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!

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

Antigua, Barbados, All-Inclusive, Caribbean, Caribbean Cruise, Cruise, Cruising, Cruising With A Child, Cruising With Children, Family, Family Cruise, Family Cruise Line, Family Cruising, Family Travel, Family Vacation, Family Time, Island-Hopping, Island Hopping, Islands, NCL, Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, St. Lucia, Travel Agent, Travel Planning, Tropical Cruise, Vacation, Vacation Planning, St. Thomas, Tortola, USVI, BVI, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S.V.I., B.V.I., U.S. Virgin IslandsPeta-Gaye DanielMay 5, 2018Group Cruise, Why Cruise, Why Book A Group Cruise, Perks, NCL, NCL Dawn, Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Dawn, Onboard Credit, UBP, Unlimited Beverage Package, Pre-Paid Gratuities, Service Charge, Service Fee, Freestyle Cruising, Family Cruising, Family Cruise, My Cruising Family, Get Me To A CruiseShip, Southern Caribbean Cruise, Southern Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Cruise From Puerto Rico, Cruise From San Juan, Sail From Puerto Rico, Sail From San Juan, Spring Break, Spring Break Cruise, Spring Break 2019, 50 Dollar Deposit, $50 DepositComment

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!

All-Inclusive, Caribbean, Caribbean Cruise, Cruise, Cruise Activities, Cruise Reviews, Cruise Tour, Cruisetour, Cruising, Cruising With A Child, Cruising With Children, Excursion, Excursions, Family, Family Cruise, Family Cruise Line, Family Cruising, Family Time, Family Travel, Family Vacation, Globetrotting, Guadeloupe, Globetrotter, Island Hopping, Island-Hopping, Islands, MSC, MSC Cruise, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Air, Onboard Activities, Pointe-a-Pitre, Shore Excursion, Shore Excursions, Tour, Tours, Travel, Tropical Cruise, Vacation, Vacation Planning, Martinique, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad, St. Vincent, SVG, The Grenadines, Bequia, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Martinique Cruise, Guadeloupe Cruise, Trinidad Cruise, St. Vincent Cruise, Catamaran, Grenada CruisePeta-Gaye DanielApril 14, 2018Bequia By Sailing Catamaran, Bequia By Catamaran, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Bequia, The Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago, Maracas Bay, Maracas Beach, Maracas Beach Trip, Creole Bus Sensation, Grenada Cruise, Cruise to Grenada, Cruise to Trinidad, Cruise to Guadeloupe, Cruise to Martinique, Cruise from Guadeloupe, Cruise from Martinique, Cruise from Barbados, Cruise to Barbados, Cruise to St. Kitts, Cruise to Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis, Nevis, Discover Nevis and Beach, Relax on Bayahibe Beach, Be Live Canoa, Dominican Republic, Cruise to La Romana, Cruise to Dominican Republic, Family Cruise, Family Cruising, Cruising With Children, Cruising With a Toddler, 14 Day Cruise, 14-Day Cruise, 2 Week Cruise, 2-Week Cruise, Caribbean Cruise, 14-Day Caribbean Cruise, 14 Day Caribbean Cruise, 2-Week Caribbean Cruise, 2 Week Caribbean Cruise, Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe Tourism, how to get to Guadeloupe, Martinique, Martinique Cruise, Barbados Cruise, Barbados, Trinidad Cruise, Cruise to Trinidad and Tobago, Cruise to the Grenadines, Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesComment

After A Rough Hurricane Season, Can We Still Travel To The Caribbean?

When 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.

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.

Globetrotting, Globetrotter, Island-Hopping, Island Hopping, Caribbean, Islands, Travel, Tours, Tour, Shore Excursions, Shore Excursion, Family Vacation, Family Travel, Family Cruising, Family Cruise Line, Family Cruise, Excursion, Excursions, Diversity, Diverse, Cuba, Cruising, Cruisetour, Cruise Tour, Cruise, Vacation Planning, Vacation, Tropical Cruise, Caribbean Cruise, Land Vacation, All-InclusivePeta-Gaye DanielSeptember 8, 2017Caribbean, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Grand Cayman, The Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, France, Netherlands, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saint Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Saint Thomas, USVI, United States of America, United States, United States Virgin Islands, U.S.V.I., Belize, Mexico, England, Germany, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, Dominica, Martinique, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Saint Vincent, The Grenadines, Montserrat, Anguilla, Saint John, St. John, Saint Croix, St. Croix, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, Bucket List, Family Travel, Black Family Travel, African-American Family Travel, Black Family Cruising, African-American Family Cruising, Family Cruising, Cruising, Island Hopping, Island-Hopping, Globetrotting, Globetrotter, Globetrot, International Studies, Passion for Travel, Peta-Gaye Daniel, PetaGaye Daniel, Peta Gaye DanielComment

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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