Family Reunions

A valued customer -- Brian C from Corona, CA -- asked me to put something together for him for a family reunion, and I thought to myself, "Self, there is a niche market if ever there were one." I challenge anyone to come up with a better idea for a family get-together than a cruise.



The beauty of it is this: On a cruise, you don't have to hang with everybody every minute of the day. (Let's be honest: familiarity breeds contempt, so we need to give people, even our own relatives, some space.) Ships are large enough and offer enough different things to do for everyone to be able to do his or her own thing and still "be together." Family members can come and go as they please and do whatever they want to do and still coordinate an afternoon or evening rendezvous -- at the pool for sun and games, in the Ambassador Lounge for trivia, or in the Rendezvous Lounge for cocktails. And arranging these casual meetings doesn't require an army logistician to accomplish.

-- Joe L., CruiseCounselor

Flying is a drag

Flying is a drag -- it just took me 12 and a half hours, door-to-door, to travel from Toms River to Corona, California -- which is why, for people who live within driving distance of New York City, cruises to Bermuda, and elsewhere, are so great. Ships leave from the passenger ship terminal on 52nd street. (It spans more streets than that, but that's kinda right smack in the center.) Just as convenient are the ships that leave out of Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, NJ. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity sail from there, although the latter no longer sails to Bermuda.

There's something extra special about starting your cruise sailing down the Hudson River, into New York Harbor, past Lady Liberty, and under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

-- Joe L., the CruiseCounselor

Homeschoolers have it made!

One thing I liked about homeschooling our son was the flexibility it afforded us in choosing vacations -- which for us always means cruising!! To be able to travel at any time of the year usually means two things: 1) You rarely have to compete with your co-workers for vacation time since you don't have to travel during the summer months, and 2) you get great deals because you can travel off peak! (Cruise vacations offer some of the steepest discounts during off-peak periods.)

And homeschoolers should consider this: Depending upon the itinerary, cruises can be highly educational, mainly because they hit so many fascinating ports of call. What a great way to expose your kids to geography and world culture!

-- Joe L., CruiseCounselor