So, as I sat, reclined on our couch in the living room, after 9pm on a weeknight, excited about travel and all the information I’m preparing to share with you on this blog about traveling together as a family and how great and awesome it is, my six-year-old provides me with material for this particular blog post. It’s not what I had initially planned to write, but hey, if it’s one thing being a mom has taught me, from the moment a routine ultrasound appointment turned into an unexpected admission to Labor and Delivery, is that life, especially life with children, is unpredictable.

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!

Caribbean, Caribbean Cruise, Cruise, Cruising, Diverse, Diversity, Family Cruise, Family Cruise Line, Family Cruising, Family Travel, Family Vacation, Globetrotter, Globetrotting, Island Hopping, Island-Hopping, Islands, Land Vacation, MSC, MSC Cruise, MSC Cruises, Travel, Tours, Tour, Shore Excursions, Shore Excursion, Tropical Cruise, Vacation, Vacation Planning, Flights, Pointe-a-Pitre, PTP, JFK Airport, SXM, Air Antilles, Norwegian Air, JetBlue, Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe Cruise, Kids Sail Free, Martinique Cruise, Martinique, Travel PlanningPeta-Gaye DanielSeptember 16, 2017Pointe-a-Pitre, PTP, Guadeloupe, JFK Airport, Norwegian Air, Air Antilles, JetBlue, Spring Break, Airline, Airlines, Flight search, Guadeloupe flights, SXM, Martinique, MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Guadeloupe Tourism, Caribbean, Tropical Vacation, Family Cruise, Family Vacation, Family Travel, Black Family Cruise, Black Family Travel, Black Family Vacation, African-American Family Travel, African-American Family Cruise, African-American Family Vacation, Trinidad Cruise, Grenada Cruise, Dominica Cruise, Martinique Cruise, Barbados Cruise, St. Lucia Cruise, Cruise to Guadeloupe, Cruise to St. Lucia, Cruise to Barbados, Cruise to Trinidad, Cruise to Tobago, Cruise to Trinidad and Tobago, Cruise to Grenada, Cruise to Dominica, Cruise to Martinique, Cruise from Martinique, Cruise from Guadeloupe, Fly to Guadeloupe, Fly to Martinique, cheap flights, how to get to Guadeloupe, Southern Caribbean Cruise, Southern Caribbean, MSC, MSC cruises, MSC Fantasia, MSC PoesiaComment

Why We Love MSC Cruises!

Cruising 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.

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Myth vs. Truth: What Will You Believe?

We'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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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.

What My Cruising Family Packs: Carry-On Edition

Greetings!

Today is a significant day in the countdown to our next cruise. As embarkation day approaches, we are turning our attention to packing, so I will share a bit of that in this post. Some may ask, “With all these hurricanes, are you still cruising this season?” Our quick answer: “By the grace of God, yes!” Anyway, that’s a discussion for another post.

We usually pack the following travel-size items in our carry-on luggage

Some Of My Cruising Family’s Favorite Things

Cruising with little ones? Then these items are for you. Here, My Cruising Family shares some of our favorite things to have during family cruises. We hope that this information and the convenient shopping links help you to prepare for your upcoming travels.

1. Steri-Bottle Disposable Bottles

These sterile and disposable bottles are awesome when traveling with a baby who still drinks from a bottle. This way, you can keep your regular bottles at home, without fear of them getting lost during travel, and you can easily toss the Steri-Bottle Disposable Bottles after baby’s feedings.

Organized Island-Hopping and Further Globetrotting

I am Jamaican-born and first visited the United States when I was four years old. Then, after years of visiting the United States during Easter and summer vacations, I officially moved to New York, U.S.A. in 1991. I then visited Jamaica regularly during school vacations.

Being born and raised in the Caribbean, I am well aware of the beauty and diversity that the Caribbean holds, and while I know that a number of Caribbean islands, including my homeland, are tourist hotspots, I also know that there are a number of lesser known islands that offer much to be experienced.

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What Travel Documents Do I Need To Cruise?

Cruising is amazing, fun, and relaxing all in one, and in order to get to that amazing, fun, and relaxing part, it is important to first take some time to ensure that all required paperwork is in place. Understanding what travel documentation is needed to cruise starts with understanding the types of cruises that exist. My hope is that the information in this post will help you to prepare well for your cruise by having all the documentation that you need, and then some.

What's The Deal With This Blog?

Hi!

Some of you may have read this on the homepage for this blog, but my guess is some didn't scroll through the homepage... lol. I know how we can get, clicking around and jumping from link to link, so I've added this introductory information as well as a bit more insight in this blog post because I think it's important to know the reason and motivation behind things that I read, support, and/or engage in.

People-To-People Travel Is Awesome!

At the time of this writing, United States citizens are permitted to travel to Cuba; however, tourist travel to Cuba is prohibited for Unites States citizens. Therefore, those desiring to visit Cuba must obtain a license from the Unites States Department of the Treasury or certify that their travel falls into one of 12 categories of authorized travel. One such category permitting travel to Cuba is the people-to-people travel, which requires the traveler to participate in activities that are intended to "enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities, and that will result in meaningful interaction between the traveler and individuals in Cuba."

Why Cruise?

Why cruise?

For our family, the answers are simple, and can be summed up in one word: value.

As a mom, I value family time. As Peta-Gaye, I value travel. I have been blessed to merge these two values into one amazingly convenient experience over and over again through cruising. With deals like MSC Cruises’ Kids Sail Free, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free-At-Sea Offer/3rd and 4th Guests Sail Free, the overall cost of a cruise for a family of four or five can be quite affordable, and certainly valuable if one thinks of all that family will be receiving during the cruise.

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