Cruise Blog from Kaleigh of Cruize Cast: A Cruise Podcast

A Cruise Decision for your Kids?

9/7/2012

I saw a story this morning on a new package that Royal Caribbean will be offering which centers around Barbie. Little girls will be able to sleep in a pink Barbie-decorated stateroom, attend a fashion show, go to tea parties, design Barbie outfits along with Barbie-themed movie nights and sleepovers. You can have all this for the additional cost of $349 per person starting in January.

This got me thinking about what kind of person would allow something like this to influence their vacation decisions. Don't get me wrong, this package and Royal Caribbean are by no means the first cruise line to cater to the desires of children. It could be argued that Disney's entire cruise line is built on catering to children. But is this a good trend?

Back when I was a child, vacations were decided upon entirely by my parents. They made the money, so they picked the trips. I often didn't even know where we were going until a few weeks out. While I'm sure my parents wanted me to have a good time, I am also fairly sure that they didn't plan the vacation based on my desires. Most people immediately think of Disney World when considering child-centric vacations, but my parents went there on their honeymoon, and I know MANY adults who enjoy the parks more than their children. (Sis, I am looking at you! Heck, I am looking in the mirror too.)

Call me crazy, but a cruise has always seemed to me to be a truly "adult" vacation choice. No vacation more appropriately meets the needs of an adult, in my opinion, than a cruise. Relaxation, fine dining, live entertainment, adult enrichment activities, etc.: cruising just seems to be the epitome of an adult vacation. So, are children hijacking our ships, or are we just letting them come along?

A few decades ago, cruise lines figured out that they needed to provide something for kids in order to encourage the parents to try their ships (and to get them to relax and spend some money once there.) I firmly believe that the invention of kids' clubs on cruise ships is one of the best ideas the cruise industry has ever had. What other vacation provides free babysitting? Really? Especially at the price of a cruise? But now that cruise lines seem to be eager to move past just providing services for the children once on board into creating a vacation with children in mind. Is it a good idea?

I can only speak for myself, but I will not be selecting a cruise based solely on my daughter's interests any time soon. If I am zeroed in on a particular departure port and itinerary, and one line has characters she enjoys more than the others, that may factor into my decision. We'll also likely take her on a Disney cruise at some point, but considering how much we enjoy Disney AND that I think Disney really has a lot to offer adults, although I know she'll love it, it isn't really all about her.

What do you think? Will you shell out $350 to sleep in a pink Barbie room just so your kid can?

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My 5 Favorite Things about our Recent Cruises

12/27/2011

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We just returned from our back to back cruises, and I am still in that weird, "am I really back from vacation?" phase. But, I am ready to begin dishing about what I loved on our two cruises. To initiate the unknowing, James and I recently embarked on two separate cruises that sailed back to back. The first was the Voyager of the Seas, and it was a 7 day sailing which stopped in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Falmouth, Jamaica. The second was the Carnival Elation, a 5 day cruise, which stopped in Progreso and Cozumel. The two cruises were entirely different experiences and gave us a lot of content, which we look forward to sharing with you. So, without any further ado, my favorites...

1. The Crew on the Carnival Elation

When we boarded the Elation after sailing on the Voyager of the Seas for a week, we were slightly let down. It's not that the ship isn't nice, it's that it is so much smaller and less impressive than what we had become accustomed to. Our room had an 80's feel to it, the decor seemed somewhat over the top and garish, and we were afraid that perhaps we had outgrown Carnival. Then we met the crew. First, we encountered the sensational bartender, John from the Phillipines who remembered our first and last names, just from us buying the Coke card. From that point on, we had a friend on board who always remembered our drinks and took the time to talk with us. We had great experiences with guest services who always took care of our questions quickly and efficiently, while providing a personal touch and debated the pros and cons of the Kindle Fire vs the iPad with me (there were no other guests in line). Our dining room waiter, John from India, never got an order wrong and went over and above to make sure we had a great time from really selling out on the dances to chatting with us and a million other little things that make a great server. The entertainment staff made sure we had a blast, and took great care of James when he ended up in a production show (more about that later). By the end of the cruise, we were certain that not only had we NOT outgrown Carnival, but it was probably our favorite cruise line. The crew is a large part of the reason.

2. The Peace in the Caribbean

I've never been much of a beach person, but after practically being in a Corona commercial, I have to admit that for a relaxing vacation, it is hard to beat the calm, clear waters of the Caribbean. I read more books than I have ever read on a vacation. I sat around and chatted with strangers who became friends more than anywhere else. I've always touted a cruise vacation as the best for relaxation, but I think that you can take that even further with a Caribbean cruise vacation. Less to do does not mean boring...

3. Authentic Food

While the ship's food was fine, the best food we had was on shore in Mexico and Jamaica. Most of it was so good that I chowed down before getting pictures (I'm sorry!). There is certainly something to be said for excellent, authentic versions of favorites like tacos, grilled shrimp, quesadillas, jerk chicken, salsa, beans and rice, flan... oh the list goes on. If you are in the Caribbean, don't forget to eat. Sure, you pay a little extra because it isn't covered by the cruise, but it is sooo worth it. And folks, Margaritaville doesn't count.

4. All-Inclusive Resorts

In my humble opinion, there is no better way to experience the Caribbean than from the shade of an umbrella at an all-inclusive resort. Your food and drinks are included and usually come to you in your comfy chair. You can swim... or not. You can read... or not. The two resorts we discovered on this trip were very different from each other, but each were totally satisfying and worth the money. Pictured above is the lazy river at Hilton Rose Hall in Jamaica, bookable through jamaicaforaday.com and the "Corona" picture further up in the blog is from Nachi Cocom in Cozumel. I highly recommend both, and hope to return in the future.

5. Table 208

On our Carnival cruise, something really cool happened. We met some amazing people that quickly became great friends. I know, you are thinking, well, we always meet great people on cruises and enjoy that. What makes this so special? Honestly, I am not sure. But, for some reason we four couples clicked and ended up on excursions together, and spent almost the entire last 2 days of the cruise together. I have never met people that I wanted to be part of my vacation as much as these people, and the fact that the feeling was reciprocal and that they wanted to hang with all of us as well is truly rare. Our honeymoon couple (on the far right) even said that they are hesitant to cruise again because they are afraid it won't be as good regarding table mates and friends on the ship. Truthfully Kyle, it isn't always as good, but you have to keep cruising in hopes that it might be like that again. Thank you Carnival for seating like people together at dinner. Thank you John, our server, for letting us be as crazy as we were. And most of all, thank you Joe, Sally, Matt, Lisa, Kyle and Robyn for making this cruise the best. I hope we get to cruise together again in the future.

Well, that is it. We have many, many more things to share about the cruises, ports and ships, but these are the things that will have set these cruises apart for me when I think back in the future. Stay tuned for much more, including how James ended up doing an Elvis dance in a show.

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We Cruise Tomorrow!

12/9/2011

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The time has come. I have spent the past two days emptying my DVR to the point where the only unwatched episodes are Grimm ( I want to like it, but I just don't.) The house sitter is ready to go, so stay away thieves! Our two year old is ready for the grandparents and will enjoy two weeks of children's museums, Christmas cookie making and her first professional theatre performance (Annie). And James and I? Well, we look forward to two weeks of trivia, reading fluffy romance novels (well, that's me. James is finally reading "The Hunger Games"!) and delicious food round the clock. Did I mention karaoke?

But, let's get to what you want to hear about... where we are going and what ships we will be on. We are leaving out of the great city of New Orleans on the Voyager of the Seas and then the Carnival Elation. We will be hitting Cozumel twice as well as Progreso, Falmouth, and Grand Cayman. And you know, being the CruizeCast crew, that we have detailed plans for each port. But, I'm not giving away our plans just yet. You should know that we will be crossing one of the 7 Wonders of the World off our list. But don't worry, our travels won't only be historically centered. (That's is sort of impossible in the Caribbean.) So, we will be hitting up some great all-inclusive beaches also.

Follow the hashtag #NOLACruize on twitter for updates and pictures during the cruise, and keep a close eye on the blog to read about our adventures. If you have any questions about either of the ships or any of the ports that we can research for you, please be sure to comment and we will do our best to find the answer. Podcasts will be released on schedule, so don't forget to tune in!

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Oasis of the Seas- Almost Complete Dining Review

9/6/2011

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Inspired by our new podcast episode, one of our listeners, Brian, shared with us his "almost" complete review of the dining options onboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. What follows is a detailed, multi-page review with mouth-watering descriptions and pictures and should only be attempted by wannabe foodies, the curious, and the brave. Okay, I am joking, but this is a seriously great review that will make you wish you were on the Oasis of the Seas right now if you aren't already. Enjoy!
Click on the delicious picture to be transported...

Passion Fruit Creme Brulee

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A Cruise Decision for your Kids?

My 5 Favorite Things about our Recent Cruises

We Cruise Tomorrow!

Oasis of the Seas- Almost Complete Dining Review

Kaleigh

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