Thanks to Oriental Trading Company for providing free product samples for my Fish Extender Gift Ideas post. All opinions are my own.My family is taking our very first Disney cruise soon. As I have been doing research on how to plan for a Disney cruise, what to pack, what is different about a Disney cruise than other cruise lines, I discovered the magical world of Fish Extender Gifts. What is a Fish Extender? Right outside each cabin is a fish or some other sea creature attached to the … [Read more...]
Visiting the Bahamas
This trip was sponsored by Tours4Fun.com but all opinions are my own. Get ready for a picture explosion and long post!I was very excited for the Bahamas cruise we took in March. The stops would be Coco Cay - Royal Caribbean's private island and Nassau, Bahamas. Before the trip I researched the excursions for both locations. Heidi and I settled on kayaking at Coco Cay and just walking around, playing things by ear in Nassau.When we arrived in Coco Cay we were very excited to … [Read more...]
A Cruise Full of Firsts
My trip was sponsored by Tours4Fun.com but all opinions are my own. Get ready for a crazy picture explosion!Anyone who knows me (even my loyal readers) know that a cruise is my preferred vacation. They are so affordable (when you take them frugally) and offer so much more than most other types of vacations. Even though I have been on several cruises in the past, my Bahamas cruise on March 20th was a cruise full of firsts.Heidi from Save More and Spend Less met me at the airport in Kansas … [Read more...]
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cruise Ship
My cruise was sponsored by Tours4Fun.com but all opinions are my own.When it comes to vacation we all want different things. My perfect vacation wouldn't be your perfect vacation. When planning a cruise, though I firmly believe a cruise is the perfect vacation for the whole family because of the huge variety of activities, every ship isn't the perfect ship. Of course there are tons of things to consider like date, price, location but don't forget to consider the ship.If you are new to … [Read more...]
11 Tips for the First Time Cruiser
So you want to go on a cruise? Good choice! Cruising is my FAVORITE type of vacation. Though I've only been on 6 cruises (heading on my 7th in a few days!) I have learned a thing or two I'd love to share with you.If you want to be a little prepared, here are tips for the first time cruiser:1. Book with a sale. Cruise lines are almost always offering free room upgrades, onboard credit or discounted 3rd and 4th passengers. Wait for a sale and book when it comes.2. Don't get hit with … [Read more...]
Cruising Through Your Bucket List
This is a compensated campaign to increase awareness of Hurtigruten Cruises out of Norway. All opinions are my own.As I have entered my 30's (with much resistance) I have begun to think about the things I would like to accomplish in my life and the places I would like to go. I hadn't heard the term bucket list until 2007 when the movie came out. Up until that point I had goals for my life and dreams of places to go but hadn't labeled it anything. Now that I'm in my 30's and see more and … [Read more...]
Great Deals on Florida Based Cruises
Disclosure: I'm working with Tours4Fun to help promote some of their wonderful deals on travel. This content is sponsored but includes my own opinions.I LOVE cruising. I have blogged about it several times including my 5 strategies to plan the perfect cruise. In fact, I recently arrived home from a cruise that I took with a lot of my family. It's always so much fun to go on a cruise with family and discover new places around the world.So, are you planning a cruise? If not, you should … [Read more...]
Collection of Useful Travel Articles
Some of you may know, some of you may not: I am a travel writer on Examiner.com. While I'm based in Kansas City so I try to make each article have a local flavor, all of my articles are relevant for traveling families everywhere! For your convenience here is a list of my travel articles. I will add to the list as I write more.7 Best midwest Travel DestinationsTour Kansas City by SegwayTips for Visiting Sea World, Orlando5 strategies for planning the perfect cruise10 Family … [Read more...]
Three Things Moms Should Consider Before Leaving For A Baltic Cruise Vacation
The following is a post contributed by site supporters of Making a Mom. Getting ready to take a vacation is exciting; however, remembering all of the essentials can make the experience feel somewhat stressful at times. Here are three things that you should consider before leaving for a Baltic cruise vacation. Bring everything on this list, and begin your vacation the right way.Don’t forget your passportTaking a cruise often means stopping off a number of ports, across … [Read more...]
How to Behave on a Cruise with Kids
Cruising with kids can be tricky. Obviously you want to relax, so it’s very easy to send them off and allow them to entertain themselves. However, kids left to their own devices can mean them running amok on the ship - kids in the pool, kids in the dining room, in the theatres, in the hot tub, in the elevator...they can really take over the place! However, people agree that this isn’t the children’s fault. Many agree that the parents are to blame, not the children when people are being disrupted … [Read more...]
Why cruise deals will change your life
Cruise ships might as well be part of the unofficial list of the manmade wonders of the world. A cruise is a must-do vacation for any individual, whether or not the individual likes or dislikes traveling. The amount of flexibility that cruise ships offer are unparalleled by any other type of vacation. The variety of destinations available ensures that there is an unvisited country for every individual, regardless of how avid a traveler the individual may be. The types of attractions offered … [Read more...]
My First Cruise – Carnival’s Paradise
It was the fall of 2006. I had talked to some of my sisters about wanting to go on a cruise. In the back of my head I was really thinking "yeah right, going on a cruise is what other people do, not me." I didn't think there was any way that it would happen. I didn't know anyone that had ever been on a cruise (well maybe one of my sister's and her husband had, but I hadn't even seen pictures of it). To me a cruise was something that people did on TV shows, or won on game shows like The … [Read more...]
Carnival Cruise Craziness
Something I haven't talked much about on this site (but I am going to start, be on the look out for Travel Tuesday starting soon!) is how much I love to travel. I have been several places around the world, most I love, some I didn't. We have also taken a couple cruises I'd like to share with you eventually.My family LOVES cruises. We are pretty addicted to them and for a while we were lucky enough to go on at least one a year for several years. Now that we have moved away from family, and a … [Read more...]
