Family Cruise Advisor

My daughter was only six weeks old when she traveled with mom and dad on our first family vacation — to Walt Disney World in Orlando. Only a few months later, at the tender age of five months, she crossed the Atlantic with dad (a travel writer) and mom to cruise to the Canary Islands on Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth 2. Lucky girl, right? Wrong. Both experiences were miserable.

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Freedom begins in the Personal Karaoke Booth. At least it did for me. That’s where I was freed from my inhibitions to loudly belt out the lyrics being displayed on a screen in front of me. I had always wanted to perform karaoke but had never mustered the courage to do so in front of an audience. One of two intimate karaoke booths on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas (one of the line’s “Freedom class” vessels) was the perfect compromise for a closet crooner who would be mortified should anyone hear him. The experience was not unlike singing in the shower, using a bar of soap for the microphone, but without the discomfort of having to undress to perform.

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Royal Caribbean has announced two new “neighborhoods” to be featured on Oasis of the Seas: a Pool and Sports Zone and a Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center. Continue Reading »

Awesome Overview
For jaw-dropping views of marine and land-based wildlife and nature’s most dramatic scenery, an Alaskan cruise is hard to beat. But if at all possible, get off the ship and into the interior.

You can make the most of an Alaskan cruise by combining time at sea with a land portion that provides views of the Alaskan interior. Simply put, not all of Alaska can be seen from a ship. While Glacier Bay National Park can be appreciated from the deck of a cruise ship, for example, Denali National Park must be visited on a cruisetour.

All the major cruise lines offer Alaskan itineraries, but for cruisetours, look to Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean. Each of these cruise lines offers family friendly ships and an excellent selection of cruisetours. Continue Reading »

Awesome Overview
If you want your children to see Europe early in their travel careers, a cruise is absolutely your best choice. A cruise is just so convenient, especially on the port-intensive itineraries available in Europe. Cruising eliminates the hassles and enhances the European visit for both parents and kids, especially when families can use a modern, well-equipped ship like the Brilliance of the Seas as home base during a Mediterranean cruise. After a day touring the cultural capitals of Mediterranean Europe, everybody returns to luxurious lodgings at the pier; the children can blow off a little supervised steam in the evening, and Mom and Dad can catch a rejuvenating cat nap before dinner and a show. Continue Reading »

Awesome Overview
Kids who love the whiz-bang of the latest technologies will absolutely adore the Freedom-class ships from Royal Caribbean.

Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas represent state of the cruising art, sure to impress the kid in all of us with a whole host of amenities and features that run from the now-expected-of-Royal Caribbean rock-climbing walls to an interactive water park and two adults-only hot tubs that are cantilevered 12 feet out from the side of the ship for a hot soak with a dramatic view. Continue Reading »