10 Best Cruises For Families

I saw the following slide show on Travel + Leisure’s website and thought that it gave some great information for families looking to cruise.
http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/10-best-cruises-for-families/1

I can personally vouch that cruising is a terrific family vacation option. My boys, at the ripe ages of 11 and 14, have been on 5 cruises. A friend recently asked how they like Walt Disney World compared to cruising? Although they really enjoyed their vacation at WDW, they still like cruising better. There’s just so many things to do on a cruise ship today, not to mention visiting and exploring all the different ports of call. Choosing a cruise as a family vacation not only benefits the kids. It’s one of the least stressful options to vacation with children and for multi-generational family vacations. When we took our boys on their first cruise, they were 5 and 8 years old. My parents and my grandma went along.
Even though we sailed on an older ship, we all had a great time. Everything was new to the kids and I recall being amazed how much they wanted to go to the children’s program onboard. My great grandma was 89 at the time and was a trooper. She went along on shore excursions and even went to the fitness facility to use the exercise bike. We all enjoyed dining together and going to the shows.
I don’t think that there was one disagreement or arguement the whole trip. The previous year, we rented a condo in Florida with my parents and let’s just say that I needed a vacation after that vacation. Anyway, my great grandma had such a wonderful time that she announced that she wanted to take our whole family (including her older sister and my brother’s family) on a cruise for her 90th birthday. Even with the addition on another senior and more kids (and cruising during Easter holiday) it was smooth sailing. A cruise vacation offers something for everyone…whether young or young at heart. And, you can do all or most of your planning before you travel. It’s also a very pampering vacation. The cooking, cleaning, driving, navigating and entertaining are all done for you. What other multi-destination vacation can you say that about?

To plan and reserve your next family vacation, contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel
800-571-3159

The Johnson Family’s Wild Ride at Walt Disney World

Otherwise known as Walt Disney World in 4 days! My family and I just returned from a 3 night, 4 day trip to Walt Disney World. Not a lot of time to take in the 4 major parks, 2 waterparks and Downtown Disney, but we accomplished our mission (or, at least mine.) So, yes, it is possible to squeeze all of the wonders of the World in a short amount of time, but with a few caveats. You need a lot of energy and stamina, a plan or itinerary, older kids and some good walking shoes!

My family consists of myself, my husband and two sons, ages 11 and 14. My boys were totally in to trying out all of the major rides and attractions. We made every one (sometimes twice!) But, had they been a few youngers (or worse yet, in strollers) we wouldn’t have been able to do everything we did in 4 days. I have to say that it probably helped that they are boys and not girls, as the need for shopping was kept to a minimum and the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique was not on our agenda! (Getting ready in the morning doesn’t involve as much grooming time either.) We’re a “long-legged” family, so we covered a lot of ground at a faster pace than most. In short, if your family consists of male children, 10 years or older, that can keep a good pace and are focused on getting to the next ride, then you too can see all of WDW in 4 days! (This is intended to be tongue in cheek!)

Here’s how we did it…

Day 1: Flew non-stop to Orlando, arriving at noon. Took the Magical Express to Pop Century. Checked in, dropped off our luggage and caught the next bus to Epcot. I had previously made reservations for dinner at Chefs de France for that evening, and therefore decided that afternoon and evening would be spent at Epcot. We had the basic Disney Dining plan and headed over to a snack stand to get some refreshments before going on our first ride. Spent the afternoon in Future World going on rides, etc. and then went to World Showcase for some dinner and sight-seeing. We dined at Chefs de France and then wandered around World Showcase for awhile taking in the beautiful flowers and topiaries present during the spring. Headed back to Future World for some more rides and IllumiNations.

Day 2: Got up at the crack of dawn since we had Extra Magical Hours at Magic Kingdom that morning.
Had a granola bar/protein bar in our hotel room while getting ready. My husband ran down to Pop’s cafeteria to buy some refillable souvenir mugs to use for coffee and soda. Took the bus to Magic Kingdom. Our plan of hitting the major rides first turned out be a success. We were able to get on all of the big rides with little or no wait time before the park got busy. We then ran to do some other rides or shows and when need be, got a Fast Pass. Took the bus back to Pop, used our counter service for lunch there, changed into our swimming suits and went to Blizzard Beach for the afternoon.
Spent the afternoon swimming, sliding, plunging and plummeting. Showered and dressed for dinner back at our hotel room and then went back to Epcot for our dinner reservations (6:45 p.m.) at San Angel Inn (located in the Pyramid in Mexico.) After dinner, did some repeat rides until 9 p.m.

Day 3: Slept in an extra hour (unti 8 a.m.) and went to Disney Hollywood Studios in the morning. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was first on our list, with Tower of Terror being second. Again, did both with hardly a wait. Walked around, did other rides like Star Wars, etc., went to the Indiana Jones stunt show and ate lunch afterwards. Went back to Pop, changed into our swimming suits and went to the other waterpark, Typhoon Lagoon. Note: if I had an extra day, I could have spent an entire day at Typhoon Lagoon (lounging on a beach or in a wave pool.) My kids said that they preferred the water slides/rides at Blizzard Beach. At night, we went to Downtown Disney for our dinner reservation at Wolfgang Puck’s (our favorite restaurant of the 3 that we dined at.) We walked around for awhile after dinner, but decided to go back to Disney Hollywood Studios. Another note: You can not take the bus from Downtown to another park, only to resorts. So, we had to take a bus to All-Stars and then from there to Hollywood.

Day 4: Our flight departure time was for 7:30 p.m. so we planned to spend the entire day at Animal Kingdom. We got there early as there were extra Magical Hours that morning. Expedition Everest was top of the list. Did that two times in a row since there was no wait and then went directly to the Safari (the animals are more present in the cooler morning time.) Again, we hit the rest of the rides on our list, including Dinosaur, Primeval whirl and the Kali River Rapids. Went to lunch at Flametree Barbeque to use up our last counter service, and then went to the 3D show, It’s Tough To Be A Bug.
Note: All of the 3D shows we saw were very fun, and refreshing breaks from walking around in the hot sun. With time to spare, we went back to the Pop to swim for awhile before the Magical Express took us back to Orlando Intl. Airport.

Some final tips…

Do: Pack some snacks/breakfast items even if you have the Dining Plan. It saves time in the morning to avoid going to a cafe or restaurant for breakfast. The earlier you get to the parks, the less lines and wait times for the major rides.

Do: Arrange for an early wake up call on the Extra Magic Hour Park days.

Do: Plan your itinerary around those Extra Magic Hours.

Do: Make dinner reservations ahead of time. Plan to have dinner in several parks so that you can spend some evening hours at those parks after dinner.

Do: Bring a variety of walking shoes, athletic sandals, etc. (saw a lot of Crocs) for all the walking during the day. Wear light weight clothes that dry fast (after getting soaked on the water rides.)

Do: Leave the bag/backpack at the hotel if you want to avoid getting bogged down by having your bag checked at the entrance. My husband wore cargo shorts…it’s amazing how many things you can fit in those pockets!

Do: Purchase the Dining Plan as part of your vacation package. It is definitely worth it! The entree’s at some restaurants were as much or more as the cost of the dining plan per day.

Do: Stay at one of the Disney properties. It’s so much more convenient and you get the benefit of the Extra Magic Hours. Not to mention, it’s just more fun!

Do: Go to the main or more popular rides/attractions first thing in the morning before they get too busy.

Do: Have a Magical time at Walt Disney World or DisneyLand!

Do: Contact Amy at A Room With A Viewto make your reservation for the wonderful world of Disney!
800-571-3159

Take A Trip To Oshkosh To See Some Public Enemies

I admit it…I played hooky on Monday. But, it was my birthday, so I had a good excuse.
A friend and I drove to my hometown of Oshkosh, WI to watch some of the filming of Public Enemies, the movie about John Dillinger and his gang, directed by Michael Man. I really wanted to check out what cool things had been done to the dowtown area for the set and watch the filming. Oh, and while I was there, maybe just get a glimpse of Johnny or Christian. You know, no biggee if I didn’t, but it would be a bonus if I did. Yeah, right. What turnip truck did you fall off?
Johnny Depp, people!

My friend, Meg and I met up with my mom and we headed to Main St. Now, I must interject here that when I first proposed the idea of going to Oshkosh (instead of shopping and lunch in Milwaukee) Meg thought I was crazy, but agreed since it was my birthday (and I had promised shopping at the Outlet Mall there.) She teased me saying that I only wanted to go to see Johnny. I protested saying that wasn’t it cool that the town I grew up in was chosen as one of the spots, and that I was very interested in seeing what was involved in the making of a movie. Really, I was! At any rate, my mom and friend truly believed that they were indulging me since it was “my day.” We walked about Main St. (looking for a sign of anyone acting) but I only saw the construction workers. Even though the downtown looked amazing, I did feel a little pang of worry that we were there at the wrong time. No fear, we soon found our way to the bank robbery shooting. No pun intended. We could hear the shots being fired and saw a cop being choked by a thug. Woohoo, this was the place! But, where were all the people, the crowds that we expected to be fighting to get a view? We were all surprised, but happy that we could see and hear. Watched that scene for awhile, speculated that Christian Bale was in it and then decided to go to lunch at the Water Street Grill (aka Open Arms Hotel for the movie set.) After lunch, we headed back and soon found that we were going to get to see some more action. We got a front row viewing of a getaway car scene. I was so excited about seeing that, that I didn’t even realize that Johnny Depp was one of the actors on he car! Until he got off the car and everyone started yelling, “We love you, Johnny! Welome to Oshkosh, Johnny!” Johnny waved a few times and I found myself waving back. I may have even yelled his name? And, I know my mom was one of the people that yelled the welcome. Later, I asked my friend, “so did you yell out to Johnny?” She giddily admitted that she had. It really was hard not to get swept up in the excitement. Long story, short. We never did make it to the Outlet Mall!

Check out some videos from the local newspaper in Oshkosh at www.thenorthwestern.com

Next up! The Wonderful World of Disney!

I have been to Walt Disney World three times, but believe it or not, my children have never been. I have two boys that are now 11 and 14 years old. Six years ago, I asked them, “Which would you rather do? Take a cruise or go to Disney World?” Astoundingly (and much to my pleasant surprise) they sang in chorus, “Take a cruise!” Well, my kids now have 6 cruises under their belts, but no Magic Kingdom. “It’s time,” I said to my husband a few weeks ago. They need to experience the wonders of Disney. With the crazy long and severe winter we have been having this year (14 inches of snow yesterday!!) May 7th can’t come soon enough. Watch out Mickey, here we come!!

To plan your magical vacation to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel!

Celebrity Summit Southern Caribbean Cruise Review Part 3

Grenada, Aruba and Bonaire

Grenada is known as the Spice Island, so no first time visit is complete without a little spice added to it! Again, after researching our options, we decided to go with a local tour guide. Mandoo started our excursion at the still operating spice plantation. We had a show and tell (and smell) of the local spices by Mandoo and afterwards were able to purchase spices to bring home.
A very scenic drive led us to Grand Etang Lake next, where we had the pleasure of seeing the adorable Mona monkeys. Mandoo and his guides stopped on the way there to pick up some fresh bananas for both the tourists and the monkeys to enjoy. Concord Falls was very pretty, but unfortunately we had some rain that day and it cut our stop there and the rest of the tour short. Mandoo was very knowledgable and professional and perhaps some day we will see more of Grenada on one of his other tours.

Bonaire is part of the “ABC” islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) in the Netherlands Antilles. It’s pristine reefs and clarity of water offer a divers paradise. The waters around Bonaire are designated an official marine park. Bonaire is a small island (only 111 sq. miles) and unless you are interested in marine life there’s really not a lot of other excursion options. However, you do not have to be a scuba diver to enjoy the unspoiled treasures “under the sea.” There’s terrific snorkeling right off the shore. We decided the best option for our group was to head to El Eden Beach, a quick taxi ride from the pier. Some of us had snorkel gear along and some were able to rent quality equipment at El Eden. The snorkeling was wonderful right off the beach. And, for those not interesting in snorkeling, there were lounge chairs, beach bar and restaurant and facilities to use. The water was so clear that the colorful Parrot fish could be viewed from the dock.

Aruba, our last port of call…! Beach lovers will enjoy beautiful Aruba as a cruise port or destination for a land package. We had a nice full day in Aruba (7 a.m. until 7 p.m.) and decided to take advantage of that. Prior to departing for our cruise, we pre-reserved the Swim, snorkel and swing excursion on the Jolly Pirate through Celebrity’s excursions. We reserved the late afternoon time as an open bar was part of the excursion. After a leisurely breakfast, we disembarked the Summit and took a taxi to Palm beach, found a nice area to rent chairs and enjoyed the sand, surf and sun. You can walk the powder white sand strip of Palm beach for what seems like forever. There are numerous hotels, resorts and watersports stands along the strip. The public can use the fresh water showers and facilities at some of the resorts (like the Radisson, which is beautiful, by the way) but others like the Riu are closed to the public. After a very enjoyable morning, we caught a taxi in front of the Riu back to the ship for lunch, and to meet up for our shore excursion booked through the cruise line. While we were on the beach, we did see signs for the Jolly Pirate excursion and at first thought that we should have forgotten about the cruise line excursion and just caught the Jolly Pirate from Palm beach. We later discovered that we would have missed out on part of the fun had we done that.
Our excursion through the cruise line included transportation on the “Banana Bus” which was brightly painted and “open air” bus.
On the way to the Jolly Pirate, the driver played some nice tunes and everyone was happy enough with our ride to the excursion.
However, the ride back to the ship after the Jolly Pirate (and open bar) was a total blast! Every passenger on the bus sang along with the songs pumping out of the speakers the entire way back to the ship. Tourists and locals alike waved and hooted and hollered at us as we passed by. What a way to end the day in Aruba! Oh wait, I didn’t even tell you about the Jolly Pirates!
Our excursion on the pirate ship included snorkeling at the Antilla, also known as the German Shipwreck or Ghost Ship and at a reef. After snorkeling, the crew took us to a quiet cove to “walk the plank” or to be more exact, swing of the plank. The crew also showed off by performing back flips and dives off of the swing. What fun!! Especially after a few Pirate’s Poison drinks!

The last day on our 7 night cruise was our one and only full sea day. After our eco-adventures, touring, shopping, sunning, snorkeling and swinging in our ports, it was a very relaxing way to wrap up our cruise. I highly recommend this itinerary and ship to anyone that has cruised before and is looking for a nice ship, great service and food and a wonderful combination of Caribbean islands to experience and enjoy.

To make your reservation on the Summit’s Southern Caribbean itinerary, or any other cruise for that matter, contact Amy
at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel!

Celebrity Summit Southern Caribbean Cruise Review Part 2

The Ports of Call: St. Maarten, Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba.

I have to say that the uniqueness of this itinerary for a 7 night cruise was the first thing that lured me. I have been to St. Maarten quite a few times on cruises and have stayed on the island for a week. St. Maarten is part French and part Dutch.
The cruise pier is located on the Dutch side of the island. St. Maarten is a foodie’s and a shopaholic’s dream destination.
From the cruise pier, one can easily take a taxi or the water taxi downtown shopping. Jewelry stores galore! Go to the French side of the island and you’ll find epicurean delights at lovely french restaurants and beautiful beaches. Orient Beach is the most commonly known and rightly so. A mile long white sand beach with many colorful little beach bars and restaurants. Each restaurant or bar rents chairs and umbrellas for the day. Most rentals come with use of the facilities. Take a little stroll along the beach to choose your spot (hint: check the prices, they are not all the same.) Watersport huts are also available on Orient.
It’s really a fun way to spend an afternoon. Important to note is that there is a Clothing Optional resort on one of the beach.
Be prepared for toplessness and nudity.

Dominica. Green, mountainous, lush, pristine, volcanic, rustic Dominica. After much research, I arranged for our group to do a tour with a local tour guide that I had read many positive reviews on. Half of our group (including myself and my husband) decided that they were up for the “extreme” hiking adventure with Levi, our guide. The rest of the group wanted to see some of the sites, but did not want the hiking element. Levi led the hike to Middleham Falls and arranged for one of his other guides to take the rest of the group to the Emerald Pool. How do I begin to describe the hike to Middleham? I can honestly say that in all of my cruise excursions and travel, I have never done a excursion like this. The trails leading up to Middleham were narrow, muddy, slippery, rocky, covered with twisted vines and logs. The scenery was amazing, green and “jungle-y.” We climbed up hills, stepped over slippery rocks, tried not to get stuck in gushy mud, did the balance beam walk over more mud or water, crossed creeks. Essentially, we concentrated on not wiping out or twisting an ankle while taking in the rustic beauty of Dominica.
After about an hour we asked Levi how much longer it would be to Middleham. His answer, “Oh, just another 5 minutes.” Apparently, we were on island time as it took another 45 minutes to get to our first destination. The prize at the end was worth every pain and ache to get there. Middleham Falls is approximately 300 ft. high. Truly breathtaking. We awed over it, took photos with it and some even ventured down to swim into the pool at the bottom. And then…we hiked back from whence we came. Luckily the hike back was a little easier. Perhaps, the decline helped or maybe after a couple hours, we were just used to it? At any rate, we felt quite the accomplishment after completing it. We were rewarded with a local beer (or water) when we returned to the van. Our next stop was my personal favorite….Titou Gorge. If you are a Pirates of the Caribbean fan, the second movie was filmed in Dominica with scenes shot in Titou Gorge. From the entrance, I was a little concerned that I might get claustrophobic swimming through the rock formations. However, once in, I was completely entranced. Swimming through the blue water surrounded by smooth rock walls, with just a peek of sky above was just darn cool. At the end was a small waterfall that we were able to swim into. I’m a water lover and enjoy swimming and could have stayed there longer, but we had places to go! Trafalagar Falls was beautiful as well and is more commonly found on other excursions. There were quite a few tourists there when we arrived, but it wasn’t crowded. Did a short hike closer to the Falls for viewing and photos. Then it was time for snorkeling at Champagne Reef. The fish and coral at Champagne Reef are not remarkable, however it’s totally worth donning the mask and fins just to see the little “champagne bubbles” caused by the volcanic action below the surface.
After a very full and active day, we were ready to head back to the comfort of our ship. But, as we sailed away, we all agreed that we’d be back again some day. We hope that Dominica can hold on to it’s rustic beauty and steer clear from the commercialism that has encompassed other Caribbean islands.

Next up….Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba!

Celebrity Summit Southern Caribbean Cruise Review

Wow, it seems like forever since I’ve been back (and blogged!) Sorry about that, but I got hit by a big ol’ “wave” when I returned from the cruise. Yes, it’s wave season and with the fierce and long winter we’ve been having here, the business keeps coming in.
I’m very grateful for that, but now I need another vacation!

So, on to the review of our Southern Caribbean cruise on the Celebrity Summit. I have done a few ship inspections on the Celebrity line before, but this was my first full sailing onboard a Celebrity ship. The Summit was in very good condition for it’s age (about 7 yrs. old) Yes, there was a little wear and tear in some of the public areas and the cabin bathrooms, but nothing major.
Definitely nothing to ruin a cruise! I have to start by saying that we had the best cabin steward in all of our cruises. “Nick” was on the ball! He was attentive, prompt and always had a smile on his face. We would call for ice or extra glasses and Nick was at our cabin door within 2 minutes. For the most part, the service onboard was very good. Our waitstaff was also excellent.
We did have poor service the first night in the dining room when they had “open seating.” This was a new experience for us. I believe that due to the later sail time in San Juan, Celebrity decided to try an open seating format for the first evening. Our waitor that night seemed to be very new and confused. Hopefully, he improved as the week went on. We were lucky enough to be seated at a table with a veteran head waitor.

The food, glorious food onboard Celebrity. A few years ago, I was able to dine onboard a Celebrity ship during an inspection in Vancouver. At that time, Michel Roux was still the executive chef for Celebrity Cruises. I recall that the salad was a work of art. Since Michel Roux left his appointment as Celebrity’s executive chef, I have read some very inconsistent reviews on the cuisine onboard. I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but was pleasantly surprised. The food in the dining room was very good to excellent. A few of the dishes were some of the best I’ve had while cruising. The breads and breadsticks were excellent (our poor assistant waitor had to keep refilling the breadsticks!) The lobster on formal night was definitely the best lobster I’ve have onboard a ship. In the buffet area, the highlights were the made to order pizza, fresh sushi bar each evening (great for appetizers if you have late dining) fluffy belgian waffles and the homemade ice cream. I also really enjoyed the nice cheese selection by the breads in the buffet. Not just your typical sliced cheddar or swiss. Beautiful wedges of blue, camenbert, jarlsberg, etc. were served upon request. The AquaSpa cafe was also another nice option when looking for lighter, healthier fare.
It also served as a more calm and relaxing dining venue as it was located in the AquaSpa or Thallosotherapy pool area.

Speaking of the Thallosotherapy pool, can I just say that I want one! We enjoyed using the T-pool at least one time per day, either in the morning or after our excursions in port. The T-Pool is complimentary to use on the Millenium class ships and is an adults-only area. It’s a nice size heated salt water pool, with metal bar loungers to rest on while the jacuzzi bubbles massage.
There are also 4 water spouts that can be used to “massage” the kinks out of ones neck and back.
The teak lounge chairs with cushions were very comfy as well. Note to Celebrity: cushions for all of the teak lounges would be even better! The beach towels and bath towels provided by Celebrity were also very nice, more plush than some of the other cruise line towels…and always plenty available.

Ahhh, the Spa… I decided that for research-sake I had to force myself to try a spa service (wink, wink.) Two of the ladies I was traveling with and I had the Ginger and Lime scrub and full massage. We were able to make reservations for all three of us at the same time which was nice. We enjoyed a nice leisurely breakfast in the AquaSpa cafe and then went to the spa for our treatments. We each had a different massage therapist and all three of us agreed that we had one of the best massages ever.
If you are going to try a spa treatment on a cruise ship, Celebrity is the one to do it on.

More about the ship and the ports of call later…I promise!

Amy
A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel
800-571-3159

Packing For A Cruise

Sorry it’s been awhile since I last posted, but this is “wave” season after all! A very busy time of year if you are in the travel industry. Booking last minute travel, processing final payments for those spring vacations coming up and getting travel documents or tickets out to those traveling in the next month. At this time of year, I also get many calls and emails regarding travel questions. Among the top of the inquiries is, “Help! What should I pack for my cruise?”

Since this seems to be a popular question and as I am starting to think about what I want to pack on my upcoming cruise on the Celebrity Summit, I thought I would take the time to post with some tips.

Now, I don’t profess to be an expert at packing, but after years of traveling (and specifically for cruises) I’m much better than I used to be. But, my husband doesn’t call me Imelda for nothing! I have such a hard time narrowing down my selections. I like to dress up and want to make sure I have enough choices along. My husband, on the other hand, likes to tell me (repeatedly), “Travel light, travel right!” If I was backpacking in Europe I might subscribe to that philosophy, but on a cruise that just doesn’t work for me. So over the years, I have found what I feel is a “happy medium.”

I’m not going to give a list of the specific items and the specific number of items needed for you to pack. I’ve seen those, and while they may work as a guide, I’ve never followed them to a “t.” What I am going to do is give you my tips!

Amy’s Tips For Less Stressful Cruise Vacation Packing

1.) Buy Downey Wrinkle Releaser Spray. Irons are not allowed in your stateroom. Some cruise lines do have self-service laundry areas. But, take it from me, the wrinkle releaser spray will save you time. Who wants to iron on their vacation? (I don’t even want to iron at home!)

2.) Buy Large ziploc bags. I know, you’re wondering where I’m going with this, but just hold tight.

3.) Plan your evening attire first. For example, on a 7 night cruise, the typical number of formal nights is 2. Start with formal wear. For men, a dark suit or tuxedo. Just bring one and then a change of shirt, tie and cumberbund. For women, 2 cocktail dresses, formal gowns or very dressy pant suits. The rest of the evenings are either smart casual, resort casual or elegant casual (different terms are used for differen lines.) For men, there is little variety. You will see either dress slacks, shirt and tie, or khaki pants with polos, or “Tommy Bahama” type shirts. For women, sundresses, skirts and tops/blouses, dress slacks and even nice capris are common.

*Hints: To save room, plan on wearing a “bottom” twice. For example, black dress slacks/skirt or khakis for men. Pick a neutral bottom to wear maybe your first and last evening, with two different tops to change the look. Also, if you stay with a color theme (something with black in it for most or all outfits) you will not require as many shoes. (It pains me to say that!)

4.) Daytime wear. To me, this is the more complicated part. First, you really need to know what your plans are for your port days. If you have plans to snorkel, scuba dive or beach it every day that you are in port, well, guess what your main attire is going to be? Swim suits and coverups. If you’d rather be shopping, or sight-seeing or golfing (the list goes on) well then that’s another story. For most cruisers to warm weather destinations (Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii) a combination of activities is attractive. Plan on bringing at least 2-3 swimming suits (hey, they don’t take up a lot of room!) and coverups or shorts and tanks to go over. If you are in town shopping, but may go to a beach after, wear a nicer coverup (sundress) over your swimming suit. For sight-seeing tours, nice shorts and t-shirts are perfectly fine. Keep in mind that some tours are more active than others.
If your tour includes hiking or a lot of walking, wear the appropriate shoes (athletic shoes or sandals; not flip flops.)
For Sea Days, again it will depend on what you like to do. If you are a newbie to cruising, you’ll most likely want to try and fit in as much of the activities onboard as possible. Whereas those veteran cruisers, may just be chillin’ by the pool all day.

Hint: I would say that the items of clothing that people tend to overpack on a warm weather cruise are shorts and t-shirts.
If you plan on spending a lot of time by the pool, or on the beach, invest in a couple nice coverups and cut down on the number of shorts and t-shirts you bring along (of course, this mainly helps the women, but then again, we probably have more items of clothing to bring along.)

5.) Shoes… Hmmm…this is very hard for me. I do think that the main thing that has helped me whittle down the number of pairs that I bring along is trying to have similar colors for all of my evening wear. For men, heck, it’s easy…dress shoes for formal wear, dress sandals or loafers for casual evening attire, athletic shoes and maybe some flip flops.

6.) Repeat - I mentioned wearing a sundress over a swimming suit if you plan on doing some shopping before heading to a beach.
Plan on wearing a sundress (or skirt and top) on a casual evening for dinner, and then after that evening, wear the sundress as a coverup. One outfit that serves two purposes saves room (and laundry!)

7.) Bag it! Ok, this is something that my husband tends to do more than myself. After ironing his polo shirts, or dress shirts, he places them in the XL zip loc bags (bigger than gallon size.) He believes this keeps them wrinkle free and saves room in the luggage (he presses the air out.) We also place all of our undergarments and anything that could leak (sunscreen, hairspray, etc.)in L ziploc bags. If you are flying prior to your cruise, and have a carry-on don’t forget that your liquids and gels must be in small bottles that fit in a quart size ziploc bag. For more information, check with your air line.

8.) Speaking of Carry-ons… Before you board the ship, make sure your carry-on includes your swim suit, coverup, toiletries, medications, sunscreen, sunglasses and a change of clothes. Your checked luggage will be taken by porters and delivered to your cabin later (could be a couple hours later.) So, whatever you would like to have available to you for the next few hours, place it in your carry-on.

9.) Divide and conquer! If you think that one suitcase for you and one for your dearest is the way to go…think again! What if one piece of luggage is lost (and it’s yours!)? Pack half of your outfits in each piece of luggage and the same with your significant others. At least you’ll have half of your outfits, until your other piece of luggage is located.

10.) Traveling with kids? Some extras that may be worth packing… Plastic sports bottles are great when you go into port. Fill up with ice and water or even juice/lemonade from the buffet to keep the kids hydrated. Sandwich baggies are great to hold some snacks for the kiddies (dry snacks such as, crackers or cereal, even a pbj sandwich from the buffet to tide them over.) Water shoes or aquasocks may be a good choice for children when you’re heading to a beach or snorkel excursion. Waterproof children’s sunscreen and lipbalm with SPF are very important for that tender skin! Don’t forget to pack hand sanitizer gel or wipes, children’s Tylenol or Ibuprofen, Pepto and perhaps children’s shampoo (tearfree for younger children.)

So, there they are, my tips! Take them or leave them. But, whatever you do, don’t fret. There’s always the shops and laundry service onboard!

Amy
A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel
800-571-3159
amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

Happy New Year 2008

As we usher in a new year, I would like to take this opportunity to say,
Thank You!

To all of my wonderful clients, friends and family, I am most grateful for your continued business and support.
Here’s a toast to a world of good health and happiness in the new year!

Bonne Année! ~ Felice Anno Nuovo! ~ Próspero año nuevo! ~ Prost Neujahr!

Best Wishes,
Amy Johnson
A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel

A Holiday Gift From A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel!

In spirit of the season, A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel would like to offer a Bon Voyage Gift valued at $25 for any new cruise or all-inclusive land packages (7 nights or longer) booked prior to 12/31/07. Bon Voyage gifts will vary depending on type of vacation booked (examples include, but are not limited to: onboard credit for a cruise, celebratory bottle of champagne or wine, restaurant gift card, etc.)

For more information, or to make your reservation, contact:
A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel
and mention that you saw this offer on Amy’s View On The World Of Travel

262-424-8982 or 800-571-3159
amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com