica - known as the Nature Island - is an entire island located in the Southeastern Caribbean and seems to be far less known or, at least, less visited for vacation.

7 FUN FACTS ABOUT DOMINICA - THE NATURE ISLAND:

Dominica has 9 volcanoes
Dominica’s beaches are black sand beaches
There are at least 365 rivers in Dominica
There are at least 12 waterfalls in Dominica
Dominica can be visited by airplane or cruise ship
Dominica is known for excellent whale-watching and dolphin-spotting as they live very close to shore, year-round
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End were filmed, in part, in Dominica.

Dominica was country number 30 for me, getting us closer to accomplishing our goal of visiting every country in the Caribbean!

Organized Travel Goals

Organized Travel Goals

Do 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!

African-American Family, African-American Travel, African-American Vacation, Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, B.V.I., Bahamas, Barbados, Bequia, Black Family, Black Family Travel, Black Family Vacation, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, BVI, Caribbean, Caribbean Cruise, Colombia, Cuba, Curacao, Family Travel, Family Cruising, Family Vacation, Globetrotter, Globetrotting, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Island Hopping, Island-Hopping, Islands, Jamaica, Land Vacation, Martinique, Pointe-a-Pitre, Punta Cana, St. Barth, St. Barthelemy, St. Barts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Vincent, SVG, SXM, Tortola, Tours, Tour, The Grenadines, Travel, Travel Planning, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S.V.I., US Virgin Islands, USVI, Vacation, Vacation PlanningPeta-Gaye DanielMay 18, 2022visit the Caribbean, island hopping, island-hopping, island hop, visiting Montserrat, visiting Montserrat from Antigua, visiting Dominica, visiting Dominica from Puerto Rico, visit Montserrat, visit Dominica, visit Haiti, visit Curacao, visit Bonaire, visit Aruba, visit BVI, visit B.V.I., visit the British Virgin Islands, visit St. Barthelemy, visit St. Barth, visit St. Barths, visit St. Barts, visit Anguilla, visit SVG, visit S.V.G., visit St. Vincent and the Grenadines, visit Saint Vincent, visit St. Vincent, visit Martinique, visit Grenada, visit Trinidad and Tobago, visit Trinidad, visit Tobago, visit Guadeloupe, visit Cuba, best way to visit Cuba, visit the Bahamas, visit Turks and Caicos, visit St. Lucia, visit St. Kitts and Nevis, visit St. Kitts, visit Nevis, visit St. Martin, visit St. Maarten, visit Sint Maarten, visit Saint Martin, visit Honduras, visit Grand Cayman, visit the Cayman Islands, visit Cayman, visit Barbados, visit Antigua and Barbuda, visit Antigua, visit Barbuda, visit the Grenadines, visit the Dominican Republic, visit La Romana, visit Punta Cana, visit Jamaica, visit Negril, visit Ocho Rios, visit Kingston, Jamaican travelers, Jamaican globetrotter, Jamaican cruiser, Jamaican blogger, Jamaican vlogger, Jamaican gyal, Jamaican girl, Jamaican Family, Caribbean family, Barbadian family, Jamaican family, travel goals, family travel goals, #familytravel, #familytravelgoals, #travelgoalsComment

Jamaican Christmas Cake Recipe

Jamaican Christmas Cake Recipe

I’ve been in the kitchen, watching my Grandma and Mommy make Christmas cakes for decades, and I have yet to bake a traditional Jamaican Christmas cake myself. Well, this Christmas, I am sharing the general recipe with you so that you can plan to bake it next year, as I am planning to do so also. Here’s the general recipe recorded from Mommy making our Christmas cakes this year. As with all recipes, folks may choose to add their own flair, so please don’t take this as the only way to make Jamaican Christmas cake, but it is the recipe that has produced delicious Christmas cakes in our family for years! Culturally, we tend to not use super strict recipes and we tend to use our judgment while learning by doing.

Destination Wedding Q & A

Destination Wedding Q & A

Allan and I had the honor, pleasure, and privilege to attend my friend’s wedding at Beaches Negril in Jamaica this August. If you’ve been following My Cruising Family, LLC and you’ve been paying attention to our stories on this website, Facebook, and/or Instagram, then you know that we are preparing to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. At this time, 10 years ago, we were preparing for our wedding to be held at the then-Beaches Sandy Bay in Jamaica with approximately 80 guests. So, to be invited to attend and to be able to attend my friend’s wedding with approximately 180 guests, this year in particular, at Beaches Negril, which is next door to our wedding venue was very special. However, some ask “WHY?” Others ask “HOW?” If you’re wondering or have ever wondered why couples choose to have a destination wedding and what the experience is like, this blog post is for you!

Here, my newlywed colleague and friend shares her experience!

Real Talk: It’s Been A While!  Where Have You Been?

Real Talk: It’s Been A While! Where Have You Been?

Well, My Cruising Family, LLC is still here. Prior to this, our most recent blog article is the one that showcases our most recent international trip, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Colombia, and Panama, which was in October 2018. The year 2018 was a very busy travel year for My Cruising Family, with international travel in March, June, August, and October. While it was a blast, before the year was out, I had already started to feel as though, as a mom and just as a person, I needed to slow down on travels to focus on not just self-care, but family care. Travel is amazing for self-care, but too much of it can be draining. Balance is the key.

Our Pullmantur Monarch Anniversary Cruise 2018

Our Pullmantur Monarch Anniversary Cruise 2018

Beginning Our Baecation 2018

For months, my hubby and I had been looking forward to our 9th anniversary celebration. Although we went about business as usual on our actual anniversary this year, we had an amazing trip planned for the following week.

On October 14, 2018, my hubby and I flew from New York/JFK to Bogotá, Colombia, and connected in Bogotá to our flight to Curaçao.

Video Recap: St. Maarten - Anguilla - St. Barth

Video Recap: St. Maarten - Anguilla - St. Barth

This week, we got around to uploading our video coverage of our recent St. Maarten - Anguilla - St. Barth adventure! We did not share every single moment in video or photo because we truly do believe in the full experience of getting away from the day-to-day and spending time together as a family, which means that we will not always have a camera rolling. That being said, I hope that what we have captured and what we share with you here is inspiring and helpful.

Here's our recap!

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How To Island-Hop In The Caribbean

How To Island-Hop In The Caribbean

I had already visited a number of Caribbean countries, as well as Honduras, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Germany prior to making the decision that I want to visit all countries in the Caribbean before venturing back to Europe or elsewhere. So, how will we island-hop around the Caribbean?

It is, of course, no secret that My Cruising Family loves to cruise. However, we do enjoy other modes of travel too. In fact, our most recent family vacation was not our typical cruise, but rather, it was a land-vacation that, by the grace of God, and with intentional planning, we managed to turn into an island-hopping experience. With catamarans, speedboats, and ferries to many neighboring islands, St. Maarten/St. Martin is perfect for those who desire a land vacation, but also want to explore other islands.

Cruising may seem like the most obvious answer to those who want to island-hop, but

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How We Packed "Carry-On Only" For A Family of 5

How We Packed "Carry-On Only" For A Family of 5

For our family's most recent 5-day vacation in St. Maarten, we were able to travel with carry-on bags, no checked bags, and it was great! Packing for our two sons, using one Rume Garment Travel Organizer ("GTO"), allowed their items to fit into one carry-on, which made it super easy to use only carry-on bags, and also helped us to organize in a way that made unpacking simple.

Updates: The Whirlwind of Juggling as a Mompreneur

Updates: The Whirlwind of Juggling as a Mompreneur

This 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!

ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST GROUP CRUISE!!!

ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST GROUP CRUISE!!!

Why 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

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Cruise Therapy?

Cruise Therapy?

If 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.

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A Shore Excursion Fail

A Shore Excursion Fail

On 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.

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CRUISE REVIEWS: OUR FAMILY'S MSC FANTASIA CRUISE

CRUISE REVIEWS: OUR FAMILY'S MSC FANTASIA CRUISE

This 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!

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Making The Best Of A Family Cruise To Cuba

Making The Best Of A Family Cruise To Cuba

On 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.

On Shore: Getting Back To Port On Time

On Shore: Getting Back To Port On Time

I recently received a question regarding boarding times, distance to the cruise port, and recommendations for getting to the ship on time, and the blog post in response to those questions addressed these concerns for cruise embarkation day. This blog post will address similar concerns about getting back to the ship on time when in a port-of-call.

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What My Cruising Family Packs: Checked Luggage Edition

What My Cruising Family Packs: Checked Luggage Edition

My Cruising Family’s philosophy is that it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, especially when cruising with children. The below list should be repeated for each person cruising.

CRUISE REVIEWS: Our Family's MSC Divina Cruise

CRUISE REVIEWS: Our Family's MSC Divina Cruise

Although this was my 5th cruise, this was my first MSC cruise, and I loved it. My mom, my husband, my 6-year-old son, my 2-year-old son, and I sailed together on the MSC Divina, from March 25, 2017 to April 1, 2017, from the Port of Miami to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Nassau. We had two Bella staterooms on Deck 8, one room across the hall from the other: balcony stateroom 8251 and inside stateroom 8253. We had a wonderful time! The crew and staff were generally very helpful and cheerful. Our stateroom steward, Lynyrd, was excellent in keeping our rooms in order and providing any requested services, such as

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Getting To and From Guadeloupe

Getting To and From Guadeloupe

Our family is looking forward to cruising from Guadeloupe on our most port-intensive cruise yet, so I was quite concerned when I realized that the round-trip cost that I was finding for flights between New York City (NYC) and Pointe-a-Pitre (PTP) was over $2000 per person! That doesn’t include checked bags, and we are traveling as a family of five!

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Cruising During Hurricane Season

Cruising During Hurricane Season

My family and I are excited about our upcoming cruise, and as embarkation day approaches, we have watched, heard, and read a lot about the hurricanes that have already occurred this hurricane season. Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th, but hurricanes are said to be more likely from mid-August to mid-October, also known as the “season within the season” or “peak season.” Some may ask, “With all these hurricanes, are you still cruising this season?” Our quick answer: “By the grace of God, yes!”

We have cruised during hurricane season at least twice before. Our upcoming cruise is a combined birthday and anniversary celebration. Therefore, it stands to reason that the cruise will take place at or near the time of the birthday and anniversary being celebrated. Furthermore, if you read My Cruising Family’s very first blog post, you know that I am an advocate for purchasing travel insurance before cruising, especially before cruising with young children. Children are unpredictable. Life is unpredictable. As my husband said, “Cruising during hurricane season is the same as cruising any other time. All travel involves some level of risk.” Purchasing insurance takes those risks into account and provides peace of mind.

Hurricanes should always be taken seriously. However, that does not mean that successful travel plans cannot be made during hurricane season, even if those plans are to the Caribbean, Mexico, and/or parts of the United States that are vulnerable to hurricanes.