Travel and Lifestyle Blog — My Cruising Family | Travel, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Faith & Wellness

Posts in Family

Why I Unplug During Family Vacations

As I write this, I am some tens of thousands of feet in the air, on the way to Guadeloupe for My Cruising Family’s Spring Break 2018 cruise. I will schedule this to automatically post on the My Cruising Family blog, and we will be enjoying a fun-filled, yet relaxing, family vacation.

On prior vacations, I did not even take my laptop because of my deep-rooted, genuine, desire to unplug, breathe in the fresh Caribbean air, and have not a care in the world, except to admire God’s handiwork and connect even more as a family.

Feature: 63 Travel Bloggers Share Their Favorite Travel Items

Feature: 63 Travel Bloggers Share Their Favorite Travel Items

With My Cruising Family's next cruise right around the corner, we are in crunchtime to pack, confirm activities that we've planned, and all around prepare for our longest cruise yet: our 14-day Caribbean cruise onboard the MSC Fantasia! That all being said, this week's blog post is not the traditional My Cruising Family blog, but it is still quite informative and helpful.

cruise packing, Cruising With A Child, Cruising With Children, Cruising, Family Cruise, Family, Family Cruising, family essentials, Family Travel, Family Vacation, travel essentials, Vacation Planning, vacation essentialsPeta-Gaye DanielMarch 10, 2018Packing for vacation; vacation packing; packing for family cruise; packing for a family cruise; family cruise packing; Vacation Packing; Family Cruise Packing; insect repellant; washcloths; baby bottles; travel size; travel sized; travel-size; travel-sized; TSA; 3-1-1; TSA 311; TSA 3-1-1; travel liquids rule; washcloth wipes; dry washcloths; steribottle; steri-bottle; disposable baby bottle; insect repellant; insect repellant wipes; mosquito repellant wipes; Cutter repellant; babyganics washcloths; BabyGanics washcloths; Disney washcloths; Johnson's Baby washcloths; Johnson's washcloths; Cutter wipesComment

Dear Overwhelmed/Tired Mom

Dear Overwhelmed/Tired Mom

Dear Overwhelmed/Tired Mom,

Let me start by acknowledging that I don’t understand. I say that because I can sometimes be annoyed by people who tell me that they understand what I’m feeling when I don’t think that they do. Many times, the person means well, and I think the person means to convey that they hear me, they care, and they have been through similar experiences.

There is only one you, so only you know what it’s like to walk in your shoes. Only you know what it’s like to wake up in the morning, Mondays through Fridays, to get yourself ready for work, and also to get your children up and awake, showered, clothed, and fed before school. You may drive them and yourself to school and work, or like me, you may walk or drive a portion of the way, then take a train – in our case, at least 3 trains – just to get to school and work. Only you know how you feel during and after the shuffle, hustle, and bustle just to get your children to school. Only you know how you feel walking into your place of work before 9am, yet feeling as though you have already completed a full day of work. Only you know

My Cruising Family's Anniversary!

My Cruising Family's Anniversary!

January 19, 2018. Today marks 5 years since My Cruising Family’s first family cruise.

Sidebar… It’s funny because my first cruise – not a family cruise – was in 2005, prior to becoming a mother and prior to meeting my husband, yet it was on Disney Cruise Line, which is probably the first cruise line that comes to mind when you hear the words “family cruise.” I’ve got to let you know that Disney is loads of fun for adults without children, as I experienced it first-hand in 2005. Nevertheless, I now say that that Disney Magic cruise, being my first cruise, was a sign that I’d be loving family cruising years later, and that I’d be a resource for all things related to family cruising.

So, back to January 19, 2013. My husband, our then 2-year-old son, and I sailed on the Carnival Dream’s 7-day Western Caribbean itinerary. Little did we know then what we know now, and what we put into practice as we now usually sail as a family of four or five.

Caribbean, Caribbean Cruise, Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Cruises, CCL, DCL, Disney Cruise Line, Family, Family Cruise, Family Cruise Line, Family Cruising, Family Travel, Family Vacation, MSC Cruise, MSC, MSC Cruises, NCL, Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Tropical CruisePeta-Gaye DanielJanuary 19, 2018Family Cruise, family cruise, Family Cruising, family cruising, family time, Family Time, Carnival Cruise, MSC, MSC Cruise, Disney Cruise, Royal Caribbean Cruise, Norwegian Cruise, cruising family, cruise planning, Carnival cruises, Carnival cruise, Disney cruises, Disney Cruises, MSC cruises, MSC cruise, Royal Caribbean cruises, Royal Caribbean cruise, Norwegian cruise, Norwegian cruises, NCL, DCL, RCCL, RCI, CCL, cruising with children, cruising with toddlers, cruising with babies, cruising with young children, cruising with pre-schoolers, cruising with preschoolers, multi-generational cruise, multi-generational cruising, multigenerational cruise, multigenerational cruising, cruising with grandma, cruising with Grandma, cruising with grandchildren, cruising with a child, cruising with grandparents, cruising with a toddler, cruising with kids, cruising with sick children, 14-Day Cruise, 14-Day Caribbean Cruise, 14 Day Caribbean Cruise, 14 Day CruiseComment

A Great Cruise And A Sudden Loss

A Great Cruise And A Sudden Loss

My Cruising Family experienced an amazing Norwegian Sky cruise to Cuba and the Bahamas, from October 9, 2017 to October 13, 2017. For a photo review of our recent Cuba/Bahamas cruise, please view our Facebook album, My Cruising Family's NCL Sky Cruise, at http://bit.ly/2zy6nVG, or follow My Cruising Family on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mycruisingfam/.

Family, Family Time, Mental Health, Self-CarePeta-Gaye DanielNovember 4, 2017Grief Therapy, Grief Counseling, Travel as Therapy, dealing with unexpected loss, dealing with a sudden lossComment

Our Cruise Is Approaching, But Our Children Are Sick! Now What?

Our Cruise Is Approaching, But Our Children Are Sick! Now What?

Why am I writing this now? Well, because, right now – today – just about one week before our family goes on vacation, both of our boys have what seems to be the common cold, with stuffy and runny noses, and coughing. There have also been complaints of ear pain, which we know can happen sometimes simply as a result of congestion, but can also happen if there is an ear infection. Their symptoms started developing on the weekend, so I am thankful that we had that opportunity to treat them at home without having to take days off from school, day care, and work, and without contaminating other people’s children. Nevertheless, with our next cruise around the corner, I called the doctor’s office this morning to try to get an appointment as soon as possible.

Caribbean Cruise, Cruise Insurance, Cruise, cruise packing, Cruise Protection, Cruising, Family, Family Cruise, Family Cruising, family essentials, Family Time, Family Travel, Family Vacation, Travel, travel essentials, Trip Protection, Travel Insurance, Vacation, vacation essentials, Vacation Planning, Vacation Insurance, Vacation Protection, Cruising With Children, Cruising With A Child, Cruising When SickPeta-Gaye DanielOctober 9, 2017sick, sick toddler, sick child, sick baby, pediatrician, insurance, travel insurance, medical coverage, hydrate, drink lots of water, cruising with sick children, cruising while sick, TSA, medication, medications, pack medication, breastmilk, breast milk, milk, formula, Pedialyte, juice, sippy cup, bottle, traveling with children, traveling with a baby, traveling with a toddler, traveling with a child, cruising with a child, cruising with a toddler, before you cruise, pediatric visit, doctor's visit, what to pack when cruising with a toddler, what to pack when traveling with a toddler, what to pack, vacation and our child is sick, cruising and our child is sick, hydrationComment

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

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.

5 Commonly Asked Questions

5 Commonly Asked Questions

In 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.

Caribbean Cruise, Cruise, Cruise Activities, 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, MSC Cruises, MSC, MSC Cruise, Onboard Activities, Shore Excursion, Shore Excursions, Tour, Tours, Travel, Tropical Cruise, Vacation, Vacation Planning, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, RCI, CCL, NCL, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, HAL, DCL, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruise LinePeta-Gaye DanielOctober 3, 2017kids club, children's club, ships, fleet, stateroom, staterooms, family stateroom, family staterooms, suite, suites, onboard youth program, onboard children's program, onboard kids program, onboard kid's program, onboard kids' program, gratuities, tips, service charges, automatic gratuities, automatic service charges, automatic service charge, gratuity, pre-paid gratuity, pre-paid gratuities, prepaid gratuities, prepaid gratuity, drinks, drink package, drink packages, cruise drink package, cruise drink packages, Beverage Package, Cruise Beverage Packages, Cruise Beverage Package, excursions, excursion, tour, tours, cruisetour, cruisetours, cruise ship excursion, cruise ship excursions, independent excursions, independent excursion, cruise line policy, cruise line policies, viator, shoretrips, shore excursioneerComment

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

Caribbean, Caribbean Cruise, Children Sail Free, Cruise, Cruise Activities, Cruise Reviews, Cruising, Excursion, Excursions, Family Cruise, Family, Family Cruise Line, Family Cruising, Family Time, Family Travel, Family Vacation, Globetrotting, Globetrotter, Island-Hopping, Island Hopping, Islands, Kids Sail Free, Loyalty Club, Loyalty Program, Loyalty Rewards, MSC, MSC Cruise, MSC Cruises, Shore Excursion, Shore Excursions, Tours, Tour, Travel, Tropical Cruise, VacationPeta-Gaye DanielSeptember 30, 2017Caribbean Cruise, Caribbean, MSC, MSC Cruise Portrait, MSC Cruise Portraits, MSC Divina, MSC Seaside, Western Caribbean, Western Caribbean Cruise, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cruise to Grand Cayman, Nassau, Bahamas, The Bahamas, Cruise to Nassau, Cruise to the Bahamas, The Cayman Islands, Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, Cozumel, Cruise to Mexico, Dolphin Encounter, Chankanaab, Family Cruise, Family Vacation, Family Travel, Family Time, African American Family Travel, African American family cruise, African-American Family Travel, African-American family cruise, Black Family Cruising, black family cruise, Black Family Travel, Black Family Cruise, Black Family VacationComment

CRUISE REVIEWS: Our Family's Southern Caribbean Cruise

CRUISE REVIEWS: Our Family's Southern Caribbean Cruise

Upon our return from this particular cruise, I didn’t do much of a review of the ship itself. However, I can say that the ship was fine. We had connecting Promenade View Staterooms, which were very convenient because my mom and our two sons stayed next door, while my husband and I had some space to ourselves. It should be noted that Promenade View Staterooms are listed as double occupancy, but by calling Royal Caribbean and explaining our group’s dynamic, including the fact that our younger son was one-year-old at the time, and would have a Pack 'n Play to sleep in, Royal Caribbean was able to book three of us in the room given that one of three was a one-year-old. It may not be an option on every cruise, but it does not hurt to ask. After all, that’s how we learn things. I know that, as a mom, I teach my children that it’s ok to ask questions. I know that many other parents take the same approach, so if you’re one of those parents, let’s take our own advice on that. Therefore, if you’re wondering whether or not this is a possibility on your cruise, I suggest calling and speaking with either your travel agent or the cruise line directly.

This particular cruise was port-intensive, so our focus, as well as this review, was more on the ports than the ship.

CRUISE REVIEWS: Our Family's Carnival Splendor Cruise

CRUISE REVIEWS: Our Family's Carnival Splendor Cruise

As 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.

Make Planning A Cruise A Breeze

Make Planning A Cruise A Breeze

While 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?

Vacation Planning, Vacation, Travel, Shore Excursions, Shore Excursion, Globetrotting, Globetrotter, Family Vacation, Family Travel, Family Cruising, Family Cruise, Family, Excursions, Excursion, Cruise Tour, Cruisetour, Cruise Activities, Cruise, Caribbean CruisePeta-Gaye DanielSeptember 25, 2017cruise planning, plan a cruise, plan a family cruise, cruise planning tips, cruise-planning tips, cruiseplanning tips, help plan a cruise, help planning a cruise, planning a family cruise, plan our first cruise, first cruise, cruise critic, cruisecritic.com, tripadvisor.com, Trip Advisor, Cruise Compete, cruisecompete.com, cruisecritic, cruisecompete, vacation planning, travel agent, travel agency, use a travel agent, ask a travel agent, consult a travel agent, Black Family Cruising, African-American Family Cruising, Black Family Cruise, African-American Family Cruise, Black Family Travel, African American Family Travel, African-American Family Travel, African-American Family Vacation, Black Family Vacation, cruise, cruising, family cruise, family vacation, family cruising, cruise planning with ease, cruise-planning with ease, cruising with easeComment

It's Not Always Smooth Sailing

It's Not Always Smooth Sailing

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.

When Life Events Happen And Cruising Doesn’t

When Life Events Happen And Cruising Doesn’t

The purpose of this post is to acknowledge that, sometimes, we may encounter circumstances in life that make cruising less feasible than at other times. In those moments, breathe, give thanks for life, and realize that, as long as there is life and family, there are opportunities for family memories to be made.

Family Travel, Family Vacation, Land Vacation, Tour, Travel, Vacation, Vacation Planning, Bronx Zoo, Statue of Liberty, NYC, New York, New York City, NY, New Jersey, NJ, Keansburg Amusement Park, Runaway Rapids Water Park, Keansburg, Runaway Rapids, Family Time, Family, Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, Paradisus, Paradisus Punta CanaPeta-Gaye DanielSeptember 18, 2017Keansburg, Runaway Rapids, Keansburg Amusement Park, Runaway Rapids Water Park, Bronx Zoo, Statue of Liberty, Family, Family Time, Tourist in New York, New York, NY, NYC, New Jersey, NJ, Black Family, Black Family Travel, African American Family, African American Family Travel, African-American Family, African-American Family Travel, Disney World, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Coronado Springs, Walt Disney World Art of Animation, Radiator Springs, Punta Cana, Paradisus, Paradisus Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, family vacation that won't break the bankComment

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.

Some Of My Cruising Family’s Favorite Things

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.

What Travel Documents Do I Need To Cruise?

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?

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.

Why Cruise?

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.