Taking Flight As The Globe Re-Opens

In our March 2021 blog article, we talked about pivoting, specifically, PIVOT, that is:

· P for Planted

· I for Intelligence

· V for Vision

· O for Opportunities

· T for Take flight

Although that article focused more on pivoting in life in general, it made mention of how we’ve even had to pivot in relation to traveling. As I write this, I am beaming with excitement because I feel like I’m tasting travel again! Our family has three trips already booked, and if you know me, then you know that planning for these trips is a lot of the fun for me! That said, it’s been a journey to get here, and the journey included a pivot. During the pandemic, we’ve stayed physically PLANTED at home, venturing out only to places relatively close to home like Coney Island, the Botanic Garden, the Nautical Mile, the Jurassic Quest Drive-Through, Long Island’s North Fork, and Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm, which are all drivable locations. Yes, this airplane-loving, cruise-loving family, decided to visit a few places by car over the course of the past year. We’ve also been spiritually PLANTED in our faith, believing that this pause/standstill in our global travels would be only temporary. In gathering INTELLIGENCE / INFORMATION about the reason for the global pause on travel, we have also gathered INTELLIGENCE / INFORMATION on options available to us at present and potential options for the future. We have a VISION to safely travel the world again. We have had the OPPORTUNITY to be vaccinated to help slow and potentially stop the spread of a deadly virus, and to be able to travel safely again, and we have made use of that OPPORTUNITY, so that the three adults in our house have now received two doses of the vaccine. We are now preparing to TAKE FLIGHT as I’ve researched and planned three future trips, with my eye on a fourth… two of those three / three of those four will be during the schools’ summer vacation months!

Have you been getting excited about the travel possibilities opening up?

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

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.

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.

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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

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