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 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 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 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 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 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.
Read MoreI recently responded to the question, “What’s the best way to pick a cruise?” A lot of this information will be similar to an earlier blog post, Make Planning A Cruise A Breeze. However, this question came after that blog post, so I think it's worth sharing my response here. Let me start by saying that this is really subjective. For some, this decision will be primarily driven by dates. For others, this decision will be primarily driven by cost. There are many cruise options out there, so the quick answer about the “best way to pick a cruise” is to know the factors that are most important to you and your family, and to prioritize those factors accordingly. As an example, I share with you, below, what My Cruising Family’s decision-making process usually looks like when choosing a cruise.
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 MoreAlthough 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
Read MoreAs mentioned in My Cruising Family's previous blog post, I have written cruise reviews, excursion reviews, and more, to share my experiences, and to, hopefully, help other cruise-planning/cruising moms and families to plan the best cruise vacation for their families. That being said, I will share some of those reviews in this week's blog posts, starting with a review of our family's Carnival Splendor Cruise.
Read MoreWhile juggling life’s demands, planning a cruise can seem like an unnecessary use of your time, or like a luxury that you can live without. This working wife and mommy – yours truly – is quite familiar with the day-to-day juggle, and I am also quite familiar with the tools that can make planning a cruise a breeze!
So, what are some of the things that go into planning a cruise?
Read MoreThere will be many activities to choose from during your cruise. However, My Cruising Family recommends attending the following events. As with all the information we share here, we hope this is helpful to you and yours.
**MANDATORY** Muster Drill:
Prior to your ship setting sail, you will be required to attend a muster drill. The purpose of the muster drill is to familiarize all guests and crew with their assigned muster station, which is, basically, the location at which guests and crew are to assemble in the case of an emergency. There are multiple muster stations on the ship, and to allow for an orderly evacuation, if necessary, each guest and crew member should report to his or her assigned muster station. The muster drill also includes information on how to put on life vests, which are included in each stateroom.
Note: Generally, the life vests that are in the stateroom are adult-sized. If cruising with infants, toddlers, and/or other small children, you may need to request the appropriately sized life vest for the child. However, My Cruising Family has experienced at least one cruise line that
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