Trifter

If you want a truly relaxing vacation, without any of the active family “hassles”, then taking a cruise is the answer for you.  Even if you are “empty nesters” cruising can add another dimension of relaxation  to your vacation.  On the face of it some cruises can seem expensive, like a world cruise or an exotic cruise to “the islands” or perhaps Australia.  However, if you plan your cruises, even these fabulous trips can be very economical.  Also if you consider all your costs for your room, food, and entertainment cruising can easily be less expensive than say renting a beach house or condo.

Let’s look at a what typically happens on a family beach vacation with teens.  You travel to your destination enduring never ending queries of “are we there yet?”, muscle your luggage into the rooms, and wonder where the kids have disappeared to.  Later reestablishing contact with the kids, they give you the next news flash, “I’m bored” or “We’re hungry” or “Can we go to the boardwalk?”  or nearest video game place.  Then your boss calls wanting you to join in a conference call.  Are we relaxed yet?

OK, so let’s see how a cruise vacation starts out.  You arrive at the ship, establish your ship board identity cards, go to your state room where your luggage has already been delivered.  Yes, the kids still disappear, but you know where they are and that they are safe.  Oh, and the food question is not going to come up because there is an all day buffet, and burgers and pizza stations where they can eat all they want.  You will be tempted to encourage them to eat all the time in the hopes it will somehow carryover to the post-vacation time, trust me that won’t happen.  They are not going to be bored either, because there are teen centers on most ships with the latest video technology, games, and teen activities, and a wide variety of pools, hot tubs, and water activities to keep them occupied and engaged.  Once you get underway, you won’t have to worry about your boss…no cell phone towers in the ocean.  However, if you must you can keep up on your email at the Internet cafe. Now, are you relaxed yet?

Finding the deals is the way you start your cruise.  You can go to the cruise lines directly: www.princess.com, www.royalcaribbean.com, www.hollandamerica.com, or www.carnival.com; or see what they all have to offer at www.travelzoo.com or www.friendlyplane.com.  You should also think about your future cruises, because cruise lines love returning customers, and that is where the real deals are offered.  So select a cruise line that best matches your family activity level, then select a short cruise to get the flavor of the experience.  Once you have cruised,  the discount offers start rolling in,  and then you can go for the vacation of your dreams.  While on that first cruise, many lines offer the opportunity to purchase a credit toward any future cruise.  This credit is usually good for two years and makes it an easy and flexible way to reserve your next cruise.

Once you have selected your cruise, make sure your passport, if required is up to date, before booking the cruise.  When you do book your cruise, you can have the cruise line arrange your air travel for you for a worry free trip to the ship, where all you will have to worry about is getting your luggage on the plane.  Once you arrive at your destination airport, you will have tagged your luggage with your state room information, you just hand it over to the representatives at the cruise line kiosk and it will be delivered to your room.  However, if the “deal hound” in you finds a great air fare, book your flight to arrive at your embarkation port the day before departure. 

Once you have booked your cruise, there are a number of ways you can personalize your on board experience.  You can request a special diet, like VEGAN, low cholesterol, etc.; request special attention for a special occasion while on the cruise (birthday, anniversary, graduation, honeymoon, or retirement).  You can also pre-reserve sessions at the spa, a message, facial, hair, or body treatment…don’t pass this up.  Then depending on your destinations, there are a wide variety of side trips that you can select from.

Many cruises have one or more formal nights which provide a great occasion to dress up in formal attire, or simply wear a sports coat that night.  But deciding what to wear is made easy by looking up the clothing suggestions posted for the cruise and reviewing the expected temperatures for the time of year for those side trips.

Dining on board can be by assigned seating or anytime dining.  For a family with children, anytime dining is recommended.  However, you will find many cruise lines offer 24 hour dining with children’s menus, either stateroom service or dining out.  Many cruises also feature specialty restaurants where you can experience cuisine from specific areas, such as Italy or France.

On board activities include arts and crafts, game tables, movies, and splash pools for the younger ones.  The teen centers typically have ping-pong, juke boxes and the latest video games.  On larger vessels teens can enjoy their own spaces with dedicated deck space, pools, and teen hot tubs. 

Educational presentations are also offered by naturalists and area experts that add interest and excitement to your next port of call.  The arts and crafts offered for mom and dad are things they can really get into.  Such as vegetable sculpture, ice carving, martini making, and flower arrangements.  To help you keep up on activities for all ages, most lines publish a daily “paper” with all activities listed.

For mom and dad there is the Spa and complete fitness center, and many ships offer a jogging track.  Some offer  virtual golf, where you can play courses from around the world.   There is also the game room where a number of games, such as Bridge or Pinochle are played, as well as trivia and bingo and other board games can be played.  In the evening, a number of venues are offered for dancing and entertainment, including production shows and feature movies, and of course a complete casino to try your luck. 

Once you have cruised, the only question you or the kids will ask is when do we go again.