Continuing the chronicle of our very first family cruise: Leaving Galveston, we had two full sea days to explore the ship and settle in before our first port day of the week. Days 2 and 3 aboard Allure of the Seas were all about soaking up ship life. No ports, no pressure, just ocean views, […]

Cruise Diary Day 1: I may have lost a kid…

Come back in time with me to our first day on Allure of the Seas. Everyone is asleep, and I’m busily recapping the day into Google Keep on my phone because… wow!

There’s nothing more exciting than the days leading up to a cruise. At least, right up until that moment when you realize that the volume of the luggage you’ve managed to neatly pack for your cruise… is approximately three times the volume of the car that will drive you there… Doh! Resist the urge to […]

You see an advertisement: “Come sail away! Cruises from Galveston now from $249 per person!” That sounds affordable, but can you believe the hype? What about wifi? Drink packages? Gratuities? What will the true cost of this cruise really be?

As any parent can attest, traveling with children involves a lot of luggage. Somehow when you have kids, even a trip to the grocery store becomes something that leaves you wishing for a pack mule loping along behind you. So looking for a stress-free packing method for a cruise with kids in tow? You’d better […]

Whether you are brand new to cruising or have been sailing since the late ’70s, it’s almost certain you’ve run across the concept of a Cruise Duck somewhere. They are part of a traditional hide-and-seek game played aboard cruise ships and adored by a wide swath of the population, young and old alike.

Do you know what your happy place is? I know mine. After a long day, when I fall into bed so tired that it feels like the bed is swaying under me, when the lights finally go out… that’s when I sail away. I float, swaying gently, in a comfortable lounge chair on a rum-soaked […]